Collaborative Research in Fusion Energy Sciences on Foreign Research Facilities

The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) of the Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announces its interest in receiving proposals from multi-institutional teams to carry out experimental research in magnetic fusion energy sciences on international tokamak facilities. The FES International Collaboration portfolio supports U.S scientific teams who work in collaboration with foreign scientists to explore critical science and technology issues at the frontiers of magnetic fusion research. These collaborations take advantage of the unique capabilities of the most advanced international research facilities. The Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) International Collaboration Panel recently submitted a report entitled ?International Collaboration in Fusion Energy Sciences Research: Opportunities and Modes during the ITER Era? on compelling opportunities for international collaboration: http://science.energy.gov/~/media/fes/pdf/workshop-reports/20120309/FESAC-Intl_Collaborations-final-report.pdf The specific areas of interest for this Program Announcement involve one of the major scientific challenges identified in this report: achieving high performance core plasma regimes suitable for long pulse. Specific topical areas of interest include: 1. Exploring and understanding the transport properties of high performance tokamak plasmas, including the dynamics of the current profile evolution consistent with transport behavior; 2. Studying and developing integrated control schemes capable of maintaining high performance plasmas at the desired operating point for long periods of time; 3. Establishing the physics and engineering of auxiliary systems that provide the means of controlling plasmas for long periods of time; 4. Understanding processes that couple the plasma to the material walls and exploring integrated solutions for the plasma material interface compatible with high performance core plasmas; and 5. Investigating and understanding the physics of transient events such as disruptions to ensure that they can be reliably avoided and developing mitigation techniques as a backup. The full text of the FOA is located on FedConnect. Instructions for completing the Grant Application Package are contained in the full text of the FOA which can be obtained at: https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/?doc=DE-FOA-0000714&agency=DOE A companion Program Announcement to DOE National Laboratories, LAB 12-714, will be posted on the SC Grants and Contracts web site at: http://www.science.doe.gov/grants