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Descripton at end of newsletter Week of September 25, 2023
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Greetings Dornsife Faculty,
This week our report includes
- Accolades for 2 Dornsife faculty;
- Great external funding success report obtained by faculty;
- 1 USC internal funding opportunity;
- Current external funding opportunities, including 2 limited submissions, both of which are time-sensitive;
- Announcement of upcoming CER workshop; and
- A DCG NewsFlash on government shutdown contingencies.
Before we sign off this week we want to let you know that we are always very happy to include accolades and awards that have been earned by you —our wonderful faculty — in the Weekly report. Please forward your accolade or award with a supporting document (email from sponsor, tweet etc.) The same is true if you would like to share news of a recent book with your colleagues, or share an image (of yours) that is emblematic of your research. For the latter if you can provide a brief explanation of the image, we are deeply grateful!
Best regards,
Renee J. Perez, Vice Dean, Administration & Finance
Cathleen Crayton, Project Specialist
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Accolade
Jackie Wang, American Studies and Ethnicity, has been named American Democracy Fellow for her book project, The Carceral Laboratory: The Rise of High-Tech Prisons and Police, from the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History, Harvard University
Francille Wilson, American Studies and Ethnicity & Gender and Sexuality Studies has been awarded the Carter G. Woodson Scholar’s Medallion from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the oldest scholarly society dedicated to African American History and Culture
External Funding Successes
Irene Chiolo, Molecular and Computational Biology, Roles of nuclear architecture and phase separation in heterochromatin repair dynamics, National Institute of General Medical Services
Morteza Dehghani, Psychology, Investigating the role of culture-specific honor values in shaping trust and influencing group dynamics in the Middle East,
Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Morteza Dehghani, Psychology, Everyday Respect: Measuring and Improving Communication During Motor Vehicle Stops, National Science Foundation — Civic Innovation Challenge
Ian Ehrenreich, Molecular and Computational Biology, Genetics of fungal persistence and pathogenicity in mammalian hosts, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Seth John, Earth Sciences, Collaborative Research: US GEOTRACES GP17-ANT: Dissolved concentrations, isotopes, and colloids of the bioactive trace metals, National Science Foundation
Ciruce Movahedi-Lankarani, Middle East Studies, Energy Technologies, Development, and the Environment in Modern Iran, 1935-2005, National Endowment for the Humanities
Oleg Prezhdo, Chemistry, Collaborative Research: DMREF: Design of Coherence and Entanglement in Perovskite Quantum Dot Assemblies, National Science Foundation
Mark Thompson, Chemistry, Moving from Efficient Intramolecular Charge Separation to Solar Fuels, Department of Energy
USC Internal Funding Opportunity
Viterbi School of Engineering
NSF / Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) / Center for Soil Technologies (SoilTech) Industry Advisory Board
Program: SoilTech 2023 RFP
Synopsis: Supports investigators for research that aims to provide expertise to industries related to agriculture, defense, energy, sustainability, and the environment. SoilTech will serve as a first-of-its-kind hub for technical exchange and research among the 4 participating university sites and among the organizations represented within the SoilTech Industry Advisory Board, thus providing inter-disciplinary knowledge synthesis and broad applications of its research. SoilTech’s participating sites will train the next generation of the workforce in measurement and monitoring practices that will broadly benefit society.
Award details: Up to $50K for 1 year; 10% (of award) for indirects
Announcement: SoilTech 2023 Research Solicitation
Proposal due date: October 2, 2023. Send proposal materials to Samantha Danner, Viterbi at <samanantha.danner@usc.edu>
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External Funding Opportunities
***Limited Submission***
(Time sensitive — 1 space)
Environmental Protection Agency
Program: FY24 Guidelines for Brownfield Cleanup Grants
Request for Application #: EPA-I-OLEM-OBLR-23-15
Synopsis: Supports projects to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the applicant. An applicant may only submit ONE Cleanup Grant application in the FY24 competition cycle. A brownfield site is defined as real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, controlled substances, petroleum, or petroleum products, or is mine-scarred land.
Award details: 3 tiers of funding: (1) Up to $500.001Kto clean up one brownfield site or to allocate up to $500,000 among multiple sites; (2) Between $500K and $2M to clean up one brownfield site or to allocate among multiple sites; or (3) Between $2.000,001M and $5M to clean up one brownfield site or to allocate among multiple sites.
USC Internal Announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/epa-brownfield-cleanup/
External announcement on website: Brownfield Clean Up
USC Internal due date: October 6, 2023
External due date: November 13, 2023.
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***Limited Submission***
(Time sensitive — 1 space)
Environmental Protection Agency
Program: Brownfields Multipurpose Grants
FOA #: EPA-OLEM-OBLR-23-11
Synopsis: Supports projects to carry out a range of eligible assessment and cleanup activities, including planning and additional community engagement activities. Multipurpose Grant applicants should have the capacity to conduct a range of eligible activities, for example: developing inventories of brownfield sites; prioritizing sites; conducting community involvement activities; conducting environmental site assessments; Developing cleanup plans and reuse plans related to brownfield sites; conducting cleanup activities on brownfield sites owned by the applicant; and developing an overall plan for revitalization.
Award details: Up to $1M.
USC Internal Announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/epa-brownfields-mp/
External announcement on website: Brownfield Multipurpose
USC Internal due date: October 6, 2023.
External due date: November 13, 2023.
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American Heritage Chocolate
Program: Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Research Grant
Synopsis: Supports projects that investigate and / or educate on the history of chocolate and / or the chocolate-making process and the anticipated audience reach. The scholarship process is competitive, and the awards will be made based on merit as judged by a panel of experts. The educational impact will be at the forefront of this decision process as will attention to equity, inclusion, and diversity in the proposal. Winners are required to attend the annual meeting of the Heritage Chocolate Society on February 2 7-28, 2024, in Washington, DC to receive their award. as well as to submit a 4–5-minute video of their grant results to be presented at the Heritage Chocolate Society meeting the following year in 2025. Drafts of any publications (articles, news releases, blogs, etc.) resulting from the grant must be submitted to a Mars, Incorporated liaison for review before publication.
Award details: Since the program’s inception, 44 organizations (historical, educational, civic, etc.) have received awards averaging $10.K.
Announcement on website: https://www.americanheritagechocolate.com/grants/
Application due date: October 28, 2023.
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International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG)
Program: Research on Responsible Gambling and Prevention
Synopsis: Supports investigators to study the safety and effectiveness of responsible gambling strategies and other prevention models. The ICRG seeks proposals of high scientific merit from investigators who show promise of disseminating their work at high-impact conferences and in prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals. Program funding priorities are in the area of (partial)
- Voluntary self-exclusion
- Analyzing and testing RG messaging
- The low uptake of responsible gambling tools
Award details: Applicants may request up to $60K per year for up to 3 years, plus a maximum 15% F&A. The total amount that may be requested is $207K. The ICRG will award one grant under this initiative.
Announcement on website: https://www.icrg.org/information/apply-for-icrg-funding
Application due date: October 16, 2023.
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Council on Foreign Relations
Program: 2024-2025 International Affairs Fellowship (AIF)
Synopsis: Supports mid-career scholars and professionals who seek an opportunity to experience a new environment and gain a different perspective at a pivotal moment in their careers. Academics are placed in policy-oriented public service settings and government officials in scholarly settings. The (AIF) Fellowship program aims to bridge the gap between the study and making of U.S. foreign policy by creating the next generation of scholar-practitioners. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must have a record of professional achievement and a firm grounding in the field of foreign policy.
Award details: The fellowship stipend is $120K for 12 months, and begins annually in September.
Announcement on website: https://www.cfr.org/fellowships/international-affairs-fellowship
Application due date: October 31, 2023.
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Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF)
Program: 2023 Grants
Synopsis: Supports projects that focus on Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), predictive impact modeling and / or engagement efforts with potentially impacted stakeholders — from local communities to government agencies — from their proposed field test. There are 10 questions listed in the solicitation that CIEIF requires to be addressed in your application.
Award details: $50K
Announcement on website: https://cieif.org/guidelines-for-grant-applicants/
Application due date: November 1, 2023. Please take note of the instructions included in the solicitation on how to submit your application.
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Simons Foundation
Program: Simons Collaborations in Mathematics and Physical Sciences
Synopsis: Supports projects that address a mathematical or theoretical topic of fundamental scientific importance, where a significant, new development creates a novel area for exploration or provides a new direction for progress in an established field. Each collaboration is led by a collaboration director who leads the collaboration and is expected to determine the scientific agenda, coordinate the scientific activities of the other members, determine (in collaboration with the other members) the scientific themes, coordinate a collaboration website, and organize collaboration meetings and activities as appropriate, including a two-day annual meeting at the foundation. Proposals should specify a core group of PIs. Including inter-institutional and international as appropriate. The Collaboration Director and Co-PIs must hold tenured or tenure-track positions. The foundation strongly encourages the participation of PIs from underrepresented groups.
Award details: A Simons Collaboration in MPS is budgeted at up to ~$2M per year for an initial period of four years, including indirect costs. Award budgets may not exceed $8M for the 4-year project duration.
Announcement on website: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons-collaborations-in-mathematics-and-the-physical-sciences/?tab=rfa
Letter of Intent due date: November 1, 2023.
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SATB2 Gene Foundation
Program: 2023 RFP Research Grant
Synopsis: Supports investigators (postdocs, faculty, researchers) for projects related to SATB2-associated syndrome (SAS). Formerly described as Glass syndrome or 2q33.1 syndrome, SAS is a recently recognized rare neurogenetic disorder with approximately 750 known cases worldwide. The Foundation is highly interested in research proposals that would create pilot data to support larger-scale grant submissions to other funding sources to drive research momentum. The foundation prioritizes the following areas in SAS research based on high-impact needs identified by a recent independent scientific analysis and caregiver input: speech and language, behavior, sleep, and global developmental delays.
Award details: Up to $15K
Announcement on website: https://satb2gene.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SATB2-Gene-Foundation-Research-RFP-2023.pdf
Application due date: November 1, 2023.
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A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation
Program: 2023 Lung Cancer Research Awards
Synopsis: Supports early career investigators (within 10 years of terminal degree) for lung cancer research. Preferential topic areas include (partial)
- Early detection – innovation and new techniques to predict or diagnose lung cancer in early stages
- Innovative strategies to broaden the populations that are eligible for lung cancer screening
- Understanding small cell histological transformation in epidermal growth growth factor (EGFR)-mutated lung cancer.
Award details: $150K over two-year project period
Announcement on website: https://abreathofhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-A-Breath-of-Hope-Research-RFP_two-awards-final-deadline-extension.pdf
Letters of Intent due date: Extended to October 19, 2023.
Full proposals due date (invited): Extended to November 28, 2023.
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Lalor Foundation
Program: Fellowship
Synopsis: Supports promising new researchers (postdocs) in establishing scientific and teaching careers in the field of mammalian reproductive biology as related to the regulation of fertility. The applicant may be a citizen of any country, have a doctorate (preferentially, in the last couple of years), and may not have a faculty position.
Award details: $55K per 1 year. An additional year is possible.
Announcement on website: https://lalorfound.org/postdoctoral-fellowship-program/229-2/
Application due date: January 16, 2024.
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California Humanities
Program: California Documentary Project Grants
Synopsis: Supports documentary film, audio, and digital media productions that explore California in all its complexity and tell stories from every corner of the state. Projects should use the humanities to provide context, depth, and perspective, and be suitable for both California and national audiences through public and educational screenings and presentations, broadcast, streaming, and other forms of distribution. Eligible formats include but are not limited to, features, shorts, podcasts, web series, broadcast series, VR (Virtual Reality), etc.
Award details: Funding is available in 3 categories: Research and Development Grants: Up to $15K; Production Grants: Up to $50K; and NextGen Grants: Up to $15K
Announcement on website: https://calhum.org/grant-deadlines-overview/california-documentary-project/
Application due dates: Research and Development grants and Production grants: November 1, 2023; NextGen grants: February 29, 2024.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) / National Ocean Service (NOS)
Program: 2024 Effects of Sea Level Rise (ESLR)
Funding Opportunity #: NOAA-NOS-NCCOS-2024-2008163
Synopsis: Supports projects that will improve adaptation and planning in
response to regional and local effects of sea level rise (SLR) and coastal inundation through targeted research on nature-based solutions (NBS), physical and biological processes, testing mitigation strategies for implementation, and model evaluation. The overall goal of the ESLR Program is to facilitate informed adaptation planning and coastal management decisions through funding multidisciplinary research that results in integrated models capable of evaluating vulnerability and resilience under multiple SLR, inundation, and management scenarios. The program has 2 focal areas, with one focus remaining more general (i.e., General Coastal Resilience focus area) and a second with a clear focus on meeting the needs of the Alaska region (i.e., Alaska Regional Coastal Resilience focus area).
Award details: Projects will be 2-4 years duration. General Coastal Resilience projects are $200K to $400K per year per proposal, with a total budget that is less than $1.6M. Alaska Regional Coastal Resilience projects are $200K to $500K per year with a maximum award that is less than $2M.
Announcement on website: 2024 Effects of Sea Level Rise (ESLR)
Letter of Intent due date: November 18, 2023.
Full application due date (invited): January 24, 2023.
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Department of Energy (DoE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Program: Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy
FOA #: DE-FOA-0003080
Synopsis: Supports projects that will implement two approaches to energy storage in concentrated solar-thermal (CST) systems: thermochemical storage via solar fuel production and local thermal energy storage (TES) for dispatchable energy. The two technologies will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection.
- Topic Area 1: Solar-Thermal Fuel Production —solicits RD&D applications to produce fuels synthesized using (Concentrated Solar Thermal) CST-generated heat potentially supported by renewable electricity. Six areas of interest are described.
- Topic Area 2: Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy Storage — solicits technology development proposals for thermal energy storage systems that can be driven by concentrated solar thermal energy input.
Award details: For both Topic 1 and Topic 2, awards range from $750K to $10M for 12 to 36 months. The cost share must be at least 20% of the total project costs for R&D projects and 50% of the total project costs for demonstration and commercial application projects. The cost share must come from non-federal sources unless otherwise allowed by law.
Announcement on website: Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy
Informational webinar: October 16, 2023.
Concept Paper due date: November 3, 2023.
Full Application due date: January 12, 2023.
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The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)
Program: NSF ANR Chemistry Lead Agency Opportunity on Sustainable Chemistry: Catalysis with Earth-Abundant Elements via Dear Colleague Letter (DCL)
DCL #: 23-157
Synopsis: NSF and the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Research Cooperation. The MOU provides an overarching framework to encourage collaboration between U.S. and French research communities and sets out the principles by which jointly supported activities might be developed. In FY 2024 (October 2023-September 2024), ANR will serve as the lead agency for all proposals. Topics of interest include (partial)
- Design, synthesis, and study of new organometallic catalysts using earth abundant metals, organocatalytic systems, and photocatalytic systems.
- Development of new reaction methods and processes including catalyst recycling and new routes to valorize waste materials.
- Mechanistic studies of catalytic processes including characterization of intermediates, particularly with advanced spectroscopic techniques.
Proposals that include elements of computational modeling or the development or deployment of new analytical methods by at least one of the collaborating partners are encouraged.
Registration for the file (dossier) with ANR: October 19, 2023.
Invitation to submit proposal due date: Mid-February 2024
Full Proposal due date: End of March 2024.
For more info on this DCL contact Jim Murday at USC Advancement in DC.
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NSF / Across 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 formation of interdisciplinary teams for 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.
Award details: The number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. An estimated 10 to 16 projects will be funded, subject to the availability of funds, as are the size and duration of individual awards. NSF anticipates up to $15M - $20M of NSF funds will be invested in proposals submitted to this solicitation.
Announcement on website: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23614/nsf23614.htm
Proposal due dates: November 9, 2023; October 3, 2024; and October 3, 2025.
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NSF
Program: Growing Post-Award Research Support and Service Infrastructure for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) via Dear Colleague Letter (DCL)
Solicitation #: NSF-23-152
Synopsis: Supports projects that aim to increase capacity and access to post-award research support and service infrastructure to lessen administrative burden and maximize participation in research activities. Through the NSF GRANTED program description funding opportunity (PD 23-221Y), NSF invites proposals for innovative approaches and ambitious projects that address the gaps, challenges, and opportunities for growth in post-award regulatory, financial, and administrative research support. GRANTED aligned project ideas may include but are not limited to the following (partial):
- Innovation in post-award service provision including the organization of post-award support and service structures, functions, and governance;
- Development of pathways into the post-award administration workforce, including curriculum development, certification, and other means to attract talent into this essential part of the research enterprise;
- Development and testing of new roles / positions that span the boundary between pre and post-award activities or that support post-award and project management activities;
Proposals that focus on enhancing access to post-award research support infrastructure at emerging research and minority-serving institutions, and / or that include partnerships with national and regional professional societies are strongly encouraged. Ideas may take the form of research, implementation (e.g. model development and testing), and evaluation studies as well as conferences and workshops, and planning projects.
Announcement on website: GRANTED-NSF
Proposal target date: January 9, 2024.
Additional Information: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/growing-research-access-nationally-transformative-0
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NIH / National Human Genome Research Institute
Program: Developing novel theory and methods for understanding the genetic architecture of complex human traits (R21, R01)
NOFO #: PAR-23-302, PAR-23-301
Synopsis: Supports research for novel theory and methods development to better understand how genetic and non-genetic factors contribute to complex trait variation across individuals, families, and populations. Approaches should be interdisciplinary drawing from the natural and social sciences, account for interdependencies across scales of biological, social, and ecological organization, and make extensive use of theory, modeling, and validation with available large-scale datasets. Proposals should be generalizable across a range of genetic architectures and complex traits in humans, including but not limited to, the development of theory, models, and methods, for example (partial)
- Scalable and computationally efficient whole-genome x whole-phenome methods to identify non-linear effects of genetic and non-genetic factors on heritable trait variation.
- Delineating the evolutionary and / or sociocultural forces that have shaped heritable trait variation and its genetic architecture, as well as the extent to which inter- and intra-population trait differences are related to genetic and non-genetic factors
Award details: R01: Proposed budgets must reflect the needs of a 5-year project. R21: The combined budget for direct costs for the two-year project period may not exceed $275K with no single year’s budget more than $200K.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-302.html; https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-301.html
Application due dates: Multiple due dates through October 2026. The next application due date for the R01 is February 5, 2024. The next application due date for the R21 is February 16, 2024.
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Announcements of Interest for Dornsife Investigators
Office of Research and Innovation
Center for Excellence in Research
Upcoming Workshop
Writing Compelling NSF Proposals
Dr. Paul Rooney has served on many NSF review panels and has reviewed well-written (and not-so-well-written) proposals. At this workshop, PIs will learn how the NSF review process works and how to anticipate review panel dynamics and craft your proposal accordingly. Most importantly this workshop will provide specific recommendations to increase your chances for funding.
Date: October 5, 2023 Time: 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
Virtual
Registration: https://rii.usc.edu/cer/
Presenter: Paul Ronney, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Viterbi
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Department of Contracts and Grants
DCG has issued a NewsFlash! outlining contingency plans if Congress does not pass a continuing resolution by 9/30/2023, and the government shuts down. See NewsFlash!
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Book Cover: Alien Daughters Walk Into the Sun — an almanac of extreme girlhood (Semiotext(e,/ Native Agents, forthcoming November 2023) Jackie Wang, American Studies and Ethnicity
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