U.S. Department of Energy Grants for Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing Teams

The U.S. Department of Energy is offering $60 million in grants available to universities, private industry and others to utilize national supercomputers to assist scientific discovery.  The Press Release states: 

Program Will Develop Advanced Computing Tools to Accelerate Discovery

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide $60 million to establish multidisciplinary teams to develop new tools and techniques to harness supercomputers for scientific discovery.  

The program, known as SciDAC, or Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing, brings together experts in computer science and applied mathematics with researchers in specific scientific disciplines to develop new high-performance computing tactics for tackling scientific questions. The aim is to accelerate scientific discovery through the development of powerful new computational tools and techniques for scientific research.

"The Department of Energy is proud to announce our investment into programs that will keep our nation globally competitive when it comes to developing advanced computing tools," said Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar. "Through SciDAC, researchers will have access to the Department's computing resources that will lead to discoveries advancing innovation within our scientific community." 

SciDAC is a joint effort among the six major program offices within DOE’s Office of Science. It addresses problems in disciplines including high energy and nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, materials science, chemistry, fusion energy sciences, and Earth systems research. 

Teams, known as “SciDAC Institutes,” are expected to take advantage of DOE Office of Science supercomputing facilities at Argonne, Oak Ridge, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories.

Applications will be open to universities, national laboratories, industry, and nonprofits, with multi-institutional partnerships encouraged. Awards will be selected competitively based on peer review. Total planned funding from the DOE’s Office of Science will be $60 million for five-year projects, with outyear funding contingent on Congressional appropriations.

Letters of intent are required and are due on April 14, 2020 by 5 p.m. Eastern time.  Final applications are due on May 12, 2020 by 5 p.m. Eastern time.  The full text of the Funding Opportunity Announcement, along with a parallel, companion announcement for DOE laboratories, can be found here on the ASCR website.