UCR Research and Economic Development Newsletter: April 1, 2016
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
·
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.*
2017 UC Multicampus
Research Opportunity: RFP Announcement
The UC Multicampus Research Programs
and Initiatives
The President’s Research Catalyst Award
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
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
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 Origins, Evolution,
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.
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
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
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.
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.
(Click to
enlarge)
* 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
Assistant: Linda Bejenaru
Email: VCREDadmin@ucr.edu