Division of Engineering Research
E-Funding News & Announcements
December 05, 2014 edition
(Please follow links in the titles for original posting and further details)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DER Noontime Seminars Series
Anne Plovanich-Jones, Ph.D, Office of the Vice President for Research, Faculty
Specialist Grant Writer (also attending will be several faculty Dr. Plovanich-Jones
has assisted in grant preparation) - Grant Writing in a Nutshell
December 09, 2014; 12:00-1:00 pm, 3540 EB; pizza and refreshments provided.
MSU Sponsored Projects’ Proposal Deadline Policy
College of Engineering’s Proposal Processing Timeline
All proposals due to the sponsor on or after December 1, 2014 must follow the
new OSP proposal deadline policy. The new policy requires that completed
proposals must be provided to OSP at least three full business days prior to the
sponsor's deadline to be considered on time. On-time proposals will take
precedence over those considered late. Thank you for your continued
cooperation and commitment to improving the process of proposal review,
approval and timely submission. See the proposal submission deadline policy for a
more detailed description.
*All deadlines listed in this announcement indicate the date submissions are due
to the agency. Please account for your adjusted deadline with these new policies
before submitting your PPF.
2015 Write Winning Grant Proposals Workshop
Register now for the full day seminar that will cover tips and tricks for presenting
research cases to reviewers. During the seminar, you will learn more about the
practical and conceptual aspects that drive the successful proposal writing
process. January 08, 2015; 8:00am-5:00pm; 138 Chemistry Building. $90.00
registration inlcudes lunch, break refreshments and one workbook.
VPRGS 2015 Research Workshops
 Campus Research Resources to Help You. International Center
Spartan Rooms A&B. January 15, 2015 from 3-5pm.
 NIH Funding for Non-Medical Projects. Main Library
North Conference Room, 4th Floor. February 19, 2015 from 3-5pm.
 Sciences and Engineering: Funding Your Graduate Experience.
3540EB. February 20, 2015 from 3-4:30pm.
 Taking Your Research Abroad. Main Library, North Conference Room,
4th Floor. April 16, 2015 from 3-4pm.
Dear Colleague Letter: MPS Graduate Research Supplement for Veterans (MPSGRSV) NSF 15-024
The National Science Foundation recognizes that Veterans represent a potential
underutilized workforce for America's research and industrial communities. The
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) at the National Science
Foundation (NSF) is now accepting supplemental requests to support one
(additional) Ph.D. student per award, as long as the graduate student is a United
States Veteran. The proposed MPS-GRSVs will afford Veterans an opportunity to
conduct research towards a doctoral degree with an NSF MPS Directorate active
grantee.
New Biographical Sketch Format Required for NIH and AHRQ Grant Applications
Submitted for Due Dates on or After January 25, 2015 NOT-OD-15-024
The revised forms and instructions are now available on the SF 424 (R&R) Forms
and Applications page. The new format extends the page limit from four to five
pages, and allows researchers to describe up to five of their most significant
contributions to science, along with the historical background that framed their
research. Investigators can outline the central findings of prior work and the
influence of those findings on the investigator’s field. Investigators involved in
Team Science are provided the opportunity to describe their specific role(s) in the
work. Each description can be accompanied by a listing of up to four relevant
peer-reviewed publications or other non-publication research products, including
audio or video products; patents; data and research materials; databases;
educational aids or curricula; instruments or equipment; models; protocols; and
software or netware that are relevant to the described contribution. In addition
to the descriptions of specific contributions and documentation, researchers will
be allowed to include a link to a full list of their published work as found in a
publicly available digital database such as MyBibliography or SciENcv .
New Grant Proposal Guide and Award & Administration Guide NSF 15-001
Effective for all new awards and funding increments to existing awards made on
or after December 26, 2014. For awards made prior to December 26, 2014, the
guidelines in NSF 14-1 apply.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Energy Innovation Hub Renewal - Fuels from Sunlight DE-FOA-0001205
Cultivating Cultures for Ethical STEM (CCE STEM) 2015 NSF 14-546
Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER)
Jefferson Science Fellowship 2015
Partnerships for Innovation: Accelerating Innovation Research- Research
Alliance (PFI:AIR-RA) NSF 14-612
6. Buildings Energy Effeciency Frontier & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT)
– 2015 DE-FOA-0001166
7. Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE: EHR) NSF 14-588
8. Global Grand Challenges in Global Health
9. National Robotics Initiative (NRI) NSF 15-505
10.Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS): Core Programs NSF 14-596
11.Physical Sciences-Oncology Network (PS-ON): Physical Sciences-Oncology
Projects (PS-OP) (U01) PAR-15-021
12.Systems Biology Research to Advance Sustainable Bioenergy Crop
Development DE-FOA-0001207
13.Scalable Nanomanufacturing (SNM) NSF 15-507
14.US Ignite NSF 15-508
15.Research in Engineering Education (REE) PD 10-1340
16.Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI): Instrument Acquisition
or Development NSF 15-504
1) Energy Innovation Hub Renewal - Fuels from Sunlight DE-FOA-0001205
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits a renewal application for
the current Fuels from Sunlight Hub. The renewal project should build on previous
efforts and focus particularly on R&D needed to enable efficient, sustainable and
scalable photochemical reduction of carbon dixoide. The project should advance
all aspects of discovery research, incorporating prototype development where
appropriate to examine component integration or demonstrate capabilities. The
Hub should continue to operate according to a comprehensive project plan that
includes well-defined five-year goal(s), substantive measurable scientific and
technical milestones, key decision points, and alternate strategies as needed to
achieve milestones on the critical path to success.
Deadline: due December 29, 2015
2) Cultivating Cultures for Ethical STEM (CCE STEM) 2015 NSF 14-546
Cultivating Cultures for Ethical STEM (CCE STEM) funds research projects that
identify factors that are efficacious in the formation of ethical STEM researchers
in all the fields of science and engineering that NSF supports. CCE STEM solicits
proposals for research that explores the following: ‘What constitutes ethical STEM
research and practice? Which cultural and institutional contexts promote ethical
STEM research and practice and why?' Factors one might consider include: honor
codes, professional ethics codes and licensing requirements, an ethic of service
and/or service learning, life-long learning requirements, curricula or memberships
in organizations (e.g. Engineers without Borders) that stress social responsibility
and humanitarian goals, institutions that serve under-represented groups,
institutions where academic and research integrity are cultivated at multiple
levels, institutions that cultivate ethics across the curriculum, or programs that
promote group work, or do not grade. Do certain labs have a ‘culture of academic
integrity'? What practices contribute to the establishment and maintenance of
ethical cultures and how can these practices be transferred, extended to, and
integrated into other research and learning settings?
Internal deadline: January 06, 2015
3) Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the U.S.
Government’s preeminent foreign assistance agency. The agency is dedicated to
helping nations meet the needs of their citizens by providing health-care,
education, and economic opportunity to end extreme poverty and promote
democratic, resilient societies. The U.S. Global Development Lab (The Lab) at
USAID is bringing together a diverse set of partners to discover, test, and scale
breakthrough solutions to address critical challenges in international
development. A key element of this strategy is the support of scientific and
technological research through the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in
Research (PEER) program. PEER is a competitive grants program that invites
scientists in developing countries to apply for funds to support research and
capacity-building activities on topics of importance to USAID and conducted in
partnership with U.S. Government-funded partners.
Deadline: pre-proposals due January 09, 2015
4) Jefferson Science Fellowship 2015
The application period opens each fall and closes in mid-January. Selected
Jefferson Science Fellows spend one year on assignment at the U.S. Department
of State or USAID as science advisors on foreign policy issues. Assignments are
tailored to the needs of the hosting office, while taking into account the Fellows’
interests and areas of expertise. As part of their assignments, Jefferson Fellows
also have the opportunity to travel to U.S. embassies and missions overseas.
Following the fellowship year, the Jefferson Science Fellow will return to his/her
academic career, but will remain available to the U.S. government as an
experienced consultant for short-term projects.
Deadline: January 12, 2015
5) Partnerships for Innovation: Accelerating Innovation Research- Research
Alliance (PFI:AIR-RA) NSF 14-612
This PFI:AIR-Research Alliance (RA) solicitation is intended to accelerate the
translation and transfer of existing research discoveries into competitive
technologies and commercial realities by leveraging the investments NSF has
made in research consortia (e.g., Engineering Research Centers, Industry
University Cooperative Research Centers, Science and Technology Centers,
Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers, Materials Research Science and
Engineering Centers, Centers for Chemical Innovation, and others) and catalyzing
academic-based innovation ecosystems. The goal is that these synergistic
partnerships and collaborations between government, academia, and other
public and private entities will result in new wealth and the building of strong
local and regional economies.
Deadline: LOI due January 12, 2015
6) Buildings Energy Effeciency Frontier & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT)
– 2015 DE-FOA-0001166
The Emerging Technologies (ET) Program of the Building Technologies Office
(BTO) supports applied research and development for technologies and systems
that contribute to building energy consumption. BTO’s goal is to deliver 50%
primary energy savings in the year 2030, relative to the baseline energy
consumption projected by the 2010 Annual Energy Outlook. The ET Program is
helping to meet this goal by enabling cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies
to be developed and introduced into the marketplace. The ET Program maintains
support for the national laboratories in five core areas: Solid-State Lighting, HVAC
(includes water heating and appliances), Sensors & Controls, Windows &
Envelope, and Modeling & Tools. This FOA combines an early-stage research and
development topic (Innovations) with a later-stage research and development
topic (Frontiers) that complement the core funding provided to the national labs
and allow all interested parties, including corporations, universities, and nonprofits as well as the national labs, to contribute to advancement in two of these
core technological areas: Non-vapor compression HVAC technologies and
advanced vapor compression HVAC technologies.
Deadline: full proposal due January 12, 2015
7) Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE: EHR) NSF 14-588
The Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program invites proposals
that address immediate challenges and opportunities that are facing
undergraduate STEM education, as well as those that anticipate new structures
(e.g. organizational changes, new methods for certification or credentialing,
course re-conception, cyberlearning, etc.) and new functions of the
undergraduate learning and teaching enterprise. The IUSE program recognizes
and respects the variety of discipline-specific challenges and opportunities facing
STEM faculty as they strive to incorporate results from educational research into
classroom practice and work with education research colleagues and social
science learning scholars to advance our understanding of effective teaching and
learning.
Engaged Student Learning: Exploration Deadline: January 13, 2015
Institutional and Community Transformation: Exploration Deadline: January 13,
2015
8) Global Grand Challenges in Global Health
Grand Challenges Explorations fosters innovation in global health research. The
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recognizes that solving our greatest global health
issues is a long-term effort. Through Grand Challenges in Global Health, the
Foundation is committed to seeking out and rewarding not only established
researchers in science and technology, but also young investigators,
entrepreneurs and innovators to help expand the pipeline of ideas to fight
diseases that claim millions of lives each year. Current Grand Challenges Grant
Opportunities include: Putting Women and Girls at the Center of Development;
Creating and Measuring Integrated Solutions for Healthy Birth, Growth, and
Development; and New Interventions for Global Health.
Deadline: January 13, 2015
9) National Robotics Initiative (NRI) NSF 15-505
The goal of the National Robotics Initiative is to accelerate the development and
use of robots in the United States that work beside or cooperatively with people.
Innovative robotics research and applications emphasizing the realization of such
co-robots working in symbiotic relationships with human partners is supported by
multiple agencies of the federal government including the National Science
Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). The purpose of this program is the
development of this next generation of robotics, to advance the capability and
usability of such systems and artifacts, and to encourage existing and new
communities to focus on innovative application areas. It will address the entire
life cycle from fundamental research and development to manufacturing and
deployment.
Deadline: January 14, 2015
10)
Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS): Core Programs NSF 14-596
The Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) studies the inter-related
roles of people, computers, and information. IIS supports research and education
activities that 1) develop new knowledge about the role of people in the design
and use of information technology; 2) increase our capability to create, manage,
and understand data and information in circumstances ranging from personal
computers to globally-distributed systems; and 3) advance our understanding of
how computational systems can exhibit the hallmarks of intelligence.
Deadline: January 14, 2015
11)
Physical Sciences-Oncology Network (PS-ON): Physical SciencesOncology Projects (PS-OP) (U01) PAR-15-021
The goal of the Physical Science-Oncology Projects (PS-Ops) is to foster the
convergence of physical sciences approaches and perspectives with cancer
research to advance our understanding of cancer biology and oncology by
forming small transdisciplinary teams of physical scientists and cancer
biologists/physician scientists. Examples of physical scientists may include
engineers, physicists, mathematicians, chemists, and computer scientists. The PSOPs, individually and as a collaborative Network along with other PS-OPs and the
Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OC), will support transdisciplinary
research that: (1) establishes a physical sciences perspective within the cancer
research community; (2) facilitates team science and field convergence at the
intersection of physical sciences and cancer research; and (3) collectively tests
physical sciences-based experimental and theoretical concepts of cancer and
promotes innovative solutions to address outstanding questions in cancer
research.
Deadline: LOI due January 15, 2015
12)
Systems Biology Research to Advance Sustainable Bioenergy Crop
Development DE-FOA-0001207
In this FOA, applications are requested for: i) Systems-level research to better
understand the molecular and physiological mechanisms that control bioenergy
crop vigor, resource use efficiency, and resilience/adaptability to abiotic stress, as
well as interactions with the surrounding environment, in order to increase
biomass productivity under changing and at times suboptimal conditions; ii)
Systems biology-enabled investigations into the role(s) of microbial and microbial
communities in the complex and multi-scaled interactions of the plant-soilenvironment: contribution(s) to bioenergy feedstock plant performance,
adaptation, and resilience in the face of a broad range of changing environmental
conditions and abiotic stressors (e.g., climate), and the impacts of introducing
bioenergy cropping systems on the local ecosystem.
Deadline: January 16, 2015
13)
Scalable Nanomanufacturing (SNM) NSF 15-507
Although many nanofabrication techniques have demonstrated the ability to
fabricate small quantities of nanomaterials, nanostructures and nanodevices for
characterization and evaluation purposes, the emphasis of the Scalable
Nanomanufacturing program is on research to overcome the key scientific and
technical barriers that prevent the production of useful nanomaterials,
nanostructures, devices and systems at an industrially relevant scale, reliably, and
at low cost and within environmental, health and safety guidelines.
Deadline: January 20, 2015
14)
US Ignite NSF 15-508
US Ignite is an Administration initiative seeking to promote US leadership in the
development and deployment of next-generation gigabit applications with the
potential for significant societal impact. The primary goal of US Ignite is to break a
fundamental deadlock: there is insufficient investment in gigabit applications that
can take advantage of advanced network infrastructure because such
infrastructure is rare and dispersed. And conversely, there is a lack of broad
availability of advanced broadband infrastructure for open experimentation and
innovation because there are few advanced applications and services to justify it.
US Ignite aims to break this deadlock by providing incentives for imagining,
prototyping, and developing public sector gigabit applications, and by leveraging
and extending this network testbed across US college/university campuses and
cities.
Deadline: January 21, 2015
15)
Research in Engineering Education (REE) PD 10-1340
Competitive proposals advance understanding in engineering education by
grounding the proposed work in theory as well as relevant prior work in
engineering education specifically and education generally. Proposals should
clearly address why the proposed research fills gaps in existing knowledge and
address how evaluation will inform the research effort and allow assessment of
the project's impact and effectiveness.
Deadline: January 22, 2015
16)
Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI): Instrument
Acquisition or Development NSF 15-504
The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) serves to increase access to
shared scientific and engineering instruments for research and research training.
The program provides organizations with opportunities to acquire major
instrumentation that supports the research and research training goals of the
organization and that may be used by other researchers regionally or nationally.
(Cost share required)
Deadline: January 22, 2015
Please take advantage of our online Proposal Processing Form:
DER Proposal Processing Form (PPF)