UCR Research and
Economic Development Newsletter: December 21, 2014
Michael Pazzani
Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development
Back Issues of Newsletter: http://research.ucr.edu/vcr/newsletters.aspx
Grant Opportunity Search: http://pivot.cos.com
·
US
Department of Education GAANN grants
·
New
NIH Biographical Sketch Format Required Starting January 25, 2015
·
NSF
and NIH SBIR/STTR Workshop Dec 5
·
Stony
Brook Cluster Hiring: Cyber-security as part of the new National Security
Institute
·
Purdue
University: Cluster Hire in K-12 Integrated STEM Teacher Education
·
University
of Kansas: Assistant/Associate Professor of Haitian Languages/Caribbean
Studies
·
Virginia
Tech: FOOD SYSTEMS AND HEALTH
The Keck Foundation offers the
opportunity to discuss potential proposals with universities before full
proposals are submitted. They foundation allows each university to submit one
medical research and one science or engineering proposals (see http://www.wmkeck.org/grant-programs/grant-programs.html for details) If you are interested in applying to
Keck for the upcoming submission, please contact Helen Magid helen.magid@ucr.edu as soon as possible. An abstract of less than one
page will help focus the conversation and is needed by January 10.
An ideal abstract might a disruptive proposal that you haven’t submitted to a
federal agency because it’s too early or one that was declined by a federal
agency with reviews that indicated that the research is extremely innovative
and exciting and would have a large impact, but is too risky due to the lack of
preliminary data.
In my experience, the most common
reasons that proposals are rejected by Keck is that they are not ambitious
enough, i.e., an incremental advance over the state of the art vs. creating a
new paradigm.
Funding is awarded for projects in
medicine, science and engineering for research that:
- Focuses on important and
emerging areas of research
- Has the potential to
develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation or methodologies
- Is innovative,
distinctive and interdisciplinary
- Demonstrates a high
level of risk due to unconventional approaches, or by challenging the
prevailing paradigm
- Has the potential for transformative
impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, the enabling of
observations not previously possible or the altered perception of a
previously intractable problem
- Falls outside the
mission of public funding agencies
- Demonstrates that
private philanthropy generally, and the W. M. Keck Foundation in
particular, is essential to the project’s success. For example, they
don’t fund the type of research that the Gates Foundation funds.
US Department of Education GAANN
grants
Soon, the U.S. Department of Education is expected to release its next GAANN (Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need) solicitation. The grant provides fellowships for 4-7 Ph.D. students per Ph.D. program. Each year, the department determines which areas of national need. In general, engineering, physical sciences and life sciences are always included in the list. However, recent legislation is likely to expand this to include Ph.D.’s in Education, Humanities and Social Science.
GAANN proposals include a great deal of pro forma material, including the Evaluation section, letters of support and cost sharing, and budgets, which Research and Economic Development will supply to each applicant.
The challenge of the GAANN is to maximize points in every section and receive a score as close as possible to 100. Typically, one needs a score of 96 or higher to be funded. Last year, proposals with higher scores (>97) received more fellowships than those that just made the pay line.
When the call for proposals comes out, we’ll immediately notify graduate programs. However, GAANN often gives less than 45 days to apply, so it pays to start thinking about this now.
New NIH Biographical Sketch Format
Required starting January 25, 2015
(from Mitch Boretz) NIH is implementing a new biographical sketch format as of January 25, 2015. Proposals due before then can use the old format or the new; proposals after January 25 must use the new format. The guidelines for the new format are at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-15-024.html. You can get a template and example of the new bio format at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm#format.
Below are the new guidelines. You now can include links to things like videos or animations showing results of your work, or even TV items about you. If you use MyBibliography or SciENcv, you are allowed to provide a link to a list of ALL of your publications.
New Biographical Sketch Format Required for NIH and AHRQ
Grant Applications Submitted for Due Dates on or After January 25, 2015
Notice Number: NOT-OD-15-024
Key Dates Release Date: November 26, 2014
Related Announcements: NOT-OD-15-032 supersedes this notice. NOT-OD-14-091
Issued by: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Purpose: This Notice confirms that NIH and AHRQ will require use of a new biosketch format in applications for research grants submitted for due dates on or after January 25, 2015. Between now and that time, applicants will have the choice of using the old or new biosketch format.
Background: The transition to the new biosketch format follows a Request for Information and a series of pilot Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) using the new format over the last year. Input from the pilots suggests that the instructions for the new forms were clear and that a majority of the applicants and reviewers felt that the new format would be helpful in describing the past experience and qualifications of researchers.
New Format: The revised forms and instructions are now available on the SF 424 (R&R) Forms and Applications page. The new format extends the page limit from four to five pages, and allows researchers to describe up to five of their most significant contributions to science, along with the historical background that framed their research. Investigators can outline the central findings of prior work and the influence of those findings on the investigator’s field. Investigators involved in Team Science are provided the opportunity to describe their specific role(s) in the work. Each description can be accompanied by a listing of up to four relevant peer-reviewed publications or other non-publication research products, including audio or video products; patents; data and research materials; databases; educational aids or curricula; instruments or equipment; models; protocols; and software or netware that are relevant to the described contribution. In addition to the descriptions of specific contributions and documentation, researchers will be allowed to include a link to a full list of their published work as found in a publicly available digital database such as MyBibliography or SciENcv .
Tool to Help Build the New Biosketch: The Science Experts Network (SciENcv), which serves as an interagency system designed to create biosketches for multiple federal agencies, will be updated and available within a few weeks to support the new biosketch format. SciENcv pulls information from available resources making it easy to develop a repository of information that can be readily updated and modified to prepare future biosketches. A YouTube video provides instructions for using SciENcv.
Inquiries Please direct all inquiries to: Grants Information Office of Extramural Research (OER) National Institutes of Health (NIH) Phone: 301-435-0714 Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov
NSF and NIH SBIR Workshop
December 5th
UCR hosted a workshop on the NSF and NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs on Dec 5, 2014. It featured talks by an NSF program director, a local entrepreneur involved with the SBIR program, and a panel of UCR faculty who have been involved in these grants. Below are links to the speaker presentations
Steven Konsek: Overview of SBIR/STTR at National Science Foundation (presentation here: http://research.ucr.edu/webdocs/vcr/misc/SBIR-STTR__NSF_Webinar_5Dec2014_Konsek.pdf)
Molly Schmid: Overview of NIH SBIR/STTR programs (presentation here: http://research.ucr.edu/webdocs/vcr/misc/SBIR-STTR_NIH_UCR_5Dec2014.pdf)
The next four items are job ads from other universities. The goal is not to encourage UCR faculty to apply for these jobs, nor to serve as specific ideas for cluster hiring at UCR, but rather to serve as examples of the goals and ambitions behind cluster hiring.
Multiple Faculty Positions in the National Security Institute (NSI).
Stony Brook University, the flagship state university of New York, is establishing the National Security Institute (NSI). The NSI vision and its core mission are bold: to secure our homeland by researching and developing technologies and insights for secure, trustworthy, and available communications and computing platforms. NSI's goal is to become a world leader in research, the education of professionals, security technology, business and policy, and raising awareness. NSI will span multiple disciplines and establish public-private partnerships to develop new holistic socio-technological solutions for securing our highly-digital societies; it will engage not only in research but also in the education of professionals in defense, national and cyber-security, assurance, healthcare, and policy. A comprehensive assurance education program will be established, to train not only Stony Brook students but also the broader corporate and academic community. NSI will leverage the team's strengths to spawn a steady stream of successful security-centric technology startups.
NSI is part of a bold new initiative, undertaken as part of the New York SUNY 2020 vision plan, to hire more than 250 faculty members at Stony Brook to expand teaching and research in emerging fields of study that cut across traditional boundaries of academic disciplines. During the next few years, NSI will recruit a total of six new faculty members whose research interests span a wide spectrum of areas, including Computing Hardware Security, Cloud Computing and Distributed Systems Security, Health Technologies Security, Security and Privacy in Online Social Networks, Big Data Security and Privacy, and Regulatory Compliance and Policy among others.
Academic appointments for cluster faculty will be based on their areas of research and will be hosted as appropriate, in the Departments of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Psychology, Applied Math, the College of Business and the School of Health Technology and Management. A number of these positions will be joint appointments.
Currently we seek multiple tenure-track faculty members at the junior or senior level to begin in the Fall of 2014. Exceptionally qualified candidates in all areas of cyber security are invited to apply. In this round of recruitment, applications from candidates with expertise in Computing Hardware Security, Cloud Computing and Distributed Systems Security, Health Technology Security, Security and Privacy in Online Social Networks, Big Data Security and Privacy, and Regulatory Compliance and Policy are particularly encouraged.
Purdue
University: Cluster Hire in K-12 Integrated STEM Teacher Education
POSITION: Purdue University is transforming its STEM teacher education as it exists today—from a model of instruction in demarcated subject areas to a model in which teachers learn to integrate scientific inquiry, engineering and technological design, and mathematical thinking and reasoning as pedagogical approaches to STEM instruction. To this end, the Colleges of Education, Science, Engineering, and Agriculture at Purdue University invite applications for three full-time, tenure-track, jointly appointed positions at the level of assistant, associate, or full professor to join the new K-12 Integrated STEM Teacher Education Initiative. Specifically, we are seeking dynamic, innovative, and collaboration-oriented applicants for:
•
One
position in Physics Education: Joint appointment in the College of Education (Department
of Curriculum and Instruction) and the College of Science (Department of
Physics and Astronomy). The majority appointment/tenure home and minority
appointment will be determined based on the interest and credentials of the
candidate. If applicant’s PhD is in an education-related field, then a minimum
of a Master’s degree in physics is preferred.
•
One
position in Engineering Education: Majority appointment/tenure home in the
College of Engineering (School of Engineering Education) and a minority appointment
in the College of Education (Department of Curriculum and Instruction); a PhD
in engineering or education with at least one degree in engineering or closely
related field is required for this position.
•
One
position in Agricultural Education: This position is a majority appointment in
the College of Agriculture (Department of Youth Development and Agricultural
Education); Minority appointment in the College of Education (Department of
Curriculum and Instruction); a PhD in education with one degree or professional
experiences in agriculture, food or environmental sciences, or closely related
STEM field is required for this position. The integrated STEM initiative at
Purdue is focused squarely on the teaching and learning of science and
mathematics through the integration of engineering and technological design.
Successful candidates will be expected to make a strong contribution to
advancing the integrated K-12 STEM teacher education initiative; build
collaborative relationships with colleagues in the cluster hire and related
disciplines; and provide leadership for ongoing efforts to transform K-12
teacher preparation in STEM disciplines.
Purdue University is an ADVANCE institution, and the Colleges of Education, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Agriculture are committed to advancing diversity in all areas of faculty effort, including research, teaching, and engagement.
University of Kansas:
Assistant/Associate Professor of Haitian Languages/Caribbean Studies
The University of Kansas African & African-American Studies Department
invites candidates to apply for a tenure-track faculty position at the
Assistant or Associate Professor level. The area of specialization is open, but
special consideration will be given to applicants who can teach Haitian Creole
and who have professional knowledge of global Haitian communities and
Afro-Caribbean history and culture. The successful candidate will
demonstrate evidence of excellence in teaching, research, and service.
The candidate selected may also lead our Institute of Haitian Studies as
her/his primary service to the department, as well as will have opportunities
for affiliation with the University’s Kansas African Studies Center and the
Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, both Title VI National
Resource Centers. The search is part of an emerging cluster of hires in the
area of “Migration, Immigration, Diaspora, and Human Trafficking.”
Virginia Tech:
FOOD SYSTEMS AND HEALTH
As part of Virginia Tech’s continuing expansion in the areas of
basic and translational biomedical research, the university has undertaken a
series of cluster hires in areas such as Prevention and Treatment of Obesity,
Infectious and Vector Borne Disease, Drug Discovery, Food Microbiology, and
Psychosocial and Community Factors in Health. For 2013-2014, the College
of Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS) is soliciting candidates for six
tenure-track faculty positions focused on molecular, translational, and
behavioral approaches to the enhancement of Food Safety and Human Health.
The cluster in Food Safety and Health cluster is timely because
chronic human diseases increasingly threaten the well-being and lifespans of
not just the aging members of our population, but youth who have adopted
unhealthy lifestyles. Informed by the knowledge generated through basic
biomedical research, nutrition, environment, and lifestyle can help ameliorate
or exacerbate a person’s susceptibility to and the progression of a wide
spectrum of diseases ranging from hypertension to diabetes.
The disciplines at Virginia Tech, and in CALS specifically,
encompass a spectrum ranging from basic molecular research to community systems
to crop production. Nutrition, environment, and lifestyle can help
ameliorate or exacerbate a person’s susceptibility to and the progression of a
wide spectrum of diseases ranging from hypertension to diabetes. The
cluster is designed to address and ultimately leverage these
interrelationships. Specifically, how the nature of methods of production
and processing affect the nutritional value of food. How pricing,
labeling, and sociocultural values influence food choice and preparation.
What is the impact of built-environment, community norms, and
socioeconomic status in determining lifestyle and food choices.
Exploiting knowledge of the origins and etiology of chronic human diseases to
develop means for early detection and prevention or more effective therapeutic
interventions to foster lifelong health and well-being in an economically sound
and environmentally sustainable manner are cluster goals.
Faculty positions associated with the cluster are divided into two general themes: “Health Promotion and Disease Prevention” and “Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems” The first six positions are tenure-track assistant professor faculty positions within the two areas to promote synergy in and between departments. The four health positions are in the Departments of Biochemistry
and Human
Nutrition, Foods and Exercise. The two in food systems will be
located at the Eastern
Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center (ESAREC) and affiliated with the
Departments of Horticulture and Food Science and
Technology.
Here’s a photo
of an evening grosbeak from Big Bear Lake. This bird is somewhat rare in
Southern California but a group has been returning to the woods next to the Big
Bear Civic center for several years.
