Limited Submisions - NSF (A-M)

National Science Foundation - Academic Research Infrastructure Program:  Recovery and Reinvestment (ARI-R2)

The purpose of this program is to enhance the Nation's existing research facilities where sponsored and/or unsponsored research activities and research training take place to enable next-generation research infrastructure that integrates shared resources across user communities. Consistent with NSF's mission to strengthen the U.S. science and engineering enterprise, the ARI-R² program will:

• Update existing research facilities at institutions of higher education (including graduate and undergraduate institutions, among which are includedcommunity colleges) and other non-profit research organizations (e.g., independent research museums, independent research laboratories, and research consortia) in order to support researchthat can address the challenges of the 21st century.
• Enable academic departments, disciplinary and cross-disciplinary units, or multi-organization consortia to renovate research facilities through the addition or augmentation of cyberinfrastructure, other than general-purpose computing systems or data storage systems, to create environments that enhance research and integrate research with education.
• Improve access to and increase use of next-generation research facilities for researchers, educators and students.
• Assist research organizations, including those that have historically received limited Federal research and development funds, to improve their science and engineering research environments.

Estimated Number of Awards:  100 to 120; approximately 100 awards ranging from a total of $250,000 to $2,000,000; approximately 6 - 10 awards ranging from a total of over $2 million to $5 million; approximately 3 - 5 awards ranging from a total of over $5 million to $10 million. The award duration for ARI-R² grants up to $2 million is up to three years; award duration for grants over $2 million up to $10 million is up to four years.

Link to Program Page and Solicitation: 

NSF 09-562 http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503380

Cost Sharing: not required

Deadlines:

Required Letter of Intent: July 1, 2009

Full Proposal: August 24, 2009

Most recent internal deadline: June 10, 2009.

Most recent external deadline: August 24, 2009.

NSF Active Nanostructures and Nanosystems

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces a program on collaborative research and education in the area of active nanostructures, nanosystems, and on the long-term societal change associated with these innovations. Active nanostructures change or evolve their structure, property, or function during their operation. The goal of this program is to support fundamental research and catalyze synergistic science and engineering research and education in several emerging areas of nanoscale science and engineering, including:

Active nanostructures;
Nanosystems with improved functionality and new architectures;
Hierarchical nanomanufacturing; and
Long-term societal and educational implications of scientific and technological advances on the nanoscale.

This solicitation provides support for Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Teams (NIRT) and Nanoscale Exploratory Research (NER).

Details of this program can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf06595

Internal Selection Process

NSF limits the number of proposals that may be submitted by any institution to 2 NIRT proposals (each with 3-5 PIs and Co-Investigators/Co-PIs) and 2 NER proposals. An exception is made for an additional NER proposal in “Societal and Educational Issues Associated with Long-term Research Science and Engineering Advances.” At least one of the NER proposals must have a PI or Co-I/Co-PI at the level of assistant professor.

Most recent internal deadline: October 4, 2006.

Most recent external deadline: November 15, 2006.

National Science Foundation - ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers 2010- NSF 10-593

This program supports three types of projects – two of which limit the number of applications UK may submit, requiring internal coordination.

The goal of the ADVANCE program is to developsystemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce. ADVANCE focuses on ensuring that women faculty with earned STEM degrees consider academia as a viable and attractive career option. This program does not support projects to increase or retain the number of women entering into or persisting in STEM doctoral degree programs. Thus, efforts to impact the STEM pipeline are not considered appropriate for the ADVANCE Program.

Creative strategies to realize the ADVANCE program goal are sought from women and men. Members of underrepresented minority groups and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. Proposals that address the participation and advancement of academic STEM women from underrepresented minority groups and women with disabilities are particularly encouraged. Further, given the increasing emphasis on international collaborations in many STEM disciplines, and the importance of international recognition to career advancement, proposal components that systemically enhance and provide access to international collaborations are encouraged.

In 2010-11, this program will support the following types of ADVANCE Projects:

Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, and Dissemination (PAID) Awards – no limit on the number of submissions

Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, and Dissemination awards may focus on one institution or organization, or they may be a partnership between several institutions and/or organizations. PAID projects can focus on all STEM disciplines, several disciplines, or only one discipline, including the social and behavioral sciences. Projects may have an international, national, regional or local scope. Previous or current funding from ADVANCE is not a prerequisite for submitting a PAID proposal (see additional ADVANCE merit review criteria).

Deadline:         Letter of Intent, October 4, 2010

                        Full Proposal, November 8, 2010

Institutional Transformation (IT) Awards

Institutional Transformation awards are expected to include innovative systemic organizational approaches to transform institutions of higher education in ways that will increase the participation and advancement of women in STEM academic careers. These awards support comprehensive programs for institution-wide change. IT projects must include a 5-page research component designed to study the effectiveness of the proposed innovations in order to contribute to the knowledge base informing academic institutional transformation.

Deadline:         Letter of Intent, October 3, 2011

                        Full proposal, November 7, 2011

Institutional Transformation Catalyst Grants (IT-Catalyst)

IT-Catalyst awards are designed to support historically resource-challenged institutions in efforts to conduct institutional self-assessment activities, such as data collection and analysis and policy review, in order to identify specific issues in the recruitment, retention and promotion of women faculty in STEM academics within an institution of higher education. This type of work is fundamental for institutions that plan to undertake institutional transformation.

Deadline:         Letter of Intent, October 3, 2011

                        Full proposal, November 7, 2011

Program Information and Solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5383&from=fund

Organizations may submit only one Institutional Transformation proposal or one IT-Catalyst proposal.  Because of this restriction, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Prospective applicants interested in responding to either of these are asked to send the following information to Ms. Kris Hobson (hobson@email.uky.edu), Office of the Provost, 105 Main Building and a copy to their Dean by Monday, September 20, 2010:

• Identify specific category:  Institutional Transformational (IT) or Institutional Transformation Catalyst Grant (IT-Catalyst)
• Names and departments of the PI and other participants and partners
• Curriculum Vitae of PI
• Pre-proposal narrative (1-2 pages max.) – Briefly describe project goals, activities and strategies.

A committee will be convened to review the proposals and make a recommendation; the successful applicant will be notified in time to prepare the material for the NSF deadlines.

National Science Foundation - Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections (ADBC) (NSF 11-567)

This program seeks to enhance and expand the national resource of digital data documenting existing vouchered biological and paleontological collections and to advance scientific knowledge by improving access to digitized information (including images) residing in vouchered scientific collections across the United States. The information associated with various collections of organisms, such as geographic, paleogeographic and stratigraphicdistribution, environmental habitat data, phenology, information about associated organisms, collector field notes, andtissues and molecular data extracted from the specimens, is a rich resource providing the baseline from which to further biodiversity research and provide critical information about existing gaps in our knowledge of life on earth. The national resource is structured at three levels: a central coordinating organization, a series of thematic networks based on an important research theme, and the physical collections. The national resource builds upon a sizable existing national investment in curation of the physical objects in scientific collections and contributes vitally to scientific research and technology interests in the United States. It will become an invaluable tool in understanding contemporary biological issues and challenges.

Program page for more information and solicitation:  http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503559

Because NSF limits an institution to one proposal, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Thursday, September 8, 2011:

• Specify type of proposal –Thematic Collections Network (TCN) or Partners to Existing Networks (PEN)
• The names and departments of the Principal Investigator (PI), project personnel and other partners or collaborators
• A project overview describing project goals, activities and management plans (1-2 p. max.).

A committee will be convened to review this information and make recommendations. The NSF deadline is October 31, 2011. Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

National Science Foundation - Alliances for Broadening Participation in STEM (ABP)

The Alliances for Broadening Participation in STEM (ABP) solicitation includes the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, Bridge to the Doctorate (LSAMP-BD) Activity, and the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program.This portfolio of programs seeks to increase the number of students successfully completing quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Particular emphasis is placed on transforming STEM education through innovative academic strategies and experiences in support of groups that historically have been underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African-Americans, Alaskan Natives, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Pacific Islanders.

Because the University of Kentucky already has a funded Alliances for Broadening Participation award, this notification is for the Innovation through Institutional Integration or I cubed (I3) track only.

Program Website: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13646

The Innovation through Institutional Integration or I cubed (I3) track for the 2009 ABP Program requires institutional coordination

Innovation through Institutional Integration or I cubed (I3) is an integrative, cross-cutting effort that enables faculty, administrators, and others in institutions to think and act strategically about the creative integration of NSF-funded awards, with particular emphasis on awards managed through programs in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), but not limited to those awards. This effort has the following interrelated goals:

• Increase synergy and collaboration across NSF-funded projects and within/between institutions, towards an educational environment where artificial boundaries are significantly reduced and the student experience is more fully integrated;
• Expand and deepen the impact of NSF-funded projects and enhance their sustainability;
• Provide additional avenues to broaden participation through workforce development, especially for those underrepresented in STEM research and education; attend to seamless transitions across critical educational junctures; and/or provide more effectively for a globally engaged workforce;
• Promote innovative programming, policies, and practices to encourage the integration of STEM research and education; and
• Encourage STEM educational or related research in domains that hold promise for promoting intra- or inter-institutional integration and broader impacts.

Proposals that facilitate either (a) inter-institutional or (b) intra-institutional efforts are encouraged. Proposals may be submitted by (a) a single institution to address intra-institutional goals only or (b) an institution acting on behalf of an institutional partnership to address inter-institutional goals.

Proposals are expected to incorporate a depth and quality of creative, coherent, and strategic actions that extend beyond commonplace approaches to normal institutional operations. Proposals may also be submitted for research on institutional integration or other closely related themes articulated in the goals above.

For additional information see the I-Cubed FAQ: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08027/nsf08027.jsp

Most recent internal deadline: February 22, 2010.

Most recent external deadline: April 7, 2010.

National Science Foundation - Census Research Network (NCRN) NSF 10-621

The NSF-Census Research Network will provide support for a set of research nodes, each of which will be staffed by a team of scientists conducting interdisciplinary research and educational activities on methodological questions of interest and significance to the broader research community and to the Federal Statistical System, particularly the U.S. Census Bureau. The activities will be expected to advance both fundamental and applied knowledge as well as further the training of current and future generations of researchers in research skills of relevance to the measurement of economic units, households, and persons.

See program page for more information and full solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503587

Because NSF limits an institution to 2 proposals, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Friday, December 10, 2010:

• The names and departments of the principal investigator, senior personnel and project participants
• The type of project (small or medium node)
• A project description including goals, activities and management plans (1-2 p. max.)

The Vice President for Research will appoint a committee to review the material and make recommendations as to the University’s applicants. The NSF deadline is February 16, 2011.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

National Science Foundation - Centers for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology

NSF requests proposals to create a national Center to conduct fundamental research and education on the implications of nanotechnology for the environment and living systems at all scales. The Center will address interactions of naturally derived, incidental and engineered nanoparticles and nanostructured materials, devices and systems (herein called “nanomaterials”) with the living world. Essential elements of the Center will include understanding the interactions of nanomaterials with organisms, cellular constituents, metabolic networks and living tissues; understanding environmental exposure and bioaccumulation and their effects on living systems; and determining the biological impacts of nanomaterials dispersed in the environment. Additional elements may include the development of methods and instrumentation for the detection and characterization of nanomaterials. For the purpose of this solicitation, nanomaterials have at least one dimension with a length of approximately 1 to 100 nm. A multidisciplinary research approach involving the biological, chemical, physical, computational, mathematical, social and behavioral sciences will be needed to understand the fundamental processes associated with the interaction of nanomaterials with the environment and living systems. The Center is expected to interact with other Nanotechnology Science and Engineering Centers as appropriate.

This Center will not support pilot plant efforts, research requiring security classification, the development of products for commercial marketing, or market research for a particular project or invention. Research with disease-related goals, including work on the etiology, diagnosis or treatment of physical or mental disease, abnormality or malfunction in human beings will not be supported. The development or testing of drugs or other procedures for the treatment of disease also is not eligible for support.

Award is expected to be up to $5,000,000 per year for up to 5 years pending the availability of funds, with the possibility of one 5-year renewal depending on the availability of funds and successful review.

For more information: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07590

Most recent internal deadline: November 1, 2007.

Most recent external deadline: December 10, 2007.

National Science Foundation - Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Departmental Multi-User Instrumentation (CRIF:MU) NSF 09-546

***This competition is coordinated through the Department of Chemistry***

The Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities Program (CRIF) is structured to enable the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry to respond to a variety of needs for infrastructure that promotes research and education in areas traditionally supported by the Division (NSF Chemistry Homepage).

The principal investigator must be the chemistry department chairperson or equivalent. Other investigators may be affiliated with U.S. academic institutions, non-profit research organizations, industry, government laboratories, or international institutions. No CRIF:MU award funds may go directly to industry, government laboratories or international institutions.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:Two per institution. If two are submitted, at least one must involve cyberinfrastructure. Principal investigators are strongly encouraged to consult with the cognizant program officers before submitting cyber-enabled instrumentation requests.

Program Website: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13579

Deadline: Fourth Tuesday in June

National Science Foundation - CISE

Through the CISE Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH) program, NSF's Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) is challenging its partners – colleges, universities and other stakeholders committed to advancing the field of computing and its impact - to transform undergraduate computing education on a national scale, to meet the challenges and opportunities of a world where computing is essential to U. S. leadership.

To achieve this vision, CISE is calling for colleges and universities to work together and with other stakeholders to formulate and implement plans to revitalize undergraduate computing education in the United States. The full engagement of faculty and other individuals in CISE disciplines will be critical to success. Successful CPATH projects will be systemic in nature and will demonstrate significant potential to contribute to the transformation and revitalization of undergraduate computing education on a national scale.

CPATH will support three types of projects in two major track categories, Community Building and Institutional Transformation:

Community Building Track
Community Building (CB) Grants - funded from levels of $50,000 to a maximum of $500,000 total for up to three years

Institutional Transformation Track:
Conceptual Development and Planning (CDP) Grants - funded at levels of $50,000 up to a maximum of $150,000 total for up to two years
Transformative Implementation (TI) Grants - funded at levels up to $1,000,000 total for a maximum of three years

Program guidelines are available at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08516/nsf08516.htm
Additional information about this program, including FAQ and examples of the three types of projects are available at: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=500025

Limit on the Number of Proposals: For the Institutional Transformation Track, an academic institution may submit or participate in no more than one Conceptual Development and Planning (CDP) proposal and one Transformative Implementation (TI) proposal. There is no organizational limit for CB proposals.

Most recent internal deadline: February 4, 2008.

Most recent external deadline: March 11, 2008.

National Science Foundation - Climate Change Education (CCE): Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) Program, Phase I (CCEP-I)

The NSF Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) program seeks to establish a coordinated national network of regionally- or thematically-based partnerships devoted to increasing the adoption of effective, high quality educational programs and resources related to the science of climate change and its impacts. Each CCEP isrequired to be of a large enough scale that they will have catalytic or transformative impact that cannot be achieved through other core NSF program awards. The CCEP program is one facet of a larger NSF collection of awards related to Climate Change Education (CCE) that has two goals: (1) preparing a new generation of climate scientists, engineers, and technicians equipped to provide innovative and creative approaches to understanding global climate change and to mitigate its impact; and, (2) preparing today's U.S. citizens to understand global climate change and its implications in ways that can lead to informed, evidence-based responses and solutions. Each CCEP must include representation from at least each of the following communities: climate scientists, experts in the learning sciences, and practitioners from within formal or informal education venues. This combined expertise will insure that educational programs and resources developed through the activities of each CCEP reflects current understanding about climate science, the best theoretical approaches for teaching such a complex topic, and the practical means necessary to reach the intended learner audience(s). Each CCEP should be organized around either geographic regions that share similar climate change impacts, or major climate impact themes (e.g., sea-level rise).

The CCEP program is a two-phase program. This solicitation seeks proposals for development of Phase I Partnerships (CCEP-I). CCEP-I grantees will receive up to 2 years of funding to support synthesis, network-building, and strategic planning activities leading toward potential Phase II Partnerships (CCEP-II).

Link to program page and solicitation: http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503465

Because NSF limits the number of proposals to one per institution as the lead organization, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Prospective applicants interested in responding to this program are asked to send an electronic pre-proposal (1-2 pages) with the following information to Ms. Kris Hobson (hobson@email.uky.edu), Office of the Provost, and a copy to their Dean by Tuesday, April 6, 2010:

1. Names and departments of the PI and project team and the partner organization(s)
2. Briefly describe the project goals and activities, including the role of UK participants and partnership organizations

A committee will be convened to review the proposals and make a recommendation. NSF deadlines: Letter of Intent (required) April 23, 2010 and full proposal: May 15, 2010.

National Science Foundation - Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) Program, Phase II (CCEP-II) NSF 12-523

Description: The Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) program seeks to establish a coordinated national network of regionally- or thematically-based partnerships devoted to increasing the adoption of effective, high quality educational programs and resources related to the science of climate change and its impacts. Each CCEP is required to be of a large enough scale that it will have catalytic or transformative impact that cannot be achieved through other core NSF program awards.

The CCEP program is a two-phase program. CCEP Phase I (CCEP-I) projects funded in FY 2010 and FY 2011 and a sub-set of CCE projects funded in FY 2009 have focused on Partnership initiation and strategic planning for Phase II.

The current solicitation seeks proposals for Phase II Partnerships (CCEP-II) only. CCEP-II awardees will receive up to 5 years of funding to support full-scale implementation of mature and robust strategic plans already developed by regional or thematic partnerships to improve climate change education activities at a significant scale and meet the goals of the CCE program. Strategic plans must include well-integrated formative and summative evaluation activities conducted by an external evaluator. Prior CCEP-I funding is not an eligibility requirement, but all proposed Phase II Partnerships that did not have CCEP-I funding must demonstrate that they meet the required criteria and have undertaken activities that address the goals and objectives described in the CCEP-I program solicitation.

Program solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12523/nsf12523.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click  

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

• Collaborative Proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations are NOT allowed for this competition. Instead, any proposal to the CCEP program should be a single submission that includes sub-award support for all other partner organizations that are requesting funding from NSF.
• An institution may submit only one CCEP-II proposal as Lead institution. Institutions may be a non-Lead partner on more than one proposal.
• A central organization that acts as fiscal agent for multiple institutions in a university system is not considered to be the same as the individual colleges and universities that are part of the system, and may act as fiscal agent for one or more proposals submitted in response to this solicitation.

Because NSF limits the number of proposals to one per institution as the lead organization, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Prospective applicants interested in responding to this program are asked to send a pre-proposal with the following information to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Tuesday, January 17, 2012:

1. Names and departments of the PI, project team, and partner organization(s)
2. Description of project goals and activities, including the role of UK participants and partnership organizations (1 – 2 pages maximum)

The Vice President for Research will appoint a committee to review the material and make recommendations as to the University’s applicant. Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

Deadlines:
Letter of Intent (required): January 24, 2012
Full Proposal: March 21, 2012

National Science Foundation - Collections in Support of Biological Research (CSBR) NSF 11-558

Description: The Collections in Support of Biological Research (CSBR) Program provides funds for improvements to secure, improve, and organize collections that are significant to the NSF/BIO-funded research community. Support is also provided to secure collections-related data for sustained, accurate, and efficient accessibility of the collection to the biological research community. Supplemental funding is also available to transfer collection ownership responsibilities or consolidate or combine existing collections.

The CSBR program provides for enhancements that secure and improve existing collections, result in accessible digitized specimen-related data, and develop better methods for specimen curation and collection management. Requests should demonstrate a clear and urgent need to secure the collection, and the proposed activities should address that need. Biological collections supported include established living stocks/culture collections, vouchered non-living natural history collections, and jointly-curated ancillary collections such as preserved tissues and DNA libraries.

Program page and solicitation:  http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503651

Because NSF limits an institution to 3 proposals per institution, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Tuesday, August 23, 2011:

• The names and departments of the Principal Investigator (PI), project personnel and any collaborators;
• Identification of Competitive Area (Natural History, Living Stock, Supplemental Funding)
• A project description (1-2 p. max.) to include a description of the collection outlining its scientific value, the urgency of the request, and planned activities.

A committee will be convened to review the proposals and make a recommendation as to UK’s applicants. The Office of the Vice President for Research will notify all applicants of the outcome in time for the selected researcher to submit a full proposal for the October 16, 2011 deadline.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

National Science Foundation - Cyberinfrastructure Training, Education, Advancement, and Mentoring for Our 21st Century Workforce (CI-TEAM) NSF 11-515

Description: The CI-TEAM program supports projects that integrate science and engineering research and education activities that range from local activities to global-scale efforts, as appropriate, to promote, leverage and utilize cyberinfrastructure systems, tools and services.

Collectively, the CI-TEAM awards will:

• Increase the numbers of scientists, engineers, educators, and/or students prepared to design, develop, adopt and deploy cyber-based tools and environments for computational science and engineering research and learning, both formal and informal. This is to include individuals who are otherwise well prepared in the STEM disciplines.
• Produce curricular and pedagogical materials, learning technologies, and institutional models for preparing the cyberinfrastructure workforce that are broadly adaptable and/or adoptable, and publish related outcomes that inform others of promising educational approaches.
• Increase and broaden the participation of diverse groups of people and organizations as both creators and users of cyberinfrastructure for research and education. Currently underrepresented groups include women, those in underserved rural regions of the country, those who would be the first in their family to graduate from college, and minorities including those associated with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and communities.

All CI-TEAM projects seek to create and maintain a broad and diverse population of individuals and institutions participating in cyberinfrastructure activities specifically and, thereby, science and engineering more generally. Toward that goal, all types of projects must include collaborations with expertise in multiple disciplines and involve partnerships that support integrated research and learning among diverse organizations including, as appropriate, academic institutions of higher learning, primary and secondary schools, government, industry, professional societies, other not-for-profit organizations, and international partners. Other key features of CI-TEAM projects involve a commitment to: leveraging existing or current development efforts in cyberinfrastructure technologies; open software standards and open educational resources; the integration of research and learning; institutional partnerships; and strategic implementation, management, and project evaluation plans. Following merit review of the proposals received, NSF expects to select for support 6 to 7 Demonstration Projects at up to $250,000 total each and 3 to 6 Implementation or Diffusion Projects at up to $1,000,000 total each that together constitute a rich portfolio of cyberinfrastructure-related workforce development activities.

Program details: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12782

Internal Competition: Because NSF limits the number of proposals to 2 per institution as the lead organization, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Prospective applicants interested in responding to this program are asked to send following information to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Wednesday, January 26, 2011:

1. Names and departments of the PI and project team and the partner organization(s)
2. Identify the type of proposal (Demonstration Implementation or Diffusion Project)
3. Identify the underrepresented group(s) the project will target
4. Project overview (1-2 pages) - Briefly describe the project goals; the role of UK participants and partnership organizations; the activities to prepare a diverse science and engineering workforce able to exploit, enhance, and promote cyberinfrastructure to advance science and engineering research and education and how the project will broaden participation of underrepresented groups and organizations in cyberinfrastructure activities.

A committee will be convened to review the material and make recommendations as to the University’s submissions. Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan2@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

NSF deadline: March 16, 2011.

National Science Foundation - EarthScope National Office (ESNO) NSF 10-576

This solicitation calls for proposals to establish a community-based EarthScope National Office. The Office will foster and support integrated science, education, outreach, and related activities for the EarthScope program; facilitate and coordinate EarthScope scientific planning and education and outreach activities; facilitate collaborative research; and when necessary, form scientific responses to “events” in EarthScope topics and/or regions of interest.

Additional Information and Program Solicitation:

http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5618&org=EAR

Internal Selection Process

Because an institution may submit only one proposal, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following materials electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Wednesday, July 15, 2010:

• Title of project and the names and departments of the principal investigator, key personnel, and any partners;
• A brief description of the proposed project including its goals and activities. (1-2 pages);

The Vice President for Research will appoint a committee to review the material and make recommendations as to the University’s applicant. The NSF deadline for full proposals is October 1, 2010. Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

National Science Foundation - Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE) NSF 11-514

The NSF Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE) program accepts proposals for research and educational projects to improve ethics education in all of the fields of science and engineering that NSF supports, especially in interdisciplinary or inter-institutional contexts. Proposals must focus on improving ethics education for graduate students in those fields, although the proposed programs may benefit advanced undergraduates in addition to graduate students.

Solicitation/Website: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11514/nsf11514.htm

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
An eligible organization, as defined above, may submit only one proposal as the lead organization.

Internal Competition: Because NSF limits an institution to one proposal as the lead organization, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Individuals interested in submitting to this program are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Wednesday, February 1, 2012:

• The names and departments of the Principal Investigator, project personnel, partners, and collaborators;
• A statement of the project goals and type of project proposed (i.e., education, research or combination of the two);
• A project description (1-2 p. max.) - Education projects are to include a) the overall project methods, strategies and activities, including plans to assure participation and b) plans for evaluation and assessment.  Research projects are to include a) description of the research question(s) investigated and possible impact on ethics education for graduate students in science or engineering and b) a research plan describing methods and activities.

A committee will be appointed to review the information and make recommendations as to the University’s submission.  The NSF deadline is March 1, 2012.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

National Science Foundation - Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS)

The NSF Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program seeks to increase the number of qualified students entering the fields of information assurance and computer security and to increase the capacity of the United States higher education enterprise to continue to produce professionals in these fields to meet the needs of our increasingly technological society. The SFS program is composed of two tracks:

1) The Scholarship Track provides funding to colleges and universities to award scholarships to students in the information assurance and computer security fields.
2) The Capacity Building Track provides funds to colleges and universities to improve the quality and increase the production of information assurance and computer security professionals. Professional development of information assurance faculty and development of academic programs can be funded under this track.

Estimated Number of Awards is 13 to 16 consisting of 3 - 4 Scholarship Track awards and 10 - 12 Capacity Building Track awards. Anticipated Funding Amount is $5,700,000 in FY 2008, pending availability of funds, for new awards under this program solicitation. Scholarship awards are usually funded as continuing grants over a four-year period.

SFS Website: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08522/nsf08522.htm

Most recent internal deadline: February 4, 2008.

Most recent external deadline: March 20, 2008.

National Science Foundation - Geoscience Education NSF 10-512

The Geoscience Education (GeoEd) Program is part of a portfolio of programs within the NSF Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) that seeks to increase public understanding of Earth system science and foster recruitment, training and retention of a diverse and skilled geoscience workforce for the future. The program achieves thesegoals by supporting innovative or transformative projects that improve the quality and effectiveness of formal and informal geoscience education at all educational levels, increase the number of students pursuing geoscience education and career paths, broaden participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the geosciences, and promote public engagement in Earth system science.

The GeoEd Program accepts proposals for pilot orproof-of-concept projects (Track 1) and integrative collaborations (Track 2) , as well as for conferences or workshops related to the mission of the program.

Additional Information/solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5505

Because NSF limits the number of proposals for Track 2 projects to one per institution, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Prospective applicants interested in responding to this program should send a pre-proposal with the following information to Ms. Kris Hobson (hobson@email.uky.edu), Office of the Provost, 105 Main Building and a copy to their Dean by Monday, August, 29, 2011:

1. Title of the Project
2. Names and departments and institutions of the PI and project team
3. Goals, and project activities (2 pages max.)

A committee will be convened to review the proposals and make a recommendation. The individual selected as well as all applicants will be notified of the outcome. The NSF deadline is October 12, 2011.

National Science Foundation - Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach) Program

The National Science Foundation is accepting applications for the Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach) program which supports projects designed to improve the quality of geoscience instruction, primarily at middle and high school levels. GEO-Teach projects should emphasize the importance of an Earth system science approach in geoscience education and should promote the integration of content drawn from atmospheric science, Earth science and ocean science disciplines. Project teams, consisting of the principal investigator, co-investigators, and any other senior personnel, must include representatives of the geoscience research community and the geoscience education community (including secondary school teachers). Successful proposers will be required to develop, in consultation with NSF, a list of agreed-upon deliverables and a schedule for realizing those deliverables. NSF anticipates making one to three awards with a duration of five years each. The complete guidelines and details can be accessed at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06526/nsf06526.htm.

Most recent internal deadline: February 8, 2006.

Most recent external deadline: April 17, 2006.

National Science Foundation - Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 education (GK-12)

This program provides funding for graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to bring their leading research practice and findings into K-12 learning settings. Through collaborations with other graduate fellows and faculty from STEM disciplines, teachers and students in K-12 environments, and community partners, graduate students can gain a deeper understanding of their own research and place it within a societal and global context. The GK-12 program provides an opportunity for graduate students to acquire value-added skills, such as communicating STEM subjects to technical and non-technical audiences, leadership, team building, and teaching while enriching STEM learning and instruction in K-12 settings.

NSF anticipates making 20-25 new awards, depending upon the quality of proposals and availability of funds, with new projects funded up to $600,000 per year for 5 years.

Eligibility criteria:

• The lead Principal Investigator (PI) must be a STEM discipline faculty member actively conducting STEM research at the lead institution. Faculty memberswhose primary research is on science education (e.g. physics education, technology education, mathematics education, engineering education, etc.) are not eligible to serve as the lead PI.
• Institutions having an active or past GK-12 project are eligible to submit a new proposal, but they must coordinate evaluation efforts of any projects located on the same campus or working with the same school districts. They must also specify the outcomes, lessons learned, best practices, and sustainability efforts of prior projects.

Program details can be found at:

http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503369

Because NSF limits the number of proposals to one per institution, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Prospective applicants interested in responding to this program should send a pre-proposal with the following information to Ms. Kris Hobson (hobson@email.uky.edu), Office of the Provost, and a copy to their Dean by Tuesday, March 23, 2010:

1. Title of the Project
2. Names and departments of the PI and project team of STEM faculty advisors; a list of the participating K-12 schools and the NSF-supported STEM disciplines or themes. Include the number of Graduate STEM Fellows per year, number of K-12 Teachers, and number of K-12 classes to be served;
3. Describe the proposed project by providing:  a) a summary of the project goals and objectives; b) proposed activities to initiate and enhance Fellow-Teacher partnerships and activities for participating K-12 classes; and c) how Graduate STEM Fellows will be recruited, trained and mentored. (3 pages max.)

A committee will be convened to review the proposals and make a recommendation and the selected applicant will be notified. NSF requires a letter of intent by April 20, 2010 and a full proposal via Grants.gov or FastLane by June 3, 2010 (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time).

National Science Foundation - High Performance Computing System Acquisition: Towards a Petascale Computing Environment for Science and Engineering (NSF 11-511)

Description: The NSF's vision for Cyberinfrastructure in the 21st Century includes enabling sustained petascale computational and data-driven science and engineering through the deployment and support of a world-class High Performance Computing (HPC) environment. For the past decade the NSF has provided the open science and engineering community with state of the art HPC assets ranging from loosely coupled clusters, to large scale instruments with many thousands of computing cores communicating via fast interconnects. Previous solicitations, as exemplified by the multi-pronged Track Two acquisitions, have provided more than two petaflops (1015 floating point operations per second) of compute power on real applications, that consume large amounts of memory, and work with very large data sets. These resources have been made available through the TeraGrid, the world's largest, most powerful and comprehensive distributed cyberinfrastructure for open science. In addition to the Track Two acquisitions, the ongoing Track One program promises to deliver a petaflop of sustained power capable of tacklingsome of the most challenging scientific problems across multiple science and engineering domains.

HPC Resource Providers - those organizations willing to acquire, deploy and operate HPC resources in service to the science and engineering research and education community - play a key role in the provision and support of a national Cyberinfrasructure. With this solicitation, the NSF requests proposals from organizations willing to serve as HPC Resource Providers within Extreme Digital (XD), the successor to TeraGrid, and who propose to acquire and deploy new, innovative petascale HPC systems and services.

Competitive HPC systems will:

• Expand the range of data intensive computationally-challenging science and engineering applications that can be tackled with XD HPC services;
• Introduce a major new innovative capability component to science and engineering research communities:
• Provide an effective migration path to researchers scaling data and code beyond the campus level;
• Incorporate reliable, robust system software and services essential to optimal sustained performance;
• Efficiently provide a high degree of stability and usability by January, 2013; and
• Complement and leverage existing XD capabilities and services.

Benchmarks will be a key factor in system selection. Two types of benchmarks are required:  NSF provided benchmarks and proposer selected benchmarks. The NSF provided benchmarks, which are posted on NSF web-site NSF 06-05 are designed to capture the salient attributes of those science and engineering applications which will place the most stringent demands on the overall system to be provisioned. Proposer provided benchmarks should focus on the innovative aspect of the proposal.

Program Solicitation and Additional Information:  http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503148

Limited Submission/Internal Competition: Because there is a limit of one proposal per institution, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Individuals interested in submitting to this program are to send the following information electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Thursday, January 20, 2011:

• Names and departments of PI, Co-Investigators and other key personnel or partners;
• Project description (2 pages max.) – Specify the type of system, its expected impact on the science and engineering community, physical infrastructure to house the system, and plan for operations including the integration of research and education.

A committee will be convened to review the material submitted and make a recommendation as to the University’s selected applicant. The NSF deadline is March 7, 2011.

National Science Foundation - Improvements to Biological Research Collections (BRC) Program (NSF 09-548)

The NSF Improvements to Biological Research Collections (BRC) program is encouraging collaborative proposals to network collections on regional and continental scales, especially collaborations that bring large and small collections together into networks. The BRC program also provides for enhancements to existing collections to improve collections, computerize specimen-related data, develop better methods of specimen curation and collection management through activities such as symposia and workshops.

Biological collections supported include those housing natural history specimens and jointly curated collections such as preserved tissues and other physical samples, e.g. DNA libraries and digital images. Such collections provide the materials necessary for research across broad areas of biological sciences.

Anticipated Funding Amount: Up to $500,000 total for individual awards of 1 to 3 years; up to $2,000,000 total for collaborative awards of 1 to 5 years.

Program page for more information and solicitation:  http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5448

Because NSF limits an institution to one proposal, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Monday, May 24, 2010:

• The names and departments of the Principal Investigator (PI), project personnel and collaborators;
• A project description (1-2 p. max.) to include a description of the collection outlining its scientific value, the urgency of the request, educational and outreach activities and a management plan.

A committee will be convened to review the proposals and make a recommendation as to UK’s applicant. The Office of the Vice President for Research will notify all applicants of the outcome. The NSF deadline is July 23, 2010 deadline.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

***National Science Foundation - Improvements in Facilities, Communications, and Equipment at Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSML) (NSF 12-505)***

Purpose: Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSMLs) are off-campus facilities for research and education conducted in the natural habitats of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. FSMLs support environmental and basic biological research and education by preserving access to study areas and organisms, by providing facilities and equipment in close proximity to those study areas, and by fostering an atmosphere of mutual scientific interest and collaboration in research and education. To fulfill these roles, FSMLs must offer modern research and educational facilities, equipment, communications and data management systems for a broad array of users. In recognition of the importance of FSMLs in modern biology, NSF invites proposals that address these general goals of FSML improvement.

Program solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12505/nsf12505.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
Only one proposal may be submitted on behalf of any single facility per round of the FSML competition. This limitation does not prevent a single institution from submitting more than one proposal, as long as each proposal is submitted on behalf of a different eligible facility. Please contact your facility director for information regarding an internal competition procedure and deadline.

Federal deadline for applications:  January 17, 2012

National Science Foundation - Informal Science Education (ISE) Program

The National Science Foundation’s Informal Science Education (ISE) program encourages informal learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through the support of public exhibitions, media projects, and educational programs.  Funds are available for:  Project Grants ($100,000 - $3 million); Planning Grants ($75,000); and Conferences, Symposia, and Workshops ($50,000 - $250,000).  NSF requires a preliminary proposal for a Project Grant and limits an institution to no more than three preliminary proposals.  The sponsor also limits an institution to a total of three proposals for Planning Grants and/or Conference, Symposia, and Workshop Grants. 

Most recent internal deadline: March 6, 2009.

Most recent external deadline: March 12, 2009.

National Science Foundation - Innovation through Institutional Integration / I cubed (I3)

NSF Innovation through Institutional Integration or I Cubed (I3) is an integrative, cross-cutting effort within the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). Proposals submitted to the Innovation through Institutional Integration track would request support for projects that enable faculty, administrators, and others in institutions to think and act strategically about the creative integration of NSF-funded awards, with particular emphasis on awards managed through programs in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), but not limited to those awards. Two or more institutions in geographic proximity might, for example, partner to bridge existing NSF-funded awards on their campuses (e.g., RDE, IGERT, LSAMP, ATE, CREST, REU) to broaden participation in STEM fields and enhance undergraduate research opportunities. Additional connections might be made internationally with faculty or students outside the United States who would add their considerable intellectual and cultural perspectives. As another example, an institution might implement new policies, procedures, or mechanisms that encourage and value synergistic efforts among existing NSF-funded awards (e.g., GK-12, MSP, Noyce, REESE, DRK-12) and with other institutional units to better understand and enhance seamlessness across critical educational junctures, perhaps infusing innovative approaches to cyber-learning.

For Fiscal Year 2010, proposals are being solicited in nine NSF Education and Human Resources (EHR) programs that advance I Cubed goals:

• Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST)
• Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE)
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP)
• Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST)
• Alliances for Broadening Participation in STEM: Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
• Math and Science Partnership (MSP)
• Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
• Research in Disabilities Education (RDE)
• Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)

All proposals submitted to I Cubed through these programs have common guidelines and a common due date and will be reviewed in competition with one another.(Follow links to any of these individual programs for I Cubed guidelines.)

Because an institution may submit only one application for the I cubed initiative, UK has implemented an internal selection process. Individuals planning to submit a proposal are asked to send the following information electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Monday, February 22, 2010:

1. Names and departments of Project Director and partners
2. List of NSF-funded programs/projects to be integrated
3.  Brief project description (1–2 pages max.)

The Vice President for Research will appoint a committee to review this information and make recommendations as to the University’s submissions.  The individuals selected to be UK's applicants will be notified in sufficient time to prepare the proposal for electronic submission via FastLane or Grants.gov for the April 7, 2010 deadline. 

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

National Science Foundation - Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) 2009

The ITEST program responds to current concerns and projections about the growing demand for professionals and information technology workers in the U.S. and seeks solutions to help ensure the breadth and depth of the STEM workforce.

This program supports four types of projects with no institutional limit – a fifth type, Innovation through Institutional Integration or I cubed (I3), does require internal coordination (see details below).

Research projects enrich the understanding of issues related to enlarging the STEM workforce. Research projects may conduct efficacy and effectiveness studies of intervention models, conduct longitudinal studies of efforts to engage students in the STEM areas, develop instruments to assess engagement, persistence, and other relevant constructs of student motivation, or conduct studies to identify predictors of student inclination to pursue STEM career trajectories. The program is especially interested in projects that target students from groups that are underserved and underrepresented in STEMand ICT-intensive careers, including those residing in rural and economically disadvantaged communities.

Strategies projects design, implement, and evaluate models for classroom, after-school, summer, virtual, and/or year-round learning experiences for students and/or teachers. The strategies are intended to encourage students’ readiness for, and their interest and participation in, the STEM workforce of the future. Strategies project proposals must describe the anticipated contribution to the research knowledge base about STEM career preparation in addition to immediate impacts on participants.

Scale-up projects implement and test models to prepare students for information technology or the STEM workforce of the future in a large-scale setting such as at state or national level. A scale-up project must be based on evidence of demonstrated success from an existing strategy for students or teachers.

Conferences and Workshops target STEM educators (from both the formal and informal education communities), educational researchers, and evaluators. The proposed conferences would be expected to contribute to the development of a research agenda on K-12 STEM workforce preparation and development issues, workforce participation, and cyberlearning. Conferences or workshops must be designed to bring together individuals with expertise in technology and STEM education, career development, cognitive science, sociology, anthropology, science fields, and other communities that are invested in STEM workforce careers. Evaluation approaches for innovative STEM and ICT workforce motivation, preparation, and development models are also sought

Required letter of Intent deadline: January 12, 2009
Full proposal deadline: February 20, 2009

Program Website: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5467

One track for the 2009 ITEST Program requires institutional coordination: Innovation through Institutional Integration or I cubed (I3)

Innovation through Institutional Integration or I cubed (I3) is an integrative, cross-cutting effort that enables faculty, administrators, and others in institutions to think and act strategically about the creative integration of NSF-funded awards, with particular emphasis on awards managed through programs in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), but not limited to those awards. This effort has the following interrelated goals:

• Increase synergy and collaboration across NSF-funded projects and within/between institutions, towards an educational environment where artificial boundaries are significantly reduced and the student experience is more fully integrated;
• Expand and deepen the impact of NSF-funded projects and enhance their sustainability;
• Provide additional avenues to broaden participation through workforce development, especially for those underrepresented in STEM research and education; attend to seamless transitions across critical educational junctures; and/or provide more effectively for a globally engaged workforce;
• Promote innovative programming, policies, and practices to encourage the integration of STEM research and education; and
• Encourage STEM educational or related research in domains that hold promise for promoting intra- or inter-institutional integration and broader impacts.

Proposals that facilitate either (a) inter-institutional or (b) intra-institutional efforts are encouraged. Proposals may be submitted by (a) a single institution to address intra-institutional goals only or (b) an institution acting on behalf of an institutional partnership to address inter-institutional goals.

Proposals are expected to incorporate a depth and quality of creative, coherent, and strategic actions that extend beyond commonplace approaches to normal institutional operations. Proposals may also be submitted for research on institutional integration or other closely related themes articulated in the goals above.

For additional information see the I-Cubed FAQ: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08027/nsf08027.jsp

Most recent internal deadline: January 20, 2009.

Most recent external deadline: February 24, 2009.

National Science Foundation - Instrumentation for Materials Research - Major Instrumentation Project (IMR-MIP)

The Instrumentation for Materials Research - Major Instrumentation Projects (IMR-MIP) program in the Division of Materials Research provides support for the design and construction of major instruments costing more than $4 millionbutless than$20 million. Such instruments may include, but are not limited to, key instrumentation for coherent light sources, neutron beam lines, synchrotron beam lines, high field magnets, and detectors.While all types of instrumentation are encouraged, in FY2010, there will be an emphasis on coherent light sources for R&D proposals. The program supports three types of awards: Research and Development (R&D) awards, Conceptual and Engineering Design (CED) awards, and Construction (CNST) awards.An R&D award will support the research and development of major instrumentation and address technical issues that are on the critical path of the engineering design of a major instrument. A CED award will enable the proposer to do the necessary engineering design of the instrument. A CNST proposal may only be submitted after a satisfactory engineering design of the instrument has been completed and has been approved by both the facility at which the instrument will be situated and by NSF. The program does not provide operating funds for projects it supports through this solicitation. Operational costs must be supported either by the facility or the institutionat which the instrument is located. It is anticipated that about $ 7-10 million may be available in FY 2010 for new Major Instrumentation Projects. Up to two R&D projects may be funded as a continuinggrant or as a cooperative agreement for a maximum of five years at about $1 to $4 million a year. Up to two CED awards may be funded for up to 3 years through continuing or standard grant, each award for a total of up to $ 2 million. Up to one CNST award may be funded through a cooperative agreement, for about $1 to $4 million per year for a maximum of 5 years.

Program details can be found at the following link: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6672

Internal Selection Process

Because an institution may submit only one proposal in a given year to this program, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Monday, May 10, 2010: 

1. Identify the specific equipment and indicate whether the proposal is for: Research and Development (R&D), Conceptual and Engineering Design (CED) or Construction (CNST);
2. PI name and names of other researchers involved;
3. A two-page description of the research/research training to be conducted and why the equipment is important to this research;
4. A budget – include itemized costs for the major budget categories;
5. If the proposal is for Conceptual and Engineering Design, include a letter from the facility director stating that if the project receives subsequent construction funding, the facility will staff and operate the project.

A committee will be convened to review the material. The NSF deadline is June 21, 2010.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

National Science Foundation - Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) NSF 11-533

The Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program has been developed to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with interdisciplinary backgrounds, deep knowledge in chosen disciplines, and technical, professional, and personal skills. The program is intended to establish new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. It is also intended to facilitate diversity in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to a world-class, broadly inclusive, and globally engaged science and engineering workforce.

Building upon the IGERT platform, the purpose of this IGERT solicitation is to support new models in graduate education in which students are engaged in an environment that supports innovation to learn through hands-on experience how their own research may contribute in new ways to benefit society and to learn the processes for the successful implementation of such contributions.

Revision Summary

• There will be no preliminary proposals in this competition.
• Submissions will be limited to 1 proposal per lead institution.
• In this competition it is required that the training program explicitly propose new models in graduate education in which students are engaged in an environment that supports innovation; learn through hands-on experience how their own research may contribute in new ways to benefit society; and to learn the processes for the successful implementation of such contributions.
• The IGERT budget now includes a Competitive Incentive Fund for trainees in the amount of up to $200,000, for integrated interdisciplinary research and innovation activities.
• The IGERT budget now allows for 6 faculty months of salary to be used for IGERT curricular development.
• While IGERT projects must have the capability to communicate with each other and the NSF through videoconferencing, no specific system is required. Costs for developing a collaboration conference audio and video capability are no longer allowed.
• A data management plan is required. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
• It is now made explicit that at the time of award, PIs will be required to obtain IRB approval for this award.
• The solicitation has been revised to allow for full reimbursement of indirect costs, based on the awardee's current Federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.
• Budgetary information has changed, including the amount allowed in year 1 for new and renewal proposals, see section F. Budget and Allowable Costs for more information.

Program website: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12759&org=NSF

Because NSF limits an institution to only 1 proposal, UK has established an internal selection process.  Applicants are to submit the following information electronically to Kris Hobson (hobson@email.uky.edu), Office of the Provost, and a copy to their dean by Monday, April 11, 2011:

• Title of Project
• Names and departments of the PI and participating personnel
• Project description to include goals, interdisciplinary themes, recruitment strategies and organizational structure (2 pages, max.)

A committee will be convened to review the proposals and make a recommendation. The Office of the Provost will notify all applicants of the outcome in time for submission for the May 2, 2011 LOI deadline.  NSF Deadlines: May 2, 2011 letter of intent (required); July 1, 2011 full proposal

National Science Foundation - International Materials Institutes (IMI)

The National ScienceFoundation supports International Materials Institutes (IMIs)in order to enhance international collaboration between U.S. researchers and educators and their counterparts worldwide. These Institutes advance fundamental materials research by coordinating international research and education projects involving condensed matter and materials physics, solid state and materials chemistry, polymers, metals, ceramics, electronic materials, biomaterials and, in general, the design, synthesis, and characterization of and phenomena in materials to meet global and regional needs. The Institutes must be university-based and provide a research environment that will attract leading scientists and engineers. The Institutes' long term goalis the creationofa worldwide network in materials research and the development of a generation of scientists and engineers with enhanced international leadership capabilities.A critically importantaspect of an IMI isits potential impact on advancing materials research on an international scale and developing an internationally competitive generation of materials researchers, andthis distinguishes an IMI from other materials research centers thatNSF supports.

NSF anticipates funding between 4 and 8 awards ranging from $600,000 to $1,200,000 per year. Complete details on this program are available at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5328&org=DMR

Limit on Number of Proposals: An organization may not be the lead organization in more than one proposal. An individual may be the Principal Investigator in only one proposal.

Most recent internal deadline: May 28, 2008.

Most recent external deadline: July 15, 2008.

National Science Foundation - International Research Network Connections (IRNC)

NSF is soliciting proposals for the International Research Network Connections (IRNC) to: provide network connections linking U.S. research networks with peer networks in other parts of the world; leverage existing international network connectivity; improve the quality of end-to-end networking on international paths; explore experimental networking; stimulate the deployment and operational understanding of emerging technologies such as IPv6 in an international context. Links funded by this program are intended to support science and engineering research and education applications, and preference will be given to solutions which provide the best economy of scale and demonstrate the ability to support the largest communities of interest with the broadest services. Funded projects will assist the U.S. research and education community by enabling state-of-the-art international network services and access to increased collaboration and data services. Through extended international network connections, additional research and production network services will be enabled, complementing those currently offered or planned by domestic research networks.

This program supports international research network connections across three areas: Production network environments (IRNC:ProNet); Experimental networking activities in support of cyber-science applications (IRNC:Exp); and special projects including advanced network development, deployment, security, monitoring, and other approaches (IRNC:SP).

Program Solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09564/nsf09564.htm

Anticipated Funding Amount: NSF expects to make approximately 5 IRNC:ProNet awards, each at approximately $1M/year for 5 years, and a total of 5 to 10 awards for IRNC:Exp and IRNC:SP funded at a level of $250K to $750K per year over 2-3 years.

Because NSF limits an institution to 3 IRNC:ProNet proposals (IRNC:Exp and IRNC:SP are not limited), the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a IRNC:ProNet proposal are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Monday, July 13, 2009:

• Title of project
• The names and departments of the Principal Investigator (PI), project personnel and international collaborators/institutions
• A project description (maximum 2 – 3 pages) outlining experience and qualifications, description of proposed system design including technical and management details
• Budget/timeline

A committee will be convened to review the proposals and make a recommendation as to which should be submitted. All applicants will be notified of the outcome. Full proposals are due to NSF via FastLane by August 21, 2009.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

Note: UK currently holds an active LSAMP alliance until October 2011

National Science Foundation - LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate

This program is aimed at increasing the quality and quantity of students successfully completing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) baccalaureate degree programs, and increasing the number of students interested in, academically qualified for and matriculated into programs of graduate study. LSAMP supports sustained and comprehensive approaches that facilitate achievement of the long-term goal of increasing the number of students who earn doctorates in STEM fields, particularly those from populations underrepresented in STEM fields. The program goals are accomplished through the formation of alliances. Phase I awards place emphasis on aggregate baccalaureate production. Phase II awards augment the Phase I emphasis with attention to individual student retention and progression to baccalaureate degrees. Phase III awards augment the Phase I and Phase II with attention to aggregate student progression to graduate school entry.

For more information see: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5477.

National Science Foundation - Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)

The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) serves to increase access to shared scientific and engineering instruments for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education, museums, science centers, and not-for-profit organizations. This program especially seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering by providing shared instrumentation that fosters the integration of research and education in research-intensive learning environments. Development and acquisition of research instrumentation for shared inter- and/or intra-organizational use are encouraged, as are development efforts that leverage the strengths of private sector partners to build instrument development capacity at academic institutions.

The MRI program assists with the acquisition or development of shared research instrumentation that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. Instruments are expected to be operational for regular research use by the end of the award period. Proposals must be for either acquisition or development of a single instrument or for equipment that, when combined, serves as an integrated research instrument (physical or virtual). The MRI program does not support the acquisition or development of a suite of instruments to outfit research laboratories/facilities or to conduct independent research activities simultaneously. Further guidance on appropriate requests can be found in the MRI Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/mri.

Instrument acquisition or development proposals that request funds from NSF in the range $100,000 - $4 million will be accepted from all eligible organizations. Proposals that request funds from NSF less than $100,000 will also be accepted from all eligible organizations for the disciplines of mathematics or social, behavioral and economic sciences and from non-Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education for all NSF-supported disciplines.

Program Announcement/More information: http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/mri/nsf11503.pdf?WT.z_pims_id=5260&ods_key=nsf11503

Cost Sharing: Cost-sharing at the level of 30% of the total project cost is required for Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education. The Vice President for Research supports applications to the NSF MRI program and will provide part of the required 30% match and the institutional letter documenting it.

Institutional Limit: Because NSF limits an institution to no more than two acquisition proposals and one development proposal, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following material electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Friday, October 21, 2011:

1. Description of the Research Instrumentation and indicate if the proposal is for Instrument acquisition or Instrument development; note that if UK submits or is included as a partner or subawardee on three proposals, at least one of these proposals must be for instrument development.
2. PI name and department and names and departments of other researchers involved;
3. A two-page description of the research/research training to be conducted and why the equipment is important to this research;
4. Attached commitment of support from the College Dean indicating the specific amount of funds he/she will contribute;
5. A budget – itemize total instrument cost, anticipated recurring costs (such as maintenance, operating cost and technical support for the life of the equipment), anticipated renovation costs for site if appropriate, and cost-sharing from all sources. Include in the budget justification a description of the match required. The priority for institutional cost-sharing will be to supply operations funds for personnel, supplies, or other eligible support costs, which must be directly allocable to the instrument and be expended during the award period. Matches are welcome from other sources, such as personnel time. Priority will be given to proposals for multi-user instruments with a clear plan for extended maintenance and usage and to those that intend to place such instruments in supported core facilities operating as recharge centers.

Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663.)

A committee will be convened to review the material and make recommendations as to the University’s submissions. All applicants will be notified in time to submit the proposal by the NSF deadline - fourth Thursday in January (January 26, 2012).

National Science Foundation - Materials Research Centers and Teams (NSF 10-568)

Centers of Excellence for Materials Research and Innovation(CEMRIs) provide sustained support of interdisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering. CEMRIs address research of a scope and complexity requiring the advantages of scale and interdisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research center. They support materials research infrastructure in the United States, promote active collaboration between universities and other sectors, including industry and international institutions, and contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research, education, and facilities. A CEMRI may be located at a single institution, or may involve multiple institutions in partnership.

Materials Interdisciplinary Research Teams (MIRTs) represent a new award mechanism. These teams share with CEMRIs the same emphasis on the support of world class interdisciplinary materials research and the integration of research with education. Each MIRT addresses a major materials research problem requiring an interdisciplinary team of researchers. In addition, experimental and computational instrumentation needed for the proposed research activities is also supported. A MIRT may be located at a single institution, or may involve multiple institutions.

Additional Information and Program Solicitation:

http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5295&org=MPS&from=home

Internal Selection Process

Because an institution may submit only one preliminary proposal (either CEMRI or MIRT), the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following materials electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their associate dean for research by Monday, July 26, 2010:

• Type of project (CEMRI or MIRT)
• The names and departments of the principal investigator, key personnel, and any other industry or institutional collaborators;
• A brief description of the proposed project including its interdisciplinary focus and/or interdisciplinary research team areas and project activities. (1-2 pages);

The Vice President for Research will appoint a committee to review the material and make recommendations as to the University’s applicant. The NSF deadlines for required preliminary proposals are September 1, 2010 (CEMRI) and September 3, 2010 (MIRT). Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).

National Science Foundation - Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs)

Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) support interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering.  MRSECs require outstanding research quality, intellectual breadth, interdisciplinarity, flexibility in responding to new research opportunities, support for research infrastructure, and they foster the integration of research and education in the materials field.  They are expected to have strong links to industry and other sectors, as appropriate, and to contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research.  MRSECs address fundamental materials research topics of intellectual and technological importance, contribute to national priorities by promoting active collaboration between academia and other sectors, and enable researchers to address problems of a scope and complexity requiring the advantages of scale and interdisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research center

Individual MRSEC awards are expected to range in size from about $1.0 million/year to a maximum of $5.0 million/year. The average award of currently funded MRSECs is about $1.9 million/year. Awards will be made for an initial duration of up to six years contingent upon successful progress.

Webpage for full announcement:
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07563

Most recent internal deadline: June 27, 2007.

Most recent external deadline: September 5, 2007.

National Science Foundation - Math and Science Partnership (MSP)

Because UK’s Appalachian Math Science Partnership is applying for a Phase II Partnership, UK will not hold an internal competition for the Targeted, Institute, MSP-Start, or Phase II Partnership Programs. (There is no limit to the number of proposals that can be submitted to the Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance (RETA) Projects Program.)

The Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program is a major research and development effort that supports innovative partnerships to improve K-12 student achievement in mathematics and science. MSP projects are expected to raise the achievement levels of all students and significantly reduce achievement gaps in the mathematics and science performance of diverse student populations. In order to improve the mathematics and science achievement of the Nation's students, MSP projects contribute to what is known in mathematics and science education and serve as models that have a sufficiently strong evidence/research base to improve the mathematics and science education outcomes for all students. NSF's MSP program coordinates its effort withprograms of the U.S. Department of Education in the expectation that effective innovations in mathematics and science education will be disseminated into wider practice.

Through this solicitation, NSF seeks to support five types of awards:

• Targeted Partnerships focus on studying and solving teaching and learning issues within a specific grade range or at a critical juncture in education, and/or within a specific disciplinary focus in mathematics or the sciences;
• Institute Partnerships - Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century focus on meeting national needs for teacher leaders/master teachers who have deep knowledge of disciplinary content for teaching and are fully prepared to be school- or district-based intellectual leaders in mathematics or the sciences;
• MSP-Start Partnerships are for awardees new to the MSP program, especially from minority-serving institutions, community colleges and primarily undergraduate institutions, to support the necessary data analysis, project design, evaluation and team building activities needed to develop a full MSP Targeted or Institute Partnership;
• Phase II Partnerships are for prior NSF MSP Partnership awardees to continue implementation on specific innovative areas of their work where evidence of the potential for significant positive impact is clearly documented. The intent is that there will be focused efforts to carry out the necessary research to advance knowledge and understanding in the specific area(s); and
• Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance (RETA) projects (a) study the relationships among MSP activities and student learning using theoretically informed, methodologically rigorous methods; (b) develop and validate instruments of teacher or student knowledge that MSPs and others can use to assess the impact of their work, or (c) provide technical assistance to MSP projects to help them rigorously evaluate their work.

Announcement Number: nsf10556

Closing Date: July 08, 2010 - Institute Partnerships, MSP-Start Partnerships, Phase II Partnerships, RETA Projects

October 14, 2010 - Targeted Partnerships

Link to Full Announcement: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10556/nsf10556.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

Contact Information

• KathleenB.Bergin, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-5171, email: kbergin@nsf.gov
• JamesE. Hamos, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-4687, email: jhamos@nsf.gov
• AnnF. McKenna, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-4629, email: amckenna@nsf.gov
• DonL. Millard, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-4620, email: dmillard@nsf.gov
• LanceC.Pérez, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-4640, email: lperez@nsf.gov
• JoanT.Prival, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-4635, email: jprival@nsf.gov
• DaphneY.Rainey, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-4671, email: drainey@nsf.gov
• HannahSevian, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-5108, email: hsevian@nsf.gov
• ElizabethVanderPutten, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-5147, email: evanderp@nsf.gov