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Descripton at end of newsletter Week of June 3, 2024
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Greetings Dornsife Faculty,
This week our report includes
- Honors for one Dornsife faculty member;
- External funding success acheived by four College faculty;
- External funding opportunities including 1 limited submission;
- Many current and diverse external funding opportunities
- Two announcements from DCG regarding FYE 2025 fringe benefit rates and indirect cost rates.
- A reminder of Wednesday Office hours for expert support available from Dornsife Research Administration, and
- A preview of the new Weekly Report layout and what to look forward starting next week.
Best regards,
Renee J. Perez, Vice Dean, Administration & Finance, and
Cathleen Crayton, Project Specialist (Administrative), Research Administration
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Accolde
Joan Flores-Villalobos, History, is the recipient of the 2024 David Montgomery Award from the Organization of American Historians (OAH) for her book The Silver Women: How Black Women’s Labor Made the Panama Canal (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2023).
External Funding Successes
Michael Campbell, Human and Evolutionary Biology, The Genomic Landscape of Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma arising in African American Patients, Howard University
Thomas Day, Marine and Environmental Biology, How feedback between cell interactions and emergent multicellular states shape the ecology of a patchy marine environment, Life Sciences Research Foundation
Iony Danielle Ezawa, Psychology, Elucidating the Chain of Change: Psychotherapy Process through the Lens of Experience Sampling Methods in ACT and CBT for Depression, North American Society for Psychotherapy Research
Aaron Lauda, Mathematics and Physics & Astronomy, Conference: Canada-Mexico-USA Conference in Representation Theory, Noncommutative Algebra, and Categorification, National Science Foundation
External Funding Opportunity
***Limited Submission***
Kinship Foundation
Program: 2025 Searle Scholars Program
Synopsis: Supports the independent research of outstanding early-career scientists who have recently (since May 1, 2023) been appointed as assistant professors on a tenure-track appointment. Eligible fields of research include biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences. Previous nominees who were not awarded are eligible to apply again.
Award details: $100K per year for 3-year project. Funding for years 2 and 3 is subject to receipt of acceptable progress reports.
USC internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/searle-scholars-program-2025/
External announcement on website: https://searlescholars.org/about/
USC internal due date: July 12, 2024.
External due date: September 30, 2024. Awards begin July 1, 2025.
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MacArthur Foundation
Program: 100&Change Competition (3rd round)
Synopsis: Supports projects that identify a problem and offer a solution that promises significant and durable change. The competition is unique because no field or problem area is designated, unlike most prizes and challenges, and proposals from all sectors and anywhere in the world are encouraged. The MacArthur Foundation’s “The Just Imperative” requires that decisions and actions (including grantmaking) be evaluated through the lens of dismantling the structures, systems, and practices that uphold racism and produce unjust outcomes.
Award details: $100M
Announcement on website: https://www.macfound.org/press/press-releases/new-competition-for-a-100-million-grant-round-three-of-100change
Application due date: September 24, 2024.
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Open Technology Fund
Program: Internet Freedom Fund
Synopsis: Supports innovative global internet freedom projects, focused on technology development and implementation, but can also include applied research, convenings, and digital security projects. OTF prioritizes projects coming from individuals or organizations that are applying for the first time, identify as under-represented within the field, and address areas that are underfunded.
Award details: Awards range from $10K to $900K for up to 2 years. Ideal applicants seek funding between $50,000 and $200,000 for efforts between 6 and 12 months.
Announcement on website: https://www.opentech.fund/funds/internet-freedom-fund/
Application due date: Rolling
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The Clinton Foundation
Program: 2025 Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS)
Synopsis: Supports a unique and diverse cohort of high-potential leaders from all sectors to develop leadership skills. The PLS program challenges Scholars to develop their leadership skills in an environment in which individuals’ experiences are seen as strengths and are respected, supported, and valued. Scholars put their learning into action through a personal leadership project, intended to solve a problem or pressing issue in their community, country, or the world. With a curriculum of 6 modules over January to June 205, Scholars gain the skills necessary to work across divides and develop a network that spans traditional geographic, professional, political, and economic boundaries. PLS challenges pre-existing perceptions and inspires the Scholars to lead lasting, positive change.
Award details: Program tuition, housing, meals, and travel to host cities are fully funded by the program.
Announcement on the website: https://www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org/apply/
Application due date: July 14, 2024.
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American Psychological Foundation
Program: Marian R. Stuart Grant
Synopsis: Supports the research, practice or education of early career psychologists on the connection between mental and physical health, particularly for work that contributes to public health. Examples include but are not limited to research-based programs that teach medical doctors counseling skills; research-based programs on the effect of behavior on health; and research-based programs on psychologists’ role in medical settings for the benefit of patients.
Award details: Up to $20K
Announcement on website: https://apf.apa.org/funding/stuart-grant/
Application due date: July 10, 2024.
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Research Corporation for Science & Advancement (RCSA)
Program: Cottrell Scholars
Synopsis: Supports early career investigators at both research and primarily undergraduate institutions of higher learning. Eligible applicants are tenure-track faculty who hold primary or courtesy appointments in chemistry, physics, or astronomy departments that offer bachelor's and/or graduate degrees in the applicant's discipline. With some exceptions (such as family leave, medical exigencies), the 2024 proposal cycle eligibility is limited to faculty members who started their first tenure-track appointment anytime in calendar year 2021.
Award details: $120K over the entirety of a 3-year project. Funds may be used to support educational and research projects.
Announcement on website: https://rescorp.org/cottrell-scholars/guidelines
Application due date: July 24, 2024.
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Heising-Simons Foundation
Program: Support of Science Events and Gatherings
Synopsis: Supports meetings, workshops, conferences, summer schools, research collaboration gatherings, and other events related to astronomy, cosmology, fundamental physics, climate change science, as well as increasing the representation and retention of underrepresented groups within these areas.
Award details: Grants will range from $20K to $40K
Announcement on website: https://www.hsfoundation.org/open-call-for-support-of-science-events-and-gatherings/
Application due date: August 30, 2024.
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Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Program: Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants
Synopsis: Supports the synergy that results from new connections between thinkers working in largely disconnected fields who might together change the course of climate change’s impact on human health. “The Fund” is mainly but not exclusively interested in activities that build connections between basic / early biomedical scientific approaches and ecological, environmental, geological, geographic, and planetary-scale thinking, as well as with population-focused fields, including epidemiology and public health, demography, economics, and urban planning. Also of interest is work piloting new approaches or interactions toward reducing the impact of health-centered activities, such as developing more sustainable systems for health care, care delivery, and biomedical research systems.
Award details: Supports small, early stage grants of $2,5K–$50K toward achieving this goal.
Announcement on website: https://www.bwfund.org/funding-opportunities/climate-change-and-human-health/climate-change-and-human-health-seed-grants/
Application due date: July 25, 2024.
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Myhre Syndrome Foundation
Program: Prime Gene Editing Strategies or Cell Therapy
Synopsis: Supports high-impact research on prime gene editing strategies or cell therapy to address the increase in SMAD4 activity. Proposals will be accepted for Team Science Awards, which are defined as collaborative research amongst investigators with experience in gene-editing strategies or cell therapy in or outside the Myhre syndrome (MS) field. This RFP implicates Myhre syndrome, a rare genetic disorder caused by two loci of missense mutations in the SMAD4 gene, which plays a crucial role in various cellular pathways such as TGF-β, PTH1R, Wnt / Beta-Catenin, Notch. Eligible applicants are full time faculty at the Assistant Professor level or above. PIs must be able to show clear evidence of an independent research program. Fellows or those in other training or research support positions are not eligible.
Areas of interest include
- Gene editing
- Fibrosis Cell / Gene therapy
Award details: For multidisciplinary teams of two or more PIs MS expects to provide up to $ 450K over 3 years per team to undertake projects with a clear potential to lead to gene therapies or cell therapy for MS patients.
Announcement on website: https://www.myhresyndrome.org/funding
Letter of Intent due date: July 1, 2024.
Full proposals due (invited): September 2, 2024.
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The Pablove Foundation
Program: Pablove Seed Grants & Pablove OMS Grants
Synopsis: Supports pediatric cancer researchers to conduct innovative, cutting edge investigations, with preferences going toward less common childhood cancers. Projects that focus on Opsoclonus-Myoclonus syndrome (OMS) will also be considered. The Foundation seeks to advance the work of researchers who take risks to qualify for larger grants, federal funding, and if applicable, clinical trials. International applicants are the following broad areas (partial):
- Genetics
- Mechanisms of disease
- Biomarkers and surrogate markers
Postdocs within 5 years’ completion of training are invited to apply.
Award details: Seed Grants: Up to $50K direct costs for one year and 5% of grant amount will be returned to the university at the end of grant. OMS Grants: Up to $100K direct costs for two years and 5% will be returned to the institution at the conclusion of the grant.
Announcement on website: https://www.pablove.org/grants/apply-for-a-pablove-seed-grant/
Letter of Intent due date: July 1, 2024.
Full Applications due date (invited): October 8, 2024.
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American Association for Cancer Research
Program: Fanconi Cancer Foundation — AACR NextGen Grant for Transformative Cancer Research
Synopsis: Supports young investigators (tenure track assistant professors – 3 years or less since appointment) to pursue research related to Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare genetic disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in any one of 22 FA genes, which are integral to the FA/BRCA DNA repair pathway and include the breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. The disease is marked by congenital abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and a high risk of solid tumors and leukemia. Individuals with FA have a hundreds- to thousands-fold increased risk of developing squamous cell cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, and anogenital regions, in addition to an elevated risk for other solid tumors. Applications are invited from researchers currently working in the FA field as well as investigators with experience in other areas of cancer or biomedical research with an interest in studying FA-associated cancers. Applicants must be members in good standing with the AACR by application due date. Nonmembers may apply online, as well as those whose AACR membership needs to be renewed.
Award details: $450K over 3 years.
Announcement on website: https://www.aacr.org/grants/fanconi-aacr-nextgen-grant-transformative-cancer-research/
Letter of Intent due date: July 9, 2024.
Full application due date (invited): October 2, 2024. Grant term starts December 2024.
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National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Program: Creative Forces® NEA Military Arts Network (Clinical Component)
Federal Opportunity #: NEAPS2404
Synopsis: Supports an organization (Cooperator) to manage the clinical component of the Creative Forces program through a cooperative agreement. Activities will advance health and well-being at Creative Forces Clinical Sites. In brief, the Cooperator will:
- Administer the Clinical Program activities, including: Creative Arts Therapies (creative arts therapists provide art, music, dance/movement therapies) programs and non-clinical arts engagement activities at Clinical Sites; telehealth delivery programs; and expansion to additional clinical sites and/or new target populations during the cooperative agreement’s period of performance.
- In consultation with the NEA's Office of Research and Analysis (ORA):
(a) Execute research efforts to improve understanding of the impacts and benefits— physical, social and emotional—of these innovative treatment methods.
(b) Conduct Evaluation and Performance Measurement on the Clinical Program activities to understand and articulate the impacts of Creative Arts Therapies and community arts engagement activities for military and veteran patient populations, their families, and staff.
Award details: One award for $5M, contingent upon available funds, over 2 years. Award requires NO cost share funds.
Announcement on website: https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/Creative-Forces-Clinical-2024.pdf
Application to grants.gov: July 16, 2024. Awardee is notified in November 2024. Project begins on or after March 1, 2025.
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National Endowment for the Humanities
Program: Dialogues on the Experience of War
Synopsis: Supports the development of humanities-focused discussion programs that enlarge the understanding of the meaning and experiences of military service and war. Through the training of facilitators for and the offering of these discussion programs, Dialogues projects enable veterans and nonveterans to explore together and in depth such topics as civic engagement, veteran identity, legacies of military service, the human costs of war, and homecoming. NEH will post a pre-recorded webinar by June 27, 2024 on the website, as well as host a live Q&A on July 2, 2024.
Award details: Maximum award is $100K
Announcement on website: https://www.neh.gov/grants/education/dialogues-the-experience-war
Optional draft due date: August 1, 2024.
Application due date: September 17, 2024. Project start date is May 1, 2025 to
September 1, 2025.
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National Endowment for the Humanities / Office of Challenge Programs
Program: Climate Smart Humanities Organizations
Funding Opportunity #: 20240912-CLI
Synopsis: Supports the institutional base of the humanities by funding operational assessments and strategic planning efforts to sustain and protect historical, cultural, educational, intellectual, and physical assets from the risks of climate change. Projects will result in a climate action, resilience, or adaptation plan including detailed assessments, measurable actions, and expected outcomes. Proposals must address how strategic planning for climate change will increase the organization’s resilience and support its work in the humanities over the long term. Projects are financed through a combination of federal matching funds and gifts raised from third party, non-federal sources.
Award details: Maximum award is $300K with 1:1 non-federal, 3rd party funds raised by March 31, 2026. The project period is 2 years.
Announcement on website: https://www.neh.gov/program/climate-smart-humanities-organizations-0
Optional draft due date: August 9, 2024.
Application due date: September 18, 2024. Project starts from May 1, 2025 to September 1, 2025.
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National Endowment for the Humanities
Program: Public Scholars
Synopsis: Supports individual authors for research, writing, travel, and other activities leading to the creation and publication of well-researched nonfiction books in the humanities written for the broad public. This grant program is one of ten NEH programs that are part of NEH’s Humanities Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence initiative, which is encouraging research on the ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI. The expected output of this support is a published book.
Award details: $5K per month for 6-12 months.
Announcement on website: https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/public-scholar-program
Application due date: August 28, 2024. Project start date anywhere from June 1, 2025 to October 1, 2026.
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Social Security Administration (SSA)
Program: Analyzing Relationships between Disability, Rehabilitation, and Work (ARDRAW) Graduate Student Research Program
Funding Opportunity #: ARDRAW-DRW-24-001
Synopsis: Supports educational, policy, and / or research institutions to manage the program and distribute the stipends to graduate students for supervised independent graduate level student research on rehabilitation, work, and disability topics to a broad spectrum of graduate students, to cultivate new scholars in the field of
disability research. The competition will require the recipient organization or association to designate a team of two or more individuals to serve as the ARDRAW program management lead team. The individuals that make up the program management lead team must possess the relevant scientific background and leadership to coordinate, supervise, and direct this disability research program. SSA management will identify suggested priority areas of interest each year for graduate student research, however, broadly, potential areas of research include (1) Programs promoting workforce attachment; (2) Programs related to SSI / SSDI beneficiaries; (3) Barriers faced by people with disabilities; and (4) Children and youth with disabilities.
Award details: Annual funding for this cooperative agreement is $900K per year for a 5-year project. Of that amount per year, the recipient must plan to use $375K for the graduate student stipends of $15K each. The recipient must plan and budget to award up to 25 one-year research stipends per year for 5 years.
Announcement on website: https://www.grantsolutions.gov/gs/preaward/previewPublicAnnouncement.do?id=111398
Application due date: August 2, 2024.
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U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) / Office of Justice / Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Program: 2024 BJA Visiting Fellowship Program
Synopsis: Supports current and future leaders in the criminal justice field
to advance priority national policies issues and offer cross-developmental opportunities for DOJ staff and criminal justice practitioners and researchers. The purpose of each fellowship is to make important policy and programmatic contributions in a criminal justice focus area. Fellows will collaborate with BJA and DOJ staff members to provide critical outreach, data, research, and subject matter expertise to inform the development of new BJA strategies, policies, and programs to benefit the field. Fellowships awarded under the Awards made under the BJA Visiting will 2 categories of Fellows: Category 1 are Agency Sponsored Fellows; and Category 2 are Partner Agency Fellows which includes a “dedicated immersion” and the Fellow is expected to commit a significant portion of their time to the fellowship. All fellows will also have an opportunity to work closely with BJA staff members, both virtually and onsite at BJ's office in Washington, D.C.
Award details: 4 Agency Sponsored Fellows are funded for 2 years for up to $350K. 3 Partner Agency Fellows will be funded for 4 years for up to $500K. All Fellowships start October 1, 2024.
Announcement on website: 2024 BJA Visiting Fellowship Program
Step 1 (Grants.Gov) Application due date: July 24, 2024.
Step 2 (JustGrants) Application due date: July 31, 2024.
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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Program: Artificial Intelligence Quantified (AIQ)
Funding Opportunity Number – HR001124S0029
Synopsis: Supports projects in the technical areas of assessing and understanding the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) to enable mathematical guarantees on performance of generative AI. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice. Specifically, the program will address three interrelated capability levels: 1) specific problem level, 2) classes of problem level, and 3) natural class level, aiming to address the quantification and assessment challenges at each level, focusing on 2 technical areas: (1) deriving mathematical results related to generalization, empirically validated, that demonstrate an understanding of factors that affect generalization; and (2) empirically document generalization behavior and verify practical utility and scalability of theoretical results and provide empirical investigations into model performance across questions and capability levels.
Award details: Procurement Contract, Cooperative Agreement, or Other Transactions. Awards will reflect the scope of the project.
Announcement on website: Broad Agency Announcement Artificial Intelligence Quantified (CAC)
Proposal Abstract due date: June 25, 2024.
Proposal due date: August 2, 2024.
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Department of Defense (DoD) / Defense Health Program
Program: Neurofibromatosis Research Program - Neurofibromatosis Research (NFI1 and NF@) Academy - Leadership Award
Funding Opportunity Number: HT942524NFRPNFRALA
Synopsis: Supports research directed toward the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis to enhance the quality of life for persons with these disorders. Specifically, seeks multidisciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations that will bring new perspectives to the field; promote translational and clinical studies to move promising ideas from bench to bedside; and develop a balanced portfolio of meritorious research related to all aspects of NF type 1 (NF1), NF type 2 (NF2), and schwannomatosis. The NFRA - Leadership Award is structured to support two Principal Investigators (PIs). The Academy Director will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. The Deputy Director will be identified as the Partnering PI. Broad areas of interest include (partial):
- NF2 and schwannomatosis-related areas (e.g., hearing, balance, schwannoma, ependymoma, meningioma, LZTR1, SMARCB1)
- Nutritional, environmental, and other modifiers of NF
- Genetics, genomics, epigenetics, systems biology, metabolomics, or similar approaches
Award details: The anticipated direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for an FY24 NFRA - Leadership Award should not exceed $1.5M.
Announcement on website: Neurofibromatosis Research Program
Neurofibromatosis Research Academy - Leadership Award
Pre-Application (Letter of Intent) due date: August 22, 2024
Application due date: September 12, 2024.
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NIH / National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders (NIDCD)
Program: Early-Stage Dissemination and Implementation Research in Communication Disorders
NOFO #: RFA-DC-24-008
Synopsis: Supports early-stage D&I research in NIDCD mission areas of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. Resulting findings should set a sufficient foundation for a high quality, Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) focused R01 in NIDCD mission areas. D&I science is the field of research that seeks to close the gap between research and practice. Dissemination research is defined as the scientific study of the targeted distribution of information and materials about evidence-based innovations (EBI) to a specific audience (e.g., practitioners, patients, policymakers). The intent is to understand how best to communicate and integrate knowledge associated with a given EBI. Implementation Science refers to a broader array of active and planned efforts to integrate evidence into practice. Implementation research focuses on understanding why clinical and community settings are not adopting and sustaining a particular EBII and uses this information to not only understand barriers, but also facilitates the development and evaluation of different strategies.
Award details: The combined budget for direct costs for the two-year project period may not exceed $275,000. No more than $200,000 direct costs may be requested in any single year.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DC-24-008.html
Letter of Intent due date: September 11, 2024.
Application due date: October 11, 2024.
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NIH / National Institute of Mental Health
Program: Suicide Prevention Across the Lifespan
NOFO #: RFA-MH-25-160 (R34 — Planning Grants)
Synopsis: Supports formative research and pilot testing of culturally appropriate preventive and therapeutic interventions to detect and reduce the risk of suicide ideation and behavior (SIB), and / or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) across the lifespan in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The research resulting from this NOFO is anticipated to contribute to the long-term goals of strengthening the sustainable research capacity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Activities may include (partial)
- Sharing education platforms to strengthen and develop the expertise across research team members in different institutions and countries.
- Engage students and early investigators from the partner country institutions in bilateral training and exchanging knowledge on topics relevant to the research project.
- Provide professional development in writing manuscripts as well as grant writing and grants administration.
Letter of Intent due date: 30 days prior to submission due date.
Award details: $450K in direct costs over three years, with no single year budget exceeding $225K in direct costs.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-25-160.html
Application due date: October 24, 2024 for all types of applications except AIDS.
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Announcements of Interest for Dornsife Investigators
Department of Contracts and Grants
New Rates NewsFlash
USC has entered into new ifringe beneifit rates agreement. and indirect (F&A) cost rate NewsFlash
DCG's new look NewsFlash
USC Dornsife Research Administrtion
Office Hours on Wednesdays for help with Research Administration
Dornsife Research Office is offering weekly online office hours on Wednesday afternoon from 3pm-4pm via Zoom. Feel free to drop in with a question and connect with Dornsife research staff.
Office of Administration and Finance (OAF)
As we announced a few weeks ago, we are rolling out a new format for our Research Advancement Report. There is no change in the content provided. Next week please look out for the email. It will come from the Office of Administration and Finance email address to ensure we retrieve and respond to any inquiries we receive from you. See below.
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Book Cover: Caribbean Inhospitality: The Poetics of Strangers at Home (Critical Caribbean Studies)
(Rutgers University Press, forhcoming December 2024) Natalie Belisle, Latin American and Iberian Cultures
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