Announcements

ISE Researcher-Practitioner Webinar Series


To leverage Mason’s research strengths and maximize impact, the Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) has identified six research themes to serve as focal points around which to build transdisciplinary communities of research and practice. To highlight each of the six research themes, ISE is organizing a researcher-practitioner webinar series designed to explore the intersecting dimensions of key sustainability goals, discuss the interactions between research and practice, and inspire novel collaborations to identify solutions. 
The first webinar of the series is on Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Ecosystems and will be co-hosted by ISE and the Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC). This webinar will highlight urban and peri-urban sustainability and resilience challenges – including systemic interactions with terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The speakers will also address work being done to support the development of communities that are environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive, economically productive, and resilient to shocks and significant stress.
  • Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2021
  • Time: 11am - 12pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Moderator
Celso Ferreira, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, Volgenau School of Engineering.

Panelists
Elise Miller-Hooks, Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, Volgenau School of Engineering.

Tonya Thornton, Research Assistant Professor and Director of Grants, Schar School of Policy and Government.

Bambi Semroc, Acting Head, Senior Vice-President, Sustainable Lands and Waters, Conservation International.

Stefanie Kupka, Sustainability Coordinator, Department of Community Development & Planning, Environment, City of Fairfax.

Health Disparities Multidisciplinary Research Roundtable


The Institute for Biohealth Innovation and Institute for Sustainable Earth invite you to attend a Health Disparities Multidisciplinary Research Roundtable. The goal of the round table is to facilitate collaboration, new ideas, and awareness of Health Disparities funding opportunities. This multidisciplinary research round table will provide an opportunity for you to share your research activities, expertise, as well as seek expertise you may need to explore new ideas. The Conafay Group will also join to give a brief update on the respective funding landscape.
We are limited to 20 presenters (4 slides max –please use the attached template). Additional faculty, staff, and students are welcome to join the round table discussion. Please register even if you are not planning to present.
  • Date: Friday, January 22, 2021  
  • Time: 9am - 11:30am ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Ed Maibach Honored as 2020 Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication 


Congratulations to Dr. Ed Maibach on receiving the 2020 Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication! Dr. Maibach received the honor along with his colleague Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz. At a time when understanding climate perceptions has never been more important, Dr. Maibach and Dr. Leiserowitz have exemplified the ability to be both scientists and powerful communicators through their work on the public’s understanding of climate change, including the seminal Global Warming’s Six Americas project. 

Applications Due January 31 for new Global Sustainability Scholars Summer Program


The Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) is pleased to announce our participation in the newly created Global Sustainability Scholars (GSS) Fellows program. This program offers graduate students 10-week paid summer fellowships in global sustainability organizations. Students will be placed in international organizations, such as Future Earth or the Belmont Forum, to gain work experience, receive mentorship and professional development training, and build an international professional network in sustainability science. Fellows will be paid a stipend of $8,000 for their full participation in the program. Each fellowship may provide different opportunities and experiences; however, all Fellows will have a core curriculum and a GSS mentor.  

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have the proper legal documentation to travel abroad (passport) beginning May 2021. Applications are due January 31, 2021. Please share news of this opportunity with your graduate students!

Partner with Mason Students to Design your Science Communication Strategy


Do you work in an area of environmental or sustainability science? If so, apply now to partner with Mason's spring 2021 graduate Environmental Science Communication course and receive evidence-based science communication strategies that fit your—or your office’s—goals! 
To participate in this program, please complete the following survey questions to share your professional goals so you can be matched with a student with similar interests. You will be contacted in January with additional details about the program. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Karen Akerlof.
Upcoming Mason Events

Advancing Health Equity Through Informatics Research and Training: Researcher, Educator, and Editor Perspectives

The Department of Health Administration and Policy presents the CHPRE-HAP Health Policy Seminar Series. The first seminar will feature Suzanne Bakken, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FIAHSI. Dr. Bakken is the Alumni Professor of Nursing and Professor of Biomedical Informatics at Columbia University.
  • Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021 
  • Time: 12pm - 1pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

A Panel Discussion: Social Problems in the Age of COVID-19: Sociologists Responding to Change


Please join the Center for Social Science Research for a lively conversation with Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) Justice 21 Committee members, Kristen Budd, David Lane, Glenn Muschert, Jason Smith and SSSP President Corey Dolgon as they offer sociological insight and understanding of COVID-19’s impact on social problems, both old and new, and offer recommendations for action by citizens, elected officials, policy makers, and the public.
  • Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021 
  • Time: 12pm - 1:15pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration
Funding Opportunities

Proposed Cooperative Institute to support NOAA Marine Research and Ecosystem Management

The primary focus of this marine ecosystem research, conservation, and management, is the support of the sustainable use and stewardship of ocean and coastal resources.  To this end, this opportunity will provide capabilities and collaborations to develop and apply new tools and approaches for monitoring ecosystem health and forecasting ecosystem change and human responses to change.  This will include, but is not limited to research focused on: improved assessments and evaluation of fisheries management strategies and actions; evaluating the impact of human activities on marine habitats and ecosystems, including characterization of those habitats and ecosystems; aquaculture techniques, impacts and safety; and social science investigations relevant for the sustainability of coastal and marine communities, both natural and human.
  • Funding source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Anticipated funding amount: Up to $36,800,000
  • Deadline: February 8, 2021
  • ContactShannon Louie

Environmental Convergence Opportunities in Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems


The Environmental Convergence Opportunities in Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems program will support fundamental research activities that confront vexing environmental engineering and sustainability problems by developing foundational knowledge underlying processes and mechanisms such that the design of innovative new materials, processes, and systems is possible. Projects should be compelling and reflect sustained, coordinated efforts from highly interdisciplinary research teams.
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 5 to 6
  • Anticipated funding amount:  $8,500,000
  • DeadlinePreliminary proposal: February 11, 2021; Full proposal: May 7, 2021 
  • Contact: Christina Payne

NEW: Digital Healthcare Interventions to Address the Secondary Health Effects Related to Social, Behavioral, and Economic Impact of COVID-19


This Funding Opportunity aims to support research to strengthen the healthcare response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and future public health emergencies, including pandemics. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to focus on the role and impact of digital health interventions [e.g., mobile health (mhealth), telemedicine and telehealth, health information technology (IT), and wearable devices] to address access, reach, delivery, effectiveness, scalability and sustainability of health assessments and interventions for secondary effects (e.g., behavioral health or self-management of chronic conditions) that are utilized during and following the pandemic, particularly in populations who experience health disparities and vulnerable populations.
  • Funding source: National Institutes of Health
  • Anticipated funding amount: $2,250,000
  • Deadline: March 2, 2021
  • ContactAdam Haim

Connected Communities


Connected Community (CC) is a group of grid-interactive efficient buildings GEB with diverse, flexible end use equipment and other distributed energy resources (DERs) that collectively work to maximize building, community, and grid efficiency. Under this FOA, DOE will select a portfolio of “Connected Community” projects totaling up to $65 million in varying climates, geographies, building types, building vintages, DERs utility/grid/regulatory structures and resource bases. Through funding these projects, DOE hopes to find and share technical and market solutions that will increase demand flexibility and energy efficiency.
  • Funding source: Department of Energy
  • Anticipated funding amount: $19,000,000
  • Deadline: March 3, 2021
  • Contact

Build and Broaden 2.0


Build and Broaden 2.0 (B2 2.0) encourages research collaborations between scholars at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and scholars in other institutions or organizations. Growing the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is a national priority. National forecasts of the impending shortage of science and engineering skills and essential research workforce underscore a need to expand opportunities to participate in STEM research.
NSF has taken steps to expand participation by focusing on research communities that are not well-represented in the federal research system. Through these steps, NSF is working to expand the volume and increasing the diversity, interconnectedness, and effectiveness of STEM workforce.
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 25 to 30
  • Anticipated funding amount: $5,000,000
  • Deadline: March 5, 2021
  • ContactLee Walker

NEW: Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers


Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRCs) are public-private partnerships that catalyze breakthrough, cutting-edge, pre-competitive research by enabling close and sustained engagement between industry, academic teams, and government agencies. These Centers have three primary goals: (1) conducting high-impact research to meet the critical and shared needs of commercial and governmental entities that require better fundamental understandings of processes, mechanisms, and problems that they are unable to carry out internally; (2) moving fundamental research results to society and/or the marketplace via innovation and technology development; and (3) mentoring and developing a diverse, highly skilled, science and engineering workforce that understands how to work with industry and translate research results into understandings, products, and technologies that benefit society and the economy. 
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 10
  • Anticipated funding amount: $20,500,000
  • Deadline: Preliminary Proposal: March 10, 2021; Full proposal: June 09, 2021
  • ContactPrakash Balan

NEW: Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems: Health Integration Prenatal-to-Three Program


The purpose of this program is to build integrated maternal and early childhood systems of care that are equitable, sustainable, comprehensive, and inclusive of the health system, and that promote early developmental health and family well-being and increase family-centered access to care and engagement of the prenatal-to-3 year old (P–3) population. A maternal and early childhood system of care brings together health, early care and education, child welfare, and other human services and family support program partners—as well as community leaders, families, and other stakeholders—to achieve agreed-upon goals for thriving children and families.
  • Funding source: Department of Health and Human Services
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 20
  • Anticipated funding amount: $5,112,000
  • Deadline: March 15, 2021
  • ContactEkaterina Zoubak

Integrative Research in Biology


This solicitation invites submission of collaborative proposals that tackle bold questions in biology and require an integrated approach to make substantive progress. The research should be synergistic and produce novel, holistic understanding of how biological systems function and interact across different scales of organization, e.g., from molecules to cells, tissues to organisms, species to ecosystems and the entire Earth. Such knowledge is critical to inform solutions to societal challenges, including natural resource management, resilience to environmental change, and global food security. Outcomes from integrative research will also inform and guide the development of new technologies that drive the nation’s bioeconomy.
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 10 to 20
  • Anticipated funding amount: $15,000,000 to $20,000,000
  • Deadline: March 16, 2021
  • Contact: Karen Cone

NEW: Dimensions of Biodiversity


The goal of the Dimensions of Biodiversity campaign is to transform how we describe and understand the scope and role of life on Earth. This campaign promotes novel integrative approaches to fill the most substantial gaps in our understanding of the diversity of life on Earth. It takes a broad view of biodiversity, and focuses on the intersection of genetic, phylogenetic, and functional dimensions of biodiversity. Successful proposals must integrate these three dimensions to understand interactions among them.
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 6
  • Anticipated funding amount: $12,000,000
  • Deadline: March 26, 2021
  • ContactKatharina Dittmar

Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences


This National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Research Announcement (NRA), Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) – 2020, solicits basic and applied research in support of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD). ROSES is an omnibus NRA, with many individual program elements, each with its own due dates and topics. All together these cover the wide range of basic and applied research and technology in space and Earth sciences supported by SMD.
  • Funding source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • Anticipated funding amount: Program will fund ~1250 proposals totalling ~$600 million over the lifetime of the awards
  • Deadline: April 14, 2021
  • ContactMax Bernstein

Student Opportunities

People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Student Design Competition


EPA's P3 - People, Prosperity and the Planet – Program is a unique competition that is open to teams of university students working to design solutions for a sustainable future. P3 offers students hands-on experience that brings their classroom learning to life, while also allowing them to create tangible changes in their communities.
This annual, two-phased research grants program challenges students to research, develop, and design innovative projects that address real world challenges involving all areas of environmental protection and public health. Phase I serves as a “proof of concept,” where teams are awarded a one-year grant of up to $25,000 to develop their idea and showcase their research in the spring at EPA's National Student Design Expo. These teams are then eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to implement their design in a real world setting.

Science Policy Fellowship


The Gulf Research Program’s Science Policy Fellowship program helps scientists hone their skills by putting them to practice for the benefit of Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems. Fellows gain first-hand experience as they spend one year on the staff of federal, state, local, or non-governmental environmental, natural resource, oil and gas, and public health agencies in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Other Upcoming Events

Green Finance for Climate, Clean Energy, and Sustainability Technology


More than ever, innovative financing solutions are needed for "climate tech" companies and projects. This year’s program explores the federal government’s and investors’ approach to accelerating innovative finance in the targeted sectors of climate change, clean energy, and sustainability.
  • Date: Thursday, January 21, 2021
  • Time: 3:30pm - 5:30pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2021


The Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2021 (SRI2021) is the world’s first transdisciplinary gathering in sustainability – it will be a space of fierce advocacy for sustainability scholarship, innovation, collaboration and action. The  annual event unites global sustainability leaders, experts, industry and innovators to inspire action and promote a sustainability transformation.

SRI2021 will be a hybrid event, with a diverse and innovative online program alongside onsite participation in Brisbane, Australia. SRI2021 will take place June 12-15, 2021 with activities, networking, training and more both prior and following the event. SRI is a joint initiative of Future Earth and the Belmont Forum. Early-bird registration for SRI2021 is now open.
  • Date: June 12-15, 2021
  • Location: Hybrid model: online programs alongside onsite participation in Brisbane, Australia
  • Registration
The Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) aims to connect members of the Mason community with others across the Mason community–and with other communities, policy-makers, businesses and organizations–so that, together, we can more effectively address the world’s pressing sustainability and resilience challenges.

The ISE Newsletter provides up-to-date information on conferences, funding opportunities, and research pertaining to environmental science and sustainability. The biweekly newsletter aims to facilitate information sharing among researchers, practitioners, and relevant local, national, and international organization.
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