UCR Research and Economic Development Newsletter: October 16, 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
·
What’s an NSF
Dear Colleague Letter
·
Dear
Colleague Letter: Updates to the 2017 Smart and Connected Health
Solicitation
·
Funding Opportunity: NEH
Awards for Faculty at HSIs – 4/12/17
·
CDFA Now Accepting Proposals
for 2017 Specialty Crop Grants
·
Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept & Innovation
Center Announcement and Launch – 10/26/16
·
USDA/NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)
· 2017 CITRIS Seed Funding Call for Proposals – 1/27/17
·
What a Nobel Prize Winner
Has to Say About Research
·
Mountain Chickadee
What’s an NSF Dear Colleague Letter
Creating a new program at NSF or
any federal agency takes quite a bit of effort and time (but still, less than
creating a new degree at UC). It also is not possible to create a
new program under a continuing budget resolution and during this election year,
there is likely to be a continuing budget resolution until a few months after
the new president is sworn in. Fortunately, NSF has a mechanism called a
Dear Colleague Letter to inform the research community of a new emphasis of an
existing program. Sometimes, a Dear Colleague Letter includes a request
for RAPID or EAGER proposals, smaller proposals that are reviewed internally to
address a timely issue such as the impacts of a natural disaster (RAPID) or to
allow funding for high-impact speculative work (EAGER).
NSF Dear Colleague Letter: Updates to the
2017 Smart and Connected Health Solicitation
October 11, 2016
Dear Colleagues:
The National Science Foundation
(NSF) recently released a new solicitation for Smart and Connected Health (see
NSF 16-601https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf16601). With this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), NSF wishes to
notify the community of relevant changes and additions to the program for 2017.
Changes to the 2017 SCH Solicitation: The 2017 SCH solicitation will only support Integrative
Projects (INT). For these proposals, NSF and the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) seek SCH research that is transdisciplinary while addressing key
application areas by solving problems in multiple scientific and engineering
domains. These projects are expected to further our understanding of how
advances in computing, engineering and behavioral and social science, would
support transformations in healthcare and improve population health. As
described in the solicitation, INT project descriptions must be comprehensive
and well integrated, and should make a convincing case that the collaborative
contributions of the project team will be greater than the sum of each of their
individual contributions. Collaborations with researchers in the health
application domains are required. INT proposals should be submitted by December
8, 2016. Please note that the program is no longer soliciting the Exploratory
(EXP) SCH proposals.
In addition to the changes
above, the SCH program encourages submission of EArly-concept
Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) proposing breakthrough SCH
research. The SCH goal is to accelerate the development and use of innovative
approaches that would support the much needed transformation of healthcare and
population health in this country. SCH EAGERs provide the proof-of-concept or
feasibility of novel approaches in its early stages (or untested) for
potentially transformative research ideas to promote the vision of Smart and
Connected Health. An EAGER proposal should be especially
'high-risk/high-reward' in the sense that it involves radically different
approaches, applies new expertise or engages novel disciplinary or
interdisciplinary perspectives. EAGERs may lead to new SCH INT activities.
EAGER proposals submitted to
this DCL should follow NSF guidelines for EAGERs (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf16001/gpg_2.jsp#IID2), including making a clear case why they are appropriate
for EAGER funding, including why they do not fit into existing programs and how
they constitute 'high-risk/high-reward' research. Budgets should be
well-justified. PI(s) must contact a cognizant NSF program officer to discuss
the proposal topic before submitting their EAGER proposal, to ensure whether
the proposed work is appropriate for EAGER funding. EAGER proposals must be
submitted by December 14, 2016.
For more information about this
DCL or the SCH solicitation, please see the NSF SCH website (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5047397&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund) or contact one of the following program directors:
Sincerely,
Jim Kurose
Assistant Director, SBE
Fay Cook
Assistant Director, Geosciences
Grace Jinliu
Wang
Assistant Director, ENG (Acting)
The National Science Foundation has released Dear Colleague Letter 17-013 to announce new areas of concentration for its Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS) program. This is not a new solicitation; it is an expression of interest for proposals to be submitted to existing programs. Here is full text of the letter:
October 7, 2016
Dear Colleagues:
In 2010, NSF established the Science, Engineering, and
Education for Sustainability (SEES)1 investment area to lay the research foundation for
decision capabilities and technologies aimed at mitigating and adapting to
environmental changes that threaten sustainability. Some SEES investments
advanced a systems-based approach to understanding, predicting, and reacting to
stress upon, and changes in, the linked natural, social, and built
environments. In this context, the importance of understanding the
interconnected and interdependent systems involving food, energy, and water
(FEW) has emerged. In 2015, NSF Issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL): SEES:
Interactions of Food Systems with Water and Energy Systems2 to accelerate
fundamental understanding and stimulate basic research on the connections and
interdependencies among these three systems.
Through this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), issued by the
Divisions of Chemistry (CHE) and Materials Research (DMR) in the Directorate
for Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the Division of Chemical,
Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET) in the Directorate
for Engineering, the NSF aims to specifically focus on advancing knowledge of
the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; the production and use of fertilizers for
food production; and the detection, separation, and reclamation/recycling of
nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing species in and from complex aqueous
environments.
Humanity is reliant upon the physical resources and
natural systems of the Earth for the provision of food, energy, and water. It
is becoming imperative that we determine how society can best integrate across
the natural and built environments to provide for a growing demand for food, water
and energy while maintaining appropriate ecosystem services. Factors
contributing to stresses in the food, energy, and water systems include
increasing regional, social, and political pressures as result of land use
change, climate variability, and heterogeneous resource distribution. These
interconnections and interdependencies associated with the food, energy and
water nexus create research grand challenges in understanding how the complex,
coupled processes of society and the environment function now, and in the
future. There is a critical need for research that enables new means of
adapting to future challenges. The FEW systems must be defined broadly,
incorporating physical processes (such as built infrastructure and new
technologies for more efficient resource utilization), natural processes (such
as biogeochemical and hydrologic cycles), biological processes (such as
agroecosystem structure and productivity), social/behavioral processes (such as
decision making and governance), and cyber elements. Investigations of these
complex systems may produce discoveries that cannot emerge from research on
food or energy or water systems alone. It is the synergy among these
components, in the context of sustainability that will open innovative science
and engineering pathways to produce new knowledge and novel technologies to
solve the challenges of scarcity and variability. This DCL, which is part of
the Innovation at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS)
portfolio,3 addresses
emerging science, technology, and engineering relevant to food, energy and
water systems.
The availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and water are the three
main factors that limit our ability to produce enough food to feed the growing
population of the planet. The nitrogen
cycle is one of the most significant biogeochemical cycles on Earth, as
nitrogen is an essential nutrient for all forms of life. Although freely
available in the atmosphere as dinitrogen, access to fixed forms of nitrogen
constitutes, in many cases, the most limiting factor for plant growth. The
industrial production of ammonia for fertilizers via the current Haber-Bosch
process is an energy intensive process that consumes 1-2% of the world's annual
energy supply. For these reasons, the need for advanced catalytic methods for
the reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia remains a requirement for sustainability
in the food, energy and water systems cycle.
Similarly, phosphorus
is also essential to plant and animal nutrition. Approximately 80% of the
world's economically-viable phosphorus is obtained from "phosphate
rock" that is localized in a single place. Phosphate rock is a more
concentrated commodity than petroleum, and like petroleum, the world's supply
of phosphorus is threatened by political instability and monopolistic economic
practices. Management of phosphorus is a bit of a paradox because, while the
world may face a shortage of phosphorus-containing fertilizer later this
century, many regions are currently afflicted with an oversupply in both inland
and coastal waters causing algal blooms that can produce extremely dangerous
toxins that can sicken or kill people or animals, create dead zones in the
water, raise treatment costs for drinking water, and hurt industries that
depend on clean water. The ability to provide field-deployable, inexpensive,
and environmentally-and energetically-sustainable sensors for real-time
application and monitoring of nitrogen or phosphorus-containing species to
agriculture while reducing the amount of these species in waste or run-off
streams would benefit food production, benefit water quality, and result in
significantly less energy consumption.
The increased demands for fresh water for
crops/livestock and energy production will significantly add to the current
stress on non-renewable groundwater resources. It is estimated that seven
billion people in sixty countries will experience water scarcity by 2050 at
current rates of water usage. This will place additional stress on both food
supplies and energy consumption rates. These needs necessitate scientific and
technological innovations that will address global problems that center on
fresh water. In particular, the food production system generates waste streams
that are characterized by high concentrations of organic matter, nitrogen- and
phosphorus-containing species in water. New approaches are needed to overcome
the cost of inefficient and energy-intensive detection, sequestration, and
removal/recycling of such species while also preserving water quality.
This component of the NSF Innovations at the Nexus of the
Food, Energy and Waters Systems (INFEWS) investment is designed to advance a
new understanding of the role of the chemistry of nitrogen, phosphorous, and
water in the nexus of food, energy and water systems, "INFEWS:
N/P/H2O." While fundamental science and engineering research will underpin
solutions to these areas of national and international need, it must also be
recognized that technological innovations themselves require resources for
development and deployment. Ostensible solutions to the challenge of N, P, and
water supply cannot be premised on the assumption that energy, chemical feedstocks, and other required resources will be available
in great abundance.
In FY 2017, the topics of interest in INFEWS: N/P/H2O
include innovative, fundamental research to:
Proposals in response to this investment area should be
submitted to the existing program of interest in –CHE, DMR and CBET within the existing submission
windows (deadlines) of the programs. The proposal title must begin with
"INFEWS N/P/H2O:". Other than the proposal title, the cover page
should be prepared as a regular unsolicited proposal submission to the program.
The most competitive proposals will address how the project conceptually
advances innovations at the nexus of the food, energy, and water systems and
sustainability of the proposed solution, i.e., the monetary and energetic costs
for translation and scale-up.
Proposals are welcome from either multiple or single
investigators. Interdisciplinary proposals that involve principal investigators
traditionally supported by the three participating divisions (CHE, DMR, and
CBET) are also welcome. Such proposals should be submitted to the most relevant
program in CHE, DMR, or CBET. CHE and DMR welcome proposals responding to this
Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) in all programs, while CBET welcomes proposals
responding to this DCL in the Environmental Engineering, Environmental
Sustainability, or Catalysis and Biocatalysis
Programs. Please consult the Divisional webpages for more details on specific
interests.4,5,6
The challenges at the food, energy, and water nexus are
frequently international, and experts around the globe have relevant expertise
and resources. Proposals including international collaboration are encouraged
when those efforts enhance the merit of the proposed work. The U.S. team's
international counterparts generally should have support or obtain funding
through their own national or regional sources.
Proposals may be submitted in combination with other
solicitations. For example, if there are strong collaborations with industry,
the Dear Colleague Letter: Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with
Industry (GOALI)7 can be used in conjunction with this effort.
Similarly, proposals may be submitted in combination with the Faculty Early
Career Development (CAREER) Program,8
Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions: Research in
Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA)9
solicitation. These proposals should be submitted to the appropriate
solicitation and add INFEWS to the title (For example, RUI: INFEWS N/P/H2O:
Name of your proposal). Other mechanisms such as EAGER10 and
INSPIRE11 may also
be appropriate, but principal investigators are required to check with the
cognizant program officers for additional guidance. For general questions about
INFEWS, email the listed representatives in either CHE,12 DMR,13 or CBET.14
To see examples of awards made under the
Food-Energy-Water investment area, visit the NSF Award Abstracts Database,15 and enter 'food, energy, and water' in the 'Search
Award for:' dialogue field. Alternatively, please visit the webpages of the disciplinary
programs of interest in the participating divisions. Under each program, find
the link to recent awards made in that program and look for those that contain
`FEW' in the proposal title.
We are excited by the opportunities in the INFEWS area and
encourage our communities to contribute to our sustainable future by
participating in this important funding investment area. If interested, please contact the
Program Officers listed in References 11, 12 and 13, rather than the
signatories of this DCL, for assistance.
References
1. Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability NSF-Wide Investment
(SEES): https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504707
2. SEES: Interactions of Food Systems with Water and Energy Systems DCL: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf15040
3. https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf15040
4. Division of Chemistry webpage: https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=CHE
5. Division of Materials Research webpage: https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=DMR
6. Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems
webpage: https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=CBET
7. GOALI: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf16099
8. CAREER: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214
9. RUI: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf14579
10. EAGER https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg
11. INSPIRE: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504852
12. CHE Program Officers: Tim Patten (tpatten@nsf.gov), Suk-Wah Tam-Chang (stamchan@nsf.gov),
Lin He, (lhe@nsf.gov) and Colby Foss (cfoss@nsf.gov).
13. DMR Program Officers: Alex Klironomos (aklirono@nsf.gov), Andrew Lovinger (alovinge@nsf.gov), and Sean L. Jones (sljones@nsf.gov).
14. CBET Program Officers: William Cooper (wcooper@nsf.gov), Bruce Hamilton (bhamilto@nsf.gov) and Robert McCabe (rmccabe@nsf.gov).
15. NSF Awards Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
Funding Opportunity: NEH Awards for
Faculty at HSIs – 4/12/17
The National Endowment for the Humanities released information for Awards for Faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
“This program supports individual faculty or staff members at Hispanic-Serving Institutions pursuing research of value to humanities scholars, students, or general audiences. Awards are designed to be flexible, allowing applicants to define the audience, type of research, award periods, and administrative arrangements that best fit their projects.
Awards can be used for a wide range of projects that are based on humanities research. Eligible projects include pursuing research in primary and secondary materials and producing articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources. Activities might also include conducting basic research leading to the improvement of an existing undergraduate course or conducting basic research related to the goals and interests of the institution or community.”
Deadline: April 12, 2017
More information is available at: https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-hispanic-serving-institutions
CDFA Now Accepting
Proposals for 2017 Specialty Crop Grants
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is
now accepting proposals for the 2017 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP)
(https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Specialty_Crop_Competitiveness_Grants/). Each year, CDFA
conducts a two-phase competitive solicitation process to award funds to
projects that solely enhance the competitiveness of California specialty crops.
Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits,
horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Review the 2017
Request for Concept Proposals (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Specialty_Crop_Competitiveness_Grants/pdfs/2017SCBGP_RequestForConceptProposals.pdf) for detailed application
instructions.
Phase I of the process begins with the submission of
concept proposals, which undergo both an administrative review and a technical
review. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a detailed grant
proposal in Phase II of the process.
Grant awards will range from $50,000 to $450,000 per
project and projects may last for up to two years and six months. Non-profit
and for-profit organizations; local, state, federal, and tribal government
entities; and public and private colleges and universities are eligible to
apply. All applicants must register online with the Financial Assistance
Application Submittal Tool (FAAST), https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov, to apply. Concept
proposals must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Tuesday, November 15,
2016, at 5 pm PST.
CDFA will present four workshops and two webinars, all featuring
an overview of the program, a review of the concept proposal questions, a live
demonstration of the online application system, helpful grant writing tips, and
more. Visit CDFA's SCBGP website, www.cdfa.ca.gov/grants, for full
details.
Workshops and webinars will be held at these locations on
the following dates:
•
San
Luis Obispo Workshop: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
•
San
Diego Workshop: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
•
Webinar 1: Thursday, October 20, 2016 from 1:30 to 3:30
p.m.
•
Merced
Workshop: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
•
Webinar 2: Wednesday, October 26, 2016 from 9:30 - 11:30
a.m.
•
Sacramento
Workshop: Thursday, October 27, 2016 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
All prospective SCBGP applicants are encouraged to
participate. There is no cost to attend; however, space is limited and CDFA
requests that attendees register in advance. To register, email grants@cdfa.ca.gov with your name and contact information, the
workshop/webinar you would like to attend, and the number of seats required.
Further details will be provided with confirmation of registration.
Prospective applicants may contact CDFA’s Office of Grants Administration at (916) 657-3231 or grants@cdfa.ca.gov for additional information.
Entrepreneurial
Proof of Concept & Innovation Center Announcement and Launch – 10/26/16
The County of Riverside will host the launch of UCR’s Regional Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept and Innovation Center (EPI Center) on October 26, 2016 from 3:00-5:00pm at the Riverside County Administration Center.
A partnership between UC Riverside, the County of Riverside, and regional innovation centers, EPIC will focus on supporting entrepreneurs and innovators by:
-Providing access to entrepreneurial training
-Pairing innovators and startups with experienced mentors
-Connecting startups to investors and partners
Come learn more about EPIC. Listen to local start-up companies pitch to business leaders, investors and mentors. Meet the members of our growing entrepreneurial community.
Event Details:
3:00pm- Technology Showcase
5:00pm- Reception immediately following
Location:
The Riverside County Administration Center
4080 Lemon Street
Riverside, CA 92501
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/entrepreneurial-proof-of-concept-innovation-center-announcement-launch-tickets-28287997161?aff=es2
***Complimentary parking in the adjacent parking deck on Lemon Street***
For information contact: judy.swineford@ucr.edu
USDA/NIFA Specialty
Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)
The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems. Projects must address at least one of five focus areas:
·
Research
in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop
characteristics
·
Efforts
to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to
specialty crop pollinators
·
Efforts
to improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and
profitability over the long term (including specialty crop policy and
marketing)
·
New
innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies
that delay or inhibit ripening
·
Methods
to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety
hazards in the production efficiency, handling and processing of specialty
crops.
IMPORTANT DATES
Posted Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Closing Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Full details can be found here: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/specialty-crop-research-initiative-scri
For more information, contact Thomas (Tom) Bewick at tbewick@nifa.usda.gov.
2017 CITRIS Seed Funding Call for
Proposals (1/27/17)
The 2017 CITRIS Seed Funding
opportunity invites Principal Investigators at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Davis
Health System, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz to apply for seed funding that
furthers CITRIS and the Banatao Institute research
initiatives (http://citris-uc.org/core-initiatives/?mc_cid=821133ee68&mc_eid=6bf0842b0c), strengthens
connections among UC campuses, and catalyzes early-stage research that can lead
to external funding.
This year, they are
pleased to continue their seed funding partnership with UC Riverside and
encourage joint applications from investigators at UC Riverside
and one or more CITRIS campuses.
·
$550,000
available: Core CITRIS Seed Funding
·
$150,000
available: CITRIS & UC Riverside Seed Funding
View the full program overview with detailed areas of interest, eligibility, requirements, online application portal, and FAQs. http://citris-uc.org/citris-seed-funding/
Deadline for all
CITRIS Seed Funding proposals: Friday, January
27, 2017 at 5:00pm PST
Funded projects have
attracted follow-on support from federal, state, industrial, and private
sources including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of
Health, Intel, Microsoft, Mellon Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation.
Please see the RFP
for full descriptions of the 2017 Areas of Interest, including:
·
Connected
Communities:
This new initiative focuses on the affordances of information technology to
enhance communities – of learning, of practice, and of governance. Themes include
development of experimental online platforms and novel hardware and software
systems that connect peers to each other and to institutions in meaningful and
productive ways. (http://citris-uc.org/initiatives/connected-communities/)
·
Health: Improving health
outcomes and access to cost-effective care through the development and
integration of innovative technology in telehealth, sensors, mobile devices,
and analytics with a special emphasis on hospital to home and precision health solutions. (http://citris-uc.org/initiatives/health/)
·
People and Robots: Human-centric
automation, bio-inspired robotics, deep learning, cloud robotics, and Internet
of Things are among the primary research themes in the new CITRIS People and
Robots Initiative. (http://citris-uc.org/initiatives/robotics-2/)
·
Sustainable
Infrastructures:
The Sustainable Infrastructures Initiative pursues information technology
research in energy, water, and transportation as parts of the
cyber-infrastructure of a sustainable society. (http://citris-uc.org/initiatives/sustainable-infrastructures)
What Nobel Prize
Winners Have To Say About Research
Here’s my favorite research quote by Bob Dylan, the 2016 Nobel
Prize winner in Literature, from the song Nettie Moore.
The World
of Research Has Gone Berserk
Mountain
Chickadee
Here’s a photo of a Mountain Chickadee taken at the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Conference Center during a recent retreat.
(click to enlarge)
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