Category Archives: Announcements

New policy regarding externally funded proposal submissions

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Effective Jan. 1, 2019, UA implemented a new policy for externally funded proposal submissions. This policy is intended to lessen the General Fund investment of research and other sponsored programs performed for outside governmental and private granting organizations. There are two changes that researchers and others who work with research and other sponsored programs must be aware:

  1. All submitted proposals must include at least $5,000 of tuition and fees per year for each graduate and undergraduate student who will be paid a stipend from the project — when charging for tuition and fees are permitted by the funding organization (e.g., some National Institutes of Health mechanisms such as the R15 emphasize the funding of undergraduate students).
  2. For all new proposals, for every two dollars allocated to non-academic-year faculty salary (e.g., summer salary), one dollar is required to be allocated to academic-year salary (i.e., a 1/3 rule for academic-year salary). When tuition is not allowed to be covered by a granting organization, then the principal investigator will be expected to increase the amount of academic-year salary to help recover the lost increment from the student tuition.

The full policy document can be read online on the Office of Research Administration website, (or from the ORA Policies webpage. The ORA is creating a FAQ to help ensure good communication and consistent handling as everyone adjusts to these changes.

Early in 2019, UA will implement a more comprehensive policy that integrates this new Research Policy with faculty workloads and RTP/merit evaluations.

NSF – Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) Supplemental Funding

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NSF is pleased to provide you with information about funding support to enhance professional development opportunities for graduate students that is available to Graduate Research Fellows and Honorable Mentions, through supplements to current NSF grants.  These supplements provide graduate students with the opportunity to augment their research assistantships with additional non-academic research internship activities and training that will complement their academic research experiences.

INTERN (Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students Supplemental Funding) provides graduate students with an opportunity to gain knowledge, skills and experiences that will augment his/her preparation for a successful long-term career through an internship in a non-academic setting, including the following:

  • Industry laboratories or industry research and development groups;
  • Start-ups, such as (but not limited to) those funded through the NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program;
  • Government agencies and National Laboratories;
  • Policy think-tanks; and
  • Non-profit organizations.

The period of support is up to six months for an internship, and there can be two supplemental requests, for a maximum of 12 months per student.  The supplement can provide up to $50,000 per student per six month period.  Funds may be used to support travel, tuition and fees, health insurance, additional stipend and temporary relocation costs for the graduate student.

More information on INTERN (Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students Supplemental Funding) can be found here: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2017/nsf17091/nsf17091.jsp.

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

Science & Technology Highlights in the First Year of the Trump Administration

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The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently published a report entitled Science & Technology Highlights the First Year of the Trump Administration detailing many of the Science & Technology (S&T) achievements over the last year.  Reading between the lines, this document provides researchers valuable information about the Federal Government’s funding priorities and areas of interest.

Researchers can reasonably anticipate that Federal funding agencies will give priority to the OSTP areas of interest, if not additional or special funding opportunities.  For example, NIH’s National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) has a special notice for funding research on Advancing Research of Effect of Maternal Opioid Exposure on Developing Brain and NSF‘s 2019 budget request (news release 18-012) seeks an increase in funding to accelerate the progress of its “10 Big Ideas for Future Investments“, including special attention for cybersecurity research.

Per the report, “The Trump Administration is committed to advancing technological development and conducting research and development (R&D) to ensure national security, grow the economy, create well-paying jobs, and improve the lives of Americans across this great nation. Over the past year, OSTP has led coordinated Administration efforts to promote emerging technologies, empower Americans to innovate, and defend American technologies abroad. President Trump demonstrated his commitment to the importance of Federal scientific exploration by requesting $151.2 billion for Federal R&D investment in the FY 2018 budget – a 2% increase over FY 2017.1 Furthermore, the President’s FY 2018 Budget Request would result in the highest percent of the budget for the conduct of R&D since the FY 2014 Budget Request.2 In August, OSTP and OMB released the annual Administration R&D budget priorities for FY 2019, advising agencies to prioritize basic and early-stage applied research, the foundation for the development of transformative commercial products and services.”

The S&T areas highlighted in the report include:

  • Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy
  • Biomedical Innovation
  • Connectivity
  • Cybersecurity & Government IT Services
  • Digital Economy
  • Energy Dominance
  • Homeland Defense & National Security
  • Opioid Epidemic Response
  • Scientific Discovery
  • Space Exploration
  • STEM Education

“These highlights represent only a fraction of the tremendous scientific and technological work conducted across the Federal Government. Every day, Federal scientists and policymakers advance the frontiers of human knowledge and inform national policy to deliver the benefits of these advances to the American people. OSTP looks forward to continuing to advocate for American scientists and technologists in the year ahead, and working together to ensure that the United States continues to lead the world in technological innovation and scientific discovery.”

Additional information on the S&T highlights, including advances for each priority area, can be found in the Science & Technology Highlights report or on the OTSP webpage.

Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Broad Agency Announcement for Basic Scientific Research (2018)

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Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) W911NF-18-S-0001 for the Foundational Science  Research Unit of the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social  Sciences (ARI) solicits new proposals for its fiscal year 2018 program of basic  research in behavioral science. The U.S. Army Research Institute for the  Behavioral and Social Sciences is the Army lead agency for the conduct of  research, development, and analyses for the improvement of Army readiness and  performance via research advances and applications of the behavioral and social  sciences that address personnel, organization, training, and leader development  issues.  The basic research program supports research projects that are designed  to expand fundamental knowledge and discover general principles in behavioral and  social sciences.

 A key consideration in the decision to support a research proposal is that its  findings are likely to stimulate new, basic behavioral research which, in turn,  will lead to improved performance of Army personnel and their units.  Proposals  may address both traditional behavioral issues as well as psychophysiological (to  include neuroscience) and network science approaches to social phenomena, memory,  cognition, and personality. ARI will not support proposals through this BAA that  are primarily applied research projects (e.g., human factors studies or training  program evaluations) or purely focused on physiology, psychopathology, or  behavioral health. 

Interested offerors are encouraged to submit white papers prior to submitting  proposals. 

The full research announcement and application instructions for both white papers and proposals may be viewed at grants.gov under opportunity number W911NF-18-S-0001.

White paper submissions due by April 4, 2018.

Full proposal submissions due by June 15, 2018.

Research topic areas of interest include the domains listed below (see the BAA p. 8, available here, for more information):

  1. Personnel Testing and performance
  2. Leader Development
  3. Organizational Effectiveness
  4. Learning in Formal and Informal Environments
  5. Culture