January 2010

January 2010

Wishing Everyone a Very Happy New Year!!

As always, please allow extra time for our office to assist you in processing your grant proposals to avoid unnecessary delays or missed deadlines.

REMINDER: Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It's coming up on that time of year to submit funding proposals to The Jeffress Memorial Trust for either new research or continuing support. The Jeffress currently supports nine research projects at the university in the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics. This state foundation has been a crucial source of support for junior faculty at JMU and has contributed $1.2 million in funding for 35 faculty members over the years. Contact us to submit your proposal for the March 1 deadline.

For more information about the Jeffress and proposal guidelines, visit the following URL: http://www.wm.edu/offices/grants/external/scitechfundsourcesatoz/Jeffress/New-Proposals/index.php

Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI)

JMU has entered into the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) https://www.citiprogram.org/ This program will provide the mandated training requirement in the America Competes Act for (1) Research Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research, (2) Human Subjects Research, and (3) Lab Animal Welfare. Training must be completed before a project can be considered by the IRB or IACUC.

 Please review the instructions for the required training at the following URL:  http://www.jmu.edu/sponsprog/conduct.html

The following are tips for viewing the modules:  If you have trouble or are uncomfortable reading the material on the computer screen here are a few tips that might make the experience easier and more like reading a book or journal.

1. Be Comfortable. Make sure that you have a comfortable chair and desk position to view the content. Make sure that you have a comfortable hand position to use your mouse or touch pad.
2. Find a Comfortable Screen Resolution. In addition to finding a comfortable browser window width, you should find a comfortable screen resolution for your viewing position. To do this,
• Go to the Control Panel,
• Choose Display, then
• Choose Settings and finally
• Increase the Screen Resolution to 1920x1200 or 1680x1050 or another setting that will provide a comfortable view.
3. Find a comfortable browser window width. Using the full browser window width may be tedious if you have a rectangular screen on your PC or laptop computer.
• Reduce the width of your browser window so that you can comfortably read the content with minimal left to right head movement. This width will vary according to the screen resolution you are using and how far you are sitting from the screen. It is worth the few minutes it will take to find the optimal viewing position. Go ahead try it now.
• Note: You should use a window width that does not require that you scroll from left to right. You should be able to scroll up and down the page without scrolling left to right.
4. Use Multiple Sessions. It is important to plan ahead. Don't try to complete the course all in one login session. After about an hour fatigue can become an issue.

Printing the Modules. If you are still uncomfortable viewing the modules online, it is permissible to print some or all of the materials as needed. You will still need to return to the course site to complete the quiz associated with each module.
Should you have any questions regarding the CITI Training Program, please contact Pat Buennemeyer, Director, Research Compliance at (540.568.7025) or by email at buennepd@jmu.edu

For technical support related to the CITI program you can call the CITI support center at (305) 243-7970 or email us at citisupport@med.miami.edu
CITI help desk technicians are available from 9am to 5pm EST Monday through Friday.

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Applicants for fiscal year 2011 National Institutes of Health grants must submit a restructured application package that features reduced page limits, according to a key NIH official, who added that the packages will be available as part of funding opportunities announced in December 2009.

Joe Ellis, director of the NIH Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration, recently told attendees at a Federal Demonstration Partnership meeting that new application packages - both the paper PHS 298 and the electronic Standard Form 424 (R&R) - will be posted in December with new forms and instructions. Applicants must download the new packages and submit them for due dates on or after January 25, 2010.

The new application packages stem from recent initiatives to improve the peer review system. One initiative was to implement enhanced review criteria for FY10 NIH grants. Reviewers will provide an overall impact score that reflects their assessment of the project's likelihood to have sustained, meaningful influence on the research field involved. The five core criteria for review are scientific significance, investigators' familiarity with the project, possibilities for innovation, reasoning behind the approach and the scientific environment.

Additional review criteria focus on protections for human subjects; inclusion of women, minorities and children in the research; use of vertebrate animals; the presence of potential biohazards; and evaluations of applications that were resubmitted, revised and those seeking renewal. Peer reviewers also will consider budget and period support, select agency research, applications from foreign organizations and resource sharing plans.

To align the structure and content of the applications with the new review criteria, and to shorten the length of the applications to fulfill another action from the initiative, the NIH is implementing the restructured application format for FY11 grants. If grantees submit applications using current forms for FY11 grants, they will have to download the restructured version and resubmit their applications. The NIH will issue a guide notice when the new forms and instructions are available, and applications that are submitted using incorrect forms will be delayed and may not be reviewed.

Research Strategy

The new application package drastically shortens the page limits. For example, the current 25-page limit for "research plan" is reduced under a new section entitled "research strategy" to six pages for certain grant programs and 12 pages for others. The page limit is one page each for the introduction and specific aims sections, and depending on the grant program, the page limit is six to 12 pages for research strategy, 12 pages for "candidate information plus research strategy" and 25 pages for "research training program plan."

In addition, the research strategy section replaces the "background and significance," "preliminary studies/progress report," and "research designs and methods" sections of current applications. It has three subsections: one each on significance, innovations and approach. The approach subsection will include both preliminary studies for new applications and progress reports for renewal/revision applications.

In another change to the application package, the "biographical sketch" section requests a personal statement that explains why the applicant's experience and qualifications make him or her particularly well-suited for his or her role in the project. This section also limits applicants to no more than 15 publications for peer review, chosen on the basis of recency, importance to the field and relevance to the proposed research. The current four-page limit for this information was not changed.

In changes to the "facilities and resources" section, applicants now will describe how the scientific environment will contribute to the probability of success of the project and describe unique features of the environment.

Details on NIH grant application deadlines and the new forms are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-149.html

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http://www.jmu.edu/sponsprog/fsources.html

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Grants

College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
High School Equivalency Program (HEP)

Workforce Program in Mathematical Sciences
Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science and Mathematics (PRISM)
Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences: NSF-CBMS Regional Conferences
Geoscience Education (GEOED)
Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation

Supplemental Services for Recently Arrived Refugees

Grants

Environmental Management Studies Fellowship

New Era Rural Technology

Grants

Advanced Detector Research Program

History of Art Grants Program

21st Century Science Initiative - Research Awards

Summer Seminars and Institutes

Cottrell Scholars Awards

• The Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation provides funding for the structuring, developing, or modifying of programs for children with disabilities. Grants are made to organizations dedicated to serving developing innovative programs, disseminating ideas, or providing direct care or services for children with special needs, acute illnesses or chronic disabilities.
• Eligibility: 501 (c)(3) organizations. An agency or entity applying for funding must state whether it is a member of any branch of the federal, or any state, county or local municipal government.
• Funding: For grants up to $5,000, applicants must include one copy of the request; for grant requests over $5,000, applicants must submit six additional copies.
• Web: http://www.iwpf.org/history/index.html
  
• Deadline: Applications are accepted from January 1, 2010 to August 31, 2010

• The purpose of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) is to provide the academic and financial support necessary to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their children successfully complete their first year of college.
• Eligibility: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) or private non-profit organizations (including faith-based organizations) that plan their projects in cooperation with an IHE and propose to operate some aspects of the project with the facilities of the IHE.
  
• Funding: $4 million for about 10 awards, each ranging from $180,000-$425,000. The project period is up to 60 months.
  
• Web: http://www.ed.gov/programs/camp/
  
• Deadline: February 16, 2010

High School Equivalency Program (HEP)

• The purpose of the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) is to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and members of their immediate family obtain a general education diploma (GED) that meets the guidelines for high school equivalency established by the State in which the HEP project is conducted, and to gain employment or be placed in an institution of higher education (IHE) or other postsecondary education or training.
• Eligibility: IHEs or private non-profit organizations (including faith-based organizations) that plan their projects in cooperation with an IHE and propose to operate some aspects of the project with the facilities of the IHE.
  
• Funding: $6.1 million for about 13 awards ranging from $180,000-$475,000. Project period is up to 60 months.
  
• Web: http://www.ed.gov/programs/hep/
  
• Deadline: February 16, 2010

• The National Science Foundation seeks to increase the number of well-prepared U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents who successfully pursue careers in the mathematical sciences and in other NSF-supported disciplines. The program is particularly interested in activities that improve: recruitment and retention; graduate education and undergraduate education content in the mathematical sciences that prepares students for a wide range of career opportunities; and professional development.

• Funding: Previous grants have ranged from $135,000 to more than $5 million.
• Web: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503233&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund
  
• Deadline: Unsolicited proposals accepted from May 15, 2010 to June 15, 2010

Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science and Mathematics (PRISM)

• The goal of the program in Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science and Mathematics is to strengthen the nation's scientific competitiveness by increasing the numbers of well-prepared, successful U.S. undergraduate majors and minors in science and mathematics. The program will fund innovative, potentially transformational partnerships between the mathematical sciences and other science or engineering disciplines that widen the cross section of the mathematical sciences to which freshman and sophomore students are exposed and that provide these students increased opportunities for research experiences involving the mathematical sciences.
• Eligibility: Universities and four-year colleges accredited in and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.
• Funding: $3 million for 2-4 awards.
  
• Web: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503460
• Deadline: March 8, 2010

Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences: NSF-CBMS Regional Conferences

• To stimulate interest and activity in mathematical research, the National Science Foundation intends to support up to seven NSF-CBMS Regional Research Conferences in 2011. Each five day conference features a distinguished lecturer who delivers ten lectures on a topic of important current research in one sharply focused area of the mathematical sciences. The lecturer subsequently prepares an expository monograph based upon these lectures, which is normally published as a part of a regional conference series. Depending upon the conference topic, the monograph is published by the American Mathematical Society, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, or jointly by the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. Support is provided for about 30 participants at each conference and the conference organizer invites both established researchers and interested newcomers, including postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, to attend.
• Eligibility: Colleges or universities with at least some research competence in the field of the proposal are eligible to apply. Since a major goal of these conferences is to attract new researchers into the field of the conference and to stimulate new research activity, institutions that are interested in upgrading or improving their research efforts are especially encouraged to apply.
• Funding: Typical awards for these conferences vary between $33,000 and $35,000. CBMS pays the lecturer a stipend of $2,000 for the delivery of the lectures and an additional stipend of $5,000 when the lecturer delivers to CBMS a manuscript for publication satisfactory to NSF. The lecturer's stipends are paid directly by CBMS and are not to be part of the budget of the host institution's proposal.
  
• Web: http://www.cbmsweb.org/NSF/index.htm
• Deadline: April 23, 2010

Geoscience Education (GEOED)

• The Geoscience Education (GeoEd) Program is part of a portfolio of programs within the 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 these goals 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.
• Funding: $5 million for about 40 awards.
  
• Web: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5505
• Deadline: March 8, 2010

Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation

• Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) is NSF’s bold five-year initiative to create revolutionary science and engineering research outcomes made possible by innovations and advances in computational thinking.  Computational thinking is defined comprehensively to encompass computational concepts, methods, models, algorithms, and tools.   Applied in challenging science and engineering research and education contexts, computational thinking promises a profound impact on the Nation’s ability to generate and apply new knowledge.  Collectively, CDI research outcomes are expected to produce paradigm shifts in our understanding of a wide range of science and engineering phenomena and socio-technical innovations that create new wealth and enhance the national quality of life. 
• Eligibility: Colleges or universities and nonprofit, non-academic organizations.
• Funding: $ 36,000,000 - Pending availability of funds, a minimum of $36,000,000 will be available in FY 2010 for proposals submitted in response to this solicitation.
  
• Web: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503163&WT.mc_id=USNSF_39
• Deadline: February 4, 2010

•  The Administration for Children and Families' Office of Refugee Resettlement provide funding for the support of services to arriving refugees or sudden and unexpected large secondary migration of refugees where communities are not sufficiently prepared in terms of linguistic or culturally appropriate services. Funds may be used: to assist refugees in obtaining the skills which are necessary for economic self-sufficiency, including projects for job training, employment services, day care, professional refresher training, and other recertification services; to provide training in English where necessary (regardless of whether the refugees are employed or receiving cash or other assistance); and to provide health (including mental health) services, social services, educational and other services.

• Eligibility: Public and private nonprofit agencies.
• Funding: Grants range from $75,000 to $500,000.
  
• Web: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2008-ACF-ORR-RU-0113.html
• Deadline: February 24, 2010

Grants

• The ESA Foundation supports positive programs and opportunities that make a difference in the quality of life, health and welfare of America's youth. Programs must serve youth, ages 7-18, inn one or more of the following areas: skills and personal development; general health and welfare; risk behavior prevention; education; and/or multimedia arts/technology related or applied.
• Eligibility: 501 (c)(3) organizations.
• Funding: In 2008, the foundation awarded more than $575,000 in charitable grants.  
• Web: http://www.theesa.com/foundation/application.asp
• Deadline: April 15, 2010

Environmental Management Studies Fellowship

• The Environmental Protection Agency seeks proposals for the National Network for Environmental Management Studies Fellowship program to encourage students to pursue environmental careers. The fellowships are organized among four key areas: environmental policy, regulation and law; environmental management and administration; environmental science; and public relations and communications.
• Eligibility: Citizens of the United States, its territories or possessions, or permanent residents that are enrolled for academic credit at a 2- or 4-year college or university, or distance learning institution accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the Education Department or the Council of Higher Education Accreditation; and pursuing an educational program directly related to pollution control or environmental protection for the duration of the fellowship.
• Funding: $400,000 for 30 to 40 awards.
• Web: http://www.epa.gov/education/students.html
• Deadline: February 5, 2010

New Era Rural Technology

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture requests proposals for the New Era Rural Technology Grants Program for technology development, applied research, and training to develop an agriculture-based renewable energy workforce to serve rural communities. Funds may be requested for materials/supplies to facilitate a student's broad exposure to applied research/field techniques and methodologies, reasonable travel expenses and per diem related student educational experiences, and support for students (stipends) while working in research/field settings (including paid internships and practicums) directly supporting this funded project.
• Eligibility: Public or private nonprofit community colleges, or advanced technological centers; which must: be located in a rural area; have been in existence as of June 18, 2008; participate in agricultural or bioenergy research and applied research; have a proven record of development and implementation of programs to meet the needs of students, educators, and business and industry to supply the agriculture-based , renewable energy or pulp and paper manufacturing fields with certified technicians, as determined by the Secretary; and have the ability to leverage existing partnerships and occupational outreach and training programs for secondary schools, four-year institutions, and relevant nonprofit organizations.
• Funds: Grants range from $10,000 to $300,000.
• Web: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=3ySrLMmMQwD3Zm7483ZCRHfBGKBb2Y2J2hs6w349VL5KYMGwCkvx!-1179711943?oppId=50214&mode=VIEW
• Deadline: April 14, 2010

Grants

• The International Paper Foundation provides funding in areas of company operations for: Environmental Education - particularly programs focused on young children, and outdoor classroom, forestry, and air and water quality programs; Literacy - programs that enhance the reading skills of children, and programs that teach English as a second language; and Critical Community Needs.
• Eligibility: 501 (c)(3) organizations; and certain municipal, county, state and federal entities, such as school districts and police departments.
• Funding: In 2007, the foundation awarded more than $3.4 million in charitable grants.
• Web: http://www.internationalpaper.com/US/EN/Company/IPGiving/ApplicationGuidelines.html
• Deadline: Applications accepted starting in December

Advanced Detector Research Program

• The Office of High Energy Physics of the Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy, hereby announces its interest in receiving grant applications for support under its Advanced Detector Research Program. Applications should be from investigators who are currently involved in experimental high energy physics, and should be submitted through a U.S. academic institution. The purpose of this program is to support the development of the new detector technologies needed to perform future high energy physics experiments.
• Funding: It is anticipated that approximately $600,000 will be available for new projects in Fiscal Year 2010, subject to availability of appropriated funds.
• Web: http://www.science.doe.gov/grants/FOA-10-0000163.html
• Deadline: February 1, 2010

History of Art Grants Program

• The History of Art grant program supports scholarly projects that will enhance the appreciation and understanding of European art and architecture. Grants are awarded to projects that create and disseminate specialized knowledge, including archival projects, development and dissemination of scholarly databases, documentation projects, museum exhibitions and publications, photographic campaigns, scholarly catalogues and publications, and technical and scientific studies. Grants are also awarded for activities that permit art historians to share their expertise through international exchanges, professional meetings, conferences, symposia, consultations, the presentation of research, and other professional events.
• Eligibility: Grants are awarded to non-profit institutions with 501(c)3 status based in the United States, including supporting foundations of European institutions.
• Funding: In 2008, 10 awards were made, ranging from $8,400 to $100,000.
• Web: http://www.kressfoundation.org/grants/default.aspx?id=142
• Deadline: April 15, 2010

21st Century Science Initiative - Research Awards

• 21st Century Research Awards are designed to support research projects with a high probability of generating new knowledge and insights. Projects submitted for funding consideration should be at an early, even preliminary stage of development, and should be intended to break new ground or to challenge commonly-held assumptions. Projects submitted should be sufficiently novel, cross-disciplinary, or heterodox so that they have a strong likelihood of influencing the development of new ways of thinking about important problems. 21st Century Research Awards provide adequate, flexible funding over a sufficient time period to allow investigators to pursue and develop innovative directions to their research programs.
• Eligibility: JSMF funds internationally. Applications must be sponsored by a nonprofit institution. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are not eligible to apply for 21st Century Research Awards. Principle investigators must have completed academic training and hold a position compatible with the pursuit of independent research. At most institutions this requirement corresponds to individuals at the assistant professor level and above. When senior scientists serve as principle investigators the proposal must describe, in detail, how they (and not only their research assistants and post-doctoral fellows) will use the requested funds to pursue research building on but departing from ongoing work in their laboratories.
• Funding: A maximum of $450,000 total costs can be requested and the funds can be expended over a minimum of 3 years or a maximum of 6 years. Smaller amounts of money expended over shorter amounts of time may be requested to help investigators pursue pilot projects or test the feasibility of an experimental approach.
• Web: http://www.jsmf.org/apply/research/
• Deadline: March 17, 2010

Summer Seminars and Institutes

• These grants support national faculty development programs in the humanities for school teachers and for college and university teachers. NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes may be as short as two weeks or as long as six weeks. The duration of a program should allow for full and thorough treatment of the topic. NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes: extend and deepen knowledge and understanding of the humanities by focusing on significant topics, texts, and issues; contribute to the intellectual vitality and professional development of participants; build a community of inquiry and provide models of excellent scholarship and teaching; and promote effective links between teaching and research in the humanities.
• Eligibility: Any U.S. nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status is eligible, as are state and local governmental agencies and tribal governments. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
• Funding: NEH anticipates that awards for seminars will range between $60,000 and $140,000 in outright funds for a grant period of twelve months. Awards for institutes range from $80,000 to $200,000 in outright funds for a grant period of fifteen months.
• Web: http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/seminars.html
• Deadline: March 2, 2010

History of Art Grants Program

• The Cottrell Scholar Awards are designed for institutions and faculty members who are committed to excel at both teaching and research. These awards enable recipients to implement their plans to become outstanding scientists and educators as well as tomorrow's academic and scientific leaders. The awards also seek to reinforce faculty mentoring, communication, and a heightened appreciation for instruction in university science departments.
• Eligibility: Awards are made to U.S. universities to further the teaching and research of faculty members in a Bachelor's and Ph.D. degree-granting department of astronomy, biochemistry, biophysics, chemistry, or physics, but not in a school of medicine or engineering. Applicants must be in the third full calendar year after their first tenure-track appointment (i.e., faculty members who assumed their first tenure-track position anytime in calendar year 2007 may apply only in 2010, observing the April deadline).
• Funding: All Cottrell Scholar Awards are in the amount of $75,000.
• Web: http://www.rescorp.org/cottrell-scholar-awards/
• Deadline: April 1, 2010

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The following external links are funding deadlines organized by discipline. Please select the applicable discipline to access possible funding opportunities: (courtesy of The Grant Advisor Plus)

• Fine Arts
• Humanities
  
• Sciences
  
• Social Sciences
  
• Federal Register
  
• Education
  
• International
  
• Health Related
  
• Unrestricted / Other
  
• Minorities / Women

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John Hulvey, Director of Sponsored Programs Administration and Accounting
MSC 5728, JMAC-6, Suite 26
hulveyjd@jmu.edu
x8-3725

Sponsored Programs Administration:
Pre-Award & Post-Award (Non-fiscal)
www.jmu.edu/sponsprog/
jmu_grants@jmu.edu
JMAC-6, Suite 26
MSC 5728
Phone: 568-6872; Fax: 568-6240

Sponsored Programs Accounting :
Post-Award (Grants & Contracts)
www.jmu.edu/acadaffairs/grant.shtml
JMAC-6, Suite 30
MSC 5713
Phone: 568-4623; Fax: 568-2397

Tamara Hatch, Associate Director
hatchtt@jmu.edu
x8-2350

Sally Dickenson, Grants Specialist
dickensr@jmu.edu
x8-2336

Whitney Gardner, Grants Specialist
gardnejw@jmu.edu
x8-3558

Carolyn Strong, Research Coordinator
IRB & IACUC Contact
strongcd@jmu.edu
x8-2318

Amanda Brown , Executive Assistant
brown2aw@jmu.edu
x8-6872 or x8-4623

Donna Crumpton, Financial Administrator
crumptdl@jmu.edu
x8-8099

Brenda Seifried, Financial Administrator
wilburbc@jmu.edu
x8-8-2314

Kyra Shiflet, Financial Administrator
shiflekl@jmu.edu
x8-7108

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