[All_staff] Message from Bob McKeown: FY18 LDRD Call for Proposals

[Pat Stroop]

An important element of Jefferson Lab’s Strategic Plan is the 
implementation of a Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) 
program. The lab began such a program in FY14 and it has already 
provided a substantial return on the investments made.  We are now 
soliciting proposals for new LDRD projects that would begin in October 
2017 (and continuation proposals from projects underway that will not be 
completed this year).

A draft calendar for the FY2018 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 28*.  If desired, you may *submit an optional 
Letter of Intent* (LOI) briefly outlining your plans for a proposal *no 
later than March 6*, and the lab will provide feedback no later than 
March 27.  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.

The Laboratory 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; or
•    Computer modeling, conceptual design and feasibility studies, or 
computer algorithm or methodology development.

We have identified several areas of strategic value to the future of the 
Laboratory that would benefit from R&D. These particular areas are:
•    addressing the remaining R&D issues for the Jefferson Lab Electron 
Ion Collider design,
•    utilizing heterogeneous architecture in scientific computing beyond 
LQCD, an essential element of advancing computing to the exascale,
•    development of technologies for i) medical and biological imaging 
and ii) the application of particle beams, and
•    addressing R&D issues relevant for new research directions using 
our existing facilities.

The JLab call for LDRD proposals does not specify particular directions, 
as we prefer to receive proposals on a wide selection of potential 
topics. However, relevance to these strategic areas is given strong 
consideration in the evaluation of the LDRD proposals.

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.  This year, the lab 
anticipates a funding level between $0.75M and $1.0M (including 
overhead) for LDRD; however, the final budget will depend on the overall 
FY18 budget for the lab, which is still under development.  We are now 
aiming at a sustainable program within that overall budget envelope, 
including potential continuing support for three of the four projects 
underway in FY17 (assuming their continuation is judged to be merited).  
The exact level will also be subject to the realities of the final FY18 
budgets.  Proposals may request a single year of funding or up to three 
years, with an upper bound of $0.25 M/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.

    -  Bob McKeown


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