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The New IPCC Climate Report: The Reality, the Inevitable, and Hope for the Future
Global warming due to human use of fossil fuel is now undeniable, as affirmed in the latest Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Virginians are not exempt from the ongoing changes – there will be a new normal, and we all need to prepare for it. Knowing where, when, and by how much our accustomed climate will change is critically important to plan for the coming decades.
In this seminar, Dr. Jim Kinter from Mason’s Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, will explain why and how climate is changing, the impacts on our Commonwealth and the world, and possible responses. People alive today may include the last generation that can take action to avoid the most dire consequences – it’s time to learn more about the climate crisis and what we can do about it.
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Creating Visualizations for Climate Preparedness Through the User-Friendly PREPdata Platform
Wednesday, September 15, 2021, 12:00 Noon ET
Registration
The Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) is pleased to announce a virtual workshop held by Dr. Amanda Shores from the Partnership for Resilience and Preparedness on September 15th from 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Eastern. Dr. Shores will be demonstrating various free tools on PREPdata.org, a platform that visualizes and overlays highly-reputable location-based climate projections with other environmental and social variables important for climate resilience decision-making. PREPdata provides a streamlined, user-friendly process to discover data, explore projections, upload data, create dashboards, and share content.
During this interactive workshop, we will investigate possible future climate scenarios in Fairfax County, Virginia using PREPdata’s Explore function and discuss potential solutions to increase local climate resilience. Please RSVP for this event to reserve your spot today!
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Sustaining the Planet for our Children and Grandchildren
Conservation biologist and ISE Scientific Director Dr. Tom Lovejoy and communication scientist Dr. Ed Maibach are at the forefront of Mason’s efforts to help protect the land, ecosystems and climate on which all life depends—including ours.
Lovejoy and Maibach will share their views on what must happen, worldwide, to prevent catastrophic declines in earth’s life-sustaining capacity—so that our progeny share the blessings that were bestowed on us and our parents—and they will speak about activities currently underway at Mason that are helping to usher in the necessary solutions.
The College of Science is hosting this event in partnership with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
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Save the Date: University Global Coalition (UGC) Annual Gathering
Monday, September 27 & Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Please Save the Date for UGC's second annual virtual gathering: 27 September: 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. EDT and 28 September: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT.
Mason is a signatory to the UGC and ISE will be co-organizing this year's conference. Conference registration and session information will be available soon on the UGC website.
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ISE Faculty Profiles
The ISE faculty directory is a tool for you to find others with complementing expertise and for external and internal audiences to find you! If you haven’t yet submitted your research profile information for the directory, please complete your profile here.
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The Crossroads Between Viral Infection and Exosome Production
Tuesday, August 31, 2021, 12 Noon - 1:00pm ET
Zoom Meeting Link
The next SSB Colloquium Speaker Series will be held on Tuesday August 31st, 2021. The speaker will be Dr. Fatah Kashanchi on the topic of "The Crossroads Between Viral Infection and Exosome Production".
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Mason Nation 9/11 Day of Service
Friday, September 10, 2021
The 9th Annual Mason Nation 9/11 Day of Service will take place on Friday, September 10th 2021. Mason students, faculty, staff, and alumni are encouraged to participate! A variety of service projects will be available for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to choose from and participate in.
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- Department of Nutrition and Food Studies faculty teach sustainable food practices in suburban Virginia and Sub-Saharan Africa, CHHS News, August 5, 2021.
- Andrew Light is confirmed as assistant secretary for international affairs of the U.S. Department of Energy, CHSS News, August 12, 2021.
- When it comes to climate change, neuroscience professor Theodore Dumas provides food for thought, COS News, August 17, 2021.
- The Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) releases new report on immigrant workers in "green" jobs, CHSS News, August 9, 2021.
- At the Schar School: Teaching climate change as a national security issue, Schar School News, July 30, 2021.
- Professor David Hart analyzes the new U.S. infrastructure bill, Science Magazine, August 11, 2021.
- Researchers receive funding for project supporting STEM educators, COS News, June 14, 2021.
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NEW: Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship
Application
Deadline: Thursday, September 9, 2021 & Thursday, September 30, 2021
Applications for the 2022-2023 Radcliffe Fellowship are now being accepted. Radcliffe fellows are exceptional scientists, writers, scholars, public intellectuals, practitioners, and artists whose work is making a difference in their professional fields and in the larger world. Radcliffe fellows develop new tools and methods, challenge artistic and scholarly conventions, and illuminate our past and our present. Applications in humanities, social sciences, and creative arts are due by Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. While, applications in science, engineering, and mathematics are due by Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021.
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NEW: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Big Data to Enhance Safety Analysis
The Transportation Research Board's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) advance the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in analyzing big data (BD) and unconventional data and assessing their effectiveness to support safe system and modal priority decision-making as well as performance tracking. The resultant algorithms are expected to improve and optimize analyses using existing data and data-driven safety analysis tools developed based on conventional statistical modeling. All code for algorithms and models developed in this project must be open-source, accessible, and provided as project deliverables.
- Funding source: Transportation Research Board
- Anticipated funding amount: $650,000
- Deadline: September 13, 2021
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NEW: International Geoscience Programme
The International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) promotes collaborative projects with a special emphasis on the benefit to society, capacity-building, and the advancement and sharing of knowledge between scientists with an emphasis on North-South and South-South cooperation. IGCP operates by providing seed funding grants donated by UNESCO.
- Funding source: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Deadline: September 15, 2021
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Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Behavioral Economics for Implementation Research (BEIR) to Improve Use of Evidence-Based Practices for HLBS Conditions
This Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is intended to stimulate the use of behavioral economics strategies for implementation research (BEIR) in order to develop more effective strategies for implementaion of evidence-based practices (EBP) to address heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) conditions. NHLBI encourages applications that recognize the importance of cultural context, patterns of behavior change, and motivators for change across decision-making levels, including individuals (e.g., patients, parents, clinicians, others), groups, healthcare systems and/or communities. Applications that focus on the use of behavioral economics to develop implementation strategies for user-driven, sustainable interventions that may be simplified and minimally disruptive when possible are encouraged. Applications may propose either a clinical trial or non-clinical trial design, as appropriate to the research objectives.
- Funding source: National Institutes of Health, DHHS
- Deadline: October 5, 2021
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Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet)
The Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet) solicitation invites proposals for the creation of international networks of networks in research areas aligned with a grand challenge identified as a priority by the research community or NSF, such as the NSF Big Ideas or in an active program solicitation. AccelNet awards support the connections among research networks, rather than supporting fundamental research as the primary activity. Each network of networks is expected to engage in innovative collaborative activities that promote synergy of efforts across networks and provide professional development for U.S. students, postdoctoral scholars, and early-career researchers. Two proposal categories covered by this solicitation include: Design and Implementation.
- Funding source: National Science Foundation
- Estimated Number of Awards: 10 to 14
- Anticipated funding amount: $10,000,000
- Deadline: October 11, 2021
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Environmental Convergence Opportunities in Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (ECO-CBET)
The Environmental Convergence Opportunities in Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (ECO-CBET) solicitation will support fundamental research activities that confront vexing environmental engineering and sustainability problems by developing foundational knowledge underlying processes and mechanisms such that the design of innovative new materials, processes, and systems is possible. Projects should be compelling and reflect sustained, coordinated efforts from highly interdisciplinary research teams. A key objective of the solicitation is to encourage dialogue and tightly integrated collaborations wherein members of the chemical process systems, transport phenomena, and bioengineering research communities engage with environmental engineering and sustainability experts to spark innovation and arrive at unanticipated solutions.
- Funding source: National Science Foundation
- Estimated number of awards: 5 to 6
- Anticipated funding amount: $8,500,000
- Deadline: January 21, 2022
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Critical Ecosystems And Improve Climate And Earth System Modeling
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $11 million in funding for new research studying how critical ecosystems, such as forests, arid lands, and coastal environments, are impacted by extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and heat waves. The 17 projects led by universities, which include collaborations with DOE national laboratories and other government agencies, will explore the most complex environments on Earth to help scientists improve their ability to accurately predict the evolving effects of climate and environmental change.
- Funding source: U.S. Department of Energy
- Anticipated funding amount: $11 Million
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High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program
The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program of the NIH supports exceptionally creative scientists pursuing highly innovative research with the potential for broad impact in biomedical, behavioral, or social sciences within the NIH mission. Preliminary data are not required. The program's four constituent NIH Director's awards provide a diverse set of funding opportunities. See the individual award websites for more information and application help.
- Funding source: National Institutes of Health
- Anticipated funding amount: $1.25 Million - 3.5 Million over 5 years
- Deadline: Multiple
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NEW: NIH Small Research Grant Program
The NIH Small Research Grant Program supports small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources. This program supports different types of projects including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology.
- Funding source: National Institutes of Health
- Anticipated funding amount: $100,000
- Deadline: Multiple
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Green Jobs Forum & Career Fair with Resilient Virginia
The Leaders in Energy Forum will take place on Thursday, August 26th, from 1:30 – 4:00 pm EDT, followed by the Career Fair from 4:30 – 6:30 pm EDT. The events will be conducted as part of the Resilient Virginia Conference (virtual) from August 25-27, 2021.
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Office of Sustainability's Patriot Green Fund (PGF) Committee
Application for Fall 2021 – Summer 2022 term
Deadline: Sunday, September 19, 2021
The PGF is managed by a committee of five students, two faculty, and two staff members. The committee is responsible for processing and approving applications, marketing the PGF, and giving individual attention to each project to support its success.
The application process for the Fall 2021 - Summer 2022 term is now open. Students are highly encouraged to apply!
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Call for Proposals: 2022 Smith Fellows
Deadline: September 24, 2021
Application
The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) is pleased to solicit applications for the David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship Program. These two year postdoctoral fellowships provide support for outstanding early-career scientists who want to better link conservation science and theory with policy and management, improving and expanding their research skills while directing their efforts towards conservation problems of pressing concern for the United States.
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Dear Colleague Letter: Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity
Deadline: Application accepted on rolling basis
Application
An NSF supplemental funding opportunity is available in fiscal years FY 2021 and beyond to provide graduate students with experiential learning opportunities through research internships to acquire core professional competencies and skills to support careers in any sector of the U.S. economy. NSF currently invests in a number of graduate student preparedness activities and has historically encouraged principal investigators (PIs) to include such activities in research proposals to NSF. This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) describes funding opportunities at NSF to ensure graduate students are well prepared for the 21st-century STEM workforce.
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Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital - Marketing and Communications Intern
Internships runs from September through December (Fall Semester), and/or January through April (Spring Semester), although preference may be given to candidates who can commit for the entire academic year from September-April. Interns are required to work 35-40 hours per month during the Fall Semester, and 50-60 hours during the Spring Semester.
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Sustainable Single-Use Plastics Waste Management & the Marine Environment: A Transatlantic Perspective from Kiel, Germany
Thursday, September 2, 2021, from 12:00pm to 1:15pm ET
Registration
Please join the Northern Virginia Regional Commission for a discussion with Ms. Tatjana Allers, City of Kiel, to discuss the city’s leadership in zero waste and experiences with EPR as it relates to the single-use plastics waste mitigation and discharge into the marine environment.
Eliminating single-use plastic litter from the waters of the Chesapeake Bay is a priority. In March 2021, Governor Northam released an executive order requiring the phase-out of single-use plastics by state government agencies, including all state universities and colleges. The directive is broad, focusing on disposable plastic bags, single-use plastic and polystyrene food containers, plastic straws and utensils, and single-use plastic water bottles, unless they are for medical or public safety use. Virginia state agencies will also develop a report on recommendations for reducing waste and diverting it from landfills.
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3rd NOAA Workshop on Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences
September 13 - 17, 2021
Registration
This virtual workshop is a continuation of the NOAA series of workshops on “Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences.” The third event continues the successes of previous workshops and encourages participation by scientists, program managers, and leaders from the public, academic and private sectors who work in AI and environmental sciences.
The theme for this year’s workshop is “Transforming Weather, Climate Services, and Blue Economy with Artificial Intelligence”.
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9th Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development
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AAAS Forum on Science & Technology Policy
October 12 - 13, 2021
Registration
The annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy is a conference for people interested in public policy issues facing the science, engineering, and academic communities. Since 1976, it has been the place where insiders go to learn what is happening around the growing number of policy issues that affect researchers and their institutions.
The 46th Forum on S&T Policy will gather virtually to discuss major current challenges affecting science, policy, and society, as well as their intersectionality. The Forum gives you exclusive access to participate in discussions with some of the nation’s top experts and decision-makers on the most important public policy issues and how we should build on this framework for the future.
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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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