[All_staff] Message from Hugh Montgomery: FY15 LDRD Program: Call for Proposals

[Pat Stroop]

All,

An important element of the Strategic Plan recently released for 
Jefferson Lab is the implementation of a Laboratory Directed Research 
and Development (LDRD) program. The lab began such a program in FY14 and 
is soliciting proposals for additional LDRD projects that would begin in 
October 2014.

A draft calendar for the FY2015 program, which provides deadline 
information and outlines the LDRD evaluation process, is posted on the 
LDRD website (http://www.jlab.org/div_dept/ldrd/). The due date for 
formal proposals is April 30. If desired, you may submit an optional 
Letter of Intent (LOI) outlining your plans no later than Feb. 28, and 
the lab will provide feedback no later than March 17. In addition to the 
calendar, the LDRD website provides templates and instructions for both 
proposals and LOIs, as well as a budget spreadsheet template and a 
Frequently Asked Questions section. The remainder of this note describes 
the LDRD program briefly. If you have further questions please contact 
either the associate director of your Division or LDRD Program Manager 
Larry Cardman; Cardman at jlab.org <mailto:Cardman at jlab.org>.

The Lab Directed Research and Development at JLab enables the lab to 
respond to timely scientific and technological opportunities that also 
support DOE's research and development mission. This program will be a 
critical tool for directing the lab's forefront scientific research 
capabilities towards vital, excellent and emerging scientific 
challenges. The program provides the resources for JLab scientists to 
make rapid and significant contributions to critical national science 
and technology problems of mission relevance to JLab and the DOE. LDRD 
also can advance the lab's core scientific capability, and permits 
seeding and exploration of exciting new opportunities.

Areas eligible for support will include:

    * Advanced study of new hypotheses, new concepts and innovative
      approaches to scientific or technical problems;
    * Experiments directed towards "proof-of-principle" or early
      determination of the utility of new scientific ideas, technical
      concepts or devices; and
    * Conception and preliminary technical analysis of experimental
      facilities or devices.

Within these eligible research areas, the LDRD program is conducted with 
a scale of effort typically utilizing existing research facilities. The 
projects can be characterized as:

    * Small-scale research and development activities or pilot projects;
    * Bench-scale research projects;
    * Computer modeling, conceptual design and feasibility studies.

Consistent with DOE policy, funding cannot be used for construction 
line-item projects, maintenance projects or general purpose equipment 
acquisition. Projects may not substitute for, or increase the budget of, 
projects or tasks already funded at JLab by DOE or other sponsors.

JLab's LDRD program will provide an opportunity to advance the lab's 
mission as described in the JLab Strategic Plan. We are aiming at a 
sustainable program within an overall budget envelope of ~$0.75M 
(including overhead and including continuing support for two of the 
three projects launched in FY14).The exact level will also be subject to 
the realities of the final FY15 budgets. Proposals may request a single 
year of funding or up to three years, with an upper bound of $0.2M/year 
in direct funding. Proposers are encouraged to consider this in 
developing their proposals and should consult with the cognizant AD(s) 
at a very early stage. Proposals that are cross-cutting, engaging and 
leveraging the core capabilities across multiple divisions are welcomed, 
and the relevant ADs each participate in the review of such proposals.

Mont


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