The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has granted $33 million for 38 research projects to help solve environmental cleanup problems at facilities that were once part of the nation's nuclear weapons production complex.

An October 23 press release says the scientific studies, performed by researchers at 30 universities, nine DOE laboratories, and other government and private institutions, will help solve some of the nation's most complex environmental cleanup challenges.

"These projects are designed to apply advanced scientific research and initiatives to make significant strides in nuclear waste cleanup efforts at DOE sites across the country," said Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham.

The science awards focus on location and characterization of subsurface contaminants and characterization of the subsurface; conceptual modeling; containment and stabilization; and monitoring and validation.

A complete list of the projects, including funding and research summaries, is available at the following Web site: http://emsp.em.doe.gov

U.S. Department of Energy
October 23, 2002

Department of Energy Awards $33 Million for 38 Research Projects to Address Environmental Cleanup Challenges

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Energy today announced funding totaling over $33 million for 38 research projects to help solve some of the nation's most complex environmental cleanup challenges. Funding for the projects will come out of the FY 2002 environmental management budget.

Researchers at 30 universities, nine Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories, one other government and two private institutions will conduct scientific studies focusing on environmental problems at DOE facilities that were once part of the nation's nuclear weapons production complex.

"These projects are designed to apply advanced scientific research and initiatives to make significant strides in nuclear waste cleanup efforts at DOE sites across the country," Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said. "The success of these programs and the success of the department's Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP) will be measured in actual cleanup results, and we expect these programs to deliver."

This is the seventh year of grants and other awards made under the department's Environmental Management Science Program, established by Congress in fiscal year 1996.

The 38 science awards focus on: location and characterization of subsurface contaminants and characterization of the subsurface; conceptual modeling; containment and stabilization; and monitoring and validation.

A two-phased formal review process was used to ensure awards were made to the most meritorious applications. The initial phase involved evaluation by external peer reviewers who are experts in various scientific disciplines. The second phase involved review for relevance to the department's cleanup needs by the technical managers who are both familiar with the problems and potential users of the research results.

Funding is provided only to the projects which have been successful in both reviews. Members of the research teams attend periodic meetings with federal staff to review the status of the projects and each project team is required to provide a written progress report on an annual basis.

A complete list of the projects, including funding and research summaries, is available on the World Wide Web at emsp.em.doe.gov.

Two Energy Department offices share responsibility for managing the Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP): the Office of Environmental Management, which is responsible for the environmental cleanup of the nation's nuclear weapons complex, and the Office of Science, which manages the department's basic research programs. The Office of Science conducts the research solicitation and scientific review process and assists in the scientific integration of the EMSP portfolio. The Office of Environmental Management ensures that the research is relevant to the department's environmental cleanup mission and that the results are applied accordingly.