DECEMBER 2019
Research and Sponsored Programs Update
SPOTLIGHT ON CENTERS AND INSTITUTES
As we celebrate the holiday season and inch closer to the start of a new decade, we would like to thank our readers for your continued efforts in support of grants and contract activity at Fresno State . We wish you all a happy holiday season!

This month we’re highlighting Fresno State’s 50-plus Centers and Institutes focused on issues of importance to the Central Valley.

One of the original organizations is the San Joaquin Valley Mathematics Project (SJVMP) , which has provided a supportive professional home for K-12 mathematics teachers in the Central Valley since 1989 under the leadership of Carol Fry Bohlin.

Among the newer organizations is the Transportation Institute, a collaboration between the 15 cities within Fresno County and the Lyles College of Engineering , Craig School of Business and College of Social Sciences . Aly Tawfik , assistant professor of civil engineering, serves as the institute’s founding director.

The impressive list of Fresno State’s Centers and Institutes also includes the Ethics Center, the Central California Center for Health and Human Services and the Center for Creativity and the Arts , which engages the public through innovative art exhibitions, university-wide programming and curricula, and community events.

Each of the organizations listed in our directory represent particular research or service-area expertise, and we look forward to supporting their endeavors in the years to come. 
DECEMBER 2019 MONTHLY AWARD REPORT
Fariborz M. Tehrani, associate professor of structural engineering, is serving as principal investigator from Fresno State in collaboration with Fresno City College and Clemson University on a grant from the National Science Foundation to recruit and retain talented students in the field of engineering.

The Central California Center for Health and Human Services (CCCHHS) received a $15,000 grant from The California Endowment to support deepened understanding, shared analyses and planning for advancing health equity and diversity strategies in rural California counties.

Candace Egan ( Media, Communications & Journalism ) received a $4,823 grant from University of California Cooperative Extension to edit provided footage into a Pump Efficiency video.

The Social Welfare Evaluation, Research and Training (SWERT) Center in collaboration with the California Central Training Academy- Bay Area Academy received a four-year, $2,311,648 grant from the City and County of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency to provide child welfare staff training.

Michelle DenBeste ( College of Social Sciences ) received a $326,302 award for Year 3 of the REACHABLE grant from the U.S. Department of Education . The five-year grant engages Fresno State scholars with local teachers and students around a shared interest in history and civics.
UPCOMING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The U.S. Department of Agriculture: Hispanic-Serving Institutions – Education Grants Program encourages 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. Deadline: January 28, 2020.

The Simons Foundation invites applications for its Targeted Grants in Mathematics and Physical Sciences . The program is intended to support high-risk theoretical mathematics, physics and computer science projects of exceptional promise and scientific importance on a case-by-case basis. Letters of Intent can be submitted anytime.

National Endowment for the Humanities - Digital Humanities Advancement Grants . Supports development and implementation of digital initiatives in all areas of the humanities. Replaces Digital Humanities Startup and Implementation Grants. Choose between Level I (up to $50,000), Level II (up to $100,000), and Level III awards (up to $325,000 with optional match up to $50,000). Deadline: Jan 15, 2020.

The National Science Foundation seeks applications for the Campus Cyberinfrastructure program, which invests in coordinated campus-level networking and cyberinfrastructure improvements, innovation, integration, and engineering for science applications and distributed research projects. Deadline: Jan. 21, 2020.

NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions: The goals of the R15 are to support meritorious research, expose students to research, and strengthen the research environment of the institution. Deadline: Feb. 25, 2020.
COMPLIANCE CORNER
The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) defines research misconduct as, “fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism (commonly known as FFP) in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.”

(a) Fabrication is making up data or results and recording or reporting them.

(b) Falsification is manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.

(c) Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.

(d) Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion.
Among the resources available for researchers to help avoid scientific misconduct: “ The Lab: Avoiding Research Misconduct ” training video.

CLAUDE C. LAVAL AWARD RECIPIENT NAMED
Congratulations to Hovannes Kulhandjian , Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering , who received the 2020 Claude C. Laval Award for Innovative Technology and Research for his project, “Human Detection and Localization in Heavy Smoke with Multi-Sensor Data Fusion combined with Deep Learning.” Special thanks to all of this year's applicants; the review committee noted that the quality of proposals was among the best in the past 20 years.
FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
Congratulations to Maryam Nazari, assistant professor of civil engineering, for receiving the 2019 Outstanding Research Project of the Year Award for her research on “Green Strategies for Design and Construction of Non-Auto Transportation Infrastructure” by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Francisco Section.

The Department of Social Work , led by Marcus Crawford and Dheeshana Jayasundara , organized a group of 15 social work students to attend the International Consortium for Social Development Conference in Indonesia where each student presented their research and/or project.

Mechanized agriculture faculty John Williams won the San Joaquin Region Teacher of Excellence Award at the California Agricultural Teachers Association region meeting.

Literacy, Early, Bilingual and Special Education assistant professor Juliet Wahleithner was profiled on the CSU website about her work with the First-Year Experience program. 
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Grant Proposal Workshops: Register now for our spring series of grant workshops, which runs from Jan. 14-30 and includes our most popular offering, Getting Started with Grants or Contracts. Other workshops cover topics on everything from budget development to compliance to research data sharing. All sessions are held in Thomas Administration, Room 117.

Grant Proposal Certificate Program: All tenured and tenure-track faculty are invited to participate in the Grant Proposal Certificate Program . Now in its third year, the program is designed to encourage grant activity and includes attendance at various proposal workshops and individual meetings with RSP grant managers. Certificate recipients receive a Kennel Bookstore gift card during the year-end award ceremony.
AROUND CAMPUS
Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro and University of Wuppertal (Germany) President Lambert T. Koch signed a memorandum of understanding on Nov. 13 committing to explore international joint education and research programs in transportation engineering over the next five years . Aly Tawfik, an associate professor of civil engineering and founding director of the Fresno State Transportation Institute , will lead the efforts along with other faculty and student researchers.

The Valley Industry Partnership (VIP) for Cooperative Education Program celebrated a 20-year partnership this month between the Central Valley manufacturing industry and the Lyles College of Engineering . Industry members, local dignitaries and Fresno State faculty and staff joined the celebration held in the Table Mountain Reading Room.
TWEET OF THE MONTH
STUDENT RESEARCH
The Call for Abstracts for the 41st Central California Research Symposium is now available online. The Symposium will be held at the Madden Library on Weds., April 15, 2020, and all fields of research are considered for presentation to exchange further ideas among investigators and the general public. Abstracts are due Feb. 21, 2020.
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  [email protected]

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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