State of BER September 5, 2008

State of BERSeptember 5, 2008

Anna Palmisano, Ph.D.Associate Director of

ScienceBiological and

Environmental Research

Biological and Environmental Research

I. Reorganization and Personnel

II. Retreat – “Re-discovering BER Science”

III. Budget & Transition Planning

IV. Science Focus Areas

V. News from the Divisions

VI. BERAC Activities: Looking Ahead…

Outline of Talk

Biological and Environmental Research

My Priorities for BER

• Rebuilding the leadership team after a number of retirements

• Building even stronger programs through strategic planning and scientific peer review processes

• Encouraging linkages among programs – cross-cutting themes

• Delivering on investments—post-award management

• Strengthening partnerships within SC, DOE, and Federal Government

• Empowering program managers to develop and sustain national programs that provide world leadership

• Telling the BER “story” – clearly articulating BER science, increasing visibility of our successes

Drivers for BER Re-organization

• Improve communication among employees

• Reduce “stove-piping”

• Allow full participation of all employees in programs

• Reflect mission priorities and approach

• Position BER for the future

Biological and Environmental Research

Office of Biological & Environmental Office of Biological & Environmental ResearchResearch

Associate Director Office Staff Contacts

Sr. Technical AdvisorMichael Riches

Chief ScientistDavid Thomassen

Associate Director Office Staff Contacts

Sr. Technical AdvisorMichael Riches

Chief ScientistDavid Thomassen

Previous BER Organization:Previous BER Organization:

Environmental RemediationSciences Division

Paul Bayer, Acting

Life and Medical Sciences DivisionDavid Thomassen, Acting

Climate Change Research DivisionMike Kuperberg, Acting

Anna PalmisanoAssociate Director

Kathy Holmes, Administrative Specialist

Sharon BetsonDean ColeJoanne CorcoranDan DrellPatrick GlynnJoseph Graber, AAAS

Scholar

Susan GregurickRoland HirschJohn Houghton

Arthur KatzPeter Kirchner (IPA) Noelle MettingPrem SrivastavaMarvin StodolskyMichael TeresinskiSharlene WeatherwaxElizabeth White

Kirin AlapatyJeff AmthorAnjuli BamzaiKaren Carlson-BrownRoger DahlmanWanda FerrellRick PettyLeslie RunionRobert VallarioAshley Williamson

Todd AndersonTeresa JonesMike KuperbergKim LaingDavid Lesmes

Dean ColeJoanne CorcoranDan DrellPatrick GlynnJoseph GraberSusan GregurickRoland HirschJohn HoughtonTerry Jones

Biological Systems Science Division

Roland Hirsch , Acting Director

Climate and Environmental Sciences Division

Mike Kuperberg, Acting Director

Kirin AlapatyJeff AmthorTodd AndersonAnjuli BamzaiPaul BayerKaren Carlson-BrownRoger DahlmanWanda Ferrell

6

Kim LaingDavid LesmesRick PettyLeslie RunionRobert VallarioAshley Williamson

Arthur KatzPeter Kirchner (IPA) Noelle MettingPrem SrivastavaMarvin StodolskyMichael TeresinskiSharlene WeatherwaxElizabeth White

Associate Director Office Staff

Michael Riches, Sr. Technical Advisor

David Thomassen, Chief Scientist

Associate Director Office Staff

Michael Riches, Sr. Technical Advisor

David Thomassen, Chief Scientist

BER Organization - PeopleBER Organization - People

Office of Biological & Environmental Office of Biological & Environmental ResearchResearch

Anna PalmisanoAssociate Director

Kathy Holmes, Administrative Specialist

Biological Systems Science Division

Genomics: GTLBioenergy Research Centers

Joint Genome InstituteLow Dose Radiation BiologyRadiochemistry, Imaging &

InstrumentationStructural Biology

Carbon Sequestration

Climate and Environmental Sciences Division

Climate Change ResearchARM Facility

Environmental Remediation Science Program

Environmental Molecular Science LabCarbon Sequestration

7

Office of Biological & Office of Biological & Environmental Research:Environmental Research:

ProgramsPrograms

Personnel Changes and ChallengesBiological Systems Science Division:

• Finalizing recruitment action for permanent Division Director

• Dr. Joe Graber hired as DOE Program Manager

• Recruiting for IPA in Plant Sciences

• Sharon Betson moved to Safety, Security and Infrastructure; Terry Jones is now Secretary for BSSD

Climate and Environmental Sciences Division:

• Acting Division Director is currently Mike Kuperberg; Wanda Ferrell will begin acting on September 8

• Recruitment deferred until after transition

• Recruiting for IPA in Climate Modeling

Biological and Environmental Research

Retreat: “Re-discovering BER Science”

Biological and Environmental Research

Goals of Science Retreat

• Define BER mission, approach, cross-cutting themes

• Share information across program boundaries• Team and establish linkages among programs• Introduce logic models as a consistent approach

to strategic planning• Discuss managing risk, strategic partnerships,

outreach and communication, human capital

Biological and Environmental Research

Mission-Inspired Science

BER advances world-class biological and environmental research programs and scientific user facilities to support DOE’s energy, environment, and basic research missions.

Biological and Environmental Research

BER Mission Priorities• Develop biofuels as a major secure national

energy resource• Understand relationships between climate

change and Earth’s ecosystems, and assess options for carbon sequestration

• Predict fate and transport of subsurface contaminants

• Develop new tools to explore the interface of biological and physical sciences

Biological and Environmental Research

The BER Approach• Understanding complex biological and environmental

systems across many spatial and temporal scales:

From the sub-micron to the global, from individual molecules to ecosystems, from nanoseconds to millennia.

• Integrating science with tight coupling between theory, observations, experiments, and models

• Supporting interdisciplinary research to address critical National needs

• Engaging national laboratories, universities, and the private sector to generate the best possible science

Biological and Environmental Research

BER Systems Science: Identify Key Components and Understand Interactions which Control System Response

Ecosystems Global ClimateMicrobes Multicellular Organisms

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Logic Model Approach to Strategic Planning

Current Situation Inputs/Resources Near Term Goals

(5 years)

Mid Term Goals

(10 years)

Long Term Goals

(20 years)

Outcomes

(impact on science and

society)

2 3 5 6 4 1

– Achieve a predictive understanding of complex biological, climate and environmental systems in support of DOE’s Energy and Environmental Missions

Outcome for BER Science

Biological and Environmental Research

Support Staff Retreat

• Analyze process flow

• Improve efficiency of operations

• Re-balance workload

• Encourage staff development activities

Biological and Environmental Research

Biological & Environmental Research

$480.1 $544.4 $568.5

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

FY 2007Approp.

FY 2008Approp.

FY 2009Request

dolla

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BER Budget Profile

Biological and Environmental Research

Transition Planning:Transition Planning: “Managing Uncertainty” “Managing Uncertainty”

• We are already preparing for, and will be implementing, the transition to a new administration

• In FY 2009, we are planning for one or more Continuing Resolutions that may last the entire year, effectively freezing budgets at FY 2008 level

• Expectations for a final FY 2009 Congressionally Appropriated Budget are unknown

Biological and Environmental Research

• Todd Anderson and his team leading implementation of SFA’s for managing research at the DOE National Labs

• SFA’s encourage integrative, collaborative research programs, in support of DOE mission

• SFA’s take advantage of unique National Lab strengths in interdisciplinary, team-oriented, mission relevant research

• The SFA’s will enhance dialogue between National Lab science managers and BER program managers

• Best management practices developed and shared with the National Labs; follow up conference calls

Scientific Focus Areas (SFAs) for Labs:

Implementing A New Management Approach

Biological and Environmental Research

Biological Systems Biological Systems Science Division: Science Division:

UpdatesUpdates

Biological and Environmental Research

Biological Systems Science DivisionBiological Systems Science Division National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) Imaging and

Spectroscopy Workshop (POC: Roland Hirsch)

Biological and Environmental Research

• September 12, Washington, D.C.

• Goal: To explore NSLS II imaging and spectroscopy applications for:

• Microbiology

• Cellular and organismal biology

• Plant Science

• Diagnostic Medicine

• Life science applications for macromolecular crystallography and x-ray scattering are well defined….

• However, applications of planned imaging and spectroscopy are less clear and will be focus of workshop

Biological Systems Science DivisionBiological Systems Science Division

Bioenergy Research Center Reviews (POC: Patrick Glynn)

• Year-end, on-site reviews of science and management by a team of experts

• Plant sciences, microbiology, enabling technologies, computation and informatics, management, ES&H

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center: Sept 23-24, Madison, WI

Joint BioEnergy Institute: Sept 28-30, Emeryville, CA

BioEnergy Science Center: October 14-15, Oak Ridge, TN

Biological and Environmental Research

Biological Systems Science DivisionBiological Systems Science Division

Workshop on Sustainability of Biofuels: State of the Science and Future Directions (POC: John Houghton, Libby White)

• October 28-29 in Bethesda, MD

• Goal: Assess the current state of the science and identify future research, opportunities for partnering

• Jointly sponsored by DOE (SC/BER) and USDA (Research, Education and Economics, and US Forest Service)

• Both Under Secretary Orbach and Under Secretary Buchanan will attend

• Co-led with Phil Robertson of GLBRC, Sustainability Thrust Leader

Biological and Environmental Research

Biological Systems Science DivisionBiological Systems Science Division Workshop on New Frontiers of Science in Radiochemistry

and Instrumentation for Radionuclide Imaging (POC: Prem Srivastava)

Biological and Environmental Research

• November 4-5, Bethesda, MD

• Goal is to discuss reconfiguration of the BER Radiochemistry and Instrumentation program to incorporate research relevant to DOE’s missions in biology and environmental sciences

• Seeking programmatic outcomes broadly useful and transferable to other agencies and industry, including nuclear medicine community.

• Workshop summary will lead to full report

BER Foundational Research in

Radiochemistry and Imaging

Instrumentation

BER Biological Sciences

BER Environmental

Sciences

NIH Human Health

Sciences

Paradigm for Reconfiguration of Radiochemistry Program

Biological Systems Science DivisionBiological Systems Science Division Triennial On-Site Review of Joint Genome Institute (JGI)

(POC: Dan Drell)

Biological and Environmental Research

• December 3-5 in Walnut Creek, CA

• Team of experts will evaluate science, operations, informatics and management

• Criteria include scientific productivity and impact, quality of user program, and value added from JGI informatics and data analysis activities

Biological Systems Science DivisionBiological Systems Science Division

Workshop on “Low Dose Epidemiology – What Can It Tell Us?” (POC: Noelle Metting)

• December 10-11, Washington D.C. area

• Organizing Committee includes DOE, EPA and NCI scientists

• Goal is to develop an understanding of:

The value of current human low dose/low dose-rate epidemiological data

Potential to improve and expand low dose epidemiologic data

Approaches for integrating new molecular/ biological knowledge and technologies into epidemiologic studies

Biological and Environmental Research

Genomics: GTL PI Meeting (POCs: Sharlene Weatherwax and Joe Graber).

• February 8-11, 2009, North Bethesda, MD

• Plenary sessions will include presentations by the DOE Bioenergy Research Centers

• Breakout sessions will include topics on Biohydrogen, Annotation, Multiscale Computing, ELSI and Sustainability, and Proteomics.

• Includes the USDA-DOE Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy Awardee Workshop 2009

Biological Systems Science DivisionBiological Systems Science Division

Biological and Environmental Research

Climate and Climate and Environmental Sciences Environmental Sciences

Division: UpdatesDivision: Updates

Biological and Environmental Research

Climate and Environmental Sciences DivisionClimate and Environmental Sciences Division Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) Triennial

Review. (POC: Paul Bayer)

Biological and Environmental Research

• September 8-10, Richland, Washington

• Expert review panel will evaluate scientific impact and operational efficiency

• Criteria include:

Scientific productivity

Strategic planning

Scientific leadership

ARM Airborne Measurements Workshop (POC: Rick Petty)

Biological and Environmental Research

• October 14-16, Champaign, IL

• Goal: To advance instrument development for and airborne measurements of atmospheric, climate-related processes

• Attendees include agency reps and members of the atmospheric instrumentation community

Climate and Environmental Sciences DivisionClimate and Environmental Sciences Division

ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF) Workshop (POC: Wanda Ferrell)

• October 21-22, Reston, VA

• Goal: To ensure that ACRF has the strategy and tools to meet the science needs for the next ten years.

• Attendees include agency reps and scientific community

Workshop on Extreme Scale Computing for Climate Change Science (POC: Anjuli Bamzai-BER and Lali Chatterjee-ASCR)

Biological and Environmental Research

Climate and Environmental Sciences DivisionClimate and Environmental Sciences Division

• November 6-7, Washington, D.C.

• Dr. Warren Washington is the organizer, at the request of Dr. Orbach

• Joint BER/ASCR activity to explore the potential applications of extreme-scale computing research to enable discovery in climate change science

• International representatives from the climate science and high performance computing communities

BERAC Activities: Looking ahead…

• JGI is working on a Strategic Plan – anticipate briefing BERAC at Feb. 2009 meeting, inviting review

• Briefing by Dr. Tim Killeen, new Assistant Director of Geosciences for NSF

Biological and Environmental Research

BERAC – Vital Contributors to BER

• Strategic thinking – identifying areas of opportunity

• Science leadership and forward-looking advice – beyond the horizon

• Program reviews, COV’s – staying on the cutting-edge of science

• Visibility – sharing our successes

Biological and Environmental Research

Thank you!

Biological and Environmental Research

Back up slides

BER Approach: Understanding Complex Systems

• Defining multiple components and their interactions, i.e., the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

• Synergistic effects, emergent properties, and concomitant actions are the norm rather than the exception in all complex systems.

• Systems approaches advance our understanding of molecules, organisms, ecosystems, and global climate.

• Systems science will allow us to modify, regulate, and/or control biology and the environment in support of DOE missions.

Biological & Environmental Research (BER) (FY 2009=$568.5M)

Biological Research:Biological Research:

• Life Sciences. Three Bioenergy Research Centers continue to accelerate research in biofuels. Genomics: GTL research is enhanced, underpinning biotech solutions for DOE energy/environmental needs. Low dose radiation research activities are enhanced. Genome sequencing at the Joint Genome Institute supports BER goals. Radiochemical and imaging research is enhanced to develop new imaging technologies and new applications for radiotracers in biology and the environment. (FY 2007=$252.5M; FY 2008=$294.7M; FY 2009=$296.2M);

• Medical Applications. Supports fundamental research and instrument

development in imaging for an artificial retina that allows patients to see large objects. (FY 2007=$6.6M; FY 2008=$8.2M; FY 2009=$8.2M)

• Environmental Remediation Research. Providing the scientific basis for understanding DOE's legacy environmental contamination issues; EMSL initiates multi-year program for acquisition of new/improved instrumentation (FY 2007=$91.4M; FY 2008=$93.8M; FY 2009=$98.4M).

Biological & Environmental Research (BER)

Climate Change Research:Climate Change Research:

• Supports the U.S. Climate Change Science Program to develop, test and improve climate models that simulate the responses of climate to increased atmospheric greenhouse gases and aerosols.

• Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility adds a second mobile system to obtain observations of clouds and aerosols in poorly understood regions.

• Climate Modeling increases to exploit leadership class computing (FY 2007=$129.6M; FY 2008=$136.9M; FY 2009=$154.9M)

Nuclear Medicine in BER

• FY 2007 Program Funding ($6.0M): Supported radiotracer and advanced imaging instrumentation for medical research and technology development activities and some imaging instrumentation work

• FY 2008 Omnibus Bill: Congress provided additional $17.5M for nuclear medicine research. Formal applications to Funding Opportunity Announcement in the area of Radiochemistry and Instrumentation Research will be reviewed for scientific merit, and awards made in FY 2008.

Biological and Environmental ResearchBiological and Environmental Research(dollars in thousands)(dollars in thousands)

FY 2008 FY 2009 Appropriation Request

Research

Life Sciences 137,775 166,206

GTL Research Centers 75,000 75,000

Climate Change Research 97,854 112,834

Environmental Remediation 46,665 48,485

Medical Applications 30,132 8,226

Total, Research 387,426 410,751

Facility Ops

Scientific User Facility Operations

EMSL (PNNL) 38,068 48,448

Production Genomic Facility (JGI) 60,000 55,000

ARM 35,251 37,853

Total, Facility Operations 133,319 141,301

EMSL Major Item of Equipment 4,500 0

Total, Facility Ops 137,819 141,301

Other

BER GPP/GPE 4,531 1,450

SBIR/STTR 14,621 15,038

Total, Other 19,152 16,488

Total, BER 544,397 568,540

Office of Science

U.S. Department of Energy

Reactive processes control contaminant transport occur at small scales:

chemical oxidation/reduction biological oxidation/reduction adsorption precipitation/dissolution

Characteristics of groundwater flow affecting contaminant transport at small -intermediate scales:

advection/dispersion diffusion stratigraphy (heterogeneity) porosity

From the molecular to the ecosystem

Subsurface Research Across Scales

Field-scale understanding based on: Column & mesoscale research Small-scale field experiments Iteration between field experiments and modeling/simulation

Mesoscale101.5-103 m

Pore scale10-3-101.5 m

Microscopic10-7-10-3 m

Molecular/nano10-10-10-8 m

>103 m

Computational Modeling &Iterative ExperimentationAcross Scales

Biological and Environmental Research

FY 2009 President’s Request: Radiochemistry and Imaging

Instrumentation Research

• Reconfiguration will reflect BER's energy and environmental mission focus, areas distinct from NIH focus on developing disease diagnostics and medical therapeutics

• The program will support:– Fundamental research to advance DOE’s mission in biology and

environmental sciences.– New methods for real-time, high-resolution imaging of dynamic

biological processes in environmentally-responsive contexts

• Research will be broadly useful and transferable to other agencies and industry, including nuclear medicine research at the National Institutes of Health.

Goal: Multiple use—multiple benefits from new scientific discoveries