Growth and Global Impact of UM Research
by Alice M. Clark, Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs
Greetings and Happy New Year from The University of Mississippi’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP). As we begin 2009, a review of our funding history shows the extraordinary progress our researchers have made over the past decade in both obtaining and utilizing funding. Since 2004, our competitive award sums have increased by 63 percent. Our expenditures – a figure the National Science Foundation and others use to rank research programs – have increased 141 percent since 2000, far outpacing the growth at peer institutions in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
Not only are we seeing remarkable success in obtaining funds, but the real-world applications of Ole Miss research developments continue to reap rewards both in their practical implementation and through the returns they earn. The University has seen outstanding returns on research investment in recent years, ranking second out of 21 peer institutions for return on intellectual property investment in the fiscal year of 2006-2007. Additionally, ten patents were granted to Ole Miss researchers from 2006-2008 and active licensing agreements have increased twenty-fold since 1999.
The numbers are impressive and show quantitative measures of the University’s successes, but even more impressive is the invaluable quality of research here at Ole Miss. Please see the attached summary (pdf) entitled The University of Mississippi’s Growth and Global Impact Report for 2008.
Call for Nominations
2009 Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award
Faculty Nomination Deadline March 1
The Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award is designed to recognize a faculty member on the Oxford campus who has achieved national and/or international recognition in his or her field. Nominees should have distinguished careers and currently be engaged in scholarly and/or creative activity and should also demonstrate evidence of encouraging the scholarly and/or creative works of others. In addition, nominees should have participated in leadership roles in scientific and professional societies. Award recipients will receive a monetary prize and a personal plaque, and his or her name will be engraved on a permanent plaque.
To nominate a faculty member, send a letter to arrive by March 1 to the Chancellor’s Office, University, MS 38677. The letter should describe the nominee’s accomplishments and explain the significance and creativity of the nominee’s work to his or her field. A current copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae should be included. Nominations should be accompanied by at least two letters of support from external collaborators, as well as from two past students of the nominee. Additional supporting letters are encouraged. Nominations may also be e-mailed to chancllr@olemiss.edu. Nominees must be an associate or full professor (including research associate professors or research professors who are not tenure-track faculty) and must have been continuously employed full-time by the University for a minimum of five years.
UM Research Funding News
Proposal and Award Activity
UM faculty and staff submitted 16 external funding proposals and received 13 external funding awards during December 2008. For a complete listing, see the Monthly Report.
Faculty Travel Support
In December a total of $2,200 was awarded by the ORSP to help support research-related travel. Examples of research purposes for which faculty have recently received support include:
- Conduct research with international collaborators during sabbatical leave
- Discuss new research projects with collaborators while at conference
- Help create new research group while at conference
- Conduct in-person interviews for ongoing research project while at conference
- Travel to sabbatical research location for project on development of international research center
Additional Information
Spring 2009 RAMP Classes
Would you like to ramp up your skills in research administration? If so, then the ORSP’s Research Administration and Management Program (RAMP) is for you. We are offering the following classes in the spring semester. Class size is limited to ten participants. Contact Sandra Allen at x7482 or swallen@olemiss.edu to register.
Module 1: The Basics
Thursday, February 5, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., 208 Barr Hall
This module will discuss the research enterprise here at Ole Miss. It will talk about our mission as a public research institution and how research ties into our mission. It will give an overview of research at Ole Miss. It will talk about how to distinguish between sponsored programs and gifts; it will give information on the ORSP, as well as other University offices that are part of the research infrastructure at Ole Miss. It will explain the purpose of F&A (indirect costs) and explain how our F&A rate is determined.
Module 2: Proposal and Budget Preparation
Thursday, February 19, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 208 Barr Hall
Module 2 will discuss in detail each of the elements of a proposal, focusing intently on the proposal budget. Discussion of the budget will include topics related to direct costs and F&A (indirect) costs. This module will also explain allowable and unallowable costs. It will address the specifics of cost sharing. This module will also briefly talk about certifications and assurances that are commonly submitted along with proposals to external funding agencies.
Module 3: Overview of Regulations and Compliance
Thursday, March 5, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 208 Barr Hall
This module will cover federal, state and other regulations governing grants, cooperative agreements and contracts. This module will also cover federal agency-specific regulations governing research grants and cooperative agreements; university policies regarding common transactions on sponsored projects; and compliance issues in university research.
Module 4: Post-Award Administration of Sponsored Projects
Thursday, March 19, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 208 Barr Hall
This module will explain what happens after a proposal is funded including award receipt, award review, award negotiation, award acceptance, account set-up, and the basics of award management. This module will also provide detailed information on some of the most common post-award administration activities including changes to an existing award, subawards, regrants, reporting, award closeout, and beyond closeout.
Module 5: Financial Administration of Sponsored Projects
Thursday, April 2, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 208 Barr Hall
This module will provide detailed information on post-award financial topics including account set-up; allowability, allocability, and reasonableness of costs; unallowable costs; special costing issues; account oversight; and account closeout.
Module 6: Effort Reporting and Certification
Thursday, April 16, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 208 Barr Hall
Module 6 will provide detailed information on the effort reporting and certification process at The University of Mississippi.
Speaking of COS
Keywords Help Find Broad Grant Opportunities
Many grant sponsors do not specify the kinds of research they will fund. Rather, they simply state the broad disciplines within which they will consider applications. If you are searching on COS for funding opportunities on a specific research topic without good results, try searching for grants in the broader fields that are relevant to your project. For example, a project to study zebra mussels may be eligible under the broader fields of Biological Science, Marine Biology, or Environmental Biology. Use the COS Keywords in searching for funding. Each opportunity in the COS funding database is indexed using these keywords, so they are the surest way to locate an opportunity.
Sort Your Results for Greater Efficiency
Did you know you can sort the results of a search? When results are returned, they are presented in a table with seven columns—five of these are categories by which you can sort the results: Relevancy, Title, Sponsor, Deadline, and Amount. Just click on the appropriate word in the column header to sort all the results based on that category. Play around with this feature—you will find it can help you make quick work of processing a large number of search results.
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
Changes in Mississippi Humanities Grants Programs
The Mississippi Humanities Council has announced several important changes to its grants programs. Beginning now, minigrant applications will be accepted four times per year rather than six. The deadlines will be January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15. Due to current budget constrictions, the maximum amount that may be requested for minigrants will be $1,200. Regular grants will have a maximum of $3,000 for applications submitted during 2009. The two annual deadlines will remain unchanged: April 15 and September 15. The Council will review these new lower limits for 2010.
Minor changes have been made in guidelines related to the MHC Speakers Bureau program, as well. Mississippi nonprofit organizations may request a maximum of three speakers per year, and speakers may accept a maximum of six MHC-funded engagements per year.
Please watch the Mississippi Humanities Council web site for new grant guidelines to appear this month.
A Few Program Announcements and Deadlines
MS-AL Sea Grant Consortium Research Funding
Deadline February 23 (preproposals)
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium has announced a request for preproposals for 2010-2011 research funding. The priority research areas, submission/review guidelines, and funding levels are available on the consortium's website (see link below). MASGC funds projects in the following focus areas: Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Safe and Sustainable Seafood Supply, Sustainable Coastal Development and Hazard Resilience in Coastal Communities.
Regional Natural Hazard and Climate Change Resilience Research Funding
Deadline February 23 (preproposals)
The Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant college programs, the US EPA's Gulf of Mexico Program, the NOAA Northern Gulf Institute and the US Geological Survey are inviting preproposals for funding for one- or two-year projects dealing with natural hazard and climate change resilience. The goal of the funding initiative is to develop information, tools, technologies, products, policies or public decision processes that coastal communities can use to increase resilience to coastal natural hazards and sea level rise. Projects should address research questions indentified in the Gulf of Mexico Regional Research Plan and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Action Plan II. Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged, and projects must be regional in scope. Projects must include investigators from states associated with at least two of the four Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant programs (Florida, Mississippi-Alabama, Louisiana and Texas). Collaboration with faculty from Mexican universities is encouraged. A full description of how to apply for this funding, funding stipulations, and the proposal review process can be found at http://flseagrant.org/funding/GOM/index.htm.
Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership Intellectual Exchange Program
Deadline February 27 (brief concept papers)
As the global financial crisis continues to affect every segment of society worldwide at unprecedented speed, there is no better time than now to re-emphasize the need for partnerships to engage in resolving these pressing issues of global concern. This RFP calls for proposals to create new networks among knowledgeable practitioners to openly discuss the broad spectrum of these critical global concerns. Proposed projects may take the form of a conference, a workshop, a series of brainstorming sessions, the dissemination phase of a relevant publication, or even small scale research which may include a study trip to Japan.
NSF Collaboration in Mathematical Geosciences Grants
Deadline March 10
The purpose of the CMG activity is to enable collaborative research at the intersection of mathematical sciences and geosciences, and to encourage cross-disciplinary education. Proposals should bring together scientists from both the mathematics and geosciences communities in a truly collaborative effort. Proposals in three broad thematic areas are solicited in this competition: (1) mathematical and statistical modeling of complex geosystems, (2) understanding and quantifying uncertainty in geosystems, or (3) analyzing large/complex geoscience data sets. Research projects supported under this activity must be essentially collaborative in nature. Proposals that address problems with relevance to global change and sustainability are especially encouraged.
American Psychological Foundation Community Health Grants
Deadline March 15
The American Psychological Foundation’s Visionary and Weiss one-year grants are designed to seed innovation through supporting research, education, and intervention projects and programs that use psychology to solve social problems. The programs emphasize the connection between mental and physical health to ensure well-being, reduce stigma and prejudice, prevent violence, and address the long-term psychological needs of individuals and communities in the aftermath of disaster. Additionally, a Raymond A. and Rosalee G. Weiss Innovative Research and Programs grant is also available for any program that falls within APF's priority areas.
National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships
Deadline May 1
Fellowships support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to scholars and general audiences in the humanities. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, and other scholarly tools.
Additional Resources
Some Upcoming Events
Lunch Lecture Series on Entrepreneurship and Start-Up Formation
January-March, FedEx Institute of Technology at University of Memphis
This lecture series, offered by the FedEx Institute of Technology Office of Technology Transfer, begins on January 20 and runs through March 26. All lectures will be at the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis. Lunch is at 11:30 and the lectures begin at 12 noon. Lunch is available only to those who RSVP one week before each lecture. Parking is available at the parking garage across the street from the Institute. The first three lectures are as follows:
-
Natural History of a Successful Start-Up ~ Tuesday, January 20
Bently Goodwin, CEO and Founder of RemitDATA, the leader in web-based solutions that empower healthcare providers to better manage the “business” of healthcare. www.RemitDATA.com -
Business Plans: When, Why, Who, What ~ Tuesday, February 3
Ken Woody, President, Innova, whose goal is to facilitate the flow of capital through the local economy focusing on technologically innovative ventures in growing market sectors like biotechnology, medical devices, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels. www.innovamemphis.com -
Marketing (including the 6 “P”s) ~ Thursday, February 12
Michael Graber, Managing Partner, Southern Growth Studio, which helps client companies prosper with a pragmatic application of brand marketing and product innovation. www.southerngrowthstudio.com
A full schedule of dates, topics, and presenters, as well as RSVP instructions, is at http://www.memphis.edu/fedex/pdfs/Entrepreneurship_lecture_series.pdf .
New Venture Commercialization 101
January 29 at Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
You have a great idea for a new innovative business — now what? This seminar (10 am-12 noon with lunch) is designed specifically to help you learn more about making money from your idea. Dr. Randy Goldsmith will teach you his nationally recognized business planning model for turning your innovation into a successful business. After assessing your new venture to determine what type of assistance may be needed, he'll take you through the processes and stages you need to know in order to make the most money from your idea. To register, call 662-234-4651 or email christy@oxfordms.com by 5 pm January 23.
American Society for Engineering Education Northeast Conference
April 3-4 in Bridgeport CT
In the coming years, our world will continue to face economical, environmental and energy related problems. How is Engineering and Engineering Technology Education responding to the needs of our society and the world? This will be the theme for an exhilarating and thought provoking weekend of professional workshops, presentations, and discussions at the University of Bridgeport. The ASEE Northeast Section is soliciting faculty papers, student papers and student posters which address the various challenges and paradigms in this technological world through research and instructional programs in Engineering and Engineering Technology Education. The deadline for abstract submission is February 27th, 2009. Prospective authors are invited to submit their abstracts online in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format through the conference website at http://www.asee2009online.org
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 December 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Altinakar, Mustafa | National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering | |
| Cox-McCarty, Sandra | School of Law | |
| Gabrynowicz, Joanne | National Remote Sensing and Space Law Center | |
| Hollis, Keith | Chemistry and Biochemistry | |
| Khan, Ikhlas | National Center for Natural Products Research | Smillie, Troy |
| Lombardo, T. | Psychology | Bentley, John P Bentley, Sandy |
| Murthy, Narasimha | Pharmaceutics | |
| Ownby, Ted M | Center for the Study of Southern Culture | |
| Rimoldi, John M | Medicinal Chemistry | |
| Shelton-Richey, E. | Division of Outreach and Continuing Education | |
| Showalter, M. | University Counseling Center | Fisher, Amy |
| Sukanek, Peter | Chemical Engineering | |
| Vaughan, James G | Mechanical Engineering | Lackey, Ellen |
- December 2008 Report: A list of awards received and proposals submitted by The University of Mississippi in the previous month.
- December Proposals Submitted: 16 from 16 Principal Investigators
- December Awards Received: 13 totalling $4,114,357
- FY09 Year-to-Date Number of Active Sponsored Projects: 431 as of January 1, 2009
- FY09 Year-to-Date Number of Active Investigators: 215 as of January 1, 2009