Opportunity Update
The Opportunity Update (OU) is a weekly newsletter of selected research funding opportunities, postdoctoral fellowships, graduate fellowships and notices about events and programs of interest to the Virginia Tech research community.
An archive of all the updates is available online.
Click here for more information on how to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
November 21st, 2008 | FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Although we have a good representation of this week's funding opportunities listed here, we could not possibly include every notice that might be of interest to everyone on campus. We suggest that you sign up for the Community of Science Funding Alert and consult the other resources available through this site.
Notices
Preparing for Changes in Peer Review
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The first stages of implementation of changes in NIH peer review will begin in January and February 2009. These changes will be timed to apply to all three standard review/award cycles in each fiscal year. Please see the chart below showing the precise timeline by review/award cycle. While many details continue to be worked through, the first set of changes are highlighted below:
Scoring
To improve the transparency of the scoring process:
- Before a review meeting, assigned reviewers and discussants will score applications on the five review criteria using a scale greater than 1-5.
- Each assigned reviewer and discussant will also provide a preliminary overall score using the new scale.
- At the meeting, discussed applications will receive an overall score from each eligible (i.e., without conflicts of interest) panel member and these scores will be averaged, multiplied by 10, and called the priority score.
- The priority scores then will be percentiled against the appropriate base. The new scoring system will necessitate the establishment of new percentile bases. Percentiles will be reported in whole numbers.
Critiques
To improve the quality of the critiques and to focus reviewer attention on the review criteria:
- Before the review meeting, in addition to preliminary scoring, assigned reviewers will provide written critiques of the application through an electronic template that will prompt for strengths and weaknesses for each criterion.
- After the meeting, the critiques will be compiled into a summary statement that will be shorter and more focused than current summary statements due to standardized organization and reporting of strengths and weaknesses.
- Discussed applications also will have a summary of the panel’s discussion at the meeting.
- Feedback for Streamlined Applications. Currently, applications not considered to be in the more meritorious half are “streamlined.” Streamlined applications are not discussed by the full review committee and are not assigned numerical priority scores, but the applicants do receive the reviewers’ critiques.
- In 2009, streamlined applications will receive scores in addition to the reviewers’ critiques to help applicants assess whether or not they should submit an amended application.
Balanced and Fair Reviews Across Career Stages and Scientific Fields
- The New Investigator Policy was modified to identify Early Stage Investigators (ESIs), see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not-od-08-121.html, and becomes effective beginning with traditional R01 applications received for the February 2009 receipt dates.
- Another notice containing specific guidance for ESIs will be released on October 31, 2008.
- Where possible, NIH will cluster new investigator applications (including ESIs) for review.
- The same clustering approach will be considered for clinical research applications.
Amended Applications:
To speed the funding of meritorious science and minimize reviewer burden:
- NIH has issued a policy announcement decreasing the number of resubmissions (i.e., amendments) permitted from two to one. Beginning with applications intended for the January 25, 2009 due date, all original new applications (i.e., never submitted) and competing renewal applications will be permitted only a single amendment (A1).
- To facilitate this transition, original new and competing renewal applications submitted for FY 2009 or earlier, i.e. prior to January 25, 2009, will be permitted two resubmissions.
Enhanced Review Criteria
- The current five scoring criteria will have clearer descriptions, with questions for reviewers to consider in evaluating each criterion.
- The application instructions will be updated to inform applicants of these revised questions.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Advanced Information Technology -- NRL-WIDE BAA 55-07-03
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations.
The Advanced Information Technology Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is seeking proposals for innovative research and development in information technology. Current and anticipated areas of research focus include
- three-dimensional user interface technologies to support information visualization, embedded training and to provide situation awareness;
- data information fusion technologies for fusing data from multiple disparate sources in a distributed data fusion network;
- extraction and knowledge discovery technologies to support force protection and counter insurgency operations by foreign threats;
- automated intent and deception detection to support force protection and counter insurgency operations by foreign threats;
- application of agent-based technologies for decision support in the Global Information Grid (GIG); and
- distributed simulation technology.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Optical Sciences Research and Development -- NRL-WIDE BAA 56-07-06 United States Department of Defense (DOD) Department of the Navy Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations.
The Optical Science Division of the NRL is seeking proposals for innovative research supporting ongoing programs related to a wide variety of topics in the following areas:
- Research and technology development for making infrared-transmitting optical fibers, especially chalcogenide and heavy-metal oxide glass fibers, processing techniques for making IR fibers, purification of glass starting materials, novel crucible fiber drawing techniques, specialty fibers for chemical sensor applications, and techniques for making chemical sensors
- Fiber optic sensors for detecting acoustic, magnetic and electric fields, rotation rate, strain, temperature, pressure, chemical, and other parameters
- Glass and processing techniques for nanochannel glass technology; novel nonlinear optical materials; photonic band-gap materials; narrow band gap superlattices; quantum wells, wires and dots; novel nonstructures; and materials for space survivable optics
- Electro-optical, visible, infrared, multi spectral and hyperspectral technologies used in systems for reconnaissance and surveillance of air, ocean, and ground targets, from space, air, and surface platforms
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Materials Performance, Processing, and Modeling -- NRL-WIDE BAA 63-07-06
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. The NRL is specifically interested in receiving proposals for research and development in materials, their joining, and their processing, including modeling of materials performance and joining and forming processes to achieve cost-effectiveness. The areas of research and development activities of interest to NRL include, but are not limited to, the following:
-
Microstructural or continuum modeling for the development of predictive equations of state for materials
that could greatly reduce costs of developing new alloys and forming processes as well as permit optimization
of properties and plant weldable aluminum and iron alloys of
- high strength,
- toughness,
- stress corrosion cracking resistance, and
- reduced hydrogen embrittlement.
- Forming and machining of hard-to-form or machine alloys by the application of high fields. This may include the application, singly or in combination, of electric, magnetic, ultrasonic, and microwave fields and address the casting or forming to near-net-shape by rolling, drawing, or forging and the machining by point cutting or grinding of any low ductility materials such as tungsten alloys, aluminides, et cetera.
- Design of manufacturing processes that achieve desired product attributes at lowest total life cycle cost.
- Demonstrate the application of smart materials and structures (SM&S), in military and dual-use systems.
- Development of superconducting materials, devices, components, and systems that address crucial Naval and Department of Defense requirements.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Materials Science of Energetic Thin-Film Deposition Processes -- NRL-WIDE BAA 63-07-04
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. The NRL is specifically interested in receiving experimental and theoretical proposals that address the fundamental processes that control film microstructure and properties, and that characterize and apply the resulting films. Topics of interest include
- the formation of new metastable phases,
- epitaxial growth,
- films with controlled nanophases,
- fabrication of tailored composition profiles,
- multiplayer films for opto-electronics,
- optics,
- biomedical applications, and
- hard coatings for wear and corrosion resistance.
Fundamental research includes
- the effects of ion bombardment on gas adsorption and desorption,
- on film orientation,
- microstructure,
- adhesion, and
- intrinsic stress.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
RF Vacuum Electronics -- NRL-WIDE BAA 68-07-01
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. The Vacuum Electronics Branch is seeking proposals for innovative technology base development in the broad area of RF vacuum electronics.
Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Advanced high power millimeter-wave amplifiers suitable for radar and electronic warfare applications advanced high power millimeter-wave amplifiers suitable for radar electronic warfare applications and high data rate communications
- Microwave or millimeter-wave power module (MPM) consisting of a solid-state driver, a vacuum electronics power booster, and integrated power conditioning
- Technologies and techniques to reduce life cycle cost and improve overall reliability of vacuum electronic devices now used or projected for use in U.S. military systems
- Software modules to support an advanced computational environment for the computer-aided design of microwave and millimeter-wave power vacuum electron devices
- Supporting technology to advance RF vacuum electronics
- Advanced emitter technology
- Multiple beam amplifiers
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Computational Materials Science -- NRL-WIDE BAA 63-07-07
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals to perform theoretical and computational studies of materials involving the electronic structure and applications, in areas such as
- mechanical or transport properties,
- phase transitions,
- magnetism,
- superconductivity, and
- the theory of alloys; or
- using model Hamiltonian methods.
Although proposals can have purely formal theoretical aspects, there should be a focus toward implementing the ideas on high-performance computers. More information http://heron.nrl.navy.mil/contracts/0708baa/baa.htm
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Radiation Effects Research -- NRL-WIDE BAA 68-07-02
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. The Solid State Devices Branch of the Electronics Science and Technology Division of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals to investigate the effects of radiation on advanced solid state devices and developing methods to mitigate these effects. The radiation of interest includes the natural radiation environment of space (trapped particles, cosmic ray ions, solar protons, et cetera) and non-natural sources (gamma rays, neutrons, pulses of energy, et cetera). The effects include total dose and displacement damage and single event effects including upset, latchup, gate rupture, et cetera. The devices of interest include, but are not limited to
- advanced technology memory devices,
- gate arrays,
- microprocessors,
- imagers,
- solar arrays, and
- energy storage devices such as batteries.
Mitigation effects include hardening by processing or design or shielding techniques especially using novel and innovative ideas not previously investigated.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Power Source Materials and Systems -- NRL-WIDE BAA 61-07-02
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. NRL is interested in receiving proposals for the improvement of power sources for small military systems via materials and systems development. The Alternative Energy Section of the Chemical Dynamics and Diagnostics Branch addresses a variety of Naval problems in power sources, particularly fuel cells and batteries. NRL is interested in receiving proposals that address the synthesis and characterization low cost fuel cell catalysts and high capacity, low impedance battery materials, or ways to lower cost and improve effectiveness through electrode and systems engineering. Systems or systems components for light, efficient power sources are also of interests.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Applications of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Advanced Laser
Techniques -- NRL-WIDE BAA 61-07-05
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. The NRL Chemistry Division conducts research in a number of areas related to detection of biological, chemical, and other hazardous materials. In addition, the division conducts research in developing tools and methods to transfer, preserve, and characterize chemical and biological based materials. Areas of primary interest include the following:
- Characterization of environmental processes and their application to remediation and restoration technologies
- Detection, sampling, and characterization of chemical and biological agents, toxic metal ions, and explosives\
- Unique analytical chemistry tools for more efficient and cost effective sampling processing
- Genetic- and molecular biological-based tools, as well as techniques for the preservation and characterization of cells, tissue, and biomaterials
- Improved and alternative fuel sources
- Atmospheric propagation of femptosecond pulses
- Electromagnetic induction sensors and analysis for detection and classification of unexploded ordinance
- Advanced laser techniques
- Microfluidic structures with application to microchip separations, sampling and detection
- Chemometrics
- Volume sensing through image analysis and machine vision.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
High Power Microwave Technology -- NRL-WIDE BAA 57-07-04
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. With a broadening number of missions applicable to unmanned air vehicles, both in the arenas of air and sea warfare, the technology base requires constant expansion to match the ever changing requirements.
The U.S. Navy is interested in exploring the use of High Power Microwave (HPM) techniques and technologies for purposes including anti-ship missile defense (ASMD) and command and control warfare (C2W). The NRL is encouraging joint proposals wherein the project would be executed in a NRL or contractor team format to get the maximum amount of research in the most efficient manner. These proposals for research and development into HPM techniques and technologies may include, but not be limited to, the following:
- Wideband (narrow-pulse) HPM sources. The sources of interest range from compact, lightweight devices that may be conventionally or explosively driven to larger, higher voltage devices that are suitable for shipboard installation. Marx generators are one example of several technologies being sought.
- Narrowband HPM sources. The sources of interest are generally high duty, relatively long pulse transmitters. Very high peak power, high average power, and high efficiency are all desirable.
- Innovative conventional and non-conventional HPM based electronic attack (EA) techniques and systems including anti-missile defense applications, special operations command applications and C2W applications.
- NRL more favorably will consider proposals offering initial increments comprised of short term studies (six to eight man-months) that then can be used to decide if the research deserves further investment.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Fiber Optics Sensor Technology -- NRL-WIDE BAA 56-07-07 United States Department of Defense (DOD) Department of the Navy Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations.
The Fiber Optic Sensor Technology Program of the NRL is interested in receiving proposals for innovative research related to the development and transition of fiber optic sensor technology to military, government or civilian applications. Methods are sought for improving performance, packaging, deployment, and survivability of sensor systems in a variety of environments. Novel interrogation, multiplexing and modulation or demodulation techniques that increase sensor count per fiber, decrease electronic demodulation power requirements, and provide all-optical signal processing, and lower total system cost are desired. Low phase noise laser sources that feature very good isolation from ambient effects to improve overall optical system performance are desired. Low power, high bandwidth, signal-processing components with automatic signal detection are desired to fill current technology gaps.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Innovative Anti-Ship Missile - Electronic Warfare Simulation Technology -- NRL-WIDE BAA 57-07-01
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. The Integrated EW Simulation (IEWS) Branch has an ongoing requirement for proposals that address the research and development of innovative new technologies, components, and systems to support the next generation of EW simulation programs. Investigations focus on the basic areas of research into technologies relating to hardware or software simulation of future advanced missile threats to the surface fleet and EW techniques to defend against the advanced threats, as well as methodology to validate the simulators. The ultimate goal of the research is to enable future development of a combination of EW simulation, modeling, and analysis capabilities to meet the Anti-Ship Missile Defense EW mission. Of particular interest are research into innovative simulator architectures capable of multi-signal emissions, reception, signal processing and displays, and signal analysis tools for use in understanding and countering advanced anti-ship, RF guided (active radar, anti-radiation, and LPI) missile threats. NRL will consider proposals offering short term studies (six to eight man-months) that can be used to decide if the research deserves investments or longer range studies.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Superconducting Materials -- NRL-WIDE BAA 63-07-05
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. The NRL is interested in basic research and exploratory development of superconducting materials, devices, components, and systems that address crucial Naval and Department of Defense requirements. Although the principal area of interest is in superconductors with transition temperatures in excess of 30K, unusually sound proposals for research and development of devices, components, and circuits fabricated from materials with superconducting transition temperatures below 30K will be considered for funding if deemed suitable for potential Naval applications.
The areas of research and development activities of interest to NRL include the following:
- Innovative ultra-sensitive electromagnetic sensors and sensor arrays that respond to frequencies from dc through the microwave and millimeter wave regions of the spectrum through the infrared, the visible, and into the ultraviolet region of the spectrum with particular emphasis on applications in the areas of Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD), mine countermeasures, corrosion detection and Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of materials
- Innovative low loss, wide band passive microwave and millimeter wave devices and components as well as ultra-low noise mixers, detectors, and amplifiers
- Innovative electrically short, and super-directive antennas from the ELF through the millimeter wave regions of the spectrum
- Innovative ultra-high throughput, very low power dissipation digital data and signal processing devices and circuits (including analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters)
- Very low loss, zero frequency-dispersion signal transmission lines
- Very low noise, wide bandwidth superconducting amplifiers from dc through the millimeter wave spectral band
- High temperature superconducting conductors suitable for applications involving high field magnets and solenoids and for current leads for such systems
- Novel design concepts for high temperature magnets operating at temperatures over 20K and producing magnetic fields over 2 Tesla
- Novel and innovative concepts for the use of High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) magnet systems such as, but not limited to, electrical motors and generators, magnetic mine sweeping, magnetic separation of ores, magnetic energy storage, or power conditioning
- Preparation of high quality and high temperature superconductors and the search and development of new superconducting materials
- Techniques for the measurement of the electrical, mechanical, optical, and thermal properties of superconducting materials, devices and components
- Innovative cryogenic refrigeration techniques, systems, and cryogenic packaging techniques suitable for use with superconducting and cold electronic devices and circuits
- Innovative RF communication networks linking advanced, multiple sensors and an advanced receiver system are sought that utilize new and emerging micro-electronics packaging technologies, advanced receiver technologies, improved sensor technology, and emerging signal processing techniques
- Innovative methods to cool high-density electronic systems which perform a wide variety of functions, while at the same time offer reduced system volume and weight. Either a room temperature or cryogenic liquid may be proposed.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Spacecraft and Operational Responsive (ORS) Technology -- NRL-WIDE BAA 82-07-01
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for long-range projects that offer potential for advancement and improvement of naval operations. The Spacecraft Engineering Department (SED) performs research and development by applying advanced technologies and techniques to provide new space capabilities that address critical Navy, Department of Defense, and national needs. The emphasis at the NRL's SED is incubating critical technologies and assembling them into systems that provide relevant and often revolutionary new space capabilities. Past examples include first flight of solar cells, atomic precision clocks leading to the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System, and the first tactical downlink of space data and on-board processed products to Tactical Receive Equipment. Each of these systems radically improved operational capability and each was enabled by innovative, system application of new technologies. Therefore, NRL's SED seeks a broad range of innovative space systems technologies.
NRL is a leader in the development and joint evolution of Operationally Responsive Space systems. NRL's SED supports spiral development of ORS technology by regularly pairing technologies with COCOMs and Services concepts in an operational experimental environment. Therefore, NRL's SED seeks innovative space systems technologies to support this continued ORS capabilities development.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Tunable Electromagnetic Dielectrics -- NRL-WIDE BAA 63-07-08
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of the Navy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is seeking proposals for innovative research leading to new materials, devices, components, and subsystems using field tunable electromagnetic dielectrics such as ferroelectrics, paraelectrics, and multiferroics. The goal of the NRL program is to develop highly frequency tunable materials for use in Navy and other Department of Defense applications. Such materials would be employed in
- highly agile thin and thick films antennae,
- varactors (variable capacitors),
- phase shifters,
- tunable dielectric resonators,
- tunable impedance matching devices, and
- tuned filters.
In addition there is a need for low voltage materials and monolithically integrated tunable analog and radio frequency processing functions with semiconductor based digital signal and waveform processing circuits on a single substrate. These devices, in turn, would be appropriate for use in a number of applications including communication and remote sensing. Ferroelectrics are the most common tunable dielectrics. Unfortunately, although there has been considerable progress in materials development, it is still true that the available ferroelectrics for use in tunable devices have unacceptably high loses and limited tunability. In order for the widespread insertion of devices of the sort enumerated above to take place, new materials with much lower loses and improved tunability will have to be discovered and developed. Furthermore, they will also have to be available or have the potential to become available at much lower cost than is currently the case.
Deadline: December 31, 2008
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYM
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Alcohol Research Education Project Grants (R25)
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) supports research programs to advance understanding of the biological and behavioral processes involved in the development, expression, and consequences of alcoholism and other alcohol-related problems. The institute also supports prevention, treatment, and health services research on alcohol abuse and alcoholism. A part of the NIAAA mission is the dissemination of new knowledge acquired from alcohol research to diverse audiences, including scientists, educators, clinicians, and other health and social service providers, patients and their families, professionals within the criminal justice system, and the general public.
Appropriate activities may include, but are not limited to, the development of courses, programs, curricula, and related materials designed to educate scientists, educators, service providers, and others about scientific advances in the knowledge of alcoholism, alcohol abuse, and alcohol-related problems (e.g., health-related complications with individuals who have diabetes and consume alcohol), and improve science literacy in this area.
Activities and projects should attempt to meet the following criteria:
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to include members of the target health professions audience as consultants or in the planning process.
- Educational intervention innovations and materials should be adoptable and adaptable by educators in health profession training settings other than those where they have been initially pilot tested.
- Educational innovations should address relevance and relatedness to current or emerging standards for education in the target profession.
- Evaluation components must address outcomes and be conducted using appropriate types of research designs, instrumentation, procedures, sampling strategies, and plans for analyses.
- Products developed under this mechanism may be shared with NIAAA for use and dissemination through its website, workshops, trainings, conferences, and presentations.
The proposed research education program may complement other, ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, but the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those research training and research education programs currently receiving federal support. The R25 is not a substitute for an institutional research training program (T32) and cannot be used to circumvent or supplement Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) mechanisms.
Deadline: January 25, 2009
Planning Grant for Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) (G08) - PAR-07-238
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Library of Medicine (NLM)
Integrated advanced information systems (IAIMS) are comprehensive trans-organizational information management structures. In an IAIMS environment, organizations apply proven management practices and appropriate expertise about informatics and information services in order to link and relate the published biomedical knowledge base with clinical, research, educational, and administrative information using computers and networks.
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides IAIMS grants to health-related institutions and organizations that seek assistance for projects to plan, deploy, evaluate, and sustain a comprehensive information environment that supports organizational mission activities. Implementing an IAIMS information environment that crosses organizational and disciplinary boundaries is a complex task. IAIMS is not a grant program for the selection and installation of an electronic health record system or laboratory reporting system or other single-purpose information tool. IAIMS work usually involves integrating an array of commercial products (which may include electronic health record systems or electronic full-text journals) with local systems, resources, and services and Internet-based information to create a single point of access.
Professionals and consumers need ready access to usable, useful, reliable information to guide their decisions and learning. For this reason, NLM's IAIMS grant program has a fundamental area of interest, context-appropriate information. Any IAIMS grant application must focus on this theme. NLM's IAIMS program offers several options for grant support: IAIMS Planning Grants; IAIMS Testing and Evaluation Grants; and IAIMS Operations Grants. This program announcement describes only the IAIMS Planning Grant.
Deadline: January 25, 2009
Metagenomic Analyses of the Oral Microbiome (R01) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), solicits proposals to develop new insight into the role of microbes in human oral health and disease through research on the total oral microbial community (microbiota) using metagenomic approaches built upon recent developments in DNA sequencing, gene assembly, and bioinformatics.
Listed below are examples of studies that would be responsive to this FOA. These are only illustrative examples and are not listed in priority order. Applicants are encouraged to propose other topics consistent with the goals of this funding opportunity. Metagenomics will be used in many oral microbiome research projects, including the following:
- Identification of uncultured bacteria, archaea, bacteriophages, animal viruses, and fungi
- Reconstruction of complete genomes of uncultured microbes
- Construction of metabolic pathways of microbes in the oral ecosystem
- Localization of microbes through the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
- Development of the oral microbial community as humans age from infants to adults
- Role of perturbation of the (normal) oral microbial community (not just the acquisition or expansion of single species) on health
Because of the complexity of such projects, the establishment of collaborative scientific teams, both domestic and international, with diverse scientific disciplines studying polymicrobial diseases, including microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, clinical medicine, pathology, bioengineering, imaging technology, and mathematical modeling is encouraged.
Deadline: February 5, 2009
In Utero Exposure to Bioactive Food Components and Mammary Cancer Risk (R21) (R01)
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
This FOA, issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), is designed to promote research that will enhance the understanding of the relationship between exposures to bioactive food components and/or environmental chemicals in utero, hormonal and growth factor response, gene expression or epigenetic changes, and subsequent mammary cancer risk in preclinical models.
Although much evidence suggests that dietary components are linked to cancer prevention, the specific nutrients, sites of action, and role of exposure in utero remain elusive. Similarly, there are data suggesting a role for environmental agents, such as mycotoxins, heterocyclic amines, and environmental chemicals with endocrine activity in the etiology of mammary cancer, but for which the doses, windows of susceptibility, and mechanisms are unclear. This FOA encourages applications that apply new high-throughput genomic, epigenomic, proteomic, and metabolomic technologies to determine how dietary exposures in utero influence adult breast cancer susceptibility. The resulting information will help define effective maternal dietary intervention strategies for breast cancer prevention in offspring.
Using the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) funding mechanism, this FOA focuses on early and conceptual stages of research projects.
More information (R21) http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-141.html ; (R01) http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-140.html
Deadline: February 16, 2009
Quick-Trials for Imaging and Image-Guided Interventions: Exploratory Grants (R21)
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
This FOA is intended to support clinical trials conducting preliminary evaluation of the safety and efficacy of imaging agents, as well as an assessment of imaging systems, image processing, image-guided therapy, contrast kinetic modeling, and 3-D reconstruction and other quantitative tools.
The rapid translation of promising discoveries in the fields of imaging probes, methodologies, technologies, and image-guided therapies to clinical practice requires timely support. This FOA will provide investigators with support for either pilot (Phase I and II) cancer clinical trials, or patient monitoring and laboratory studies. The imaging and image-guided intervention (IGI) studies, if proven successful in these early clinical trials, can then be validated in larger studies through competitive R01 mechanisms, or through clinical trials in the Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs), Cancer Centers and/or Cooperative Groups.
This FOA may also serve as a direct extension of the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis' (DCTD) Imaging Drug Group (IDG) products. The goal of this FOA is to accelerate peer review and funding for early clinical testing of new agents such as those developed under the IDG program, to ensure the timely development of new diagnostic approaches.
Deadline: April 10, 2009
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis (OPUS) - NSF 08-559
National Science Foundation
Directorate for Biological Sciences
Division of Environmental Biology
Three clusters within the Division of Environmental Biology (the Ecological Biology, Ecosystem Science, and the Population and Evolutionary Processes clusters) encourage the submission of proposals aimed at synthesizing a body of related research projects conducted by a single individual or group of investigators over an extended period. OPUS proposals will often be appropriately submitted in mid-to-late career, but will also be appropriate early enough in a career to produce unique, integrated insight useful both to the scientific community and to the development of the investigator's future work. In cases where multiple scientists have worked collaboratively, an OPUS award will provide support for collaboration on a synthesis. OPUS awards will facilitate critical synthesis, and do so in a way that will acknowledge the prestige of this important component of scientific scholarship.
Deadline: January 09, 2009
Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry - NSF 06-563
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Directorate for Geosciences (GEO)
Division of Earth Sciences (EAR)
The Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry Program supports research on
- the interactions between biological and geological systems at all scales of space and time;
- geomicrobiology and biomineralization processes;
- the role of life in the evolution of the Earth's system;
- inorganic and organic geochemical processes occurring at or near the Earth's surface now and in the past, and at the broad spectrum of interfaces ranging in scale from planetary and regional to mineral-surface and supramolecular;
- mineralogy and chemistry of soils and sediments;
- surficial chemical and biogeochemical systems and cycles and their modification through natural and anthropogenic change; and
- development of tools, methods, and models for low-temperature geochemistry and geobiological research.
The Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry Program facilitates cross-disciplinary efforts to harness new bioanalytical tools - such as those emerging from molecular biology - in the study of the terrestrial environment.
Deadline: January 16, 2009
Geography and Regional Science (GRS) Program
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)
Geography and Regional Sciences
The Geography and Regional Science (GRS) Program sponsors research on the geographic distributions and interactions of human, physical, and biotic systems on the Earth's surface. Investigations are encouraged into the nature, causes, and consequences of human activity and natural environmental processes across a range of scales. Projects on a variety of topics (both domestic and international) qualify for support if they offer promise of contributing to scholarship by enhancing geographical knowledge, concepts, theories, methods, and their application to societal problems and concerns. Support also is provided for projects that explicitly integrate undergraduate and graduate education into the overall research agenda.
Deadline: January 15, 2009
Structural Systems and Hazards Mitigation of Structures (SSHM)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Directorate for Engineering (ENG)
Division of Civil and Mechanical Systems (CMS)
Infrastructure Systems and Hazard Mitigation Cluster
The Structural Systems and Hazards Mitigation of Structures (SSHM) program element focuses on experimental, analytical, and computational research on design and performance enhancement of structural systems. The program supports research on new technologies for improving the behavior and response of structural systems subject to natural hazards; fundamental research on safety and reliability of constructed systems and of indoor environmental conditions; innovative developments in analysis and model based simulation of structural behavior and response including soil-structure interaction; design concepts that improve structure performance and flexibility; and application of new control techniques for structural systems.
Deadline: February 15, 2009
Linguistics
National Science Foundation
Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
Supports scientific research of all types that focus on human language as an object of investigation. The program supports research on the syntactic, semantic, phonetic, and phonological properties of individual languages and of language in general; the psychological processes involved in the use of language; the development of linguistic capacities in children; social and cultural factors in language use, variation, and change; the acoustics of speech and the physiological and psychological processes involved in the production and perception of speech; and the biological bases of language in the brain.
Deadline: January 15, 2009
Perception, Action & Cogniton
National Science Foundation
Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
Supports research on perception, action and cognition including the development of these capacities. Emphasis is on research strongly grounded in theory. Research topics include vision, audition, haptics, attention, memory, reasoning, written and spoken discourse, motor control, and developmental issues in all topic areas. The program encompasses a wide range of theoretical perspectives, such as symbolic computation, connectionism, ecological, nonlinear dynamics, and complex systems, and a variety of methodologies including both experimental studies and modeling. Research involving acquired or developmental deficits is appropriate if the results speak to basic issues of perception, action, and cognition.
Deadline: January 15, 2009
Genes and Genome Systems Cluster
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)
Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)
The Genes and Genome Systems Cluster supports studies on genomes and genetic mechanisms in all organisms, whether prokaryote, eukaryote, phage, or virus. Proposals on the structure, maintenance, expression, transfer, and stability of genetic information in DNA, RNA, and proteins and how those processes are regulated are appropriate. Areas of interest include genome organization, molecular and cellular evolution, replication, recombination, repair, and vertical and lateral transmission of heritable information. Of equal interest are the processes that mediate and regulate gene expression, such as chromatin structure, epigenetic phenomena, transcription, RNA processing, editing and degradation, and translation. The use of innovative in vivo and in vitro approaches, including biochemical, physiological, genetic, genomic, and computational methods, is encouraged, as is research at the interfaces of biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, and engineering. This cluster includes the scientific themes of eukaryotic genetics, microbial genetics, and the biochemistry of gene expression.
Deadline: January 12, 2009
Biomolecular Systems Cluster
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)
Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)
Biomolecular Systems
The Biomolecular Systems Cluster emphasizes the structure, function, dynamics, interactions, and interconversions of biological molecules. The context for such studies can range from investigations of individual macromolecules to the large-scale integration of metabolic and energetic processes. Research supported by this cluster includes development of cutting-edge technologies integrating theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches to the study of biological molecules and their functional complexes; mechanistic studies of the regulation and catalysis of enzymes and RNA, and higher-order characterization of the biochemical processes by which all organisms acquire, transform, and utilize energy from substrates. This cluster emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary research carried out at the interfaces of biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, and engineering.
Deadline: January 12, 2009
Cluster for Cellular Systems
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)
Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)
Cellular Systems
The Cellular Systems Cluster focuses on the structure, function, and regulation of plant, animal, and microbial cells, and their interactions with the environment and with one another. Areas supported include studies of the structure, function, and assembly of cellular elements, such as the cytoskeleton, membranes, organelles, intracellular compartments, intranuclear structures, and extracellular matrix, including eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell walls and envelopes. In addition, support is provided for the study of intracellular and transmembrane signal transduction mechanisms and cell-cell signaling processes, including those that occur in biofilms. Research on cellular recognition and self defense mechanisms is included. Research utilizing both traditional and innovative methodologies, multidisciplinary approaches, technique development, computation and modeling, and approaches that exploit genomic information is encouraged. Multidisciplinary approaches to the study of cellular systems, including research carried out at the interfaces of biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, and engineering, are also encouraged.
Deadline: January 12, 2009
Geomechanics and Geotechnical Systems (GGS)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Directorate for Engineering (ENG)
Division of Civil and Mechanical Systems (CMS)
Infrastructure Systems and Hazard Mitigation Cluster
The Geomechanics and Geotechnical Systems (GGS) program element supports research in geotechnical engineering, foundation engineering, soil and rock mechanics and dynamics, underground construction, and mining engineering. Support is given for research that will increase geotechnical knowledge for foundations, slopes, excavations and other geostructures, including soil and rock improvement technologies and reinforcement systems; constitutive modeling and verification in geomechanics; transferability of laboratory results to field scale; and nondestructive, remote and in-situ evaluation of soil and rock properties.
Deadline: February 15, 2009
GeoMechanics and GeoTechnical Systems (GEOMM)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Directorate for Engineering (ENG)
Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) Division
The GEOMM program supports fundamental research on the mechanics and engineering properties of geologic materials including the mechanical properties of soil and rock, mechanically stabilized and biologically modified soil, and on natural processes, such as hydraulic, biological and thermal, that affect the behavior of these materials. Research on soil-structure interaction and liquefaction are also funded by the program. Support is provided for theoretical studies, constitutive and numerical modeling, and laboratory, centrifuge, and field testing.
Deadline:
- February 15, 2009
- October 1, 2009
Engineering Design and Innovation (EDI)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Directorate for Engineering (ENG)
Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) Division
The EDI program supports research leading to design theory and to tools and methods that enable implementation of the principles of design theory in the practice of design across the full spectrum of engineered products. The program focus is on gaining an understanding of the basic processes and phenomena underlying a holistic, life-cycle view of design. The program funds advances in basic design theory, tools and software to implement design theory, and new design methods that span multiple domains, such as design for the environment and for manufacturability.
Deadline:
- February 15, 2009
- October 1, 2009
OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNTIES
Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Programs
National Academies
Transportation Research Board (TRB)
Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) programs fund research into promising but unproven innovations for highways, transportation safety, and transit. There are two project types: Type 1 projects are concept explorations that demonstrate the validity of unproven concepts, and Type 2 projects develop and test prototypes of proven concepts.
NCHRP Highway IDEA projects foster innovative concepts for highway design and construction, materials, operations, maintenance, and other areas of highway systems.
Transit IDEA projects are selected for their potential to enhance security, increase ridership, and improve efficiency for transit agencies.
Safety IDEA projects promote innovative approaches to reducing fatalities and injuries by improving motor carrier safety and railroad safety.
Deadline: March 1, 2009
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Upcoming Limited Submission Program Internal Deadlines
Get more information on Limited Submission Programs.
Limited Submission Process Changes
The Office of the Vice President for Research announces that the Limited Submission process has been automated. Effective December 10, 2007, submissions will be handled through the OVPR website on the Limited Submissions page.
Virginia Tech researchers interested in participating in the Limited Submission process can now do so electronically. After submitting a Notice of Intent on-line, researchers will automatically be notified about their status in the process. This information will include word that no competition exists and a submission can go forward to the funding agency or that an internal competition must be held and pre-proposals are required. At each stage of the Limited Submission process, researchers will receive e-mails keeping them abreast of various due dates, all in an effort to eliminate confusion and missed communications.
Other policies and procedures for Limited Submissions will remain the same except for those involving Tobacco Commission pre-proposals which have their own rules. Limited submissions will continue to be listed on the OVRP website calendar and in the Opportunity Update. The Limited Subs deadlines will also be available through RSS which can be subscribed to from the Limited Subs web page. If you have questions or problems with the new process, contact Larry Quisenberry at lquisenb@vt.edu
Tagging for Efficient “Filing”
One of the newest features in COS Funding Opportunities, tagging and sharing funding records, can also be one of the most useful — especially to anyone who searches for funding for others. When you find a good opportunity, you can simply track the record to your COS Workbench and tag it with whatever labels suit you. Then just click to sort on a tag and click again to share all records with that tag. (See the October 25 COS Newsletter for more information).
Tagging is becoming a common feature on many social websites, such as del.icio.us, where users share bookmarks, and Flick'r, which allows users to share images, and other sites where users can comment on or share information.
What makes tags different from other labels or keywords is that they are entirely up to the user--there are no preset lists you must choose from. So you can give a record tags that are meaningful to you, even if not to someone else.
If an opportunity is appropriate for the whole neuroscience department, offers a large amount of money, but the application paperwork will be unusually laborious, you might use tags like these: neuro, big-money, ugh.
If another opportunity might be appropriate for Dr. Kyte, Dr. Thompson and Dr. Smith, but will require an internal competition, you might use these tags: Smith, Thompson, Kyte, compet.
There are some guidelines to remember about tags:
- Tags are separated by spaces, so you cannot include a space in your tag
- Tags can include periods (.), underscores (_) and hyphens (-), so you can have multi-part tags by using these symbols. For example, you can tag something with "thompson_primary" but not "thompson primary".
If you haven't already tried tracking, tagging and sharing funding records, go ahead and give it a try. Once you get used to assigning tags and develop your own personal system, I'm sure you will find this an invaluable feature in managing your funding search.