NIH, NSF Announce Important Changes for Grant Applications Starting in January 2009
by Mickey McLaurin, Assistant Director for Sponsored Programs Administration, Pre-Award
The National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have announced important changes to their grant application requirements beginning in January 2009. Researchers are encouraged to review these changes carefully. The new rules should have important effects on the process of planning and developing grant proposals.
NIH Reduces Number of Resubmission Applications Allowed
Beginning with applications submitted January 25, 2009, NIH will accept only a single amendment (resubmission) of an original application. Previous NIH policy allowed for an original submission of a proposal, then allowed that proposal to be resubmitted with amendments two times before NIH would no longer consider funding. The new NIH policy allows for only the original submission plus one resubmission.
According to the NIH Notice, “failure to receive funding after two submissions (i.e., the original and the single amendment) will mean that the applicant should substantially re-design the project rather than simply change the application in response to previous reviews. It is expected that this policy will lead to funding high quality applications earlier, with fewer resubmissions.”
For more details, please see NIH Notice NOT-OD-09-003: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-003.html.
NSF Releases New Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Makes Changes to Policy on Faculty Salary, Postdocs
The National Science Foundation has issued a new Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), effective for all proposals submitted on or after January 5, 2009. The new PAPPG can be found here: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf091. A summary of important changes is located here: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/gpg_sigchanges.jsp.
Two major changes of importance to researchers are:
(1) A change in the allowable level of salary which may be requested in an NSF proposal. Previously, NSF limited summer salary requests to two summer months per year for senior project personnel. NSF has removed the limitation on summer salary and changed its compensation policy “to no more than two months of [senior project personnel] regular salary in any one year.” Any amount requested beyond the allowed two months per year must be specifically justified in the proposal budget justification and specifically approved by NSF in the award notice.
(2) A new requirement on justifying postdoctoral researchers in proposals. Any proposal requesting funding for a postdoctoral researcher must now include a detailed mentoring plan as a separate section within the 15-page project description. Any proposal that requests funding for a postdoc and does not meet this new requirement will be returned without review.
In addition, NSF has eliminated the Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) program, and implemented two new programs. According to the NSF PAPPG: “Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) and EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) have replaced the Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) program. RAPID is a funding mechanism to support quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events. Requests may be for up to $200K and of one year duration. The EAGER mechanism supports high-risk, exploratory and potentially transformative research. Requests may be for up to $300K and of up to two years duration. RAPID and EAGER proposals are only required to be reviewed internally at NSF.” Further submission information is contained in the new PAPPG.
As always, UM faculty preparing proposals for submission to either of these federal agencies, or to any other external funding source, are encouraged to contact a Program Development Specialist in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs as early as possible to ensure adequate internal review and assistance with meeting guidelines and regulatory requirements.
UM Research Funding News
Proposal and Award Activity
UM faculty and staff submitted 32 external funding proposals and received 30 external funding awards during October 2008. For a complete listing, see the Monthly Report.
Faculty Travel Support
In October a total of $300 was awarded by the ORSP to help support research-related travel. Examples of research purposes for which faculty have recently received support include:
- Meet with collaborators to develop and extend research
- Conduct in-person interviews for ongoing research project while at conference
- Help create new research group while at conference
- Lecture/workshop/exhibition and gallery contact for future exhibition
- Travel to sabbatical research location for project on development of international research center
- Conduct research on historical artifacts in museums overseas, plan new book project, and investigate funding opportunities
Additional Information
Speaking of COS
Use Tags to Organize Your Tracked Funding Records
When you find a record in COS Funding Opportunities that you’ll want to keep an eye on, you can track it on your COS Workbench. In fact, you can track up to 200 records on your COS Workbench. To make your list of tracked records more organized and easier to work with, use tags — labels that you create and assign to each of your tracked records. You may use a tag you’ve already created for other records, or a brand new tag. Essentially, you are creating a filing system for your tracked records. Then, on your COS Workbench, you can choose to view or share just the tracked records with a particular tag, or your entire list if you wish. This is a great way to organize your tracked records so they’re easy to scan and share. For more information about tags, visit http://fundingopps.cos.com/taginfo.shtml.
Don’t know about COS?
Check out our COS page, the January 2005, September 2006, and March 2007 newsletter articles, and/or the COS home page. COS is for all UM faculty in all academic disciplines and research areas.
Bits & Pieces
NOAA Undergraduate Scholarship Opportunities
Hollings Scholarships ~ Open Now Till January 30
The Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Application is now available on-line. The purposes of the program include: (1) To increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education and to foster multidisciplinary training opportunities; (2) to increase public understanding and support for stewardship of the ocean and atmosphere and to improve environmental literacy; (3) to recruit and prepare students for public service careers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other natural resource and science agencies at the Federal, State and local and tribal levels of government; and, (4) to recruit and prepare students for careers as teachers and educators in oceanic and atmospheric science and to improve scientific and environmental education in the United States. Students must be sophomores at the time of application to be eligible. Approximately 100 undergraduate students, U.S. citizens only, who will be juniors in fall 2009, will be selected as Hollings scholars beginning fall 2009 academic term. Program information and application materials available at: www.orau.gov/NOAA/HollingsScholarship/
MUST Project Scholarships, Internships ~ Open Now Till February 1
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is sponsoring the MUST Project, which awards scholarships and internships to undergraduates pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The MUST Project is open to all students and is particularly focused on engaging students from underserved and underrepresented groups to enter STEM fields. The MUST Project supports 100 undergraduate students with a one-year competitive scholarship of up to one-half of tuition and fees, not to exceed $10,000. Students who maintain the required minimum grade point average will be eligible for a paid internship at a NASA center. Additionally, students will benefit from an online community, professional development and leadership training. Additional information about the program and link to online application available at: www.nasa.gov/education/must.
For other undergraduate and graduate opportunities visit http://see.orau.org/
A Few Program Announcements and Deadlines
AMS Centennial Research Fellowship Program
Deadline December 1
This program annually makes awards to outstanding mathematicians to help further their careers in research. Work in all areas of mathematics, including interdisciplinary work, is eligible. The primary selection criterion for the fellowship is the excellence of the applicant's research. Applications should include a cogent plan indicating how the fellowship will be used. The plan should include travel to at least one other institution and should demonstrate that the fellowship will be used for more than reduction of teaching at the applicant's home institution. The selection committee will consider the plan in addition to the quality of the applicant's research, and will try to award the fellowship to those for whom the award would make a real difference in the development of their research careers.
NOAA Cooperative Institute for Satellite Climate Studies
Deadline January 5
NOAA's Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS) has released an Announcement of Opportunity for a Cooperative Institute for Satellite Climate Studies. This Cooperative Institute (CI) will focus on 1) climate and satellite research and applications, 2) climate and satellite observations and monitoring, and 3) climate research and modeling. Through this competition, NOAA intends to establish competitively a new CI according to the policy and procedures described in NOAA Administrative Order 216-107 and the Cooperative Institute Interim Handbook, both available at www.nrc.noaa.gov/ci. The proposed CI should be composed of two or more member institutions (e.g., multiple universities). At least one research institution should be in Maryland, Washington D.C. or the adjacent states (Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia) and one research institution should be in North Carolina or the adjacent states (Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia), with a presence in Asheville, North Carolina. The full announcement is available through the Federal Register (Funding Opportunity Number: NESDIS-NESDISPO-2009-2001411; October 7, 2008 Volume 73, No. 195, page 58560. For more information see: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=43003
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Neutron Sciences Opportunities
Deadline January 5
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is accepting proposals for beam time at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) facilities until noon ET on January 5, 2009, via the web-based proposal system. This call is for experiments to run from March through September 2009. Details about the Call for Proposals are available on the ORNL Neutron Sciences website at http://neutrons.ornl.gov/ . The information provides specific information about each of the instruments. All proposals will be reviewed for feasibility, safety, and the potential for high-impact science. Users for approved experiments must complete access and training requirements prior to beginning their experiments. Please contact neutronusers@ornl.gov or call the Neutron Scattering Science User Office, (865) 574-4600, if you have questions.
American Antiquarian Society Legacy Fellowships
Deadline January 15
This fellowship is awarded for research on any topic supported by the AAS collections. This fellowship is awarded to an individual engaged in scholarly research and writing - including doctoral dissertations - in any field of American history and culture through 1876. The fellow is selected on the basis of the applicant's scholarly qualifications, the scholarly significance or importance of the project, and the appropriateness of the proposed study to the society's collections.
Council for European Studies Pre-Dissertation Fellowship Program
Deadline February 1
Established in 1971, the Council for European Studies (CES) fellowship program has played a crucial role in the early stages of many experts' careers. The program serves as the leading source for pre-dissertation fellowships that fund young scholars' first major research projects in Europe. By funding young scholar's first major research projects in Europe, the fellowship program encourages these scholars to develop the skills required to research, analyze, and teach European studies. Fellowships provide students with unique opportunities to conduct extensive library research, field-site investigations, and interviews with policymakers and government leaders and foster original and noteworthy research that crosses disciplinary, national, and cultural boundaries.
Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards
UM Internal Deadline January 19
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) has announced the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award competition for 2009. These awards are intended to enrich the research and professional growth of junior faculty and result in new funding opportunities. Full-time assistant professors at ORAU member institutions within two years of their initial tenure track appointment (2/6/2007 through 2/6/2009) at the time of application are eligible to be nominated by their institution. The research project must be in one of the following five disciplines: Engineering and Applied Science; Life Sciences; Mathematics/Computer Sciences; Physical Sciences; Policy, Management, or Education.
UM is limited to two nominations for this program. In order to be considered for nomination you must follow the instructions given at the following web site: http://www.orau.org/consortium/programs/powe/powe-awards.htm. Submit your three documents via email attachment to Mickey McLaurin (mclaurin@olemiss.edu) before 5:00 p.m. on January 19, 2009. Potential nominees should also confirm that their department chair or dean has sent the required letter of recommendation via email attachment to Mickey McLaurin before the January 19 internal deadline. These letters should be addressed to Dr. Alice M. Clark, Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs, University of Mississippi. Application materials will be reviewed, UM nominees will be selected, and prospective applicants will be contacted by the ORSP prior to the February 6 ORAU deadline.
Feminist Review Trust Research and Other Scholarly Activity
Deadlines January 31, May 31, September 30
The Feminist Review Trust has four objectives:
- To advance the education of the public in the subject of gender by carrying out research or assisting the research and study into social, economic, and legal position of women in society and to disseminate the results of such research and study
- To alleviate poverty and hardship by promoting and advancing good health and education among women in any part of the world
- To promote equality of opportunity between women and men in any pa rt of the world
- To undertake other charitable purposes
Examples of the types of project the trust might support are as follows:
- Conferences or workshops (for example the trust would fund a conference on a health issues of particular concern to women)
- Preparation of relevant teaching materials (for example the trust would fund the preparation of material for a course that sought to explore issues of particular relevance to the experience of women)
- Community projects such as videos
- Oral history projects
- Original research intended to extend understanding about women's position in society (this can be from any disciplinary perspective provided that it is intellectually rigorous and relevant to the aims of the trust)
- Sponsor Website
- COS Record
NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF) Program
Deadline February 3
NASA announces a call for graduate fellowship proposals to the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF) program for the 2009-2010 academic year. This call for fellowship proposals solicits applications from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing Master of Science (M.Sc.) or Doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Earth and space sciences, or related disciplines. The purpose of NESSF is to ensure continued training of a highly qualified workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA's scientific goals. Awards resulting from the competitive selection will be made in the form of training grants to the respective universities. The NESSF call for proposals and submission instructions are located at the NESSF 09 solicitation index page at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ - click on "Solicitations" then click on "Open Solicitations" then select the "NESSF 09" announcement.
Additional Resources
Some Upcoming Events
WERC Environmental Design Contest
First week in April in Las Cruces NM
WERC's Environmental Design Contest is a unique event that brings together industry, government and academia in the search for improved environmental solutions. Held annually since 1991 at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the contest draws hundreds of college students from throughout the United States and around the world. The student teams design solutions for real-world problems while developing fully operational bench-scale solutions that are presented to panels of judges comprised of environmental professionals. The teams prepare four different presentations: written, oral, poster and bench-scale model. Many universities use the contest as part of their capstone design courses. After the contest, WERC provides the judges' feedback to the participants. Feedback to the students has become an important part of ABET accreditation. For details about the 2009 contest tasks, go to http://www.werc.net/contest/University/university_tasks.htm . Contest registration deadline is December 5. ORAU supports participation by making a $2,500 award to an ORAU member-school team and by offering five $500 travel grants for participating teams.
NIH Regional Seminar: Program Funding and Grants Administration
April 15-17 in Atlanta
Georgia State University and Georgia Institute of Technology are hosting the April 2009 Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration on behalf of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research. The regional seminar is intended to help demystify the application and review process, clarify federal regulations and policies, and highlight current areas of special interest or concern. The seminar serves the NIH mission of providing education and training for the next generation of biomedical and behavioral scientists. NIH policy officials, grants management and program staff, as well as representatives from the Office for Human Research Protections and the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, will interact with the seminar participants and provide a broad array of expertise. April 15 is an eRA Commons Computer Lab Workshop.The sessions are appropriate for grants administrators, new and experienced researchers, and graduate students. The Seminar information can be found online at http://www.osp.gatech.edu/NIH_Seminar.html and registration is open at http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=652629.
Congratulations from the VCRSP
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs oversees funding for research, service, and 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
Summary of Awards Received in October 2008
Awards Received ~ October 2008
External funding awards listed on this page are drawn from database records maintained in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. An award is recorded as “received” on the date when the UM Accounting Office notifies the Principal Investigator (PI) and the ORSP that a grant account has been established for the project.
| PI Name | PI Department/Unit | Co-PI Name/s |
|---|---|---|
| Angle, Timothy | Division of Outreach and Continuing Education | Love, Fannye E |
| Beason, Kim | Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management | |
| Brewer, John Stephen | Biology | |
| Church, Charles | Jamie Whitten National Center for Physical Acoustics | |
| Cremaldi, Lucien M | Physics and Astronomy | |
| Gilbert, Kenneth (2 awards) | Jamie Whitten National Center for Physical Acoustics | |
| Harper, M. | Center for Educational Research and Evaluation | |
| Henyan, Nickole | Pharmacy Practice | Riche, Daniel |
| Holland, Marjorie M | Biology | Highsmith, Ray |
| Holmes, Erin | Center for Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management | Banahan, Benjamin F. |
| Johnson, Jay K (2 awards) | Sociology and Anthropology | |
| Khan, Ikhlas | National Center for Natural Products Research | Walker, Larry |
| Murthy, S. | Pharmaceutics | |
| Nordstrom, Timothy W | Social Science Research Laboratory | |
| Oakley, Charlotte | National Food Service Management Institute | |
| Prasad, S N | Civil Engineering | |
| Sabatier, James | Jamie Whitten National Center for Physical Acoustics | Chambers, James Hickey, C. |
| Sabatier, James (2 awards) | Jamie Whitten National Center for Physical Acoustics | |
| Shelton-Richey, E. | Division of Outreach and Continuing Education | |
| Sukanek, Peter | Chemical Engineering | |
| Summers, Don | Physics and Astronomy | Cremaldi, Lucien M |
| Thurkill, Mary F | Philosophy and Religion | |
| Walker, Larry | National Center for Natural Products Research | |
| Wang, Sam | National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering | |
| Wells, B. | Office of the Dean of Pharmacy | Ross, Leigh Ann |
| Wells, B. (2 awards) | School of Pharmacy | Hufford, Charles |
- October 2008 Report: A list of awards received and proposals submitted by The University of Mississippi in the previous month.
- October Proposals Submitted: 32 from 30 Principal Investigators
- October Awards Received: 30 totaling $16,726,035
- FY09 Year-to-Date Number of Active Sponsored Projects: 420
- FY09 Year-to-Date Number of Active Investigators: 209