February 2016
Grant News
In this issue:
Funding Opportunities
Office of Research &
Sponsored Programs
____
_____
Carol Dobrunz Endowment Fund (UWL Foundation)
UWL Foundation Small Grants (UWL Foundation)
Visiting Scholar/Artist of Color Program (UWL)
Art Grants (Kress Foundation)
Challenge America: Extending Art to Underserved Populations (NEA)
NEH Fellowships (NEH)
Travel and Research Grants for Music (AMS)
Educational Opportunity Centers Program (ED)
Financial Education and Research Grants (FINRA Investor Education Foundation)
IBM Research Stipends (IBM Center)
Project Management Research (PMI)
Education Research: Unsolicited Grant Opportunities (ED)
Biological Technologies (DOD)
BRAIN Initiative: Development, Optimization, and Validation of Novel Tools (NIH)
Cancer Research, Training, and Professorship Grants (ACS)
Conference Grants to Advance Collaborative Research on Aging Biology (NIH)
Development of Novel and Emerging Technologies (NIH)
NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (NIH)
NINDS Exploratory Clinical Trials for Small Businesses (NIH)
Scholar Award in Studying Complex Systems (McDonnell Foundation)
Small Business Innovation Research Grant (SBIR) Program (NIH)
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program (NIH)
Chrétien International Research Grants (AAS)
Conferences, Workshops, and Special Meetings in Mathematical Sciences (NSF)
Dimensions of Biodiversity (NSF)
Floriculture Grant Program (Gloeckner Foundation)
Neurobiology Grants-in-Aid and Research Grants (Whitehall Foundation)
CBMS Regional Research Conferences in the Mathematical Sciences (NSF)
Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (NSF)
Perception, Action, and Cognition (NSF)
Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (NASA)
STEM + Computing Partnerships (NSF)
Grants101____________________________________________________________________________
The Importance of Documentation: Covering Your Assets
Scholar Spotlight_____________________________________________________________
Scholar Spotlight: Dr. Jӧrg Vianden
Latest News
______________________________
Grant Compliance & Submission Timeline Workshops to Be Held March 2 & 3
Recent Submissions & Awards
Office of Research &
Sponsored Programs
Melissa Nielsen
Director
Email: mnielsen@uwlax.edu
Brittney Greeno
Grant Writer
Email: bgreeno@uwlax.edu
Dr. Ray Block
Faculty Fellow
Email: rblock@uwlax.edu
Dr. James Peirce
Faculty Fellow
Email: jpeirce@uwlax.edu
Sydni Durrstein
Program Assistant
Email: sdurrstein@uwlax.edu
Chandra Hawkins
Undergraduate Research &
Internal Grants Coordinator
Email: chawkins@uwlax.edu
(608) 785-8007 | 220 Morris
http://www.uwlax.edu/grants
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Email grants@uwlax.edu to
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Grant News
2
Funding Opportunities________________________________________________
Carol Dobrunz Endowment Fund
Funding agency: UWL Foundation
Program summary: This fund supports conference costs for non-tenured faculty or instructional academic staff
(IAS) without an indefinite appointment. The recipient must meet the following criteria: 1) must be employed at
UWL with at least a 75 percent appointment; 2) must be either a non-tenured faculty member or a member of
instruction academic staff without an indefinite appointment; 3) must be attending a national conference with
her/his discipline; and 4) may not have previously received this award. The amount of each annual award is
determined by the committee based on the amount available from the fund but will not exceed $1,000. To be
eligible, the conference in the application must occur between July 1 and June 30 of the upcoming year.
Deadline: March 25, 2016
Full description: https://www.uwlax.edu/Grants/UW-La-Crosse-Foundation/
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UWL Foundation Small Grants
Funding agency: UWL Foundation
Program summary: Through the Small Grants program, the UWL Foundation provides one-year grants for
instruction, research, and public service. Any member of the university community may apply. Applications from
students and/or campus organizations must be endorsed by a UWL faculty or staff member. Funding priorities
include demonstrating innovation and excitement for furthering specific aspects of the UWL mission; supporting
an innovative idea or project that is seeking seed money for a start-up, pilot, and/or “proof of concept”; supporting
an institutional priority; encouraging future students’ interest in UWL; encouraging potential donors’ interest in
UWL; impacting a large number of students, staff, and community members; and representing a project that
would likely result in long-range support for UWL (e.g., building relationships that could result in creating future
donors and/or community collaborations).
Deadline: March 25, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.
Full description: https://www.uwlax.edu/Grants/UW-La-Crosse-Foundation-Small-Grants-Program/
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Visiting Scholar/Artist of Color Program
Funding agency: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL)
Program summary: All UWL faculty and academic staff are eligible to submit a proposal to bring a qualified
scholar/artist to visit campus during the academic year. Visits are restricted to the academic year to allow
significant interaction with students, faculty, and staff by the visiting scholar/artist. Travel costs and honoraria may
be requested in the grant application.
Deadline: July 11, 2016
Full description: http://www.uwlax.edu/Grants/Visiting-Scholar-/-Artist-of-Color-Program/
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Grant News
3
Art Grants
Funding agency: Samuel H. Kress Foundation
Program summary: Through its grant programs, the Kress Foundation supports scholarly projects that promote the
appreciation, interpretation, preservation, study, and teaching of European art from antiquity to the early 19th
century. The History of Art program supports scholarly projects that will enhance the appreciation and
understanding of European art and architecture. The Conservation program supports projects that create and
disseminate specialized knowledge, including archival projects, development and dissemination of scholarly
databases, documentation projects, exhibitions and publications focusing on art conservation, scholarly
publications, and technical and scientific studies. The Digital Resources program supports efforts to integrate new
technologies into the practice of art history, including classroom applications and online publishing. This program
further supports the creation of important online resources in art history, including both textual and visual
resources. Key interests include digitization of core art history photographic archives and primary textual sources.
Deadlines: History of Art and Conservation grants due April 1, 2016; October 1, 2016; January 15, 2017 (annually
recurring)
Digital Resources grants due April 1, 2016 and October 1, 2016 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://www.kressfoundation.org/grants/main/
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Challenge America: Extending Art to Underserved Populations
Funding agency: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Program summary: NEA awards $10,000 primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for professional arts
programming and for projects that emphasize the potential of the arts in community development. Projects must
extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations whose access is limited by geography, ethnicity,
economics, or disability. One-to-one match required. Submission is limited to one application per institution.
Deadlines: Submission of materials to Grants.gov due April 14, 2016
Submission of materials to NEA-GO due May 5, 2016
Full description: https://www.arts.gov/grants-organizations/challenge-america/grant-program-description
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NEH Fellowships
Funding agency: National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Program summary: NEH supports individuals pursuing advanced research in the humanities that contributes to
scholarly knowledge or to the general public’s understanding of the humanities. Scholarly articles, monographs on
specialized subjects, books on broad topics, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly
tools are supported, and projects may be at any stage of development. Fellowships support full-time work for 6-12
continuous months. Awards are up to $50,400. NEH also offers Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research
on Japan.
Deadline: April 28, 2016
Full description: http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships
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Grant News
4
Travel and Research Grants for Music
Funding agency: American Musicological Society (AMS)
Program summary: AMS provides several travel and research grants to advance research in the various fields of
music. AMS supports individuals with expenses involved in the publication of works of musical scholarship. The
goal is to defray costs not covered by publishers. Proposals that utilize newer technologies are encouraged. AMS
also offers various travel and research grants throughout the year that provide funds for international travel,
research, and publication. Most awards range from $500 to $2,000 each.
Deadlines: Travel and research grants (each fund has a different deadline) due between April 1, 2016-August 17,
2016
Teaching Fund grants due August 15, 2016
Full description: http://www.ams-net.org/grants/
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Educational Opportunity Centers Program (EOC)
Funding agency: Department of Education (ED)
Program summary: The purposes of the EOC program are to provide information regarding financial and academic
assistance available for qualified adults who want to enter or continue to pursue a program of postsecondary
education; provide assistance to those individuals in applying for admission to institutions at which a program of
postsecondary education is offered, including preparing necessary applications for use by admissions and financial
aid officers; and assist in improving the financial and economic literacy of program participants. Further
descriptions of the types of projects the EOC will fund can be found on the website.
Deadline: April 4, 2016
Full description: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/trioeoc/applicant.html
Financial Education and Research Grants
Funding agency: FINRA Investor Education Foundation
Program summary: The foundation welcomes applications for projects that advance understanding of the
relationships among financial literacy, financial capability, and financial well-being. Priority will be given to projects
that use data from the National Financial Capability Study and other existing data sets. The Foundation seeks to
fund projects that advance its mission through 1) educational projects or programs that respond to an unmet
financial education, investor education, or investor protection need for a target audience; 2) research projects that
expand the body of knowledge and offer solutions in the field of financial education, investor education, and
investor protection; and 3) a combination of research and educational programs that lead with a research element
and follow with a high-impact financial education, investor education, or investor protection project based upon
the results of the research.
Deadline: Project Concept Forms accepted at any time; the foundation will invite full proposals
Full description: http://www.finrafoundation.org/grants/general/guidelines/index.html
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IBM Research Stipends
Funding agency: IBM Center for the Business of Government
Program summary: The IBM Center provides research stipends of $20,000 to individuals who are responsible for
producing a 30-40 page research report in one of the areas presented within the solicitation. Manuscripts must be
submitted no later than six months after start of the project. Recipients will select the start and end dates of their
research project. Reports should be written for government leaders and provide practical knowledge and insights.
Deadlines: April 1, 2016; October 1, 2016 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://www.businessofgovernment.org/report/call-research-proposals-2015-2016
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Grant News
5
Project Management Research
Funding agency: Project Management Institute (PMI)
Program summary: PMI supports research proposals from scholars in project management and other disciplines
(e.g., management, organizational psychology, education, sociology). Proposed research should have direct
application to some aspect of project management. PMI encourages proposals from multi-disciplinary teams of
scholars, or teams consisting of academics and practitioners, who can potentially bring new ways of thinking and
related bodies of literature to the field. Awards are up to $50,000.
Deadline: April 25, 2016
Full description: http://www.pmi.org/learning/academic-research/sponsored-research-program.aspx
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Education Research: Unsolicited Grant Opportunities
Funding agency: US Department of Education (ED), Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
Program summary: IES supports unsolicited education research proposals for research, evaluation, statistics, and
dissemination projects to provide reliable information about the condition of education, education practices that
improve academic achievement, and the effectiveness of education programs. Any project that addresses these
issues and is not covered under any other IES grant competition is eligible. Awards typically range from $25,000 to
$200,000 per year (total cost) for one to three years.
Deadline: Six-page prospectus due March 8, 2016
Full description: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/unsolicited.asp
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Biological Technologies
Funding agency: US Department of Defense (DOD), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Program summary: DARPA supports research proposals of interest to the Biological Technologies Office (BTO) not
currently covered by other solicitations. Proposed research should investigate leading edge approaches that
enable revolutionary advances in science, technologies, or systems at the intersection of biology with engineering
and the physical and computer sciences in order to develop, demonstrate, and transition biological-based
technologies.
Deadline: April 28, 2016
Full description:
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=805fad2938220bfbb1b60f70bce0580a&tab=core&_c
view=0
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BRAIN Initiative: Development, Optimization, and Validation of Novel Tools
Funding agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Program summary: The purpose of this program is to support development of novel tools and technologies
through the SBIR (R43/44) program to advance the field of neuroscience research, including tools to facilitate
detailed analysis of complex circuits and insights into cellular interactions, proof-of-concept testing, and
development of new technologies and approaches for large scale recording and manipulation of neural activity.
Deadlines: April 5, 2016; September 5, 2016; and January 5, 2017 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-15-091.html
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Grant News
6
Cancer Research, Training, and Professorship Grants
Funding agency: American Cancer Society (ACS)
Program summary: ACS supports over 20 programs to provide funds to all levels of investigators in cancer research
and an enhanced commitment to issues in cancer health disparities, psychosocial and behavioral, health services,
health policy, epidemiological, clinical, and cancer control research. ACS also sponsors training grants for health
professionals as well as other special initiatives and international programs.
Deadlines: April 1, 2016 and October 1, 2016 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://www.cancer.org/research/applyforaresearchgrant/granttypes/index
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Conference Grants to Advance Collaborative Research on Aging Biology
Funding agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Program summary: This funding opportunity encourages the submission of conference grant applications (R13) in
scientific areas that will foster extramural research on the molecular, biochemical, cellular, genetic, and
physiological mechanisms underlying normal aging and related pathologies. NIA is particularly interested in
promoting and facilitating team science to allow researchers at all levels of training to exchange ideas, tools, and
approaches in an effort to increase collaborative research.
Deadlines: April 12, 2016; August 12, 2016; December 12, 2016 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-15-265.html
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Development of Novel and Emerging Technologies
Funding agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Program summary: This program (R43/R44) encourages applications from small business concerns (SBCs) for Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) projects that propose innovative research and development of technology,
including reagents and high throughput equipment, to support different aspects of the creation, detection,
identification, and characterization of zebrafish models of human disease and preservation of genetic stocks.
Deadlines: April 5, 2016; September 5, 2016; January 5, 2017 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-15-087.html
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NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings
Funding agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Program summary: NIH supports conferences (R13) that are relevant to NIH's scientific mission and to public
health. This funding opportunity supports symposiums, seminars, conferences, workshops, or formal meetings
where persons assemble to coordinate, exchange, and disseminate information and/or explore a problem or area
of knowledge. Support is contingent on fiscal and programmatic priorities of the individual institutes/centers (ICs).
Each PI must present a letter from IC staff documenting permission to apply.
Deadlines: April 12, 2016; August 12, 2016
Full description: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-13-347.html
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Grant News
7
NINDS Exploratory Clinical Trials for Small Businesses
Funding agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Program summary: Applications under this program (R42) must focus on products related to the mission and goals
of NINDS and may evaluate drugs, biologics, devices, or diagnostics, as well as surgical, behavioral, or rehabilitation
therapies. Only STTR Phase II and Fast-Track applications are supported under this program. STTR Phase I
applications are only accepted as part of a Fast-Track application.
Deadlines: April 5, 2016; September 5, 2016; January 5, 2017 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-15-278.html
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Scholar Award in Studying Complex Systems
Funding agency: James S. McDonnell Foundation (JSMF)
Program summary: The foundation supports research that furthers the science of complex systems via the
continued development of the theory and tools used in the study of complex research questions and not on
particular fields of research per se. JSMF is particularly interested in projects attempting to apply complex systems
approaches to coherently articulated questions. Scholar Awards in Complex System Science (Scholar Awards-CS)
provide largely unrestricted funding over a sufficient time period ($450,000 paid in four $112,500 payments; funds
expendable in no less than 4 and no more than 6 years) to allow investigators to pursue and develop new
directions to their research programs.
Deadline: March 18, 2016
Full description: https://www.jsmf.org/apply/scholar-cs/
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Small Business Innovation Research Grant (SBIR) Program
Funding agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Program summary: The SBIR program supports grant applications (R43/R44) to NIH, CDC, ACF, and FDA from small
businesses in biomedical or behavioral research areas. The objective of Phase I is to establish the
technical/scientific merit and feasibility of the proposed research/research & development efforts. Support is
normally provided for six months and up to $150,000 for Phase I and up to $1 million for Phase II. However,
Congress will allow awards up to $225,000 and $1.5 million respectively for certain Phase I and Phase II
applications.
Deadline: April 5, 2016
Full description: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-15-269.html
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program
Funding agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Program summary: The STTR program supports research (R41/42) at small business concerns (SBC) that have the
research capabilities and technological expertise to contribute to the R&D mission(s) of NIH. At least 40% of the
work must be performed by the SBC, and at least 30% of the work must be performed by a single, partnering
research institution. The deadline below is for proposals for Phase I feasibility studies. Support normally is for six
months and up to $150,000 for Phase I and up to $1 million for Phase II. However, Congress will allow awards up to
$225,000 and $1.5 million, respectively.
Deadline: April 5, 2016
Full description: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-15-270.html
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Grant News
8
Chrétien International Research Grants
Funding agency: American Astronomical Society (AAS)
Program summary: AAS supports individuals or groups of PhD astronomers throughout the world to further
collaborative projects in observational astronomy with emphasis on long-term, international visits. Innovative
technical approaches, including development and use of new optics, devices, and techniques, will count in the
applicant’s favor. Preference is shown for individuals of high promise who are otherwise unfunded. Awards of
$20,000 per year cover reasonable costs associated with astronomical observational research including travel,
salary, publication costs, and small equipment.
Deadline: April 1, 2016 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://aas.org/grants-and-prizes/chr%C3%A9tien-international-research-grants
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Conferences, Workshops, and Special Meetings in Mathematical Sciences
Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Program summary: The Division of Mathematical Sciences supports proposals for regular conferences, symposia,
and workshops and special meetings, which comprise longer-term/larger-scale activities that widely engage
mathematical sciences community, such as special research years or semesters, multi-institutional regional
meetings, and summer schools.
Deadline: Full proposals accepted anytime. However, proposals must be submitted in accordance with the due
date for the appropriate disciplinary program.
Full description: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11701
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Dimensions of Biodiversity
Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Program summary: The Dimensions of Biodiversity program supports integrative, innovative approaches to filling
the most substantial gaps in understanding of the diversity of life on Earth. This campaign takes a broad view of
biodiversity, and in its initial phase focuses on the integration of genetic, taxonomic, and functional dimensions of
biodiversity. Successful proposals should integrate these three dimensions to understand interactions and
feedbacks among them. The Dimensions of Biodiversity program includes partnerships with the National Natural
Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) of Brazil in fiscal year 2016.
Deadline: March 17, 2016
Full description: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503446
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Floriculture Grant Program
Funding agency: Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation
Program summary: The Gloeckner Foundation supports research and educational projects in floriculture and plant
pathology, plant breeding, entomology, and plant physiology related to floriculture and ornamental horticulture.
New York Florist Club Foundation grants are also available. Recent awards in both categories have ranged from
$5,000 to $14,000 each. Grants are for one year, with the possibility of renewal based on progress.
Deadline: Grants requests must be postmarked on or before April 1, 2016 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://www.gloecknerfoundation.org/fundingp.htm
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Grant News
9
Neurobiology Grants-in-Aid and Research Grants
Funding agency: Whitehall Foundation
Program summary: The Whitehall Foundation supports basic research in vertebrate and invertebrate (excluding
clinical) neurobiology in the US, specifically investigations of neural mechanisms involved in sensory, motor, and
other complex functions of the whole organism as these relate to behavior. The overall goal should be to better
understand behavioral output or brain mechanisms of behavior. Grants-in-aid provide up to $30,000 for one year
to support researchers at the assistant professor level or senior researchers who have not received significant
funding. Research grants range from $30,000-$75,000 per year for up to three years to support established
researchers of any age who have not received significant funding.
Deadlines: Fall session: Letter of intent (LOI) due April 15, 2016; application due September 1, 2016
Spring session: LOI due October 1, 2016; application due February 15, 2017
Summer session: LOI due January 15, 2017; application due June 1, 2017
Full description: http://www.whitehall.org/grants/
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NSF-CBMS Regional Research Conferences in the Mathematical Sciences
Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Program summary: The NSF-Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (CBMS) supports a series of five-day
conferences, each of which features a distinguished lecturer delivering ten lectures on a topic of important current
research in one sharply focused area of the mathematical sciences. Support is provided for about 30 participants,
including new and established researchers, postdocs, and grad students. Proposals should address the unique
characteristics of the NSF-CBMS conferences outlined in the program description.
Deadline: April 29, 2016
Full description: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504930&org=DMS&from=home
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Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM)
Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Program summary: The program provides awards to fund scholarships and to advance the adaptation,
implementation, and study of effective evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that support
recruitment, retention, transfer (if appropriate), student success, academic/career pathways, and graduation in
STEM. The S-STEM program encourages collaborations among different types of partners: partnerships among
different types of institutions; collaborations of STEM faculty and institutional, educational, and social science
researchers; and partnerships among institutions of higher education and local business and industry, if
appropriate. S-STEM seeks 1) to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with
demonstrated financial need obtaining degrees in STEM and entering the workforce or graduate programs in
STEM; 2) to improve the education of future scientists, engineers, and technicians, with a focus on academically
talented, low-income students; and 3) to generate knowledge to advance understanding of how factors or
evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities affect the success, retention, transfer, academic/career
pathways, and graduation in STEM of low-income students.
Deadlines: May 16, 2016; April 20, 2017
Full description: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5257
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Grant News
10
Perception, Action, and Cognition
Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Program summary: The Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences supports research on perception, action, and
cognition, with emphasis on research strongly grounded in theory. Research topics include vision, audition,
haptics, attention, memory, reasoning, written and spoken discourse, motor control, and developmental issues.
The program encompasses a range of theoretical perspectives, such as symbolic computation, connectionism,
ecological, nonlinear dynamics, and complex systems.
Deadlines: Workshop and conference proposals due June 15, 2016 (annually recurring)
Research proposals due August 1, 2016 and February 1, 2017 (annually recurring)
Full description: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5686
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Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES)
Funding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Program summary: ROSES supports over 50 programs that are released monthly with varying deadlines and
contacts. ROSES supports all aspects of basic and applied research and technology in space and earth sciences.
Deadlines: Deadlines vary. See solicitations for required notice of intent (NOI) and application deadlines.
Full description: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={9F1341A96D0F-F075-C993-276263B186ED}&path=open
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STEM + Computing Partnerships
Funding agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Program summary: The STEM + Computing (STEM+C) Partnerships program seeks to significantly enhance the
learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computing by K-12 students and
teachers through research on, and development of, courses, curriculum, course materials, pedagogies,
instructional strategies, models, or pedagogical environments that innovatively integrate computing into one or
more other STEM disciplines, or integrate STEM content into the teaching and learning of computing. In addition,
STEM+C seeks to build capacity in K-12 computing education with foundational research and focused teacher
preparation. Projects in the STEM+C program should build on research in STEM education and prior research and
development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. Pre-service and inservice teachers who participate in STEM+C projects are expected to enhance their understanding and teaching of
STEM and computing content, practices, and skills. STEM+C invites creative and innovative proposals that address
emerging challenges in the learning and teaching of STEM and computing. The program offers proposers two
tracks: (1) Integration of Computing in STEM Education and (2) Computing Education Knowledge and Capacity
Building. The second track is discipline-specific and may be expanded to include additional disciplines in future
releases of the solicitation.
Deadline: March 28, 2016
Full description: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505006
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Grant News
Grants 101
The Importance of Documentation: Covering Your Assets
11
_____________
Brittney Greeno, Grant Writer
Whether you are a veteran grant writer or new to the marathon that is grant seeking, some common questions
you will receive from us in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) in regards to any grant include,
“Is additional documentation required by the agency?”, “Do you have additional documentation of commitments
made by your department, college, and/or internal/external collaborators?”, or “Do you have documentation of
the monetary values of commitments mentioned in the budget justification?” For some, these questions are easy
to answer. For others, however, these questions may be the last thing you want to hear as you are trying to finish
your application; as if you did not already have enough on your plate, now you have to provide more documents
before submission?
We promise the funding agency and the university does not ask for these things in a spirit of schaudenfreude;
rather, let ORSP be your guide in navigating these compliance requirements—some of which are required by
institutional or funding agency policy, others that are required by state and federal regulations, and some or none
of which may be directly addressed by the funding agency’s proposal solicitation. Here are a few examples of
documentation you may need to anticipate when applying for an external grant, and why the documentation is
needed before the submission of the beautiful masterpiece that is your metaphorical grant baby:
Grant transmittal form: The grant transmittal form is typically the last piece of documentation needed before
ORSP can submit an external grant or sign off on a contract. This is an internal document for university records and
not one that is included for the funding agency with the submission of the final grant. What this document shows
is that you, the PI (primary investigator) and/or your co-PI(s), have presented the application with the final
narrative and budget/budget justification to your department chair/unit and dean/division director, and that they
have reviewed and approved the information (such as confirming course release, time commitments, institutional
commitments, etc.). It also confirms ORSP’s review and approval of the application; ORSP verifies the application
meets the wide variety of applicable institutional, state, federal, and funding agency policies/regulations. This
approval is necessary before submitting the final application because it demonstrates the application has
undergone review by all institutional stakeholders and that all commitments made in the application can be
upheld if the grant is funded. Once the grant is funded, the form helps to document the commitments made to the
project, which can be particularly helpful in the event of administrative turnover.
Memorandums of understanding (MOU): An MOU is necessary either when UWL acts as a collaborator on another
institution’s grant application, or when UWL leads an application on which there are external collaborator(s).
MOUs may be needed just internally to document commitments between collaborating institutions, or they may
be required as part of the application submitted to the funding agency to demonstrate confirmed partnerships.
The information addressed by the MOU includes specific project commitments made by the partnering institution
(e.g., work statement detailing PI/Co-PI time commitments and project responsibilities) and a budget and budget
justification detailing how much money the partnering institution needs to complete their portion of the project.
The document provides evidence that all collaborators and their institutions are able to carry out their respective
project roles; it also demonstrates the application has been reviewed by all necessary institutional stakeholders.
ORSP has an MOU template to provide a starting point for these types of agreements.
Documents from collaborators: If UWL is submitting a proposal in which there are external collaborators, then the
PI may need to collect additional documents from collaborators as specified by the funding agency, such as CVs,
current & pending support, and facilities information. This type of information is typically required by NSF and NIH
but may also be needed by other agencies.
Quotes for equipment/services: If you are requesting funding for a piece of major equipment or to pay an external
consultant, it is advisable to include a quote from the equipment vendor or consultant to demonstrate the source
of the funding requested. Funding agencies may also require this type of supplementary documentation be
included with the application.
Other compliance documentation: There are a number of forms that may be required prior to submission to
address federal regulatory requirements, such as the completion of a significant financial interest (SFI) disclosure
form, financial conflict of interest (FCOI) training and assessment, responsible conduct of research (RCR) student
training plan form, and nepotism form. While most of these documents are not submitted to the funding agency,
upon submission, the university is required to certify the PI and university is in compliance with all applicable
Grant News
federal regulations, which require the completion of such forms. ORSP can help you to identify which federal
regulatory requirements, if any, apply to your particular application.
Don’t let the intimidating list of potential documentation requirements overwhelm or discourage your grant
seeking endeavors. ORSP exists to help you navigate the myriad of conditional institutional, state, federal, and
funding agency requirements with a minimal number of headaches. There are also a number of templates ORSP
has developed to simplify the process. If you have any questions about grant documentation, or encounter an
unfamiliar document required by a funding agency, please give us a call at 785-8007. We are very happy to help
with your documentation needs to ensure your assets, and the institution’s assets, are covered!
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12
Grant News
13
Scholar Spotlight: Dr. Jӧrg Vianden_______________________________________________
Dr. Ray Block, ORSP Faculty Fellow
This month, we shine the spotlight on Associate Professor Jӧrg Vianden in the Department of Student Affairs
Administration (SAA). Jӧrg, along with Assistant Professor Tori Svoboda (Department of SAA), Associate Professor
Ryan McKelley (Department of Psychology), and Charles Martin-Stanley II (graduate student in the Department of
SAA) have worked on various aspects of a larger line of practice-based research known as the Straight White
College Men (STR8WCM) Project. STR8WCM is a national focus group project (taking place at 13 institutions across
the country) that has collected data from 90 men who are heterosexual, white, and male. Jӧrg and his research
team supplement these focus groups with data from a sample of 90 minority students (in this case, self-identified
persons of color, white women, and/or those who identify as LGBTQIA). During our interview, Jӧrg mentioned that
one purpose of the STR8WCM Project is to increase support for diversity and social justice initiatives on college
campuses. Such change, however, requires comparable effort from both minority and non-minority students.
However, a particular set of non-minorities (straight white men) are conspicuously absent from dialogues, courses,
and campus programs about inclusion and social justice. Jӧrg and his team ask: Where are these white college
men? Is their absence a sign that they do not care (or worse yet, that they reject diversity)? Does it reflect the
belief that they do not have anything to contribute to improved campus climate (or that their contributions are
unwelcomed)? What can university faculty and staff do to engage straight white male students who support
diversity- and social justice-related causes? Perhaps the most important question is how do we encourage minority
and non-minority members of a campus community to work together on these and related issues?
Jӧrg has a forthcoming single-authored book (Routledge Press) that addresses these and related questions, and his
research team has begun to submit journal articles and reports stemming from their analyses. However, this
research is more than just a focus. Beyond simply learning what hinders straight white men from being more
involved in diversity programs, Jӧrg and his team are applied researchers who seek to make these men more
present. Accordingly, another purpose of the STR8WCM Project is to offer resources, training, and encouragement
to students and faculty who are committed to increasing diversity, equity, and social justice on campus and in their
communities. This “outreach” component of the project speaks to Jӧrg’s ability to blur the lines between teaching,
service, and scholarship. Jӧrg engages students to work with him on diversity-enhancing research (I had the
pleasure of meeting with Charles Martin Stanley II this past summer, as he worked on specific parts of the
STR8WCM Project). Moreover, Jӧrg’s passion influences his service duties, as most of the committees he works on
focus on social justice and diversity-related advocacy.
What Jӧrg and his research team have accomplished is commendable, and it is all the more impressive considering
that the STR8WCM Project is run exclusively by internal funding, including a Faculty Research Grant, a CLS Small
Grant, sabbatical leave, an Inclusive Excellence Grant, summer stipends, lots of creativity, and the generosity of
supporters and volunteers. Partnering with colleagues on the Faculty Research Grant was a real boost for Jӧrg, and
his success with internal funding has been empowering, despite not having yet received external research grants.
Jӧrg and his colleagues are particularly grateful for having the resources to travel across the country to conduct
their focus group interviews.
When I asked him what advice he would give to other colleagues who plan to launch large-scale projects, Jӧrg
recommended that researchers start talking early on with the folks in the grant office. In particular, Jӧrg admits
that his journey to get funding for this project required him to be resourceful, and the Office of Research and
Sponsored Programs is a great place to start when scholars are looking for grant opportunities. We appreciate Jӧrg
and his colleagues working with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to bring this important project to
life, and, as always, we wish him continued success.
(Back to table of contents)
Grant News
14
Latest News_______________________________________________
Grant Compliance & Submission Timeline Workshops to Be Held March 2 & 3
ORSP will be presenting two workshops that will examine navigating the current grant compliance environment
and how the new UWL grant submission timeline can help applicants do so successfully. Content will be helpful for
faculty/staff who are new to the grant seeking process as well as veteran grant seekers. The campus community is
invited to attend either of the two following sessions:
•
•
Wednesday, March 2, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., 150 Murphy Library (Institute for Campus Excellence)
Thursday, March 3, 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., 150 Murphy Library (Institute for Campus Excellence)
RSVPs are not required. The new grant submission timeline will go into effect July 1, 2016, and is currently
available on the ORSP website. Please contact ORSP at 785-8007 or grants@uwlax.edu with any questions.
Recent Submissions
February 2016
Principal
Investigator(s)
Department(s)
Funding Agency
Project Title
Heather Linville
(in partnership with
Liz Dostal & Autumn
Grooms, Sparta Area
School District)
Kate Parker
Modern
Languages
US Department of
Education
Project Language Collaborative
English
La Crosse Community Big Read
Jason Sauppe
(in partnership with
Sheldon Howard
Jacobson, University
of Illinois)
Computer
Science
National
Endowment for the
Arts
National Science
Foundation
Recent Awards
February 2016
Principal
Investigator(s)
Brian Allen
Laurlyn Harmon
Anton Sanderfoot,
Taviare Hawkins, &
Robert Allen
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Department(s)
Student Health
Center
Recreation
Management/
Therapeutic
Recreation
Biology,
Physics, &
Mathematics
BIGDATA: Collaborative Research: F: A
Computational Optimization Approach for
Casual Inference with Large Data Sets
Funding Agency
GlaxoSmithKline LLC
Award
$4,781
National Park Service via George
Mason University
$8,000
WiscAMP via National Science
Foundation
$24,000