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Descripton at end of newsletter Week of May 1, 2023
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Greetings Dornsife Faculty,
As the 2022-2023 academic year winds up,our report this week includes
- Lauds for 3 Dornsife faculty members. Congratulations to all!;
- Terrific external funding success acheived by 4 faculty members;
- Current external funding opportunities, including 2 limited submissions; and
- An announcement of the Center for Excellence in Research's first workshop for the summer featuring Dornsife's Chief of Grant Strategy, Heidi Parker and her colleagues. The presenters will discuss the importance of Broader Impacts in NSF proposal submissions.
Best regards,
Renee J. Perez, Vice Dean, Administration & Finance
Cathleen Crayton, Project Specialist
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Accolades
Helen Berman, Quantitative and Computational Biology, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences
Percival Everett, English, has been elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters n the Literature category (Everett is the first Dornsife faculty member elected to this prestigious Academy since T.C. Boyle’s election in 2009)
Jacques Hymans, International Relations, has been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Fellowship for his project on understanding the uneven success of Japan’s efforts to expand its reliance on a wide range of renewable energies since the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant disaster of March 2011.
External Funding Successes
Leandro Carvalho, Center for Economic and Social Research, Unstable Income, Rising Stress? The Effects of Income Instability on Psychological and Physiological Health, University of Pennsylvania
Lin Chen, Biological Sciences, Developing a robust method for analyzing transcription factor-mediated chromatin interactions, National Human Genome Research Institute
Steve Lund, Earth Sciences, Reanalysis of Paleomagnetic Secular Variation and Excursions During Early Brunhes Time (380-780 ka) at ODP Sites 1060, 1061, 1062, and 1063, National Science Foundation
Derrick Morton, Biological Sciences, Investigating RNA dysregulation in Neurological Disease through study of Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia Type 1b, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
External Funding Opportunities
***Limited Submission***
(Very Close Timeline—Internal due date: May 5, 2023
1 slot)
AXA Research Fund
Program: Renewable Energy: Ensuring a Fair and Sustainable Transition
Synopsis: Supports post-doctoral research geared towards building a more sustainable and inclusive route to Net-Zero by 2050 based on renewable energies. Eligible candidates are no more than 5 years postdoctoral and have demonstrated research excellence as evidenced by, for example, publications and cited work. AXA seeks innovative and transdisciplinary research projects, at local, regional, or global scale, which will notably focus on:
Environmental challenges
- Sustainable vision of facilities notably to achieve climate neutrality, reduce pollution and restore biodiversity.
- Transformative approaches to waste management and development of circular economy around renewable energy facilities.
- Ways to build a resilient and sustainable supply chain around renewable energy including the impact
of metals and minerals used in facilities with new ways to reduce negative impacts of mining on the planet and people.
Socio-economic challenges
- Innovative solutions to provide access to renewable energy for all emerging countries, lower income communities and indigenous populations.
- Long term vision of facilities to minimize impact on local livelihoods and populations.
- Sustainable and ethical policies notably regarding trading of energy for instance.
- The impact of Net-Zero policies in local, national, and international economies and society at large.
Award details: Up to ~$153K (140000 euros) for 2-year project period.
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/axa/
External announcement on website: https://www.axa-research.org/en/page/AXA-Fellowships
USC Internal due date: May 5, 2023.
Letter of Intent due date: May 15, 2023.
External due date: June 29, 2023.
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***Limited Submission***
(3 slots per department)
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Program: Sloan Research Foundation
Synopsis: Supports tenure-track (not yet tenured as of September 15, 2023) faculty in chemistry, computer science, Earth system science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, or a related field. The Sloan Research Fellowship Program recognizes and rewards outstanding early-career faculty who have the potential to revolutionize their fields of study, while at the same time stimulating fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise.
Award details: $75K to be expended over a 2-year project period. May use for any expense judged supportive of the fellow’s research including staffing, professional travel, lab expenses, equipment, or summer salary support.
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/sloan/
External announcement on website: https://sloan.org/fellowships
USC Internal due date: June 2, 2023.
External nominations window: July 15, 2023 to September 15, 2023.
-----Pen America
Program: Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History for 2024
Synopsis: Supports literary works of nonfiction that use oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement. The project must be an unpublished work-in-progress by a single individual that will not be published prior to April 1, 2025, as the grants are intended to support the completion of a final book. The topic, written in English, must be a significant component of the project and its research. Scholarly or academic writing is not eligible.
Award details: $15K. 2 individuals will be awarded.
Announcement on website: https://pen.org/jean-stein-oral-history-grant/
Application due date: June 1, 2023.
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The Eisner Foundation
Program: The Eisner Prize Fellowship
Synopsis: Supports leaders pioneering innovations in intergenerational connection. The Eisner Prize Fellowship application is open to anyone working to innovate in the area of intergenerational connection – whether that is through research, programs, technology, or other efforts advancing the field. Young people, people of color, and those working with historically marginalized communities are particularly encouraged to apply. This is not intended to support existing programs unless the proposal involves new aspects of those programs. Projects should have goals achievable within a year.
Award details: $50K, which includes a $10K stipend and $40K to be used toward Fellows’ intergenerational initiative. Fellows will also be awarded scholarships to Generations United’s Global Conference in July 2023, which will serve as the location for the cohort’s first gathering.
Announcement on website: https://eisnerfoundation.org/the-eisner-prize-fellowship-program/
Application due date: May 31, 2023. Fellows will be announced in mid-June.
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Simons Foundation / Mathematics and Physical Science
Program: Solar Radiation Management (SRM)
Synopsis: Supports SRM research an emerging collection of approaches — including stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), marine cloud brightening (MCB), and cirrus cloud thinning (CCT) —designed to modify the Earth’s radiative balance and cool the planet. Recognizing SRM might be able to ameliorate some of the negative impacts of climate change in this century, SRM also may pose significant environmental and societal risks, including stratospheric warming, ozone depletion, and changes in rainfall, thereby affecting water resources and agriculture. This call aims to help fill key fundamental knowledge gaps in the science of SRM that will allow informed decision-making. Areas of research interests include (partial):
- Laboratory physicochemical characterization of SAI and CCT materials and their interactions with light, clouds, atmospheric trace gases, and with themselves or ambient aerosols, with the aim to improve microphysical inputs to existing climate models.
- Approaches to minimize cirrus cloud formation, including from aircraft emissions.
- Integration of improved representations of aerosols and turbulence into global-scale modeling, and characterization of global and regional impacts of novel materials for SAI and CCT.
Award details: Proposed budgets may not exceed $500K per year, including 20% indirect costs. As a part of the program obligations, awardees will be invited and expected to attend an annual meeting held at and paid directly by the Simons Foundation.
Announcement on website: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/solar-radiation-management/?tab=rfa
Letter of Intent due date: May 31, 2023.
Full proposal due date (invited): October 3, 2023.
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Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Program: Measuring Metabolism Across Scales
Synopsis: Supports two-year collaborative research projects focused on measuring metabolism across organelles and cells, including innovative approaches to characterize temporally and spatially the broad molecular profiles, heterogeneity, and phenotypic diversity of organelles and cells and how they interact within and as systems. Each application should designate one PI as the Coordinating PI. The Coordinating PI will act as the administrative contact between CZI and all other Co- PIs on the grant.. PIs and Co-PIs may come from different institutions and at least one PI of the team must have expertise in metabolism or another related field. Early-career investigators are strongly encouraged to apply as Coordinating PIs and Co-PIs.
Award details: Funding is on two tracks Focused Projects: $250,000 USD total costs (inclusive of up to 15 percent indirect costs) over 24 months for exploratory, risky technology development strategies. Expanded Projects: $500K for projects that look into hypothesis-driven biological questions that rely on applying, scaling, and / or improving existing technology to measure metabolism across organelles and cells. All projects are for 2 years and allow up to 15% for indirect costs.
Announcement on website: https://chanzuckerberg.com/rfa/measuring-metabolism-across-scales/
Application due date: June 1, 2023. The Anticipated funding date is December 2023.
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Vilcek Foundation
Program: Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise
Synopsis: Supports immigrant scientists and designers who are 38 years or younger. Biomedical scientists must have a Ph.D. (or MD), whose work exemplifies outstanding scientific accomplishment and contributes significantly to their area of research interests, and hold a full-time position in an academic institution. Designers (Artists) categories include digital design, graphic design, social design and product design. The application should reflect how your experiences as an immigrant have shaped your success. Scientist and Designer applicants must be legal residents of the United States and have lived in the U.S. for at least 4 years. Please see the announcement for additional information.
Award details: $50K
Announcement on website: https://vilcek.org/prizes/vilcek-prizes-for-creative-promise/
Application due date: June 12, 2023.
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Eppendorf Corporate (with AAAS / Science)
Program: The Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology
Synopsis: Supports and encourages the work of promising young neurobiologists who are not older than 35 years. The prize is awarded annually to one young scientist for the most outstanding neurobiological research based on methods of molecular and cell biology conducted by him / her during the past three years, as described in a 1,000-word entrance essay.
Award details: $25K
Announcement on website: https://corporate.eppendorf.com/en/company/scientific-awards/global-award/#c1995
Application due date: June 15, 2023.
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Department of State / U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) - Public Diplomacy Section
Program: American Palestinian Arts, Culture and Sports Initiative
NOFO: OPAPDFY23003
Synopsis: Suppors American and / or Palestinian non-profit organizations to implement activities that advance the applicant’s goals and the U.S. OPA mission, including but not limited to building Palestinian institutions, both governmental and non-governmental, that effectively address the needs and aspirations of the Palestinian people and building a prosperous Palestinian economy, led by a thriving private sector, that provides equitable and inclusive economic opportunities and improves daily life for Palestinians. The proposal must include substantive engagement with American people, institutions, ideas and ideals in order to improve American-Palestinian relations and create greater opportunities for mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation. Eligible institutions are 503(c) organizations “other than institutions of higher education.” Presumably, an affiliated organization would be eligible to apply.
Award details: $50K to $100K
Announcement on website: https://palestinianaffairs.state.gov/grants-and-funding-opportunities/
Application due date: June 4, 2023.
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NASA / Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
Program: University Leadership Initiative
Funding Opportunity #: NNH23ZEA001N-ULI
Synopsis: Supports university teams to exercise technical and organizational leadership in proposing unique challenges in aeronautics, defining multi-disciplinary solutions, establishing peer review mechanisms, and applying innovative learning strategies to strengthen the research impact. Research is sought in 6 topic areas: (1) Safe, Efficient Growth in Global Operations; (2) Innovation in Commercial Supersonic Aircraft; (3) Ultra-Efficient Subsonic Transports; (4) Safe, Quiet and Affordable Vertical Air Lift Vehicles; (5) In-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance; and (6) Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation.
Award details: Nominally up to $2M per year. Nominally anticipate 2 4-year awards and 2 3-year award.
Announcement on website: University Leadership Initiative
Step-A Proposal due date: June 6, 2023.
Step-B Proposal due date: 60 days after request for Step-B proposals is issued.
Applicant’s Workshop: May 11, 2023 at 12PM PDT.
Award Start date: Fall 2024.
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Department of Defense (DoD) / Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
Program: Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program (TBIPHRP) / Focused Program Award
Funding Opportunity Number: HT9425-23-S-TBIPH2
Synopsis: Supports the development of a synergistic, multidisciplinary research program that describes a unifying, overarching challenge that will be addressed by the set of research projects proposed. The overarching challenge must be relevant to a critical problem or question in the field of research and/ or patient care in at least one sub-area within one of the 3 FY23 TBIPHRP FPA Focus Areas:
- address knowledge gaps in, epidemiology, and etiology of psychological health conditions and / or TBI;
- address the prevention or progression of psychological health conditions and / or TBI conditions through population, selective, and indicated prevention approaches; and
- address immediate and long-term treatments and improvements in systems of care, including access to and delivery of health care services.
Award details: The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the 4-year period of performance for the FY 2023 award may not exceed $5M.
Announcement on website: TBIPHRP Focused Program Award
Pre-Proposal application: June 15, 2023.
Invitation to submit a full proposal: July 27, 2023.
Full Proposal due: September 28, 2023.
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DoD / Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
Program: Parkinson’s Research Program (PRP) — Synergistic Idea Award
Funding Opportunity Number: HT9425-23-PRP-SIA
Synopsis: Supports new ideas that represent synergistic approaches to PD research involving two to four Principal Investigators (PIs) at the Assistant Professor (or equivalent) level or above. These investigators should utilize their complementary and synergistic perspectives to address a central problem or question in Parkinson’s research. The PRP Synergistic Idea Award seeks applications from investigators working in a wide spectrum of disciplines including, but not limited to, basic science, engineering, bioinformatics, population science, translational research, and clinical research. Preliminary data to support feasibility is encouraged but not required. The proposed research must address at least 1 of the 2 focus areas
- Biological mechanisms or biomarkers, including biologically informed clinical evaluations, of non-motor symptoms that could lead to the development of treatments for PD. Applications focused on laboratory models through to human subjects, including computational approaches, would be considered.
- Biological mechanisms or biomarkers associated with non-pharmacological interventions for PD including diet, exercise, neuro-simulation therapy, and neurosurgical intervention.
Award details: Maximum award, including direct and indirect costs, is $4M over a 4-year project period.
Announcement on website: PRP – Synergistic Idea Award
Pre-Application submission due date: July 27, 2023.
Application due date: August 23, 2023.
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DoD / Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI)
Program: BAA for Basic, Applied and Advanced Scientific Research
Funding #: W911NF-23-S-0010
Synopsis: Supports basic and applied research.
The Basic Research Program supports and executes high-risk, high-reward fundamental research to develop state-of-the-art theory, methods, and models to create the innovative concepts required to support the Army’s future capabilities and needs. Basic Research seeks to support efforts in the following focal areas (detailed descriptions found in solicitation):
- Science of measurement of individuals and collectives;
- Understanding multilevel and organizational dynamics;
- Context of behavior in military environments; and
- Formal and informal learning and development.
Applied Research and Advanced Development Areas Program supports research in the following areas
- Holistic Personnel Assessment and Statistical Innovations for Talent Management;
- Leader Competences for Complexity & Uncertainty Team Assignment and Performance; and
- Assessing and developing technological fluency for the future force.
Award details: Funding will be in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, technology assessments agreements (TIA) or Other Transactions (OST). Generally, there is no requirement for cost sharing, matching, or cost participation to be eligible for award under this BAA.
White Papers: White papers are welcomed, but generally not required EXCEPT for projects that fall under Holistic Personnel Assessment. See Sources Sought Notice
Announcement on website: ARI Behavioral and Social Science Research
Proposal due dates: Accepting proposals until April 30, 2028. White papers will be submitted and reviewers will encourage or discourage assessment on whether to submit full proposals.
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NSF / Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences — Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
Program: Cultural Anthropology Program Senior Research Awards (CA-SR)
Solicitation #: NSF 23-581
Synopsis: Supports researchers in all sub-fields of cultural anthropology and research at any temporal or spatial scale. Historically, anthropologists have focused on rich, empirical descriptions and analyses of specific societies and cultures. Increasingly, attention has turned to a range of global processes, such as economic and cultural globalization, new forms of labor migration, and responses to socio-environmental change. NSF particularly encourages proposals that are both ethnographically grounded and attuned to larger significance, including paying heed, theoretically and methodologically, to the mesoscale interface between local and global. Methodologies and approaches employed may include ethnographic field research, surveys, remote sensing, the collection of biomarkers, experimental research inside or outside of laboratory settings, archival research, the analysis of materials collections and extant databases, mathematical and computational modeling and other research tools as appropriate for the proposed research. The overarching research goals should be to produce empirically grounded findings that will be generalizable beyond particular case studies and contribute to building a more robust anthropological science of human society and culture.
Award details: Anticipated funding amount is approximately $4,000,000, for all new and continuing awards combined, not including DDRIG awards. In addition to the Senior Research Awards, several other award mechanisms are available including EAGER, Mid-Career Advancement, and REU etc.
Announcement on website: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23581/nsf23581.pdf
Full Proposal Target dates: August 15, 2023, and January 16, 2024.
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NIH / National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Program: Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators (ESI) (R35 – Outstanding Investigator Award)
NOFO: PAR-23-145
Synopsis: Supports NIGMS-relevant program of research in an investigator's laboratory. For this NOFO, the "program of research" is defined as a collection of projects in an investigator's laboratory that are within the mission of NIGMS. PIs who are NIH-defined Early Career Investigators are eligible to apply. Benefits of a MIRA award include (partial)
- Enable investigators to apply earlier in their independent research careers, allowing them to secure grant funding that will launch and sustain productive research careers.
- Enhance investigators' ability to move into research areas that are distinct from those of their postdoctoral mentors by not requiring or expecting preliminary data, which could lead to new scientific discoveries.
- More widely distributed funding among the nation's highly talented and promising investigators to increase overall scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs.
Award details: Maximum award is $250K per year for direct costs over a project period of 5 years.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-145.html
Application due date: October 3, 2023.
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NIH / National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Program: Translating Socioeconomic Influences (R34—Planning Grant)
NOFO: RFA-DA-24-019
Synopsis: Supports a set of planning activities that will establish a multidisciplinary and functionally diverse team that will work to lay the groundwork for a research program using a rat model that incorporates 1) early-life manipulations or exposures designed to model socio-environmental risk factors, 2) longitudinal assessments of neurocognitive development, and 3) experiments characterizing substance abuse disorder risk-relevant neurocognitive function and behavior in adolescence and / or adulthood. This planning grant funding opportunity will support activities designed to lay the foundation for a larger-scale research project incorporating the above three objectives, including activities to generate data to support a competitive application for an R01 or similar-scale NIH research project award. Awardees will also be expected to participate in activities with the goal of sharing research designs and identifying potential common data elements across the R34 projects.
Award details: $450K total direct costs for a 2-year project. No more than $225 may be budgeted for any one year.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-24-019.html
Letter of Intent due date: October 10, 2023.
Application due date: November 9, 2023.
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NIH / Across Most Institutes (Predominantly, National Institute on Drug Abuse —NIDA)
Program: NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research: Tools and Technologies to Explore Nervous System Biomolecular Condensates (R21 — Exploratory / Developmental Research Award)
NOFO: RFA-DA-24-039
Synopsis: Supports the development of innovative tools and / or technologies to monitor or manipulate biomolecular condensates (BMCs) in vivo and enables investigators to adopt these tools to answer outstanding questions in basic neuroscience. This research will transform the understanding of the mechanistic role of BMCs in human nervous system health and disease and may serve as the foundation for the development of novel BMC-based therapeutics. The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is a collaborative framework through which 12 NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices jointly support neuroscience-related research, with the aim of accelerating discoveries and reducing the burden of nervous system disorders. Examples of research for this NOFO include (partial)
- Perform in silico or high throughput screening approaches to identify BMC proteins or their regulators that might function in nervous system-relevant signal transduction or influence the functions of nervous system-relevant receptors, channels, or other signal transduction components;
- Investigate cytoplasmic BMCs (e.g., stress granules, GPCR signaling platforms, synaptic sub-structures) or their regulators in nervous system-relevant functions including their involvement in spatial regulation of signal transduction, metabolism, proteostasis, synaptic signaling, microtubule function, transcription / translation, or other cytoplasmic processes; and
- Explore the role of BMCs or BMC regulators in nervous system processes, cells, or models including pre-synaptic function, post-synaptic function, vesicular regulation, RNA transport, neuronal plasticity, development, neural growth factors, or functions in non-neuronal nervous system cell types.
Award details: $275K over 2-year project, with no single year’s budget exceeding $200K
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-24-039.html
Letter of Intent due date: October 14, 2023.
Application due date: November 14, 2023.
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Announcement of Interest for Dornsife Investigtor
Office of Research and Innovation / Research Initiatives and Infrastructure
Center for Excellence in Research
Upcoming Workshop
Designing and Writing a Successful NSF Broader Impacts
A great NSF Broader Impacts statement won’t strengthen a proposal with poor science, but a poor one can sink a proposal with good science. Heidi Smith Parker, Dieuwertje Kast and Jen Corletto will share how to develop your statement with examples of creative strategies, a brainstorming session to help you develop your ideas, and an overview of resources at USC.
Date: May 19, 2023 Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom Registration: https://rii.usc.edu/cer/
Presenters: Heidi Smith Parker, Chief of Grant Strategy, Dornsife;
Dieuwertje Kast, Director of STEM Education Programs, Joint Educational Project, Dornsife; and Jen Corletto, Interim K-12 STEM Project Manager, Viterbi
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Book Cover Image: Catastrophic Historicism: Reading Julia de Burgos Dangerousl (Idiom: Inventing Writing Theory) (Fordham University Press, 1st Edition, Forthcoming November 7, 2023)
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