National Laboratory Scientific Focus Area (SFA) Programs The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) is improving the approach to funding research at the DOE National Laboratories. Rather than funding individual, single investigator projects, BER now funds integrated research programs at the DOE National Laboratories within specific Scientific Focus Areas (SFAs). The SFA concept aligns the research efforts of BER with elements within the BER budget language. For the Environmental Remediation Science Program (ERSP), a program within BER, the specific SFA being addressed is Environmental Remediation Sciences Research described in (http://www.sc.doe.gov/ober/sfareview.pdf) and in the ERSP Strategic Plan (http://www.sc.doe.gov/ober/ERSD/ERSD_2006_Strategic_Plan.pdf). This new approach is a recognition that the National Laboratories are structured for conducting coordinated, team-oriented research in a manner that is distinct from, but complementary to, research conducted via Financial Assistance (10 CFR Part 605) at other institutions such as Universities or the private sector. This new approach challenges the National Laboratories to build and sustain integrative team-oriented research programs based on their unique scientific capabilities and administrative resources to meet the strategic goals of the ERSP. Additional information on National Laboratory SFA program setup, review and management procedures can be found at http://www.sc.doe.gov/ober/sfareview.pdf.
Brief summaries of each current ERSP National Laboratory SFA Program can be found in the links provided below:
