UCR Research and Economic Development Newsletter:  April 1, 2016

Michael Pazzani

Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development

http://research.ucr.edu

Back Issues of Newsletter: http://research.ucr.edu/vcr/newsletters.aspx

Grant Opportunity Search: http://pivot.cos.com

 


·         New NSF Transcript Requirements

·         2017 UC Multicampus Research Funding Opportunities

·         TEDxUCR – 4/23/16, 4:00-8:00pm

·         Overview of 2016 National Institutes of Justice Federal Funding Opportunities

·         Faculty Networking Lunches:   International Research Projects, Bio-based Materials, Health Disparities

·         NSF CAREER Workshops; April 28 or 29

·         Korhaan


New NSF Transcript Requirements

 

April 1, 2016.  (Arlington, VA).  The National Science Foundation has instituted a new proposal requirement: PIs, COPIs and senior personnel must include copies of their K-12 report cards and college transcripts with proposals.   In a prepared statement, NSF spokesperson April Fulesjok indicated research has shown performance in K-12 correlated with performance on federally funded projects, going as far back as kindergarten: “Investigators who stayed within the lines while coloring more frequently adhere to NSF margin requirements. Investigators who run with scissors do not adhere to lab safety practices.”  NSF estimates the administrative burden on faculty will initially be quite high collecting this information from boxes in their parent’s attic that haven’t been opened in decades, but feels the information is necessary to give reviewers deeper insights into the experience of proposers.   NSF also realizes that it may be difficult for older faculty to comply.  Faculty who can prove they are grandfathers will be grandfathered under the existing policy, but be required to submit the report cards of their grandchildren.*

 

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2017 UC Multicampus Research Opportunity:  RFP Announcement

The UC Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives

The President’s Research Catalyst Award

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

 

Overview of Funding Opportunity

The University of California (UC) is pleased to announce a research funding opportunity for UC multicampus collaborations. Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPIs) are multicampus or systemwide research collaborations that go beyond individual Principal Investigator (PI) driven projects to benefit the UC research enterprise, strengthen UC’s position as a leading public research university, launch pioneering research in thematic, multidisciplinary, or inter-disciplinary areas, and benefit California and its people. The competition is open to all fields of research and scholarship. Applicants will have an opportunity to indicate which disciplines or interdisciplinary or thematic areas best describe the proposed collaboration. Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed activities meet program goals to advance outstanding research and cutting edge discoveries, impact the lives of Californians and engage Californians in the UC research mission, increase UC’s competitiveness, inform public policy, support innovative graduate student research, and enhance undergraduate education.

 

This competition cycle, highly meritorious proposals will be considered for recognition as recipients of the President’s Research Catalyst Award. No separate application is required for consideration, and selection of recipients for the Catalyst Award is at the discretion of the UC President.

 

Funding for MRPI awards derives from the UC campus assessment, and all proposals must be submitted by UC PIs. This opportunity includes two award types. Applicants may apply for only one of the two award types, and may participate in only one proposal. Current recipients of MRPI or Catalyst award funding are not eligible to apply for concurrent funding. Both award types require the collaboration of at least three UC campuses, and may include collaboration with one or more UC-managed national lab. The award start date is January 1, 2017. In brief, the two award types are:

 

1)      Two-year “Planning/Pilot Awards open only to new multicampus or systemwide collaborations for planning, capacity-building and/or establishing the research infrastructure and pilot data to launch novel, cutting-edge interdisciplinary, or multidisciplinary research. Prior recipients of Planning MRPI or Catalyst awards are not eligible to request a renewal or supplement in this category.

 

2)      Multi-year “Program Awards (up to 4 years maximum) open to both new and established multicampus collaborations (without concurrent systemwide support), and prior recipients of the 2-year planning award who wish to extend and expand their collaboration. Recipients of current MRPI or Catalyst Program Awards with project end dates after December 31, 2016 are not eligible to apply.

 

We anticipate up to $6 million annual funding for new awards across all categories and award types. Funding allocation between the two award types will be based on proposal pressure as well as potential to diversify and enhance the systemwide portfolio in areas of key strategic importance. Depending on proposal merit, available funding, and portfolio balance, up to one-third of funding may be allocated to Planning/Pilot Awards, and approximately two-thirds of funding for Program Awards.

 

The 2015 MRPI competition was highly competitive, garnering 186 proposals that totaled $273 million in funding requests for project periods of up to 4 years. Twenty MRPI proposals (11%), totaling a $23 million investment over 4 years, were awarded. In addition, 5 proposals were selected as inaugural President’s Research Catalyst Awards, bringing the overall proposal success rate to 13% (< 10% of total funding requested).

 

All proposals must conform to the requirements of the final RFP, and (where they differ), not to prior draft versions of the RFP. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check the UC Research Initiatives website (http://ucop.edu/research-initiatives/programs/mrpi/Application-Information.html) for any program updates or clarifications prior to submitting the full proposal.

 

Key Dates

Final RFP Release:

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Letters of Intent (LOI) Due:

Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 12:00 noon Pacific Time

Notification of LOI Decision:

by Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Invited Full Proposals Due:

Thursday, July 21, 2016 at 12:00 noon Pacific Time

Notification of Review Outcome:

by December 2, 2016

Award Start Date:

Friday, January 1, 2016

 

The full RFP is here:  http://research.ucr.edu/webdocs/vcr/misc/2017 MRPI RFP-LOI-FAQs v 2016-03-23R2.pdf

 

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TEDxUCR

 

Date:  Sat., 4/23/16

Time:  4:00-8:00pm

Location:  UCR Theatre

 

Please join us for UCR's annual TEDx event on April 23rd, 2016 from 4:00-8:00pm at UCR University Theatre! We are excited to announce one of our featured speakers for the evening, internationally renowned writer and scholar of religions, Reza Aslan. We also have a wonderful collective lineup of 6 local speakers/performers. 

 

This is an event you won't want to miss and there will be FOOD! Dinner is included with the purchase of tickets.  

 

Act quickly!! Early Bird tickets will be available for $10. Student tickets (for students with ID) will be $17, and General Admission is $27. 

 

More information about ticket purchase, details about the event and our featured speakers are available on our website http://tedxucr.weebly.com/reaction-2016.html

We hope to see you there!! 

 

Speakers & Performers

 

Reza Aslan is an internationally renowned scholar of religions and writer whose books include the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and the International Bestseller, No god but God: The OriginsEvolution, and Future of Islam.  Aslan teaches creative writing at the University of California, Riverside. His writing has been published in The New York Times, Slate, The Daily Beast, The Christian Science Monitor and The Washington Post, and he makes frequent appearances on TV and radio shows as a religions and political analyst.

 

William H. Grover is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, Riverside. His research lab at UCR develops instruments for biological, chemical, and medical applications.  Dr. Grover also creates smartphone apps and other resources for supporting engineering practices in K-12 schools.

 

Meng Cheng (Summer) is a 2nd-year Ph.D. student in Management. Her research focuses on emotions, human behaviors, and diversity. Summer is passionate about expanding and applying her research interests through her volunteer work, and is active on the fundraising and recruiting committee of the Student United Way Global Leadership Board.

 

Brian K. To grew up in Los Angeles, CA and currently studies Psychology at the University of California, Riverside with plans to pursue a career assisting the disability community. Aside from his academics, Brian works for the Employment Development Department of the state of California, serving as a Youth Employment & Opportunity Program Specialist.  He is also a student intern, artist, and scholarship recipient for the Academy of Special Dreams, an organization striving to increase awareness and provide opportunities to artists with disabilities.

 

Lenka Morávková is a songwriter, sound-artist and electronic producer from the Czech Republic, who currently pursues her PhD degree in Digital Composition at University California Riverside.  As a cross-disciplinary artist, Lenka transgresses boundaries within music, visual art, performance and new media, tours internationally with her music project My Name Is Ann! and performs with the Cristal Baschet instrument.  Her installations and performances have been exhibited in various places in Europe such as: Broke L.A., LEM festival in Barcelona, Czech National Theatre Prague, Colours of Ostrava and many others.

 

Kristian Arceo is an undergraduate at the University of California, Riverside, majoring in history, but with the intent to enter the field of medicine. Kristian has practiced the art of Taekwondo for twelve years and has received numerous accolades from local, state, national, and international competitions. As a fourth degree black belt, Taekwondo has enabled him serve in numerous ways from teaching in orphanages to raising money to create care packages for the homeless. 

 

Emcee, Stan Morrison is the only coach in NCAA history to lead three different basketball teams, in the same state, to the NCAA tournament – UOP, USC and San Jose State.  He was “Coach of the Year” in 3 different conferences and director of athletics at UCR for 12 years leading UCR from Division II into Division I.  He is senior vice president, Pacific Premier Bank, and a board member of Olive Crest, American Diabetes Association, ARC Riverside County, Mission Inn Foundation, High Five America, and Boy Scouts of America, among others.

 

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Overview of 2016 National Institutes of Justice Federal Funding Opportunities

 

Each funding cycle includes a mix of new topics as well as topics that had been used in previous years, which typically include updated research questions.  In fiscal year (FY) 2016, NIJ introduced a major realignment of their research solicitations to encourage applicants to embrace more multidisciplinary approaches to their work and foster research-practitioner partnerships that promote the efficient translation of findings into practical use.  NIJ Director Nancy Rodriguez announced a series of webinars to help applicants better understand the research goals and requirements for new and realigned solicitations.  The initial webinars have focused on the following six solicitations that are either new for 2016 or reoccurring but with significant changes:

 

·          Elder Abuse Prevention

·          Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Labs

·          Violence Against Women Consortium

·          DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction

·          Building Knowledge About Preventing Domestic Radicalization and Violent Extremism in the U.S.

·          New Investigator/Early Career Program in the Social and Behavioral Sciences

 

Additional information on each of the webinars, including slides, recordings, transcripts, Q&As, and links to full solicitations from past webinars can be found at: http://www.nij.gov/funding/pages/funding-webinar-series.aspx.

 

New Solicitations

 

Specific research foci for the agency shift each year to address emerging gaps in available information for policymakers and practitioners, and to evaluate and transform Administration priorities for criminal justice reform.  In FY 2016, the solicitations seek to address a number of key priority areas, including:

 

·          “Policing practices — including building and strengthening police-community relationships — and officer training, technology and wellness.

·          Longitudinal examination of violence and victimization among college-age individuals.

·          Illegal drug markets (including diversion of legal drugs) and criminal behavior.

·          The use of restrictive housing, and correctional officer safety and wellness.

·          Reducing firearms violence, and understanding the causes and effects of firearms violence.

·          Identifying best practices for testing and interpreting physical evidence.”

 

The following are brief descriptions of some of the new solicitations for FY 2016 that address the emerging topic areas listed above.  Please note that, given the staggered release of these opportunities, some are already in mid-cycle and have due dates that are much sooner than others.  This is also not an exhaustive list and a complete set of current funding opportunities can be found on the NIJ website, linked below.

 

Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime

Due: April 20, 2016

Award Amount: DOJ anticipates setting aside $3 million for awards under the program, each no more than $1 million for three years.

 

Background: Through this broad solicitation, applicants are to examine “criminal justice tools, protocols, and policies concerning drug trafficking, markets and use, and the effects of drug legalization and decriminalization on law enforcement, applicable to State, tribal and local jurisdictions.”  The purpose of this award is to provide law enforcement with evidence-based practices to assist in the enforcement and forensic investigation of drug-related crimes.  Specific drug research priorities include marijuana, opioids, and psychoactive substances.

 

Source and Additional Information: Complete information on the award can be found in the full solicitation at: http://nij.gov/funding/Documents/solicitations/NIJ-2016-9090.pdf.

 

Longitudinal Cohort Study of Interpersonal Violence Among College-Aged Women and Men: Planning Phase

Due: May 6, 2016

Award Amount: DOJ expects to make one award of $1 million for a 24-month period, with the possibility of supplementary funding for future studies.

 

Background:  This solicitation seeks to address gaps in information on the risk factors and long-term implications of violence among college-aged individuals, including but not limited to “sexual assault and rape, dating violence, stalking, violence committed by peers, and violence committed by strangers.”  The award would be in the form of a cooperative agreement, in which researchers work with NIJ and other experts to develop a multidisciplinary framework for the study with additional funding expected for its long-term implementation. 

 

Source and Additional Information: Complete information on the award can be found in the full solicitation at: http://nij.gov/funding/Documents/solicitations/NIJ-2016-9032.pdf.

 

Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation on Firearms Violence

Due: May 13, 2016

Award Amount: DOJ anticipates setting aside $3 million for awards under the program, with individual project budgets between $200,000 and $750,000 and lengths up to three years.

 

Background: This study aligns with a major Obama Administration priority to investigate the causes of and potential solutions to the widespread gun violence in the United States.  Projects should address the critical challenges to conducting research related to firearm violence that were identified in a 2013 report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and National Research Council (NRC) titled Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence.  NIJ is particularly interested in research that addresses “characteristics of firearm violence; risk and protective factors; and interventions and strategies.”  The purpose of this award is to provide actionable solutions to better understand and address intentional and interpersonal firearm violence. 

 

Sources and Additional Information: Complete information on the award can be found in the full solicitation at: http://nij.gov/funding/Documents/solicitations/NIJ-2016-9091.pdf.  For additional context, the NRC/IOM report can be found at: http://www.nap.edu/read/18319/chapter/1/.  

 

Research and Evaluation in Support of the Recommendations of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing

Due: May 17, 2016

Award Amount: DOJ anticipates setting aside $6.5 million for awards under the program, with project budgets as low as $10,000 and lengths up to three years.

 

Background: In 2014, the White House convened a Task Force on 21st Century Policing to assess recent unrest and develop practices for building trust and cooperation between police and their communities.  The Task Force released a report of their recommendations in May 2015, which were organized in six topic areas, called “pillars.”  Since the report was released, DOJ has targeted its most of its policing reform efforts around these focus areas.  Through this solicitation, NIJ is particularly interested in research that examines challenges associated with the following four pillars: “Building Trust and Legitimacy; Technology and Social Media; Training and Education; and Officer Wellness and Safety.”  Suggested research foci for each pillar are provided in the full solicitation.

 

Sources and Additional Information: Complete information on the award can be found in the full solicitation at: http://nij.gov/funding/Documents/solicitations/NIJ-2016-9095.pdf. For additional context, Task Force report can be found at: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/TaskForce_FinalReport.pdf, and the guide for implementing the recommendations can be found at: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/Implementation_Guide.pdf.

 

Research and Evaluation on Institutional Corrections

Due: May 17, 2016

Award Amount: DOJ anticipates setting aside $8 million for awards under this program.  Funding amounts for individual awards vary based on topic area.

 

Background: NIJ is interested in proposals that examine key concerns in institutional corrections.  The agency is specifically interested in work that address one of three categories: (1) Responding to recommendations made in a 2014 NAS report The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Exploring Causes and Consequences.  Projects in this category must address the effects of incarceration on the individual; the impact on an incarcerated person’s family; and sentencing policies that aim to reduce reliance on incarceration. (2) Exploring the effects of various types of restrictive housing, such as solitary confinement, on incarcerated individuals and key factors of restrictive housing policies across the country.  (3) Examination of the causes of correction officer injuries and their effect on correction environments.  Suggested research foci for each category are provided in the full solicitation.

 

Source and Additional Information: Complete information on the award can be found in the full solicitation at: http://nij.gov/funding/Documents/solicitations/NIJ-2016-9086.pdf.

 

Community Corrections: Technology Research, Development, and Evaluation to Improve Supervision and Outcomes

Due: May 19, 2016

Award Amount: DOJ anticipates setting aside $2 million for three awards under this program.

 

Background: Through this solicitation, NIJ seeks to support the research, development, and evaluation of prototypes of new technologies to assist correction officers in tracking and providing proper support for individuals under community supervision (parolees).  Several states have employed electronic monitoring (EM) technologies to address some of the challenges associated with community supervision.  NIJ is seeking proposals for the development and evaluation of EM models that utilize artificial intelligence (AI) for community corrections supervision, as well as tracking capabilities to monitor individuals under supervision of the community.

 

Source and Additional Information: Complete information on the award can be found in the full solicitation at: http://nij.gov/funding/Documents/solicitations/NIJ-2016-8997.pdf.

 

Additional Funding Opportunities

 

In addition to new solicitations for the emerging topic areas listed above, NIJ also has a number of open competitions for awards in recurring topics such as forensics, violence against women, school safety, sentinel events, as well as various research fellowships.  There are several new solicitations under these topic areas, in addition to recurring solicitations with updated research questions and points of emphasis.  A complete list of available funding opportunities, including the solicitations outlined in this report, can be found on the NIJ website at: http://www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/current.aspx

 

Sources and Additional Information:

 

·          The NIJ Director’s blogpost about changes and expectations for the 2016 solicitations can be found at: http://www.nij.gov/about/director/pages/rodriguez-fy16-solicitations.aspx.

·          The NIJ Director’s tips for making a competitive proposal can be found at: http://www.nij.gov/about/director/Pages/rodriguez-make-your-proposal-competitive.aspx?utm_source=Eblast-GovDelivery&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=DirectorsCorner-CompetativeProposals-02232016&utm_campaign=Solicitations

 

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NSF CAREER Workshop

Thursday, April 28:  11:00-1:00 (HUB Rm. 260)

Friday, April 29:  11:00-1:00 (HUB Rm. 260)

 

Reminder:  The annual UCR NSF CAREER Workshop is offered twice this year, presenting the same material in two sessions:

 

The CAREER is NSF’s most prestigious award in support of untenured faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.  See http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214 for the NSF solicitation.

 

CAREER proposals are due July 20-22, 2016; the exact deadline varies by discipline.  It pays to start a few months early to make sure the proposal is well thought-out and addresses all criteria for funding.

 

The UCR workshop on preparing an NSF CAREER proposal will be held on Thursday, April 28th from 11:00am to 1:00pm (lunch provided) in the Highlander Union Building, Room 260, and repeated again on Friday, April 29th from 11:00am to 1:00pm (lunch provided) in the Highlander Union Building, Room 260.

 

The workshop will offer guidance on essential components of the CAREER award, including

 

·        Research Plan

·        Educational Plan

·        Broader Impacts

·        Data Management Plan

 

Previous winners of the NSF CAREER awards will discuss what worked (and what didn’t work) for them. We will go over NSF requirements, suggestions and best practices from past winners, and your questions and ideas.  Sample funded proposals will be made available.

 

Please RSVP by Monday, April 19th here: 

 

4/28:  http://nsf-career-workshop-4-28-16.eventbrite.com

 

4/29:  http://nsf-career-workshop-4-29-16.eventbrite.com

 

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Upcoming Faculty Networking Lunches

 

There are still seats available for the following networking lunches:

 

·         International Research 5/2/16 (register here: http://intl-research-projects.eventbrite.com)

·         Bio-based Materials 5/9/16 (register here: http://biobased-materials.eventbrite.com)

·         Health Disparities 5/23/16 (register here: https://health-disparities.eventbrite.com)

 

The goal is get faculty with common interests to meet each other in an informal setting and discuss possible collaborations.  The food is catered by a local Thai restaurant and includes vegetarian and gluten-free options.

 

All lunches are held in UOB 210 from 12:00pm – 1:15pm.  PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A TOPIC that you think 8-12 other faculty will be interested in.

 

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Korhaan

 

Below are two photos of a Korhaan, I took in South Africa several years ago.   Our guide told us that the markings on the back of the Korhaan’s head discourage predators from sneaking up behind it because it looks like it looking backward.

 

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cid:image006.jpg@01D18BE1.EE0CBE10

(Click to enlarge)

 

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* In the spirit of inclusion, grandmothers will be grandfathered as well.

 

 

Michael Pazzani

Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development

Professor,  Computer Science & Engineering

University of California, Riverside

200 University Office Building

Riverside, CA 92521

pazzani@ucr.edu

 

Assistant:  Linda Bejenaru

Email: VCREDadmin@ucr.edu

951-827-4800