Save the Date! Join the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the Spring 2021 NSF Virtual Grants Conference, to be held during the week of June 7-11, 2021.

Registration will be free of charge and opens on Wednesday, May 5 at 12 p.m. EST. We anticipate the sessions will reach capacity very quickly, so we encourage you to register as soon as possible.

In the meantime, please feel free to check nsfpolicyoutreach.com for the most up-to-date information and view recordings of sessions from previous years. You may also view the Fall 2020 Virtual Grants Conference recordings on our YouTube page. For those who cannot attend the live conference, all recorded conference sessions will be available on-demand shortly after the event and posted on our website and our YouTube page.

If you have any logistical questions about this virtual conference, please contact us at: grants_conference@nsf.gov

During the live presentation NEH staff (including new and outgoing program leadership) will describe the application and nomination process and tips for using the online submission system. Next month, on May 20 we will make available a separate webinar focused specifically on application-writing suggestions.

There will be a chance to ask questions and captions will be available. It will be helpful for both administrators and prospective applicants. 

Here are the details: 

Date: Wednesday, April 14 

Time: 2-3 PM (Eastern time)  

To watch the presentation, click on this link.  

The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Summer Stipends program aims to stimulate new research in the humanities and its publication. The program works to accomplish this goal by:

• Providing small awards to individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both
• Supporting projects at any stage of development, but especially early-stage research and late-stage writing in which small awards are most effective
• Furthering the NEH’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the humanities by encouraging applications from independent scholars and faculty at Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and community colleges

Summer Stipends support continuous full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two consecutive months.  NEH funds may support recipients’ compensation, travel, and other costs related to the proposed scholarly research.

NEH staff will host a webinar describing the program, including eligibility, the application and nomination processes, and suggestions for writing an effective application. The presentation will include questions and answers from participants. The webinar will be Wednesday, April 14, 2:00-3:00 PM (Eastern). The webinar can be viewed here.

A second webinar focused on application writing tips can be viewed here. A PDF version of the presentation slides is also available.

For more information, please visit the program information page.

Anticipated Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21)

The FY21 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program (PRORP) to support high-impact, clinically-relevant research to advance optimal treatment and rehabilitation from musculoskeletal injuries. 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 Development Command (USAMRDC).

The FY21 PRORP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website. 

Applications submitted to the FY21 PRORP must address one or more of the following focus areas:

• Compartment Syndrome: Novel treatment strategies to improve current diagnoses for compartment syndrome. Alternatives to intracompartmental pressure measurements are encouraged.
• Limb Stabilization and Protection: Development of rapid limb stabilization and novel wound protectants for severely or critically wounded limbs to enable prolonged care and eventual transport to the point of definitive treatment.
• Osseointegration: Identification of best practices to address infection, rejection, and/or failure of percutaneous osseointegrated prosthetic limbs.
• Prosthetic and Orthotic Devices: Development of high-performance novel prosthetic or orthotic devices designed to enhance whole person performance and decrease pain in patients with amputation and limb salvage, and impairment. Multicenter studies which focus on transfemoral amputees are encouraged.
• Retention Strategies: Development, optimization, and/or validation 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. The current standard of care must be noted. The rehabilitation strategy to be used in the proposed study must be specified, as applicable.
  • Battlefield Care: Strategies that can be utilized at or near the point of injury to allow an injured Service member to remain on the battlefield or on mission without the need for evacuation. Treatment strategies that allow return to mission effectiveness within 30 days will be considered.
  • Return to Duty: Treatment strategies that can be utilized along the continuum of care and enable return to duty of the Service member within one year of injury.
• Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics: Development of advanced tissue regeneration therapeutics in nerve, muscle, and/or composite tissue for the restoration of traumatically injured extremities. Isolated bone or cartilage tissue engineering studies are excluded. Early clinical feasibility studies involving volumetric muscle loss are encouraged.
• Translation of Early Findings: Translation of early research findings in the orthopaedic surgical care topic areas listed below to move the research toward clinical trials and clinical practice.
  • Soft Tissue Trauma: Strategies to develop and/or identify musculoskeletal extremity soft tissue trauma treatments for shoulder, knee, or chronic ankle instability and sequela only, to optimize return to duty, work, or reintegration.
  • Fracture-Related Infection: Strategies to decrease the burden of fracture-related infections (may include prevention, early detection, or improved eradication). Alternatives to systemic antibiotic delivery are encouraged. Novel approaches that improve the current standard of treatment to prevent fracture-related infections are encouraged. 

https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/prorp

Applied Research Award – Preproposal due May 27, 2021

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

Supports applied research applications focused on advancing optimal treatment and restoration of function for individuals with musculoskeletal injuries sustained during combat, combat-related activities, and non-battle injuries that impact unit readiness and the ability to return to duty/work.

• Proposed research should be supported by preliminary and/or published data and have the potential to make significant advancements toward clinical translation.

• Clinical research and clinical trials are not allowed under this award mechanism.

• Applications must address one of the following FY21 PRORP ARA Focus Areas:

○ Limb Stabilization and Protection

○ Retention Strategies

− Battlefield Care

− Return to Duty

○ Osseointegration

• Pre-application submission is required; application submission is by invitation only.

The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $725,000 for total costs.

• Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.

• The maximum period of performance is 3 years.

Clinical Trial Award – Preproposal due May 27, 2021

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent) are eligible to submit applications.

•Supports rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment or management of military combat-related orthopaedic injuries or non-battle injuries that significantly impact unit readiness and return to duty/work rates.

•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 of the following FY21 PRORP CTA Focus Areas:

○Limb Stabilization and Protection

○Retention Strategies

−Battlefield Care

−Return to Duty

○Translation of Early Findings

−Soft Tissue Trauma

−Fracture-Related Infection

•Applications submitted to address the Translation of Early Findings – Soft Tissue Trauma Focus Area and include the Rehabilitation Option are eligible for Research Level 2.

•All applications, regardless of the selected Focus Area, are eligible for Research Level 1.

•Funding must support a clinical trial and may not be used for animal or preclinical research studies.

•Pre-application submission is required; application submission is by invitation only.

Research Level 1:

•The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is$2.25 million (M) for total costs.

•Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.

•The maximum period of performance is 4 years.

Research Level 2:

•The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is$2.75M for total costs.

•Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.

•The maximum period of performance is 4 years.

Clinical Translational Research Award – Preproposal due May 27, 2021

Independent investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

•Supports high-impact and/or new/emerging clinical 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 data relevant to the proposed research project are required.

•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 of the following FY21 PRORP CTRA Focus Areas:

○Retention Strategies

−Battlefield Care

−Return to Duty

○Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics

○Compartment Syndrome

○Osseointegration

○Prosthetic and Orthotic Devices

•Pre-application submission is required; application submission is by invitation only.

•The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is$1.5M for total costs.

•Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.

•The 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 USAMRDC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420. 

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

The FY21 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP) to support innovative, high-impact spinal cord injury (SCI) research¹. 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 Development Command (USAMRDC).

The FY21 SCIRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms will be posted on the Grants.gov website. 

Applications submitted to the FY21 SCIRP must address one or more of the following focus areas*:

• Psychosocial issues relevant to people with SCI, their families, and/or their care-partners
• Preserving and protecting spinal cord tissue at time of injury for improved neurologic outcomes
• Identifying and validating biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and for evaluation of  treatment efficacies
• Bowel, genitourinary, cardiopulmonary dysfunction, and neuropathic pain
• Rehabilitation and regeneration—maximizing the function of the residual neural circuitry, including harnessing neuroplasticity and recovery to improve function after SCI

https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/scirp

Clinical Trial Award – Preproposal due May 24, 2021

Principal Investigator (PI): Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent).

*NEW FOR FY21*

Optional Partnering Investigator: An independent, early- career investigator within 10 years after completion of terminal degree

• Preproposal is required; application submission is by invitation only.
• Fund phase 0, 1, or 2 clinical trials with the potential to have a major impact on treatment or management of spinal cord injury (SCI) and its consequences.
• Alternative study designs to traditional randomized clinical trials are allowed but should be appropriate to the objective of the trial.
• Applications must include at least two individuals with lived SCI experience as members of the research team.
• Preclinical data required for all clinical trial applications.
• *NEW* Early-Career Partnering PI Option
• The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is  $3 million (M) for direct costs.
• The 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 e 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 USAMRDC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420. 

For more information about the SCIRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil/scirp).

*Detailed FY21 SCIRP Focus Areas

Applications submitted to the FY21 SCIRP must address one or more of the following focus areas:

• *Updated FY21* Psychosocial issues relevant to people with SCI, their families, and/or their care-partners:
  • Applications should directly address, or show clear relevance to, the needs of Service members and Veterans.
  • Projects should provide an understanding of critical factors promoting psychosocial wellbeing, leading to implementation of potential treatments and interventions.
  • Studies addressing social isolation, loneliness, depression as well as resilience, self-efficacy, and interactions between people living with SCI and their care-partners are especially encouraged. 
  • Preclinical animal studies are not responsive to this Focus Area.
• Preserving and protecting spinal cord tissue at time of injury for improved neurologic outcomes:
  • Responsive projects may include surgical and acute care management of SCI.
  • Therapeutics (devices and pharmacologic interventions) to stabilize SCI in the pre-hospital environment and during transport are encouraged.
  • Applications proposing neuroprotective interventions need to demonstrate a clinically feasible window for treatment and more than an incremental improvement over existing therapies.
• Identifying and validating biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and for evaluation of treatment efficacies:
  • Biomarkers must focus on diagnosis, prognosis, progression, and/or recovery of SCI.
  • Projects with a clear link between a biomarker and underlying physiology are encouraged.  Projects can include imaging and other modalities.
  • Applications should demonstrate a clear path to clinical use.
  • Biomarker studies directed at identifying the best single or combination of treatments for individuals (personalized medicine) are encouraged.
• Bowel, genitourinary, cardiopulmonary dysfunction, and neuropathic pain:
  • Studies of the mechanisms of dysfunction and neuropathic pain specific to SCI must demonstrate a clear path from increased understanding to advancing treatments.
  • Studies addressing the needs of and treatments for individuals with SCI across the full lifespan from acute to chronic injury are encouraged.
• Rehabilitation and regeneration—maximizing the function of the residual neural circuitry, including harnessing neuroplasticity and recovery to improve function after SCI:
  • Studies that address critical questions of dosing, targeting, or safety required to move the research toward clinical use are supported.
  • Applications studying mechanisms of regeneration or identifying novel therapeutic targets must include a feasible projected pathway for translation and clinical implementation.
  • Basic research projects designed to understand general mechanisms underlying axonal sprouting, regeneration, or neuroplasticity are discouraged unless they directly address translatable approaches.

APEX Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) Collider, April 8, 2021 (1:30-3:30pm ET)

Description: Join us on April 8th to hear about the new APEX Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), a suite of free video and web-based courses. These courses are available for anyone to enroll and cover topics such as the Department of the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, proposal writing, pitching, traditional and open topics, eligibility and website navigation.”

Agenda:
1:30 PM – Keynote Speaker
1:45 PM – APEX Overview – Mary Margaret Evans, APEX Executive Director
2:00 PM – Organizational & Workforce Development – Dave Rude, APEX Director of Education & Training
2:15 PM – Q&A
2:30 PM – Parallax Learning Hub & MOOC Curriculum – Dave Rude
2:45 PM – Q&A
3:00 PM – Process Navigation – Dave Nestic, APEX STTR Program Director
3:15 PM – Q&A
3:30 PM – End of Webinar

Time: Apr 8, 2021 01:30 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

For more information or to register online, please visit the Webinar page.