February 2012 Grants Office Newsletter

February 14: Building Collaborative Funding Capacity

On February 14, 2012, GRC will host a web conference on "A Successful Failure: Turning a Rejected Grant Application into an Asset." Kelly Lyon, director of the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Center for Community and Economic Development, will present a case study on regional collaboration and capacity building for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding. The session will be moderated by Tim Atkinson, assistant provost at UCA and co-chair of the GRC committee on economic and workforce development.

Working with its local metropolitan planning organization and two out-of-state community development organizations, UCA took a calculated risk in applying to a highly competitive community development funding opportunity. The bet paid off, not with the awarding of the intended federal grant, but in other bankable ways: access to critical external program evaluation, vetted institutional and partner commitments, growing credibility and visibility among stakeholders, and the establishment of deeper, more sustainable partnerships.

Participants in the February 14 web conference will hear about the interagency funding available through the HUD Office of Sustainable Communities, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Transportation. And they will learn transferrable, adaptable lessons about all the good that can come of a well-planned collaborative effort, even if it misses its intended target.

The registration fee is $120 for GRC members, $165 for non-members. Contact Meg Cantwell at cantwellm@aascu.org for additional details on the session or Allyson Lords at lordsa@aascu.org for registration information.

This event is the latest in the monthly web conference series presented by the GRC Community and Economic Development Task Force. The series will continue in March with a session, co-sponsored by the Association of University Technology Managers, on fostering technology transfer activity at institutions with limited-or nonexistent- technology transfer offices.

Startup America Prepares for Phase Two

In December 2011, the White House launched the Startup America Policy Challenge, asking entrepreneurs and the American public how to "knock down barriers to innovation" and enable the use of new technologies in education, clean energy, and healthcare.

GRC is partnering with a network of schools and organizations to mobilize participation in the challenge. The first phase, launched December 8, 2011, asked the broad stakeholder community, especially entrepreneurs, to respond to these questions:

• In the U.S. education system, what can the government do to best enable the use of new learning technologies?
• In the U.S. energy system, what can the government do to best enable the use of new clean energy technologies?
• In the U.S. healthcare system, what can the government do to best enable the use of new health information technologies?

During phase two, GRC members will have an opportunity to become more involved. The respective cabinet members (the secretaries of the education, energy, and health and human services departments) will identify the most promising phase-one ideas and invite researchers and students to turn them into "policy business plans" that chart an implementation path.

Finalists will be invited to Washington, DC on May 18, 2012, to present their full proposals to a panel of high-profile judges with backgrounds in government, industry, and academia. The winning teams will be announced at the finale, and their proposals will be shared with the cabinet secretary from the relevant federal agency.

Visit http://policychallenge.asu.edu for more information about the competition beginning January 31, 2012. Contact Meg Cantwell, GRC's Startup America Challenge liaison, at cantwellm@aascu.org for additional information.

GRC Presents NIH Insight, Three Ways

GRC members attending the 2012 Proposal Development Workshop will have several opportunities to build institutional capacity to compete for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding.

On the morning of February 23, before the GRC meeting begins, the Grant Training Center will host a pre-conference workshop on designing and writing excellent NIH proposals. Later in the day, Erica Brown, director of the NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA or R15), will speak with attendees one-on-one during 30-minute scheduled meetings.

AREA will also be the topic of a February 24 presentation by Paul Silvia, associate professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Between his participation in two AREA awards of his own and perspective as an NIH study section member, Silvia appreciates the challenges associated with building capacity to compete for NIH funding and packaging excellent proposals. During his presentation and in individual meetings with attendees, he will share practical strategies for less research-intensive institutions to foster NIH-funded research in an exceptionally competitive environment.

AREA was initiated over 25 years ago, aimed at the typical GRC member institution (teaching-intensive as opposed to research-intensive). Until recently, the program operated in relative obscurity. But with the hiring of Brown, its first official program director, AREA is receiving heightened visibility within NIH. As of fall 2011, AREA proposals (due February 25, June 25, and October 25 annually) are clustered for review within the relevant institute or center. In a January 26, 2012 interview for an NIH "All about Grants" podcast, Brown reinforced the information she's been sharing with GRC members since taking her post:

• AREA has two main goals: to strengthen the research environment at colleges and universities that educate a significant number of the country's future researchers but don't receive much NIH funding; and to expose students to meritorious research.
• AREA awards are renewable; their intended purpose is not to position researchers to submit future R01 applications.
• AREA provides research awards; proposals must include clear plans to include students in the research but should not include training or coursework activities.
• Competitive AREA proposals must address the AREA-specific review criteria: Will the award substantially strengthen the institutional research environment and expose students to research? Do the project directors have suitable experience in supervising students in research? Does the application provide sufficient evidence that the project will stimulate students' interest in pursuing a biomedical or behavioral sciences career?

GRC meeting participants should contact Grant Training Center executive director Tillie Harris at mharris@ granttrainingcenter.com for details on the pre-conference NIH workshop and GRC research assistant Nicole Hochsprung at hochsprungn@aascu.org to schedule individual appointments with Brown, Silvia, or other presenters and agency representatives who will be on-site throughout the three-day event.

PLEASE CONTACT THE GRANTS OFFICE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THE PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP THIS FEBRUARY!!

Greater Good (Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude)

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude/rfp/

The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with the University of California, Davis, is pleased to announce a new, three-year project, Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude, supported with funding from the John Templeton Foundation.

Letter of Intent (LOI) Stage
Investigators interested in being considered for funding should submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by February 15th, 2012, at 5:00PM PST. The letter should describe the proposed project concretely and in detail, and should indicate clearly why the proposed study promises significant contributions to either the science or practice of gratitude. The PI must have a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and be affiliated with an accredited college or university in the United States. Applicants can only have their name on one proposal for this competition. Proposed projects are encouraged but not limited to scholars in the disciplines of psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, family and developmental studies, medicine, law, education, religious studies, affective neuroscience, and evolutionary biology. Proposals may be either discipline-specific or inter-disciplinary and may come from scholars with expertise in gratitude research or those recently investing in gratitude research. The project must be accomplished within a two-year time span, by July 30th, 2014.

U.S. Department of Justice - Research and Evaluation in Justice Systems

Deadline: April 23, 2012.
More information: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl000981.pdf

Fund uses: To support research that examines issues related to the criminal justice system, particularly the function and process of the system from detection and arrest through offender reentry.

The 2012 Research and Evaluation in Justice Systems solicitation has been modified. The solicitation now establishes three (3) separate and distinct topic areas for competition:

• Research on District Attorneys' Pretrial Diversion Programs.
• Pilot Study on the Impact of Incarceration on Families.
• Research on the Impact of Video Visitation.

Education Dept. Offers $4M to Conduct Disability Research, Improve Services

U.S. Department of Education (Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services; Nat'l Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research); Disability & Rehabilitation Research Projects & Centers Program: Field Initiated (FI) Projects Program

Funding: $4 million for 20 awards averaging $200,000 each (cost sharing is required and will be negotiated at time of award);
Deadline: March 5

Purpose: The FI program develops methods, procedures and technology to ensure the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities in society, and improves disability services. A research grantee must focus on developing new scientific knowledge or enhancing existing data. Development grantees will create new disability technologies, methods and procedures based on the latest research.

Info: For a Jan. 5 Federal Register notice on the funding opportunities, please visit http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-05/html/2011-33807.htm

FINRA General Grant Program Funds Low-Income Financial Literacy
FINRA Investor Education Program - General Grant Program

Funding: Multiple awards ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 each
Deadline: None.

Purpose: The program funds research and educational projects that support FINRA's mission of providing lowincome individuals and families with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary for financial success. Potential applicants submit a project concept form, which is available at: http://www.finrafoundation.org/grants/general/application/

In 2012, the foundation is especially interested in applications that focus on the following areas:

• Using behavioral finance to improve saving and investing.
• Meeting the financial and investor education needs of underserved audiences.
• Creating new marketing and distribution channels for financial and investor education.
• Helping Americans manage their finances and investments in retirement.
• Improving investor protection

The FINRA Foundation places high priority on reaching and engaging a well-defined target audience, and encourages collaboration and strategic partnerships that facilitate effective marketing and distribution efforts.

Info: For more on the grant program, please visit http://www.finrafoundation.org/grants/general/

DHS HS-STEM Career Development Grants (CDG)

Deadline: March 22, 2012.
Eligibility: Four-year colleges and universities with existing and/or proposed homeland security-related science, technology, engineering and mathematics research and/or education programs.

Fund uses: To ensure a steady flow of homeland security researchers and practitioners for the future by supporting undergraduate scholarships and/or graduate fellowships to qualified students who intend to pursue homeland security careers in scientific, technology, engineering or mathematics disciplines.

More information: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=138893&mode=VIEW.

Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service

Deadline: April 17, 2012.
Eligibility: Colleges and universities.

Fund uses: To award scholarships to students in the information assurance and cyber-security fields and to provide support for efforts within the higher education system, including outreach to K-12 students with related interests.

More information: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12531/nsf12531.htm.

Chemistry and Materials Research in Cultural Heritage Science

Deadline: April 17, 2012.

Eligibility: Universities, colleges and nonprofit organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research labs and professional societies.

Fund uses: To support opportunities for collaborative activities between conservation scientists, chemists and materials scientists in the field of cultural heritage science.

More information: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12530/nsf12530.htm.

NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Deadline: August 14, 2012.
Eligibility: Institutions of higher education.

Fund uses: To support scholarships for academically talented students with financial need, enabling them to enter the science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce or graduate school after completing a degree in those disciplines; see the funding announcement for the multiple application dates for this program.

More information: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12529/nsf12529.htm.

AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY - SMALL RESEARCH GRANTS

DUE: MAY 7
WEB: http://aas.org/grants/smrg.php

The purpose of this program is to cover costs associated with any type of astronomical research.

ELIGIBILITY: The program is open to both US and international astronomers with a PhD or equivalent; graduate students are not eligible. Astronomers from smaller, less endowed institutions will be given priority. Astronomers living outside the US are eligible only for AAS funds, which are limited and may not always be available. Proposals are welcome from individuals not associated with an institution.

AMERICAN NURSES FOUNDATION - NURSING RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM

DUE: MAY 1
WEB: http://www.anfonline.org/MainCategory/NursingResearchGrant.aspx

The ANF Nursing Research Grants Program was founded 56 years ago to encourage the research career development of nurses. This program continues to grow with contributions for nursing research, from organizations and individuals. Each year, through its Nursing Research Grants program, ANF provides funds to beginner and experienced nurse researchers to conduct studies that contribute toward the advancement of nursing science and the enhancement of patient care. Awards are given in all areas of nursing, including healthy patient outcomes, health care policy development, critical care, gerontology, women’s health, community and family intervention.

FUNDING: Awards for 2010 ranged from $3,500 to $28,000.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CENTERS FOR MATERIAL LIFE CYCLE SAFETY

DUE: APR 25
WEB: http://epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2012/2012_star_lifecycle.html

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications for an interdisciplinary center focused on the application of a life cycle perspective towards the development of materials. The aim of the center will be to develop methodologies and practices for materials design which applies a holistic perspective. This holistic approach to design, which considers all the stages of a material’s life cycle, provides an opportunity to produce materials which minimize, and preferably eliminate, any associated potential environmental and human health impacts that may occur during the life cycle.

ELIGIBILITY: Public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the U.S., state and local governments, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and U.S. territories or possessions are eligible to apply.

FUNDING: Approximately $10 million for approximately 2 awards. Potential Funding per Award: Up to a total of $5 million, including direct and indirect costs, with a maximum duration of 4 years. Cost-sharing is not required.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
TRANSFORMING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (TUES)

DUE: MAY 28 MAY 29 JAN 14
WEB: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5741
NSF-DOC: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf10544

The Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES) program seeks to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for all undergraduate students. This solicitation especially encourages projects that have the potential to transform undergraduate STEM education, for example, by bringing about widespread adoption of classroom practices that embody understanding of how students learn most effectively. Thus transferability and dissemination are critical aspects for projects developing instructional materials and methods and should be considered throughout the project's lifetime. More advanced projects should involve efforts to facilitate adaptation at other sites. The program supports efforts to create, adapt, and disseminate new learning materials and teaching strategies to reflect advances both in STEM disciplines and in what is known about teaching and learning. It funds projects that develop faculty expertise, implement educational innovations, assess learning and evaluate innovations, prepare K-12 teachers, or conduct research on STEM teaching and learning. It also supports projects that further the work of the program itself, for example, synthesis and dissemination of findings across the program. The program supports projects representing different stages of development, ranging from small, exploratory investigations to large, comprehensive projects.

FUNDING: $35.8 million for 94-108 awards.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES
PRESERVATION ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR SMALLER INSTITUTIONS

DUE: MAY 1
WEB: http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/PAG.html

Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions-such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, cultural organizations, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, historical objects, and digital materials.

ELIGIBILITY: U.S. nonprofit organizations are eligible, as are state and local governmental agencies and federally recognized Indian tribal governments. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

FUNDING: Grants of up to $6,000 will be awarded. All grants are awarded for a period of eighteen months, although a grantee may complete a project in a shorter period of time. Cost sharing is not required in this program.

Despite centuries of discovery, most of our planet's biodiversity remains unknown. The scale of the unknown diversity on Earth is especially troubling given the rapid and permanent loss of biodiversity across the globe. With this loss, humanity is losing links in the web of life that provide ecosystem services, forfeiting an understanding of the history and future of the living world, and losing opportunities for future beneficial discoveries in the domains of food, fiber, fuel, pharmaceuticals, and bio-inspired innovation. The goal of the Dimensions of Biodiversity campaign is to transform, by 2020, how we describe and understand the scope and role of life on Earth. The campaign promotes novel, integrated approaches to identify and understand the evolutionary and ecological significance of biodiversity amidst the changing environment of the present day and in the geologic past. This campaign seeks to characterize biodiversity on Earth by using integrative, innovative approaches to fill the most substantial gaps in our understanding of the diversity of life on Earth. It takes a broad view of biodiversity, and currently focuses on the integration of genetic, taxonomic/phylogenetic, and functional dimensions of biodiversity. Successful proposals should integrate these three dimensions to understand interactions and feedbacks among them. While this focus complements several core NSF programs, it differs by requiring that multiple dimensions of biodiversity be addressed simultaneously, in innovative or novel ways, to understand their synergistic roles in critical ecological and evolutionary processes.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION KENNAN INSTITUTE: SHORT-TERM GRANTS

DUE: MAR 1 JUN 1 SEP 1 DEC 1
WEB: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/opportunity/kennan-institute-short-term-grant

The Kennan Institute offers Short-Term Grants (up to one month's duration) to scholars whose research in the social sciences or humanities focuses on the former Soviet Union (excluding the Baltic States), and who demonstrate a particular need to utilize the library, archival, and other specialized resources of the Washington, DC area. Policyrelevant research is preferred.

ELIGIBILITY: Academic participants must either possess a doctoral degree or be doctoral candidates who have nearly completed their dissertations. For non-academics, an equivalent degree of professional achievement is expected. Selection is based on the following criteria: (a) the potential contribution of the scholar to the intellectual life of the Institute and the policymaking community; (b) importance and originality of the project; (c) policy relevance; (d) applicant's scholarly promise, achievements, and ability to complete the project; (e) likelihood that the finished product will advance basic understanding of the topic; (f) need for the scholar to have access to the resources of Washington, DC.

FUNDING: Short-Term Grants provide a stipend of $3200 for 31 days ($103.22/day). The Kennan Institute cannot provide office space for Short-Term scholars. Travel and accommodation expenses are not directly covered by this grant.

SOCIETY OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTS OF PITTSBURGH SACP/SSP: 2012 STARTER GRANT AWARD

DUE: FEB 24
WEB: http://www.sacp.org/pac09-10/grants/starter.html

The SACP/SSP Starter Grant Awards are given to encourage high-quality, innovative research by beginning chemistry professors. The goal of the grants is to promote the training and development of graduate students in the fields of spectroscopy and analytical chemistry.

ELIGIBILITY: Assistant professors who have accepted an appointment at a U.S. college or university since July 31, 2009 are eligible. Candidates, who have submitted applications in previous years may reapply, provided these eligibility criteria are met. Repeat awards to former recipients will not be given. The award is intended to support faculty early in their academic careers. Therefore, applicants who have already obtained multi-year research or teaching support beyond start-up funds will not be considered eligible for this starter grant. The criteria that will be used by the SACP and SSP Starter Grant Committees are as follows:

• The scientific merit of the proposal.
• The impact of the proposal on the field of analytical chemistry or spectroscopy.
• The impact of the proposal on the development of graduate students who are working in the proposed field of study.
• A demonstrated need for funding.

FUNDING: Two $40,000 awards will be granted in 2012: one award from the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh in the area of analytical chemistry and one award from the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh in the area of spectroscopy.


SOCIETY OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTS OF PITTSBURGH UNDERGRADUATE ANALYTICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM (UARP) GRANT

DUE: MAR 12
WEB: http://www.sacp.org/pac09-10/grants/uarp.html

The Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh will award a grant to promote high-quality, innovative undergraduate research in the field of analytical chemistry. The objective of this grant is to promote training and development of undergraduate students in the field of analytical chemistry.

ELIGIBILITY: Chemistry faculty at U.S. colleges and universities not having a graduate program in the chemical sciences are eligible to apply. The faculty member must currently be conducting or planning to conduct research in the field of analytical chemistry with the assistance of undergraduate students. Faculty from branch campuses of universities with graduate programs are permitted to apply provided that only undergraduate programs are available at the branch campus. Award recipients will not be able to apply for future awards under this program for a period of three years. The criteria that will be used by the SACP UARP Grant Committee to select the award winner are as follows:

• The scientific merit of the proposal.
• The impact of the proposal on the field of analytical chemistry.
• The impact of the proposal on the development of undergraduate students who are working towards a degree in chemistry.
• A demonstrated need for funding.

FUNDING: A grant of $10,000 will be awarded.

WENNER-GREN FOUNDATION FOR ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH POST-PH.D. RESEARCH GRANTS

DUE: MAY 1 NOV 1
WEB: http://wennergren.org/programs/post-phd-research-grants

Post-Ph.D. Research Grants are awarded to individuals holding a Ph.D. or equivalent degree to support individual research projects. The program contributes to the Foundation's overall mission to support basic research in anthropology and to ensure that the discipline continues to be a source of vibrant and significant work that furthers our understanding of humanity's cultural and biological origins, development, and variation. The Foundation supports research that demonstrates a clear link to anthropological theory and debates, and promises to make a solid contribution to advancing these ideas. There is no preference for any methodology, research location, or subfield. The Foundation particularly welcomes proposals that employ a comparative perspective, can generate innovative approaches or ideas, and/or integrate two or more subfields. Applicants applying for a Post-Ph.D. Research Grant may also choose to be considered simultaneously for the Osmundsen Initiative (see the Foundation's web site).

FUNDING: Post-Ph.D. Research Grants provide a maximum of US $20,000 and the Osmundsen Initiative supplement provides up to an additional $5,000 for a maximum grant of US $25,000.


WENNER-GREN FOUNDATION FOR ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH HISTORICAL ARCHIVES PROGRAM

DUE: Anytime
WEB: http://www.wennergren.org/programs/historical-archives-program-hap

The objective of the Historical Archives Program is to encourage the preservation of unpublished personal research materials of established anthropologists, considered of value for research on the history of anthropology. HAP grants (maximum $15,000) are offered primarily to assist senior scholars at the end of their careers (or their heirs) with the expense of preparing and transferring their unpublished research materials for archival deposit. Applicants must show evidence that arrangements have been made with an appropriate archival repository. Funds are strictly limited to covering expenses related to the basic preparation of materials for archival deposit. In certain instances, funding is also available to collect oral-history interviews with eminent figures in discipline history, or teams involved in landmark research. On such occasions, interviews are expected to be small-scale "moments of opportunity," with limited budgets only covering the basic travel and living expenses required to collect the interviews, and rarely exceeding a couple thousand dollars. Note: Efforts to establish archival facilities, develop existing collections, or otherwise process materials already held by repositories are not eligible for funding consideration.

Promising and Practical Strategies to Increase Postsecondary Success
U.S. Department of Education

ITEM:
Notice seeking information to provide the Department of Education (Department) with information about promising and practical strategies, practices, programs, and activities (promising and practical strategies) that have improved rates of postsecondary success, transfer, and graduation.

ACTION:
Comments are due by April 30, 2012. Comments can be sent to collegecompletion@ed.gov. Alternatively, mail or deliver submissions to David Soo, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20006.Colleges and universities are eligible.

LINKS:
Federal Register: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-30/html/2012-1963.htm

CONTACT:
David Soo, 202/502-7742.
E-mail: david.soo@ed.gov.