April 2020
Research and Sponsored Programs Update
COVID-19 RESEARCH GUIDANCE
“Business as usual” has a new meaning for us all these days, but we’re pleased to report that our office has been able to maintain regular operations for the most part. Our team is working remotely while remaining safe and providing the services needed to continue supporting faculty/staff in their sponsored activities.

We continue to be impressed by your dedication to your teaching and research efforts during this unprecedented time and recognize that you’re all juggling multiple tasks each day while keeping your families and community safe and healthy. Please don’t hesitate to contact your respective grant manager if you have any questions about upcoming funding opportunities or current sponsor requests.

Thanks for reading our April newsletter, which features recent grant awards, new funding opportunities, faculty highlights, COVID-19 research resources and more. We wish you good health and look forward to connecting virtually with you soon.
APRIL 2020 MONTHLY AWARD REPORT
Ofelia Gamez (CAMP) received a $65,475 award from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools to provide students with information on college preparation through leadership workshops, exposure and motivation activities.

Oscar Vega (Mathematics) received a five-year, $352,749 grant from the National Science Foundation for his project titled, “BAMM!: Bolstering the Advancement of Masters in Mathematics.” Collaborators include colleagues from Cal Poly Pomona and San Francisco State .

Nina Dilbeck ( Family and Consumer Sciences ) received a $250,000 grant from the California Department of Education to provide high quality professional development activities and curriculum resources for new and current FCS teachers, administrators and counselors.

Cory Brooks (Chemistry) received a $19,247 grant from the National Research Council Canada for his project titled, “A Novel Class of Holocephalin Heavy Chain-Only Antibodies.”

Donna DeRoo (CVHPI) received a two-year, $300,000 grant from the Blue Shield of California Foundation for the project titled, “Advancing prevention policy innovation and adoption: The San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium.”

Carol Fry Bohlin (Curriculum and Instruction) received 2019-20 funding from the CSU Chancellor’s Office for the Math and Science Teacher Initiative – MSTI ($220,000) and the Teacher Recruitment Project – TRP ($75,000).
COVID-19: FEDERAL RESOURCES
UPCOMING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
William T. Grant Foundation : Research Grants on Reducing Inequality - LOI Deadline: May 6

NSF Convergence Accelerator: Quantum Technology (Track C) and AI-Driven Innovation via Data and Model Sharing (Track D). Preliminary proposal due May 11.

Russell Sage Foundation - LOI Deadline: May 21




The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation makes grants across various topics such as STEM, economics, higher education, digital technology, and energy and environment. Award types and funding amounts vary. LOIs accepted at any time
CSM VIRTUAL RESEARCH SHOWCASE
The College of Science and Mathematics is hosting the first Virtual Research Showcase (CSMVRS) for their students. Due to COVID-19, many opportunities for CSM students to present their work such as the 41st Annual Central California Research Symposium (CCRS) have been canceled. The Virtual Research Showcase provides CSM researchers with a venue to share their work with students, faculty and the Central Valley. Submissions must be received by May 1, and the CSM Virtual Research Showcase will go live on May 8.
CSU STUDENT RESEARCH COMPETITION
Congratulations to the following Fresno State students who participated in the 34th annual CSU Student Research Competition, which was conducted virtually by CSU East Bay on April 24:





TWEET OF THE MONTH
PROVOST’S AWARDS RECIPIENTS 2019-20
Provost Jiménez-Sandoval has announced the recipients of the Provost’s Awards for the 2019-20 academic year. Many of the following recipients are actively involved in sponsored programs on campus, and we join the Provost in offering our congratulations:

Excellence in Teaching: Dave Goorahoo (Plant Science)

Faculty Service: Helda Pinzon-Perez (Public Health)

Research, Scholarship and Creative Accomplishment: Blain Roberts and Ethan Kytle (History)

Innovation: Beth Weinman (Earth and Environmental Sciences)

Promising New Faculty: Katherine Fobear (Women’s Studies), Vadim Keyser (Philosophy), Zhi Liang (Mechanical Engineering), Matin Pirouz (Computer Science), Tricia Van Laar (Biology), Mariya Yukhymenko (Curriculum and Instruction); Outstanding Lecturer: Kao-Ly Yang (Linguistics)

Special Award for Exemplary Service: Center for Faculty Excellence
COMPLIANCE CORNER
Human Subjects Protection Training is a mandatory training designed to provide basic foundational training to all persons conducting research with human subjects. Since Fresno State already subscribes to Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program , all individuals conducting research with human subjects are able to complete the web-based course titled “Human Subjects Research” free of charge.

Faculty mentors have a responsibility to ensure that their students complete Human Subjects Protection Training before any research projects with human subjects commence. Graduate students, especially, are required to complete Human Subjects Protection Training if their culminating experiences involve humans as study subjects. Departments on campus have Institutional Review Board (IRB) committees dedicated to reviewing research protocols.

These departmental IRB committees (whether established or ad hoc) ensure that IRB applications are complete (i.e., CITI training certificates are included), before approving a research project. Click here for more information.

Also: The Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) has issued guidance regarding ethical practices for the continuation of research involving human subjects during campus and community efforts to limit exposure to the coronavirus.
AROUND CAMPUS
Public health researchers Chia Thao ( Public Health ) and Tania Pacheco-Werner ( Central Valley Health Policy Institute ) were among the panelists at an April 14 forum discussing the health and financial impacts of local farmworkers in light of COVID-19. The webinar, hosted by Zocalo Public Square and The California Wellness Foundation, can be viewed online.

Congratulations to Adam Wallace , special collections and archives specialist in the Special Collections Research Center in the Henry Madden Library , for receiving certification as a digital archives specialist in the class of 2020.

The third College of Social Sciences podcast features Project Rebound and how it's changing the lives of Fresno State students who are formerly incarcerated. Narrated by COSS Dean Michelle DenBeste , the podcast also features outreach coordinator Arnold Trevino , program director Jennifer Leahy and criminology chair Emma Hughes .

The latest edition of #FresnoWriters on the Fresno State MFA blog celebrates the professional accomplishments of students, alumni, and faculty in the Creative Writing Program and the Department of English – including Brynn Saito , Steven Church and Alison Mandaville .
IN THE NEWS
Our office was pleased to participate in the President's Showcase of Excellence , which is being held virtually this year due to COVID-19. Research compliance officer Svetlana Bagdasarov’s poster highlights several resources available for faculty, including the CITI Program.

How Research Funders are Tackling Coronavirus Disruption : As lockdowns force scientists worldwide to put their research on hold, funders are introducing measures to minimize stress ( nature.com ).
Please don't hesitate to contact the grants administrator for your college/unit as you explore potential funding opportunities. Also, be sure to share with us important news or updates on your research, scholarly, or creative activities. Include  NEWSLETTER  in the subject line and send details to  orsp@csufresno.edu

This newsletter is compiled and published by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. Part of the Division of Research and Graduate Studies , RSP helps faculty and staff apply for and secure external grant funds.
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