IN THE NEWS

Safety officer must be notified of radiation-related equipment buys

The UT Office of Research is putting tighter requirements on the acquisition process for equipment or materials that produce ionizing radiation and/or contain quantities of radioactive material.

State regulations require that the University of Tennessee register each new radiation device with the state of Tennessee Division of Radiological Health within 10 days after it comes into the university’s possession. The regulations also require a compliance inspection within six months of possession.

Failure to comply with the acquisition requirements puts the university at risk of substantial fines, late fees, and other penalties and jeopardizes UT’s continued ability to use radiation sources in research and service programs. In the future, the expenses of fines and fees will be borne by the department that originated the violating purchase.

Faculty contemplating purchasing equipment should

• Check a list of keywords of items known to involve radiation that is available by emailing radiationsafety@utk.edu
• Contact the UT Radiation Safety Department about items that produce ionizing radiation or include radioactive sources
• Contact manufacturers if uncertain about a piece of equipment.

Chris Millsaps (radiationsafety@utk.edu, 865-974-5580), radiation safety officer for the university, can answer any questions about the policy or about acquisitions.

Funded proposals are subject to FOIA requests

Funded proposals to the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

The NSF is required by law to respond to a FOIA request within 20 days. The agency contacts the academic institution to determine whether any of the information in the proposal should be exempt from disclosure.

Leslie Jensen, NSF’s FOIA specialist, notes that not all information in a funded proposal will be released, including (a) trade-secret proprietary information and (b) material on which a patent is pending. The NSF does not honor FOIA requests on proposals that have not been funded.

Jensen cautions that academic institutions face the burden of showing that release of any trade-secret proprietary information will harm the institution (not the PI).

University administrators typically have five days to recommend any parts of a funded proposal that should not be released.

More Information

NIMH wants input on healthcare network capacity

The National Institute of Mental Health is soliciting information about the capacity of the field to use existing healthcare networks to conduct large-scale effectiveness research on mental health treatment and preventative, and services interventions.

The requested information includes

• descriptions of existing healthcare systems that are candidates for large-scale research
• identification of efficient ways to recruit patients and providers for studies
• indications of the existence of information systems that can be used to collect effectiveness data
• indications of capacity healthcare systems might have to store related biologic materials
• identification of the research questions that are most relevant to the field.

Responses should be no longer than 1,000 words and should specify the issue being addressed, explain the source of the information, and refine the research question to be addressed.

More Information

OMB offers reporting guidance for ARRA monies

The President’s Office of Management and Budget has released guidance for reporting the use of funds distributed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Recipients will be required to report

• who is receiving ARRA funding, including amounts
• what projects or programs are being funded
• what is the completion status of the projects or programs and what impact have they have on job creation and retention.

More Information

For proposal budgets

The cost for graduate tuition and fees has increased nine percent starting with the fall 2009 semester. The new rates:

• In-State tuition is $423/credit ($3,874 for nine credit hours)
• Out-of-State tuition is $1,207/credit ($10,922 for nine credit hours)

Contact: Miriam Campo (mcampo@utk.edu, 974-2465)
More Information

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

The IACUC activities remain robust thus far for FY2009, with 120 new protocols completing the approval process. Annual renewals of 196 protocols have been completed, and 146 amendments to protocols were approved. Two rounds of semi-annual facility inspections of 45 sites have been completed in addition to the completion of two semi-annual program reviews. Six subcommittees were formed to investigate and report noncompliance concerns.

University of Tenenssee - Knoxville
FY 2009 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Average Approval Time from Initial Submission

The graphs depict the turnaround time from protocol submission to protocol approval.

The key for efficient protocol turnaround is to provide thorough responses to the requested information in the protocol form and to respond to protocol inquiries. The IACUC has posted a revised protocol form and a revised amendment form, which are posted on the IACUC website http://iacuc.tennessee.edu. The IACUC coordinator is available to provide assistance or direction to another support source. The IACUC coordinator is Betsy Bailey (ebailey@utk.edu) 865-974-3631.

RECOVERY ACT OPPORTUNITIES

DOE - Training Program Development for Commercial Building Equipment Technicians, Building Operators, and Energy Commissioning Agents/Auditors

The Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory Building Technologies Program (BTP), is seeking proposals for projects that focus on developing training programs for various building specialists. The programs shall use existing curricula or develop new training curricula for their course content.

Key Date: Proposal to UTOR -- August 25, 2009
More Information: Do an Internet search on DE-FOA-0000118.

OPPORTUNITIES

NEH Teaching Development Fellowships (TDF)

National Endowment for the Humanities Teaching Development Fellowships (TDF) support college and university teachers pursuing research aimed specifically at deepening their core knowledge in the humanities to improve their undergraduate teaching. The program has three broad goals: 1) to improve the depth and quality of humanities education in the United States; 2) to strengthen the link between research and teaching in the humanities; and 3) to foster excellence in undergraduate instruction.

Key Date: Proposal to agency -- October 1, 2009
More Information: Do an Internet search on 20091001-FW.

DARPA Computer Science Study Group (CSSG)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agancy seeks junior faculty with research interest in computer science to serve as principal investigators to explore novel ideas that lead to fundamental technological advances that benefit the US Department of Defense. The opportunity is for Phase I of the Computer Science Study Group (CSSG), which is a multiphase developmental and research program.

Key dates: Initial full proposal to agency -- August 25, 2009
More Information

NSF: Undergraduate Research & Mentoring in the Biological Sciences (URM)

The goal of the URM program is to increase the number and diversity of individuals pursuing graduate studies in all areas of biological research supported by the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences. Support will be provided to academic institutions to establish innovative programs to engage undergraduates in a year-round research and mentoring activity. Particular emphasis will be placed on broadening participation of members of groups historically underrepresented in science and engineering.

Key Dates: Required preliminary proposal to agency -- September 15, 2009
Full proposal to agency -- March 2, 2010
More information

NIH: Medical Rehabilitation Research Resource (R24)

Three institutes at NIH (Child Health & Human Development, Neurological Disorders & Stroke, and Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering) is seeking proposals to build research infrastructure for medical rehabilitation in order to create a national network of research cores that provide access to expertise in biomedical, behavioral, and/or psychosocial fields relevant to medical rehabilitation research.

Key Dates: Letter of intent to agency -- September 2, 2009
Proposal to agency -- October 1, 2009
More Information

NIH: Early Detection Research Network: Biomarker Developmental Laboratories (U01)

The National Cancer Institute is soliciting cooperative agreement applications for Biomarker Developmental Laboratories (BDLs), one of the four components of the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN). EDRN is a national consortium funded to discover, develop, and validate biomarkers for early cancer detection, risk assessment, and the molecular diagnosis and prognosis of early cancer. The BDLs have responsibility for the development and characterization of new, or the refinement of existing, biomarkers and biomarker assays.

Key Dates: Letter of intent to agency -- September 29, 2009
Proposal to agency -- October 29, 2009
More Information

NIH: Comprehensive Alcohol Research Centers (P60)

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) invites proposals for Comprehensive Alcohol Research Centers. The overall purpose of the NIAAA Alcohol Research Center program is to provide leadership in conducting and fostering interdisciplinary, collaborative research on a wide variety of topics relevant to the Institute’s mission. These topics include, but are not limited to: the nature, etiology, genetics, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of alcohol use disorders and their biomedical, psychosocial, and economic consequences across the lifespan.

Key Dates: Letter of intent to agency -- November 2, 2009
Proposal to agency -- December 2, 2009
More Information

NSF: Instrument Development for Biological Research (IDBR)

The National Science Foundation’s Instrument Development for Biological Research (IDBR) program supports the development of novel instrumentation or instrumentation that has been significantly improved by at least an order of magnitude or more in fundamental aspects. Supported instruments are expected to have a significant impact on the study of biological systems at any level.

Key Date: Proposal due to agency -- August 28, 2009, .
More Information

NSF: Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP)

The National Science Foundation is soliciting proposals for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP), which seeks to increase the number of students (U.S. citizens or permanent residents) receiving associate or baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging fields within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Type 1 proposals are solicited for full implementation efforts at academic institutions. Type 2 proposals support educational research projects on associate or baccalaureate degree attainment in STEM.

Key Dates: Optional letter of intent to agency -- August 18, 2009
Full proposal deadline to agency -- September 29, 2009
More Information

Developing Global Scientists and Engineers (International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) and Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Projects (DDEP))

IRES aims to provide high quality educational experiences for small groups of U.S. undergraduate and/or graduate students through active research participation in collaboration with foreign researchers at an international site. OISE supports dissertation research conducted by graduate students at a foreign site. Students are expected to work in close cooperation with a host country institution and investigator.

Key Date: Proposal to UTOR -- September 8, 2009
More Information

NSF: Focused Research Groups in the Mathematical Sciences (FRG)

The purpose of the FRG activity is to allow groups of researchers to respond to recognized scientific needs of pressing importance, to take advantage of current scientific opportunities, or to prepare the ground for anticipated significant scientific developments in the mathematical sciences. Groups may include, in addition to mathematical scientists, researchers from other science and engineering disciplines appropriate to the proposed research. The activity supports projects for which the collective effort by a group of researchers is necessary to reach the scientific goals.

Key Dates: Required letter of intent to agency -- August 21, 2009
Full proposal to agency -- September 18, 2009
More Information

NEA AMERICAN MASTERPIECES: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius

The National Endowment for the Arts is soliciting proposals for its initiative to acquaint Americans with the best of their cultural and artistic legacy. Through American Masterpieces, the National Endowment for the Arts will sponsor performances, exhibitions, tours, and educational programs across all art forms that will reach large and small communities in all 50 states. The components:

• Chamber Music, FY 2010 -- This component of American Masterpieces will celebrate the extraordinary and rich evolution of chamber music in the United States.
  Key Date: Proposal to agency -- October 8, 2009
  More Information: Search Internet for 2010NEA01AMCM
   
• Dance, FY 2010 -- This component of American Masterpieces will celebrate the extraordinary and rich evolution of dance and choreography in the United States.
  Key Date: Proposal to agency -- October 8, 2009
  More Information: Search Internet for 2010NEA01AMD
   
• Visual Arts, FY 2010 -- This component of American Masterpieces will celebrate the extraordinary and rich evolution of the visual arts in the United States. Through the creation and touring of major exhibitions, art of the highest quality will be experienced by Americans in communities across the nation.
  Key Date: Proposal to agency -- September 17, 2009
  More Information: Search Internet for 2009NEA01AMVAT
   
• Presenting (Multidisciplinary) -- This component of American Masterpieces will offer presentations of the performing, visual, media, design, and literary arts of the highest quality will be experienced by Americans in communities across the nation. This category is for projects that embrace multiple arts disciplines.
  Key Date: Proposal to agency -- September 24, 2009
  More Information: Search Internet for 2009NEA01AMP

PENDING: DOD Psychological Health (PH) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

The Department of Defense’s Defense Centers of Excellence PH/TBI Research Program encourages proposals that focus on

1. studies aimed at improving the understanding of military-related psychological health issues in specific areas of interest
2. studies to examine cellular regrowth and interconnection strategies and therapies in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
3. research on evidence-based prevention and rehabilitation strategies for TBI, PTSD, and co-occurring conditions encompassing cognitive, motor, emotional, psychological, and sensory functioning
4. three-dimensional (3-D) models of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast waves to develop equipment to mitigate injury to service members, and
5. PH and/or TBI research exploring the use of advanced neuroimaging, behavioral and/or genetic information to identify biomarkers, develop diagnostics and treatments for semi-acute, acute, and chronic injury stages, and the possible integration of informatics and advanced computational research to better understand the intersection of psychological health and TBI.

Key Date: Information on the solicitation will be pubished no later than July 10, 2009.
More Information

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