Announcements

A Message to Mason's Research Community


As the university prepares for the fall semester, Aurali Dade, Interim Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Impact, has written a message to Mason’s research community, thanking them for their hard work over the last several months, acknowledging a number of challenges, and pointing them to resources to help navigate the challenges. Read her message

EmeraldPlanet Features Mason Sustainability Research


George Mason University researchers were interviewed for an episode of the EmeraldPlanet TV program. Professors Thomas LovejoyLisa Gring-PembleKarina Korostelina, and Brenda Bannan discussed their research that seeks to address global challenges, including pandemics, climate change, environmental sustainability, and resilience. See the episode.

Office of Sustainability’s Greenhouse & Gardens Academic Internship Program


The Office of Sustainability’s Greenhouse and Gardens Academic Internship Program is now recruiting applicants from all majors. The program offers a combination of virtual and onsite work – the deadline is August 17th. Masks and social distancing will be required for everyone’s safety and well-being. Interested students should contact Doni Nolan, the Program Manager for Greenhouse & Gardens.

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 this brief survey.
Upcoming Mason Events

Carter School Research Spotlight


The Carter School research spotlight highlights the research of members of the Carter School faculty every Wednesday throughout the summer. This week's session will feature Dr. Terrence Lyons. Dr. Lyons will discuss the topic "Politics after War: Rebel to Party Transformation".
  • Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2020
  • Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Congratulations!

Funding Announcements, Awards, and Accomplishments

Integrated modeling of air quality, carbon, and climate at a city scale for co-benefit mitigation

PI: Daniel Tong, College of Science
Funding source: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Water retention behavior of polymer-modified GCLs

PI: Kuo Tian, Volgenau School of Engineering
Funding source: Washington State University and NSF

MRI: Acquisition of an adaptive computing infrastructure to support compute- and data-intensive multidisciplinary research

PI: Elise Miller, Volgenau School of Engineering
Co-PI: Maria Emelianenko, Volgenau School of Engineering
Co-PI: Yue Cheng, Volgenau School of Engineering
Co-PI: Jayshree Sarma, Volgenau School of Engineering
Co-PI: Shobita Satyapal, Volgenau School of Engineering
Funding source: NSF

Evaluating the cell culture antiviral activity of Pentarlandir against Corona viruses

PI: Fatah Kashanchi, College of Science
Co-PI: Ramin Hakami, College of Science
Funding source: SyneuRx International Corp

“VALÉ”: A multidisciplinary program for childhood obesity treatment among latino communities

PI: Margaret Jones, College of Education and Human Development
Co-PI: Robyn Mehlenbeck, College of Education and Human Development
Funding source: Potomac Health Foundation

Investigation of chemical compability of new bentonite-polymer composite geosythetic clay liner

PI: Kuo Tian, Volgenau School of Engineering
Funding source: Bentonite Performance Minerals LLC

Modeling search and matching in network-constrained environments: The case of employment dynamics inside large institutions

PI: Eduardo Lopez Atencio, College of Science 
Funding source: US Department of the Army

Pandemic Religion Project

PI: Lincoln Mullen, College of Humanities and Social Sciences 
Funding source: External Support Processed through GMUF

An Ecological Study of Hunting Creek 2020-2022

PI: Christian Jones, College of Science
Co-PI: Randolph McBride, College of Science
Co-PI: Benoit Van Aken, College of Science
Co-PI: Amy Fowler, College of Science
Co-PI: Kim De Mutsert, College of Science
Funding source: Alexandria Renewal Enterprises

Survey of Micropollutants in Fluvial Sediments and Water from Hunting Creek and the Freshwater Tidal Potomac River for 2020-2022

PI: Gregory Foster, College of Science
Co-PI: Thomas Huff, College of Science
Co-PI: Randolph McBride, College of Science
Co-PI: Scott Glaberman, College of Science
Funding source: Alexandria Renewal Enterprises

Delaware DOC RNR FY21

PI: Jennifer Lerch, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Funding source: State of Delaware

COVID-19 Funding Opportunities

The Research Development Services office has organized a detailed database of funding opportunities pertaining to COVID-19. The database is updated as new opportunities become available. If you would like to add opportunities to the database please contact Heather Arold.

Additional Funding Opportunities

Dear Colleague Letter: Engineering Research to Advance Solutions for Environmental PFAS (ERASE-PFAS)


The Environmental Engineering program announces a special funding focus on new science and technologies for the treatment and remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to improve and protect public and environmental health. The objective of the Environmental Engineering program at NSF is to support research on the prevention, minimization, mitigation, and/or remediation of environmental pollution to protect human and ecological health.
Priority topics for this special funding focus include:
  • Research that enables the development of technologies for mitigation, remediation, and/or treatment of PFAS in the environment
  • Research that elucidates the underlying limitations of PFAS transformation reactions that could lead to potentially transformative, feasible technologies for PFAS remediation; and
  • Research that identifies biological, chemical, and/or physical reaction mechanisms for the treatment of fluorotelomer-based fluorosurfactants in AFFFs and other products.

  • Funding source: National Science Foundation 
  • ContactKarl  J. Rockne

Evidence for Action: Approaches to Advance Gender Equity From Around the Globe

The purpose of this Evidence for Action funding opportunity is to translate and adapt knowledge from around the world to the United States on approaches that can improve health or the determinants of health by improving gender equity. In the United States, determinants of health relate to personal safety, economic opportunity, education access (post-secondary or beyond), supportive workplace and social environments, and protection from bias and discrimination for vulnerable groups. 
  • Funding source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 
  • Anticipated funding amount: Up to $1,000,000
  • Deadline: August 26, 2020
  • ContactErin Hagan

Institutional Challenge Grant


The Institutional Challenge Grant encourages university-based research institutes, schools, and centers to build sustained research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. To do so, research institutions will need to shift their policies and practices to value collaborative research. They will also need to build the capacity of researchers to produce relevant work and the capacity of agency and nonprofit partners to use research.
  • Funding source: William T. Grant Foundation
  • Estimated funding amount: $650,000 over three years
  • Deadline: September 10, 2020

Call for Proposals, Sustainability


A special issue of Sustainability is currently accepting proposals that explore and advance understanding of (a) the present state and effectiveness of local, national, and regional policies engaging with, and transforming, the climatological, environmental, social, and economic impacts and consequences of primary and secondary sector expansion and urbanization; and (b) how environmental policies might be designed and embedded into future regional economic and urban development planning to encourage coordination and coherence across sectors and policy domains to deliver sustainable transformations for meeting United Nations Agenda 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063.

FY 2020 Solicitation for the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program


The Office of Science of the US Department of Energy
is providing funding for research in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, and Nuclear Physics.
  • Funding source: Office of Science, Department of Energy
  • Amount: Up to $5,000,000
  • Deadline: September 30, 2020
  • Contact: Kimberlie Laing, 301-903-3026

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program


The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education.
The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. NSF actively encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, veterans, and undergraduate seniors to apply.
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation 
  • Amount: $138,000
  • Deadline: October 20, 2020
  • ContactJong-on Hahm

Early Career Grant


The National Geographic Society offers Early Career Grants which are designed to offer less experienced individuals an opportunity to lead a project. Projects must align with one of three focus areas: wildlife; human journey; or, changing planet. Grants will be awarded for projects up to one year in length and will not exceed US $10,000. 
  • Funding Source: The National Geographic Society
  • Amount: Up to $10,000
  • Deadline: October 21, 2020
  • Contact: NGS grants

AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship


AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellows contribute their STEM expertise to inform federal policy. Fellows work in Congress, with judges in the judiciary, and in agencies such as NASA, NOAA, the State Department, and the USDA.
  • Funding Source: AAAS
  • Deadline: November 1, 2020
  • Application

Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program


The Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program funds projects that address the needs of fishing communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries, and increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable.
NOAA Fisheries seeks applications that demonstrate direct benefits to the U.S. fishing industries and applications which involve:
  • Fishing community participation aimed at helping fishing communities to resolve issues that affect their ability to fish.
  • Making full use of those species that are currently under federal or state fishery management plans
  • Addressing the socioeconomic impacts of overfishing and overcapacity.

  • Funding source: NOAA Fisheries
  • Amount: Up to $300,000
  • Deadline: November 20, 2020
  • ContactClifford Cosgrove

Global Innovation Fund


The Globa Innovation Fund
seeks to invest in social innovations that aim to improve the lives and opportunities of millions of people in the developing world. Open to funding innovations in any sector as long as they can demonstrate their innovation improves the lives of those living on less than USD 5 PPP per day.
  • Funding source: Global Innovation Fund
  • Amount: $50,000 - $15,000,000
  • Deadline: Proposals accepted at anytime
  • Additional information

Other Upcoming Events

Impactathon for Future Flourishing


Calling all changemakers and social entrepreneurs driven to find new ways to uplift communities and alleviate poverty in a post-pandemic world. Join participants from hubs around the world for a two-day virtual Impactathon where you have a chance to deepen your understanding about what causes poverty locally and globally and work in teams to develop solutions.
  • Date: August 21-22, 2020
  • Time: 12pm - 7pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

STEM Futures Project


The STEM Futures Project aims to improve society's capacity to adequately address the economic, environmental, and societal disruptions that accompany the advancement of global civilization and technology. The citizens of tomorrow must be better able to understand, discover, develop, and implement innovative and principled solutions to complex, STEM-infused problems in a rapidly changing environment. In this context, the STEM Futures Project has been organized to enable participants to delve deeply into this knowledge framework through a series of speakers and discussions.

University Global Coalition Call for Proposals


The University Global Coalition (UGC) is hosting a virtual meeting on Monday, September 21, 2020 to connect university leaders with an interest in utilizing the SDGs to transform their research and teaching. The meeting will highlight interdisciplinary research and project solutions inspired by the challenges posed by COVID-19, including increasing inequality, access to educational and health resources, closure of borders, food availability, and crisis planning and response
For this upcoming meeting, the UGC is now accepting two types of proposals from faculty, students, and administrators on the role of the SDGs in universities: 1). multidisciplinary research and projects; and 2). multi-stakeholder collaborations highlighting partnership-based solutions to the SDGs. All proposals should have an impact on at least two of the SDGs.
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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