UCR
Research and Economic Development Newsletter: January 14, 2014
Michael
Pazzani
Vice
Chancellor for Research and Economic Development
Back Issues
of Newsletter: http://or.ucr.edu/vcr/newsletters.aspx
Grant
Opportunity Search: http://pivot.cos.com
·
UC
Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI) – Update
·
Agriculture
and Food Research Initiative: Competitive Grants Program
·
Federal
Agency Funding for FY14: Omnibus Bill
·
Research Development & Grant Writing News
· Webinar: Transitioning from an Early Investigator Award to the Coveted R01: Jan 21
UC
Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI) – Update
January
14, 2014
Dear
MRPI Principal Investigators and Vice Chancellors for Research:
I
am writing to follow up on our letter of September 3, 2013 to the UC research
community, in which we notified you that the next Call for Applications for the
UC Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI)
would be released in April 2014, with new awards starting in Spring 2015. (The
competition timeline is provided at the end of this letter, and all current
MRPIs, along with new proposers, are eligible to apply.) Although we have
spoken to some of you individually, in light of changes to the program budget
since 2009, we felt it was important to communicate uniformly about the status
and plans for the MRPI program, and – we hope – allay some concerns by
providing an opportunity to apply for limited augmentation (or “bridge”)
funding.
Background
and Context:
At
the time of the 2009 MRPI competition, our office had an annual program budget
of approximately $15 million, and we were able to fund 37 multicampus
collaborations. Beginning in 2011, and in each subsequent year, the
program budget has been cut, such that the projected budget for FY 14-15 is now
$6.3 million (a 58% reduction). Although the cumulative 3-year deficit
reached $17.6 million, we are pleased that we were nevertheless able to fully
fund all MRPI projects using one-time funds.
Because
project funding was unaffected, many members of the campus community were not
aware of the cuts to the program budget. Now, however, the temporary
funds are exhausted. Moreover, due to the staggered start of the current
portfolio, $2.5 million of next year’s budget is already allocated to final
payments for existing award commitments, leaving only $3.8 million for new
awards in FY 14-15.
We
are delighted that the independent systemwide Portfolio Review Group (PRG)
found the MRPI program to be a high priority for systemwide investment, and
recommended full restoration of the Program. Our office has submitted a
budget augmentation request for FY 14-15 that we hope will be bolstered by the
PRG endorsement. Because the intent and policy of the MRPI program is to
fund projects selected through competitive review to ensure the portfolio
remains innovative and meets both continuing and emergent needs of the
University, we notified you in September that all available funds in FY 14-15
would be used to fulfill current obligations and fund new awards.
Update:
Since
September, several currently funded projects with end dates of June 2014 have
contacted us to voice their concern that the proposed timing of new awards
could negatively impact potential continuity for their activities, should their
renewal requests receive funding. Likewise campus leadership has
expressed similar concerns. Based on this feedback and further consultation
with UC leadership, we have decided to make a one-time exception to
policy. Rather than funding proposals only through a competitive review,
we will make one-time augmentation awards (or “bridge funding”) available using
funds from the FY 14-15 budget. MRPI projects with original end dates in
2014 can apply for these funds. The augmentation requests must be matched by
commitments from one or more of the participating MRPI campuses that equal or
surpass the requested UCOP support.
Augmentation
Requests (“Bridge Funding”) Opportunity:
Of
the $3.8 million in currently unobligated funds for FY 14-15, we have set aside
a pool of $1 million that may be used to fund augmentation requests that meet
the following eligibility and application criteria:
1) Active MRPI projects that
were funded with original end dates in calendar year 2014 (i.e., June 30, 2014
and December 31, 2014) are eligible to apply for an augmentation to their
current award. Funded programs with unexpended balances from their current awards
can request to carryforward these balances beyond their original project end
date using our standard MRPI administrative and reporting mechanism.
“Bridge funding” refers only to requests for augmentation.
2) The justification for the
requested augmentation must take into account all UC systemwide fund
sources that support the MRPI project, including anticipated MRPI carryforward
funds. For example, if the MRPI identifies a need for $100,000, and has a
MRPI carryforward balance of $50,000, then the augmentation request should be
limited to $50,000. Moreover, if the MRPI receives support from other
systemwide (non-MRPI) sources, the balances from those sources must also be
reported in the augmentation request.
3) The augmentation request will be
submitted on a template provided by the MRPI program office at UCOP (available
Friday, January 17, 2014). Requests must include a concise, compelling
justification for the funds. This justification should briefly specify whether
the funding is for staff salaries, graduate student support, faculty support,
and/or specific research activities. It may also include a prioritization, in
the event only partial funding is approved. MRPI augmentation funds may be used
at any participating campus for the expenses identified in the request.
4) All requests must include
a commitment for matching funds from any or all of the campuses participating
in the MRPI. Using the example above, if the MRPI identifies a need for
$100,000, and has a $50,000 carryforward and no other systemwide/OP support,
then the augmentation need is $50,000. If approved, up to $25,000 can be
funded by the MRPI pool. The remaining $25,000 must be covered by commitments
from the participating campus or campuses, as verified by letters from each campus
administration providing those funds. The match may come from a single
(host) campus, from several campuses, or from all of the participating
campuses.
5) The augmentation request must be
submitted by the Lead PI of the MRPI, and include written concurrence from the
site PIs of each collaborating campus or the MRPI steering or oversight
committee.
6) The application materials should be
concise, and must utilize the template provided. In order to address the
urgency expressed regarding this funding we will allow 3 weeks to submit the
proposals using the templates we provide. The submission deadline is 8:00
AM Monday, February 10, 2014.
7) UCOP will make a determination
regarding the requests. If total requests exceed $1 million (or a total
pool of $2 million including campus matches), OP will determine how best to
divide the resources based on need, and a desire to treat all of the programs
equitably. Some requests may not be approved, or may be approved at a level of
support below the request. Please note that no project is guaranteed
approval of its request; the justification for the augmentation request must
identify a compelling need and sufficient funds may not be available to fund
all requests. Campus administrators can decide to fulfill their match
commitment even if OP is unable to fund all or part of the MRPI portion.
8) We anticipate announcing our funding
decisions by Monday, March 3, 2014. The actual transfer of
approved augmentation funds will occur at the beginning of the FY 14-15 fiscal
year.
9) Please note: if you do not need
bridge funding, or your carryforward funds are sufficient to address your most
compelling needs, you do not need to complete any of the augmentation
request application. However, you should separately contact our office to
formally request the No Cost Time Extension and carryforward of funds using our
standard reporting and administrative tools in proposalCENTRAL.
While
there are likely to be more requests for augmentation awards than we will be
able to fund, we hope that making this opportunity available does communicate
our support for the outstanding work you have undertaken to date. We have been
very impressed with the quality of the MRPI projects we have funded, and your
contributions to the excellence of the UC research enterprise. We remain
committed to promoting and sustaining multicampus collaboration at UC,
particularly through independent, merit-based competitive reviews that provide
opportunities across the full range of university scholarship. We look forward
to your ongoing success, and appreciate your support of the opportunities MRPI
makes possible.
Please
feel free to contact me if you have any questions about your current award or
the information requested herein.
With best wishes,
Kathleen Erwin
Director, UC Research Initiatives (UCRI)
Multicampus Research Programs & Initiatives
Research Grants Program Office
Agriculture
and Food Research Initiative: Competitive Grants Program
Attached please find the announcement of new grants available for Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. There is something for everyone in the general area in these initiates including joint programs with NIH, NSF and EPA. An excerpt is below.
In FY 2014, AFRI will solicit projects addressing the above
challenges through four separate Challenge Area RFAs. They are: Food Safety;
Food Security; Childhood Obesity Prevention; and Water for Agriculture (new
challenge area). AFRI will also support research, extension and integrated
project grants in the six legislatively-defined AFRI priority areas to continue
building a foundation of knowledge in fundamental and applied food and
agricultural sciences critical for solving current and future societal challenges.
Grant types supported by AFRI within this Foundational Program RFA include
single-function research projects, multi-function integrated projects, and Food
and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) grants. In addition, funding
opportunities for pre- and postdoctoral fellowship grants are being offered in
a single, separate RFA.
In FY 2014, RFAs will not be released for either the Sustainable
Bioenergy or the Agricultural and Natural Resources Science for Climate
Variability and Change challenge areas. Please note, however, that NIFA will
support some of the ongoing research, education, and extension projects in
those challenge areas through continuation funding of projects initiated during
FY 2010 through 2013.
NIFA may also solicit applications for AFRI funds through other
announcements, including supplemental AFRI RFAs or RFAs issued in conjunction
with other agencies. Such announcements will be made public in the same manner
as this announcement. Other sources of NIFA funding or work relevant to the
AFRI Foundational Program Areas are as follows:
• Dual Purpose with Dual Benefit: Research in Biomedicine and
Agriculture Using Agriculturally Important Domestic Species (joint with
National Institutes of Health (NIH)).
Total Program Funds: Approximately $5 million from AFRI.
Information is available at http://nifa.usda.gov/fo/researchinbiomedicineandagricultureafri.cfm
• National Robotics Initiative (joint with National Science
Foundation (NSF), NIH, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),
and Department of Defense (DoD)).
Total Program Funds: Approximately $5 million from AFRI.
Information is available at http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503641
• Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy (joint with
Department of Energy (DOE)).
Total Program Funds: Approximately $2 million from AFRI.
Information is available at www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/plantfeedstock.cfm
• Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (joint with
NIH, NSF, and the U.K. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC).
Total Program Funds: Approximately $2.5 million from AFRI.
Information is available at http://nifa.usda.gov/fo/ecologyandevolutionofinfectiousdiseases.cfm
• Water Sustainability and Climate (joint with NSF)
Total Program Funds: Approximately $5 million from AFRI.
Information is available at www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=503452&ods_key=nsf11551
• Decadal and Regional Climate Prediction using Earth System
Models (EaSM) (joint with NSF)
Total Program Funds: Approximately $5 million from AFRI.
Information is available at www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503399
Federal
Agency Funding for FY14: Omnibus Bill
Attached
are details from Lewis-burke on the Omnibus Funding Bill and how it impacts
federal funding agencies. A summary is below.
·
AFRI
at USDA: $316 million, an increase of $26 million
·
NIH:
$29.9 billion for a $1 billion increase over FY 2013 post-sequester level
·
NSF:
$7.2 billion, 4% increase over FY 2013 post-sequestration level
·
DHS
S&T: $1.2 billion, an increase of $307 million over FY 2013
·
DOE
Science: DOE Science would receive $5.071 billion, 4 percent over the
pre-sequestration FY 2013 level.
·
NASA:
NASA overall is at $17.646 billion, $119.8 million or 1 percent over the FY
2013 pre-sequestration enacted level
·
NIST:
$850 million for FY 2014 (up $41.3 M from FY 2013 post-sequestration)
·
The
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the
Arts (NEA). The omnibus agreement would provide a $292,000, or 0.002 percent
increase over the FY 2013 enacted amount for each of the Endowments.
Note
that the attached report is for UCR internal use only. It may not be
forwarded to colleagues at other institutions or professional associations
Research
Development & Grant Writing News
UCR has subscribed to a newsletter from Academic Research Funding Strategies. It is available on the web at http://research.ucr.edu/OrApps/SP/Info/GrantWriting/GrantWritingNews.aspx. I’m attaching a copy here. The index is below.
•
Topics of Interest URLs
•
Summary: 2014 Global R&D Funding Forecast
•
Funding Your STEM Workforce Ecosystem
•
NIH Grant Writing for New Investigators
•
STEM Resources for Context/Dissemination
•
Research Grant Writing Web Resources
•
Educational Grant Writing Web Resources
•
Agency Research News
•
Agency Reports, Workshops & Roadmaps
•
New Funding Opportunities
Note
that the attached report is for UCR internal use only. It may not be
forwarded to colleagues at other institutions or professional associations.
Transitioning
from an Early Investigator Award to the Coveted R01: Jan 21.
Tuesday, January 21st,
2014,
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
University Office Building
Conference Room 210
The Research and Economic Development (RED) is pleased to announce that we’ll be hosting a 60 minute webinar that will focus on detailed strategies for obtaining that first R01, which can be a cornerstone in a faculty’s career.
During this
Webinar, Christopher Francklyn, PhD, will describe approaches
that have been successful in building his own career and those of the
colleagues for whom he has provided mentoring. The Webinar will focus on five
critical steps on the path to that first R01: (1) creating a strategic
blueprint for success; (2) building effective time management skills; (3)
husbanding and building your local resources; (4) building a research team and
effective collaborative network; (5) securing your first R01 grant.
Black
Skimmer
Here’s a photo of two black
skimmers. They skim along the water looking for fish to eat.
I have seen them along the San Diego
Creek in Irvine, but this photo is from Cape May, NJ.
(click to
enlarge)
Michael
Pazzani
Vice
Chancellor for Research and Economic Development
Professor,
Computer Science & Engineering
University
of California, Riverside
200
University Office Building
Riverside,
CA 92521
Assistant:
Johanna Bowman