Announcements

Apply Now: 2022 ORIEI Seed Funding Opportunities for Faculty


Mason’s Office of Research Innovation and Economic Impact (ORIEI) recently announced the following two new seed funding opportunities:
  1. Building the Foundation - Early Stage Research. The goal of this opportunity is to stimulate the development of new research and scholarship initiatives through the support of projects that have a high probability of attracting new external support for sustained scholarly contributions and impact. Proposals with a maximum budget of $50,000 must be submitted by February 21, 2022.

  2. Take It to the Next Level – Multidisciplinary Research. The goal of this opportunity is to advance scalable multidisciplinary projects for research and scholarship in Sustainability, Biohealth or Digital Innovation.  This seed funding opportunity will drive stakeholder engagement and support planning activities to secure transdisciplinary basic and translational research and scholarship organized around topics that align with one or more of Mason’s university-level research institutes; Institute for Biohealth InnovationInstitute for a Sustainable Earth, and Institute for Digital InnovAtion. Proposals with a maximum budget of $100,000 plus tuition and health insurance for one full-time doctoral student must be submitted by February 28, 2022.

    Visit the 2022 ORIEI Seed Funding Opportunities Website for full details. 

    Now Open: Applications for the Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship

    Grad Student Applications due Feb. 15 

    The Institute for a Sustainable Earth proudly announces the inaugural Sustainability Summer Fellowships for Graduate Research Partnerships, in collaboration with the Mason Office of Graduate Education. Focused on applied research projects with ISE’s regional and global partners, this Fellowship connects Mason masters and doctoral students with organizations that are making a positive impact on our world. In Summer 2022, student fellows will co-develop their research activities with partners such as the Wilson Center, Sierra Club, and Future Earth, and the ISE will provide wraparound support to ensure that partners and fellows realize the benefits of collaboration—including engagement with mason faculty mentors. Upon completion, participants in the Sustainability Summer Fellowship program will be able to leverage their research in their dissertation or master’s thesis work. 
    The program is open to all current graduate students at Mason. Fellowships of $6,000 for master’s students and $8,000 for doctoral students are available for each of the partnership opportunities. Please visit the Fellowship Website to learn more. Applications are due via Handshake by February 15 and must include a cover letter, CV/résumé, and a brief statement of support from a faculty advisor.

      25Live Guide – Feature Your Sustainability Events


      The Office of University Events, the Institute for a Sustainable Earth, and the Office of Sustainability collaborated to develop this 25Live Guide to increase the visibility of and engagement with your sustainability-focused events at Mason. 25Live is Mason’s institution-wide event and academic scheduling system which dovetails with unit calendars such as Today@Mason. Please use this 25Live Guide to ensure your sustainability-focused events, whether they are in-person or virtual, are featured on Today @ Mason and through ISE and the Office of Sustainability.

        ISE Faculty Profiles 


        The ISE faculty directory is a tool for you to find others with complementing expertise and for external and internal audiences to find you! If you haven’t yet submitted your research profile information for the directory, please complete your profile here.
        Upcoming ISE Events

        Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) Panel Discussion: Migration During Global Change

        Tuesday, February 1, 2022, 1pm EST 
        Registration
        Climate change and extreme weather events are already forcing millions of people to move, but current migration laws were not designed with climate migration in mind. On this webinar, experts will discuss how climate change creates migration, what steps the United States can take to respond to this challenge, and how immigrants are part of the solution.
          Upcoming Mason Events
          In the News
          Funding Opportunities

          NSF Critical Aspects of Sustainability (CAS): Innovative Solutions to Climate Change


          This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) encourages the science and engineering communities to develop forward-thinking research that will demonstrably aid in the Nation's goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and developing approaches for adapting to the change that is already occurring. CAS: Innovative Solutions to Climate Change is a call to action that encourages the submission of certain types of proposals to appropriate existing NSF core programs to lay the foundation for disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and to answer fundamental questions related to novel approaches and solutions to climate change.
          • Funding source: National Science Foundation
          • Anticipated funding amount: Up to $100,000

          Critical Ecosystems and Improving Climate and Earth System Modeling


          The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $11 million in funding for new research studying how critical ecosystems, such as forests, arid lands, and coastal environments, are impacted by extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and heat waves. The 17 projects led by universities, which include collaborations with DOE national laboratories and other government agencies, will explore the most complex environments on Earth to help scientists improve their ability to accurately predict the evolving effects of climate and environmental change.
          • Funding source: U.S. Department of Energy
          • Anticipated funding amount: $11 Million

          Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize: Pathways to an Inclusive Energy Future


          Disadvantaged communities have experienced—and still experience—the negative impacts of climate change, global warming, and pollution at higher rates than the general population. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and the office of Economic Impact and Diversity (ED) recognize that improvements are needed to make the clean energy innovation ecosystem more inclusive and accessible to disadvantaged communities and individuals from groups historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Now, as the nation invests in more clean energy technology, DOE has a responsibility to prioritize serving these too-often-overlooked communities. The Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize fits into President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of climate investment benefits to disadvantaged communities and inform equitable research, development, and deployment within DOE.
          • Funding source: National Institutes of Health
          • Anticipated funding amount: $100,000
          • Deadline: Multiple
          Student Opportunities

          Marine Sciences Summer Internship

          Deadline: February 11, 2022 
          Application


          Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences, this Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program offers undergraduates in STEM an opportunity to conduct guided research internships in marine science. For more information, contact Dr. Joanna York or 1-302-831-7040.

            2023 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowships

            Deadline: February 18, 2022 
            Application


            This fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. Fellows are matched with hosts in the legislative and executive branches of government located in the Washington, D.C. area. The fellowship period is one year and begins on February 1, 2023.

              Environmental Justice Video Challenge

              Deadline: April 1, 2022 
              The EPA and its co-sponsors are sponsoring the Challenge, aimed to enhance communities' capacity to address environmental inequalities. In Phase 1, students will submit a video that demonstrates innovative approaches to identify and characterize an environmental justice issue(s) in a community using data and publicly available tools. Challenge winners will receive up to $20,000, as well as other benefits. Details on Phase 2 of the challenge will be shared at a later date.
              For any questions, contact: EJVideoChallenge@epa.gov
                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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