Funding Picks of the Week

For the week of

Arts & Humanities |Engineering |Life Sciences | Physical Sciences | Social Sciences | International | Student Opportunities

 

Arts & Humanities

North and South Caucasus Refugees (DOS)

SCOPE: The State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration is accepting proposals benefiting underserved or vulnderable Internally Displaced Persons and refugee populations in Russia (North Caucasus), Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Proposed activities should deliver life-sustaining services to the underserved or have an enduring impact on the most vulnerable elements of these displaced populations. Examples of such projects include shelter or school/kindergarten rehabilitation or construction, permanent water delivery systems, acculturation and livelihood support, education, and delivery of services.

www.state.gov/g/prm/121056.htm

DEADLINE: May 5

Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth

SPONSOR: National Endowment for the Arts www.nea.gov

OBJECTIVE: The Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth category offers funding for projects that help children and youth acquire knowledge and understanding of and skills in the arts. Projects must provide participatory learning and engage students with skilled artists, teachers, and excellent art. Funded projects apply national or state arts education standards. All projects submitted to the Learning in the Arts category must include:

DEADLINE: June 11, 2009, application deadline

CONTACTS:

Learning in the Arts Specialists:

Dance, Music, Opera: brandenburg@arts.gov or 202/682-5044

Literature, Musical Theater, Theater: daughern@arts.gov or
202/682-5521

Folk & Traditional Arts, Multidisciplinary, Presenting: liut@arts.gov or 202/682-5690

Design, Local Arts Agencies, Media Arts, Museums, Visual Arts: edwardsl@arts.gov or
202/682-5704

John Deere Foundation

SYNOPSIS: The sponsor provides support for projects in education, health and human services, community development and arts and culture.

Follow-Up Date: 11/01/2009

Program URL: http://www.deere.com/en_US/compinfo/csr/community/foundguide.html

OBJECTIVES: The sponsor's funding areas include education, arts and culture, health and human services, and community development. Projects supported are generally in communities where the sponsor has a presence.

Engineering

Engineering Research Centers (ERC)

SPONSOR: National Science Foundation (NSF) www.nsf.gov

SYNOPSIS: The goal of the Generation Three (Gen-3) Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program is to create a culture in engineering research and education that links discovery to technological innovation through transformational fundamental and engineered systems research in order to advance technology and produce engineering graduates who will be creative U.S. innovators in a globally competitive economy. These ERCs will be at the forefront as the U.S. competes in the 21st century global economy where R&D resources and engineering talent are internationally distributed. Recognizing that optimizing efficiency and product quality are no longer sufficient for U.S. industry to remain competitive, these ERCs will optimize academic engineering research and education to stimulate increased U.S. innovation in a global context. They will develop this culture of discovery and innovation through a symbiotic relationship between academic researchers, small innovative firms, larger industrial and practitioner partners, and organizations devoted to entrepreneurship and innovation. In essence this solicitation requires that the efforts be devoted to creating, developing, and enhancing capacities in ERCs from transformational fundamental research to technology commercialization and creating a continuous pipeline in engineering education from middle school to graduate studies.

DUE DATES:

Letter of Intent Deadline Date:  May 15, 2009

Preliminary Proposal Deadline Date:  July 15, 2009

Full Proposal Deadline Date:  January 12, 2010

(only for those invited to submit a full proposal)

CONTACTS:

Lynn  Preston lpreston@nsf.gov (703) 292-5358  585N  
Deborah  Jackson djackson@nsf.gov 703-292-7499  585N  
Barbara  Kenny bkenny@nsf.gov (703) 292-4667  585  

For information on all aspects of the ERC construct, strategic planning and the solicitation in general, contact Lynn Preston (lpreston@nsf.gov or 703-292-5358), Deborah Jackson (djackson@nsf.gov or 703-292-7499) or Barbara Kenny (bkenny@nsf.gov or 703-292-4667). For pre-college education, Research Experiences for Teachers (RETs) contact Mary Poats (mpoats@nsf.gov or 703-292-5357). For Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) contact Esther Bolding (ebolding@nsf.gov or 703-292-5342).

Graduate Scholarships

 Scope: Awards of $7,500 each are made to college seniors enrolled in undergraduate construction management or construction-related engineering degree program, or others possessing an undergraduate degree in construction management or construction-related engineering. The applicant must be enrolled, or planning to enroll, in a graduate level construction management or construction-related engineering degree program as a full-time student.

Deadline: November 1 , 2008

For more information: Click here

Life Sciences

Request for Letters of Intent: 2010 Multistate Conservation Grant Program

Now Available at: http://www.fishwildlife.org/multistate_grants.html

The Multistate Conservation Grant Program (MSCGP) is soliciting Letters of Intent (due by midnight EDT Wednesday, May 6, 2009) for the 2010 cycle of this competitive grant program.  For more application information please review the attached guidelines or visit the MSCGP website.

The MSCGP is intended to address regional or national level priorities of state fish and wildlife agencies. It was established in 2000 by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act, which amended the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act. Up to $6,000,000 is available each calendar year for one to three year projects (CFDA Number 15-628). The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Association) and the USFWS cooperatively administer the Multistate Conservation Grant Program.  The Association solicits Letters of Intent and invites full proposals from eligible applicants and recommends to the USFWS a “priority list” of projects to be funded. The USFWS selects projects from the “priority list” and awards and manages grants.

Projects must benefit at least 26 states, or the majority of states in a USFWS region or a regional association of state fish and wildlife agencies. Projects must also benefit sport fish, wild birds and/or wild mammals.

If you require further information, please contact Christina Zarrella, MSCGP Coordinator at: czarrella@fishwildlife.org or 202-624-7821

Autism Research Concept Award (DOD)

SCOPE: The Autism Research Program's Concept Award supports the exploration of a highly innovative new concept or untested theory that addresses an important problem relevant to Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Autism Research Program encourages applications that address critical needs of the autism community such as comorbidity and predictors for treatment outcomes.

DEADLINE: Pre-application, June 24; Application, July 15

FUNDS: $800,000 for up to seven awards.

CONTACT: www.grants.gov, CFDA#12.420 or email cdmrp.pa@amedd.army.mil or call (301) 619-7079

Preterm Birth Initiative: Increasing the Understanding of the Biological Mechanisms of Parturition and Spontaneous Preterm Birth Using Multidisciplinary Approaches

Sponsor: Burroughs Wellcome Fund bwfund.org

Objective: Despite medical and technological advances, the rate of preterm births in the United States is on the rise. The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Preterm Birth Initiative was created to increase the understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying parturition and spontaneous preterm birth.

Deadline: Letter of Intent Deadline For $50,000 Planning Grant: June 1, 2009... Those receiving a planning grant are eligible to apply for a $600,000 full research grant.

Please visit www.bwfund.org for complete guidelines.

Neurodevelopment and Neuroendocrine Signaling in Adolescence: Relevance to Mental Health (R01)

Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health/NIH/DHHS

SYNOPSIS: The sponsor offers support for research to identify neurodevelopmental and neuroendocrine mechanisms that impact emotional and cognitive development and emerging psychopathology during adolescence, utilizing animal models and human studies. This program will use the NIH Research Project (R01) award mechanism. <S2S>

Deadline(s): 02/05/2009

DEADLINE NOTE: Applications may be submitted to Grants.gov in response to this announcement on or after January 5, 2009. This program will expire on January 8 2012. Electronic application submission is required for this FOA. The new Adobe versions of the application forms are not yet available. Please check back in December to download the application package.

Contact: Lois Winsky, Ph.D.

Address: Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science, 6001 Executive Blvd. , Room 7185, MSC 9641, Bethesda, MD 20892-964, U.S.A.

E-mail: lwinsky@mail.nih.gov

Program URL: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-008.html

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this initiative is to encourage research that will identify neurodevelopmental, molecular, and hormonal changes that are critical in altering emotional and cognitive development during adolescence. It is expected that this research will contribute to understanding of normal developmental processes and will help identify potential targets contributing to psychopathology in adolescence, including targets for the development of preventive or treatment interventions.

 

Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

Scope: Unique Interactions Between Tobacco Use and HIV/AIDS (R01) Modification 1

Deadline: January 7, 2012

For more info: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=18302

 

Physical Sciences

Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Departmental Multi-User Instrumentation  (CRIF:MU)

SPONSOR: National Science Foundation www.nsf.gov

SYNOPSIS: The Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities Program (CRIF) is structured to enable the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry to respond to a variety of needs for infrastructure that promotes research and education in areas traditionally supported by the Division (NSF Chemistry Homepage).

The Departmental Multi-User Instrumentation component of CRIF (CRIF:MU) provides funds to universities, colleges, and consortia thereof for the purchase of multi-user instruments. The maximum request is $500,000 for instrumentation. Up to an additional $100,000, including indirect cost, may be requested for personnel who are needed to support cyber-enhanced projects if the instrument is cyber-enabled.

DUE DATES: Full Proposal Deadline Date:  June 23, 2009

Fourth Tuesday in June, Annually Thereafter

CONTACTS:

Robert  Kuczkowski rkuczkow@nsf.gov (703) 292-4454   
Carlos  A. Murillo cmurillo@nsf.gov (703) 292-4970   
Charles  D. Pibel cpibel@nsf.gov (703) 292-4971   
Khaleelah  Po Rome kporome@nsf.gov (703) 292-8441

 

Social Sciences

Internet Child Safety (NIJ)

SCOPE: The National Institutes of Justice seeks applications for evaluation of Internet child safety materials used by Internet Crimes Against Children task forces receiving funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention under the Recovery Act.

Activities must include: an examination of curriculum content of ICAC Task Force Internet child safety prevention and awareness programs; and an examination of past and/or current evaluations of ICAC Task Force Internet child safety prevention and awareness curricula.

DEADLINE: May 18

Behavioral and Social Research on Disasters and Health (R21)

National Institutes of Health

Description
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to stimulate research in the behavioral and social sciences on the consequences of natural and man-made disasters for the health of children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups, with an ultimate goal of preventing or mitigating harmful consequences. Examples of disasters include severe weather-related events, earthquakes, large-scale attacks on civilian populations, technological catastrophes or perceived catastrophes, and influenza pandemics. Three NIH Institutes are sponsoring this program announcement. The National Institute on Aging is interested in research on the elderly in disasters, especially elderly residents of institutions and frail elderly in the community. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is interested in research on children and other vulnerable populations in disasters. The National Institute of Nursing Research is interested in research that will develop interventions to improve outcomes for persons affected by natural and man-made disasters.

Link to Full Announcement: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-452.html

 

 

Grants Address Global Issues

The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation works around the world to promote the well-being of humanity by addressing the root causes of serious problems. The Foundation attempts to harness the creative forces of globalization, supporting breakthrough solutions to 21st century challenges. The Foundation's initiatives are largely focused in a small group of areas: global health, agricultural productivity, innovation for development, and economic resilience and urban life. Support is provided for high-impact ideas that have the potential to make a difference in the lives of large numbers of poor or vulnerable people. The Foundation requires that some results from such ideas be measurable within three to five years. Inquiry forms outlining innovative ideas are accepted at any time through the Foundation's website.

 

Discovery Research K-12 (DR-K12)

Sponsor: Directorate for Education and Human Resources/NSF

SYNOPSIS: The Discovery Research K-12 (DR-K12) program seeks to enable significant advances in preK-12 student and teacher learning of the STEM disciplines through the development, implementation, and study of resources, models, and technologies for use by students, teachers, and policymakers. Activities funded under this solicitation begin with a research question or hypothesis about effective preK-12 STEM learning and teaching; develop, adapt, or study innovative resources, models, or technologies; and demonstrate if, how, for whom, and why their implementation affects learning.

Deadline(s): 01/08/2009
01/07/2010

OBJECTIVES: DR-K12 invites projects that meet a variety of educational needs, from those that address immediate and pressing challenges facing preK-12 STEM education to those that anticipate opportunities for the future. DR-K12 encourages proposals that challenge existing assumptions about learning and teaching within or across STEM fields, envision needs of learners in 10-15 years, and consider new and innovative ways to reach students and teachers. All projects should be informed by current research and broaden the boundaries of schools and disciplines. DR-K12 accepts research and development, exploratory, and synthesis projects, as well as conferences and workshops related to the mission of the DR-K12 program.

Proposals for four types of projects are invited: research and development projects, exploratory projects, synthesis projects, and conferences/workshops. All projects are expected to produce publications.

Research and development projects are likely to have an iterative research and development design. For example, projects that seek to study a learning or design question through the development of new resources, models, or technologies may focus on design, early development, and proof-of-concept testing in the first stage. Research and evaluation are likely to be formative in nature, providing information needed for the redesign of the resources, models, or technologies. Small, rigorous efficacy studies of student or teacher learning during this stage may be appropriate. Research proposals that examine the implementation and effects of previously developed resources, models and/or tools are likely to study larger populations of students or teachers in more diverse settings. The proposal should lay out the hypotheses about STEM learning or about materials design that are being tested and the project's stages, including the appropriate research questions for each stage.

Exploratory projects are not simply smaller-scale full research and development projects. Their purpose is to allow researchers and developers an opportunity to undertake the preliminary work needed to clarify constructs, assemble theoretical or conceptual foundations, or perform analytic or empirical preparatory research about learning issues or characteristics of resources, models, or technologies. These explorations should produce empirical evidence that forms the basis of anticipated further research and development. Exploratory projects test the reasonableness of ideas and feasibility of methods and must begin with a research question or hypothesis about preK-12 STEM learning and teaching.

Synthesis projects are small grants for the synthesis of existing knowledge on a topic of critical importance to preK-12 STEM education. Synthesis proposals should identify areas where the knowledge base is sufficiently robust to support strong scientific claims, identify areas of importance to education research and development, and propose rigorous methods for synthesizing findings and drawing conclusions from a range of relevant literatures. Proposals should also identify and defend the criteria to be used for including or excluding studies. Workshops and other meetings may be included as part of the synthesis process.

Conferences and workshops related to the mission of the DR-K12 program are supported. Budgets are expected to be consistent with the duration of the event and the number of participants, but the cost will normally not exceed a total of $100,000 for up to two years. Conferences or workshops should be well-focused and related to the goals of the program. Proposals may be submitted at any time, generally at least one year in advance of when the conference would be held. Proposers should contact a program officer before submitting proposals for such events. All conference proposals should provide for an evaluation of the impact of the conference done 12 months after the conference is completed.

ELIGIBILITY: Eligible applicants include colleges and universities, nonprofit, non-academic organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, and unaffiliated individuals.

FUNDING: Research and development projects are normally up to $3,500,000 with a duration of up to five years, with the exception of those that focus on the implementation challenge which are up to $5,000,000 over five years if justified by the scope and size of the project. Exploratory projects are normally up to $450,000 with a duration of up to three years. Synthesis projects are up to $250,000 with a duration of up to two years. Conference/Workshop proposals are permitted to request up to $100,000 for a duration of up to two years. It is anticipated that about 20-25 Research and Development awards, 20-25 Exploratory awards, 5-10 Synthesis awards, and 5-10 Conference and Workshop awards will be made in FY 2009 and FY 2010, pending availability of funds. Source: Grants.gov (09/24/2008). (cas)

KEYWORDS: EDUCATION
Education/Instructional Programs
Teacher Education
Classroom Instruction
Educational Evaluation/Assessment
Instructional Materials and Practices
Learning Motivation
Elementary/Secondary Education
Elementary Education
Grants.gov
Grants.gov/S2S

 

International

Student Opportunities

NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) www.nsf.gov

SYNOPSIS: This program makes grants to institutions of higher education to support scholarships for academically talented, financially needy students, enabling them to enter the workforce following completion of an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate level degree in science and engineering disciplines. Grantee institutions are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, reporting demographic information about student scholars, and managing the S-STEM project at the institution.

The program does not make scholarship awards directly to students; students should contact their institution’s Office of Financial Aid for this and other scholarship opportunities.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY: This program provides educational opportunities for  Undergraduate Students . This program provides indirect funding for students at this level or focuses on educational developments for this group such as curricula development, training or retention. To inquire about possible funding opportunities not directly from NSF, please look at the active awards for this program.

Abstracts of Recent Awards Made Through This Program

CONTACTS: Duncan E. McBride, dmcbride@nsf.gov, (703) 292-4630