Greetings Dornsife Faculty,

In this issue we include: 
– High recognition for 2 Dornsife faculty members;
– Terrific external funding success for 4 investigators; 
– Plentiful, diverse and current external funding opportunities, including 3 limited submissions and 2 funding opportunities from Dornsife Corporate and Foundation Relations;
– Announcements on (1) Recent video conference with Bill Deverell and the William T. Grant Foundation on the mission of the Foundation and research funding opportunities for early career researchers; and (2) Our reminder of the Wednesday Office Hour hosted by Dornsife Research Administration.

 

Best regards,

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

Percival Everett, English, has been awarded the 2024 Kirkus Prize for Fiction for his novel, James. 

 

Wolf Gruner, History, and the Center for Advanced Genocide Research, are co-recipients of the German 2024 Grimme Online Award for their international collaborative project, #LastSeen Image Atlas. #LastSeen Image Atlas is a collection of images of four thousand individuals of the more than two hundred thousand people deported from Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1945, most to death camps. For more info <https://atlas.lastseen.org/>

Richard John, Psychology, SENTRY – Soft Target Engineering to Neutralize the Threat Reality Year 4, Northeastern University

 

Vsevolod Katritch, Bridge, Development of PAC1 receptor antagonists for the treatment of Headache Disorders, Washington University

 

Kelly Luo, Physics and Astronomy, Ultrafast spin torque dynamics in van der Waals magnetic heterostructures, Department of Energy

 

Lila Rabinovich, Center for Economic and Social Research, Mixed‐methods study to understand barriers and facilitators in applying for Social Security disability benefits among Hispanics, Regents of the University of Michigan

 

 

***Limited Submission***

(posted last week, now with time-sensitive limited submission info)

Department of Energy (DoE) / Office of Science / Program in Nuclear Physics (NP)
Program: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Applied to Nuclear Science and Technology
NOFO #: DE-FOA-0003458
Synopsis: Supports multi-institutional (not collaborative) research for the development and application of AI / ML in all research areas of NP to expand and accelerate scientific reach and discovery. Opportunities include AI to address challenges in autonomous control, efficiency of operation of accelerators and scientific instruments, digital twinning for future colliders, efficient extraction of critical information from large complex data sets and enabling data-driven discovery of new physics. Major areas of research may include, for example:

  -  Efficient extraction of critical and strategic information from large complex data sets;

  -  Development and implementation of digital twins for future colliders;

  -  Efforts to address the challenges of autonomous control and experimentation;

  -  Efficient operation of accelerators and scientific instruments;

  -  Deployment of AI for reduction of large and/or complex experimental data;

  -  Development of software to enable data-driven discovery of new physics.
Award details: Up to $1M per year for 2 years.

USC Internal Announcement:  https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/de-foa-0003458/
Announcement of website: AI and ML Applied to Nuclear Science and Technology 
USC Internal due date: October 31, 2024.
Letter of Intent due date (required): November 14, 2024
Application due date (encouraged): January 14, 2025.

-----

 

***Limited Submission***
(Previously posted 9/25/204; Please Note: The USC Internal due date for the chemical sciences has been updated to November 1, 2024)

Blavatnik Family Foundation
Program: 2025 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists
Synopsis: Supports, honors and celebrate young faculty members working in the three disciplinary categories of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemical Sciences. Nominations are accepted from an invited group of research universities, independent research institutions, academic medical centers, and government laboratories from around the United States. Nominees must have been born in or after 1983; currently hold a tenured or tenured-track position at an invited institution; hold a doctorate; conduct independent research in one of the disciplinary categories in the Life Sciences; Physical Sciences & Engineering; and Chemical Sciences. Nominations of qualified members of underrepresented groups are encouraged.
Award details: $250K awarded to one Blavatnik National Awards Laureate in each disciplinary category. Five nominees in each disciplinary category will be recognized as Finalists and will receive $15K in unrestricted funds.
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/blavatnik/
Announcement on website: http://blavatnikawards.org/awards/national-awards/
USC Internal due date (for Chemical Sciences ONLY): November 1, 2024.
Nomination due date: December 4, 2024.
-----

 

***Limited Submission***

 

National Park Service

Program: FY2024 Historic Preservation Fund- Save America's Treasures - Preservation Grants
NOFO #: P24AS00544

Synopsis: Supports the preservation and / or conservation of nationally significant historic properties and collections. The grant program is administered by the National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This grant program is divided into two parts:
- One for preservation projects (for properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places for national significance or designated a National Historic Landmark. The property may be listed on either individually or as contributing to a nationally significant district). These awards are managed by the National Park Service; and
- Projects involving collections (including artifacts, museum collections, documents, sculptures, and other works of art). These awards are managed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Award details: $125K to $750K
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/p24as00544/
External announcement: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/356727
USC Internal due date: November 8, 2024.
External due date: December 12, 2024.
-----

 

National Museum of Asian Art
Program: Ebrahimi Fellowship for Persian Art
Synopsis: Supports research at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC. Research proposals are evaluated in terms of merit, originality, methodology, and potential for significant publication that will advance scholarly and public understanding of Persian visual arts. Interdisciplinary proposals with a primary focus on Iranian visual arts will be considered. The Fellowship is intended to provide an environment conducive to research, writing, and collegial discourse. Fellows are expected to devote themselves full-time to the proposed project, to participate in the museum’s scholarly community and programs, and to present a research-in-progress seminar during the period of the appointment.
Award details: Stipend is up to $15K for a maximum project period of 3 months ($5K per month). Additional support of a maximum $3K may be provided for approved research and travel expenses.
Announcement on website: https://asia.si.edu/about/jobs-opportunities/ebrahimi-fellowship-for-persian-art/
Application due date: February 3, 2025. Appointments take place in 2025-2026.
-----

 

German Historical Institute
Program: Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships
Synopsis: Supports American and European doctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars to pursue research projects that draw upon primary sources principally located in North America. The GHI is particularly interested in research projects that fit into the following fields:
  -  German and European history
  -  The history of German-American relations
  -  The role of Germany and the USA in international relations
  -  North American history and Pan American, including Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (European doctoral and postdoctoral scholars only)
Award details: ~$2.K1 (doctoral candidates) and ~$3.6K for postdocs per month. Fellowships are 1 to 4 months.
Announcement on website: https://www.ghi-dc.org/programs/doctoral-and-postdoctoral-research-fellowships
Application due dates: 2 annual due dates. Next due date is April 1, 2025.
-----

 

Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF)
Program: Research Grants
Synopsis: Supports projects that will demonstrate how they will use the grant on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), predictive impact modeling, and / or engagement efforts with potentially impacted stakeholders—from local communities to government agencies. CIEIF will consider supporting those elements for any technology proposed by qualified investigators with the potential to be scaled to meaningful climate benefits except for stratospheric (or higher) solar radiation management (SRM) because of its severely questionable governability, and the availability of other funding for it. The fund will also exclude carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) and direct air capture (DAC) due to other existing large funding programs. Examples of innovative interventions could include biochar, black soot removal / mitigation, CDR (but not DAC), cloud brightening, coatings that remove greenhouse gasses, enhanced weathering, ice and land albedo enhancements, livestock methane capture and other agricultural interventions, methane removal, ocean fertilization and other ocean interventions such as marine CDR, updraft chimneys or towers that remove greenhouse gasses, N20 and chlorofluorocarbon removal, and similar methods. There are several steps in applying for this grant that are laid out in the solicitation, including contacting CIEIF before submission. A major criterion in selecting applicants will be their willingness to publish their results either in peer-reviewed journals or as a report with outside peer review that is not published in an established journal.
Award details: $75K
Announcement on website: https://cieif.org/
Application due date: December 1, 2024. CIEIF requests that you contact them before submission.
-----

 

Simons Foundation / Mathematics and Sciences
Program: Scientific Software Research Faculty Award
Synopsis: Supports new research professor positions (e.g., “clinical professor,” “professor of practice” or “research professor,” the titles and roles depending on the university) in existing academic departments to be filled by scientific software-focused researchers. The SSRF Award will support researchers who have a strong track record of leadership in scientific software development. The aim of this program is to stimulate the development and maintenance of core scientific software infrastructure in academic environments through creating a new, long-term, faculty-level career path. Eligible applicants must have a Ph.D. (or equivalent degree) in mathematics, astronomy or theoretical physics and have played a leading role in developing or maintaining scientific software in one or more of these fields.
Award details: Provides five years of 50% salary support of the awardee’s academic-year salary and fringe benefits, whether normally paid over 9 or 12 months, along with a yearly $50K research allowance for the awardee, as well as an additional 20% indirect cost of the mtdc for the host institution. The host university is expected to provide the other 50% of salary support for teaching work through existing department channels. This funding is potentially renewable.
Announcement on website: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/scientific-software-research-faculty-award/
Application due date: December 5, 2024.
-----

 

U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF)
Program: Research Grants
Synopsis:  Supports U.S. and Israeli scientists who wish to collaborate on research projects that address topics in basic science. Applications to the program are made jointly by U.S. and Israeli researchers.  No prior collaboration is required, but the synergy between the researchers must be evident. BSF is different from a national science foundation, and insists not only on scientific excellence, but also on collaboration between the principal investigators from the two countries. Proposals are evaluated on the collaboration, first and foremost, and on the joint publications that emanated from any previous BSF grant. Lack of joint publications might affect applicants’ chances to receive future BSF grants. Applicants must have earned a Ph.D. and have a faculty position or equivalent. Each PI may submit only one application per year.
Award details: Though grants vary in size, maximum grants are $250K between the collaboration and spread over a maximum 4 years.
Announcement on website: https://www.bsf.org.il/funding-opportunities/bsf-research-grants/about/ 
Application due date: December 4, 2024.
-----

 

American Association for Cancer Research
Program: Breast Cancer Research—AACR Career Development Awards to Promote Diversity and Inclusion Foundation
Synopsis: Supports investigators from diverse backgrounds who are underrepresented in cancer research and / or from low resource settings, and to foster their professional advancement. This grant program also intends to build a more diverse and inclusive future for breast cancer research. Eligibility is limited to members of racial or ethnic groups who have been shown to be traditionally excluded to the cancer related sciences workforce and / or to individuals from low resource settings. Selection is competitive and will be based on outstanding accomplishments both in scientific research and in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the cancer research community. Eligible applicants are assistant professors or research assistant professors or equivalent at the start of the grant term. There are no citizenship requirements. Eligible applicants must be AACR active members at the time of application. Non-members may apply online.
Award details: $150K over 2 years. Grant may be used for salary support and benefits or the PI or others who are working on the project.
Announcement on website: https://www.aacr.org/grants/breast-cancer-research-foundation-aacr-career-development-awards-to-promote-diversity-and-inclusion/
Letter of Intent due date: December 4, 2025.
Full application due date (invited): March 20, 2025. Grant starts May 5, 2025.

-----

 

Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center
Program: Summer 2025 Quantitative Sciences Undergraduate Research Experiences (QSURE)
Synopsis: Supports motivated undergraduate students with a passion for quantitative science by providing internships at MSK. Students will receive, for example, hands-on research experience carried out under the guidance of a faculty mentor; acquire skills and familiarity with methods used in cancer and population health research; greater understanding of options for graduate study and careers; and a supportive cohort of like-minded peers. Eligibility requirements include enrollment as a full-time undergraduate student with expected graduation after December 2024; authorization to work in the U.S.; in good academic standing; and committed to professional conduct and integrity.
Award details: Stipend of $16,1875.50 for 10 weeks and housing during internship.
Announcement on website: 

https://www.mskcc.org/departments/epidemiology-biostatistics/educational-opportunities/quantitative-sciences-summer-undergraduate-research-experience-qsure
Application due date: January 18, 2025. Internship runs June 2, 2025 through August 8, 2025.
-----

 

***Forecasted Opportunity***

 

National Endowment for the Humanities
Program: Dialogues on the Experience of War
Synopsis: Supports the development of humanities-focused discussion programs that enlarge the understanding of the meaning and experiences of military service and war. Through the training of facilitators for and the offering of these discussion programs, Dialogues projects enable veterans and nonveterans to explore together and in depth such topics as civic engagement, veteran identity, legacies of military service, the human costs of war, and homecoming.  This engagement in reflective and recursive discussions fosters intellectual community and social connections among the participants in Dialogues projects. Project teams should include humanities scholars, military veterans, and individuals with relevant experience.
Award details: Maximum award is $100K
Announcement on website: https://www.neh.gov/grants/education/dialogues-the-experience-war
Application available (anticipated): June 16, 2025.
Application due date (anticipated): September 16, 2025. Project start date: May 1, 2026—September 1, 2026.
-----

 

NOAA / OAR – National Sea Grant College Program
Program: 2025 National Aquaculture Initiative: Strengthening U.S. Coastal, Marine, and Great Lakes Aquaculture Through Business Support
NOFO #:  NOAA-OAR-SG-2025-28975
Synopsis: Supports research projects and programs that will focus on strengthening U.S. coastal, marine, and Great Lakes aquaculture via support for the development of new aquaculture businesses, as well as enhancing existing aquaculture business output, efficiency, and profitability. Projects must be focused on supporting businesses that will be or are now involved with aquatic species currently being produced on a commercial scale in the U.S. Proposals should address one or more topical areas of research including (but not limited to):

  -  Development of new aquaculture businesses, including siting and/or scoping efforts

  -  Market research and development, including work focused on consumer behavior and supply-chain development

  -  Market research and development, including work focused on consumer behavior and supply-chain development

  -  Consumer education focused on enhancing aquaculture market development
Award details: Proposed budgets may request between $100K to $1M for up to 3 years.

Applications require the standard 50% non-federal match for Sea Grant projects. The cumulative match at the end of each year of the grant must not fall below 50 percent of the cumulative federal request up to that point.
Announcement on website: 2025 National Aquaculture Initiative: Strengthening U.S. Coastal, Marine, and Great Lakes Aquaculture Through Business Support 
Letter of Intent due date: December 4, 2024.
Full proposal due date: February 12, 2025.
-----

 

Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
Program: Computational ADME Tox AnaLYsis for Safer Therapeutics (CATALYST)
NOFO #: ARPA-H-SOL-24-114
Synopsis: Supports projects that develop Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning-/ enabled in silico human physiology modeling platforms for ADME-Tox simulation to replace the poorly predictive investigational new drug (IND) INDenabling preclinical animal studies currently used. Drug research and development (R&D) rely on in vivo animal model testing as a preliminary step towards FDA approval. However, the current IND-enabling preclinical animal study paradigm is often an imprecise model for human physiology, leading to an inefficient and expensive drug development process that does not accurately predict human drug safety outcomes. By leveraging innovation within the areas of large-scale data mining, AI/ML predictive analytics, novel high-throughput living systems instrumentation, and simulation-based whole human physiology modeling, CATALYST will create new tools to replace the current approaches that fail to fully

recreate human physiology.
Award details: Multiple awards are anticipated.
Announcement on website: CATALYST 
Solution Summaries due date: November 25, 2024.
Proposal due date: January 31, 2025.
-----

 

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Program: Steven M. Teutsche Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship
Synopsis: Supports postdocs for applied training in public health demand for quantitative policy analysis, health economics-based inquiry, integrative health services research, and rigorous decision modeling. The Fellowship has 2 tracks:
  -  The Traditional Track is offered for economists and health services researchers.
  -  The Analytics and Modeling Track is intended for disease modelers, ecologists, operations researchers, industrial engineers, and applied mathematicians.
Award details: Both Traditional Track and Analytics and Modeling Track Fellows are considered full-time equivalent at the CDC, and are therefore paid at the General Schedule (GS) 12, step 3 level. They receive the same benefits as other CDC FTE employees, including medical insurance and leave. The fellowship is for 2 years, and Fellows may be considered for a salary increase during the second year. Fellows are responsible for any relocation expenses for their two-year assignment.

Announcement on website: https://www.cdc.gov/pef/php/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/pef/about/index.html 
Application due date: January 3, 2025.
-----

 

Department of Energy (DoE) / Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy / Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office
Program: Advanced Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies to Drive National Goals
NOFO #: DE-FOA-0003439
Synopsis: Supports the goals of DOE’s Hydrogen Shot, which targets affordable clean hydrogen production at $1/kg by 2031, and the H2@Scale Initiative, which aims to advance affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage, and utilization to enable decarbonization and revenue opportunities across multiple sectors. Specific goals in addition to clean hydrogen production of $1/kg by 2031 include: $80/kilowatt (kW), 25,000-hour durability for fuel cell systems in heavy-duty transportation and reducing hydrogen storage costs to an ultimate goal of $8/kilowatt-hour (kWh). Topic Areas of Interest :
- Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Device Scale Up
- High-Performance Materials for Hydrogen Service, Including Cryogenic and/or High-Pressure Conditions
- Sustainable High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membranes and Ionomers for Heavy-Duty Transportation Applications
- Domestic Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Motorcoach Bus Development and Demonstration
Award details: Approximate total available funding including all topics: up to $46M in FY 2025. Award amounts vary by topic area and specific projects as detailed in the NOFO.
Announcement on website: Advanced Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies (Part 1) 
Advanced Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies (Part 2) 
Application due date: January 31, 2025.
-----

 

NIH / National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Program: NIDCD Early Career Research (ECR)Award (R21)
NOFO #:  PAR-25-120
Synopsis: Supports both basic and clinical research from scientists who are beginning to establish an independent research career. It cannot be used for thesis or dissertation research. The research must be focused on one or more of the areas within the biomedical and behavioral scientific mission of the NIDCD: hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, or language. The NIDCD ECR Award R21 grant mechanism supports different types of projects including secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; translational research; outcomes research; and development of new research technology. The project may or may not be hypothesis-driven. As no preliminary data is required, the intent of this funding opportunity is to obtain sufficient preliminary data for a subsequent R01 application.
Award details: The combined budget for direct costs for the entire project period may not exceed $375K. No more than $125K in direct costs may be requested in any single year for a 3-year project period.

Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-25-120.html
Application due date for all types of applications (except AIDS applications): February 19, 2025.

-----

 

NIH / National Cancer Institute
Program: NCI Small Grants Program for Cancer Research (NCI Omnibus) (R03—Small Grant Program)
NOFO #: PAR-25-078
Synopsis: Supports different types of cancer research projects including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology. Relevant research areas include cancer biology; cancer control; cancer diagnosis; cancer disparities; cancer prevention; and treatment of cancer.
Award details: R03 grants provide up to $50K for direct costs per year for 2 years.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-25-078.html
Application due dates: For all types of applications EXCEPT AIDS applications: Multiple due dates through 2025. Next due date is February 24, 2025. Due dates for AIDS applications: Multiple due dates through 2026. Next due date is May 7, 2025.
-----

 

NIH / Office of Research on Women’s Health and Participating Institutes
Program: Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (K12 Physician Scientist Award)
NOFO #: RFA-OD-24-013
Synopsis: Supports mentored research career development of junior faculty members, known as BIRCWH Scholars, who have recently completed clinical training or postdoctoral fellowships, and who will be engaged in interdisciplinary basic, translational, data science, behavioral, clinical, and / or health services research relevant to the health of women and, where appropriate, the use of both sexes to better understand the influence of sex as a biological variable on health and disease.
Award details: Application budgets are limited to a maximum direct cost per year of $840K for each award. The proposed budgets need to reflect the actual needs of the 5- year project. Scholars’ salary and fringe support is intended to offset only that portion of the salary that is devoted to research and career development.  Each Scholar may be provided salary support up to $100K direct costs from NIH funds, plus fringe benefits per grantee institutional policy, annually.

Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-24-013.html
Application due date for all types of applications except AIDS applications: May 28, 2026.
-----

 

From Dornsife Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR)

<Contact Assistant Dean for Advancement, CFR, Kerri Bennett for more info.

 

Daiichi Sankyo
Program: Enhancing Host Immune Responses Against Solid Tumors
Synopsis: Supports development of technologies to improve the efficacy and/or enhance multifunctionality of multi-specific antibodies or CAR-T as single agents. The focus is on two key areas, 1) to alleviate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and 2) to overcome heterogeneity of solid tumors by leveraging host immune responses against tumor neoantigens.
Award details: Up to $150K for 12-month project, with potential for follow-on funding.
Announcement on website: Daiichi Sankyo 

Proposal due date: October 31, 2024.

-----

 

Amcor
Program: Visual and thermal defect inspection systems
Synopsis: Supports development of technologies such as thermal profiling, vision systems, sensors, and image recognition, to identify and measure defects in plastic containers after the blow molding process. Specifically, we are looking for a method to easily identify and measure cold stretching pearlescence vs. haze from overheating crystallization during the blow molding process or immediately thereafter. The intention is to use this information to make real-time adjustments and corrections to the blowing process. Solutions of interest include
  -  An apparatus and method for the measurements.

  -  Imaging (e.g. infrared and polarized light cameras) or in-line optical sensors coupled with automated defect detection.

  -  Vision inspection systems
  -  Specialized instrument providing a full thermal profile of the preform, integrated with machine learning for real-time defect prediction and process optimization.

Award details: $50K
Announcement on website: Visual and thermal defect inspection systems
Proposal due date: October 31, 2024.
-----

 

More from Dornsife Corporate and Foundation Relations

Last month, Divisional for Dean for Social Sciences Bill Deverell, hosted Dr. Jenny Irons, Senior Program Officer for the William T. Grant Foundation for a webinar on the foundation’s grantmaking programs. The William T. Grant Foundation invests in high-quality research focused on reducing inequality in youth outcomes and improving the use of research evidence in decisions that affect young people in the United States. If you did not attend, you can view the recording here. You can also explore their site and contact Frances Neely-Sanchez (Dornsife Director of Foundation Relations) at neelysan@usc.edu for assistance.

-----

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 delvilla@usc.edu.
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.