Overview

DOE was directed by Congress to establish a National Institute on Global Environmental Change (NIGEC) in FY 1990 at the University of California (UC), Davis. The Congressional language directing DOE to establish NIGEC also specified that it be composed of academic research institutions representing the four principal regions of the United States and that the institutions draw on the scholarly resources within their region to serve DOE's interests. The NIGEC was recently reorganized and renamed to the DOE National Institute for Climatic Change Research (NICCR). The NICCR presently consists of four regional centers, each hosted by a different university. The regional centers solicit, recommend, and manage research projects within their respective geographic regions. The four NICCR regional center host universities are Duke University (Southeastern region), Michigan Technological University (Midwestern region), Northern Arizona University (Western region), and The Pennsylvania State University (Northeastern region). NICCR is supported by cooperative agreements between each host university and the DOE. More information about NICCR can be obtained at the NICCR web site.

Request for Proposals

NICCR is presently requesting research proposals. Preproposals are required. Preproposals are due January 18, 2006, and full proposals are due March 14, 2006. Details of the request for proposals are at the NICCR web site.

Research Thrusts

Present NICCR research thrusts are

• Effects of warming, changes in precipitation, increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and/or increases in tropospheric ozone concentration on the structure and functioning of important terrestrial ecosystems in the United States.
• Effects of potential climatic changes on the geographic boundaries of U.S. terrestrial ecosystems (or biomes), and the populations of their dominant organisms (plants, animals, and/or microorganisms).
• Use of measurements of contemporary exchanges of mass and energy between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems to reduce scientific uncertainty about effects of an altered terrestrial carbon cycle and/or surface energy exchange on global and/or regional climate.
• Synthesis activities related to effects of climatic variability and change on U.S. terrestrial ecosystems, principally with a regional focus.

Program Manager

Dr. Jeffrey S. Amthor
SC-23.3/Germantown Building
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585-1290
Phone: (301) 903-2507
Fax: (301) 903-8519
E-mail: jeff.amthor@science.doe.gov Address for overnight couriers:
U.S. Department of Energy, SC-23.3
19901 Germantown Road
Germantown, MD 20874-1290