a/ FY 1985 total does not include $50,000 transferred to the SBIR program. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 1987 CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET REQUEST SUMMARY OF CHANGES UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION 1986 Appropriation enacted.. 1986 Gramm-Rudman reduction.. 1986 adjusted...... Program increases and decreases: Decreases the number of planned instrumentation awards by approximately 6 to 9...... 1987 budget request.... $ 6,500 246 $6,254 -1,254 $ 5,000 The University Research Instrumentation Program provides support to university research groups on a competitive basis for the purchase of major, state-of-the-art scientific research instrumentation which is essential for continued progress in advanced energy-related scientific and technical research. Continued progress by university researchers in both fundamental energy sciences as well as research directed at improving current and developing new energy technologies requires direct access to new research instrumentation. For example, in the field of materials science, significant effort is being placed on the microanalysis of the structure and chemistry of matter. It is now possible to compare and study the microchemistry and microcrystallography of small samples of metals and ceramic materials. This research requires the use of a new generation of analytical, high resolution high voltage electron miscroscopes. Research advances in this area are directly relevant to long range research needs in fusion, advanced coal conversion, and solar photovoltaics. In the field of biological energy research a major limitation is in understanding the key proteins which influence physiological and genetic factors related to plant productivity. It is particularly difficult to determine the amino acid sequences of polypeptides. However, advances in the analytical capacity of mass spectrometry now offer biological scientists a means to overcome this problem. Many university scientists do not have direct access to sophisticated, state-of-theart scientific research instrumentation. This not only hampers their research but also significantly affects the training and preparation of graduate students for future research careers in industry, the university community or government laboratories. This is a serious national problem being addressed through the combined efforts of Federal science agencies, state governments, private industry and by the university community itself. The Federal effort is coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy through the Interagency Committee on University Research Instrumentation. Each participating Federal agency is responsible for supporting university research instrumentation in relation to agency missions and programmatic needs. The Department's response to this overall national effort is the University Research Instrumentation Program. The program was initiated in FY 1984 to help support the purchase, on a competitive and cost-shared basis, by university researchers of state-of-the-art instrumentation over $100,000 in purchase price. In FY 1984, 17 competitive awards were made for instruments to support energy-related research in the following research areas: biological energy conversion, nuclear waste isolation, combustion, and multiphase and fluid flow phenomena. In FY 1985, 23 awards were made for instrumentation in the following fields: catalysis, advanced materials characterization, biological energy conversion, geosciences and CO, research, and health/environmental impacts of energy-related chemicals. In FY 1986 it is anticipated that 20 to 25 instrumentation awards will be granted. Examples of awards made to universities in both the FY 1984 and FY 1985 University Research Instrumentation program included such instruments as: a scanning Auger microprobe, a tunable dye laser system and several spectrometers (NMR, Ellipsometric, Thermal Ionization Mass, etc.) The FY 1987 request for the University Research Instrumentation Program is $5,000,000. This level will support an estimated 15 to 18 competitively selected awards for instrumentation costing over $100,000. As in prior years, the program will concentrate on providing instrumentation support to university research groups which have already demonstrated significant expertise in one of a small number of high priority energy-related topics which are of special concern to the Department's research programs. Among the topics to be considered in FY 1987 are: catalysis, materials characterization and analyses, the geological sciences and health effects research. Specific topics will be selected following discussions with both DOE program staff and university scientists. The University Research Instrumentation Program remains complementary to but does not replace the Department's efforts to provide support for scientific equipment required on individual research projects supported through the various research programs. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FY 1987 CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET REQUEST ADVISORY AND OVERSIGHT PROGRAM DIRECTION (Tabular dollars in thousands. Narrative material in whole dollars.) a/ Totals reflect a reduction of $15,000 in FY 1985, $30,000 in FY 1986 and $55,000 in FY 1987 for management initiative savings. b/ Total reduced by $106,000 in accordance with P.L. 99-177, the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm/Rudman/Hollings). |