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Descripton at end of newsletter Week of August 14, 2023
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Greetings Dornsife Faculty,
As the Fall 2023 semester kicks off next week, our report this week includes
- An accolade for a distinguished Dornsife faculty member;
- Terrific external funding success obtained by 6 College faculty;
- Current external funding opportunities, including 1 limited submisson; and
- As we begin the academic year, the Center for Excellence in Research offers a series of research-related workshops. We announce the first one here.
Our best wishes for a great academic year!
Best regards,
Renee J. Perez, Vice Dean, Administration & Finance
Cathleen Crayton (aka "Chatty Cathy"), Project Specialist
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Accolade
Peggy Kamuf, French and Italian and Comparative Literature (emerita), has been elected to the British Academy, the U.K.’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. The British Academy’s election of Dr. Kamuf to the fellowship is a recognition of her “distinguished and continued achievements in original research.”
External Funding Successes
Yehuda Ben-Zion, Earth Sciences, HayWired Scenario Toolkit Outreach, U.S. Geological Survey
Myron Goodman, Molecular and Computational Biology, Characterization of the RRS: a new chromosomal structural element in E. coli. University of Wisconsin, Madison
Juan De Lara, American Studies and Ethnicity, Defining Latino Issues in Southern California’s Inland Empire, Inland Empire Community Foundation
Karla Heidelberg, Environmental Studies, Sea Grant Program University of Southern Califiorna Omnibus Proposal 2022-2024, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admnistration
Stanley Huey, Psychology, Using Integrative Data analysis to evaluate gender differences in Multisystemic Therapy effects for justice-involved youth, American Psychological Association
Sergey Nuzhdin, Molecular and Computational Biology, Research and restoration of giant kelp at Catalina Island, proof of principle, Building Initiative
External Funding Opportunities
***Limited Submission***
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Program: 2024 Moore Inventor Fellows
Synopsis: Supports inventions at an early stage that could lead to proof-of-concept of an invention or advance an existing prototype that tackles an important problem. The foundation is not seeking to support fundamental research projects, nor projects already at a stage where significant venture capital is available, but rather projects in its early stage where progress may be measured toward a defined goal during the 3 years of support. The foundation’s policy is that intellectual property that results from a grant must be managed and disseminated in a manner that leads to the greatest impact. Each award will include IP terms to reflect the needs of that project. The foundation seek creative individuals who are no more than 10 years postdoctoral, across a broad array of academic programs and research institutions. Examples of such programs include but are not limited to environmental science and conservation, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, big data, climatology, emerging infectious diseases, biology, oceanography, engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, neuroscience, and public health.
Award details: $200K per year. The host institution will receive $25K each year to cover costs associated with administering the grant, resulting in a total three-year award of $675,000. Each host institution will be required to contribute $50K (may be in-kind contribution) in annual direct support of the inventor’s work. Fellows are expected to expend 25% of time to their inventon.
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/moore/
External announcement on website: https://www.moore.org/initiative-additional-info?initiativeId=moore-inventor-fellows
USC Internal due date: September 15, 2023.
Letter of Intent due date: November 14, 2023.
External due date: December 13, 2023.
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Simon Guggenheim Foundation
Program: Mid-Career Fellowships
Synopsis: Supports exceptional individuals in pursuit of scholarship in any field of knowledge and creation of any art form, under the freest possible conditions and irrespective of race, color, or creed. Fellowships are awarded through an annual competition open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada. Evaluation of applications will be performed by evaluators of the applicant’s field, i.e. historians will evaluate applications by historians, mathematicians evaluate mathematician applicants, etc. Applicants receiving a sabbatical on full or part salary are eligible for appointment, as are those holding other fellowships and appointments at research centers.
Award details: The amounts of grants vary, and the Foundation does not guarantee it will fully fund any project.
Announcement on website: https://www.gf.org/how-to-apply/
Application due date: The applicant portal opens in mid-August; applications are due mid-September. (As of 8/16/2023 portal has not opened — please check SFG website in the next few days)
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Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
Program: Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences or Chemical Instrumentation
Synopsis: Supports advanced research by postdoctoral scholars within the core areas of fundamental chemistry or the development and building of chemical instrumentation. Seeks applicants from all backgrounds in their programs and strives to ensure a fair and equitable process for the selection of awardees, recognizing that excellent science is not the exclusive endeavor of one group of people, but of all. In an effort to avoid implicit and explicit bias in the review process, the Foundation will blind all information pertaining to applicants’ name, gender, ethnicity, citizenship status, and institutional information from reviewers during the preliminary reviews.
Award details: $224K over 2 years for salary, fringe benefits, and research expenditures; instrumentation fellowships will receive an additional one-time amount of up to $200K. Fellows receiving year 3 renewal awards will receive an additional $118K.
Announcement on website: https://www.beckman-foundation.org/programs/beckman-postdoctoral-fellows/
Application due date: September 6, 2023.
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Foundation for Prader-Willi Research
Program: Grant Program
Synopsis: Supports research to advance understanding and treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). They accept applications in all areas of research relevant to PWS, but are particularly interested in supporting projects that will lead to new interventions to alleviate the symptoms associated with PWS. Priority areas of interest are (partial)
- Genetics: Genotype to Phenotype
- Neurobiology of PWS pathology and phenotype (emphasis on hyperphagia)
- Cognition, maladaptive behavior and mental illness in PWS
FPWR will also consider supporting the development of unique in vitro and in vivo resources and models, or bioinformatic capabilities to be shared with the PWS research community.
Award details: Awards grants on an annual or semi-annual basis. Recent grants have ranged upward to $170K.
Announcement on website: https://www.fpwr.org/grant-program :
Letter of Intent due date: September 8, 2023.
Proposal due date: November 17, 2023.
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National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM)
Program: 2024 Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship
Synopsis: Provides early career individuals (including graduate students) with the opportunity to spend 12 weeks at the NASEM in Washington, DC learning about science and technology policy and the role that scientists and engineers play in advising the nation. This Mirzayan Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to obtain the essential skills and knowledge needed to work in science policy at the federal, state, or local levels. Early-career scientists, engineers, and medical professionals and / or late-stage graduate students with a strong interest in science and technology policy work are eligible to apply. International students and individuals with under-represented backgrounds in the sciences, engineering, and medicine are encouraged to apply
Award details: Fellowship provides a stipend of $11K to offset living expenses during the Fellowship period of March 4, 2024 to May 24, 2024.
Announcement on website: 2024 Christine Mirzayan Fellowship
Application due date: October 16, 2023.
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Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Program: Inspire! Grants for Small Museums
Funding Opportunity #: IGSM- FY24
Synopsis: Support the achievement of IMLS agency-level goals and to facilitate the delivery of significant results consistent with the IMLS federal authorizing legislation. These goals, for which every Inspire! grants provide are, broadly
- Champion Lifelong Learning
- Strengthen Community Engagement
- Advance Collections Stewardship and Access
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums have significant potential to generate positive societal impact through project activities undertaken as part of the grant-funded work and activities that may be complementary to the project. IMLS does not prescribe the type, focus, reach, or scale of societal impact required for each project, but the questions to be addressed in the application Narrative and the review criteria reflect the agency’s commitment to both advancing knowledge and understanding and to ensuring that the federal investment made through grants generates benefits to society. Applicants ought to address the attributes that describe the size of their organization, including but not limited to staff and volunteer size, budget issues, number and types of collections, size and type of audience, and size relative to other institutions in the same geographic region.
Award details: The average award size of previous awards is ~$43K. Anticipate making 60 awards from a program budget of $2.6M.
Announcement on website: INSPIRE! GRANTS FOR SMALL MUSEUMS
FY 2024
Application due date: November 15, 2023. The award begins on September 1, 2024.
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National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce
Program: NOAA's Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act
Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2023-2008081
Synopsis: Supports habitat restoration projects that enhance coastal resilience. Strengthening coastal resilience means preparing and adapting coastal communities to mitigate the impacts of, and more quickly recover after, extreme weather events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding, as well as longer-term climate hazards, such as sea level rise. Program priorities are: 1) sustaining productive fisheries and strengthening ecosystem resilience; 2) enhancing community resilience to climate hazards and providing other co-benefits; 3) fostering regionally important habitat restoration; and 4) providing benefits to tribal, indigenous, and / or underserved communities, including through partnerships. This solicitation will fund projects that demonstrate high priority and transformative potential within the geographic region where restoration actions are proposed. Proposals may include the following types of project phases: planning and assessments; feasibility studies; engineering design and permitting; on-the-ground implementation; pre- and / or post-implementation monitoring; or any combination of phases thereof. Proposals may also include capacity-building and stakeholder engagement to support the proposed restoration. Applicants proposing pre-implementation activities should demonstrate how these efforts will support or catalyze subsequent on-the-ground restoration.
Award details: NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards will range from $3M to $6M for a project period of 3 years. Only habitat restoration projects with significant ecological impacts, credible and detailed cost estimates, and construction readiness will be awarded the maximum allowable request of $25M.
Announcement on website: Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants
Application due date: November 17, 2023
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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) / Defense Sciences Office (DSO)
Program: Synthetic Quantum Nanostructures (SynQuaNon)
Funding Opportunity Number: HR001123S0050
Synopsis: Supports projects that will combine innovations in functional materials engineering with device-scale benchmarking and characterization to demonstrate quantum nanoelectronic devices with enhanced performance and improved size, weight, and power (SWaP) metrics. The range of devices that will be explored within this program as a testbed for novel quantum metamaterials includes, but is not limited to, SC qubits capable of operation at elevated temperatures and frequency regimes; single photon detectors and bolometers with beyond-state-of-the-art sensitivity and timing resolution for sensing, imaging, and communications; and quantum-limited signal processing technologies for scalable computing, millimeter-wave communications, and quantum-enhanced sensing. Specifically excluded is research focused on the synthesis, characterization, or development of materials that do not have a viable path to scalable fabrication and integration within nanoelectronic device architectures.
Award details: The level of funding for individual awards made under this BAA will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. DARPA anticipates multiple awards.
Announcement on website: SynQuaNon BAA
Proposers Day: August 18, 2023.
Abstract Due date: August 25, 2023.
FAQ Submission due date: September 29, 2023.
Full Proposal due date: October 10, 2023.
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Department of Defense (DoD) (jointly sponsored by the US Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Program: BILATERAL ACADEMIC RESEARCH INITIATIVE (BARI) SOCIAL SCIENCE PROGRAM
NFO Number: HQ003423NFOEASD12
Synopsis: Supports collaborative research that advances understanding of new phenomena or produces discoveries that would impact understanding societal resilience in relation to social influence and information campaigns. The goal of the program is to produce significant scientific breakthroughs with far-reaching consequences in understanding and influencing behavior below the threshold of armed conflict, specifically in relation to countering influence that leads to socioeconomic and political instability. International in focus, this call seeks social science-led interdisciplinary projects that bring together a broad and diverse range of academic expertise and stakeholders to better understand adversarial acts that influence population attitudes and behaviors and undermine institutions, infrastructure, and social cohesion in order to help mitigate against their impact and inform countermeasures.
Award details: For the US Research Team, expected annual funding will not exceed $1M per year.
Announcement on website: 2023 BARI
White Paper Submission due date: September 15, 2023.
Full Application submission due date: January 31, 2024.
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NSF / Multiple Directorates & NIH / Across All Institutes
Program: Smart Health and Biomedical Research in the Era of Artificial
Intelligence and Advanced Data Science (SCH)
Solicitation #: 23-614
Synopsis: Supports the development of transformative high-risk, high-reward advances in computer and information science, engineering, mathematics, statistics, behavioral and / or cognitive research to address pressing questions in the biomedical and public health communities. Transformations hinge on scientific and engineering innovations by interdisciplinary teams that develop novel methods to intuitively and intelligently collect, sense, connect, analyze and interpret data from individuals, devices, and systems to enable discovery and optimize health. Solutions to these complex biomedical or public health problems demand the formation of interdisciplinary teams that are ready to address these issues while advancing fundamental science and engineering. Areas of interest include (partial)
- Fairness and Trustworthiness in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Biomedical Image Interpretation
- Unpacking health disparities and health equity
Award details: $300K per year for 4 years.
Announcement on website: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23614/nsf23614.pdf
Proposal due dates: November 9, 2023; October 3, 2024; and October 3, 2025.
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NSF / Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division of Physics
Program: Division of Physics: Investigator-Initiated Research Projects (PHY)
Solicitation #: 23-615
Synopsis: Supports physics research and the preparation of future scientists in the nation’s colleges and universities across a broad range of physics disciplines that span scales of space and time from the largest to the smallest and the oldest to the youngest. The Division is comprised of disciplinary programs covering experimental and theoretical research in the following major subfields of physics: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics; Elementary Particle Physics; Gravitational Physics; Integrative Activities in Physics; Nuclear Physics; Particle Astrophysics; Physics at the Information Frontier; Physics of Living Systems; Plasma Physics; and Quantum Information Science. Principal Investigators are encouraged to consider including specific efforts to increase the diversity of the physics community and broaden the participation of under-represented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Proposals that request support for significant investments – either mid-scale research infrastructure or long-duration support – may include additional review, as described in the solicitation.
Award details: Program funding is $120M. Estimated 300 awards will be made.
Announcement on website: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23615/nsf23615.pdf
Proposal due dates: Plasma Physics – November 20, 2023; AMO - Theory and Experiment; Gravitational Physics - Theory and Experiment; LIGO Research Support; Integrative Activities in Physics –– November 22, 2023; Elementary Particle Physics - Experiment; Particle Astrophysics – Experiment; Nuclear Physics - Theory and Experiment; Elementary Particle Physics - Theory; Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology – Theory; Quantum Information Science; Physics of Living Systems: December 12, 2023.
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NIH / National Institute on Aging
Program: Behavioral and Social Research on the Role of Immigration on Life Course Health and Aging (including AD / ADRD)
NOFO #: RFA-AG-24-028
Synopsis: Supports research that explores how structural, community, and interpersonal mechanisms operate over the life course to shape health outcomes of middle-and older-age first-generation immigrant groups from racial and / or ethnic groups considered to be a minority in the US and any resulting health disparities. This initiative also seeks to support the development of data, approaches, and measures to evaluate the impact of immigration and other associated factors on health (including cognitive health and AD/ADRD) in the US and understand any disparities among a variety of racial and ethnic subgroups. Applicants should go beyond the description of differences observed among immigrant racial and ethnic minority communities in comparison to white communities. Encouraged research areas of interest include
- Developing innovative data and methods required to understand the behavioral and social causal drivers of immigration among middle- and older-aged adults that drive differences in health
- Examining how health outcomes are experienced in middle and older age differ between immigrants residing in the US and individuals who remain in their country of origin (e.g., Mexican immigrants in the US to Mexican residents in Mexico).
- Elucidating the structural, social, cultural, and behavioral risk and protective factors over the life course that shape middle- and older-age health outcomes (including AD/ADRD) among immigrant populations.
Award details: Maximum award is $500K for direct costs for a maximum project period of 5 years.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AG-24-028.html
Letter of Intent due date: October 3, 2023.
Application due date: November 3, 2023.
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NIH / National Cancer Institute
Program: Assay development and screening for discovery of chemical probes, drugs or immunomodulators
NOFO #: PAR-23-264
Synopsis: Supports discovery research for the identification of small molecules that function to elucidate the biology of cancer as chemical probes or function as activators or inhibitors of cancer target(s) for therapy. The scientific rationale for target selection must be provided. Small molecule tools or therapeutics may target tumor cells themselves or immune cells regulating tumor growth. Stages of discovery research covered by this NOFO include 1) development of the primary screen assay(s) and testing in an initial pilot screen. Assays may focus on specific biological targets or disease mechanisms relevant to cancer with the intent to screen for small molecule compounds to be used as probes for advancing knowledge about the known target(s), identifying new targets, or as pre-therapeutic leads; 2) screen implementation of high throughput target-focused approaches or moderate throughput phenotypic- and fragment-based approaches to identify initial screening hits; 3) hit validation, including implementation of secondary assays that are orthogonal to the primary assay, advanced cheminformatics analysis and initial medicinal chemistry inspection to prioritize the hit set, and follow-up assays to characterize mode and mechanism of action of the validated hits. It is anticipated that applications submitted in response to this NOFO will focus on one or two of the above stages, as each stage depends on the success of the prior stage.
Award details: Budgets are not limited but must reflect the needs of the program for a 3-year period of performance.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-264.html
Application due dates: October 5, 2023, for new applications; November 5, 2023, for renewals, resubmissions, and revised applications. Applications accepted for all types will be available through June 2026.
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NIH
Program: Population Approaches to Reducing Alcohol-related Cancer Risk
NOFO #: PAR-23-244
Synopsis: Supports research on interdisciplinary population approaches to increasing awareness of the relationship between alcohol and cancer risk, understanding and changing social norms related to alcohol consumption, developing and / or evaluating alcohol policy approaches, and the development, testing, and implementation of population-level interventions to reduce alcohol-related cancer risk. Applications that address multiple levels of consumption, such as moderate and heavy drinking, are of particular interest, as well as those focusing on alcohol use disorder (AUD) from the perspective of cancer prevention and control. Proposals addressing understudied areas are encouraged, as is attention to underrepresented minority (URM) populations experiencing cancer and alcohol-related disparities such as American Indian, Alaskan Native, and sexual and gender minority populations. Examples of research interest are (partial)
- Apply research on the individual determinants of alcohol consumption behaviors, such as motivation, perception, and social norms, to develop population-level interventions aimed at changing attitudes, intentions, and social norms related to alcohol consumption, with attention to specific populations suffering from inequities, where appropriate;
- Evaluating policies or other community- or population-level interventions affecting alcohol-related behaviors for their effects on cancer outcomes.
- Address policies or other community- or population-level interventions affecting alcohol-related behaviors for their effects on cancer outcomes.
Award details: Application budgets should reflect the actual needs of a 5-year project period.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-244.html
Application due date: Due dates for new, resubmissions, revised and renewal run through October 2025. Next due date for NEW applications is February 5, 2024.
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Announcement of Interest for Dornsife Investigtors
USC Office of Research and Innovation
Center for Excellence in Research
Upcoming Workshop
Overview of NIH SBIR / STTR Program
Attendees will be provided with an overview of SBIR/STTR programs, including the difference between SBIR and STTR mechanisms, eligibility considerations, and the relationship between a faculty member, university, and company.
Date: September 14, 2023 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual Registration: Overview of NIH SBIR / STTR Program
Presenter: JoAnne Goodnight — former SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator for the NIH.
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Book Cover: Evading the Patronage Trap: Interest Representation in Mexico (University of Michigan Press, 2022) Brian Palmer-Rubin, Political Science and International Relations
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