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Descripton at end of newsletter Week of March 4, 2024
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Greetings Dornsife Faculty,
This week our report includes
- 2 Dornsife faculty have been named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors;
- External funding successes by 2 Dornsife faculty members;
- Memo from Dornsife Office of Administration & Finance and the College Office of Undergraduate Education announcing available funding for Dornsife departments, institutes and centers to support undergraduate education;
- Current external funding opportuntiies, including the NSF CAREER award opportunity, and 1 limited submission; and
- Announcement of upcoming Center for Excellence in Research workshop.
Best regards,
Renee J. Perez, Vice Dean, Administration & Finance
Cathleen Crayton, Project Specialist
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Accolades
Peter Kuhn, Biological Sciences, has been named Senior Member, National Academy of Inventors
Travis Williams, Chemistry, has been named Senior Member, National Academy of Inventors
*The National Academy of Inventors was founded to recognize and encourage inventors with U.S. patents, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and create wider public understanding of how its members’ inventions benefit society.
External Funding Succcess
Kathleen Mullen, Center for Economic and Social Research, Identifying Targets for Interventions to Improve Functional Ability to Work Over the Life Course, Harvard Medical School
Christian Phillips, Political Science and International Relations, Huelga! In the Land of Norma Rae: How Strikes Impact Political and Economic Resources in Los Angeles County, Haynes Foundation
Dornsife Internal Funding Opportunity
Dornsife Office of Administration and Finance and Dornsife Office of Undergraduate Education invite USC Dornsife departments, centers, and institutes to apply for a funding opportunity to support undergraduate education. Further details on eligible and ineligible use of funds are provided in the memo. The deadline to submit proposal applications is this Friday, March 8, 2024.
External Funding Opportunities
***Limited Submission***
(only 1 application per UMI applicant institution)
NIH / National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Program: Limited Competition: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Postdoctoral Research Training Grant for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA)
NOFO #: PAR-21-338
Synopsis: Supports the training of postdocs to equip them with the knowledge, skills and abilities to advance diagnostics, therapeutics, clinical interventions, and behavioral modifications that improve health. The NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program is designed to develop innovative solutions that will improve the efficiency, quality and impact of the process for turning observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. Sustaining a vibrant clinical and translational research enterprise requires a 21st century workforce that can advance clinical and translational science (CTS) that will, in turn, increase the efficiency and efficacy of translation, with the ultimate goal of getting more treatments to more patients more quickly.
Award details: Application budgets are not limited, but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. Awards for T32 institutional NRSA research training grants may be for project periods up to five years in duration. The grant offsets the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH support levels. Postdoctoral trainees are typically provided full-time support for 2 years.
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/par-21-338/
External announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-21-338.html
USC Internal due date: March 18, 2024.
External due date: May 17, 2024; Recurring due date: September 13, 2024.
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The Decorative Arts Trust
Program: Publishing Grants
Synopsis: Supports publications tackling the broad context of the Americas and to encourage projects that advance diversity in the study of American decorative arts and material culture. The program will also respond to the changing needs of the field and will consider publishing efforts in both the print and digital sectors. The Trust is offering 2 types of grants:
Publishing Grants for Dissertations and First-Time authors is focused specifically on book-length academic publications based on completed dissertations or by first-time authors seeking to publish a scholarly work that increases the awareness and appreciation of important areas of material culture research.
Publishing Grants for Collections, Exhibitions, and Conferences support book-length publications tied to collections, exhibitions, and conferences that increase the awareness and appreciation of important areas of research in the decorative arts including catalogues, and compilations of conference papers.
Award details: Proposals may include requests for funding from $5Kup to $50K, depending on the level of need. All funding will be directed to the publisher upon receipt of invoices for incurred expenses
Announcement on website: https://decorativeartstrust.org/publishing/
Online Application due date: March 31, 2024.
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Furthermore
Program: The Alice Award
Synopsis: Awarded annually to a richly illustrated book that makes a valuable contribution to its field and demonstrates high standards of production. The award is intended to buttress the kind of slow reading movement that recognizes and cherishes the lasting values of the well-made illustrated book, and the special sense of intimacy it affords. Fields considered include the fine arts and the natural and built environments and related public issues.
Award details: $25K. Books selected by the award jury for the Alice Short List each receive $5,000.
Announcement on website: https://furthermore.org/alice-award
Submission due date: Besides submitting the brief online form, two copies of the book must be mailed to the Furthermore offices postmarked by April 1.
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Creative Capital
Program: Creative Capital Awards – 25th Anniversary
Synopsis: Supports projects in visual arts, performing arts, film / moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms. Grants are awarded via a democratic, national, open call, external review process, with the goal of funding individual artists creating conceptually, aesthetically, and formally challenging, risk-taking, and never-before-seen projects. US citizen, permanent legal resident, or O-1 visa holder who are at least 25 years with at least 5 years of professional practice are eligible to apply.
Award details: Grants will range from $15K to $50K per project. 50 grants will be awarded.
Announcement on website: https://creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award/
Letter of Intent due date: April 4, 2024.
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American Academy of Poets
Program: 2024 American Academy of Poets Laureate Fellowship
Synopsis: Honors poets of literary merit appointed to serve in civic positions and to support them in creating new work, as well as to enable them to undertake meaningful, impactful, and innovative projects that enrich the lives of their neighbors, including youth, through responsive and interactive poetry activities.
Award details: Prize is $50K
Announcement on website: https://poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/academy-american-poets-laureate-fellowships
Application due date: April 8, 2024.
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Rising Tide Foundation
Program: Grants
Synopsis: Supports projects that address an important societal issue and that empower individuals to achieve social and economic autonomy. The emphases on individual agency reflect the priority of the Foundation. Projects should have the potential to create and have impact within 3 years or less and solutions should offer exponential, sustainable and, if possible, scalable impact. After the grant term is complete, Rising Tide Foundation requires periodic survey responses to gauge the long-term impact of its investment. Proposals should explore concepts, challenge existing paradigms that are applied in a new way, and / or employ innovative methodologies to improve an outcome. They should not significantly overlap or duplicate projects that already exist. Potential duplications and / or overlaps should be explained.
Award details: Budget requests must be justified and reasonable, including travel costs where travel is an integral part of the project. Indirect costs are not typically included. Projects may be up to 5 years duration.
Announcement on website: https://www.risingtide-foundation.org/
Letter of Intent due date: LOIs may be submitted year round, and takes 3-6 months to go through review and approval process.
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Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA)
Program: 2025 Health Equity Research Grant
Synopsis: Supports research projects that promote equity, inclusivity, and evidence-based approaches to overcome the barriers faced by marginalized communities with a focus on ovarian cancers and /or related gynecologic cancers. For the purposes of this grant, marginalized communities are defined as groups that have historically struggled with equal access to care due to gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability status, and language barriers. Researchers from groups underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply. Examples of possible research studies include (partial)
- Identifying and addressing social, cultural, and economic factors that contribute to health disparities in ovarian cancer;
- Improving access to quality care, diagnostic tools, and treatment options for underserved communities affected by ovarian cancer
- Investigating the genetic and molecular factors influencing ovarian cancer disparities and potential therapeutic approaches.
Award details: Awards may be up to $100K per year for 2 years.
Announcement on website: https://ocrahope.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2025-HEG-LOI-RFP.pdf
Online Letter of Intent due date: March 27, 2024. Award commences March 2025.
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Foundation for Women’s Wellness (FWW)
Program: Fellowship Awards
Synopsis: Supports emerging physicians and scientists research critical women’s health topics. FWW awardees represent a variety of scientific disciplines and personal backgrounds yet share a dedication and aptitude to advance women’s health. Priority research areas include cardiovascular disease; leading female cancers; role of hormones in disease and stage-of-life health concerns etc.
Award details: $5K
Announcement on website: https://thefww.org/
Application due date: April 8, 2024.
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National Endowment for the Humanities
Program: Research and Development – Division of Preservation and Access
Synopsis: Supports projects at all stages of development — from early planning and stand-alone studies to advanced implementation — that address major challenges in preserving or providing access to humanities collections and resources. These challenges include the need to find better ways to preserve materials of critical importance to the nation’s cultural heritage—from fragile artifacts and manuscripts to analog recordings and digital assets subject to technological obsolescence—and to develop advanced modes of organizing, searching, discovering, and using such materials.
Award details: Tier 1 projects: Up to $100K for up to 2 years; Tier II projects: Up to $350K for up to 3 years.
Announcement n website: https://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/research-and-development
Optional draft due date: April 9, 2024.
Application due date: May 21, 2024.
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Department of Justice (DOJ) /– National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
Program: NIJ FY24 Research and Evaluation of Policing Practices
Synopsis: Supports rigorous, applied evaluative research on: (1) police training; (2) police accountability policies and practices; (3) investigative practices to enhance clearance rates; and (4) police officer health and wellness programs. NIJ will consider research designs that include qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs. Randomized controlled trials and strong quasi-experimental designs are required for proposals to conduct outcome evaluations. NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful engagement with the people closest to the subject of study, including practitioners as well as community members representing crime victims, people under criminal justice supervision, and members of high-crime communities. Multi-disciplinary research teams are encouraged.
Award details: Anticipated program funds are $3.5M. Maximum dollar amount for each award to be determined by the requirements of the research proposed in grants selected for award. Applicants are encouraged to propose budgets that match the research activities proposed, up to the full dollar amount anticipated to be awarded under this solicitation. Award commences January 1, 2025 and may be a maximum of 5 years duration.
Announcement on website: https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/O-NIJ-2024-172011.pdf
Grants.gov due date (Step 1): May 20, 2024.
JustGrants due date (Step 2): June 3, 2024.
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NASA / Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
Program: The University Leadership Initiative (ULI)
Synopsis: Supports university teams to exercise technical and organizational leadership in proposing unique technical challenges, defining interdisciplinary solutions, establishing peer review mechanisms, and applying innovative teaming strategies to strengthen the research impact. Research priorities for this solicitation include
- Safe, Efficient Growth in Global Operations (Strategic Thrust 1)
- Innovation in Commercial High-Speed Aircraft (Strategic Thrust 2)
- Ultra-Efficient Subsonic Transport (Strategic Thrust 3)
- Safe, Quiet, and Affordable Vertical Lift Air Vehicles (Strategic Thrust 4)
- Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation (Strategic Thrust 6)
Award details: Proposals should have nominal budgets in the $1-2M range per award per year. Maximum total budgets should range between $3-6M per award for a 3-year award and $4-8M per award for a 4-year award. Actual budget usage by the awardees is important to NASA and so proposed budgets must consider ramp ups within the team. The UI Project anticipates investing in two 3-year awards and two 4-year awards in any of the six topics.
Announcement on website: ULI
Step A application due date: May 29, 2024.
Step B application due date: 60 days after notification for Step-B is issued.
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Department of Energy (DoE) / National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) / Office of Defense Programs
Program: Stewardship Science Academic Alliances Program
NOFO #: De-FOA-003242
Synopsis: Supports university-led research which can address one or more of the fundamental areas of physical science. Proposals should have an appropriate balance between advancing theory and understanding, simulation, and experimental efforts, and be of relevance to the NNSA Defense Program’s stockpile stewardship mission. Proposals that advance theory and physical modeling should have a strong, demonstrable connection to experimental efforts. Broadly, the areas of research interests are
- Topic Research Area # 1: Properties of Materials under Extreme Conditions and Material Processing
- Topic Research Area # 2: Low Energy Nuclear Science
- Topic Research Area # 3: Radiochemistry
Award details: Awards range from $50K to $300K per year for 3 years.
Announcement on website: Stewardship Science Academic Alliances
Letter of Intent due date: April 11, 2024.
Submission of Applications due date (invited): June 20, 2024.
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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) – Information Innovation Office (I20)
Program: Scientific Feasibility (SciFY)
NOFO #: HR001124S0013
Synopsis: Supports projects that will develop computational methods
that measure the feasibility of claims in order to enable accurate assessments of scientific content. The program’s focus will be on claims that express scientific and technological capabilities. The program aims to demonstrate that the scientific feasibility of claims can be determined by using automated reasoning to decompose claims into constituent, verifiable parts, beyond automatic fact-checkers. To achieve the automation of feasibility assessment, the program will be structured into 2 technical areas: (1) feasibility assessment, and (2) test and evaluation (proposers for technical area 2 may not propose for technical area 1).
Award details: Multiple awards are anticipated. Procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, or Prototype Other Transaction agreements.
Announcement on website: SciFY
Proposers Day: March 7, 2024.
Abstract due date: March 18, 2024.
Proposal due date: April 25, 2024.
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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) – Defense Sciences Office
Program: Expeditionary Carbon Utilization for Energy Resilience and
Stabilization (ExCURSion)
NOFO #: HR001124S0014
Synopsis: Supports research proposals in the foundational technologies area to enable carbon dioxide reduction, capture, and storage. These technologies are envisioned as key components for a future self-enclosed system that creates liquid carbon fuels and uses them to store and deploy energy to address the need for energy resilience in an expeditionary setting, independent of a fuel supply line.Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches enabling revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research primarily resulting in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice. The ExCURSion program seeks revolutionary advances in two technical areas describe very broadly here: TA1 entails CO2 reduction to high-energy-density fuel, primarily focusing on the rate of fuel generation. TA2 entails CO2 capture and storage, primarily focusing on working capacity and stability. The program welcomes a wide range of approaches, including but not limited to: (for TA1) direct electrolysis, photocatalytic reduction, thermochemical reduction, plasma-based reduction, or other methods.
Award details: Multiple awards are anticipated. Procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, or Prototype Other Transaction agreements. Award instruments will be limited to procurement contracts and Other Transactions for Proposers whose proposed solution includes Controlled Unclassified Information.
Announcement on website: ExCURSion
Abstract due date: March 8, 2024 (this Friday).
Full proposal due date: April 29, 2024.
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NSF / Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships — Innovation and Technology Ecosystems
Program: Ideas Lab: Advancing Cell-Free Systems Toward Increased Range of Use-Inspired Applications (CFIRE)
Solicitation #: 24-522
Synopsis: Supports “breakthrough” projects that will accelerate the adoption of cell-free systems by (a) Demonstrating the feasibility and advantages of cell-free systems through use-inspired applications with specific emphasis on applications beyond human therapeutics; (b) Creating infrastructure components, such as tools, protocols, kits, datasets, and characterization services that can readily be accessed by third parties; and (c) Investing in workforce components focused on the training of translational talent with the skills and passion to engage in use-driven cell-free applications. Proposals will be accepted and reviewed on 3 tracks
- Reducing the cost of cell-free systems;
- Increasing the range and capabilities of cell-free systems; and
- Develop and demonstrate cost-effective use-inspired applications.
The solicitation includes a description of Ideas Lab and how they work. The primary objectives of this Ideas Lab workshop will be to: (1) identify specific opportunities to significantly reduce the cost of cell-free systems; (2) establish acceptable standards for the fidelity and reproducibility; (3) expand the range of capabilities in order to facilitate broader adoption of the technology; and (4) identify and prioritize use-driven applications beyond human therapeutics.
Award details: Projects will be funded up to $3,750K per year for up to 3 years
Announcement on website: https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/nsf24552.pdf
Preliminary proposal due date: May 17, 2024.
Ideas Lab Meeting: July 15-19, 2024. Location near NSF headquarters in Arlington, VA
Full proposal due date: September 20, 2024.
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NSF / Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering - Divisions of Computer and Network Systems; Computing and Communication Foundations; and Information and Intelligent Systems
Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure
Directorate for STEM Education - Division of Undergraduate Education
Program: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Computing in Undergraduate Education (IUSE:CUE)
Solicitation #: 24-533
Synopsis: Supports partnerships to re-envision how to teach computing effectively in a scalable manner focusing on those undergraduate students from groups underserved by traditional computing courses and careers. Projects will be funded across 3 tracks that focus on evidence-based transformative efforts to modernize computing courses and accelerate student success in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of current and emerging industries, and/or explore effective pathways to computing degrees and careers that involve two-year colleges and industry partnerships. The Transformation track focuses on addressing one or more key challenges in transforming undergraduate computing education through innovative programs. The Pathways track considers the multiple entry and exit points through two-year colleges as part of effective pathways to computing degrees and/or careers. The Mobilizing track aims to develop a shared national vision around innovation and inclusion in undergraduate computing education.
Award details: Program funding is $7.5M of which an anticipated 3-6 awards will be made. Larger budget requests have a higher expectation for the breadth of impact. The estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds and the quality of proposals received.
Announcement on website: https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/nsf24553.pdf
Proposal due dates: May 30, 2024; April 29, 2025; last Tuesday in April annually thereafter.
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NSF / Across All Directorates
Program: Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) (and includes the description of NSF Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE))
Solicitation #: 22-586
Synopsis: CAREER: The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. PECASE: Awardees are selected from among the most meritorious recent CAREER awardees. Selection for this award is based on three important criteria: The criteria are 1) performance of innovative research at the frontiers of science, engineering, and technology that is relevant to the mission of the sponsoring organization or agency, 2) community service demonstrated through scientific leadership, education or community outreach, and 3) commitment to STEM equity, diversity, accessibility, and/or inclusion.
Award details: CAREER awards, including indirect costs, is expected to total a minimum of $400K per award for 5 years, with the following exceptions: Awards for proposals to the Directorates for Biological Sciences and Engineering or the Office of Polar Programs are expected to total a minimum of $500K for the 5-year duration. PECASE awards are honorary and do not provide additional funds.
Announcement on website: CAREER
Application due date: July 27, 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
In this workshop, you will learn how the NSF review process works, be able to anticipate panel dynamics and tailor your proposal accordingly, and most importantly have specific recommendations for increasing your chances of getting funded.
Date: March 20, 2024 Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Registration for Zoom
Presenter: Paul Ronney, Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Viterbi
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Book Cover: James: A Novel (Doubleday, forthcoming March 19, 2024) Percival Everett, English
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