SciDAC: Scientific Computation Application Partnerships in Earth System Science II - Pilot Projects | DE FOA 0001682

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001682

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science issued this SciDAC (Scientific Discovery Through Advanced Computing) funding opportunity to push climate and Earth system modeling forward by pairing domain scientists with advanced computing experts in a tightly integrated way. The core idea is that many of the biggest bottlenecks in climate simulation are no longer just about having more computer time; they are about developing better algorithms, numerical methods, uncertainty quantification approaches, and software designs that can truly take advantage of DOE high performance computing (HPC) systems. This FOA is meant to fund pilot projects that build deep, sustained collaborations between climate scientists and applied mathematicians/computer scientists so that models can run at higher fidelity and produce more realistic simulations of real-world climate conditions.

The opportunity is a joint effort between two DOE programs: Biological and Environmental Research (BER) and Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR). It is positioned under the SciDAC partnership framework, which is specifically aimed at bridging disciplinary gaps that often slow progress (for example, when climate teams and computational science teams work in parallel rather than co-designing methods and codes). Successful projects are expected to accelerate scientific advances by ensuring that climate-relevant codes and workflows are designed to exploit leadership-class computing resources, rather than being retrofitted after the fact.

Programmatically, the FOA targets three priority research topics that DOE expects to benefit heavily from strong climate-computation partnerships. First, it calls for new and innovative methods to predict sea-level change, an area that depends on complex interactions among ocean dynamics, ice sheets, and coastal processes and that can be limited by current modeling approaches and computational constraints. Second, it seeks development of a theoretical-statistical-numerical framework to improve climate prediction, signaling an emphasis on methods that unify physical modeling with rigorous statistics and numerical analysis to improve predictability, quantify uncertainty, and make better use of data and ensembles. Third, it aims to develop improved methods for model component coupling, which addresses how different parts of Earth system models (atmosphere, ocean, land, ice, biogeochemistry, etc.) exchange information in stable, accurate, and efficient ways. Better coupling is often essential for credibility at high resolution and for efficient scaling on HPC architectures.

A key motivation behind the FOA is to strengthen next-generation climate model capabilities that feed into DOE flagship modeling efforts, specifically the Accelerated Climate Model for Energy (ACME). The FOA frames these pilot projects as contributing to ACME goals such as preparing climate codes for leadership-class computers and supporting DOE energy science and mission requirements. In practical terms, this means projects should not only produce scientific insight but also advance computational methods and software capabilities that can be integrated into broader DOE climate modeling ecosystems.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary research and development opportunity using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, meaning DOE expects substantial involvement during the project (for example, in coordinating, steering, or integrating efforts with broader program objectives). The funding opportunity number is DE-FOA-0001682, under CFDA 81.049, administered by the DOE Office of Science. The original closing date listed is 2017-03-15, and the award ceiling shown is $1,500,000.

Eligibility is broadly open to all applicant types with two explicit exclusions: Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contractors and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that have engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995. DOE National Laboratories have a special constraint: they are not eligible to receive financial assistance awards under this FOA and must instead apply through a companion DOE National Laboratory announcement (LAB 17-1682). Even so, national labs may still participate by submitting collaborating proposals through that companion mechanism. The FOA also notes that other federal agencies that collaborate and are considered for funding may be invited to submit an application through the Office of Science PAMS system for an interagency award, reflecting DOE's openness to cross-agency collaboration when it strengthens the work.

Overall, the grant is best understood as a targeted SciDAC pilot effort to produce transformative improvements in Earth system modeling by co-developing climate science advances and advanced computational approaches, with clear emphasis on sea-level prediction, improved climate prediction frameworks, and better component coupling, all aligned with DOE HPC capabilities and the ACME modeling agenda.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SciDAC: Scientific Computation Application Partnerships in Earth System Science II - Pilot Projects" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-11-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-03-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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