The U. S. Department of Energy announced in the October 6 Federal Register the continuation of its "Plasma Physics Junior Faculty Development Program." The announcement (DOE Office of Science Financial Assistance Program Notice 01-02) invites grant application no later than February 7, 2001. The announcement states that the applications should be from "tenure- track faculty investigators who are currently involved in experimental or theoretical plasma physics research and should be submitted through a U.S. academic institution." The purpose of this program is to support the development of the individual research programs of exceptionally talented scientists and engineers early in their careers.

The Plasma Physics Junior Faculty Development Program was started in FY 1997. A principal goal of this program is to identify exceptionally talented plasma faculty members early in their careers and assist and facilitate the development of their research programs. Eligibility for awards under this notice is, therefore, restricted to tenure-track regular academic faculty investigators who are conducting experimental or theoretical plasma physics research. Applications from Junior Faculty involved in any areas of plasma physics research, not only magnetic fusion, are welcomed and encouraged. Emphasis is to be placed on basic plasma science research. For applications to be considered for funding, certification of the status of the applicant as a tenure-track regular academic faculty member by the head of the applicant's academic department or other university/college certifying official will be required before the grant is awarded. The announcement states, "Awards made under this program will help to maintain the vitality of university plasma physics research and assure continued excellence in the teaching of plasma physics and related disciplines."

It is anticipated that annual funding levels up to $150,000 per award may be made available for grants under this notice during FY 2001, contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds. Funding for equipment above this level will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The number of awards during FY 2001 will depend on the number of meritorious applications and the availability of appropriated funds. Multiple year funding of grant awards is expected, with funding provided on an annual basis subject to availability of funds. The usual duration of these grants is three years and they will not normally be renewed after the project period is completed. It is anticipated that at the end of the grant period, grantees will submit new grant applications to continue their research to the Department of Energy or other Federal funding agencies. For the Office of Science, these applications should follow the usual application process. Applications will be subjected to scientific merit review and will be evaluated against the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of importance:

1. Scientific and/or technical merit of the project;
2. Appropriateness of the proposed method or approach;
3. Competency of applicant's personnel and adequacy of proposed resources; and
4. Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget.

An additional review criteria will address educational aspects of the proposed work including the involvement of graduate and undergraduate students. These aspects should be discussed in the application.

General information about development and submission of applications, eligibility, limitations, evaluations and selection processes, and other policies and procedures are contained in the Application Guide for the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program and 10 CFR part 605 which is available on the World Wide Web at: