The objective of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program is to use Laboratory indirect funding to support early-stage research that aims to develop science and technology in areas of interest. The Program will support a) strategic research aimed at growing the Lab in areas of strategic interest, positioning it for future opportunities; b) more speculative research aimed at developing new areas of interest; c) short term projects of immediate need; and d) special projects for which the Laboratory Director entertains requests or articulates the need.
The Program is therefore divided into three types, Type A, Type B, and Type C (that are openly competed), and Type S.
In a typical year, funding calls for Type A and Type B proposals are expected to be made early in the Fall in order that decisions may be made and communicated to the Principal Investigators (PI) by early in the calendar year and hires then may be made at the start of the new fiscal year.
This program is aimed at larger projects in areas of strategic interest. Projects are often cross-directorate, although not always. The goals of the Type A LDRDs include:
Awards are expected to be up to $600k/yr for up to 36 months. Expectation is that the Type A pool will total about 60% of the total new LDRD allocations in a given year.
Proposals will be requested in a few topical areas each year. Topical areas are likely to be in three-four different areas, supporting perhaps two funded proposals in each area. Topical areas for a given year will be selected by the Deputy Director for Science and Technology (DDST) in consultation with the science Associate Laboratory Directors (ALD), following presentations from the respective Initiative Steering Committees (ISC) (below)
The Initiative Steering Committee will be made up of at least three individuals appointed by the DDST from recommendations made by the ALDs for each initiative. The expectation is that ISC members are members of the Lab Management team (i.e., typically Division Directors or Department Chairs). Members will serve for three year terms that are renewable.
The roles of the ISC are to champion that strategic initiative by:
Proposals will be peer-reviewed by one Subject Matter Expert, not from the ISC, one BNL research staff member, and the ISC. The ISC score will count twice that of the other two referees. Criteria are:
The same reviewers will review all proposals in a given strategic area.
The proposal call will be in the Fall, with awards made early in the calendar year for work to start in October the following year.
This program is aimed at smaller, short to medium-term projects. The goals of the Type B LDRDs include:
Awards are expected to be up to $250k/yr for up to two years. Expectation is that Type B will total about 30% of the total new LDRD allocations in each year.
A general call will be made for proposals. All permanent staff are eligible to submit. Up to ~30% of this program will be reserved for PIs who have at least three years of eligibility left for the DOE Early Career Award program. Proposals submitted in the ECA category will be considered as a separate subset of LDRD B proposals.
“Slots” in the lab-wide competition will be allocated to each Level 1 organization at the discretion of the DDST, allowing for the respective organizations’ size.
Proposals will be reviewed by two Subject Matter Experts and two BNL research staff members, and scored according to the following criteria:
The proposal call will be in the Fall, with awards made early in the calendar year for work to start in October the following year.
This program is aimed at providing limited R&D funding for Level 1 organizations to cover short-term R&D costs. Examples include short term research needs to
Level 1 organizations will submit an umbrella LDRD proposal in September outlining the areas of research of an amount up to 10% of the LDRD tax contributed by that Level 1 organization. Type C proposals are reviewed by the DDST and are expected to be a single year in duration. Sub-proposals may then be submitted against the umbrella proposal during the fiscal year, until three months before year-end.
A portion of the LDRD budget is held for the Special LDRD (S-LDRD) category. These funds are used to establish and enhance initiatives that are consistent with Laboratory priorities. Projects in this category focus on innovative R&D activities that are likely to develop new programmatic areas within BNL's mission focus and enhance the Laboratory's science and technology base. The Laboratory Director entertains requests or articulates the need for S-LDRD funds at any time. The DDST arranges for the appropriate review in accordance with the Director’s guidance.
These projects are driven by special opportunities, including:
Further information and assistance can be obtained from Kathi Barkigia either by email (barkigia@bnl.gov) or telephone (ext. 7661), or Jennifer Froehlich, email (jfroehlich@bnl.gov) or telephone (ext. 3724).
Documentation on all approved LDRD projects is maintained by the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning to assure that projects have undergone proper review and are in compliance with all applicable requirements.