IN THE NEWS

Proposals must follow deadline policy

In recent weeks, a number of proposals have come to the UT Office of Research that did not comply with the deadline policies of the Sponsored Programs unit. In the interest of guaranteeing both accuracy and efficiency in processing proposals and fairness to researchers who abide by the deadlines, the official deadline policy is restated below.

Electronic proposals must be received by the Office of Research five (5) business days before the proposal deadline date. This includes:

• the proposal itself;
• the fully signed Document Review/Approval Sheet;
• any cost sharing request if applicable;
• supporting documentation from proposed subcontractors; and
• a copy of the solicitation.

NOTE: If submitting an unsolicited proposal to the National Institutes of Health, please furnish only the URL for the solicitation.

All parts of the proposal except the proposal narrative must be in final form at that time. The narrative must be in complete draft form, although a PI can continue to refine the draft proposal narrative, but it must be received in final form by the Office of Research two (2) full business days before the proposal deadline date. If the proposal is to be submitted via Grants.gov, please e-mail your application package to utkegrants@utk.edu.

The reason we must receive the proposal within these time frames is threefold:

1. Certain federal sponsors that use Grants.gov for electronic proposal submission have instituted a maximum 48 hours window for us to correct and resubmit any proposal that has errors.
2. If we are a subcontractor to another entity, e.g. another university, we must upload and transmit our application both to Grants.gov and to the other entity, so the other entity will have time to meet its 48 hours window.
3. As more and more federal agencies move to electronic submission through Grants.gov, it has become evident that more time is required to adequately review and ensure timely submission. Each application can have not only different required forms, but each agency may require different layout and presentation of materials that can cause rejection after submission.

Proposals submitted to agencies by paper rather than electronically must be received by the Office of Research three (3) business days before the proposal deadline. Proposers who fail to follow the policy may be subject to sanctions on late proposals.

Office of Research to hire director of sponsored programs

View the position requirements

OPPORTUNITIES

Limited Submissions

Internal competition set—NSF limit applies to any UT MRI subcontractors
The UT Office of Research has received five statements of interest in the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation solicitation for 2009 and will be holding an internal competition to determine which three proposals will be submitted on behalf of the university. UT researchers who are contemplating being a funded subcontractor on another institution’s MRI proposal must contact the Office of Research immediately. The NSF counts such subcontracts against the three proposals UT is allowed to send forward.

For more information, contact Greg Reed (gdreed@utk.edu) or Jim Mazzouccolo (jmazzouc@utk.edu) at 974-3466

Deadline nears to seek Powe nomination
The deadline for junior faculty to express an interest in being a UT nominee to the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award program is Friday, November 7, 2008, at 12: 00 noon. Oak Ridge Associated Universities sponsors the program for its member universities.

UT Knoxville is allowed to nominate two faculty members to the program, which provides an award of $5,000 for projects in engineering and applied science, life sciences, mathematics/computer sciences, physical sciences, or policy, management, and education. The UT Office of Research provides a match of $5,000 for the ORAU program. The nominations are made by Vice Chancellor Brad Fenwick, who is UT’s councilor to ORAU.

More information

Research website adds access to Defense BAAs

The website of the UT Office of Research now contains a new page providing links to various agencies within the U.S. Department of Defense that provide opportunities for basic and applied research. The agencies include:

• the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
• the Army Research Laboratory (ARL)
• the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
• the Office of Naval Research (ONR)

All of the above issue Broad Agency Announcements that seek proposals for general research not directly related to the development of specific systems or hardware. Check out current BAA opportunities at http://research.utk.edu/funding/baa.shtml.

For more information, contact Paul W. Montgomery, UT director of external relations, 974-9440 or paul.montgomery@utk.edu.

Military Infectious Disease Research Program

The DOD’s Department of the Army is seeking research into naturally occurring infectious diseases with a view toward prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases like malaria, infectious bacterial diarrhea, and dengue.

Deadline: Open for continuous submission
More information (see page 1 of BAA 08-1.)

Medical Biological Defense Research Program

The DOD’s Department of the Army continuously accepts proposals for research in medical countermeasures for biological warfare agents, including specialized medical material or procedures designed to enhance protection.

Deadline: Open for continuous submission
More information (see page 4 of BAA 08-1.)

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

UTRF Maturation Funding deadline approaches

The deadline for the UT Research Foundation’s Maturation Funding Program is November 21, 2008. The fund, in its second year, provides support for UT researchers who are developing technologies that have the potential for commercial success. Up to $15,000 in direct costs will be awarded to the highest ranking proposals.

More information

Design of Policies for Pollution Control Using Market Mechanisms

The Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Economics is seeking research into the pollution control aspects of environmental economics, including improved data collection and methods of determining the economic value of improved pollution control.

Deadline: December 5, 2008
More information

Proposals solicited for tech fee fund

The UT Office of Information Technology is soliciting proposals and recommendations for uses for the Student Technology Fee in fiscal 2010. Departments can submit proposals by visiting the Technology Fee website, http://web.utk.edu/~techfee, and filling out the online form. Instructions and guidelines are included.

The deadline for submission of departmental proposals is December 5, 2008. The deans of individual colleges will be asked to prioritize the departmental proposals and e-mail them to techfee@utk.edu by December 12, 2008. Chosen proposals will be announced the second week of February 2009, and the relevant hardware and software will be ordered starting July 1, 2009.

For more information, contact Robin McNeil, 974-1597 or rmcneil@utk.edu

Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI)

The Defense Department supports basic science and engineering research through its MURI program, which focuses on multidisciplinary research that is of critical importance to national defense. Topics of current interest to the Department of the Army include disruptive fibers for flexible armor, tailored stress-wave mitigation, transformational optics, and the mechanics of bacterial spore germination.

Deadline: January 9, 2009
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Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences supports the IMSD in an effort to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority faculty, investigators, and students in biomedical and behavioral research, and to broaden their opportunities. The program provides institutional grants for students from underrepresented groups to increase their preparation and skills that will help them complete the Ph.D. in biomedical and behavioral disciplines.

Note: The University of Tennessee, as accredited, is allowed to submit only one proposal for the IMSD.
Deadline: February 23, 2009
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Sundance Documentary Fund

The Sundance Documentary Fund makes grants in support of U.S. and international documentary films focused on current issues and movements in contemporary human rights, freedom of expression, social justice, and civil liberties. In supporting significant, compelling stories, the documentary fund aims to raise public consciousness about human rights abuses and restrictions of civil liberties, inspire lively, ongoing debate, and promote the diverse exchange of ideas crucial to developing an open society.

Deadline: February 5, 2009
More information

News & Opportunities is published by the Office of Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.