IN THE NEWS

Proposal development team adds editors, coordinator

Sharon Pound	Bill Stanley	Charlie Senn

The UT Knoxville Office of Research has assembled a proposal development team to help faculty manage the development of large and complex funding proposals. The goal of the team is to increase proposal success rates and the number of major awards coming to UT Knoxville by providing centralized support to the research community.

The team offers aid in assembling research teams and locating collaborators, facilitating meetings and communication, planning and preparing proposals, gathering resources, establishing and monitoring timelines, coordinating review teams, and developing budget and management plans.

Three new hires have been added to the staff recently. Charlie Senn is the project coordinator for the team and tracks proposal traffic and work efforts.

Sharon Pound and Bill Stanley, both with substantial careers in technical communications and journalism, have joined the team as proposal editors. Under the supervision of Alan Rutenberg, Stanley and Pound will work with faculty to improve proposal narratives.

"This department exists to serve faculty members as they compete for grant funding," says Rutenberg, proposal development director. "We never want to lose an opportunity because of a technicality or because the significance of a research project is not clearly understood. We want faculty at the University of Tennessee to succeed with exciting research endeavors across the campus."

Faculty interested in securing support from the team can contact Senn (csenn@utk.edu, 974-1112) or Associate Vice Chancellor Greg Reed (gdreed@utk.edu, 974-3466).

More information

UT Libraries sets up digital source to showcase, preserve campus scholarship

The University of Tennessee is launching a program that will store all of the Knoxville campus’ scholarly and creative work in a universally accessible digital repository.

Trace, the Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange, will promote the visibility and permanence of the UT community’s research, scholarship and creative activity, said Barbara Dewey, dean of the UT Libraries.

"Trace will provide global access to UT’s scholarly and creative output. The collective excellence of our faculty and students will be highlighted with every click on the website," Dewey said.

Trace content may include technical reports, grant proposals, digital media, campus publications, conference proceedings, extension service publications, and internal archives, as well as scholarly work published in peer-reviewed journals and books when copyright permits. Works deposited receive the same stewardship as other resources in the university’s growing digital library.

The UT Office of Research, the Science Alliance, and the Office of the Provost are cooperating with UT Libraries to sponsor the repository. The Berkeley Electronic Press Digital Commons platform will host the service for the first three years.

"The program offers a collaborative digital space for university communities to explore new forms of scholarship and make their work discoverable," said Brad Fenwick, UT vice chancellor for research and engagement. "Our researchers and scholars will possess a substantial advantage in conducting cutting-edge research, delivering high-quality teaching, and contributing valuable services to society."

More information about Trace is available from Linda Phillips (llphillips@utk.edu), professor and head of scholarly communication at UT Libraries.

University Libraries will hold faculty focus group on web page

The University Libraries is studying ways to improve the main web page of the libraries before fall semester. Focus groups for UTK faculty, undergraduates, and graduate students are planned in June. Faculty are invited to attend a group on Thursday, 18 June 09, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 in Hodges Library. Interested faculty should notify Debbie Valine (dvaline@utk.edu, 974-4936).

Update of hazardous chemicals inventories needed by June 15

Departments that use or store hazardous chemicals should update their inventories by June 15, 2009, if their inventory has not been updated in the past six months. Contact Pam Koontz (pjkoontz@utk.edu, 974-5084) in UT Environmental Health and Safety with questions.

More information

UTOR announces new online classes and summer training schedule

The Office of Research announces the availability of two new online training courses through Online@UT (Blackboard). These courses provide a self-paced option to our current classroom training. HR 128 credit is also available for online courses. More online courses will be available soon.

New online courses:

• Proposal Development - Finding Funding
• Proposal Development - The Dreaded "Yellow Sheet"

You must register through the Office of Research Training Coordinator to access the online training. Please contact Lesli Rowan at ortraining@utk.edu or (865) 974-9310 for details.

Traditional classroom training in a variety of research-related methods and processes, including federal and state regulations that govern various aspects of research will also be available throughout the summer.

Training Calendar and Registration information

Update on US Department of Energy (DOE) -- ARPA-E Submission Process

The Department of Energy has issued a clarification to the first-ever solicitation from its new entity, Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy, which was printed in the 6 May issue of News & Opportunities. The solicitation summary is repeated with corrected key datesin the Opportunities section of this newsletter.

Applicants to the solicitation DE-FOA-0000065 are required to submit a concept paper as the first step of the application process, following the steps:

1. No later than one week prior to the concept paper submission deadline, the PI must submit a web-based cover sheet through http://www.arpa-e.energy.gov/foa/coverpage.html.
2. Once the cover page is submitted, ARPA-E will email an application control number. This number must be placed at the top right corner of each page of the concept paper.
3. The concept paper must be submitted via FedConnect by the UT Office of Research Sponsored Programs Office.

Please email the concept paper to Linnea Minnema (lminnema@utk.edu) and Miriam Campo (mcampo@utk.edu) no later than noon on Friday, May 29th, 2009. A yellow sheet will NOT be required for the concept paper. In preparing the concept paper, please follow the instructions as provided by the solicitation. For more information, contact Miriam Campo, 974-2465.

Solicitation | Website

Export Control Compliance Activities Data, FY 2009 (to date)

FY 2009 has been busy for Export Control Compliance at UT Knoxville. A total of 215 research proposals and contracts have been reviewed to date. Currently six Technology Control Plans are in place to protect export- controlled technology or equipment on campus. Review of all foreign travel has been implemented and a total 385 requests have been processed to date. Annual training and training-on-request have reached 200 people on campus and in venues this fiscal year. For more information about export control compliance, contact Robin Witherspoon (rwither@utk.edu, 865-974-0232).

Separated at birth? No, but easily confused

Research-watchers at UT Knoxville know about NIMBioS, the National Science Foundation’s new National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis. The institute is on the fourth floor of the White Avenue Building, where, under the leadership of director Lou Gross, it will lead the nation in computational biology.

That should not be confused with Nimbus, another computer-related project funded by the NSF. Headquartered at Argonne National Laboratory, Nimbus is a project that focuses on cloud computing and has developed the infrastructure to explore this new form of widely-distributed computation. The NSF released a story on the Nimbus project last week while UT’s own NIMBioS was announced with much fanfare last year and is now up and running.

More Nimbus information

RECOVERY ACT OPPORTUNITIES

Major Research Instrumentation Program: Recovery & Reinvestment (MRI-R²)

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the National Science Foundation is soliciting proposals to assist with the acquisition or development of shared research instrumentation that is too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.

Limited Submission: The University of Tennessee -- including the Knoxville campus, the Institute of Agriculture, and the Space Institute -- may submit no more than three proposals, at least one of which must be for instrument development.

Key Dates: Internal statement of intent to limitsub@utk.edu -- May 27, 2009 by 12 noon
Internal preproposal to limitsub@utk.edu -- June 17, 2009 by 12 noon

More Information

Academic Research Infrastructure Program: Recovery & Reinvestment (ARI-R²)

The National Science Foundation is soliciting proposals to repair, renovate, or (in exceptional cases) replace existing research facilities. The purpose of this solicitation is to enhance the nation’s existing research facilities where both sponsored and unsponsored research activities take place. The updating of facilities can include augmentation of cyberinfrastructure (beyond general computing or data-storage systems), improvement of access to next-generation research facilities, and improvements to facilities that have historically received limited federal support.

Limited Submission: The University of Tennessee (including the Knoxville campus, the Institute of Agriculture, and the Space Institute) can submit only one proposal. The submission will be coordinated on behalf of the university by Vice Chancellor Brad Fenwick.

Key Date: Faculty with needs or ideas should contact their associate dean for research before June 5, 2009

More information

OPPORTUNITIES

DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Revised Dates

The Department of Energy through its new entity, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, is seeking proposals from researchers who "already have a relatively well-formed R&D plan for a transformational concept or new technology" that can make a significant contribution toward

• reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• enhancing U.S. energy security
• restoring U.S. science leadership
• quickly implementing the economic recovery package by creating new green jobs.

Researchers are asked to submit a concept paper as the first step in applying and will be advised on whether to submit a full application.

Quote: "Only truly transformational technologies that can contribute greatly to the ARPA-E’s Mission Areas have any chance of funding. We are not looking for incremental progress on current technologies."

Key Dates: Last date to file a required web-based cover sheet with DOE -- May 26, 2009
Last date to e-mail concept paper to UTOR (Linnea Minnema, lminnema@utk.edu, and Miriam Campo, mcampo@utk.edu) -- May 29, 2009 by 12 noon

More information

NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants in the Directorate for Biological Sciences (DDIG)

The National Science Foundation is accepting proposals in support of doctoral dissertation research that will allow doctoral candidates in the biological sciences to participate in scientific meetings, conduct research in specialized facilities or field settings, or expand an existing body of dissertation research. The funds are intended for outstanding dissertation proposals with unusual financial requirements that cannot be met otherwise. The dissertation advisor must submit the proposal on behalf of the student.

Agency Deadline: November 20, 2009

More Information

NSF Cognitive Neuroscience

The Cognitive Neuroscience Program seeks highly innovative and interdisciplinary proposals aimed at advancing a rigorous understanding of how the human brain supports thought, perception, affect, action, social processes, and other aspects of cognition and behavior, including how such processes develop and change in the brain and through time.

Key Dates: Full proposal to agency -- August 27, 2009 and January 24, 2010

More information

DOD Human, Social Cultural, and Behavior Modeling (HSCB)

The Department of Defense’s Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office is soliciting white papers treating issues in human, social, cultural, and behavior modeling. The overarching goal of the program is to provide DOD and the federal government with the ability to understand and effectively operate in human/social/cultural terrains inherent to nonconventional warfare missions. Functional emphasis shall be on determining how to apply information from human social, cultural, and behavior factors in the development of both kinetic and nonkinetic operations for a select operational region of interest.

Key Date: White paper submission -- June 11, 2009

More information (choose the top solicitation)

Short Deadline -- DOE EPSCoR State/National Laboratory Partnership

The Department of Energy is soliciting preapplications for collaborative partnerships between academic researchers from EPSCoR jurisdictions (including Tennessee) and DOE national laboratories (and other facilities) for projects that enhance the capabilities of academic institutions to conduct nationally competitive, energy-related research. EPSCoR is the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.

Key Dates: Preapplication to DOE -- June 5, 2009
Full proposal to UT Office of Research -- November 2, 2009

More information

Dreyfus Senior Scientist Mentor Program, 2010

The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation has reinstated its Senior Scientist Mentor Program for 2010 with an invitation for emeritus faculty in the chemical sciences who have maintained active research programs. The program supports emeritus faculty who will take on undergraduates to do research under their guidance. Awardees are expected to engage closely in a mentoring relationship with their students. The program provides $20,000 over two years to be used primarily for undergraduate stipends.

Key Date: Application deadline to foundation -- November 12, 2009

More information

Wolf Prizes in the Sciences and Arts

The Wolf Foundation is soliciting nominations of leading scientists and artists for Wolf prizes in agriculture and food sciences, chemical sciences, physics, health and medicine, mathematics, architecture, music, painting, and sculpture. The prizes consist of $100,000 and a certificate awarded by the president of the state of Israel. Nominations must be made by directors, deans, department heads, or other top-level administrators in universities, colleges, research institutes, art museums, etc. The winners must be available to accept the prizes in ceremonies at the Knesset in Jerusalem.

Key Date: Nomination to foundation -- August 31, 2009

More information

DOD National Security Science & Engineering Faculty Fellowship

The Department of Defense has announced its National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship competition. DOD is seeking to recruit highly innovative university researchers and support the education of the next generation of high-performing scientists and engineers in performing innovative basic science and engineering research. The NSSEFF is seeking single-investigator white papers in biology and biomedical sciences; chemistry; computer and information sciences; earth, atmospheric, oceanographic, and spaces sciences; engineering; materials; mathematics; physics; social, behavioral, and cognitive sciences; and interdisciplinary combinations of the categories above.

The process for applying involves a statement of intent from UT faculty to the UT Office of Research, a universitywide "intent to nominate" letter from the UTK chancellor, preparation of white papers by interested faculty, and individual submission of the white papers with individualized letters of nomination from the chancellor. The UT Office of Research will coordinate preparation of the chancellor's letters.

Note that DOD has changed the deadlines from the ones announced earlier in the month in the Office of Research newsletter.

Time line:
June 12, 2009, 12 noon -- UT internal statement of intent to limitsub@utk.edu. Faculty should include research topic and subject category as stated in the announcement.

June 22, 2009 -- Online registration to submit letter of intent (by UT Office of Research).

June 23, 2009 -- Chancellor submits letter of intent to nominate to agency.

July 7, 2009, 4 p.m. (EDT) -- Proposers submit white paper and individual nomination letters from chancellor to agency. UT Office of Research will coordinate supplying chancellor's letters to individual faculty.

Oct 16, 2009, 4 p.m. (EDT) -- Invited proposers submit full proposals and confidential letters of recommendation.

Dec 5-6, 2009: Invited proposers make oral presentations.

Notable changes from the 2009 solicitation

1. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
2. The requirement that applicants must have earned their Ph.D. within the last 25 years has been dropped.
3. Security clearances for NSSEFF Fellows will not be required for this program.
4. The maximum yearly grant amount has been raised to $850,000/year for up to five years.

Details: Competition website. Contact Greg Reed, associate vice chancellor for research (gdreed@utk.edu, 865-974-3466), with questions.

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