01/20/2023 Edition 83
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DOE IP-RENEW
DOE Isotope R&D and Production-Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (DOE IP-RENEW) DE-FOA-00029285. CFDA #81.049. $100,000 - $1,000,000 per year for a project period of five years. Pre-Application Due: 02/21/23 and Application Due: 03/31/23

Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) aims to build foundations for Office of Science (SC) research and training at institutions historically underrepresented in the SC research portfolio. RENEW leverages SC’s unique national laboratories, user facilities, and other research infrastructures to provide undergraduate and graduate training opportunities for students and academic institutions not currently well represented in the U.S. science and technology (S&T) ecosystem. The hands-on experiences gained through RENEW will open new career avenues for participants, forming a nucleus for a future pool of talented young scientists, engineers, and technicians with the critical skills and expertise needed for the full breadth of SC research activities. Principal Investigators (PIs), key personnel, and students and postdocs of RENEW awards will be invited to participate in Isotope R&D and Production (DOE Isotope Program or DOE IP) researcher meetings and/or SC-wide professional development and collaborator events.

As a part of the RENEW initiative, DOE IP hereby announces its interest in receiving applications from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) seeking to participate in a training, research, and development program related to the mission space of DOE IP. Successful applications will incorporate isotope science and technology relevant coursework for undergraduate and/or graduate students, as well as research and/or isotope production experiences at DOE IP supported isotope production sites to expose students to potential career paths and foster the development and training of the next generation of workforce in isotope related science. Awards are envisioned to be led by an MSI and include a minimum of one DOE IP isotope production site as a subaward recipient, acting as a resource in training, research, and development efforts. Successful applicants will describe activities including student recruitment, development of collaborative networks in support of trainee experiences, organization of virtual and/or in-person workshops and meetings for trainees and mentors, establishing peer support groups for students, training for mentors, and trainee career advancement assistance.

DOE NP-RENEW
DOE Nuclear Physics-Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (NP-RENEW) DE-FOA-0002939. CFDA #81.049. $10,000 - $500,000 per year for a project period of two to five years. Pre-Application Due: 02/20/23 and Application Due: 04/17/23

Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) aims to build foundations for Office of Science (SC) research and training at institutions historically underrepresented in the SC research portfolio. RENEW leverages SC’s unique national laboratories, user facilities, and other research infrastructures to provide undergraduate and graduate training opportunities for students and academic institutions not currently well represented in the U.S. science and technology ecosystem. The hands-on experiences gained through RENEW will open new career avenues for participants, forming a nucleus for a future pool of talented young scientists, engineers, and technicians with the critical skills and expertise needed for the full breadth of SC research activities. PIs, key personnel, and students and postdocs of RENEW awards will be invited to participate in NP researcher meetings and/or SC-wide professional development and collaborator events.

The NP program hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for the RENEW initiative. In FY 2021, NP initiated a Traineeship program aimed at reducing barriers to broader workforce diversity, with emphasis on proposals that leveraged potential workforce at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This FOA will continue to include traineeships, which come with financial support and stipends for the trainees. Previous traineeships have offered networking opportunities and mentoring support to foster a strong sense of science identity among participants and expand awareness of career opportunities.

DOE Research on GPS Collaborative Research
DOE Research on General Plasma Science Collaborative Research Facilities DE-FOA-0002890. CFDA #81.049. $20,000 - $100,000 per year for a project period of one year (an additional year may be considered for a larger research scope with sufficient justification). Letters of Intent Due: 02/27/23 and Application Due: 03/27/23

The DOE SC program in Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) hereby announces its interest in receiving new applications from U.S. researchers to carry out frontier plasma science research on one or more of the FES General Plasma Science (GPS) Program supported collaborative research facilities (CRFs). These include the Big Red Ball (BRB) and Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) experiments at the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory (WiPPL) at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the Large Plasma Device (LAPD) in the Basic Plasma Science Facility (BaPSF) at the University of California – Los Angeles, the DIII-D Frontier Science Campaign at General Atomics, the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX) at the Magnetized Plasma Research Laboratory (MPRL) at Auburn University, and the low-temperature Plasma Research Facility (PRF) at Sandia National Laboratories and Princeton Collaborative Research Facility (PCRF) at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

The objective of this FOA is to support one-time, new, short-term, small level of “seed” funding for external collaborations with the GPS Program supported CRFs and increase participation and productivity of these facilities. The FOA aims to provide an opportunity to potential external collaborators or users of these facilities to acquire experience and preliminary data; carry out data analysis and/or validation resulting in some publication; and transition to a full three-year research program available through other announcements. Typical project period should be one year; an additional year may be requested with sufficient justification when the proposed work involves a larger research scope. Typical budget may include travel support as well as participation and data analysis support for students and postdocs. On a limited basis, a small level of support (no more than two weeks in a budget period) may be requested for the PI serving as a supervisor or mentor. New applications are encouraged from first-time external collaborators or users, historically underrepresented communities, minority serving institutions (MSIs), primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), early career researchers, etc. For more information, see NASEM Plasma 2020 Decadal Survey, Community Planning Processes (CPP) Report 2019-2020, and FESAC Long Range Strategic Plan 2020.

NSF STEM Ed OPRF

The Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (STEM Ed PRF) Program funds postdoctoral fellowship projects designed to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of STEM Education research by recent doctoral graduates in STEM, STEM Education, Education, and related disciplines This solicitation supports organizational postdoctoral fellowship projects; a companion solicitation (STEM Ed IPRF) supports individual postdoctoral fellowship awards. The Program is designed to broaden the pool of researchers who can advance knowledge regarding STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM workforce development. Principal Investigators who are women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and from groups underrepresented in STEM, or who have attended community colleges and minority-serving institutions (e.g. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Alaska Native Serving Institutions, and Hawaiian Native and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions) are especially encouraged to apply.

STEM Ed OPRF awards provide support to organizations as they develop a STEM education postdoctoral research fellowship project and support a cohort of fellows. The program should enable fellows to engage in ongoing research, to develop independent research, and to implement an independent professional development plan under the guidance of a sponsoring researcher. Fellows are expected to devote themselves full time to the fellowship activities for the duration of the fellowship.

Althea Sheets, Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities Development Manager, Office of Sponsored Programs, althea.sheets@unlv.edu, 702-895-1880