Announcements

Health Disparities Multidisciplinary Research Roundtable


The Institute for Biohealth Innovation and Institute for Sustainable Earth invite you to attend a Health Disparities Multidisciplinary Research Roundtable on November 20th, 10:00am-12:30pm. Please register to present/attend!
The goal of this meeting is to facilitate collaboration, new ideas, and awareness of Health Disparities funding opportunities. This multidisciplinary research round table will provide an opportunity for you to share your research activities, expertise, as well as seek expertise you may need to explore new ideas. The Conafay Group will also join to give a brief update on the respective funding landscape. It will be beneficial for them to hear about your work so that they can offer partnering/funding suggestions.
We are limited to 20 presenters. Additional faculty, staff, and students are welcome to join the roundtable discussion.  Please do register even if you are not planning to present. We will use the registration list to share the link to the zoom meeting as the date approaches.

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

Fall for the Books: Women and Leadership in College with Dr. Julie Owen


The School of Integrative Studies presents Dr. Julie E. Owen’s new book, We are the Leaders We’ve Been Waiting For. The book focuses on helping young women develop the skills necessary to succeed not only in their college environment, but also in the world. In this panel, she is joined by a group of students who are featured in her book to discuss challenges faced by young women today—and what can be done to overcome them.
  • Date: Monday, November 16, 2020
  • Time: 11am ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Virtual NSF Grants Conference


The College of Humanities and Social Sciences presents a vitual National Science Foundation (NSF) grants conference. Join the NSF for the very first NSF Virtual Grants Conference to be held during the weeks of November 16 and November 30, 2020. This event is designed to give faculty, researchers and administrators key insights into a wide range of current issues at NSF. NSF staff will provide up-to-date information about the proposal and award process, specific funding opportunities and answering attendee questions.
  • Date: Monday, November 16, 2020
  • Time: 1pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Freedom and Learning Forum


The LEAD Office and the Office of the President are cosponsoring the Freedom and Learning Forum. The Freedom and Learning Forum at George Mason University allows for the campus community to engage in an interactive dialogue series with the University President and extraordinary thought leaders from around the world.

The first Freedom and Learning Forum at Mason hosted by President Washington will take place on Monday, November 16, from 4-5pm. The theme of this forum is “Racial Justice, Anti-Racism, and Inclusion". The forum will provide the opportunity for the campus community to participate in dialogue with President Washington and key leaders on issues of campus climate, racial justice, equity and inclusion. Please RSVP and/or submit a question!
  • Date: Monday, November 16, 2020
  • Time: 4pm - 5pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Robert Putnam on The Upswing


The Business for a Better World Center presents Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett. In a sweeping overview of more than a century of history, drawing on an inimitable combination of statistical analysis and storytelling, Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett analyze a remarkable confluence of trends that brought us from an “I” society to a “We” society and then back again. They draw inspiring lessons for our time from an earlier era, when a dedicated group of reformers righted the ship, putting us on a path to becoming a society once again based on community. Engaging, revelatory, and timely, this is Putnam’s most ambitious work yet.
  • Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2020
  • Time: 3pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Diversifying the Environmental Movement (Part 2)


The Mason Environmental Justice Alliance (@MEJA_GMU) is holding a virtual conference next week on Diversifying the Environmental Movement (Part 2) in collaboration with Alpha Kappa Chi and GMU NAACP.

The event will consist of a panel and then an open discussion between students and professors. The second part of the event aims to be a way to brainstorm and discuss ways Mason can change and improve to be more inclusive within the science sphere.
  • Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2020
  • Time: 5pm - 6:30pm
  • Location: Virtual
  • Event Link

Dr. Lance Liotta at Galileo's Science Cafe


The November Galileo Science Café will address the major questions from our Community about COVID-19. Dr. Lance Liotta, MD, PhD, Mason College of Science University Professor will lead the discussion. Dr. Liotta is the Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM) at George Mason University.
  • Date: Thursday, November 19, 2020
  • Time: 6:30pm - 9pm
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Power Lunch Event Series: Economic Policy


The Schar School's Power Lunch Event series gathers some of the world's top political leaders, journalists, and experts to discuss the prospects for the next four years of US public policy.Black Memorabilia asks the provocative questions: When are objects immoral, and when is it right or wrong to possess them? Does historic value supersede offensiveness?
Each week, influential thinkers address some of the most pressing issues facing the United States and the world. This week's discussion will focus on "Economic Policy" featuring Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic; Steve Pearlstein, Washington Post; Betsey Stevenson, formerly Council of Economic Advisers. The event will be moderated by Justin Gest.
  • Date: Friday, November 20, 2020
  • Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration
Funding Opportunities

Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation: Distributed Chemical Manufacturing and Engineering the Elimination of End-of-Life Plastics


This program provides a funding opportunity for interdisciplinary teams of researchers to embark on rapidly advancing frontiers of fundamental engineering research. For this solicitation, we will consider proposals that aim to investigate emerging frontiers in one of the following two research areas:
  • Distributed Chemical Manufacturing (DCheM
  • Engineering the Elimination of End-of-Life Plastics (E3P)
EFRI seeks proposals with potentially transformative ideas that represent an opportunity for a significant shift in fundamental engineering knowledge with a strong potential for long term impact on national needs or a grand challenge.
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation
  • Anticipated funding amount: $30,000,000
  • Anticipated number of awards: 15
  • DeadlineLetter of intent: December 9, 2020; Preliminary deadline: January 5, 2021; Full proposal: April 19, 2021
  • ContactSohi Rastegar

Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks


The goal of this program is to fund convergent research and education that will advance sustainable regional systems science, engineering, and education to facilitate the transformation of current regional systems to enhance sustainability. To further the advancement of sustainable regional Systems science, engineering, and education, NSF will support full scale proposals and planning grant proposals for Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks (SRS RNs).
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation
  • Anticipated funding amount: SRS RNs Full Scale Awards (Track 1): $15,000,000; SRS RNs Planning Grants (Track 2): $150,000. 
  • Deadline: January 11, 2021
  • ContactBruce Hamilton

Biology Integration Institutes


The aim of the Biology Integration Institutes program solicitation is to bring researchers together around the common goal of understanding how the processes that sustain life and enable biological innovation operate and interact within and across different scales of organization, from molecules to cells, tissues to organisms, species, ecosystems, biomes and the entire Earth. The Biology Integration Institutes program supports collaborative teams of researchers investigating questions that span multiple disciplines within and beyond biology.
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation
  • Anticipated funding amount: $15,000,000
  • Deadline: January 13, 2021
  • ContactReed Beaman

Research on Emerging Technologies for Teaching and Learning


The purpose of the program is to fund exploratory and synergistic research in emerging technologies (to include, but not limited to, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and immersive or augmenting technologies) for teaching and learning in the future. The program accepts proposals that focus on learning, teaching, or a combination of both. The scope of the program is broad, with special interest in diverse learner/educator populations, contexts, and content, including teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and in foundational areas that enable STEM (e.g., self-regulation, literacy, communication, collaboration, creativity, and socio-emotional skills).
  • Funding source: National Science Foundation
  • Anticipated funding amount: $19,000,000
  • Anticipated number of awards: 20
  • Deadline: January 25, 2021
  • ContactAmy Baylor

Connected Communities


Connected Community (CC) is a group of grid-interactive efficient buildings GEB with diverse, flexible end use equipment and other distributed energy resources (DERs) that collectively work to maximize building, community, and grid efficiency. Under this FOA, DOE will select a portfolio of “Connected Community” projects totaling up to $65 million in varying climates, geographies, building types, building vintages, DERs utility/grid/regulatory structures and resource bases. Through funding these projects, DOE hopes to find and share technical and market solutions that will increase demand flexibility and energy efficiency.
  • Funding source: Department of Energy
  • Anticipated funding amount: $19,000,000
  • Deadline: Full application is due March 3, 2021
  • Contact

Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences


This National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Research Announcement (NRA), Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) – 2020, solicits basic and applied research in support of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD). ROSES is an omnibus NRA, with many individual program elements, each with its own due dates and topics. All together these cover the wide range of basic and applied research and technology in space and Earth sciences supported by SMD.
  • Funding source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • Anticipated funding amount: Program will fund ~1250 proposals totalling ~$600 million over the lifetime of the awards
  • Deadline: April 14, 2021
  • ContactMax Bernstein
Congratulations!
Funding Announcements, Awards & Accomplishments
Adaptive Frequency Band Estimation and Analysis
PI: Scott Bruce, Volgenau School of Engineering
Funding source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Aspiring Special Education Leaders Academy (ASELA)
PI
: Pamela Baker, College of Education & Human Development
Funding source: U.S. Department of Education
Accessible Instructional Materials of Virginia (AIM-VA) FY-21
PI
: Marci Jerome, College of Education & Human Development
Funding source: U.S. Department of Education
Research Support for FDA's Youth Tobacco Education Campaigns
PI
: Xiaoquan Zhao, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Funding source: Food and Drug Administration
Digital Assistants for Mode-based Systems Engineer
PI
: Lance Sherry, Volgenau School of Engineering
Funding source: NASA
Identifying Electronic Phenotypes Associated with Patient Health Outcomes of Interhospital Transfer Patients
PI
: Jiayang Sun, Volgenau School of Engineering
Funding source: National Institutes of Health
NEXTOR III: DO 05: Airport Infrastructure Needs to Support Aeromedical and
Disaster Preparedness – Phase II
PI
: Lance Sherry, Volgenau School of Engineering
Funding source: Federal Aviation Administration
CISESS: UFS Model Infrastructure - Workflow Coordination
PI
: Benjamin Cash, College of Science
Funding source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
CISESS: Validating coupled land-atmosphere processes in UFS
PI
: Paul Dirmeyer, College of Science
Funding source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
CISESS: GMU Contributions to the Coupled Model Development Sub-project
PI
: Cristiana Stan, College of Science
Funding source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Finding patterns within the noise: Modelling baleen whale response to multiple stressors through replicate physiological sampling of gray whales
PI
: Kathleen Hunt, College of Science
Funding source: Office of Naval Research
Applied Research to Address the COVID-19 Emerging Public Health Emergency
PI
: Michael von Fricken, College of Health and Human Services
Funding source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
TTAC EC FY21
PI
: Linda Mason, College of Education and Human Development
Funding source: U.S. Department of Education
Rapid Assessment Survey for Introduced Marine Organisms along the Mid-Atlantic (New Jersey to Virginia)
PI
: Amy Fowler, College of Science
Funding source: Department of the Interior
Racial Disparities Associated with Maternal Exposure to Environmental Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in a Southeastern U.S. Community
PI
: Michael Bloom, College of Health and Human Services
Funding source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Center for Inclusive Computing
PI
: Huzefa Rangwala, Volgenau School of Engineering
Co-PI: Mark Snyder, Volgenau School of Engineering
Funding source: Northeastern University
Micro-donations for Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums via the Omeka S Platform
PI
: Lincoln Mullen, College Humanities and Social Sciences
Funding source: COIL Technologies, Inc.
COVID-19 Training Modules
PI
: Rebecca Sutter, College of Health and Human Services
Co-PI: Pamela Fine, College of Health and Human Services
Funding source: Virginia Department of Education

Other Upcoming Events

2020 Capital Region Transportation Forum


The Greater Washington Board of Trade and the Greater Washington Partnership are once again teaming up to host the region's most highly anticipated transportation forum. Hear from top transportation leaders in DC, Maryland, and Virginia and national transportation experts on the future of transportation in our region.
  • Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2020
  • Time: 9:30am ET
  • Location: Virtual
  • Registration

Generation Chemical: How Environmental Exposures are Affecting Reproductive Health and Development


The Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) presents a discussion with top scientists and experts on the impact of environmental exposures and toxics on reproductive health, pregnancy, and development. This seven-part webinar series will run from October 29, 2020- Spring 2021.
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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