Office of Sponsored Programs Monthly
July 2014
OSP
MONTHLY
VOLUME II, ISSUE 7—
7—July 2014
NEWS & UPDATES
National Science Foundation Toolkit Highlights Impact of NSF Investment
Recently the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a robust toolkit that includes
new videos, infographics, fact sheets and brochures that describe NSF investments in
fundamental research and how they contribute to the nation's science and engineering
enterprise.
"NSF's toolkit offers a range of information about the vital work of the Foundation in a
compelling way using modern communications methods," said NSF's Office of Legislative and Public Affairs Director Judith Gan. "We encourage the NSF community and
the general public to explore the materials we're releasing today to learn more about
how the agency helps our nation remain at the competitive forefront of discovery and
innovation."
Part of the toolkit package is an animated, NSF-produced video describing the agency's
rigorous merit review process. The agency also developed infographics called, "Data by
Design: Snapshot of NSF's Programs, Processes, Funding & Impact." These colorful
charts showcase the Foundation's role in building tomorrow's workforce, driving innovation, influencing national and international discoveries, and facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations.
In addition, NSF developed brochures that highlight each directorate's contributions to
pushing the frontiers of science, engineering and education. These contributions include
the fundamental research that led to self-driving cars, the artificial retina, modeling seismic waves, accuracy of GPS devices, real-time emergency information to emergency
workers and residents, unraveling cancer, rescue robots, building a diverse STEM workforce, and more.
For more than 60 years, NSF has supported fundamental researchers who devote time,
inspiration and hard work to unraveling mysteries, solving problems, spurring the economy and offering insights into our world. NSF's research directorates include biological
sciences, computer and information sciences, education and human resources, engineering, geosciences, mathematical and physical sciences, and social, behavioral and economic sciences.
IN THIS ISSUE
NEWS & UPDATES
National Science Foundation
Toolkit Highlights Impact of NSF
Investment___________
1
Modified NIH Biosketch Pilot and
its Impact on Non-pilot Applications
2
Congratulations to the 2013-2014
RAC Session Graduates
2
RESEARCH MATTERS
OSP Spotlight
3/4
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Arts & Humanities
5
Social Sciences & Sciences
6
Education
7
General
8
Office of Sponsored Programs Monthly
July 2014
Modified NIH Biosketch Pilot and its Impact on Non-pilot Applications
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has initiated a second round of pilots to assess a planned modification to the NIH
Biographical Sketch (Biosketch). The new Biosketch format being piloted will extend the page limit from four to five pages
and will allow researchers to describe up to five of their most significant contributions to science along with the historical
background that framed their research.
While this pilot directly impacts applicants to a limited set of Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), the change in
format has required eRA Commons to alter the way it systematically validates the biosketch page limit for all applications.
What this this means is that a post-submission warning will be triggered when a 5 page biosketch is present. “Warnings”
are recommendations that will not stop submission, but remind us about potentially important items to include or issues to
resolve. When a biosketch over 5 pages in length is present an error will be triggered. “Errors” indicate serious issues that
may prevent successful submission to Grants.gov or acceptance by the agency, usually involving required questions, fields,
or attachments; or indicating inconsistencies between different parts of the proposal.
OSP staff will asses the need to respond to warnings based on information in the FOA. In the event of an error, OSP staff
will work with PIs to correct the issue in a timely manner to ensure submission. After the application moves forward, NIH
staff will do a manual check of the biosketches in applications to FOAs not participating in the pilot.
The NIH believes that the modified biosketch will offer reviewers a better picture of a researcher's accomplishments and
capabilities, and will help illuminate the downstream effects of scientific discovery.
Congratulations to the 2013-2014 RAC Session Graduates
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), in conjunction with Grants and Contracts Accounting (GCA), would like to
congratulate the those individuals that successfully completed the 2013-2014 session of the Research Administration Certification (RAC) program.
Introduced in AY 2012, RAC is a training and certification program intended to support departmental and school/college
level staff who hold management responsibilities in research administration and/or grant/contract development. This 8session program covers a range of topics including: proposal preparation, research compliance, financial management and
reporting, applicable regulations, policies, and guidelines – all with the purpose of empowering participants to more effectively administer sponsored awards. To successfully complete the program, participants were required to attend all sessions and pass all quizzes.
The certificate of completion given to this sessions 6 graduates represents not only their dedication to their position at AU,
but also highlights their level of effort given the time it took to complete RAC.
Congratulations to all our RAC graduates: Meghan Barnes, School of International Service; CharLynn Bolden, School of
Communication; Hina Gir, School of Public Affairs; Richard Norwood, College of Arts and Sciences; Duante Stanton,
Washington College of Law; and Dennis Stinchcomb, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies.
We wish all of our graduates the best as they continue to enhance and develop their professional career here at AU and
look forward to once again launching RAC for the upcoming 2014-2015 academic year. View more information about the
certification program on the OSP webpage.
Office of Sponsored Programs Monthly
July 2014
Research Matters
OSP Spotlight
Gemma Puglisi
Each month, OSP Monthly highlights a specific American University faculty/staff member for their
contributions in providing cutting-edge research or a research related program that serves to create and
advance knowledge, and enrich the resources of our educational community while answering and accelerating challenging issues we face today. This month, we are featuring Gemma Puglisi, Assistant
Professor, School of Communication
Q&A with Gemma Puglisi
Q: How long have you been at American University? 10 years. I’m an assistant
professor.
Q: Tell us about what your research interests are: When I first came to American,
there was one topic I was very passionate in pursuing. But now there are two. My initial research—which I still continue—is women in broadcast news, print, communications and politics. I worked in a network newsroom for many years and saw firsthand the role of women in front of and behind the camera. We’ve seen gradual changes, but for the first time, we actually have the first woman as a president of a network news division—Deborah
Turness of NBC News. It just happened in August of 2013—so that says a lot.
As a former journalist, I always go through the papers looking for interesting or powerful stories that I may incorporate
both in the classroom and in my work. And sure enough it happened. In July of 2007, I read a troubling story about a
black man on death row in the state of Georgia who was ready to be executed within hours. It was very disturbing. The
article mentioned that there was never any evidence and that he was found guilty of killing a white police office in l989 solely by the testimony of nine witnesses. Years later, seven recanted. It also stated that Amnesty, the Pope, Desmond Tutu,
and many others were supporting him. The man—Troy Anthony Davis. Reading that article changed my life. It led to my
advocating for Davis, eventually meeting him—becoming great friends, writing and researching about his case and the death
penalty…and tragically—saying goodbye to him, once again, in Jackson, Georgia on Sept. 21, 2011, several hours before the
actual execution happened. Writing about Davis—has been inspirational and has led to other projects such as writing a
brief; having a production of “Dead Man Walking” performed here at AU; an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education,
and several Op-eds published in The Washington Post, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Savannah News and the Huffington
Post. There is another project in the works that is in the very early stages which I am still researching with another colleague.
Q: In your own words, what is the main purpose/importance of your research? I think that both areas are vital.
When I began the research about women in broadcast journalism for a chapter in Sage’s “Gender and Women’s Leadership
Handbook” several years ago --it was extraordinary to hear how President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats opened the
world to women in radio—because a big audience listening to those chats was women. And the rest is history. If you compare programs today—particularly the morning shows, the demographics are primarily women. Some things never change.
And that’s important because that research influences what’s in the news, what’s being covered, and the messages we hear,
etc. So my continuing to look at women in the past and present, somewhat provides a historical perspective and what may
be ahead in the field.
Office of Sponsored Programs Monthly
July 2014
Research Matters
OSP Spotlight (Continued)
Gemma Puglisi
Obviously, for my second area, the death penalty, prison conditions, and innocence are all powerful. I think of the movement that became Troy Anthony Davis. Before Trayvon, there was Troy. He had been in prison for years and only a few
organizations and people knew of him. As time went on and people learned of his case, his facing four scheduled executions—all propelled a movement. Troy’s story opened the discussion of innocence and how many people who have been in
prison may have been wrongly executed and that is why there shouldn’t be a death penalty. So continuing the dialogue,
showing others the numbers of people who have died with doubt, could one day, lead to the end of the death penalty.
Q: Currently, what type of research are you currently/primarily focused on? Several. I’m also a single gal—never
been married. Close a few times, but didn’t happen—and perhaps one day it will. But it has been quite fascinating to see
how people react to my never having been married. It’s 2013, and I still feel at times that I’m living in the l950s. I have
people who come up to me and assume I’m gay. I’m not. I have a lot of wonderful friends who are, but I am not. There
are times that people say they are sorry when I say I am single, as if I have a terminal illness. Then there are those who
think I hate men. I love men. And honestly, this is the first time I have spoken about it. So this notion of research about
women in my field—has sparked another side about women—who have been in my shoes, and have had amazing lives being single. I can’t disclose the project, but I’m very very excited about it and I’m in the preliminary stages of my research.
With that said, I also working on another project about women in politics with my wonderful colleague in the Journalism
department—Rick Rockwell. As journalists, we are both fascinated with the number of women in the House, and we have
several students who we hope, will follow a few of these women in the next races for a possible series. It’s in the working
stages. And finally, when Troy died, his final words to his family and friends was to “fight this fight” and clear his name.
I’m also collaborating with another colleague, Claudia Myers, on a possible film about innocence, public defenders, and the
justice system. We are now researching various cases, defenders, states, etc.
Q: What are some of the ways to learn and find out about the types of research you are doing? Honestly, I approach
everything I do as a journalist--someone who looks at secondary sources—but seeks the primary sources. So what you will
find out there obviously is in Google and that includes interviews done on so many topics as well as articles in Lexis/Nexis.
Some of the interviews have included why some women who are married to politicians “stand by their men” when they
husbands make stupid mistakes repeatedly-- to the verdict at the Casey Anthony trial. Also, because the projects are in stages, there may be limited information until it is completed.
Office of Sponsored Programs Monthly
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
July 2014
Arts & Humanities
American Academy of Religion – Individual Research Grants
To fulfill its commitment to advance research in religion, the AAR each year grants awards ranging from $500 to $5000 to
support projects proposed by AAR members and selected by the AAR Research Grants Review Committee. These projects can be either collaborative or individual. These grants provide support for important aspects of research such as travel to archives and libraries and field work. Grant awards range from $500 to $5000. When evaluating proposals, AAR is
looking for the proposal’s contribution to scholarship in a field or subfield of religion and significance of the contribution
for advancing the understanding of religion or for advancing interdisciplinary discussions between religion and other humanistic and social science disciplines.
Deadline: August 1, 2014
National Endowment for the Humanities – Media Projects: Development Grants
NEH’s Division of Public Programs supports activities that engage millions of Americans in understanding significant humanities works and ideas. At the center of every NEH-funded public humanities project is a core set of humanities ideas
developed by scholars, matched to imaginative formats that bring those ideas to life for people of all ages and all walks of
life. Projects must be analytical and deeply grounded in humanities scholarship in a discipline such as history, religion, anthropology, jurisprudence, or art history. NEH is a national funding agency, so the projects we support must demonstrate
the potential to attract a broad, general audience. We welcome humanities projects tailored to particular groups, such as
families, youth (including K-12 students), teachers, seniors, at-risk communities, and veterans, but they should also strive
to cultivate a more inclusive audience.
Deadline: August 13, 2014
Samuel H. Kress Foundation -- History of Art Grants Program
The History of Art program supports scholarly projects that will enhance the appreciation and understanding of European
art and architecture. Grants are awarded to projects that create and disseminate specialized knowledge, including archival
projects, development and dissemination of scholarly databases, documentation projects, museum exhibitions and publications, photographic campaigns, scholarly catalogues and publications, and technical and scientific studies. Grants are also
awarded for activities that permit art historians to share their expertise through international exchanges, professional meetings, conferences, symposia, consultations, the presentation of research, and other professional events.
Deadline: October 1, 2014
Henry Luce Foundation – Asia Responsive Grants
Asia Responsive Grants provide opportunities to improve understanding between the United States and the Asia-Pacific
region. These grants typically support research, create new scholarly and public resources, or promote the exchange of ideas and information between Americans and Asians. Asia Responsive Grants are limited to work in the humanities and social sciences concerned with Northeast and Southeast Asia, typically for longer-term programs or projects that respond to
the needs and priorities of the Asian studies field and benefit a wide range of scholars and institutions. Most awards are
made to colleges, universities and organizations based in the United States.
Deadline: continuous
Office of Sponsored Programs Monthly
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
July 2014
Social Sciences
National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services) R03 – Ethical, Legal,
and Social Implications (ELSI) of Genomic Research Small Research Grant Program
The rapid evolution of genomic technologies and the increasing availability and use of genomic information has the potential to transform how research and medicine are practiced and how a wide range of social practices and norms are understood and shaped. This FOA is intended to encourage small research grant applications that identify, examine and address
the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of advances in genomic research and technology for individuals, families,
communities and society more broadly. These applications should be for small, self-contained research projects. Of particular interest are projects that propose focused legal, economic, philosophical or historical analyses of new or emerging issues.
Deadline: October 16, 2014
American Psychological Foundation – Lizette Peterson-Homer Injury Prevention Grant
The Lizette Peterson Homer Memorial Injury Research Grant supports research into psychological and behavioral aspects
of the prevention of injuries in children and adolescents as reflected in the activities and interests within pediatric psychology of the late Lizette Peterson-Homer and her commitment to improving the status of children in the face of the most significant threats to their health and development. This grant is open to students and faculty to support research related to
the prevention of injuries in children and adolescents. Funding is available up to $5,000 and is sponsored jointly by the
American Psychological Foundation and APA Div. 54.
Deadline: October 1, 2014
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation – Economic Performance and Quality of Life Program -- Working
Longer
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation believes that a theory-based, empirically-tested understanding of the U.S. economy is essential to improving the American quality of life. The Foundation funds grants for high-quality original research that
promise to broaden that understanding or use it to improve American institutions. The Working Longer program is based
on the fact that Americans are working later in life, delaying retirement for a variety of reasons. While some continue working by choice, others need to remain in the workforce for financial reasons. Regardless of their motivation, the result is that
people in the United States are working beyond what conventionally is thought of as retirement age. While most studies
related to this issue have focused on how individually based factors such as health status, pension plans, and financial incentives influence the decision to retire, relatively little is known about employment patterns, obstacles to employment, or
the ensuing economic impact. The Foundation’s Working Longer program began grant making in 2010 to expand and
deepen our understanding of aging Americans’ work patterns. The goal is to understand a) employer practices by industry
and sector; b) obstacles to continued employment of older Americans; and c) the economic consequences for both individuals and for the federal budget.
Deadline: continuous
Waitt Institute – NGS/Waitt Grants
The National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants Program helps qualified and experienced individuals launch the most difficult stage of a project for which to secure funding—the search. Grants are made for exploratory fieldwork that holds
promise for new breakthroughs in the natural and social sciences. NGS/Waitt Grants applications are processed throughout the year and grants are awarded expeditiously to help researchers take advantage of immediate opportunities. The
NGS/Waitt grants are an initiative of the National Geographic Society and the Waitt Institute. The Waitt Grants Program
upholds rigorous standards of review and scientific merit, but does not shy away from risky or unproven ideas. In that spirit, NGS/Waitt Grants support projects at the cutting edge of technology and research. The Program encourages applicants
to think big—but travel light—as they look toward new frontiers around the globe. Grants are made to explorers and scientists in research fields such as biology, anthropology, and the geosciences who are working across disciplines and reacting
quickly to field opportunities.
Deadline: continuous
Office of Sponsored Programs Monthly
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
July 2014
Education
Department of Education (Institute of Education Sciences) –
Improving Education Systems: Policies, Organization, Management, and Leadership
The Improving Education Systems: Policies, Organization, Management, and Leadership (Systems) topic supports research
to directly improve the organization, programs, policies, and management of schools serving students in kindergarten
through high school and their state/local education agencies in order to improve the education outcomes of students.
Through this topic, the Institute seeks to develop and evaluate broad policies and/or programs that affect large numbers of
schools within a district, state, or the nation. A broad spectrum of programs and policies can be addressed including school
reform and reorganization, accountability systems, school choice, leadership development, data use and cost accounting,
supports for struggling students, and college- and career-readiness initiatives for high school students.
Deadline: August 7, 2014
Department of Education (Institute of Education Sciences) – Effective Teachers and Effective
Teaching
The Effective Teachers and Effective Teaching (Effective Teachers) topic supports research on strategies for improving
the performance of classroom teachers in ways that promote student learning and academic achievement in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and — for English Learners — English language proficiency, from kindergarten through high
school. Through this topic, the Institute is interested in identifying ways to improve the quality of teaching including 1) the
training of in-service instructional personnel and pre-service teachers, and 2) the recruitment, retention, certification, and
evaluation of teachers. The long-term outcome of this research will be an array of instructional practices, programs (e.g.,
professional development interventions), assessments, and strategies (e.g., recruitment, retention, and teacher evaluation
policies) that have been demonstrated to be effective for improving and assessing teaching and teachers in ways that are
linked to improvement in student achievement.
Deadline: August 7, 2014
International Education Research Foundation – The Inez Sepmeyer Research Grant Program
IERF's mission is to research and disseminate information on world educational systems and to facilitate the integration of
individuals educated outside the United States into the U.S. educational environment and work force. IERF accomplishes
this by: conducting and supporting comprehensive, quality research on world educational systems; sharing its research findings with the international community; and providing research-based credentials evaluations and related services. The purpose of the research grant program is to aid IERF in carrying out this mission. Therefore, IERF invites individuals and organizations to submit appropriate research project proposals for funding. Research grants are awarded for research only
and not for study.
Deadline: August 15, 2014
American Educational Research Association – Research Grants
With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the AERA Grants Program announces its Research Grants
competition. The program seeks to stimulate research on U.S. education issues using data from the large-scale, national and
international data sets supported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NSF, and other federal agencies,
and to increase the number of education researchers using these data sets. The program supports research projects that are
quantitative in nature, include the analysis of existing data from NCES, NSF or other federal agencies, and have U.S. education policy relevance. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that: develop or benefit from new quantitative
measures or methodological approaches for addressing education issues; include interdisciplinary teams with subject matter
expertise, especially when studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning; analyze TIMSS,
PISA, or other international data resources; and/or include the integration and analysis of more than one data set.
Deadline: September 4, 2014
Office of Sponsored Programs Monthly
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
July 2014
General
THE PARTNERSHIP FOR CLEAN COMPETITION
The Partnership for Clean Competition is a grant-making organization founded in 2008 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit public
charity by the United States Olympic Committee, United States Anti-Doping Agency, Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Every day, the PCC acts to protect the integrity of sport and public health by engaging and supporting the world’s top scientists and innovators in high-quality anti-doping research and development.
Funding decisions are made within 8 weeks and since 2008 have ranged from $10K to more than $400K, depending on the
nature of the research and the funding needed. If you are interested in a future round of funding, pre-applications are reviewed three times per year: March 1, July 1, and November 1. Full applications are due the following months: April 1, August 1, and December 1 for those whose pre-applications are accepted.
To learn more about PCC’s research, including how to apply for a grant, please visit www.CleanCompetition.org.
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail or call Michael Pearlmutter, PCC Executive Director at mpearlmutter@cleancompetition.org or (719) 866-3307.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH—NIH Funding Opportunities—Grants & Funding
Page
(Search by keywords to narrow down your search to locate funding opportunities)
Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) Program—The AREA program supports small-scale research
projects in the biomedical and behavioral sciences conducted by faculty and students at education institutions that
have not been major recipients of NIH research grant funds. These grants are intended to create a research opportunity for scientists and institutions otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH programs. It is anticipated
that investigators supported under AREA will:
 benefit from the opportunity to conduct independent research;
 that the grantee institution will benefit from a research environment strengthened through AREA
grants and furthered by participation in the diverse extramural programs of the NIH;
 and that students at recipient institutions will benefit from exposure to and participation in scientific research in the biomedical and behavioral sciences.
The application should include plans to involve undergraduate or graduate students in the proposed research, however the AREA program is a research grant, not a training or fellowship program. The application should include plans
to expose students to hands-on research and should not include training plans.
Deadline: September 8, 2016
You can view more information about the AREA program on the NIH website here.
FEDERAL CONTRACTS
Federal Business Funding Opportunities
(Search by keywords to narrow down your search to locate funding opportunities)
Office of Sponsored Programs Monthly
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July 2014