IN THE NEWS
Special UTK Web Site for Recovery Act Information
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 offers UT Knoxville faculty a unique opportunity to win support for research projects, equipment and infrastructure improvements, and other related research-associated projects.
The Office of Research has developed a web page to assist UT Knoxville faculty in locating information about and funding opportunities from the ARRA. It contains both public-source and internal-source information. The internal-source information requires a UTK login.
The page is accessible from the main UT Office of Research page or directly at http://research.utk.edu/recovery.
“The urgency of the Recovery funding program has necessitated setting up special ways to make faculty aware of these opportunities,” said Greg Reed, associate vice chancellor for research.
Information on the page will be updated as often as new information becomes available from the funding agencies. As needed, targeted listservs will be established for faculty who frequently apply to the same agencies.
Details: Greg Reed, Associate Vice Chancellor (974-3466, gdreed@utk.edu)
Administrators Will Coordinate NIH Recovery Act Facilities Improvement Competitions
Two competitions being sponsored by the National Institutes of Health will be handled administratively by the University of Tennessee.
Research administrators from the various university entities will collaborate on choosing projects to be submitted to the NIH Recovery Act Limited Competition: Extramural Research Facilities Improvement program, which will accept three proposals from the university to expand, remodel, renovate, or alter biomedical or behavioral research facilities. The “extramural” program has an agency deadline of 6 May 2009.
Similarly, research administrators will coordinate any applications to the Recovery Act Limited Competition: Core Facility Renovation, Repair, and Improvement program, which supports the improvements in centralized shared resources providing access to instruments, technologies, or services for investigators. The agency deadline for this program is 17 September 2009.
UT Knoxville faculty interested in either of these NIH competitions should contact Vice Chancellor Brad Fenwick or Associate Vice Chancellor Greg Reed.
New F&A Rates for DHHS April 1
The University of Tennessee has negotiated with DHHS a new indirect cost (F&A) rate agreement that covers the period July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2012.
The new rate agreement calls for our on-campus research rate to stay at its current level of 47 percent through fiscal year ending June 30, 2009; then increase to 48 percent beginning July 1, 2009; and increase again to 49 percent beginning July 1, 2011. The off-campus research rate remains unchanged at 26 percent.
Effective April 1, 2009 all newly submitted proposals must include the correct rate(s) for the appropriate budget year(s) as follows:
- 07/01/08-06/30/09
- On-Campus -- 47%
- Off-Campus -- 26%
- 07/01/09-06/30/11
- On-Campus -- 48%
- Off-Campus -- 26%
- 07/01/11-06/30/12
- On-Campus -- 49%
- Off-Campus -- 26%
Details: Miriam Campo (974-2465, mcampo@utk.edu)
UT Symposium on Human, Animal Health Seeks Abstracts
The UT College of Veterinary Medicine and the UT Center for Public Health are joining to present a research symposium on human and animal health on 15-16 June 2009, and are calling for abstracts for presentation at the meeting.
The Comparative and Experimental Medicine and Public Health Research Symposium will be keynoted on 15 June by Dr. William S. Harris, director of the Metabolism and Nutrition Research Center for Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota. Harris will speak on Omega 3 fatty acids and heart disease. On 16 June, Dr. Ole Isacson of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute will speak on issues and advances in stem cell research.
Information about submitting abstracts to the CEM portion of the symposium is available at http://www.vet.utk.edu/research/symposium. The public health information will be available later.
The joint event is sponsored by the CVM, the Center for Public Health, AgResearch, the UT Graduate School, the Graduate School of Medicine, and the UTK Office of Research.
Abstracts Sought for Student Competition
The UTK chapter of Sigma Xi is sponsoring a student competition based on an abstract and an oral presentation of research conducted at UT toward an advanced degree. The competition, which is open to all graduate and undergraduate students, will take place at the University Center on Thursday, April 16, 2009, and will consist of 20 minute presentations (15 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for discussion). The presentations will be judged by a faculty panel in each of the major areas represented.
The first place winner will receive a check for $150 and the second place winner a check for $75 in each category. The awards will be presented at a reception to be held on April 17, 2009 at the University Center.
Contact Hairong Qi (hqi@utk.edu), associate professor in electrical engineering and computer science, by March 30, 2009 with a statement of intent.
Download the abstract forms
NIH Access Policy Becomes Law
The National Institutes of Health Public Access Policy has been signed into law as part of the 2009 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The policy makes permanent the requirement that NIH-funded researchers must deposit electronic copies of their peer-reviewed manuscripts in the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central archive.
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RECOVERY ACT OPPORTUNITIES
NIH Challenge Grants
As part of the Recovery Act, the NIH invites NIH Challenge Grant (RC1) applications from domestic institutions/organizations proposing novel research in areas that address specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods that would benefit from an influx of funds to quickly advance the area in significant ways. See the complete solicitation for a list of challenge areas and topics for research.
Deadline: April 27, 2009
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Spring MRI Part of NSF Stimulus Plan
The National Science Foundation’s spending under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will include a spring solicitation for the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, as well as stimulus monies in the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program, the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program, and the Academic Research Infrastructure (ARI) program, according to a March 18 letter to university presidents from NSF director Arden Bement.
Much of the ARRA monies will fund highly-rated programs already in house, and the NSF will look back to proposals placed after October 1, 2008 for meritorious proposals that could be funded.
Other details: All ARRA awards will be standard grants with duration of up to five years, and priority will be given to new principal investigators and high-risk/high-return research. Awards of ARRA funds will require "a significant level of transparency and accountability."
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NSF Engineering Research Centers
The National Science Foundation is seeking proposals for establishing Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) that will create a culture in engineering research and education that links discovery to technological innovation through transformational fundamental and engineered systems research. The ERC program is interested in proposals in three specific areas: (1) Complex, Coupled Physical Civil Infrastructure Systems under Stress, (2) Energy Systems for a Sustainable Future, and (3) Transformational Engineered Systems (an open category with a topic chosen by the proposers).
There are no limits on the number of proposals a university may participate in as lead institution or partner, but a lead university can receive only one ERC award through this solicitation.
Deadlines: Required letter of intent -- May 15, 2009
Required preliminary proposal -- July 15, 2009
Invited full proposal -- January 12, 2010
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Envirnomental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program
The Environmental Protection agency is soliciting applications for ready-to-begin projects that reduce diesel emissions and maximize job preservation/creation and economic recovery through a variety of diesel emission strategies involving buses, trucks, marine engines, locomotives, and vehicles used in construction, cargo-handling, agriculture, mining, or energy production.
Deadline: April 28, 2009
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EPA Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program
The EPA is soliciting applications for projects that reduce diesel emissions and maximize job preservation/creation and economic recovery through the use, development, and commercialization of emerging technologies.
Deadline: May 5, 2009.
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EPA SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program
The EPA is soliciting applications for projects that reduce diesel emissions and promote job preservation/creation and economic recovery through the creation of innovative financial programs that provide a specific financial incentive for the purchase or lease of retrofitted vehicles or equipment.
Deadline: April 28, 2009
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NOTE: The EPA will take questions by e-mail (cleandiesel@epa.gov) about provisions of these solicitations and post the answers at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/eparecovery/index.htm. EPA Region 4 will host a phone session for questions on 2 April 2009 at 2 p.m. EDT. The dial-in number is 1-866-299-3188, and the conference code is 4045629127 #.
OPPORTUNITIES
DOD Changes Rules for New DEPSCoR Solicitations
The U.S. Department of Defense has announced its Defense Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research for FY 2009, and the solicitation contains significant changes. The DEPSCoR solicitations will not be processed through the Tennessee DEPSCoR organization this year but will go directly to the Department of Defense. Awards made through the program will come from the Army Research Office, the Office of Naval Research, or the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Proposals, which must range from $300,000 to $2 million, require a one-to-two match in funding.
Limited Submission: May require internal competition. The University of Tennessee is limited to three proposals.
Deadlines: Internal statement of intent -- Monday, March 30, 2009
Completed proposal to UTOR -- 8 a.m., April 28, 2009
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NSF Petrology and Geochemistry
Proposals should address the petrology and high-temperature geochemistry of igneous and metamorphic rocks (including mantle samples), mineral physics, economic geology, and volcanology. Proposals that bridge disciplinary boundaries or that include development of analytical tools for potential use by the broad community are also encouraged.
Deadline: NSF submission windows, June 6 - July 6, 2009 and December 6, 2009 - January 6, 2010
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PAESMEM Deadline Extended
The deadline for submitting NSF Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) proposals has been moved to 21 April 2009.
Limited Submission: The University of Tennessee can submit only one nomination for the PAESMEM. To date, no one has expressed interest. The first person who expresses an interest will be considered for the nomination.
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