05/20/2022 Edition 62
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DEPSCoR Research Collaboration
$200,000 per year for three (3) years. White Paper Deadline (required): 09/19/2022 and Full Proposal Deadline: 02/21/2023

This funding opportunity aims to create basic research collaborations between a pair of researchers, namely 1) Applicant/Principal Investigator (PI), henceforth referred to as Applicant, a full-time faculty member who has never served as a PI on a prior DoD directly funded research Prime award and 2) Collaborator/co-Principal Investigator (co-PI), henceforth referred to as Collaborator, an investigator who will provide mentorship to the Applicant and has served as a PI on a DoD directly funded research Prime award actively between 1 October 2015 and 30 September 2022. This structure is aimed at introducing potential applicants to the DoD’s unique research challenges and its supportive research ecosystem.

DEPSCoR FOA Webinar
The DoD will be hosting a virtual DEPSCoR Webinar on June 22nd from 1:00pm-3:00pm EDT. The DEPSCoR Webinar will include overviews of the funding opportunities Research Collaboration (FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-2022-0006) and Capacity Building (FOA-AFRL-AFOSR-2022-0007). Participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions about the funding opportunities during the webinar. To participate in the DEPSCoR Webinar, you must REGISTER no later than 5:00pm EDT on June 21st.
DOE Traineeship
DOE Traineeship in Computational High Energy Physics, DE-FOA-0002743 CFDA #81.049. $200,000 to $5,000,000. Deadline to Apply: 06/30/2022

The DOE SC program in High Energy Physics (HEP) announces its interest in receiving applications for the DOE Traineeship in Computational HEP, which will provide support to train the next generation of scientists and researchers in this field. Up to two cooperative agreements may be awarded to provide funding to universities or teams of universities to support tuition, stipend, and travel costs for students enrolled in specific academic programs aimed at training graduate students in software and computing for particle physics and related fields, and to provide modest support for curriculum development and program administration. Award terms are expected to be up to five years, with the possibility of renewal for a second term. This program does not support dedicated research efforts to develop new software or computing technologies related to HEP-supported research; such efforts are supported through the Computational HEP subprogram.

New NSF Engines Program

The NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program is a bold new initiative, committed to creating regional-scale, technology-driven innovation ecosystems throughout every region of the United States, accelerating emerging technologies, driving economic growth, addressing key societal challenges, and maintaining national competitiveness.

The NSF Engines program aims to fund regional coalitions of partnering organizations to establish NSF Engines that will catalyze technology and science-based regional innovation ecosystems. Each Engine must focus on addressing specific aspects of a major societal and/or economic challenge that are of significant interest in the Engine’s defined “region of service,” where such a region could range from a metropolitan area (including its adjacent rural regions) to an area spanning parts of several states. The mission of an Engine must be clearly rooted in regional interests and the development of regional talent. The emphasis on “regions” expresses NSF’s aim to stimulate innovation-driven economic growth within a particular region of service. The NSF Engines program is particularly interested in creating new business and economic growth in those regions of America that have not fully participated in the technology boom of the past several decades.

NSF will fund Engines to carry out an integrated and comprehensive set of activities spanning use-inspired research, translation-to-practice, entrepreneurship, and workforce development to nurture and accelerate regional industries. Engines must also work to bring together an inclusive and diverse network of partners and stakeholders who will participate in the regional innovation ecosystem. With the goal of advancing emerging industries and creating societal and economic value, NSF Engines will emphasize research that meaningfully engages the consumers of research outcomes in motivating that research as well as in the subsequent prototyping and piloting of research-based solutions (i.e., co-design and co-creation), the translation of research results to practice, entrepreneurship, and direct economic growth.

Anticipated Award Type: All award Types will be Cooperative Agreements.

Type-1 Awards
  • Purpose: Type-1 awards are development awards intended to enable awardees to lay the groundwork for submitting a successful Type-2 proposal to launch a full-scale NSF Engine. Type-1 awardees will need to re-apply independently for a Type-2 award. However, receiving a Type-1 award is not a pre-requisite to apply for a Type-2 award.
  • Anticipated Number of Awards: The NSF Engines program anticipates making up to 50 Type-1 awards. The actual number of awards made will be dependent upon the quality of the proposals received and availability of funding.
  • Duration and Award Amount: The duration of a Type-1 award is up to 24 months and the maximum proposed budget for each Type-1 award must not exceed $1,000,000.
  • Type-1 and Type-2 Concept Outlines: Due June 30, 2022 *See Q&A below.
  • Type-1 Letters of Intent: Due August 31, 2022
  • Type-1 Full Proposals: Due September 29, 2022

Type-2 Awards
  • Purpose: Type-2 awards are for regions and proposing teams that are prepared to launch an NSF Engine by the expected award date. Applicants are encouraged to review the BAA for guidance on determining the appropriate proposal type for your region.
  • Anticipated Number of Awards: The NSF Engines program anticipates making five Type-2 awards through this funding opportunity. The actual number of awards made will be dependent upon the quality of the proposals received and available funding.
  • Duration and Award Amount: Type-2 awards are up to $160M over a period of up to 10 years, spanning distinct phases.
  • Type-2 Letters of Intent: Due in FY 2023 at a date to be announced.
  • Type-2 Full Proposals: Due in FY 2023 at a date to be announced.

Q&A
Q: Is there a limit on the number of concept outlines a lead organization can submit?
A: No. There is no limit on the number of concept outlines an organization may submit, as lead or on which an organization may be listed as a partner organization. NSF will only accept Letter of Intent and review Full Proposals submitted by applicants whose Concept Outlines have been approved by NSF.

Per OSP - Please inform OSP if your Concept Outline is approved by NSF. If multiple Concept Outlines are approved by NSF to move forward, OSP will implement a limited submission process at that time, as this funding opportunity only allows one (1) LOI and Full Proposal submission. Please work with your OSP Pre Award Research Administrator for Concept Outline submission details.

Per NSF - Proposers must recognize the mission of the NSF Engines Program goes well beyond establishing large-scale research centers (e.g., NSF Engineering Research Centers or Science and Technology Centers). NSF strongly encourages proposers hoping to serve as the lead organization to consider that any funded NSF Engine will be charged with catalyzing an innovation ecosystem for its defined region of service. This region of service could span a large metropolitan area, including surrounding rural areas to multiple adjacent states. Broadly, an NSF Engine must develop a comprehensive ecosystem of collaborative partners (e.g., across government, industry, non-profits, small business, entrepreneurs, and higher education), drive use-inspired research motivated by region and national interests, stimulate translation of research to practice, and actively support regional workforce development for the chosen topic area. Given the scale and scope of an NSF Engine, NSF strongly recommends that organizations looking to lead an NSF Engine promptly begin to carefully evaluate regional needs and strengths, including but not limited to determining the topic area(s) of focus, identifying prospective industry and community partners, and developing the use-inspired research themes. It should be noted that a topic area may demand the inclusion of several research themes. 

Webinars
The NSF Engines program will conduct multiple events to provide information to potential proposers on the objectives of this BAA and to promote teaming and coalition-building. Information on the dates, times, and registration will be posted on the program website below, when available. https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/regional-innovation-engines

Federal
View current federal funding opportunities (pdf) 05/20/2022 curated by our Van Scoyoc partnership.
Foundation
The Office of Sponsored Programs will be the submitting authorized official for these announcements. We strongly encourage Principal Investigators to utilize the UNLV Corporate & Foundation Relations assistance with the preparation of any narrative portions of the proposal(s). 
Lung Cancer Research Foundation invites proposals for Minority Career Development Award - Up to $150,000 over two years to support early-stage scientists from underrepresented groups working in lung cancer and diverse areas of research. Applications due May 27, 2022
WES Foundation invites applications for Innovative Leukemia Research - Up to $50,000 will be awarded to new and established investigators for laboratory, translational, or clinical research related to acute leukemia. Applications due June 1, 2022
Foundation for Physical Therapy Research invites applications for Research to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Interventions - Grants of $100,000 over up to two years will be awarded in support of research projects dedicated to evaluating the effectiveness of interventions most commonly delivered by physical therapists. Letters of Intent due June 1, 2022
Genentech, Genentech Foundation invite proposals for Health Equity, Diversity in STEM - Up to $750,000 over 18 to 36 months to support the major priorities of health equity and workforce diversity. Initial applications due June 10, 2022
American Board of Sleep Medicine now accepting applications for its Junior Faculty Grant - Up to $100,000 over two years to support early career physician scientists with faculty appointments who are committed to academic careers and focusing their research in basic, translational, clinical or population sleep and circadian science. Applications due June 13, 2022
Althea Sheets, Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities Development Manager, Office of Sponsored Programs, [email protected], 702-895-1880