12/01/2023 Edition 113
----- Division of Research -----
NASA EPSCoR Rapid Response Research (R3)
2024 National NASA EPSCoR Rapid Response Research (R3). Letters of Interest Deadline: Friday, December 8, 2023 5:00pm PT.

The National NASA EPSCoR Program has announced a new solicitation entitled “Rapid Response Research” (R3) program. The goal of this effort is to develop close collaborations among NASA, industry and university faculty to solve specific current NASA research challenges. It is anticipated that approximately 30 research proposals that will not exceed $100,000 each for a one-year project duration will be awarded to address a subset of the NASA topics listed in the National solicitation Appendix 3. Each jurisdiction may submit a total of six proposals, on any of the research topics listed. 

Note: This year, multiple proposals may be submitted to the same topic. To help identify the most relevant six proposals to submit, we are requesting that any NSHE faculty member interested in submitting a proposal first submit a letter of interest. If there are multiple faculty interested in a common topic area, we may request that the faculty consider collaborating on a single proposal. If collaboration is not an option, a panel will review the letters of interest and select the proposal(s) that will be submitted to the National solicitation.

Eligibility: Faculty at NSHE institutions, particularly junior faculty, women, and members of other underrepresented populations are encouraged to apply. Faculty who have a current National NASA EPSCoR Research Collaboration CAN/NOFO or R3 project are not eligible to apply while their project is on-going. 

Funding: The NASA EPSCoR R3 NOFO will provide an award of $100,000 total for a one-year project period with no match requirement, although voluntary matching is allowed under 2 CFR 200 (also see 2 CFR 200.306). The federally negotiated indirect cost recovery (ICR) rate for each NSHE institution must be included in the budget as well as the NSHE EPSCoR/SPO ICR rate.
NSF Mid-Career Advancement (MCA)
NSF Mid-Career Advancement (MCA), NSF 22-603. CFDA #s 47.050, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.083, and 47.084. Proposal Deadline: 03/01/2024.

The MCA program offers an opportunity for scientists and engineers at the mid-career stage (see restrictions under Additional Eligibility Information) to substantively enhance and advance their research program and career trajectory. Mid-career scientists are at a critical career transition stage where they need to advance their research programs to ensure long-term productivity and creativity but are often constrained by service, teaching, or other activities that limit the amount of time devoted to research. MCA support is expected to help lift these constraints to reduce workload inequities and enable a more diverse scientific workforce (more women, persons with disabilities, and individuals from groups that have been underrepresented) at high academic ranks.

The MCA program provides protected time, resources, and the means to gain new skills through synergistic and mutually beneficial partnerships, typically at an institution other than the candidate's home institution. Partners from outside the Principal Investigator's (PI) own sub-discipline or discipline are encouraged, but not required, to enhance interdisciplinary networking and convergence across science and engineering fields. Research projects that envision new insights on existing problems or identify new problems made accessible with cutting-edge methodology or expertise from other fields are encouraged.

A key component of a successful MCA will be the demonstration that the PI's current research program could substantively benefit from the protected time, mentored partnership(s), and resources provided through this program, such that there is a substantial enhancement to the PI's research and career trajectory, enabling scientific and academic advancement not likely without this support.

The MCA is the only cross-directorate NSF program specifically aimed at providing protected time and resources to established scientists and engineers targeted at the mid-career stage. Participating programs in the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), Geosciences (GEO), Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), Education and Human Resources (EHR), and Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) will accept MCA proposals. To help identify the disciplinary program in which the MCA should be reviewed, PIs are urged to investigate the research areas supported by the different directorates and participating programs.

USDA HSI Education Grants Program
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program, USDA-NIFA-HSI-010310. CFDA # 10.223. Up to $450,000 direct costs annually over a maximum of 3 years. Application Deadline: Regular 02/06/2024, Collaboration 02/07/2024, and Conference 02/08/2024.

The purpose of the HSI Education Grants Program is to encourage innovative teaching or education proposals with potential to impact and become models for other institutions that serve underrepresented students at the regional or national level. Projects supported by this program must include/address one or more of the following goals:
  1. Attract and support undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups to prepare them for careers related to the food, agricultural natural resources, and human systems and sciences in the United States.
  2. Enhance the quality of postsecondary instruction within the above disciplines.
  3. Provide opportunities and access to food and agricultural careers in the public, non-profit and private sectors.
  4. Align the efforts of HSIs and other non-profit organizations to support academic development and career attainment of underrepresented groups.

2024 Updates
  1. Inclusion of the requirement for a mentoring plan in applications.
  2. Removal of limitation on number of applications an institution can submit.
  3. Increase of Collaboration Grant maximum award amount from $1,000,000 to $1,200,000.
  4. Increase of Regular Grant financial aid maximum award amount from $25,000 to $40,000.
  5. Addition of Conference DATA Grant subcategory, with total maximum award amount of $100,000.
  6. Added information on Limited English Proficiency.

Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award
Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award, RFA 23-3. Preliminary Application Deadline: 01/26/2024 and Full Application Deadline: 06/14/2024.

This new investigator award supports creative early career investigators, at the Assistant Professor or equivalent level, with outstanding promise who are interested in the health effects of air pollution. Applicants are encouraged to read more about the history of this award, past winners, and ongoing work by currently-funded Rosenblith awardees here.

Request for Applications 23-3 provides up to 3 years of funding to early career investigators for a project relevant to HEI's research interests. 

Scientists of any nationality residing anywhere in the world and holding a PhD, ScD, MD, DVM, DrPH, or equivalent degree are eligible to apply. By the date that full applications are due, the applicant must be appointed at the Assistant Professor (USA), University Lecturer (UK), or equivalent level at an academic or research institution. The applicant cannot have held such a position for more than five years (60 months) by the date that full applications are due.

Holding a tenure-track position is not required. Note that time spent on non-research activities, such as parental or medical leave, may be excluded from the period listed above.

Evidence that the candidate's institution is prepared to make a longer-term commitment to helping the awardee become established as an independent investigator is required as part of the application. Candidates should possess outstanding research potential.

Althea Sheets, Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities Development Manager, Office of Sponsored Programs, [email protected], 702-895-1880