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Vol. 36, No.5 - May 2009
Office of Research Development and Administration
Editor: Joel Fritzler
CONTENTS
Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Workshop Scheduled
ORDA will host a workshop about National Science Foundation CAREER proposals on Wednesday, June 10, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in Woody Hall C-227. This workshop will provide participants with a better understanding of the application process, proposal development, and the review process. A CAREER recipient and a CAREER panel reviewer will be available to answer questions and to discuss how to develop a successful proposal/review process.
To be eligible for a CAREER award, you must (1) hold a doctoral degree, (2) be untenured and employed in a tenure track position as an assistant professor by October 1 following the deadline for submission of CAREER proposals, (3) not have submitted more than twice previously and have not previously received an NSF PECASE or CAREER award, although you can be an NSF recipient in other programs, and (4) work in a discipline normally funded by NSF.
If you plan to attend this workshop, contact Steve Banker (sbanker@siu.edu, 3-4534) or Ashley Matzenbacher (acohoon@siu.edu, 3-4542) by Monday, June 8, 2009.
Electromechanical Repair Services Available
In addition to the machining services it provides, ORDA's Central Research Shop will now offer electromechanical repair services. For information about these services, contact Greg Moroz (453-2022, gmoroz@siu.edu).
National Academies Releases Updated Responsible Researcher Guide
—from NCURA, Apr. 2, 2009
The National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine have released the third edition of "On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research." The guide has been updated to "reflect the emergence of electronic publishing and globalization of research," the groups said. "The volume offers researchers particularly early-career scientists and their mentors guidance on how to conduct research responsibly, avoid misconduct such as fabrication and plagiarism, and think about how to respond in complex ethical situations....The report discusses recent real-world instances of misconduct, as well as hypothetical case studies to help scientists think about principles that should guide decision making."
More information about this report
Obama Commits to Raise R&D Spending to 3% of GDP
—excerpted from SSTI Weekly Digest, Apr. 29, 2009
President Obama announced that the U.S. would increase its investment in basic and applied research and science and mathematics education to match the historic levels reached during the height of the space race. The president pledged to raise total government and industry spending on R&D to 3 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), equal to the record set in 1964. In addition to the increases in R&D spending already included in the Recovery Act, President Obama committed to finish the doubling of funds for federal science agencies and create several new programs to encourage students to pursue careers in STEM fields.
Current U.S. R&D investment hovers around 2.6 percent of GDP, which means an additional $70 billion a year from government and industry would be required to reach the new goal. New Scientist noted that while the increase would be substantial, no timetable was provided in the president's speech and even after the increase U.S. R&D spending would still lag behind Japan and South Korea as a share of GDP.
NSF Effort Reporting Audit Recommends Corrective Action
—from NCURA, Report on Research Compliance, Apr. 23, 2009
Independent auditors for the National Science Foundation concluded that the U. of Arizona effort reporting system has "weak controls," and the university should develop an action plan "detailing specific actions taken and/or planned to address each recommendation." At issue were labor costs totaling more than $128 million charged directly to FY07 NSF awards. The university "generally has a well established federal grants management program. However, because the university, prior to FY08, did not place sufficient emphasis on effort reporting, Arizona needs to improve its internal controls to ensure proper implementation and oversight of its labor effort reporting system....In addition, weak internal controls lead to NSF paying $16,584 in excessive salaries, fringe benefits and overhead due to faculty exceeding NSF summer salary limitations," the auditors said in their report. The university concurred with the findings and said it would implement the recommendations.
More information about this report
High Hopes for U.S. Patent Reform
—excerpted from Nature, Apr. 23, 2009
Robert Budens has worked for the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) for 19 years. As an examiner in the field of immunology, he has scrutinized more than 1,000 patent applications. For each patent, he has roughly 20 hours to read the application, search through databases to check if someone else has come up with the idea before, and write a 20-page report on his findings.
The USPTO stands at the center of a patent system in crisis. Examiners labor under a quota system that was developed in 1976, during a simpler technological era. Today, these quotas force examiners to race through applications in a system that grants too many obvious or overlapping patents. Yet the backlog of unexamined patents continues to grow, climbing from around 470,000 in 2003 to about 770,000 in 2008. During the same period, yearly applications increased from about 355,000 to 495,000. Applicants must wait about 2 years before their patent is reviewed.
But after years of failed attempts at reforming the U.S. patent system, the next few months could see its first major overhaul in more than 50 years. Two bills to fix the system were introduced in early March in Congress. Democrat and Republican alike have long supported patent reform in principle, but previous legislation failed because of competing interests from two camps that stand to win or lose the most from patent reform. On one side stand those who rely on strong patents to protect their significant investments in research and development. On the other side are many technology businesses, including microelectronics, information-technology and software firms, who feel trapped in a thicket of incremental and sometimes low-quality patents.
So the technology industry has lobbied Congress to change how monetary awards are calculated in patent lawsuits, suggesting that juries should take into consideration the relative contribution of a patent to the value of the finished product. This stipulation could reduce the damages paid in a lawsuit over a piece of consumer electronics, for example. The argument over damages has been a barrier to patent reform in the past. To avoid this happening again, the Senate judiciary committee removed the damages proposal from the latest bill and voted in favor of the legislation. Those opposed to the damages provision say its removal is a major breakthrough in moving patent reform closer to reality.
Another long-awaited change would bring US patent law into alignment with that in other regions, including Europe and Japan, allowing the office to issue patents based on who first filed the application, rather than on who first came up with the invention.
Meanwhile, working conditions at the agency have posed a problem. Two-thirds of the examiners who left cited the agency's production quotas as a primary reason for their departure. Although the USPTO has hired a consultant to evaluate the recruitment program, this is only part of the problem. The US patent system limits outside input, and that is also why the quality of US patents has suffered. There is more interaction between patent examiners and applicants in Germany, and a post-grant examination process allows others to challenge a recent patent without filing a lawsuit. Some 7% of German patents are challenged, and a third of those are then revoked. The proposed U.S. patent-reform legislation would create a similar post-grant challenge procedure. The USPTO launched a voluntary pilot program in 2007 in which patent applications are posted online for comment on an independent website called Peer-to-Patent. The office notified 22,000 eligible patent applicants about the program, but only 143 volunteered.
For more information about these programs, contact Joel Fritzler, ORDA Information Specialist, at 453-4530 or jcfritz@siu.edu.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) is an organization within the Department of Energy, chartered by Congress in the America COMPETES Act to create transformational new energy technologies and systems through funding and managing research and development (R&D) efforts. The mission of ARPA-E is to overcome the long-term and high risk technological barriers in the development of energy technologies that can achieve the following, with no direct detriment to any of ARPA-E's Mission Areas: (1) Enhance the economic and energy security of the United States through the development of energy technologies that result in reductions of imports of energy from foreign sources, reductions of energy-related emissions, including greenhouse gases, and improvement in the energy efficiency of all economic sectors; and (2) Ensure that the United States maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.
Under this announcement, ARPA-E will achieve these goals by funding energy technology projects that (1) translate scientific discoveries and cutting-edge inventions into technological innovations and (2) accelerate transformational technological advances in areas that industry by itself is not likely to undertake because of high technical or financial risk.
The Funding Opportunity Number for ARPA-E is DE-FOA-0000065 and it is estimated that $150 million will be made available for this program.
More information
Agency contact: Bradley Poston (202-287-1389, Bradley.Poston@hq.doe.gov)
Concept paper due: June 2, 2009
The Informal Science Education (ISE) program invests in projects that promote lifelong learning of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in a wide variety of informal settings. Funding is provided for projects that advance understanding of informal STEM learning; develop and implement innovative strategies and resources for informal STEM education; and that build the national professional capacity for research, development, and practice in the field.
There are five categories of ISE program grants: Research; Pathways; Full-Scale Development; Broad Implementation; and Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA).
SPECIAL NOTE for CRPA projects: The PI must hold an active NSF-funded research award in any NSF directorate or program.
It is estimated that 40 awards will be made from an anticipated funding amount of $25 million; approximately 6 Research, 6 Pathways, 20 Full-Scale Development, 3 Broad Implementation, and 5 CRPA.
More information
Agency contact: program office (703-292-8616 or DRLISE@nsf.gov).
DEADLINES: Preliminary Proposals (*required)—June 25 (**except CRPA proposals); Full Proposals—Nov. 19 (**except CRPA proposals)
*A pre-proposal is required to submit a full proposal for all ISE-specific project types except for Communicating Research to Public Audiences. The response to a pre-proposal is either to encourage or discourage submission of a full proposal based on assessment by reviewers of the likelihood that a proposal will be competitive. This assessment is advisory, and full proposals may be submitted in either event.
**CRPA proposals may be submitted at any time and do not require preliminary proposals.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages investigator-initiated research grant applications from institutions/ organizations that propose to conduct behavioral and/or biomedical research aimed at better understanding the etiologies and precursors for, reducing risk for, and incidence of, teen dating violence (TDV). Research is also sought that examines the linkages and gaps among perceptions of appropriate responses to teen dating violence from service providers, the criminal justice system, teens themselves, victims, perpetrators and bystanders.
More information
Agency contact: Susan F. Newcomer (301-435 6981, newcomes@mail.nih.gov)
DEADLINE: June 16
These awards provide grant support to new and established investigators and to investigators who have not previously worked in the field of diabetes and have an imaginative proposal related to any aspect of diabetes research. Applications will be considered in any area that is relevant to the etiology or pathophysiology of diabetes and its complications.
The funds are to be used for research activities related to diabetes for the project described. Applications for up to three years of support for amounts up to $115,000 per year will be considered. The funds are to be divided between the salary of the PI, collaborating investigators, and research support. Up to 20 percent of total costs per year may be used to support the PI's salary and fringe benefits. Research support may be used to defray the support of a postdoctoral fellow, technician, supplies, equipment, travel, etc. Up to 15 percent for indirect costs may be requested. Investigative work proposed is expected to be completed within three years.
More information
Agency contact: Magda Galindo (703-549-1500, ext. 2362; grantquestions@diabetes.org)
DEADLINE: July 15
The AHA funds research broadly related to cardiovascular disease and stroke. The AHA supports research in clinical and basic sciences, bioengineering, biotechnology, and public health. Applications related to obesity, women and heart disease, and resuscitation are particularly encouraged. The objective of the SDG is to support highly promising beginning scientists in their progress toward independence by encouraging and adequately funding research projects that can bridge the gap between completion of research training and readiness for successful competition as an independent investigator. Proposals will be accepted for all basic disciplines, including multidisciplinary efforts, as well as epidemiological, community, and clinical investigations that bear on cardiovascular and stroke problems.
The award duration is four years. The maximum annual amount is $77,000 ($70,000 direct plus 10 percent indirect costs) and may be budgeted for the following:
- PI Salary/Fringe: Up to $35,000 per year for salary/fringe of the PI, collaborating investigator(s), and other participants with faculty appointments.
- Project support: At least $35,000 per year (all of award may be budgeted for project support and 10 percent indirect costs if PI, collaborators, and/or other faculty salaries/fringe are not requested).
- Travel costs: Not to exceed $3,000 per year.
- Indirect costs: Not to exceed 10 percent ($7,000 per year).
More information
Agency contact: 214-360-6104, ncrp@heart.org
DEADLINE: July 22
The Social-Computational Systems (SoCS) program seeks to reveal new understanding about the properties that systems of people and computers together possess, and to develop a practical understanding of the purposeful design of systems to facilitate socially intelligent computing. By better characterizing, understanding, and eventually designing for desired behaviors arising from computationally mediated groups of people at all scales, new forms of knowledge creation, new models of computation, new forms of culture, and new types of interaction will result. Further, the investigation of such systems and their emergent behaviors and desired properties will inform the design of future systems.
The SoCS program will support research in socially intelligent computing arising from human-computer partnerships that range in scale from a single person and computer to an Internet-scale array of machines and people. The program seeks to create new knowledge about the capabilities these partnerships can demonstrate - new affordances and new emergent behaviors, as well as unanticipated consequences and fundamental limits. The program also seeks to foster new ideas that support even greater capabilities for socially intelligent computing, such as the design and development of systems reflecting explicit knowledge about people's cognitive and social abilities, new models of collective, social, and participatory computing, and new algorithms that leverage the specific abilities of massive numbers of human participants.
The SoCS program seeks to capitalize upon the collaborative knowledge and research methods of investigators in the computational and human sciences, recognizing that researchers in computer science and related disciplines often focus on the limits and capabilities of computation in isolation from the people that use computation, while researchers in the social sciences often focus on the use of technology or the capabilities of people with limited impact on how such knowledge can influence the design of new technologies. Proposals that reflect collaborative efforts spanning computational and human centered approaches and perspectives are specifically encouraged.
It is estimated that 20 to 35 awards will be made from an anticipated funding amount of $15 million; Awards with annual budgets up to $250,000 and durations of up to 3 years will be made. An individual may participate in at most one proposal as PI, co-PI or Senior Personnel in any annual competition.
More information
Agency contacts: Amy Baylor, CISE Point of Contact (703-292-8930, abaylor@nsf.gov) or Vincent Brown, SBE Point of Contact (703-292-7305, vrbrown@nsf.gov)
DEADLINE: Sept. 21
Note: These links will take you to deadlines pages within this website's External Funding section. You will need to use your browser's BACK button to return to this page, or click on "Newsletter" under "Quick Links" on our home page.
Note: Grant listings going back to FY2003 are available via this website's Reports and Publications section.
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