Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing: Runaway Electron Avoidance and Mitigation in Tokamak Plasmas | DE FOA 0001844

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity about?

This Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science funding opportunity focuses on advancing research on runaway electrons in magnetically confined plasmas, with a particular emphasis on tokamak devices. The goal is to improve scientific understanding and predictive capability so fusion researchers can better avoid runaway electron generation when possible and mitigate their effects when avoidance is not feasible.

Which DOE offices are sponsoring or administering this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered through the DOE Office of Science under the Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) program, involving the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) and the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR).

What program is this opportunity part of?

It is part of the Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) program, which emphasizes tightly integrated work between domain science (here, fusion plasma physics) and advanced computing (including scalable algorithms and high-performance computing).

Why are runaway electrons a priority topic for fusion research?

Runaway electrons are a major concern in fusion experiments because they can be generated during plasma disruptions and, if not controlled, can damage plasma-facing components. The opportunity treats runaway electron avoidance and mitigation as strategically important for reliable tokamak operations and future fusion devices.

What kinds of outcomes is DOE seeking from funded projects?

The opportunity emphasizes translating advanced physics understanding into modeling and simulation tools that help researchers anticipate runaway behavior and design more effective control strategies. While specific deliverables are not listed in the provided excerpt, the SciDAC framing implies outcomes such as improved physics models, scalable simulation capabilities, and stronger integration of theory, computation, and experimental relevance.

What is meant by improving “predictive capability” in this call?

In this context, predictive capability means being able to model and simulate disruption scenarios to quantify runaway electron generation and transport mechanisms and to evaluate avoidance and mitigation strategies virtually before applying them in experiments.

Does the opportunity emphasize avoidance, mitigation, or both?

Both. The call highlights the need to avoid runaway electron generation when feasible and to mitigate their effects when avoidance is not possible.

What is a “scientific application partnership” in the context of SciDAC?

The announcement calls for a scientific application partnership that brings together multi-institutional, interdisciplinary teams. This indicates DOE expected collaborations rather than isolated single-investigator efforts, typically spanning plasma physicists, applied mathematicians, computational scientists, and high-performance computing (HPC) experts.

Are multi-institutional teams expected or required?

The opportunity strongly signals an expectation for multi-institutional and interdisciplinary partnerships by explicitly framing the work as a “scientific application partnership” and by describing the SciDAC model as emphasizing close integration between domain science and computational advances.

What disciplines or expertise areas are implied as relevant for teams?

Based on the description, relevant expertise includes plasma physics (especially tokamak runaway electron physics), applied mathematics, computational science, and high-performance computing (HPC), including code scalability and performance on large supercomputers.

How important is high-performance computing (HPC) to this opportunity?

HPC is central. The SciDAC model described here prioritizes delivering scalable computational approaches capable of exploiting DOE leadership-class supercomputers, with credible plans for large-scale simulation and efficient performance on multi-petascale DOE HPC systems.

What types of computing platforms are emphasized?

The opportunity emphasizes DOE leadership-class, multi-petascale high-performance computing systems, implying applicants were expected to plan for large-scale simulations and demonstrate the ability to run efficiently on “big machines.”

Is this opportunity intended to support experimental work, modeling, or both?

The description is centered on modeling and simulation tools informed by advanced physics understanding, with strong emphasis on computation and predictive simulations. It also references experimental relevance, particularly the idea of testing mitigation techniques virtually before applying them in experiments.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-FOA-0001844.

What is the award mechanism?

The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism. This generally indicates DOE anticipated substantial involvement during the project, such as coordinated milestones, regular reviews, and close collaboration to keep work aligned with program goals.

What does “cooperative agreement” imply for project management?

A cooperative agreement typically means DOE expects to be substantially involved during the project. The description specifically suggests coordinated milestones, regular reviews, and close collaboration between the awardee(s) and DOE to maintain alignment with program objectives.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is science and technology research and development.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 81.049.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to a broad range of entity types), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be contained in the full announcement.

What was the timeline for this funding opportunity?

The opportunity was created on March 9, 2018, and the original closing date was May 14, 2018, providing roughly two months for applicants to assemble teams and prepare proposals.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is listed as $2,000,000.

How many awards did DOE anticipate making?

DOE anticipated up to 20 awards.

What does the combination of a $2,000,000 ceiling and up to 20 awards suggest?

Based on the description, these figures suggest DOE intended to seed a portfolio of coordinated projects or partnerships, supporting multiple efforts that collectively advance both the runaway-electron science and the computational capabilities needed for predictive modeling in tokamak disruption scenarios.

How does this opportunity align with DOE and community priorities?

The description states the topic is strategically important to magnetic fusion energy science and aligns with high-priority issues identified in recent community studies. It frames runaway electron avoidance and mitigation as a key gap between present-day tokamak operations and reliable future fusion devices.

What specific plasma scenario is a key focus of this call?

A key focus is runaway electrons generated during plasma disruptions in tokamaks, including understanding generation and transport mechanisms and improving modeling for disruption-related runaway scenarios.

What is the practical purpose of the modeling and simulation tools emphasized here?

The practical purpose is to help fusion researchers anticipate runaway electron behavior and design more effective control strategies, including evaluating mitigation techniques through simulation before applying them in experiments.