Author Archives: emily

NSF to Launch New Proposal Preparation and Submission Site on Research.gov April 30, 2018

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Beginning on April 30, 2018, proposers will be able to prepare and submit full, research non-collaborative proposals in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research.gov system. The initial release of this new Research.gov capability will run in parallel with existing FastLane proposal preparation and submission capabilities. As a result, proposers can choose to prepare and submit full, research non-collaborative proposals in Research.gov or in FastLane starting on April 30, 2018.  Other proposal types will be added to Research.gov in the future. Please note, proposals initiated in the new system will not be available in FastLane and proposals prepared in FastLane will not be available in the new system. This new system is being developed incrementally and as capabilities are migrated from FastLane to Research.gov, the system features will expand until it eventually replaces FastLane for proposal preparation and submission. There will be no impact to Grants.gov and Application Submission Web Services (ASWS), and NSF will continue to fully support these proposal submission methods.

The Research.gov proposal site modernizes proposal preparation and submission capabilities and focuses on enhancing the user experience and reducing administrative burden with an intuitive interface and real-time compliance checking. The new functionality provides the ability to create, submit, track, and update proposals associated with active NSF funding opportunities and furthers NSF’s goal to provide quick access to proposal information and grants management services in one location.

Research.gov Proposal Preparation Site Preview

On February 26, 2018, NSF began previewing the new Research.gov proposal preparation site to the research community to collect preliminary feedback and to provide the community an opportunity to become familiar with the new interface before the official site launch on April 30, 2018. The preview will continue until 8:00PM EDT on April 27, 2018, and allows any research community user with a FastLane or Research.gov account to test the new Research.gov proposal preparation features.

We encourage you to check out the preview site before April 27, 2018. Please keep in mind that all test data entered on the Research.gov proposal preparation site during the preview period (February 26, 2018 through April 27, 2018) will be deleted before the full site is launched on April 30, 2018.

Feedback on Proposal Preparation Site Preview

Feedback from the research community and NSF staff about proposal preparation in Research.gov during the preview period is critical to NSF and will be used to enhance and expand Research.gov incrementally. Feedback on the Research.gov preview site may be submitted via this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ProposalPreparation.

Additional Information

Resources including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and a system capabilities release timeline are available on the Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submission page. A series of short instructional videos is currently in development and will be posted on the About Proposal Preparation and Submission page. 

We hope that you are as excited as we are about the official launch of the Research.gov proposal preparation and submission site for full, research non-collaborative proposals on April 30, 2018!

For IT system-related questions, please contact the NSF Help Desk at 1-800-381-1532 or rgov@nsf.gov. Policy-related questions should be directed to policy@nsf.gov.

Regards,

The Research.gov Team at the National Science Foundation

Department of Defense Spinal Cord Injury Research Program Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18)

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The FY18 Defense Appropriation provides $30 million (M) to the Department of Defense Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP) to support innovative, high-impact spinal cord injury research. As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency, J9 Research and Development Directorate manages the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation. The managing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC).

The SCIRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications.  FY18 SCIRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in May 2018.  Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the Program Announcements are released.  This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government.

For FY18, SCIRP encourages applications that address the critical needs of SCI research and patient care in one or more of the following FY18 Focus Areas:

  • Neuroprotection
  • Biomarkers
  • Bladder and bowel dysfunction and neuropathic pain
  • Psychosocial issues relevant to SCI in  individuals with SCI and their caregivers
  • Rehabilitation and regeneration

http://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/2018/18scirppreann

Clinical Trial Award

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Fund Phase 0, I, or II clinical trials with the potential to have a major impact on treatment or management of spinal cord injury (SCI) and its consequences.
  • Preclinical data required for all clinical trial applications.
  • Maximum funding of $3M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Fund SCI-related research that has the potential to make an important contribution to SCI research and/or patient care.
  • Preliminary data required.
  • Clinical trials not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.

Qualitative Research Award

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Fund qualitative research on military Service members and Veterans in the years following SCI.
  • Qualitative research is defined as a form of social inquiry that focuses on understanding the way that people interpret and make sense of their experiences and the world in which they live (i.e., seek to understand the human experience).
  • Preliminary data encouraged, but not required.
  • Clinical trials not allowed.
  • Maximum funding of $500,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years

Translational Research Award

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

  • Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
  • Fund studies that accelerate the movement of promising ideas in SCI research into clinical applications.
  • Preliminary data required
  • The SCIRP TRA may include a pilot clinical trial as part of the proposed research where limited clinical testing of a novel intervention or device is necessary to inform the next step in the continuum of translational research.
  • Maximum funding of $1.25M for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the pre-application deadline. All applications must conform to the final Program Announcements and General Application Instructions that will be available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website.  The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov.  A listing of all CDMRP and other USAMRMC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420. 

Submission deadlines are not available until the Program Announcements are released.  For email notification when Program Announcements are released, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under “Email Subscriptions” on the eBRAP homepage at https://eBRAP.org.  For more information about the SCIRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Public Affairs
301-619-9783
usarmy.detrick.medcom-cdmrp.mbx.cdmrp-public-affairs@mail.mil

The State of Ohio seeks to better understand Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) initiatived and capabilities on university campuses

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April 4, 2018

Dear President Wilson,

Ohio has a rich history in aviation and that legacy continues today.  Cleveland is home to NASA’s Glenn Research Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio.  On the aerospace manufacturing side, Ohio is the number one supplier to both Airbus and Boeing making Ohio a critical state for both manufacturing and aerospace research and development.

Building on this long-standing tradition of innovation in aviation technology, the State of Ohio has identified unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) (see the UAS Addendum for more information) technology as a key industry to enhance economic development by leveraging our in-state talent.  Ohio has an opportunity to become national leaders by overcoming many regulatory and logistical challenges that are currently holding back the advancement of UAS.  The solution to many of these challenges can be solved by unifying, sharing new ideas and working through the regulatory and technological barriers in the UAS industry.

The biggest barrier in advancing UAS is the inability, under current regulations, to fly UAS beyond visual line-of site.  In an attempt to be a leading state in overcoming this barrier, Ohio has made significant investments in cutting-edge UAS technologies.  A particularly unique asset in this endeavor is a 200,000 square mile airspace in Springfield, Ohio that will be using three individual Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) radar sites for a Ground-Based Detect and Avoid (GBDAA) system.  The GBDAA system operates as an air traffic control management system for UAS.  This technology, which overlaps multiple radar signals to increase accuracy in detection, will become one of the safest places in the country to operate UAS and will lead the way for early beyond visual line-of-site operations in the National Airspace System.  Additionally, the GBDAA system should help waive restrictions on UAS altitude, weight, and speed thus increasing test capabilities for our region.

Ohio is also fortunate to have a strong network of colleges and universities that regularly create solutions to complex problems.  Innovative work in UAS is no exception.  The investment in the GBDAA represents a great opportunity for the state to advance its UAS efforts by leveraging the airspace in Springfield to advance UAS initiatives taking place on your campus.  The GBDAA system is in the final phase of completion and regular UAS testing is scheduled to begin this summer.

To better assess the potential of meaningful collaborations with our colleges and universities in this space, we would like to gain a thorough understanding of the nature and scope of UAS initiatives and capabilities on your campus.  Our plan is to use the developed inventory to identify opportunities and target resources to accelerate cutting-edge UAS ideas into practice.  We are also exploring the possibility of convening our institutions around this topic to discuss long-term strategic direction.  The information you provide will ensure that any such convening is focused and productive.

On or before April 20, 2018, we are requesting that a description of your UAS initiatives be sent to Charles See, Vice Chancellor for External Relations and Education Technology, who is leading the information collection effort on behalf of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. As noted, we are interested in receiving information in all areas of your UAS work, however, in constructing your response, please highlight specific capabilities and initiatives that align with priorities listed in the attached addendum.  We would also request that you identify a point person to work with Charles on future UAS inquires.  Charles can be reached at csee@highered.ohio.gov.  Please copy Mitzi Dunn at mdunn@highered.ohio.gov on all submissions.  Questions regarding submission of information on UAS initiatives should be directed to Vice Chancellor See.

Additionally, to maximize your opportunity to contribute to this statewide collaborative effort, David Gallaher, Chief of Staff at the Ohio/Indiana UAS Center & Test Complex, has extended an open invitation to each of our colleges and universities to visit the Springfield airspace to tour and evaluate the facility.  David can be reached at David.Gallagher@dot.ohio.gov to set up your visit. We urge you to take advantage of this opportunity.

As your institution becomes familiar with the Springfield airspace and the GBDAA, our hope is that you will identify opportunities to use this asset to advance UAS research at your institution, partner with personnel at the airspace to address UAS issues and concerns, and develop and share new UAS technology.  In short, our goal is to establish the GBDAA and the Springfield airspace as a central hub in facilitating the advancement of all things UAS in Ohio.

We truly have a great opportunity to advance the UAS industry in the state of Ohio. We look forward to working with you on this very important initiative.  Thank you for considering this request.

Sincerely,

John Carey                                                                              Fred Judson

Chancellor                                                                               Acting UAS Director – UAS Center

 

Ohio Department of Higher Education

NASA University Leadership Initiative (ULI) – Proposal Opportunity

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Amendment 1 to the NASA ARMD Research Opportunities in Aeronautics – 2018 (ROA-2018) NRA has been posted on the NSPIRES web site.

Solicitation: NNH18ZEA001N

Research proposals are sought in seven topic areas for Appendix D.4 in support of University Leadership Initiative (ULI).

ULI provides the opportunity for university teams to exercise technical and organizational leadership in proposing unique technical challenges, defining interdisciplinary solutions, establishing peer review mechanisms, and applying innovative teaming strategies to strengthen the research impact. By addressing the most complex challenges associated with ARMD strategic thrusts, universities will accelerate progress toward achievement of high impact outcomes while leveraging their capability to bring together the best and brightest minds across many disciplines. In order to transition their research, Principal Investigators are expected to actively explore transition opportunities and pursue follow-on funding from stakeholders and industrial partners during the course of the award.

Proposals are sought in seven topic areas corresponding to the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD):

  • Topic 1: Safe, Efficient Growth in Global Operations
  • Topic 2: Innovation in Commercial Supersonic Aircraft
  • Topic 3: Ultra-Efficient Commercial Vehicles
  • Topic 4: Transition to Alternative Propulsion and Energy
  • Topic 5: Real-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance
  • Topic 6: Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation
  • Topic 7: Aviation Manufacturing

An Applicant’s Workshop will be held on Wednesday April 4, 2018 from 12:30-3:00 ET (https://ac.arc.nasa.gov/ppbriefing/ and sign in as a “Guest” using your full name).  Additional information on page D-33 of the solicitation.

This NRA will use a 2-step proposal process. Step-A proposals are required, in place of the NOI, and are due May 16, 2018.

CDMRP Releases FY2018 Defense Medical Research and Development Program Funding Opportunities

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The Department of Defense (DOD) – Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) recently released funding opportunities and program pre-announcements for FY2018.

A current CDMRP funding opportunity is the Military Performance Optimization Research Award, with a pre-application deadline of 4/11/18.  This program will support research addressing physical performance optimization, cognitive performance optimization, injury prevention and reduction, and deployment health protection.

Although funds have not been appropriated for the below CDMRP programs, anticipated funding opportunities for FY2018 include:

CDMRP provides the information about anticipated funding opportunities in pre-announcements so that investigators have adequate time to plan and develop proposals for submission.  Further information on the CDMRP, current opportunities and anticipated opportunities can be found on their webpage.