IN THE NEWS

UTOR team evaluates "Lessons Learned" in proposals

The UT Office of Research has recently implemented new procedures to empower faculty at UT Knoxville and increase their chances to obtain grant funding. One of these is the after-action review, more commonly known as the "Lessons Learned" session that is scheduled after every grant submission involving the Office's Proposal Development Team.

"This process is an integral component of any professional project management team," explains Charlie Senn, program administrator in the Office of Research. "The result is significant feedback that can be incorporated into a continuous improvement model. It's critical that we gather information as soon as possible after we hit the submit button. Our sole focus is on doing things better in the future."

For example, reviewing one grant application revealed a need for the Office of Research to get involved earlier in the application process. Another review revealed the need for formatting standards to speed up the editing process. Frank "Lessons Learned" discussions create valuable input for internal "Lessons Learned" meetings that result in changed procedures at the Office of Research, Senn said.

NSF revises policies in response to America COMPETES

The America COMPETES Act, passed by Congress in 2007, is changing the landscape of federal funding for research. The National Science Foundation recently catalogued changes it is implementing in response to the act.

Mentoring of Post Docs: Proposals to the NSF that include postdoctoral researchers must describe mentoring activities for them and must report on those activities in annual and final reports on funded projects. The mentoring plan is not to exceed one page in proposals.

Responsible Conduct of Research: In fall 2009, proposals will have to include certification by the university's authorized organizational representative that the university has a plan that provides appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research. The plan is not to be submitted with proposals but must be available for review.

Reporting Research Results: In fall 2009, NSF plans to require principal investigators to prepare a brief summary written for the public expressing the nature and outcomes of the award. The summary is part of the act's requirement that project reports be available to the public electronically in a timely fashion.

Cost-Sharing: The agency has recommended that cost-sharing should be used only in a sparing fashion and that voluntary-committed cost-sharing should be prohibited.

Use of NIH PubMed Central grows dramatically

When articles are published based on research that has been funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), they are also posted online for the world's benefit. PubMed Central is a free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at NIH, developed and managed by NIH's National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Over the past three years, according to Carol Myers, NCBI/MLN librarian, the use of PubMed Central has grown tremendously, doubling the number of journals and articles and tripling the number of retrievals.

Jackson State to host fall NSF grants gathering

Jackson State University will host the first NSF Regional Grants Conference for fiscal 2010 in Jackson, MS, 5-6 Oct 2009.

The event is designed to acquaint researchers and research administrators with current issues facing the National Science Foundation and the programs it funds.

More information: NSF Policy Office, Division of Institution and Award Support (703) 292-8243, policy@nsf.gov or Website

Three research courses available on Blackboard

The Office of Research announces the availability of three 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"
• IRB/Human Subjects

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.

Training Calendar and Registration information

NSF, other agencies move from overloaded Grants.gov

The Office of Management and Budget has authorized all government agencies to use various alternative methods of submitting proposals because of the heavy use of Grants.gov in response to the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

"[N]ew funding opportunities issued by NSF will exclusively require the use of FastLane to prepare and submit proposals," said Jean Feldman, head of the National Science Foundation's Policy Office in the Division of Institution & Award Support. "[I]n order to assist Grants.gov in the effort to alleviate system strain and increase system capacity, proposers will now be required to prepare and submit proposals to NSF through use of the NSF FastLane system."

The NSF will continue to post funding opportunities to Grants.gov's FIND program.

NSF MRI program cut for FY 2010

Writing for ScienceInsider, Jeffrey Mervis reported on 11 June 09 that the appropriations committee in the U.S. House of Representatives has completely cut funding for the NSF Major Research Instrumentation program from the 2010 budget. The cut totals $100 million.

The NSF has funded two rounds of the popular MRI in this fiscal year, the previously budgeted $100 million for FY 2009 and a special economic-stimulus round worth $300 million.

The panel also cut back the Advanced Technological Education program that funds specialized workforce education at community colleges.

More information: ScienceInsider website

Realignment to change NSF chemistry programs

The National Science Foundation’s Division of Chemistry has realigned its programmatic structure to reflect the way that modern chemical research is typically organized. The new structure is a reflection of how chemistry research (rather than teaching) is normally done and puts meaningful names on components of the new structure.

Beginning in July 2009, the division will accept proposals in four broadly based areas of fundamental chemistry:

• Chemical Synthesis
• Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms
• Chemical Measurement and Imaging
• Theory, Models, and Computational Methods

Additionally, four interdisciplinary programs will be offered:

• Environmental Chemical Sciences
• Chemistry of Life Processes
• Chemical Catalysis
• Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry

To determine where an unsolicited proposal should be submitted, check here (PDF).

More information: Read the "Dear Colleague Letter"

Human Subjects Compliance Activities Data, FY 2009 (to date)

The graph below gives a glimpse into the amount of human subjects research activity conducted at UTK over a twelve-month period. Form B refers to the number of protocols submitted for Expedited and Full IRB review. These numbers continue to grow each year. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is committed to quality human subjects research and the protection of humans involved in research conducted at UTK.

For information regarding human subjects research, contact Brenda Lawson in the Office of Research, Compliances at (865) 974-7697 or blawson@utk.edu.

New grad student health insurance figure

Faculty preparing proposals should use the figure $1,119/year for the cost of graduate student health insurance starting fall 2009. Tuition fees have not yet been announced.

RECOVERY ACT OPPORTUNITIES

DOE High Penetration Solar Deployment

The Department of Energy is soliciting proposals to encourage photovoltaic-sourced solar electricity development, specifically:

1. Develop modeling tools and databases related to a high-penetration scenario using photovoltaics on a distribution system,
2. Develop monitoring, control, and integration systems for deployment of small modular PV systems, and
3. Demonstrate integration of PV and energy storage into Smart Grid applications

Key Dates: Submission to UTOR -- July 23, 2009 | Agency due date -- July 30, 2009

More Information: Go to Grants.gov and search for DE-FOA-0000085

OPPORTUNITIES

Bioengineering Research Partnerships (BRP) (R01)

The National Institutes of Health Bioengineering Research Grants and Exploratory/Developmental Bioengineering Research Grants programs are intended to encourage basic, allied, and translational bioengineering research that integrates physical, engineering, and computational science principles for the study of biology, medicine, behavior, or health. The programs are also meant to encourage collaborations and partnerships among the quantitative and biomedical disciplines. There are two grant programs with different groups of NIH institutes.

Key Dates: Submission to agency -- July 5 or November 5, 2009

More Information: Program announcement PA-07-279 | Program announcement PAR-07-352

NNIH Systems Biology Collaborations (R01)

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has announced a solicitation for collaborative systems biology research projects by multi-disciplinary teams to advance our understanding of normal physiology and perturbations associated with heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) diseases and disorders.

Key dates: Agency letter of intent (optional) -- August 14, 2009
Proposal due to agency -- September 14, 2009
Note: Additional submission dates are also available.

More Information

ONR Fundamentals of Cyberspace and Software

The Office of Naval Research is soliciting proposals in software engineering, networks, cyber-physical systems, social networks, and critical infrastructure that will address new and emerging challenges for the future naval information infrastructure, which is seen as a federated, highly mobile enterprise.

Key Dates: Full proposal to UTOR -- August 21, 2009
Submission to agency -- August 27, 2009

More information

EPA Clean Air Research Centers

The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting applications for as many as four Clean Air Research Centers as part of its STAR (Science to Achieve Results) program. Individual awards may total as much as $8 million over a maximum of five years. The agency is looking for applicants that take an integrated approach to their study designs, using a collective interdisciplinary approach to the large problems being addressed. An example of such integration might include atmospheric, health, and social scientists working together to understand the kinds of health effects associated with exposure to multipollutant atmospheres and how these effects might vary over time and space and may also be influenced by other factors such as neighborhood stressors, demographics, etc.

Key Date: Agency deadline -- November 16, 2009

More Information

Basic Research to Enable Agricultural Development (BREAD)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) are partnering to support a new research program to address key constraints to smallholder agriculture in the developing world. A significant distinction between BREAD and other NSF programs is that proposals to BREAD must make a clear and well-defined connection between the outcomes of the proposed research and its direct relevance and potential application to agriculture in the developing world. The Program’s focus is on novel, transformative research at the proof-of-concept stage rather than its application or development. Especially encouraged are original proposals that address major constraints to the productivity of crops important to smallholder farmers, or on the development of novel and efficient production practices.

Key Dates: Required letter of intent to agency -- August 5, 2009
Full proposal to agency -- September 9, 2009

More Information

NIH Mechanisms, Measurement, & Management of Pain in Aging: From Molecular to Clinical (R01)

The NIH is soliciting proposals to study the mechanisms and processes by which aging and/or age-related diseases and conditions affect the experience of pain and to evaluate existing or new pain assessment methods and management approaches, especially in older adults. Applications should propose to:

1. Study biological, neurobiological, psychosocial, and clinical mechanisms and processes by which aging and/or age-related diseases affect the experience of pain,
2. Examine biological, neurobiological, psychosocial, and clinical factors that impact pain experience and prevalence in older people,
3. Evaluate existing pain assessment and/or management approaches in older adults, or
4. Develop new assessment methods and/or management strategies for pain with particular attention to the needs of older adults.

Key Dates: Submission to UTOR -- September 28, 2009
Agency due date -- October 5, 2009

More information

NIH Integrating Translational Neuroscience & Adolescent Drug Abuse Treatment (R21)

The NIH is soliciting proposals that would discover innovative approaches to drug abuse treatment for adolescents, integrating innovations in neuroscience by encouraging collaborations integrating developmental neuroscience with adolescent drug abuse treatment.

Key Dates: Submission of proposal to UTOR -- August 25, 2009
Proposal due to agency -- Septermber 1, 2009

More information

ALERT: Nuclear proliferation RFP comes soon

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration has announced that it will release a research-and-development solicitation for projects related to nuclear proliferation detection. Note: Proposals not accepted in advance.

Key Date: Release of Funding Opportunity Announcement -- June 22, 2009

More Information or search Grants.gov for DE-PS52-09NA29330

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