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Descripton at end of newsletter Week of November 6, 2023
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Greetings Dornsife Faculty,
We have a full report this week that includes
- Accolade for one Dornsife faculty member;
- External funding success won by two faculty members;
- One internal funding opportunity;
- Many and current external funding opportunities, including one limited submission, and two potential funding opportunites that are being managed directly by Dornsife Corporate and Foundation Relations;
- NewsFlash from DCG outlining holiday dates and times and closures for DCG;
- NSF report on broadening participation in STEM;
- And a link to an interview of University Professors Hanna and Antonio Damasio that is both interesting and enlightening.
Finally, just a friendly reminder that Heidi Parker, (hkparker@usc.edu) Dornsife Chief Grant Strategist for Federal funding, and Sarah Bishop (sahahbis@usc.edu) who offers up her expertise in Humanities proposal development and funding, are available for consultation when building your proposals.
Best regards,
Renee J. Perez, Vice Dean, Administration & Finance
Cathleen Crayton, Project Specialist
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Accolade
Christelle Fischer-Bovet, Classics, has received a 2022-2023 prestigious Loeb Classical Library Foundation Fellowship at Harvard University for her project, The Ptolemaic Empire (305–30 BC).
External Funding Successes
Peter Kuhn, Dornsife Convergent Science Institute in Cancer, Multi-modal liquid biopsy early assessment of breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and multiple myeloma, National Cancer Institute
Paulina Oliva, Economics, Rainwater harvesting in urban settings as a response to water shortages, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
USC Internal Funding Opportunity
Center for Synthetic Living Systems
Program: Seed Grants
Synopsis: Supports a team of researchers for new research in synthetic biology broadly defined. Proposals can be directed at building life at any scale (e.g., macromolecules, cells, tissues, organs, organisms, communities, and combined living-electrical systems), for example by using synthetic biology to answer fundamental questions about the design principles of life, to develop new technologies, or to solve specific real-world challenges. Each team includes 2 Principal Investigators, at least one with a primary appointment in Dornsife. Eligible PIs are tenured, tenure-track, and research faculty. At least 50% of funding must be spent in Dornsife investigators’ labs.
Award details: $20K seed funding over 2 years. At least 50% of the planned support should be spent in Dornsife investigator laboratories. Support is allowed for postdoc and graduate students, and / or materials and supplies, however, support for faculty is not allowed. Funded researchers will be expected to participate in Center events.
Announcement: Seed grants for synthetic biology research at USC
Proposal due date: January 15, 2024.
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External Funding Opportunities
***Limited Submission***
(Time sensitive )
Department of Energy (DoE) / Office of Science /Biological and Environmental Science
Program: Environmental System Science
FOA #: DE-FOA-000316
Synopsis: Supports research that advances an integrated, robust, and scale-aware predictive understanding of terrestrial systems and their interdependent microbial, biogeochemical, ecological, hydrological, and physical processes, with an emphasis on understudied ecosystems. ESS research includes lab- and field-based studies as well as model development and will continue to use the Modeling-Experimental (ModEx) paradigm to examine terrestrial and watershed system properties that exhibit large uncertainties in their functions, feedback, and dynamics, and that are insufficiently captured in open-source or community models. Such models are used to generate predictions, and these are compared against laboratory as well as field observations to identify critical uncertainties and inform future research directions. Broadly, ESS seeks r projects in the following 3 Science Research Areas (SRAs)
(1) Plant-microbe Interactions in the Rhizosphere
(2) Consequences of Large-scale Shifts in Vegetation Composition
(3) Synthesis Studies
Award details: Total and maximum awards are as follows: SRAs 1&2: $1M; SRA 3: $400K. The minimum total award for all SRAs is $100K. Performance period is 1-3 years.
USC Internal Announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/department-of-energy-de-foa-0003196-environmental-system-science/
Announcement on website: 2024 ESS
Pre-Application due date: November 29, 2023.
USC Internal due date: November 14, 2023.
Application submission due date: February 29, 2024.
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Kress Foundation
Program: History of Art Grants
Synopsis: Supports scholarly projects that will enhance the appreciation and understanding of European works of art and architecture from antiquity to the early 19th century. Grants are awarded to projects that create and disseminate specialized knowledge, including archival projects, development and dissemination of scholarly databases, documentation projects, museum exhibitions and publications, photographic campaigns, scholarly catalogs and publications, and technical and scientific studies. Grants are also awarded for activities that permit art historians to share their expertise through international exchanges, professional meetings, conferences, symposia, consultations, the presentation of research, and other professional events.
Award details: Recent grants have ranged from $10K to $50K
Announcement on website: https://www.kressfoundation.org/Programs/Grants/History-of-Art
Letter of intent due date: 3 due dates annually. The next due date is December 15, 2023. The Portal opens on December 1, 2023.
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The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
Program: Grants for Scholars – Venetian Research Program
Synopsis: Supports scholars for historical research on Venice and the former Venetian empire, and for the study of contemporary Venetian society and culture by providing travel grants and residence in Venice and the former Venetian empire; transportation within the Veneto; and specific research expenses. Applicants from all disciplines of the humanities and social sciences are eligible for areas of study, including, but not limited to, archaeology, architecture, art, bibliography, economics, history, history of science, law, literature, music, political science, religion, and theater. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Award details: Maximum awards are $20K for a full academic year. Award amounts are based on length of stay, plus travel and research costs.
Announcement on website: https://www.delmas.org/venetian-research-program
Application due date: December 15, 2023.
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Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown
Program: 2024-2025 Writing Fellowship Application
Synopsis: Supports emerging writers with a 7-month residency, running from October 1 to April 30th. The duration of the residency is entirely self-directed, intended to serve as unrestricted time for writers in the crucial, early stages of their careers. The Fine Arts Work Center Writing Fellowship counts among its alumni critically acclaimed writers, many of whom have gone on to receive the highest commendations in contemporary American literature.
Award details: $1,250 monthly stipend, private accommodations on the grounds of The Fine Arts Work Center, as well as a $1K exit stipend to support relocation at the end of the Fellowship
Announcement on website: https://fawc.slideroom.com/#/login/program/75384
Application due date: December 15, 2023.
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The Griffin Harte Foundation
Program: Grant
Synopsis: Supports projects with a focus on promoting civil conversations about issues that divide us and are often contentious and difficult to sort through. These issues usually involve questions of fairness, equity, respect, identity (who we are), and the complex ways we are connected to other people.
Award details: $1K
Announcement on website: https://griffinhartefoundation.org/griffinharte-foundation-grant-application/
Application due date: December 15, 2023.
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Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust (CART)
Program: Grants
Synopsis: Supports exploratory and developmental Alzheimer’s disease research projects within the United States that may not yet be supported by extensive preliminary data, but have the potential to substantially advance biomedical research. Full-time faculty (or the equivalent status) at U.S.-based public and private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories, are eligible. This is for NEW projects only.
Award details: $300K for direct costs over a 2-year project. No indirects allowed.
Announcement on website: https://cartfund.org/applying-for-a-grant/
Letter of Intent due date: December 1, 2023.
Full proposal due date (invited): February 9, 2024.
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Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research
Program: Pilot Study Awards
Synopsis: Supports assistant, associate and full professors for investigator-initiated projects in all areas of ovarian cancer research. In addition, projects designed to analyze data from already funded clinical trials will be considered.
Award details: $75K over 2 years. Award is for direct costs only and may be used for salary support, materials, supplies, consumables, travel costs for scientific meetings, and other expenses as justified.
Announcement on website: https://rivkin.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Rivkin-Pilot-Study-Award-RFA_2024-vF.pdf
Application due date: December 1, 2023.
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Autism Science Foundation (ASF)
Program: Request for Application: Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Awards
Synopsis: Supports graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows interested in pursuing careers in basic and clinical research relevant to autism spectrum disorders. The proposed training should be scientifically linked to autism but may be broadened to include training in a closely related area of scientific research. The Autism Science Foundation will consider all areas of related basic and clinical research, including but not limited to human behavior and co-occurring medical conditions across the lifespan (language, learning, behavior, communication, social function, motor skills & planning, epilepsy, sleep, repetitive disorders); neurobiology (anatomy, development, neuroimaging); studies that address disparities in access, care, and research; improving research in underserved communities; neuropathology; genetics and gene / environment interactions; epigenetics; immunology; molecular and cellular mechanisms; studies employing model organisms and systems; intervention research (behavioral, pharmacological or a combination of the two), and studies of treatment and service delivery. ASF especially welcomes proposals that address previously under-researched communities. These include profound autism, those with severe and challenging behaviors, and autism disparities in racial and ethnic minority groups or those with socioeconomic challenges.
Award details: Predoc awards: $35K; Postdocs: $50K. Awards are for 1 year and do not cover tuition or institutional F&A costs.
Announcement on website: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2024-Pre_Post-RFA.pdf
Application due date: December 8, 2023. Anticipated award start date: July 1 to September 15, 2024.
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NASA / ROSES – Science Mission Directorate (SMD)
Program: Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST)
Solicitation #: NNH23ZDA001N-FINESST
Synopsis: Supports accredited U.S. universities and other eligible organizations for sponsorship of graduate student-designed and performed research projects that contribute to SMD's science, technology, and exploration goals. The Future Investigator (FI), i.e., the student, shall have the primary initiative to define the proposed FINESST research project and must be the primary author, with input or supervision from the proposal's PI, as appropriate. All FINESST proposals must address their relevance to at least one participating SMD division solicited by a participating Division: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science, Astrophysics, and Biological and Physical Sciences.
Award details: The maximum amount of a FINESST award is $50K per 12 months and up to $150K total for a maximum period of performance of up to 36 months. The maximum award per proposal year for all costs is $50K, including compensation for the FI, travel-related costs, lab support costs, etc. Expenses must be fully justified in the proposal.
Announcement on website: FINESST
Optional Pre-Proposal teleconference: December 1, 2023, 12:30 PM PST.
Proposal due date: February 6, 2024.
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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Program: Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2024
Funding Opportunity #: DARPARA2401
Synopsis: Supports rising stars in junior research positions in academia and equivalent positions at non-profit research institutions, particularly those without prior DARPA funding, to expose them to Department of Defense needs and DARPA’s mission to create and prevent technological surprise. The YFA program will provide high-impact funding to elite researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoD capabilities. Ultimately, the YFA program is developing the next generations of researchers focused on national security issues. Please consult the solicitation for the many and specific topic areas. USC researchers have experienced signficant success when applying for this award.
Award details: Each award will include a 24-month base period (a maximum of $500K) and a 12-month option period (a maximum of $500K). The level of funding for individual awards made under this solicitation will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds.
Announcement on website: 2024 DARPA YFA Award
Executive summary due date: December 13, 2023.
FAQ submission due date: February 15, 2024.
Full proposal due date: February 22, 2024.
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Department of Energy (DoE) / Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy ARPA-E)
Program: Spurring Projects to Advance Energy Research and Knowledge Swiftly (SPARKS) — Concept Papers
Funding Opportunity #: DE-FOA-0003164
Synopsis: Supports early-stage applied research to explore innovative new concepts with the potential for transformational and disruptive changes in energy technology. SPARKS awards are intended to be flexible and may take the form of analyses or exploratory research that provides the agency with useful information for the subsequent development of focused technology programs. SPARKS awards may also support proof-of-concept research to develop a unique technology concept, either in an area not currently supported by the agency or as a potential enhancement to an ongoing focused technology program. Applications must propose concepts that are not covered by open ARPA-E-focused FOAs and that do not represent incremental improvements over existing technology. Concepts of particular interest have the potential to (1) achieve percentage-level reductions in U.S. energy consumption, energy-related imports, or greenhouse gas emissions; (2) improve the resilience, reliability, and security of energy infrastructure; and/or (3) improve the management, cleanup, and disposal of nuclear byproducts.
Award details: SPARKS awards are defined as single-phase efforts of durations of 18 months or less with a total project cost of $500K or less and will be issued through Grants.
Announcement on website: SPARKS
Concept Paper due date: Open continuously until otherwise amended. Prior to submitting a Concept Paper applicants are encouraged to contact an ARPA-E Program Director or an ARPA-E Fellow to discuss their research concept and its potential responsiveness to this FOA. Selected Concept Paper applicants will be invited to submit a full application.
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Department of Defense (DoD) / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Program: FY 25 Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) – Core
Synopsis: Supports research and development that addresses environmental issues relevant to the management and mission of DoD. SERDP-supported efforts lead to the development and application of innovative environmental technologies or methods that improve the environmental performance of DoD by improving outcomes, managing environmental risks, and/or reducing costs or time required to resolve environmental problems.
Award details: No specific award amount limit is cited though SERDP projects are generally awarded as cost-type contracts.
Announcement on website: SERDP
Pre-Proposal due date: January 9, 2024.
Full proposal due date (invited): March 14, 2024.
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NSF / Office of International Science and Engineering
Program: International Research Experiences for Students (IRES)
Solicitation #: NSF 24-506
Synopsis: Supports international research and research-related activities for U.S. science and engineering undergraduate and graduate students. The overarching, long-term goals of the IRES program are to enhance U.S. leadership in science and engineering research and education and to strengthen economic competitiveness through training the next generation of science research leaders. Student participants supported by IRES funds must be citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. Students do not apply directly to NSF to participate in IRES activities. Students apply to NSF-funded investigators who receive IRES awards. Participating students must be given a stipend in the range of $600 - $700 per week for the duration of the IRES project. The same hourly rate of stipend should be used to compensate students involved in hybrid models or part-time research. To identify appropriate IRES projects, students should consult the directory of active IRES awards. The PI is responsible for recruiting and preparing U.S. student participants, ensuring the quality of the research experience, and the appropriateness of the foreign research mentorship. It may be necessary for U.S. PIs to spend a short period of time with the U.S. students to help with the transition to the foreign site and mentors. U.S. PIs are not required to remain on-site with the U.S. students throughout the period abroad but are encouraged to use remote means to co-mentor.
Award details: The total maximum award is $150K per year for 3 years, though in special cases up to 5 years duration will be considered with appropriate justification.
Announcement on website: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2024/nsf24506/nsf24506.pdf
Proposal due date: Multiple due dates. Next due dates are February 5, 2024 and October 28, 2024. Future due dates are the 4th Mondays in October.
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NSF / Directorate for Biological Sciences – Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences; Directorate for Engineering Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems and Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Division of Social and Economic Sciences
Program: Designing Synthetic Cells Beyond the Bounds of Evolution (Designer Cells)
Solicitation #: NSF 24-505
Synopsis: Supports research that (1) develops cell-like systems to identify the minimal requirements for the processes of life, (2) designs synthetically modified cells to address fundamental questions in the evolution of life or to explore biological diversity beyond that which currently exists in nature, and (3) leverages basic research in cell design to build novel synthetic cell-like systems and cells for innovative biotechnology applications. Themes of the goals of this solicitation include (1) Identify and analyze the functional units of synthetic cells; (2) Evolving and expanding diversity; (3) Create synthetic Biosystems for innovative biotechnological applications.
Award details: Anticipate $6M will be committed in total for all new awards in each fiscal year. Award size and duration should be commensurate with the scope of the project.
Announcement on website: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2024/nsf24505/nsf24505.pdf
Full proposal due date: The next due date is February 1, 2024. Thereafter, proposals are due February 1 every other year.
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NSF / Directorate for Biological Sciences
Program: Future Proofing Plants to a Changing Climate via Dear Colleague Letter (DCL)
Solicitation #: NSF 23-096
Synopsis: Supports collaborative research in Germany, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US), to address the challenges of sustainability and resilience of our agri-food systems, through long-term changes to temperature and rainfall, increased threats due to extreme weather events and shifts in pests and diseases. To address this imminent challenge, accelerated approaches in plant sciences translating knowledge across different plant and crop species are needed. The trilateral funding opportunity will support collaborative research in the 3 countries with synergies expected to include (partial:
- Enabling multidisciplinary research approaches that build on areas of particular country strengths, for example, the UK's strengths in systems biology and molecular modeling, Germany's whole organism-level understanding, and US's capacity to scale up modeling 1 of crops and farming systems;
- Providing strategies to close the knowledge gap between the genetic and physiological research at individual plant scales in artificial environments and the farming system level;
- Reducing duplication of effort and embedding common data standards to enhance collaboration within the international research community;
The 2 themes of this initiative are (1) From Molecules and Mechanisms to Field Performance; and (2) Programmable Plants
Announcement: Proofing Plants DCL
Submission Process: Begin with an Expression of Interest (EoI) by the applicant to the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) through the UK Research and Innovation Funding Service. The EoI will include an outline of the anticipated research program, a list of project partners, and an overview of funds requested, broken down by country. Once received, the BBSRC will share EoIs with DFG, NSF, and USDA-NIFA via a secure extranet. Please consult the DCL for subsequent steps.
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NSF / Multiple Directorates (including Directorates for Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences and STEM)
Program: Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC)
Solicitation #: NSF-24-504
Synopsis: Supports projects that address cybersecurity and privacy, drawing on expertise in one or more of these areas: computing, communication, and information sciences; engineering; education; mathematics; statistics; and social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Proposals that advance the field of cybersecurity and privacy within a single discipline or interdisciplinary efforts that span multiple disciplines are both welcome.
Award details: $69M per year program funding. 90 awards are anticipated. Solicitation includes more specific info on award amounts tied to program-type designations.
Announcement on website: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2024/nsf24504/nsf24504.pdf
Proposal due date: Proposals accepted anytime.
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Funding Opportunities from Dornsife Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR)
(Contact Kerri Bennett, Assistant Dean, CPR at kerriben@usc.edu if interested for more info)
CISCO
Synopsis: Cisco is seeking research in photonic quantum computing, architecture, algorithm applications; hardware and experimental methods quantum cryptography; protocols and hardware implementation; quantum internet; networking protocols and architecture; hardware: repeater, memory; applications; and distributed quantum computing
Announcement: https://research.cisco.com/open-rfps/RFP-21-05
Unilever
Synopsis: Unilever is seeking high throughput screening systems or models to identify 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (type I & II) acting through enzyme inhibition, activity reduction, and/or gene expression modulation.
Announcement: Screening system to identify 5 alpha reductase inhibitors
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Announcements of Interest for Dornsife Investigators
Department of Contracts and Grants
DCG has issued a NewsFlash! wishing us all Happy Holidays and informing of DCG closures during the Thanksgiving holiday and winter break — so that we can plan accordingly.
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USC Research Advancement in DC
Dornsife Stardust
USC University Professors, Hanna and Antonio Damasio were recently interviewed by the premier neuroscience journal Neuron. For your reading enjoyment here is the engaging article where the Damasios discuss their work — in Q&A format — at the intersection of neuroscience, philosophy, neurology, and psychology, research on consciousness and the limits of AI. NEURON INTERVIEW
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Book Cover: Ideal Beauty — The Life and Times of Greta Garbon (Rutgers Univesity Press, 2023)
Lois W. Banner, History, Emerita
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