Welcome back to The University of Mississippi and to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP). Though our work goes on year-round, the ORSP staff and I are eager to meet new faculty, greet returning faculty friends, and keep working on our shared goals during the 2005-2006 academic year.

In the ORSP we strive to create and maintain the optimum environment for the University community to achieve excellence in research, scholarship, and service. Let me tell you about a few of the indicators that your efforts and ours are bearing fruit:

• In FY05 UM faculty and staff were granted 269 external awards for $67,986,974 (a 40% success rate). During the year 520 sponsored projects were active and 247 of you were investigators or directors on these projects.
• UM rankings by a variety of measures continue to rise and receive notice. In the most recent edition of TheCenter’s Top American Research Universities, UM is listed among the 83 universities ranking in the top 50 public universities on one or more of eight important measures.
• For the first time UM is invited to submit nominations for three prestigious competitions, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Professors Competition, the HHMI Undergraduate Science Education Competition, and the Searle Scholars Program.
• Oxford is now home to three industry clusters, based on research conducted by our faculty, in Data and Project Management; Health Care; and Security, Sensors and Engineering.
• Our licensing income was up 20-fold over last year. UM currently has 23 active issued patents and 42 applications pending; about two thirds of this intellectual property has been licensed or is under a collaboration agreement with partners, earning over $3 million in FY05.

Here on campus our recovered Facilities and Administrative Costs from sponsored projects are enabling or contributing to a number of important growth factors and goals within the University. Recovered F&A has enabled the ORSP to:

• Help Deans attract new faculty with start-up packages ($607,825 in FY05, $522,000 so far in FY06).
• Award Faculty Research Program support to 37 Faculty Research Fellows ($279,956).
• Help fund 97 research-related faculty trips through the Faculty Travel Support program ($50,510).
• Provide first-year support for five Interdisciplinary Working Groups involving 39 UM and UMMC faculty (about $50,000, with $40,000 set aside for second-year funding).
• Provide cash cost-share for sponsored projects ($141,453).
• Help fund stipends, health insurance, and research grants through the Graduate School ($260,000).
• Provide many other types of research support, such as proposal incentives, publication subventions, workshops and conferences, laboratory conversions, and much more ($47,000).

In addition to these contributions, the ORSP is working in a number of other ways to help implement recommendations from the Provost’s Task Forces, including:

• Working to incorporate health insurance into the fringe benefit rate for graduate assistants supported by grants and contracts.
• Working to develop funding opportunities for and policies governing the use of shared research equipment.
• Working to identify and seek necessary funding for a system of residential colleges and a center for teaching and learning.

In the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs we see firsthand the impact research and creative pursuits have on faculty, staff, students, and the University as a whole. They enhance the educational experience of all, provide an important stimulus to the economy, and expand our body of knowledge and its applications. It is clear that these must be among the foremost concerns of any educational institution.

The ORSP is here to facilitate all efforts in all disciplines and we continually strive to create and maintain the optimum environment for the university community to achieve excellence in research and scholarship. To this end we work hard to support those with projects currently underway as well as to foster new interests. We work to stay abreast of general trends and technical issues that come into play in the research and funding arenas. We work to make certain that research finds its way to application and that the application benefits society at large and The University of Mississippi as a whole.

Regardless of how your interest in our office relates to these goals, I can assure you we are interested in hearing from and working with you. We hope you will read this monthly online newsletter, use the tools and resources offered elsewhere on the ORSP website, and take advantage of the many opportunities we offer in the form of workshops, information, internal support programs, publications, services, and staff assistance for proposal development and grants management. Let us know how we can support you and your research, scholarship and creative activities.

Find A Great Funding Opportunity? RecordShare It!
If your search results turn up an opportunity that might be a good fit for one of your colleagues, the easiest way to share the information is with COS RecordShare. At the top of every COS record there is an envelope icon — click on it to pull up the RecordShare form. You can send the funding opportunity record to up to five colleagues, along with a cover note. The recipients will receive your message, the title and sponsor of the opportunity, and a special hyperlink to access the record.

Funding for Travel to Meetings and Conferences
Don't forget that you can use COS Funding Opportunities to find more than grants. The COS database has thousands of opportunities for funding to attend meetings and conferences and for travel. To search for these opportunities, start with the COS Funding Opportunities Main Search interface and be sure to include appropriate options in the Funding Type field selection box. Make any other field selections that are relevant but be careful not to be overly restrictive, and click on Do the Search. Before deciding not to attend a valuable conference because funds are scarce, use COS to see if help is available.

COS Workbench is Key to Using COS Anywhere, Everywhere
UM has domain-enabled access to COS services, which means your username and password are not required as long as you are accessing COS from a campus computer. But of course you CAN use COS from elsewhere — just log in to your COS Workbench from any computer (home, hotel, off-campus office, anywhere), using your COS username and password. Log in regularly to manage your COS Profile, set preferences, and access other features — the ORSP provides this service for you.

Don't know about Community of Science?
Check out our COS page, the newsletter article published last January, and/or the COS home page at www.cos.com.

To date, 111 UM researchers have published Full Profiles on the COS Expertise system ~ have YOU done yours yet?

Fourth Meeting on Constrained Dynamics and Quantum Gravity ~ September 12-16
UM is one of three university sponsors of this international conference to be held on the island of Sardinia in Italy; UM Physics professors Luca Bombelli and Marco Cavaglia are serving on conference committees. The purpose of this series of meetings is to bring together workers from field theory, general relativity, and related areas to discuss the present status and latest developments in the quantum treatment of gravitational systems. For more information, visit www.phy.olemiss.edu/GR/qg05/index.html.

Conferences on Economy and Community ~ September 21-22 and 23-24
The Social Capital Foundation invites all interested persons or organizations to present a paper to one or both of its upcoming international, interdisciplinary conferences that will be held next September in the beautiful island of Malta.
Conference on Social Capital ~ 21-22 September, 2005
Conference on Economy and Community ~ 23-24 September, 2005
Paper proposals may take the form of a one-page detailed abstract. For more information on either conference, visit www.socialcapital-foundation.org/TSCF/TSCF%20conferences.htm.

2005 World Biofuels Symposium, China ~ November 13-15
New energy legislation that includes biofuels provisions will become law in China in January 2006. This symposium will address China’s need to meet the anticipated demand and the latest information about biofuels production and use. Topics include: new biofuels production technologies; market development; research and development; environment and air quality; co-products; feedstocks; government policy and energy strategies; and more. More info is at www.worldbiofuelssymposium.com and www.wbschina.com.

2005 Fall National SBIR/STTR Conference ~ November 14-17
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide more than $2 billion each year to small businesses, helping entrepreneurs take their ideas from the laboratory to market. The SBIR and STTR programs fund projects at the earliest stages of development and allow firms who have not yet attracted funding through venture capital or other alternative financing to succeed in commercialization. The 2005 Fall National SBIR/STTR Conference in Albany, NY, will provide an opportunity for small businesses from across the country to learn about these programs, teach them how to apply, and explain what it takes to win part of the $2+ billion. Eleven federal agencies participate in SBIR/STTR programs. Visit the conference website for the complete agenda: www.SBIRworld.com/Albany.

2005 Fuel Cell Seminar ~ November 14-18
Over 2,200 participants representing over 36 different countries attend the annual Fuel Cell Seminar, presented this year in Palm Springs, California. Participants include technical leaders, scientists, educators, researchers, developers, investors, students and manufacturers of fuel cell products. The simultaneous technical sessions discuss progress in four main areas -- utility, residential, vehicle and portable -- and also challenges in costs, fuels, storage, reliability, lifetime and adoptability. An award is offered to recognize students (graduate or undergraduate) in the field of fuel cell related technologies and includes a medal, a cash award, and a complimentary registration to the seminar to present a poster presentation. More information is available at www.fuelcellseminar.com/student_award.asp.

Gerontological Society of America ~ November 18-22
The meeting is organized to foster interdisciplinary interactions among gerontological health care clinical, administrative, and research professionals. In addition to the core scientific sessions, pre-conference workshop and poster sessions will be presented which will encourage and stimulate diverse viewpoints in geriatric health, research, and economics. The program to this meeting is primarily organized around the four sections of the Society: Biological Sciences; Clinical Medicine; Behavioral and Social Sciences; and Social Research, Policy and Practice. www.eshow2000.com/geron/about_the_meeting.cfm

* COMING SOON *
2005-2006 Faculty Research Program guidelines and application will be posted on
the ORSP Internal Support page before the end of August ~ Deadline October 3

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Humanities at Cornell University ~ Deadline October 1
Postdoctoral teaching-research fellowships in the humanities are available in four areas of specialization: comparative literature; English; feminist, gender, and sexuality studies; and theatre, film, and dance. While in residence at Cornell, postdoctoral fellows hold department affiliation and have limited teaching duties and the opportunity for scholarly work. Applicants must have received the Ph.D. degree after September 2000. Applicants who will receive the Ph.D. degree by June 30, 2006 , are eligible to apply. For more information, go to www.arts.cornell.edu/sochum/html/melloninfo.html.

Columbia Society of Fellows in the Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowships ~ Deadline October 3
The Columbia Society of Fellows in the Humanities, with grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the William R. Kenan Trust, will appoint a number of postdoctoral fellows in the humanities for the academic year 2006-2007. Fellows newly appointed for 2006-2007 must have received the Ph.D. between January 1, 2000 and July 1, 2006. The stipend provides support for independent research and for teaching in the undergraduate program in general education. Application forms are available online at www.columbia.edu/cu/societyoffellows.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Science Education Competition ~ Deadline October 18
The University of Mississippi is among the 203 institutions invited to participate in the next round of the HHMI’s Undergraduate Science Education Competition. These institutional awards are intended to strengthen education in the biological sciences and other scientific disciplines as they relate to biology. Some of the program objectives are to:

• integrate research and teaching in undergraduate education and to support student involvement in faculty research.
• prepare undergraduates for graduate studies and for careers in biomedical research, medicine, and science education and to increase science literacy for all students.
• bring fresh perspectives to established scientific disciplines and to develop novel programs, curricula, activities, and courses in emerging areas, such as computational biology, genomics, and bioimaging.
• foster linkages between universities and elementary and secondary schools, community colleges, and other institutions in order to broaden access to science.
• develop approaches that encourage teamwork and mentorship experiences among faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates.

Additional details of the program are available at www.hhmi.org/grants/institutions/universities.html or from the ORSP. The deadline for submission of proposals is October 18, 2005. Four-year awards ranging from $1.2 to $2.2 million each will be announced by HHMI in the spring of 2006. If you are interested in becoming involved in the University of Mississippi’s intended application to this program, please contact Mickey McLaurin in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (phone 7482 or email Mickey).

NSF Microbial Observatories and Microbial Interactions and Processes ~ Deadline October 27
The National Science Foundation has issued a new program solicitation to replace NSF 04-586, making two significant changes: (1) The annual proposal submission target date has been changed from August to October; and (2) the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be partnering with NSF to support projects relevant to agroecosystems. Activities funded under this solicitation will support research to discover and characterize novel microorganisms, microbial consortia, communities, activities and other novel properties, and to study their roles in diverse environments. More information is at www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf05600.

National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program ~ Deadline November 1
The overall goals of the Plant Genome Research Program are to support basic research in plant genomics and to accelerate the acquisition and utilization of new knowledge and innovative approaches to elucidating fundamental biological processes in plants. The focus is on plants of economic importance and plant processes of potential economic value. Three kinds of activity will be supported in FY2006: Genome-Enabled Plant Research (GEPR) awards to tackle major unanswered questions in plant biology on a genome-wide scale, Translational Research from Model Systems (TRMS) to transfer findings made using model systems to plants of economic importance, and Tools and Resources for Plant Genome Research (TRPGR) awards to support development of novel technologies and analysis to enable discovery in plant genomics. More at www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf05603/nsf05603.htm.

National Science Foundation Computer Systems Research ~ Deadline November 11
The Computer Systems Research (CSR) program supports innovative research and education projects that have the potential to lead to significant improvements in existing computer systems by increasing our fundamental understanding of such systems; produce systems software that is qualitatively and quantitatively more reliable and more efficient; or, to produce innovative curricula or educational materials that better prepare the next generation of computing professionals. The CSR program is also interested in projects that expand the capabilities of existing systems by exploiting the potential of new technologies or by developing innovative new ways to use existing technologies. The CSR program contains four topical areas: embedded and hybrid systems, parallel and distributed operating systems, advanced execution systems, and systems modeling and analysis. Projects may range in size from single investigators to teams of several investigators. For more information: www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04609.

ONR Cross-Disciplinary Approach to the Modeling, Analysis, and Control of Wireless Communications Networks ~ Deadline November 18
The Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program, including the Office of Naval Research (ONR), supports basic science and engineering research of critical importance to national defense. The program is focused on multidisciplinary research efforts that intersect more than one traditional science and engineering discipline. The objective of a cross-disciplinary approach to the modeling, analysis, and control of wireless communications networks is to use insights from multiple disciplines in networking and complex systems to develop analytical models and tools for describing, analyzing, predicting, and controlling the behavior of mobile ad hoc networks. Optional white papers are due August 12. For more information: www.onr.navy.mil/02/baa/.

Find MORE on the ORSP Funding Opportunities Recent Announcements page

SEARCH for Funding Opportunities using Community of Science

Energy Sciences Coalition
The Energy Sciences Coalition (ESC) is a broad based coalition of organizations representing scientists, engineers and mathematicians in universities, industry and national laboratories that are committed to supporting and advancing the scientific research programs of the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), and in particular, the DoE Office of Science. ESC supports FY 2006 funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science of $3.85 billion, $250 million or 7 percent above the FY 2005 funding level. This level of funding would allow the Office of Science to move forward with the scientific opportunities outlined in its strategic and 20-year scientific facilities plans. For more information, visit the American Physical Society Public Affairs website at www.aps.org/public_affairs/issues/coalitions/esc/index.cfm.

NSF Grant Policy Manual Revised
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has published a revised version of the NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM)(NSF 05-131) effective July 1, 2005. Please address any questions or comments to the Policy Office at (703) 292-8243 or by e-mail to policy@nsf.gov.

Request for Info for Policy to Acknowledge Multiple PIs
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a joint request for information in the July 18, 2005 Federal Register to solicit comments on a policy to acknowledge multiple principal investigators when collaborating on research projects. Click here for more information and a link to the Federal Register announcement.

Vice Chancellor's Office
Peer review is a time-honored institution in the world of research and scholarship, ensuring that decisions about financial support for projects and dissemination of results through publications are both rigorous and objective. Serving on peer-review panels is a significant contribution that faculty and administrators are sometimes called upon to make as a part of their professional roles. The ORSP would like to recognize and congratulate the following staff members who served on study sections and review panels during this past summer.

• Patrick Brown, Assistant Vice Chancellor — National Science Foundation Panel, July 20-21
• Walt Chambliss, Director of Technology Management — National Science Foundation Panel, July 18-20
• Alice Clark, Vice Chancellor — National Institutes of Health Study Section, June 16-17

If you have served on a review panel recently, please let us know so we can recognize you in this space — just email orspweb@olemiss.edu.

Division of Research
The Research Division is busy coordinating internal selection and proposal processes for three prestigious invitation-only competitions: the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Professors competition, the HHMI Undergraduate Science Education competition, and the Searle Scholars Program. This is the first time UM has been included among the institutions invited to participate in these programs. Individuals selected for nomination will work closely with the ORSP on proposals to be submitted in September and October to HHMI and Searle.

Division of Sponsored Programs Administration
The SPA Division is in the process of preparing training workshops and tools to better enable principal investigators and sponsored programs personnel to manage their programs. We are open to recommendations regarding areas of need to be addressed. Please forward suggestions or requests to research@olemiss.edu.

Division of Technology Management
In fulfilling one of its key missions, the Division of Technology Management aggressively markets technologies discovered at Ole Miss. To begin this process, non-confidential and confidential summaries are prepared for each technology for targeted distribution to potential licensing partners. These contacts are often established at technical conferences and networking meetings. For example, Dr. Walter Chambliss, ORSP Director of Technology Management, will be presenting the current list of UM technologies available for licensing at the Licensing Executive Society Meeting in October. This meeting includes executives in business development and licensing from all major industries. Additionally, the University will have a booth in the technology fair for the first time. An overview of our technologies will also be presented at the Mississippi Conference on High Technology in Jackson on November 8-9. Dr. Chambliss will also be networking with pharmaceutical executives at the annual meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences in late November. Faculty members who are not already familiar with the UM Patents and Inventions Policy, which allows their work to be commercialized through such efforts, are encouraged to visit our website at www.olemiss.edu../../../technology/index.html for more information.

Visit the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs page for complete information about the ORSP — mission, structure, services, responsibilities, and more

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs oversees funding for research, service,
education projects. These activities complement the fundamental aspects of The University of Mississippi’s mission and are among its most tangible contributions to the future. Funding for these activities is one of the best measures of a university’s success in engaging with national and international communities.

All of us who have sought funding to test our ideas know that it is difficult and that the communities to which we belong are highly competitive. That spirit of competition is critical and it contributes more than a little to the relief and excitement a researcher feels on receiving a funding award.

Listed below are our colleagues who have been notified of external funding awards in the last calendar month. Please join me in congratulating them. The news of their discoveries and the importance of their contributions are part of all of our futures and the future of Ole Miss.

Alice M. Clark, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs

July Proposals Submitted: 41

July Awards Received: 16 totalling $3,440,133

FY06 Awards Total (July 1-31, 2005): $3,440,133