Category Archives: Agency Specific

NIH – New “All About Grants” Podcast on Writing a Fellowship Application

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NIH offers a variety of opportunities for researchers early in their career. Individual fellowship (F) awards provide research training opportunities to trainees at the predoctoral, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. In this next installment of the NIH’s All About Grants podcast series, Shoshana Kahana, Ph.D., NIH Research Training Policy Officer, discusses the F application process, sharing tips and best practices for developing a strong application (MP3 / Transcript).

Tune in for the A to Z on F applications, including where to start, the role of sponsors, and what NIH is looking for as they review applications. She also explains the considerations for applications involving clinical research, and offers advice for unfunded applicants.

For even more information, see the NIH Fellowships page.

Diversity Program Consortium Dissemination and Translation Awards (DPC DaTA) (U01)

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The Diversity Program Consortium (DPC) Dissemination and Translation Awards (DaTA) initiative is designed to broaden the consortium’s national impact. The DPC DaTA initiative provides an opportunity for institutions not currently part of the DPC to apply for funding to take a rigorous scientific approach to understanding the effectiveness of a biomedical research training, mentoring, or research capacity building intervention by employing DPC experimental methods (see DPC data elements/survey instruments and hallmarks of success).

Funded programs must:

  • Conduct hypothesis-driven research;
  • use rigorous DPC methods for evaluation (e.g., the use of matched controls and/or comparison groups); and,
  • disseminate the results to inform the biomedical community on what factors enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce and why those factors have an influence.

Research results are expected to move beyond participation satisfaction, self-reporting of perceived skills gained, or self-reporting of effectiveness. Accordingly, the interventions are to be centered not only on psychosocial factors but also on outcomes.

The interventions should:

  • Inform the field about the effectiveness of the duration, frequency, and intensity of the intervention and whether those effects can be enhanced by reinforcement sessions;
  • provide the scientific community with sound evidence of short-, medium-, and long-term effects of the efficacy of the interventions; and,
  • be cost-effective, practical, realistic, scalable, and sustainable at a broad range of institutions.

NIH intends to fund primarily undergraduate institutions with a commitment to providing educational opportunities to research-oriented students from diverse backgrounds (see NIH’s Interest in Diversity). Eligible institutions are expected to be:

  • Domestic associate’s degree-granting and/or baccalaureate degree-granting colleges/universities that received an average of NIH research project grant funding of less than $7.5 million total costs per year over the past 3 fiscal years; and,
  • have at least 25 percent of undergraduate students supported by Pell grants.

These awards will be cooperative agreements, which means that there will be substantial federal scientific or programmatic involvement. NIH scientific and/or program staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in the project activities.

The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 3 years. The DPC DaTA program is not intended for professional schools or Phase I awardees of the DPC. Application budgets are limited to $250K with no funds allowable for alterations and renovations, large equipment, and student financial support.

For more information about the DPC DaTA program, see the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, RFA-RM-19-003, or contact Dr. Anissa J. Brown at anissa.brown@nih.gov.

Additional information can be found in the RFA available at RFA-RM-19-003.

On July 17, NIGMS staff will offer a webinar to provide an overview of the program and explain application expectations and requirements for the upcoming Oct. 8, 2019 receipt date.

NSF Demographic Information Site has Moved from Fastlane to Research.gov

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Please be advised that effective May 20, 2019, the Demographic Information site has moved from FastLane to the Research.gov Account Management site, so you can manage your profile data in one location.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Demographic information previously entered on the FastLane site was migrated to “My Profile” in Research.gov. 
  • To view or edit your demographic information:
    • Sign in to Research.gov and click on “My Profile” located at the top of the screen.
    • Demographic information is located on your “View/Edit Profile” page. 
    • Scroll down to the Demographic Information section at the bottom of your profile to view the demographic information you previously provided in FastLane or to update your demographic information.
  • Submission of the requested demographic information is voluntary. NSF asks for demographic data relating to gender, ethnicity/race, and disability status to gauge whether our programs and other opportunities in science and technology are fairly reaching and benefiting everyone regardless of demographic category; and to ensure that those in underrepresented groups have the same knowledge of and access to programs, meetings, vacancies, and other research and educational opportunities as everyone else.

Screenshots of the new Research.gov Demographic Information section are available in the Account Management Guide, and new questions have been added to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Additional Account Management resources are accessible from the Research.gov About Account Management page.

Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program – Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19)

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The Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Defense Appropriation provides $30 million (M) to the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program (PRORP) to support the most significant gaps in care for the leading burden of injury and for facilitating return to duty by funding innovative, high-impact, clinically relevant research to advance optimal treatment and rehabilitation from musculoskeletal injuries sustained during combat and combat-related activities. 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).

FY19 PRORP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov. The PRORP will solicit research applications that specifically address at least one of the following FY19 Focus Areas:

1. Compartment Syndrome Models: Diagnostic and/or treatment strategies developed in a large animal model that replicates compartment syndrome. Model system should be clinically relevant and scientifically reproducible.

2. Limb Stabilization and Protection: Development of rapid limb stabilization and novel wound protectants for severely wounded limbs to enable transport at the point of need.

3. Retention on Duty Strategies: Development and/or optimization of battlefield-feasible diagnostic capabilities, decision support tools, interventions, and/or rehabilitation strategies that can facilitate retention on duty for common combat-related musculoskeletal injuries. (Biomarker studies are excluded.)

4. Skin-implant Interface: Identification of best practices to address infection at the skin-implant interface for osseointegrated prosthetic limbs.

5. Translation of Early Findings: Translation of early research findings in orthopaedic surgical care topic areas (volumetric muscle loss, compartment syndrome, and soft tissue trauma) to move the research toward clinical trials and clinical practice.

6. Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics: Development of advanced tissue regeneration therapeutics in nerve, muscle, and/or composite tissue for the restoration of traumatically injured extremities (excludes isolated bone tissue engineering studies).

The following FY19 PRORP award mechanisms are planned for release (note that Focus Area requirements vary by award mechanism):

Additional information can be found here: https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/prorp

  • Applied Research Award- Preproposal is due June 26, 2019
  • Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)
  • Pre-application is required; full application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports applied research applications focused on advancing optimal treatment and restoration of function for military personnel with musculoskeletal injuries sustained during combat or combat-related activities.
  • Proposed research should be supported by preliminary data and have the potential to make significant advancements toward clinical translation.
  • Clinical trials are not allowed under this award mechanism.
  • Applications must address one the following FY19 PRORP Focus Areas: o Compartment Syndrome Models o Limb Stabilization and Protection o Retention on Duty Strategies o Skin Implant Interface
  • Maximum funding of $750,000 for total costs (direct plus indirect costs).
  • Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
  • Clinical Trial Award – Preproposal due June 26, 2029
  • Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent) Pre-application is required; full application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a major impact on military combat-related orthopaedic injuries or non-battle injuries that significantly impact unit readiness and return-to-duty/work rates.
  • Funding must support a clinical trial and may not be used for preclinical research studies.
  • Collaboration with military researchers and clinicians is encouraged.
  • Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption applications, if needed, should be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration within 6 months of the award date. 
  • Applications must address one the following FY19 PRORP Focus Areas:
    • Limb Stabilization and Protection o Retention on Duty Strategies
    • Translation of Early Findings 
    • Volumetric Muscle Loss
    • Compartment Syndrome
    • Soft Tissue Trauma
  • Funding Level 1:
  • Maximum funding of $2.5M for total costs (includes direct and indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
  • Funding Level 2:
  • (Translation of Early Findings – Soft Tissue Trauma Focus Area with Rehabilitation Option):
  • Maximum funding of $3M maximum total costs and indirect costs • Maximum period of performance is 4 years.
  • Clinical Translational Research Award – Preproposal due June 26, 2019
  • Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent) Pre-application is required; full application submission is by invitation only.
  • Supports high-impact and/or emerging research that may or may not be ready for a full-scale, randomized, controlled clinical trial.
  • Funding must support clinical research studies involving humans. 
  • Preliminary or published data relevant to the proposed research project are required.
  • Collaboration with military researchers and clinicians is encouraged.
  • Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption applications, if needed, should be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration within 12 months of the award date.
  • Applications must address one the following FY19 PRORP Focus Areas: o Retention on Duty Strategies o Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics
  • Maximum funding of $2M for total costs (includes direct and indirect costs)
  • Maximum period of performance is 4 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 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.

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 PRORP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).

Limited Submission Opportunity – Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers

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NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers: Limited Submission Opportunity

 

Internal Limited Submission Deadline to the Office of Research Administration: Friday, April 19, 2019

NSF Preliminary Proposal Due Date (required): June 24, 2019

Funding Opportunity Description

The nature of materials research demands mechanisms to support interdisciplinary collaboration for the conception and execution of ideas, and for developing the capabilities to sustain our nation’s competitiveness in the production of new technology and products based on advances in materials research. Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) are expected to contribute to the development of a diverse and globally competitive scientific workforce for increased economic competitiveness of the United States.

MRSECs support multidisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in materials science of a scope and complexity requiring the scale and synergy provided by a campus-based research center. MRSECs require outstanding research quality, intellectual breadth, multidisciplinarity, flexibility in responding to new research opportunities, support for research infrastructure, and foster the integration of research and education in the materials field. They are expected to have strong links to industry and other sectors, as appropriate, and to contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research.

The NSF’s mission is to promote and facilitate the progress of science, engineering, and related education in the United States. Its role in supporting research and education is particularly important in creating physical and human resources infrastructure in both traditional and emerging areas. NSF also promotes partnerships, including collaboration with other US IHEs, agencies, industry, national and government laboratories, for projects of mutual interest. International collaborations are also strongly encouraged.

The MRSEC program reinforces NSF’s commitment to excellence in research and education; it is national in scope and significance, requiring coordination of the overall effort among Centers. The MRSEC program complements, but does not substitute for, NSF support for individual investigators, small groups, national user facilities, and instrumentation in materials research.

 

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

Only one MRSEC preliminary proposal may be submitted by any one organization as the lead institution in this competition.

 

For full program details visit NSF’s webpage or the solicitation NSF-19-517.

 

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