Greetings Dornsife Faculty,

In this issue we include: 
– Accolade for a College faculty member; 
– External funding success achieved by 5 Dornsife faculty
– Current and diverse funding opportunities including an internal opportunity from the Office of Research and Innovation;  3 limited submissions; and a funding opportunity coordinated by Corporate and Foundation Relations.
– Important information on a request to visit Dornsife faculty concerning an upcoming funding opportunity from the Office of the Senior Vice President.
–  Reminder of Dornsife Research Administration office hours.

 

Best regards,

Renee J. Perez, Vice Dean, Administration and Finance
Cathleen Crayton, Project Specialist, Research Administration

Percival Everett, English, was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction for his novel James, The American Library Association

Nathan Benjamin, Physics and Astronomy, Bootstrapping Quantum Gravity, Department of Energy

 

John Heidelberg, USC Wrigley Institute, NASA Extreme Environments Missions Operations (NEEMO) / Space Environment Analog for Testing Extravehicular (EVA) Systems & Training (SEATEST) Analog Missions, NASA

 

Stanley J. Huey, Psychology, Empowering Latinx and Black Youth with School Discipline Referrals as Peer Coaches, William T. Grant Foundation

 

Jinkook Lee, CESR (Economics) and Eileen Crimmins, Gerontology, Biomarkers of neurodegeneration in the US and India: A cross-national evaluation of the biological underpinnings of ADRD, Johns Hopkins University

 

Lauren McElwain, Neurobiology, Basal ganglia circuit mechanisms for orofacial motor control, Whitehall Foundation

Internal Funding Opportunity

 

USC Office of Research and Innovation (OORI)
Program: Grants for the humanities and humanistic social science workshop
Synopsis: Supports both tenure-track, as well as research, teaching, practitioner and clinical (RTPC)-track assistant professors to participate in an intensive grant development workshop led by Peter Mancall, former associate vice provost for research advancement and former divisional dean for the humanities and the social sciences in USC Dornsife. Workshop sessions will be either in person or, if necessary for scheduling purposes, via zoom.  The workshop will focus on the crucial basics of writing external grants to foundations, national organizations, and private institutions. The workshop will be for both team and individuals interested in developing proposals. Those awarded grants must commit to submitting a proposal for a major grant or fellowship to a foundation or federal or state agency, such as the NEH or NSF, before July 1, 2026.

Award details: Teams: Up to $30K; Individuals: Up to $15K each.
Announcement: Human and Social Science grant workshop 2025 
Application due date: March 10, 2025. A jury of faculty members will select participants based on the likely success of funding. Participants will meet initially in March 2025.
-----

External Funding Opportunities

 

***Limited Submission***

 

Council on Library & Information Resources (CLIR)
Program: CLIR Recordings at Risk
Synopsis: Supports projects for the digital reformatting of audio and audiovisual “at risk” recorded content of high importance to researchers and the general public for preservation. CLIR’s independent review panel will assess the potential scholarly or public impact of proposed projects, the urgency of undertaking those projects, the viability of applicants’ plans for long-term preservation, and the appropriateness of the planned approach to creating access.

Award details: Awards will range from $10K up to $50K.
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/clir-recordings-at-risk/
External announcement: https://www.clir.org/recordings-at-risk/apply-for-an-award/
USC Internal due date: February 18, 2025.
External due date: April 14, 2025.
-----

 

***Limited Submission***

 

The Huo Family Foundation (HFF)
Program: Special Projects Grant - Effects of the Usage of Digital Technology on Brain Development, Social Behaviors and Mental Health in Children and Young People
Synopsis: Supports projects that aim to address key questions within the broad topic of the effects of usage of and exposure to digital technologies on brain development and function (including physiological responses), social behavior and interactions, and mental health of children and young people. Projects should build on existing research (including the use of existing cohorts and data sets) as well as creating new methods and approaches to better model and unpick the complexities of this topic. HFF encourages multidisciplinary approaches. Candidates must possess a Ph.D. that may include but is not limited to neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, public health, computer science, social science, and economics.

Candidates must have open-ended or long-term rolling contract, or the guarantee of one, of which receipt of this award is not contingent. The salaries of all applicants must be covered by their respective employing organization for the duration of the award.
Award details: Up to $390K per year.
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/huo-family-foundation/
External announcement: https://huofamilyfoundation.org/our-grants/special-projects/
USC Internal due date: March 24, 2025.
External due date: May 23, 2025.
-----

 

***Limited Submission***

 

The Pew Charitable Trusts
Program: Pew Biomedical Scholars
Synopsis: Supports tenure-track assistant professors in biomedical sciences, medicine, or a related field, including engineering or the physical sciences, and who have demonstrated outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications.
Award details: $75K for 4 years. Scholars are expected to spend 80% of their time in work or activities related to the accomplishment of their overall research goals (which are not restricted to the specific aims proposed for this award). Effort reporting is not required.
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/pew-2026/
External announcement on website: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/pew-biomedical-scholars/program-details
USC Internal due date: March 28, 2025.
Letter of Intent due date: May 14, 2025.
External due date: September 3, 2025.
-----

 

Kress Foundation
Program: History of Art Grants
Synopsis: Supports scholarly projects that will enhance the appreciation and understanding of European works of art and architecture from antiquity to the early 19th century. 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 conferences, workshops and other professional events.
Award details: Recent grants have ranged up to $50K.

Announcement on website: https://www.kressfoundation.org/Programs/Grants/History-of-Art
Letter of Inquiry due date: LOIs accepted 3 times a year. Next due date is March 1, 2025.
Application due date (invited): Grant applications are reviewed 3 times a year. The next due date is April 1, 2025.
-----

 

Hansen Leadership Institute
Program: Hansen Summer Institute Fellowship Program
Synopsis: Supports and trains Fellows in leadership development for undergraduate students who have completed at least 2 years of their college program, and are between 20 and 25 years of age, and who have a demonstrated interest in international relations.  Successful applicants must demonstrate leadership potential by having worked outside of class in community service, another public service, or in a non-governmental organization. A recommendation from such a group or organization is required.

Training will be in the following areas
  -  Leadership
  -  Mediation and Conflict Resolution
  -  International Cooperation.
Award details: Room and board, and all programmatic costs. Program is from July 1, 2025 to July 22, 2025 and includes spending money.

Announcement on website: https://www.hansenleadershipinstitute.org/apply-now/
Application due date: March 10, 2025
-----

 

Rutgers – New Brunswick / School of Management and Labor Relations
Program: Employer Ownership Foundation / Louis O. Kelso Fellowship
Synopsis: Supports outstanding scholars studying the topic of broadened ownership of capital in a democratic society in the United States. Ph.D. candidates, postdoctoral scholars, or visiting professors in the areas of business / economics / labor studies / management, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, public policy, or sociology may apply.

Award details: Fellows will receive stipends of $12.5K that can be used for research, travel, or living expenses. Fellows may be supported at their home institution or may be in residence at Rutgers University with the period and length of residency varying between July 1 and June 30 of the academic year. 

Announcement on website: https://smlr.rutgers.edu/faculty-research-engagement/institute-study-employee-ownership-and-profit-sharing/fellowships-10

Application due date: March 1, 2025.
-----

 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Program: Exploring Equitable Futures Call for Proposals
Synopsis: Supports projects that seed new and unconventional ideas that could radically advance health equity for generations to come. The aim of this funding opportunity is to explore questions, such as
  -  How might trends, such as artificial intelligence and decreasing trust in institutions impact efforts to transform the Health Science Knowledge System?
  -   How might a reimagined Health Science Knowledge System produce knowledge that advances health equity? In a desired future, who gets to frame research questions? How does research reflect the priorities and concerns of community members? What qualifies as evidence?
  -  How might new structures, processes, and incentives ensure the future Health Science Knowledge System produces, validates, disseminates, and applies evidence to improve health?

Ideal candidates are visionary thinkers—scientists, anthropologists, engineers, technologists, creatives, and others—who are imagining what the world might look like in the next 10 to 100 years.
Award details: No set award amount. Budget requests should reflect the needs of the project. No predetermined set number of grants will be awarded.
Announcement on website: https://www.rwjf.org/en/grants/active-funding-opportunities/2025/exploring-equitable-futures.html
Application due date: Will accept applications on a rolling basis until October 15, 2025.
-----

 

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
Program: Coral Reef Stewardship Fund 2025 Request for Proposals
Synopsis: Supports the conservation and management of U.S. coral reefs. Applicants under this program are strongly encouraged to contact a local manager that they feel is most applicable to their project scope and/or the coral liaison for the jurisdiction where they plan to work. The most competitive applications under this funding opportunity will work directly with local coral reef managers to implement priority projects in the following conservation categories for reefs associated with the priority American Samoa, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. U.S. coral reef conservation projects that either fall outside of or only indirectly address these priority categories or geographies are still eligible for funding but are considered a lower priority than those with a direct nexus. Program priorities include, broadly
  -  Threat reduction to priority reef sites;
  -  Coral Reef Emergency Response Preparation and Restoration;
  -  Increase Institutional Management Capacity in Coral Conservation

Award details: Most awards will be in the range of $80K to $600K for 6 months to 3 years duration. A 1:1 match non-federal cash or in-kind cost share is required.
Announcement on website: https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/2025-coral-rfp_0.pdf
Pre-Proposal due date: February 12, 2025.
Full proposal due date (invited): April 16, 2025.
-----

 

National Center of Meteorology – United Arab Emirates (UAE) Rain Enhancement Program (NCM UAEREP)
Program: 6th Cycle UAE Program for Rain Enhancement Science
Synopsis: Supports research and technology projects that advance the field of rain enhancement, particularly in arid regions. To date, the program has funded 14 awards (across 5 award cycles), which have advanced, and continue to advance, the science and technologies that underpin cloud seeding operations in the UAE and have contributed to the global knowledge base on rain enhancement. The thrusts areas for this 6th cycle include
  -  Optimized Seeding Materials

  -  Novel Cloud Formation and / or Rain Enhancement Systems

  -  Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft Systems

  -  Limited-Area Climate Interventions

  -  Advanced Models, Software, and Data

The PI for the project must have substantial research and management experience in the associated field of science and / or engineering to lead the Project. Co-PIs may share in the responsibility of the scientific or technical direction of the project.

Award details: Three awards will be made, each up to an anticipated $1.5M over a 3 year project period.
Announcement on website: https://assets.ncm.gov.ae/resources/uaerep-web/uaerep-program-solicitation-c6-en.pdf

Pre-Proposal registration due date (required): March 13, 2025.
Pre-Proposal due date (required): March 20, 2025.
Full proposal due date (invited): August 28, 2025.
-----

 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Program: FY 2026 Call for Strategic University Research Partnership (SURP) Program Student Research Initiative Concepts
Synopsis: Supports 14 strategic university partnerships with JPL researchers to develop new science and technology opportunities and provide innovation for NASA’s mission. The program emphasizes continuity of collaboration over time, most typically through support of a graduate student, in a topic aligned with the research interests of both the JPL PI and the university faculty. For example, the majority of the university funds can be used to support approximately half of a graduate student’s time for up to three years (a significant part of a thesis). While focused research tasks for individual graduate students are the most prevalent, individual undergraduate or graduate / undergraduate student group research projects can also be supported. JPL support for collaboration in university classes may be considered, however these types of projects are currently being migrated to another JPL program. Applicants are encouraged to discuss a class-related proposed idea with the SURP Program Manager prior to proposing to determine the best course to pursue for your class project.
Award details: Proposals to SURP can have up to a 3-year duration with a maximum amount of $60K per year split between JPL and the university. There is no requirement as to how the funds should be split between JPL and the university, but this split should be in line with the task plan and should provide significant student support. If awarded, year one would begin at the start of FY26 (October 2025)
Announcement: FY 2026 Call for Strategic University Research Partnership (SURP) Program Student Research Initiative Concepts 
Application due date: March 27, 2025.
-----

 

Foundation for Prader Willi Research (FPWR)
Program: Research Grants
Synopsis: Supports innovative Prader Willi Research (PWS), particularly projects that will lead to new treatments to alleviate the symptoms associated with PWS. Eligible applicants are those who have primary faculty appointments at the junior faculty level or higher. Broadly, funding priority areas include (partial)
  -  Genotype to phenotype: understanding PWS genetics / how loss of PWS-critical region genes leads to the phenotype
  -  Neurobiology of hunger / feeding behavior and metabolism in PWS
  -  Neurobiology of cognition, maladaptive behavior, and mental health in PWS
Award details: Up to $150K direct costs for the initial 18 months of support, with the possibility of a second grant period of 18 months of funding upon competitive renewal. Indirect costs of up to 8% are allowed. Higher risk  / higher innovative projects for smaller budgets and shorter project duration can also be considered.
Announcement on website: https://www.fpwr.org/request-for-applications  
Letter of Intent due date: 2-page LOI due February 28, 2025.
Full application due date: May 16, 2025.
-----

 

American Chemical Society (ACS)
Program: Women Chemists Committee / Eli Lilly Travel Award
Synopsis: Supports undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral female chemists to travel to meetings to present the results of their research. Through this program, WCC and Eli Lilly and Company continue to increase the participation of women in the chemical sciences. Awards are made on the basis of scientific merit and financial need. Funds may be applied only for registration, travel, and accommodations, and are restricted to travel to meetings within the United States. Grant funds are limited, but there are some funds designated for undergraduates. One application per research group will be considered. Preference is given to those who will be making their first national presentation (or in the case of graduate or postdoctoral candidates, those who have not made a presentation since obtaining their undergraduate degree).
Award details: Awards based on financial need.
Announcement on website:  https://www.acs.org/funding/awards/women-chemists-eli-lilly-travel-award.html
Application due date: June 1, 2025 for the ACS 2025 Fall Meeting
-----

 

Department of Defense (DoD) / Army Research Institute (ARI) for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) — Foundational Science Research Unit
Program: U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Funding Opportunity Announcement for Basic Research (Fiscal Year 2026)
NOFO #: W911NF-25-S-0006
Synopsis: Supports projects conduct basic research that will provide a scientific foundation focusing on four strategic areas for advancing personnel science:
- Measurement of Individuals and Collectives: Advanced psychometric theory for deriving valid measurements from complex assessments and continuous streams of data;
- Teams and Small Groups: Understanding dynamic restructuring, coordination, and composition processes in teams and promoting optimal team adaptation;
- Organizations and Systems: Multilevel theory and methods for complex organizations; and
- Formal and Informal Learning and Development: Holistic models of individual and collective learning and development across work settings and contexts throughout the career span.
This NOFO is divided into three types of proposals for basic research: (1)

Standard Basic Research Proposals and (2) Targeted Opportunities which encompass: a) Early Career Proposals (ECP) and b) Short-Term Innovative Research (STIR) Proposals (both of which are for basic research). ARI will accept all three types in response to this NOFO.

Award details: Standard Proposals: ~$750K over 3 years; Early Career: $125K for initial year; STIR: $60K
Announcement: FY25 ARI Basic Research
White Paper due date (encouraged, not required): March 9, 2025.
Proposal due date: July 1, 2025.
-----

 

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Defense

Sciences Office
Program: Sources for Ultraviolet Nuclear Spectroscopy of Thorium

(SUNSPOT)
NOFO #: HR001125S0008
Synopsis: Supports the development of highly coherent sources of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation for clock grade spectroscopy of the recently discovered thorium (229mTh) nuclear isomeric transition. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Proposers must provide a description of their approach, the architecture of their VUV source, and proof-of-concept data (as applicable). Proposals must include sufficient detail to enable assessment of the validity of their approach and the experimental feasibility of the proposed photonic architecture to meet SUNSPOT program metrics.
Award details: Multiple awards anticipated. Proposers should include in proposals schedule and costs for regular teleconference meetings with the government team for progress reporting as well as problem identification and mitigation. Proposers should anticipate one site visit per year by the DARPA program manager.
Announcement on website: Sunspot 
Proposer’s Day: February 7, 2025.
Proposal due date: March 13, 2025.
-----

 

NSF / Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) - Multiple Divisions
Program: Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS-LEAPS)
Solicitation #: 25-535
Synopsis: (NOTE: While eligible applicants for this solicitation are typically Carnegie-rated R2 institutions, minority-serving institutions and primarily undergraduate institutions who do not receive significant amount of MPS funding, Dornsife PIs may collaborate with, or know PIs at these institutions and perhaps can share information about this program with colleagues at the above mentioned institutions). 
Supports projects led by beginning investigators and focused on advances within or across research areas supported by the Divisions of Astronomical Sciences, Chemistry, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics in the MPS Directorate. The projects should form a sound basis for a compelling research program. The results of activities supported by LEAPS awards should increase the competitiveness of future proposals to NSF programs by the PIs, such as, for example, data that can be used in the design of a future project and the formation of productive research collaborations or partnerships to support or increase the impact of educational efforts. Projects should also serve to increase the participation in STEM research of underrepresented and/or under-served communities in STEM and the number of members of these communities who can serve as role models to ensure that the 21st-century STEM workforce encompasses society's full spectrum of talent.
Award details: $250K total (direct and indirect costs) for project duration of up to 2 years.
Announcement on website: https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/nsf25535_0.pdf?VersionId=j7VLtfuRhWaka3IQQR0dmeKohyABs.iY
Application due date: April 17, 2025 and January 22, 2026.
-----

 

NIH / National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Program: Behavioral & Integrative Treatment Development (R34—Planning Grant)
NOFO #: PAR-24-300
Synopsis: Supports the development and testing of behavioral and integrative treatments for substance misuse and dependence. The term "behavioral treatment" is used here in a broad sense and includes but is not limited to psychotherapies, cognitive, relapse prevention, remediative, rehabilitative, skills training, counseling, family, and exercise therapies. Screening, brief, computerized, adherence, prevention interventions for HIV risk behaviors, and interventions that target therapist training and fidelity also are included. Integrative refers to combinations with other treatments, including pharmacotherapies or other complementary approaches. Specific areas of interest include (partial)
  -  Research to elucidate the purported mechanism of action and targets of behavioral interventions at multiple levels of analysis. This includes determination of underlying biological and/or neurobiological mechanisms (e.g., as measured by imaging methodol

  -  Research that uses innovative technologies (digital therapeutics, including mobile applications and other platforms, virtual reality, wireless monitoring and biofeedback, imaging tools for biofeedback, artificial intelligence) to develop, improve and systematically measure behavioral interventions including the use of imaging methods to predict outcomes from behavioral interventions. Additionally, neuromodulation devices to augment behavior therapies.

  -  Research on tobacco harm reduction strategies such as switching from combustibles to e-cigarettes.

Award details:  Direct costs are limited to $450K over a maximum 3-year project period, with no more than $225,000 in direct costs allowed in any single year.

Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-24-300.html
Application due date: February 16, 2025.
-----

 

Dornsife Corporate and Foundation Relations
Kerri Bennett at kerriben@usc.edu) and Jennifer Lidar at
< jlidar@usc.edu> are available to assist

 

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Program: Interdisciplinary Social Science Research on Energy System Interactions in the United States
Synopsis: Supports research, training, networking, and dissemination efforts to inform the societal transition toward low-carbon energy systems in the United States by investigating economic, environmental, technological, and distributional issues. Letters of Inquiry are invited for interdisciplinary, collaborative social science research projects led by early- and mid-career scholars (Assistant or Associate Professor or equivalent) that analyze the systemic interactions and connections associated with the transition to a low-carbon economy in the United States.
Award details: Awards will range from $500K to $1M over a 2 to 4 year project period.
Announcement on website: https://sloan.org/programs/research/energy-and-environment/energy-system-interactions-call
Letter of Inquiry due date: March 25, 2025. Project begins December 2025.
-----

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Affairs

 

In early March the Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Affairs will release a request for applications for the Nemirovsky Engineering and Medicine Opportunity (NEMO) Prize, a highly selective prize designed to bridge the critical gap between ideas and clinical breakthroughs. Two $125K NEMO Prizes are awarded annually. Originating with a generous gift from Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky (Shelly is a USC Trustee), the NEMO Prize is focused on supporting early-stage research at the intersection of health sciences and engineering that do not yet qualify for support by federal agencies and are not yet mature enough for private investment. As part of their outreach efforts, Michele Kipke, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Strategic Health Alliances, would like to share information about the contest and the RFA with Dornsife faculty researchers, ideally, with a short presentation in the next month or so at a faculty meeting. If there is interest in this opportunity, contact Jennifer Shaffer at <Jennifer.shaffer@med.usc.edu>

-----

Office Hours for Help with Research Administration Questions
Every Wednesday from 3 to 4 p.m. via Zoom: USC Dornsife Research Administration is now offering weekly office hours via Zoom. Feel free to join to ask questions and connect with research administration staff.

Zoom: https://usc.zoom.us/j/94648152007?pwd=M1ZPQU81QmtWc3VZaHp6QnhnK0RSdz09
Meeting ID: 946 4815 2007
Passcode:  989008

  Opt Out using TrueRemove™
View this email online.

University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences | Los Angeles, CA 90089 US

This email was sent to fosman@usc.edu.
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.