Monthly Archives: February 2020

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Enhance Laboratory Safety Curriculum and a Culture of Safety in Biomedical Research Training Environments

Posted on by

Notice Number: NOT-GM-20-016

Key Dates
Release Date: February 13, 2020
First Available Due Date: April 15, 2020
Expiration Date: June 01, 2020 Related Announcements
 PA-18-591 “Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)”

Issued by National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Purpose

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) announces the availability of funds for Administrative Supplements to institutions with NIGMS training (T32, T34), certain research education (R25, see below), or institutional career development (K12) awards. The funds will support the development and implementation of curricular or training activities to provide trainees and participating faculty with the knowledge and skills to enhance laboratory safety and to promote a culture of safety in the training environment. Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss potential requests with their NIGMS Program Director before submitting the supplement request.

Supplement awardees are expected to present an overview of the funded activities, the outcomes, and the progress in incorporating the activities into the ongoing program(s) at the meeting organized for Program Directors/Principal Investigators of NIGMS Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity programs.

Eligibility

Applicants must have an NIGMS-funded training (T32, T34), certain research education (R25, see below), or institutional career development (K12) program award with a project end date of May 31, 2021 or later. Awards in No-Cost Extension (NCE) are not eligible. Only R25 awards in the following programs (and associated funding opportunity announcements) are eligible for these supplements:

  • Bridges to Baccalaureate (PAR-13-333; PAR-16-110; PAR-17-210)
  • Bridges to the Doctorate (PAR-17-209; PAR-16-109)
  • Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) (PAR-17-053; PAR-14-121)
  • Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) (PAR-14-076; PAR-17-051)
  • Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) (PAR-13-196; PAR-16-118; PAR-16-361)

An applicant institution (normally identified by having a unique DUNS number or NIH Institutional Profile File – IPF) may submit only one application in this topic area. For institutions with two or more NIGMS grants, it is expected that the Program Directors/Principal Investigators will cooperate to develop curricula and/or activities that are broadly applicable to individuals at their institution and that a single supplement request will be submitted through one of the eligible NIGMS awards. Institutions that received a previous award for the development and implementation of curricular or training activities to enhance laboratory safety through PA-18-758 are not eligible.

Application and Submission Information

Applications for this initiative must be submitted using the following funding opportunity announcement or its subsequent reissued equivalent.

  • PA-18-591 – Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and PA-18-591 must be followed, with the following additions:

  • Application Due Date(s) – April 15, 2020 by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
  • For funding consideration, applicants must include the term “NOT-GM-20-016” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4b) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4b will not be considered for this initiative.
  • NIGMS requires applicants to submit electronically through Grants.gov. The process for Streamlined Submissions using the eRA Commons cannot be used for this initiative.

Budget

  • Application budgets are limited to $80,000 direct costs and must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
  • Funds from this supplement may be used for salary support of individuals designing, directing, and implementing the proposed training activity. Funds may also be used for administrative staff salaries, consultant costs, equipment, research supplies, faculty/staff travel, and other expenses directly related to the proposed curricular or training activity.
  • Funds from this supplement must be expended within12 months of the supplement award issue date. Applicants should note that the funds from this supplement cannot be used to support trainee stipends or tuition (T34 or T32) or participant costs (R25) or scholar costs (K12).

Research Training Program Plan (limited to 3 pages). In the Program Plan attachment, include the summary or abstract of the funded parent award(s), and describe the following:

  • The need for the proposed curricular or training activities. Describe how the activities will synergize with, but not duplicate, ongoing efforts in this area.
  • A description of the curricular or training activities and their potential impact on the biomedical training at the institution.
  • How the effectiveness of the curricular or training activities will be assessed.
  • If proven to be effective, how the curricular or training activities will be incorporated into the existing biomedical training program(s).
  • Plans for disseminating the activities and outcomes.
  • Institutional commitment for sustainability of the proposed activities.

NIGMS staff will consider whether the budget is fully justified and will evaluate applications using the following criteria:

  • Will the administrative supplement increase or preserve the likelihood for the program to exert a sustained, powerful influence on research training at the institution?
  • Is there a clearly identified need for the proposed curricular or training activities?
  • Are the plans to assess the outcomes likely to provide evidence of the effectiveness of the training or curricular activity?
  • Is there a plan to incorporate the activities into the ongoing conduct of the training programs?
  • Are the plans to disseminate the activities and outcomes feasible and likely to reach the intended audience?
  • Is there appropriate institutional commitment for sustaining the proposed activities?

HRSA Funding Opportunity – National Organizations of State and Local Officials: Health Legislation and Governance

Posted on by

HRSA proposal due date: April 10, 2020

Purpose:

The purpose of this program is to assist states and local authorities in a) preserving and improving public health, b) building capacity to address other public health matters and support and enforce regulations intended to improve the public’s health, and c) preventing and suppressing communicable diseases.

To fulfill the program’s purpose, NOSLO: Health Legislation and Governance has the following objectives: 1) facilitate bidirectional communication and data/information sharing between HRSA and state officials, 22) strengthen HRSA-funded programs by better understanding state stakeholder needs, priorities, and perspectives, and 3) support capacity-building activities at the state level that strengthen the health care safety net and advance shared public health goals with HRSA.

The term “capacity-building” includes actions that build, strengthen, and maintain the necessary competencies and resources needed to sustain or improve health services delivery to vulnerable and under-served populations. Capacity-building activities supported through NOSLO: Health Legislation and Governance include technical assistance and training; data collection, sharing, and analysis; materials development; or other agreed-to actions that enable states to operate in a comprehensive, responsive, coordinated, and effective manner.

Core Activities:

  • Educate Core Activities
    • Provide HRSA and public health stakeholders with policy analysis, research, and other relevant information related to state legislators’ and legislative officials’ needs and priority issues
    • Increase state legislators’ and legislative officials’ awareness of HRSA priorities, programs, initiatives, and resources to strengthen the health care safety net
  • Innovate Core Activities
    • Share state health care and public health best practices with HRSA and the public to inform HRSA-funded programs and public health stakeholders
    • Offer capacity-building assistance to state legislators and legislative officials to support and spread best practices that benefit populations served by HRSA and enhance the impact of HRSA-funded programs
  • Situate Core Activities
    • Provide HRSA with state context and feedback from state legislators and legislative officials on the state policy landscape and HRSA-funded program activities
    • Facilitate engagements between HRSA staff and state legislators and legislative officials to strengthen the health care safety net

Additional information, including the Notice of Funding Opportunity, is available on the HRSA website.

National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship, Fiscal Year 2020

Posted on by

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is seeking applications for funding innovative doctoral dissertation research that is relevant to preventing and controlling crime, and ensuring the fair and impartial administration of criminal justice in the United States. This program furthers the Department’s mission by increasing the pool of researchers who are engaged in providing science-based solutions to problems relevant to criminal and juvenile justice policy and practice in the United States. This integrates into a single solicitation for two previously separate fellowship solicitations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Social and Behavior Sciences (SBS).

Proposal Deadline: April 15, 2020.

The Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program provides grants to accredited academic institutions to support outstanding doctoral students whose dissertation research is relevant to criminal justice. Applicant academic institutions are eligible to apply only if:

  • The student is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in the sciences or engineering; and
  • The student’s proposed dissertation research has demonstrable relevance to preventing and controlling crime, and/or ensuring the fair and impartial administration of criminal justice, in the United States.

To learn more about the program, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions, go to https://www.nij.ojp.gov/GRF. Look for information on a webinar scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (eastern time) on February 4, 2020. Webinar slides and a transcript will be posted after the event.

Proposals addressing one or more of the following areas are particularly encouraged:

  • Reducing and preventing violent crime;
  • Addressing drug trafficking, drug markets, and drug-related violence;
  • Promoting law enforcement officer safety, health, and wellness;
  • Rescuing and restoring crime victims;
  • Securing our nation’s borders;
  • Enhancing law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, and
  • Investigating psychopathological, physiological, or biological correlates to offending behaviors and/or victimization.

Additional information can be found on grants.gov and in the program announcement.

Department of Defense (DoD) – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Outreach Programs

Posted on by

Purpose:

The purpose of this announcement is to solicit Applicants capable of providing in person
training, support, assessment, and evaluation services sponsored by the DoD and other federal agencies in partnership with local DoD laboratories, STEM education organizations, professional societies, and local education activities. Additionally, the Applicant will provide DoD and its partners with opportunities to support program and project level objectives. Program evaluations are used by DoD to determine the extent to which programs are operating efficiently, achieving the intended outcomes, and meeting program objectives.

In accordance with 10 USC §2192, this FOA is seeking application packages from
Applicants capable of engaging and improving Grades K-12 Plus (to include colleges,
universities, and vocational schools) STEM skills through in person outreach
programs and support services on a national level. The requirement for increased
STEM professional development is necessary to meet the long term national defense
needs of the United States for personnel proficient in such skills. Through this FOA,
the Government intends to execute the following types of STEM activities covered
under the guidelines of Section 2192 of Title 10, United States Code (U.S.C.):

  • STEM K-12 Plus events, such as activities, scholastic competitions, academic contests, in person educator training workshops, evaluation projects, in person training at various national locations, and other STEM activities;
  • STEM faculty events, such as activities, in person educator training workshops, evaluation projects, in person training at various national locations and other STEM activities;
  • Materials, supplies, equipment for local curricular and extracurricular outreach STEM activities;
  • Logistical support for sponsored local STEM events, such as workshops, training, and follow-up activities (to include the conduct of surveys, interviews, etc. on the local STEM events);
  • Recognition of participation/achievement to include monetary awards, certificates, and/or prizes for faculty/students who participate in or facilitate STEM events; and
  • Stipends for faculty, staff, and interns to facilitate the STEM events.

The Grant award recipient will be expected to conduct the following tasks during the execution of the STEM activities, in person, on-site, and in diverse geographically dispersed locations across the U.S.:

  • Engage multiple Federal agencies to discuss the potential funding of local and national STEM activities and assist in identifying funding to utilize the ceiling funding amount to the maximum extent possible;
  • Develop plans, budgets and schedules to execute the STEM activity;
  • Execute, manage, and/or supervise the STEM activity with knowledgeable personnel;
  • Provide internal and/or external evaluations of any STEM activities undertaken and selected for evaluation by the Government.

Additional information on this program can be found on grants.gov.

Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs

Posted on by

The Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting applications for financial assistance for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) within the Office of the Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS).

Program Description: The ADIIS Grant Program supports activities that develop, expand, strengthen, or sustain NIST partnership programs within the ADIIS Directorate through measurements, standards, data, industry and technology studies, and technology research and development (R&D). Specifically, the ADIIS Grant Program seeks to support technology innovation and service to American industry in the following fields: bioscience, chemistry, dimensional metrology, electronics, engineering, infrastructure, information technology, manufacturing, manufacturing metrology, materials science and engineering, nanotechnology, neutron research, optics, and physics.

The ADIIS Directorate’s current partnership programs include the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), programs within the NIST Office of Advanced Manufacturing, and programs within the NIST Technology Partnerships Office. Financial assistance may be provided to bolster measurements, standards, data and technology R&D within these partnership programs, or through new partnerships, to:

  • Advance early-stage research and development for industry
  • Enhance opportunities in manufacturing through innovation
  • Strengthen supplier programs for small and medium manufacturers
  • Encourage the transfer and commercialization of research and technology from institutions of higher education, federal laboratories, other federally funded research programs, and nonprofit research institutes
  • Create jobs or promote workforce development
  • Realize or sustain metrology needs in American industry, including through technical metrology training programs for manufacturers

Eligibility for all programs listed in this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) includes all non-Federal entities, including institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, Indian tribes, hospitals, foreign public entities, and foreign governments. Please note that individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not considered “non-Federal entities” and are not eligible to apply under this NOFO. The NOFO’s full text can be found here and downloaded as a PDF or a zip file.