Prepping for RII-NEST

Newsletter - October 2024

The latest news & opportunities from RI NSF EPSCoR

RI EPSCoR website revamped info on new funding opportunities, strategic plan process

In August, the U.S. National Science Foundation awarded the state $8 million to establish the Rhode Island Inclusive Network of Excellence in Science and Technology. RII-NEST is a partnership between URI, the Narragansett Indian Tribe, Brown University, the Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, Rhode Island School of Design, and Roger Williams University to bolster the state’s research competitiveness, as well as support societal and economic growth.

The RII-NEST leadership team is currently developing the project's strategic plan with partners across the state, targeting a January submission for approval by NSF. Check out our newly revamped website to learn more about RI NSF EPSCoR's current initiatives, as well as impact of past efforts. You may also learn more about NSF's larger vision for EPSCoR states like Rhode Island.

Inside The Current

Five Years on Narragansett Bay

The Rhode Island Consortium for Coastal Ecology Assessment, Innovation and Modeling, familiarly known as RI C-AIM, brought together experts and growing professionals from eight institutions across the state with a mission to observe how life around Narragansett Bay (left, a Vis-a-Thon project by Kevin Rosa), including humans, is and will be impacted as the world copes with issues such as global warming, pollution and sea level rise. READ MORE

Marine Worlds via Videography

2024 SURF Sydney Barnett joined peers Seton Smith and Owen Goba this past summer to capture the behind-the-scenes story of tracking deep sea fish via creatively engineered videography instruments. READ MORE

2024 SURFs Owen and Seton deploy their BRUVS instrument on Narragansett Bay.

Upcoming Opportunities

EPSCoR Live! EPSCoR Research Fellows

Wednesday, November 13, 4-5pm ET

EPSCoR Live! is a virtual series for researchers, educators, others involved in research to learn more about the latest programs and news around EPSCoR.

In this session, Drs. Chinonye Whitley, Hongmei Luo, Lisa Cliggett, and colleagues, will discuss the EPSCoR Research Fellows opportunity, which aims to transform the career trajectories of non-tenured and tenured investigators through extended visits to private, government, or academic institutions.

EPSCoR Program Officers will also facilitate a Q&A session related to this funding opportunity. LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Multi-use Experiences in RI Blue Economy

Thursday, Nov. 14, 1pm ET

The increasing utilization of Rhode Island's coastal waters for activities such as fishing, recreation, renewable energy, and transportation poses new challenges for the shared use of limited space and resources.

URI's David Bidwell and Tiffany Smythe, and Di Jin from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, will present recent findings on these multi-use experiences, as well as discuss future opportunities.

This free virtual webinar is part of Rhode Island Sea Grant’s annual Coastal State Discussion Series. REGISTER & LEARN MORE

Climate & Environment Science Fellowship for Local Journalism @Metcalf

Applications due Monday, Nov. 18

The Climate and Environment Science Fellowship for Local Journalism is a new initiative designed to support local newsrooms in their efforts to report on the science of climate and environmental change. Importantly, this fellowship focuses on local newsrooms — not individuals — and their specific challenges in reporting on these issues for their communities. The first cohort for the fellowship will first focus on 10 selected newsrooms in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. LEARN MORE

Now Hiring: Research Admin Coordinator @RIC

The Research Administration Collaborative Coordinator at Rhode Island College will have the chance to provide critical leadership in the Office of Sponsored Program and for the wider campus. RIC is experiencing new energy and momentum, fueled by a dynamic new president, a fresh leadership team, and a bold new strategic plan. Reporting to the director of Sponsored Programs, the coordinator will lead the implementation of our grant activities under the NSF-funded GRANTED program. A resume and cover letter are required to apply. LEARN MORE

The News

EPSCoR-supported students named Knauss Fellows

Two past RI EPSCoR students, Diana Fontaine and Asta Habtemichael (right), are among 88 nationally who have been awarded John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowships through the National Sea Grant College Program.

Diana and Asta are both recent Ph.D. graduates from URI's Graduate School of Oceanography. Asta is also a past Vis-a-Thon participant, while Diana has been a regular contributor to OceanBites, a national blog run by students on the latest research in oceanography. Congrats! READ MORE

Where did all the plankton go?

RI EPSCoR community members Tatiana Rynearson, professor of oceanography at URI, and Tricia Thibodeau, a past RI EPSCoR post-doc and now asst. professor at the University of New England, recently spoke with The Public Radio's Possibly podcast about the changing populations of an important species in Narragansett Bay: Plankton. LISTEN

Uchida leading three-state EPSCoR grant on coastal resilience

The Risks, Impacts, & Strategies for Coastal Communities (RISCC) project, led by URI's Emi Uchida, brings together researchers and communities from three EPSCoR states, Delaware, Rhode Island, and South Carolina, which hold some of the lowest-lying areas in the country. The overarching goal? Empower disproportionately affected communities to adapt and support long-term climate resilience. LEARN MORE

Emi Uchida, a long-time RI EPSCoR investigator, is chair of Environmental & Natural Resource Economics at URI.

The expedition logo, designed by RISD Nature Lab's Georgia Rhodes. The team will be away for nearly two months conducting research.

RI EPSCoR investigators journey to the Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean is key to understanding how the Earth’s climate system regulates atmospheric CO2. Led by RI EPSCoR investigator and URI GSO's Rebecca Robinson, the team of faculty and students will work to provide insight into nutrient cycling and climate interactions from past glacial periods to today. RISD Nature Lab tech and Vis-a-Thon co-organizer Georgia Rhodes is accompanying the team to support efforts in art and visualization. Good luck! READ MORE

Don't Forget!

NSF Deadlines: Be sure to consult upcoming funding/project due dates for faculty and students alike from the National Science Foundation through their web portal.

Newsletter Archive: Looking for info from a past RI NSF EPSCOR newsletter? Check out our archived newsletter page!

Rhode Island EPSCoR is funded by the National Science Foundation under EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Award #OIA-1655221 . Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

For more information about RI NSF EPSCoR, contact Communications Coordinator Shaun Kirby at 401-874-6888 or skirby@uri.edu