IN THE NEWS

Federal stimulus package may bring dramatic, immediate jump in research awards

The UT Office of Research is anticipating a dramatic increase in federal awards over the spring months as provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are put into place. The federal economic stimulus package provides more money in research funding, and much of it must be obligated in the next 120 days. UT officials are encouraging UT researchers to take advantage of this one-of-a-kind, limited-duration opportunity.

"The various federal agencies are working to develop meaningful ways to fund additional research and at the same time meet the accelerated scheduling requirements of the stimulus package," said Greg Reed, associate vice chancellor for research. "The situation is very fluid and requires that the Office of Research and interested faculty members monitor developments on a daily basis."

According to figures from the Chronicle for Higher Education, the National Institutes of Health will have $8.5 billion in new monies for biomedical research and $1.5 billion to renovate university research facilities; the National Science Foundation will have $3 billion for basic science and engineering research; the Department of Energy will have $2 billion for projects in climate, biofuels, and energy efficiency; NASA will spend an additional $1 billion on climate change; and the National Institute of Standards and Technology will have an additional $580 million for research on technology innovations.

Reed has identified four ways the federal research funders may accelerate obligating the extra stimulus funds:

1. Already-submitted proposals that were highly rated but were not funded may get a second look, as funding agencies go back at promising projects they were forced to turn down within the last few months for lack of funds.
2. Federal project managers may “plus up” an existing award with extra money to expand or continue a project already under way.
3. Some agencies may remove funding limits on solicitations already announced.
4. Though time is short, some agencies may create new requests for proposals.

Reed said the office has already heard from current investigators who have been contacted by federal program managers about the possibility of additional support. Even before final passage of the stimulus bill, the National Science Foundation had issued two "Dear Colleague" letters advising new research initiatives overlain on existing programs (See "Environment, Society, and the Economy" and "Emerging Topics in Biogeochemical Cycles" in the Opportunities section).

The U.S. Department of Education has created a web site that will detail preliminary arrangements for ARRA funding. The National Institutes of Health is considering funding proposals that were judged meritorious but were not funded in 2008. The NIH also plans to issue a request for challenge grants worth some $500,000 a year for two years. The official ARRA web site provides links to the bill itself and other documents and announcements.

UT Knoxville research administrators believe that much of the ARRA money will flow toward single-investigator proposals because of requirements for spending the money immediately. Normal RFPs with submission dates in the next few months, as well as funding programs with open solicitations, will also have increased money to distribute.

Bill Dunne, associate dean for research in the College of Arts and Sciences, is advising faculty to rearrange their calendars to make room for unexpected funding opportunities.

"Now is the time to rearrange work schedules, shift the writing of a particular paper, or pass on a professional meeting in order to create time to submit a proposal," Dunne said. "I realize this is more work, but we are in a truly unusual situation that is a limited-duration opportunity."

Dunne said the federal windfall may give junior faculty an increased chance at winning their first major award and let more seasoned PIs take their research programs to the next level.

UT Virtual Library debuts on Wednesdays

UT Libraries invites faculty, students, and staff to short presentations on the university’s new Virtual Library Expansion. Short programs are being held on Wednesdays from noon till 1:00 in Hodges Library 605. The programs focus on ways to increase efficient searching, add interactive features to library web pages, and retrieve high-quality scholarly content.

February 25: What's "Primo?"
March 4: Leading-Edge Library Web Sites: A Guided Tour
March 11: What's in a Virtual Library: UT’s Global Collections & Services
March 18: Information-Seeking Through Students' Eyes: The MIT Photo Diary Study
March 25: Library Web Site of the Future

OPPORTUNITIES

DOD Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) FY09

The Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Appropriations Act provides $80 million to the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) to fund research that will eliminate prostate cancer. This program is administered by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command through the Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). Detailed descriptions of each of the funding mechanisms, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements can be found in the FY09 PCRP Program Announcements.

Deadlines: Varying by program; preapplications due either March 3 or April 29, 2009

More information

DOD Program Startup in Peer Reviewed Orthopedic Research (PRORP)

The US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command is establishing a peer-reviewed orthopedic research program to distribute some $61 million in funds aimed specifically to support research on orthopedic injuries related to U.S. military casualties. The startup includes a calendar that begins with a March 2009 stakeholders meeting for leading scientists, clinicians,healthcare workers, and advocates; and followed by vision-setting, a program announcement, and other steps related to beginning the program.

Deadline: February 27, 2009 to be considered for stakeholders meeting.

More information

Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program

The Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program supports the research and teaching careers of talented young faculty in the chemical sciences, including biochemistry, materials chemistry, and chemical engineering. Based on institutional nominations, the program provides discretionary funding to faculty at an early stage in their careers. The Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program is based on accomplishment in scholarly research with undergraduates, as well as a compelling commitment to teaching.

Limited Submission: UT Knoxville is allowed to submit only one nomination for the award. Interested faculty should contact Bill Dockery (dockeryb@utk.edu) and Jim Mazzouccolo (jmazzouc@utk.edu) with a statement of interest.

Deadlines:
Internal Statement of interest -- March 13, 2009 at 12 noon
Foundation deadline -- May 7, 2009

More information

NSF Emerging Topics in Biogeochemical Cycles (ETBC)

Through a "Dear Colleague" letter, the National Science Foundation is seeking to support research that will advance the quantitative and/or mechanistic understanding of biogeochemical cycles, including the water cycle. Competitive proposals should integrate physical, geological, chemical, and/or hydrologic processes with biological processes over various temporal and/or spatial scales and/or various levels of biological organization. Proposals should be interdisciplinary and address biogeochemical processes and dynamics within and/or across one or more of the following systems: terrestrial, aquatic, and/or atmospheric. This is not a special competition or a new program; ETBC proposals should be submitted through existing programs in the NSF directorates of geosciences and biological sciences.

Deadline: Depends on the specific directorate program being addressed

More information

NSF Environment, Society, and the Economy (ESE)

Through a "Dear Colleague" letter, the National Science Foundation’s directorates of Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences and Geosciences are seeking to increase collaboration for interdisciplinary research related to environment, society, and the economy. The directorates are seeking research that links the two disciplinary areas in new and vital ways, including climate change, carbon sequestration, water and air purification, fisheries and agricultural production and related topics. This is not a special competition or new program. Proposals must be submitted to existing programs in the two directorates and must include ESE in the title.

Deadlines: See deadlines for existing programs at http://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=geo and http://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=sbe

More information

Keck Foundation Science and Engineering Research Program

The W.M. Keck Foundation’s Science and Engineering Research Program seeks to benefit humanity by supporting high-risk/high-impact projects that are novel in their approach to intractable problems, push the edge of their field, or question the prevailing paradigm.

Limited Submission: UT Knoxville is limited to only one submission in a 12-month period. Interested faculty should contact Bill Dockery (dockeryb@utk.edu) and Jim Mazzouccolo (jmazzouc@utk.edu) with a statement of interest.

Deadlines:
Internal statement of interest -- March 13, 2009 at 12 noon
Foundation deadline -- May 1, 2009

More information

Undergraduate Summer Research Internships

Up to 25 internships at $2,000 each will be awarded to students who will work on a research or creative project with a UT Knoxville faculty mentor for two months in the summer of 2009. The purpose of these internships is to increase the participation of undergraduate students in the UT research enterprise. The UT Knoxville Office of Research administers this internship program with funding provided by the Office of the Chancellor.

Deadline: Completed proposal to UT Office of Research -- March 6, 2009, at 12 noon

More information

DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships at ORNL

Oak Ridge National Laboratory sponsors internships for students to work directly with a professional researcher at ORNL. These internships carry a stipend for work at ORNL during the summer of 2009.

More information

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