date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 15:12:42 -0400
from: "Bader, Dave" <Dave.Bader@science.doe.gov>
subject: Brief update on DOE Climate Change Prediction Program ( including
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As we approach the start of the new US Government Fiscal Year, I want to
give everyone a brief update and outline of plans for the coming year.

As of today, the appropriation bill that funds the DOE Office of Science has
not yet passed Congress.  Accordingly, we do not know what our budget will
be for the fiscal year that starts October 1, 2000.  Right now, we are using
a very conservative (ie bare minimum funding) budget for planning that we
expect will be revised upward, but nothing is certain.  Additionally, as
many of you are aware, program planning has been been complicated for the
last two years because of uncertainty over the fate of the DOE Office of
Science computational science initiative (previously called SSI) now known
as the "Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing" plan. In May, we
received start-up money for our portion of the initiative (ACPI), which was
used to fund two, limited duration projects, the ACPI Pilot Project and the
NCAR-DOE Software Engineering Project in support of CSM.  There is no
guarantee that we will receive this money again this year, although we are
hopeful for an increase. It is safe to say that a very large program as
envisioned in the original ACPI document will not be started this year. 

The consequences of the current uncertainty are as follows:

University Grants

A large number of the grants supported by the CCPP Program expire in the
next three to nine months.  We plan to hold another program announcement
soliciting new proposals, but the scope and extent of that announcement
cannot be defined until our budget level is determined.  We hope to have an
announcement published by January 1, with proposals due in early spring so
that awards can be made by June.

DOE Laboratories

Over the next year, we plan to make the DOE laboratory component of the
program more coherent and rational.  I have already spoken to most of the
primary laboratory contacts about our ideas, and almost everyone is on board
and supportive.  Better definition will follow when we know the fate and
level of any ACPI-like funding.  Initial funding levels given to the labs in
the Financial Plan (FinPlan) guidance for FY2001 are based on the low value
for the planning budget described above.  In most cases, the funding enables
the ongoing activities at the labs to continue for now until we receive a
more definitive budget, which we anticipate will be more generous.

NCAR

The existing funding at NCAR is not affected by this funding uncertainty,
because the cooperative agreement is funded through next spring from last
fiscal year's funds.  


Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions

Dave


dave.bader@science.doe.gov
voice 301-903-5329
FAX  301-903-8519

Express services and US Mail:

David C. Bader
SC-74
US Department of Energy
19901 Germantown Rd.
Germantown, MD 20874




