Author Archives: emily

Naval Engineering Education Consortium (NEEC) Broad Agency Announcement for FY19

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Full Proposal Due: 01 November 2019 Eastern Daylight Time 11:59pm

The topics of interest for this BAA are as follows:

  • CA-01: Polymers, composites, smart materials, and intelligent coating systems (including adhesives) for improved performance require focus on multi-scale analysis approaches that may evolve into low-fidelity, high-reliability design tools.
  • CA-02: Techniques to aid in the prediction, quantification, and validation of ship motions and loads in conventional and/or extreme behaviors.
  • CO-01: System, subsystem, and component identification utilizing Natural Language Processing (NLP). Proposal should address techniques to derive semantic relations in disparate datasets including meronymy, holonymy, and hyponymy.
  • CO-02: Innovative concepts for automated data ingestion and combination for disparate datasets. 
  • CR-01: Development of foundational theories, methods, and techniques for advanced modeling and simulation of complex hypervelocity flight systems-of-systems at the component scale.
  • CR-02: Techniques and methodologies to automate the design and security assessment of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) bitstreams.
  • DD-01: Explore emerging software developments related to software scrambling in the areas of security, accuracy, or verification.
  • DD-02: Analysis and development of quantum and quantum-inspired algorithms for applications in machine learning and artificial intelligence which may include elements related to data classification, clustering, network security, optimization, and community detection.
  • DD-03: Investigation into the characterization and breakdown physics of streamer discharge to allow for a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of streamer discharge as well as the development of associated predictive models.
  • DD-04: Research into hypersonic vehicle thermo-protection systems (TPS); may include active and passive ablation solutions, hybrids and structural insulators, and related aerothermal, computational fluid dynamics and fluid/structure interaction methods.
  • IH-01: Novel energetic materials, formulations and applications to include predictive methods, energy storage, enhanced safety and reduced sensitivities in applications, processing characteristics and energy release for enhanced performance or lethality.
  • IH-02: Advanced manufacturing methods and processes for energetic and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) applications to include but not limited to additive manufacturing of co-layered materials and sensitive materials and resonance mixing. Improve chemical processing and chemical formulation scale-up methods, tools, and processes for energetic materials.
  • IH-03: Improved EOD analytical tools and methods for remote detection/characterization of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and home-made explosives (HME) to render them safe.
  • PC-01: Expand Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) navigation capabilities to GPS-denied environments through the development of innovative magnetic sensor configurations to include design, development, and experimentation of novel magnetic sensing systems coupled with algorithm development and integration onto viable UUV platforms for demonstration testing.
  • PC-02: Innovative methods for through-the-sensor environmental characterization.
  • PC-03: Advanced machine learning architectures that produce human-interpretable results and yield explainable decisions.
  • PD-01: The trend for future Navy shipboard power systems is a continued increase in simultaneous, transient power demands from increasing numbers of mission loads (propulsion, sensors, and weapons).
  • PH-01: Advanced computer vision methods and algorithms to verify the completion and accuracy of complex maintenance tasks.
  • PH-02: Low latency, accurate, and precise spatial registration, localization, and tracking of multiple AR devices in GPS-denied environments during fabrication/maintenance where access to tracking sensors is limited.
  • PH-03: Research and development of radio frequency transparent “super hydrophobic” coatings to prevent ice formation on combat and communication systems in arctic and subarctic atmospheres.
  • KPT-01: Automation, telerobotics and/or robotics innovation for naval maintenance applications: Applications for aboard ships, both underway and in dry dock, to reduce reliance on or hazards to personnel.
  • KPT-02: Research affordable techniques in the areas of close-proximity wireless underwater communication that can enable coordination of a group of small Unmanned Underwater Vehicles.
  • KPT-03: Predictive analysis of user behavior and user data needs for an application in a data rich environment: Research models and methods of identifying a user’s level of expertise, and identifying user’s data needs using data analytics methods such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural networks.
  • KPT-04: Expand Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) capabilities through artificial intelligence (AI) to static undersea sensors and/or dynamic groups (unmanned vehicles) to improve autonomous perception.
  • KPT-05: Software and Mechanical part obsolescence management and risk impact on systems: Innovative framework for a system-level model of the impact of software and mechanical part obsolescence.
  • KPT-06: Effects of Prolonged Marine Environment for Additively Manufactured (AM) Polymers: Research quantifiable data to build confidence in the use of additively manufactured polymer processes for marine systems.
  • NPT-01: Innovative concepts for big data collection, classification, automatic integration, and querying from potentially sensitive sources with applicability to naval readiness and naval situational awareness.
  • NPT-02: The plasticity of the human brain is seen in blind subjects who learn how to navigate using active sonar.
  • SSC-01: Extensible and scalable framework for novel management of the electromagnetic spectrum coordinated among multiple stakeholders.
  • SSC-02: Innovative concepts for scalable, automated, generalized approaches that inform recommendations for DoD C4ISR applications to include planning across heterogeneous assets in electromagnetic (EM) constrained environments.
  • SSC-03: New concepts for transmission methods and datalinks enabling greater bandwidth and increased security, range, and power efficiency by exploiting the unused radio spectrum and RF sensing for multiband, dynamic spectrum agility.
  • SSC-04: Novel techniques for physical cybersecurity of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems (i.e. Industrial facilities cyber control systems and network attacks).
  • NS1: Power distribution systems and engineering for efficiency and high power needs.
  • NS2: Statistical analysis of seaway hindcast data for new operating areas and existing areas that are changing due to climate change.
  • NS3: Naval ship maneuvering in waves to include research in performance prediction with the added resistance due to waves and ship motions.
  • NS4: Balanced hull form design for the navy after next operating environment: to include seakeeping, resistance, maneuvering, ice going and warfighting missions.
  • NS5: Designing for ship operability in a post damage condition to include impacts on maneuvering/seakeeping, powering, personnel effectiveness (arrangements, distributed systems), and hydrostatic effects.

Additional information can be found on grants.gov, including the BAA.

NSF Smart and Connected Health (SCH)

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The goal of the interagency Smart and Connected Health (SCH): Connecting Data, People and Systems program is to accelerate the development and integration of innovative computer and information science and engineering approaches to support the transformation of health and medicine. Approaches that partner technology-based solutions with biomedical and biobehavioral research are supported by multiple agencies of the federal government including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of this program is to develop next-generation multidisciplinary science that encourages existing and new research communities to focus on breakthrough ideas in a variety of areas of value to health, such as networking, pervasive computing, advanced analytics, sensor integration, privacy and security, modeling of socio-behavioral and cognitive processes and system and process modeling. Effective solutions must satisfy a multitude of constraints arising from clinical/medical needs, barriers to change, heterogeneity of data, semantic mismatch and limitations of current cyberphysical systems and an aging population. Such solutions demand multidisciplinary teams ready to address issues ranging from fundamental science and engineering to medical and public health practice.

The SCH program:

  • takes a coordinated approach that balances theory with evidenced-based analysis and systematic advances with revolutionary breakthroughs;•seeks cross-disciplinary collaborative research that will lead to new fundamental insights; and
  • seeks cross-disciplinary collaborative research that will lead to new fundamental insights; and
  • encourages empirical validation of new concepts through research prototypes, ranging from specific components to entire systems.

The purpose of this interagency program solicitation is to support the development of technologies, analytics and models supporting next generation health and medical research through high-risk, high-reward advances in computer and information science, engineering and technology, behavior and cognition. Collaborations between academic, industry, and other organizations are strongly encouraged to establish better linkages between fundamental science, medicine and healthcare practice and technology development, deployment and use. This solicitation is aligned with national reports calling for new partnerships to facilitate major changes in health and medicine, as well as healthcare delivery and is aimed at the fundamental research to enable these changes. Realizing the promise of disruptive transformation in health, medicine and/or healthcare will require well-coordinated, multi-disciplinary approaches that draw from the computer and information sciences, engineering, social, behavioral, cognitive and economic sciences, biomedical and health research. Only Integrative proposals (INT) spanning up to 4 years with multi-disciplinary teams will be considered in response to this solicitation.

Full Proposal Deadline: December 11, 2019

Additional information can be found on the NSF SCH webpage or in the solicitation 18-541.

NIH Environmental Risks for Psychiatric Disorders: Biological Basis of Pathophysiology (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

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Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-19-385

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to stimulate research to understand the biological basis by which environmental exposures alter brain and behavioral functioning to increase risk for psychiatric disorders with onset in late-childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. The R21 grant mechanism is intended to encourage exploratory and developmental research projects that are high-risk and/or use novel approaches with potential for significant impact. Investigations that further advance our understanding of psychiatric conditions where there is less evidence of an environmental exposure link are of particular interest. A range of approaches are encouraged, from mechanistic experiments using whole organism models or in vitro and in vivo systems to human studies that add new data collection activities and/or make use of extant data or biospecimens. Investigations that further advance our understanding of the joint contribution of genes and environment in the risk for psychiatric disorders are welcomed. Applications should address either categorically defined psychiatric diagnoses and/or continuous traits expressed in the general population. Applicants are encouraged to propose studies that consider co-occurring psychiatric conditions and potential shared etiologies. It is anticipated that knowledge gained from the research supported by this FOA will inform the development of improved intervention, prevention and/or therapeutic strategies.

Application Due Dates: December 10, 2019; November 16, 2020; November 16, 2021, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of non-AIDS applications allowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on these dates.

Specific Areas of Research Interest:

Topics that are appropriate for this FOA include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Alterations in level or pattern of peripheral biomarkers (e.g., cortisol, cytokines) and their role in mediating the relationship between environmental exposures and psychiatric disorders/traits
  • Neural circuitry underlying toxicant-induced changes in behavioral phenotypes relevant to psychiatric disorders/traits
  • Relationship(s) between environmental exposures and synaptic processes (e.g., synaptic integrity, synaptic plasticity and/or synaptic transmission) that are implicated in psychiatric disorders/traits
  • Epigenetic and epigenomic alterations (e.g., histone modifications, changes in DNA methylation, non-coding RNA regulation) caused by environmental exposures and their role in mediating the association of those exposures with psychiatric disorders/traits
  • Impact of environmental exposures on gut microbiome and consequences for risk of psychiatric disorders/traits
  • Development and/or application of screening tools to identify and investigate, in human populations, candidate exposures that interact with biological processes implicated in psychiatric disorders/traits
  • Neurobiological changes underlying how environmental chemical exposures combine with other environmental factors (e.g., microbial pathogens such as viruses, diet and nutrition, psychosocial stress, substance use, physical activity levels) to protect or increase risk for psychiatric disorders/symptoms
  • Use of genetically engineered models (e.g., population-based rodent models) to identify susceptibility to exposure-related psychiatric phenotypes
  • Application of functional genomics and/or novel statistical approaches to identify and validate gene-environment interactions using existing data from psychiatric studies
  • Role of non-neuronal cell populations, which make up close to 90% of the cells in the brain, in the effects of environmental toxicants on psychiatric disorders/traits.

NIH Innovative Programs to Enhance Research Training (IPERT) (R25)

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The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research educational activities that complement other formal training programs in the mission areas of the NIH Institutes and Centers. The over-arching goals of the NIH R25 program are to: (1) complement and/or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs; (2) encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research; (3) help recruit individuals with specific specialty or disciplinary backgrounds to research careers in biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences; and (4) foster a better understanding of biomedical, behavioral and clinical research and its implications.

The goal of the Innovative Programs to Enhance Research Training (IPERT) initiative is to enable the scientific community to develop and implement innovative educational activities to equip diverse cohorts of participants with technical, operational or professional skills required for careers in the biomedical research workforce, by effectively integrating the required core elements described below:

  • Courses for Skills Development: For example, support for short courses designed to develop technical (e.g., appropriate methods, technologies, and quantitative/computational approaches), operational (e.g., independent knowledge acquisition, rigorous experimental design, and interpretation of data) and/or professional (e.g., management, leadership, communication, and teamwork) skills necessary to conduct rigorous and reproducible research, and to transition successfully into careers in the biomedical research workforce. These courses could be in-person or provided electronically. Dissemination of educational materials and outreach activities to benefit individuals from a variety of backgrounds are required components of the program.
  • Mentoring Activities: For example, activities designed to provide career information, advice, and support to research-oriented undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or independent faculty in biomedical fields. The activities should provide participants with a perspective on the biomedical research training pathway and tools for overcoming challenges, navigating career transition points, and successfully transitioning into careers in the biomedical research workforce.

The recent NIGMS Strategic Plans emphasize that (1) research training is a responsibility shared by the NIH, academic institutions, faculty, and trainees; (2) research training must focus on student development, rather than simply the selection of talent; (3) breadth and flexibility enable research training to keep pace with the opportunities and demands of contemporary science and provide the foundation for a variety of scientific career paths; and (4) diversity is an indispensable component of research training excellence and must be advanced across the entire research enterprise.

Through this funding announcement, NIGMS intends to encourage innovative biomedical research education activities designed to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the research enterprise that is increasingly complex, interdisciplinary, and collaborative. As the scientific enterprise has expanded, there is greater variation in the backgrounds of people participating, approaches taken to investigate research questions, and the range of the careers in the biomedical research workforce that Ph.D. recipients are pursuing. There is also an increasing recognition of the need to enhance reproducibility of biomedical research results through scientific rigor and transparency and to reinforce the principles of the responsible conduct of research. This FOA is intended to enable the scientific community to develop and implement innovative activities that will provide high-quality skills development, mentoring, and outreach to equip diverse cohorts of participants with technical, operational or professional skills required for careers in the biomedical research workforce.

The IPERT activities must be open to the broader biomedical community and not be restricted to individuals from a single department, program or institution. NIGMS encourages applications that are intended for individuals in a variety of biomedical fields; however, if a scientific area is described, it must be within the NIGMS mission.

For additional information please see PAR-19-383.

Limited Submission Opportunity – National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)

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NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI): Limited Submission Opportunity

Internal Notification of Interest Deadline to the Office of Research Administration: Friday, October 18, 2019, 5:00 pm.

NSF Proposal Submission Window: January 1, 2020 – January 21, 2020

The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training in our Nation’s institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. An MRI award supports the acquisition or development of a multi-user research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.

MRI provides support to acquire critical research instrumentation without which advances in fundamental science and engineering research may not otherwise occur. MRI also provides support to develop next-generation research instruments that open new opportunities to advance the frontiers in science and engineering research. Additionally, an MRI award is expected to enhance research training of students who will become the next generation of instrument users, designers and builders.

An MRI proposal may request up to $4 million for either acquisition or development of a research instrument. Beginning with the FY 2018 competition, each performing organization may submit in revised “Tracks” as defined below, with no more than two submissions in Track 1 and no more than one submission in Track 2.

  • Track 1: Track 1 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $100,000 and less than $1,000,000.
  • Track 2: Track 2 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $1,000,000 up to and including $4,000,000.

Cost sharing is required for Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education and for non-degree-granting organizations. Non-Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education are exempt from cost-sharing and cannot provide it. National Science Board policy is that voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. When required, cost-sharing must be precisely 30%.

Limit on the Number of Proposals per Organization:

Each performing organization is now limited to a maximum of three (3) proposals in revised “Tracks” as defined below, with no more than two (2) submissions in Track 1 and no more than one (1) submission in Track 2.

Any MRI proposal may request support for either the acquisition or development of a research instrument.

For full details on this program, please visit the NSF MRI webpage and the NSF MRI Solicitation, 18-513.

For additional details regarding The University of Akron’s limited submission process, visit the ORA Limited Submission webpage.

If you are interested in submitting a NSF MRI proposal, please visit the ORA Limited Submission webpage and complete step 1: Notification of Interest, by the deadline above.

  • Individuals interested in applying to a limited submission program must submit a Notification of Interest no later than 5pm on the internal deadline. To submit this notification applicants must email limitedsubmissions@uakron.edu with the subject line of the email formatted as follows: “Last name, First name; Limited Submission Notification of Interest”. Notifications will be emailed, and applicants will either be approved to apply or will be prompted to provide a white paper.
  • If ORA receives internal notices of interest in excess of the NSF limit on the number of proposals per organization, an internal competition will be necessary and additional information will be sent to those who submitted a notice of interest.