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FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR
NOTE: The Solicitations and topics listed on this site are copies from the various SBIR agency solicitations and are not necessarily the latest and most up-to-date. For this reason, you should use the agency link listed below which will take you directly to the appropriate agency server where you can read the official version of this solicitation and download the appropriate forms and rules.
The official link for this solicitation is: http:--science.doe.gov-grants-pdf-SC_FOA_0000969.pdf
Release Date:
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Application Due Date:
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Available Funding Topics
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29: HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS COMPUTATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
- b: Collaboration Software for Distributed Computing
- c: Modular Software Performance Monitoring
- d: Data Frameworks and Database Development
- e: Flexible Geometry Description Tools for HEP Software
- f: Parallelization of Software and Simulation Tools
- g: Enhancing the Geant4 Simulation Toolkit
- h: Data and Software Preservation
- i: Other
The DOE supports the development of computational technologies essential for success of the experimental, theoretical, and R&D programs in the Office of High Energy Physics (HEP). HEP funded research is aimed at understanding how our universe works at its most fundamental level through Energy, Intensity, and Cosmic Frontiers [1]. Experiments for HEP science are data intensive, and rely heavily on scientific computing for planning, operations, software, data-taking and data analysis. State of the art modeling and simulation are integral to the planning, development, and success of science at the three frontiers. Although particle physics computer systems and software development typically occur in large collaborative efforts at national particle accelerator centers, there are opportunities for small businesses to make innovative and creative contributions that can be commercialized. Applicants interested to apply for the SBIR-STTR projects in the HEP Computational Technology area are encouraged to collaborate with active high energy particle physicists at universities or national laboratories to establish mutually beneficial goals. National Laboratories that support HEP research can be found at [2] and on-line directories of appropriate researchers are available by institution at [3]. Prospective applicants are also advised to consult with the SBIR commercialization department and their collaborators university or laboratory small business offices for appropriate presentation of commercialization plans. Although some aspects of HEP computing technology may have similarities with other disciplines applicants should consult with their HEP supported collaborators and focus on proposals that enhance HEP research interests. Areas of present interest are outlined below in the subtopics. All grant applications must clearly and specifically indicate their relevance to present or future HEP programmatic activities as described in the Energy, Intensity, and Cosmic frontiers.
By aggregating world-wide computing resources from HEP and other disciplines, initiatives like the Open Science Grid [4] aim to enable a federated computing model for HEP and other participating disciplines. Grant applications are sought to develop advanced infrastructure technologies to strengthen the ability of dispersed particle physics researchers to collaborate. Examples include client-server frameworks, remote data selection techniques, distributed data management and analysis frameworks, and project management software.
HEP experiments use complex software which often makes use of routines from multiple sources and multiple authors. Performance optimization is a recurring issue for these extended software systems and it is often difficult to determine where hot spots and bottlenecks occur in the final software system. The problem is made even more urgent and more complex by the growing need for parallelization in the execution of the code. Grant applications are sought for general purpose software monitoring and analysis systems which can provide targeted insights into the operation of HEP software systems and specific parts of the system to focus on for performance improvement.
Grant applications are sought in areas of large data including frameworks for the management, configuration, custody, and dissemination of large data sets (experimental or simulation data), development of data storage, management reliability, and preservation systems and related tools for large data needs of the HEP community.
Accurate and detailed descriptions of the HEP detectors are crucial elements of the software chains used for simulation, visualization and reconstruction programs: for this reason, it is important to deploy general purpose detector description tools which allow for precise modeling, visualization, visual debugging and interactivity and which can be used to feed information in, e.g., Geant4 based simulation programs and in reconstruction-oriented geometry models; at the same time, these tools must allow for different levels of descriptions, for different uses. Grant applications are sought for development of such a system of detector geometry description.
Grant applications are sought that facilitate parallelizing HEP community codes on multi core computer systems including clusters, and-or GPU systems that address specific or broad HEP research areas and-or complement use of supercomputers.
Grant applications are sought for enhancements or additions to the Geant4 simulation toolkit [4] that would be beneficial to its use in high energy physics while widening its applicability outside high energy physics. Examples might include: a) enhanced simulation of radiation effects in semiconductors to aid in the design of radiation-hard electronics; b) simulation of material activation in high radiation environments; c) improved interface to Computer Aided Design systems enabling tasks such as efficient exploration of shielding configurations; d) improvements to the precision and speed of the Geant4 electromagnetic physics modeling benefiting both high energy physics and other uses.
Long-term preservation of scientific data represents a challenge to all experiments. Even after an experiment has reached its end of life, it may be necessary to reprocess the data. There are two aspects of long-term data preservation: "data" and "software". While data can be preserved by migration, it is more complicated for the software. Preserving source code and binaries is not enough; the full software and hardware environment is needed. Grant applications are sought for systems to preserve HEP data and to make it useful for indefinite periods.
In addition to the specific subtopics listed above, the Department invites grant applications in other areas that fall within the scope of the topic description above.