Stimulus Package Information

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly known as the stimulus package, includes money to promote research in many areas. Click here for a comprehensive web site with those opportunities.

• AHRQ Announces Intent to Publish Grant and Contract Solicitations for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Projects with Funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

 

Department of Education: Student Support Services Program

Due: December 7, 2009

Award: Up to $360,000 for 60 months

The purpose of the program is to increase the number of disadvantaged low-income college students, first generation college students, and college students with disabilities in the United States who successfully complete a program of study at the postsecondary level. The support services provided should increase the retention and graduation rates for these students and facilitate their transfer from two-year to four-year colleges and universities. The support services provided should also foster an institutional climate supportive of the success of students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths, students who are in foster care or are aging out of the foster care system, and other disconnected students. Student Support Services should also improve the financial and economic literacy of students.

More information is available here.

 

McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience: 2010 Scholar Awards

Due: January 4, 2010

Amout: $75,000 annually for three years

These awards were established to encourage emerging neuroscientists to focus on disorders of learning and memory. Applicants for the McKnight Scholar Awards must demonstrate interest in solving important problems in relevant areas of neuroscience, including the translation of basic research to clinical neuroscience. Awards are given to exceptional young scientists who hold the M.D. and/or Ph.D. degree and who are in the early stages of establishing an independent laboratory and research career. Traditionally, successful candidates have held faculty positions for at least one year.

More information is available here.

 

NSF: Ecosystem Science

Due: January 9, 2010

Award: Not specified

The Ecosystem Studies Program supports investigations of whole-system ecological processes and relationships across a diversity of spatial and temporal (including paleo) scales in order to advance understanding of: material and energy fluxes and transformations within and among ecosystems, the relationships between structure, including complexity, and functioning of ecosystems, ecosystem dynamics and trajectories of ecosystem development through time, and linkages among ecosystems at different spatial and temporal scales.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/NIH/DHHS: Enabling Technologies in DNA Repair Research (R21) 

Due: The deadline for receipt of optional letters of intent is December 10, 2009. The deadline for receipt of full applications is January 10, 2009

Award: $275,000 for two years

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is intended to support collaborative research between basic researchers, epidemiologists, clinical researchers and/or bioengineers to translate basic knowledge of DNA damage and repair mechanisms to clinical and human population studies. Although there has been significant progress in mechanistic understanding of DNA damage response processes, few studies have bridged the gap between basic research and application to population studies. This FOA supports the development of new tools and assays to measure DNA damage and response with input from the engineers, technologists and the end-users, such as population scientists and clinicians. The purpose of this initiative is to promote technological advances that will lead to enhanced understanding of DNA repair applied to the prediction, treatment, and prevention of common diseases related to environmental exposures. This initiative encourages the development of tools and methodologies to improve the ability to measure cellular responses to DNA-damaging agents. Improved methods to detect cellular responses in specific DNA repair or damage-tolerance pathways that reflect responses to specific environmental stressors or classes of exposures will advance the study of individual genetic susceptibility to various cancers and other common diseases based on genetic variation in DNA repair genes. New assays to measure DNA repair capacity will also improve the ability of clinicians to predict the responses of cancer patients to therapeutic drugs.

More information is available here.

 

Directorate for Mathematics and Physical Sciences/NSF: Mathematical and Statistical Research for Understanding the Omics of Biological Threats 

Due: January 13. 2010

Award: Unspecified

The introduction of the next generation of massively parallel sequencing technologies led to an exponential increase in the amount of available DNA sequence information for biological threats. As sequence data is now produced faster than it can be meaningfully analyzed, new approaches to the analysis of this information is one of the most important recent challenges for the mathematical sciences. New and improved mathematical and statistical methods and high performance algorithms are needed to clear this bottleneck. Beyond methods to sample and organize the sheer amount of data in a meaningful way, challenges include development of quantitative methods and models to estimate errors for the various sequencing platforms; algorithms and mathematical estimates of the reliability of genomes assembled from short gapped reads; approaches to distinguish sequence-determination errors from biological polymorphism and mutation; and means to distinguish among multiple genomes within a single dataset, particularly when those different genomes are represented at vastly different abundance.

Challenges especially relevant to the area of bio-detection include the development of tools and models for fast identification of the differences between the genomes of individuals of a species, and for distinguishing between naturally-occurring biological heterogeneity and newly-emerged or artificially produced pathogenic sequences in complex samples. Mathematical models and methods to estimate the significance of genomic variability as related to the corresponding phenotypic variability belong to this area of research as well.

Approaches originating from all areas of the mathematical sciences are welcome including but not limited to probability theory and statistics, computational mathematics, applied mathematics, algebraic geometry and topology.

More information is available here.

 

AT&T Laboratories: Summer Internships 

Due: January 15, 2010

Award: Summer interns pay for their own housing costs; however, AT&T Labs will cover the costs for travel within the United States.

Through this program, the sponsor supports research interns from all over the world to come to AT&T Labs Research to work with individual technical staff members on research projects for 10 weeks. Current research areas are as follows: Computing and Communications Foundations; Networking and Software Systems; Information and Intelligent Systems; and Society and Technology.

More information is available here.

 

Directorate for Engineering/NSF: Building Engineering Complex Systems (BECS)

Due: January 19, 2010

Award: $330,000 for two years

The key question that the research supported by this solicitation should aim to answer is "How can we take advantage of the fundamental theories of complex systems to design resilient engineered complex systems?" To do this, one must expose the underlying relationships within the systems, the mathematical/statistical features of the essential aspects of complex systems, and use these features in developing design tools. Although it is recognized that implementation of successful tools will be through computational methods, algorithms, and tools, the expected outcome of successful projects from this solicitation will be advances in the theory of complex systems together with application of these advances to engineered complex systems.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering/NIH/DHHS: Technologies for Image-Guided Interventions

Due: The deadline for receipt of optional letters of intent is December 20, 2009. The deadline for receipt of full applications is January 20, 2010.

Award: $750,000 for five years

The goal of this image-guided interventions (IGI) initiative is to develop of innovative technologies that will replace traditional surgery and invasive procedures with minimally invasive, image-guided procedures. Image-guided procedures have the potential to improve patient care by enabling new and faster procedures, minimizing unintended damage to healthy tissue, decreasing incidents of medical error, producing fewer complications, and allowing for clinical intervention at a distance. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is intended to support the second phase of a two-phase program that will deliver image-guided interventions that have a high clinical impact. The first phase, demonstrating the feasibility of a proposed technology, testing a prototype device, and generating preliminary data, should already be complete. Image-guided interventions may involve robotic manipulators capable of operating in small and difficult-to-reach spaces, such as the inner ear or in utero on the fetal patient. Thus, IGI increases the variety of interventions at the clinicians’ disposal. Providing yet another advantage to these procedures, image-guided interventions can be done remotely, bringing clinical expertise to underserved communities and remote locales.

More information is available here.

 

NIH/DHHS: Roadmap Transformative Research Projects Program

Due: Optional letters of intent are due December 22, 2009/The full application is due January 22, 2010

Award: Unspecified/for a five year project

The goal of the Transformative Research Projects Program is to provide support for collaborative investigative teams or individual scientists who propose transformative approaches to major contemporary challenges in biomedical or behavioral science. To be considered transformative, projects must have the potential to create or overturn fundamental scientific paradigms through the use of new and novel approaches or to lead to major improvements in health through the development of highly innovative therapies, diagnostic tools, or preventive strategies. Successful projects will be expected to have a major impact in a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research. Consistent with this highly transformative focus, proposals supported under the Transformative Research Projects program will reflect ideas substantially different from mainstream concepts being pursued in the investigators’ laboratory or elsewhere. Projects in any area of NIH interest that meet the transformative criteria above, including basic, clinical, translational and behavioral studies, are encouraged and will be considered responsive to this FOA. Multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary teams attacking major issues or large intractable problems in any area of biomedical science are particularly encouraged to apply.

More information is available here.

 

 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/NIH/DHHS: Engineered Nanomaterials: Linking Physical and Chemical Properties to Biology

Due: The deadline for receipt of optional letters of intent is December 22, 2009. The deadline for receipt of full applications is January 22, 2010.

Award: $750,000 a year for five years

The objective of this program is to understand how physical and chemical characteristics of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) influence their molecular interactions with biological matrices and elicit biological responses. The awards made through this FOA will use a multi-project cooperative agreement (U19) mechanism. Each application must include an overarching research focus that integrates physical and chemical characteristics of ENMs with biological processes. Three research projects will define this experimental paradigm. (1) The investigators will determine the physical and chemical characteristics of ENMs that dictate biological interactions at the molecular and cellular levels. These responses include interactions with macromolecules, intracellular translocation/sequestration, transport mechanisms, and defined signaling cascades. (2) In parallel with these in vitro studies, the investigators will examine the specific physical and chemical characteristics of ENMs that dictate in vivo responses such as absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME) as well as physiological and pathobiological events in target and secondary organs, using appropriate routes of exposure and dose metrics. (3) The final research activity will develop and apply methods and mode of action approaches to integrate information at the biochemical, molecular, cellular, and organism level (such as those from Projects 1 and 2) into traditional risk assessment paradigms. This third project will be supported initially as a two year independent developmental activity. It will be followed by potential support through a collaborative effort across all of the funded grants. This follow-on collaborative effort will extend the mechanistic and physiological understanding gained from Projects 1 and 2 to development of relevant metrics for expanded hazard characterization and risk assessment of ENM.

Each Principal Investigator will craft an interdisciplinary program that uses a biologically-based paradigm to understand the influence of specific physical and chemical characteristics of ENMs on both molecular and physiological endpoints. The biological processes include, but are not limited to, mechanistic endpoints such as cell cycling, vesicular trafficking, transcription, signal transduction and metabolism, physiological endpoints including uptake, adsorption, transport, sequestration, and elimination of ENMs as well as organ and organism function. Research conducted as part of these multi-project programs could include investigators with demonstrated expertise in materials science, physics, chemistry, engineering, cell and molecular biology, toxicology, exposure science, and risk assessment.

More information is available here.

 

American College of Sports Medicine: Coca-Cola Company Doctoral Student Grant on Behavior Research

Due: January 22, 2010

Award: $5000

For studies that focus on innovative strategies to improve individual-level adoption and/or maintenance of physical activity will be given first priority. The proposed study can focus on youth, adolescents, adults, or older adults 55+.

More information is available here.

 

National Human Genome Research Institute/NIH/DHHS: Initiative to Maximize Research Education in Genomics

Due: January 25, 2010

Award: For courses, up to $50,000 (direct costs) per year and up to three years may be requested, for a maximum of $150,000 direct costs over a three-year project period. For research education and training initiatives linked to new and renewal competing parent grant applications, direct costs of up to $300,000 per year for up to five years may be requested

Support for initiatives to maximize research education in genomics. This funding opportunity supports two types of activities: (1) short, advanced level courses that are intended to disseminate new laboratory techniques, methods, analyses related to the mission of the NHGRI and (2) research education and training initiatives that are linked to specific NHGRI research initiatives, such as Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS) and large-scale sequencing and database grants.

More information is available here.

 

Garden Club of America: Joan K. Hunt and Rachel M. Hunt Summer Scholarship in Field Botany

Due: February 1, 2010

Amount: $2,000

The purpose of the scholarship is to promote the awareness of the importance of botany to horticulture. It does not support lab work. The summer projects may be pursued beyond the regular course of study to gain additional knowledge and experience and may award credit. The specific course of study and the location are chosen by the student. Some suggested studies include: assisting a botanist with field studies; assisting a botanist with plant inventories; plant monitoring in a national forest; and/or internship on a special project in a botanical garden.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/NIH/DHHS: Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Exploratory/Developmental Projects in Translational Research

Due: The deadline for receipt of optional letters of intent is January 4, 2010. The deadline for receipt of full applications is February 1, 2010

Award: $250,000 per year for two years

The sponsors invite applications for exploratory/developmental translational research on therapeutics for reducing mortality and morbidity caused by acute exposures to chemical threat agents. Chemical threats include traditional chemical warfare nerve agents such as sarin and VX, toxic industrial chemicals such as cyanide and chlorine, and toxic agricultural chemicals such as parathion and sodium fluoroacetate. Projects supported by this FOA are expected to generate preliminary data that would enable the development of competitive applications for more extensive support from the NIH CounterACT program (see www.ninds.nih.gov/counteract for a description) and other related research and development programs. This program will use the NIH Exploratory/Developmental (R21) grant mechanism.

More information is available here.

 

Environmental Protection Agency: Increasing Scientific Data on the Fate, Transport and Behavior of Engineered Nanomaterials in Selected Environmental and Biological Matrices 

Due: February 2, 2010

Award: $600,000 for four years

The sponsors are interested in supporting fundamental and applied research related to engineered nanomaterials in the following two areas:
1. Evaluation of potential exposures to engineered nanomaterials including an exploration of environmental and biological fate, transport, and transformation of these materials throughout their lifetimes;

2. Increasing the scientific understanding of engineered nanoscale additives and ingredients intentionally introduced into food matrices for delivery of important micronutrients and modification of sensory attributes.

More information is available here.

 

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU): Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Program

Due: February 5, 2010

Amount: $10,000 for one year ($5K provided by ORAU, required match by applicant’s institution)

The Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards provide seed money for research by junior faculty at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) member institutions. These awards are intended to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty and result in new funding opportunities.

More information is available here.

 

NIH: Bioenergetics, Fatgability and Activity Limitations in Aging

Due: February 5, 2010

Award: Not specified - for five year project

To investigate the role of specific bioenergetic factors in increased fatigability, reduced activity, and diminished sense of well-being in older persons. This FOA also invites applications to test the effects of interventions targeted at such factors on performance capabilities, functional status, and other outcomes that relate to quality of life. Applications submitted in response to this FOA should address fatigability, rather than fatigue alone. Progress in developing interventions to reduce fatigability will likely require a spectrum of translational, clinical, and epidemiologic approaches. Studies to clarify the role of fatigability and bioenergetic factors in major disability and functional limitations are particularly encouraged. When possible, applicants should use standard or established approaches to assess physiologic factors, physical function, and fatigue (to incorporate into fatigability measures) that have been developed and/or validated in older populations. Other methods, existing or to be developed, may also be used when appropriate for the populations and questions under study in individual applications.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute on Aging/NIH/DHHS: The Role of Apolipoprotein E, Lipoprotein Receptors and CNS Lipid Homeostasis in Brain Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

Due: February 5, 2010

Award: No limit is set on the costs - for a five year project

To encourage research that will advance our understanding of how Apolipoprotein E, lipoprotein receptors and CNS lipid homeostasis influence brain aging, brain repair and neurodegeneration. The ultimate goal of this funding initiative is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which the Apolipoprotein E e4 allele confers increased AD risk and exerts its negative pharmacogenetic effect on various AD therapeutic modalities. If successful this effort will facilitate the process of developing Apolipoprotein E e4-directed AD therapeutics and prevention strategies. To this end we invite multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research at multiple levels of analysis in animal models and in humans. We encourage collaborations between AD and neurobiology of aging experts, and scientists with expertise in lipid biology, developmental biology, epigenetics, and evolutionary biology. This FOA encourages multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research to elucidate the role of Apolipoprotein E, lipoprotein receptors and CNS lipid homeostasis on brain aging and on the transition to neurodegeneration in AD and other neurodegenerative disorders. We strongly encourage studies that aim to identify new therapeutic targets for the treatment of AD and other age-related neurodegenerative conditions. Research spanning multiple levels of analysis and multiple species (from mice to man) is particularly encouraged. Also of great interest are projects that aim to use lipidomics, various types of imaging and other cutting edge technologies to identify and develop early biomarkers of neurodegeneration related to lipid metabolism.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS: Calcium Oxalate Stone Diseases (R01) 

Due: February 5, 2010

Award: No limit is set on the costs- for a five year project

To increase investigator interest in research into oxalate metabolism, transport and homeostasis, and oxalate stone diseases. This initiative encourages basic, clinical or epidemiological studies that utilize new and innovative approaches to study the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of these disorders. This FOA will use the NIH Research Project (R01) award mechanism.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering/NIH/DHHS: Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG)

Due: February 5, 2010

Award: Unspecified, for a project not to exceed five years

For multi-disciplinary research performed in a single laboratory or by a small number of investigators that applies an integrative, systems approach to develop knowledge and/or methods to prevent, detect, diagnose, or treat disease or to understand health and behavior. A BRG application may propose hypothesis-driven, discovery-driven, developmental, or design-directed research that serve the mission of one or more of the participating NIH institutes or centers.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute of Mental Health/NIH/DHHS: Biobehavioral Research Awards for Innovative New Scientists (BRAINS)

Due: February 5, 2010

Award: $400,000 for five years

Research programs supported by this funding opportunity seek to support the most highly creative and promising new scientists who are committed to enabling NIMH to fulfill its mission and can bring innovative, ground-breaking, and potentially risky research initiatives and thinking to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. Special emphasis will be placed on multi-disciplinary research approaches, utilizing humans and/or model organisms that directly address the four objectives of the NIMH Strategic Plan:

1. Promote discovery in the brain and behavioral sciences to fuel research on the causes of mental disorders

2. Chart mental illness trajectories to determine when, where, and how to intervene

3. Develop new and better interventions that incorporate the diverse needs and circumstances of people with mental illnesses

4. Strengthen the public health impact of NIMH-supported research

More information is available here.

Department of the Navy: Warfighter Developmental Protective Clothing and Devices

Due: February 8, 2010

Award: Not specified

Areas of interest include but are not limited to: (1) protection against G-induced loss of consciousness, loss of situational awareness, spatial disorientation, and high altitude hypoxia; (2) micro/nanotechnology applicable to life support and protective devices; (3) protection against hypothermia/hyperthermia; (4) auxiliary or integrated human cooling and heating systems; (5) integrated helmet mounted displays, multi-mode helmet vision system technology; (6) advanced filter/device development for eye and / or sensor protection; (7) warfighter / equipment compatibility; (8) breathing systems and advanced concept approaches for current and future applications; (9) crash protection, advanced restraint systems (all axes of restraint), and seating concepts; (10) emergency egress/escape concepts such as but not limited to improved signaling/locating, thermal signature reduction, and day/night cloaking technologies (11) integrated communications systems; (12) hearing protection and communication capabilities in high noise environments (13) integrated floatation systems; (14) human strength enhancement technologies; (15) garment textiles/materials, flame resistant / melt-proof fibers, webbings, water-proof, high-stretch, breathable fabrics, durable, malleable, lightweight conductive-network fabrics, low-bulk/high flexibility vascular compression mechanisms for acceleration protection, fast-response cooling/heating textiles; (16) crew / workstation design; (17) lightweight, portable power sources, recharging and scavenging technologies, and (18) other personal protective technologies.

More information is available here.

 

Garden Club of America: Mart T. Carothers Summer Environmental Studies Scholarship

Due: February 10, 2010

Award: $2,000

The scholarship benefits young men and women who are interestedin furthering their studies and careers in the field of ecology and offers an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience beyond the regular course of study. Work may award academic credit but should be in addition to required courses.

More information is available here.

 

North Pacific Research Board: Graduate Student Research Awards 

Due: February 12, 2010

Award: $20,000

The sponsor funds marine research off Alaska’s coasts to improve our understanding of the North Pacific, Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean ecosystems and to enable effective management and sustainable use of these vital marine resources. The purpose of these awards is to encourage students to pursue scientific and scholarly research. The sponsor will award up to five Graduate Student Research Awards of $20,000 each to qualified masters and/or doctoral students for the opportunity to address scientific, technological, and socio-economic issues relating to the research themes identified in the 2005 NPRB Science Plan.

More information is available here.

 

Tinnitus Research Consortium: Development and Validation of a Behavioral Animal Model of Emotional or Autonomic Reactions to Tinnitus

Due: The deadline for receipt of optional letters of intent is December 15, 2009. The deadline for receipt of full applications is February 1, 2010.

Award: $10,000 a year for three years

The principal objective of this work is to develop and validate a behavioral animal model that demonstrates negative reactions to tinnitus so that structural and functional substrates underlying the reactions to tinnitus can be studied. Demonstration of reactions to tinnitus and measurement of those reactions will permit the systematic experimental manipulations of those reactions and the introduction of drugs as well as other therapeutic interventions to modify or extinguish the reactions to tinnitus even if the percept of tinnitus cannot be eliminated. The work to be supported in response to this request must be clearly relevant to progress in the scientific problems of negative reactions to tinnitus. The tinnitus must be behaviorally verified. The negative reactions must be clearly associated with the perception of tinnitus. A means of measuring the reactions to tinnitus must be developed and validated.

More information is available here.

 

DOE: H-Prize Competition for Breakthrough Advances in Materials for Hydrogen Storage

Due: February 15 is the deadline for registration and eligibility documentation/November 15, 2010 is the deadline for submittal of materials for testing

Award: $1,000,000

The program's purpose is to accelerate the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies by offering prizes to motivate and reward outstanding scientific and engineering advancements. The initial H-Prize is to be awarded for demonstrated advancements in developing an on-board hydrogen storage material for light-duty vehicles that meets or exceeds a specified set of verifiable performance targets as ascertained by an independent Panel of Judges to be selected by DOE in consultation with HEF. Note that the H-Prize is for a material only, not a complete on-board system.

More information is available here.

 

Hughes (Howard) Medical Institute: Janelia Undergraduate Scholars

Due: February 15, 2010

Award: $4500 for 10 weeks

For future scientists, engineers, and mathematicians interested in the sponsor's areas of research at an early career stage. The scholars will spend ten weeks doing research as an intern in the lab of a mentor at Janelia Farm. The scholars are encouraged to attend weekly seminars and other events at Janelia. At the end of the session, each scholar will present their work at a symposium.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering/NIH/DHHS: Exploratory/Developmental Bioengineering Research Grants (EBRG)

Due: February 16, 2010

Award: Direct costs are limited to $275,000 over an R21 two-year period, with no more than $200,000 in direct costs allowed in any single year.

To encourage innovation and high risk/impact bioengineering research in new areas.  While minimal or no preliminary data are expected to be described in the application, applications should clearly indicate the significance of the proposed work and that the proposed research and/or development is scientifically sound, that the qualifications of the investigators are appropriate, and that resources available to the investigators are adequate.  An EBRG application may propose hypothesis-driven, discovery-driven, developmental, or design-directed research.  The research proposed under this program can explore approaches and concepts new to a particular substantive area; research and development of new technologies, techniques or methods; or initial research and development of data upon which significant future research may be built.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute of General Medical Sciences/NIH/DHHS: Exploratory Innovations in Biomedical Computational Science and Technology

Due: February 16, 2010

Award: Direct costs are up to $275,000 over two years

To support exploratory biomedical informatics and computational biology research—applications should be innovative, with high risk/high impact in new areas that are lacking preliminary data or development. Investigators may target one or multiple areas of biomedical computing that will enable progress in biomedical research. Examples of data types that could be considered include but are not limited to genomic sequences, gene expression, proteomics, pathway data, scientific and biomedical images, qualitative descriptors for health and social science, and remote sensing and geospatial images. Specific research areas solicited in informatics or computational science include but are not limited to research, development and application of: tools for data acquisition, archiving, querying, retrieval, visualization, integration and management; platform-independent translational tools for data exchange and for promoting interoperability; analytical and statistical tools for interpretation of large data sets; new models or simulations of complex biological processes at single and multiple levels or across multiple scales (and the development of computational and/or mathematical tools for the analysis of these processes); specific research activities related to the formalization of data-related concepts are appropriate under this announcement. One overall goal of this announcement is to support research and development of tools and approaches for computing on data; most of these will likely be implemented in software. Best practices include the explicit formalization of data-related concepts that pertain directly to the software. This would include activities such as: 1) assessing data flow and use; 2) defining the terms used for data, fields, operations, etc.; 3) defining the relationships among terms and functions; 4) defining data models and schemas; and 5) other similar activities. It is important to emphasize that these activities are appropriate as they relate closely to the particular software itself, or to making the particular software interoperable with other specific software or computational resources.

Areas of biomedical research likely to be critically dependent on biocomputing advances include but are not limited to: Behavioral science; Biological rhythms; Biomedical imaging; Cell biology; Demographic and social science; Developmental biology; Drug design at the molecular and cellular levels; Dynamic modeling of health, chronic disease, and disablement; Environmental science; Epidemiology; Genetics; Genomics; Immunology/inflammation; Medical genetics; Morphology; Neurobiology and cognitive science; Pharmacology; Physiology; Population biology; Structural biology; Substance abuse research; Surgery and virtual tools; and Tissue Science and Engineering. Projects must span the interface of biomedical research and biomedical computational science and technology. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate fundamental understanding and adequate expertise in both the relevant areas of computational science and technology and biomedical research. Cross-disciplinary collaborations are strongly encouraged, including those exploratory or high risk/high impact grant applications which have been initiated or fostered through other cross-cutting initiatives and now are seeking independent support.

More information is available here.

 

DARPA: Defense Sciences Research & Technology

Due: March 8, 2010 by 3pm

Award: Unspecified (multple awards are anticipated)

Proposals may be either basic or applied research.  However, in all cases, proposers should demonstrate that their proposed effort is aimed at high-risk/high-payoff technologies that have the potential for making, in the 5-10 year timeframe, revolutionary rather than incremental improvements to national security, including emerging threats and operational challenges.  While there is no specific requirement for cost and duration of the proposed effort, it is recommended that proposers include a Phase I of 12 to 18 months in length that addresses the most critical issues on the path to success.Proposals that are not within the topical areas described below may be considered out of scope and may not be evaluated.  Likewise, proposals for the integration of existing technologies or development of systems will also be considered out of scope and will not be evaluated. Areas of interest include: Quantum Science and Technology, Physics of Nano-Materials and Devices; Lasers and Photonics; Material Science; Structural Materials; Functional Materials; Power and Energy; Manufacturing Science and Technology; Molecular Biology; Nasic Neuroscience Research; Operational Neuroscience; and Mathematics.

More information is available here.

 

DARPA: Strategic Technologies

Due: March 10, 2010 (executive summaries, proposal abstracts, and full proposals will be reviewed as they are received)

Award: Not provided

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office (STO) is soliciting innovative proposals under this BAA for the performance of research, development, design, and testing that directly supports Strategic Technology Office (STO). This includes Space and Near-Space Sensors and Systems; Strategic and Tactical Networks; Information Assurance; Counter Underground Facilities; Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Defense; Small Unit Operations; Maritime Operations; and Core Strategic Technologies. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.

More information is available here.

 

National Institute on Drug Abuse/NIH/DHHS: Accelerating the Pace of Drug Abuse Research Using Existing Epidemiology, Prevention, and Treatment Research Data (R01) 

Due: May 5, 2010

Award: $150,000 a year for three years

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to invite applications proposing the innovative analysis of existing social science and behavioral data to study the etiology and epidemiology of drug using behaviors (defined as alcohol, tobacco, and other drug) and related disorders, associated HIV risk behaviors, prevention of these behaviors, and health service utilization. Under this FOA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) encourage the analyses of public use and other extant community-based or clinical datasets to their full potential in order to increase our knowledge of trajectories of drug using behaviors and their consequences, risk and resilience in the development of psychopathology, strategies to guide the development, implementation, and delivery of high quality, effective and efficient services for the prevention and treatment of drug abuse. NIH and other funders have invested millions of dollars in the collection of data to inform our understanding of drug abuse etiology, epidemiology, treatment, prevention, and services, as well as associated HIV risk behaviors and outcomes. Yet much of these data have not been analyzed to their full potential. Further analyses of these data thus provide opportunities for relatively low-cost research on the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of drug abuse, and how prevention and treatment services can be organized and delivered with greater effect. Existing data provide unique opportunities to better understand interactions between intrapersonal and environmental factors and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse as well as factors related to disease patterns and progressions, and variations in response to preventive interventions and drug abuse treatment services utilization. Studies using these data might better describe, discriminate, and predict the complex, relapsing nature and course of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse, as well as further understanding of factors predicting drug and alcohol abuse trajectories, prevention program effects, and how services can be organized and delivered to improve enrollment, participation, retention, engagement and health outcomes. Also of special interest is the analysis of datasets that elucidate the role of drug use and its related behaviors in the evolving dynamics of HIV/AIDS epidemiology, natural history/pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention.

The NIDA and NCI are particularly interested in innovative analyses of extant data, including new aims that are being addressed with existing data, new or advanced methods of analyses, or novel combination and integration of datasets to allow the exploration of new questions. Grants under this announcement are not intended as a means to carry out currently ongoing data analysis or for the maintenance and distribution of data sets. Proposed research must be distinct from the aims and methods of the primary research under which the data were collected. For example, datasets collected for other purposes might be reanalyzed to address issues of health disparities and subgroup differences in the trajectories of drug use, prevention outcomes, and treatment utilization and outcomes.

More information is available here.

 

 

Special Operations Command: Biomedial Research Topics

Due: June 30, 2010

Award: Unspecified

For research focused on applied biomedical research topics that may be of interest to Special Operations Forces (SOF)-relevant aspects of medical care, particularly related to: combat casualty management; medical aspects of mission planning, biomedical training, environmental protection, vibration/shock injury, diving procedures, equipment and injuries, exercise and mission related physiology, field diagnostic and care equipment; and medical information management systems.

More information is available here.

 

National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS: Innovative and Early-Stage Development of Emerging Technologies in Biospecimen Science (R21) 

Due: September 30, 2010

Award: Up to $275,000 for two years

The main emphasis is on the early-stage development of a novel technology to advance the biospecimen sciences. Projects proposed must be pertinent to its overarching objective, i.e., applicants must address the development of technologies and methodologies that maximize the quality and utility of biospecimens and/or derived samples for cancer research and medicine. Projects proposed should be revolutionary rather than evolutionary; the conceived technologies should have the potential to dramatically alter the way that research can be pursued. Responsive “technologies” encompass relevant techniques, tools, instrumentation, devices, and associated methods. For example, tissue samples have a complex composition due to mixed normal and diseased cell populations. The direct application of currently available molecular techniques to tissue biospecimens can be extremely challenging as clinically derived samples typically offer limited amounts of material that can be used for analysis, and techniques used for procuring these samples add to the complexity. The yield of extracted biomolecules can further decrease if a microdissection-based approach is employed to procure a specific cell population, with questionable quality due to processing steps such as fixation and embedding. Therefore, another focus of this FOA is on the development of novel technologies that can overcome these challenges when directly implemented on the analysis of biospecimens. Proposed projects must involve the development and/or utilization of novel cancer-related biospecimen/sample preparation, extraction, or transport methodologies/technologies to ensure the appropriate, consistent, and well-controlled sample quality that is necessary in research and/or for clinical use. The development and/or utilization of methods and/or technologies to assess the qualities of biospecimens or samples are also appropriate.

More information is available here.

 

Defense Threat Reduction Agency: Basic Research for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Broad Agency Announcement

Due: September 30, 2010

Award: Between $100,000-$500,000 annually for up to five years

This BAA is focused on soliciting basic research projects that support the DTRA mission to safeguard America and its allies from WMD (e.g., chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high yield explosives) by providing capabilities to reduce, eliminate, and counter the threat and mitigate its effects.  To this end, DTRA seeks research across broad strategic thrust areas:

• Science of WMD Sensing and Recognition: The basic science of WMD sensing and recognition is the fundamental understanding of materials that demonstrate measurable changes when stimulated by energy, molecules, or particles from WMD in the environment. This research thrust involves exploration and exploitation of interactions between materials and various electromagnetic frequencies, molecules, nuclear radiation or particles. These interactions and the specific form of recognition they provide are used for subsequent generation of information that provides knowledge of the presence, identity, and/or quantity of material or energy in the environment that may be significant.
• Cognitive and Information Science: The basic science of cognitive and information science is the convergence of computer, information, mathematical, networks, natural, and social science. This research thrust expands our understanding of social networks and advances knowledge of adversarial intent with respect to the acquisition, proliferation, and potential use of WMD.  The methods may include analytical, computational or numerical, or experimental means to integrate knowledge across disciplines and improve rapid processing of intelligence and dissemination of information.
• Science for Protection: Basic science for protection involves advancing knowledge to protect life and life-sustaining resources and networks.  Protection includes threat containment, decontamination, threat filtering, and shielding of systems. The concept is generalized to include fundamental investigations that reduce consequences of WMD, assist in the restoration of life-sustaining functions, and support forensic science.
• Science to Defeat WMD: Basic science to defeat WMD involves furthering the understanding of explosives, their detonation, and problems associated with accessing the target WMDs.  This research thrust includes the creation of new energetic molecules/materials that enhance the defeat of WMDs, the improvement of modeling, and simulation of these materials and various phenomena that affect success and estimate the impact of defeat actions, and investigation of novel methods that may yield order-of-magnitude improvements in energy and energy release rate.
• Science to Secure WMDs: Basic science to support securing WMD includes: (a) environmentally responsible innovative processes to neutralize chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE) materials and components; (b) discovery of revolutionary means to secure components and weapons; and (c) studies of scientific principles that lead to novel physical or other tags and methods to monitor compliance and disrupt proliferation pathways.  The identification of basic phenomena that provide verifiable controls on materials and systems also helps arms control.

More information is available here.

 

Department of the Navy: BAA for Persistent Ground Surveillance System Technologies and Payloads

Due: October 14, 2010

Award: Not specified

The Avionics Department (AIR-4.5), Special Surveillance Programs Office (SSPO) develops advanced sensors (Acoustics, Electro-Optical, Radar, Magnetics, and other special sensors) and persistent surveillance systems. The purpose of these sensors and surveillance systems is to support a variety of OCONUS Contingency Operations (OCO) missions for persistent surveillance. The objective is for rapid turn-around research, development and prototyping to demonstrate advanced sensors/payloads for persistent surveillance.

This BAA addresses primarily applications for tethered unmanned platforms but also includes manned and unmanned airborne platforms. This BAA includes the sensors, sensor data processing and sensors systems, modeling of the sensor, communication techniques between the sensors and/or platforms, interfaces, the fusion and exploitation of multi-source sensor data, advanced payload platforms and its integration with sensors/payloads and any other technique to develop advanced capabilities and to reduce the cost of transitioning sensor/payload technologies into theater. Furthermore, the BAA shall cover development and/or analysis of related sensor air, sea, and land clutter and detection models using relevant sensor data.

More information is available here.

 

Department of the Air Force: Space Electronics Open Five Year Broad Agency Announcement

Due: November 17, 2011

Award: Award ceiling is $150,000,000

This is a 5-year, opened-ended Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to solicit research proposals for the United States Air Force Space Electronics program which will improve performance of space electronics, reduce / eliminate the gap between space / terrestrial electronics through breakthroughs in materials, devices, processes, packaging, and architecture, make high-performance space electronics more affordable and available and simplify the implementation of complex systems using breakthroughs in reconfigurable concepts, electronic devices, and architecture.

More information is available here.

 

Department of the Air Force: Advanced Component Technology for Sensor Systems (ACTSS) Broad Agency Announcement

Due: September 30, 2010

Award: Unspecified

The objective of this BAA is to advance the technology and/or increase knowledge and understanding of Advanced Component Technology for Sensor Systems to support research efforts that further the development and military application of these technologies. Areas of interest include: multiple sensor component technologies in radio frequency (RF), microelectronics, electro-optical (EO) and photonic devices, components and subsystems to satisfy requirements in air, space, Command, Control and Communication (C3), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and munitions applications.

More information is available here.

 

National Geographic Society: Waitts Grants Program

Due: Open deadline

Award: Up to $15,000

This program helps qualified and experienced individuals launch the most difficult stage of a project for which to secure funding — the search. Grants are made for exploratory fieldwork that holds promise for new breakthroughs in the natural and social sciences. The program funds projects that require venture capital, supporting exceptional projects while foregoing a time-consuming peer-review process. Funding is not restricted to United States citizens. Applicants planning work in foreign countries should include at least one local collaborator as part of their research teams.

More information is available here.

 

Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research: AHRQ Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Due: Open Deadline

Award: Not specified - for two years. The amount of Fellow stipends is decided by the awarding unit, NIH, and is based on graduate status of the Fellow. The stipend increases with the number of years of relevant post-doctoral experience at the time of the appointment. Fellows receive health benefits, vacation days and sick days.

This two-year postdoctoral fellowship program is funded by an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality training grant allowing clinicians and non-clinicians in health services research to study at the Brown University’s Center for Gerontology and Healthcare with an emphasis on geriatrics, gerontology, and chronic disease management. The program provides postdoctoral fellows with an exciting opportunity to participate in groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research in such areas as health promotion and prevention, long-term care, community-based systems of care, Healthcare organizations, and methodological approaches to health services research. The program is rooted in the premise that a biopsychosocial model is the most appropriate one to adopt in the study of chronic disease and geriatrics, and that such a model is best implemented in an interdisciplinary training program. In this program M.D.'s and Ph.D.'s not only work together on funded projects, they also teach each other about the clinical aspects of the population and the research methods necessary to study it systematically. Further, special care is taken to ensure a good fit between the needs of each trainee and the interests, available resources, and capabilities of his or her faculty mentor. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must hold an M.D. (and be in the process of basic clinical training) or a Ph.D. in sociology, epidemiology, economics, or another related field.

More information is available here.

 

NSF: Multi-scale Modeling

Due: Based on linked program - MSM proposals should be submitted to an existing GEO or BIO program according to the program's regular target or deadline dates

Award: Based on linked program

To support projects that focus on the development and/or integration of environmental mdoels that link local, regional and global scales

Competitive projects should address key problems linking biological and Earth system processes over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. These projects will develop theoretical foundations for the modeling and simulations of existing data and data collected by the new and envisioned NSF environmental observatories. [These include, for example, EarthScope, Critical Zone Observatories (CZO), the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), and many other projects and centers.]      Proposals are encouraged that have the potential to dramatically improve our understanding of how small and large scale processes lead to non-linearities and activation thresholds as well as to improve our predictive capabilities. Projects could address, but are not limited to, topics such as the carbon cycle, climate, population dynamics, foodwebs, biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles, and hydrological processes.

For more information, including projects to link to, is available here.

 

NSF: Environment, Society and the Economy

Due: Relevant porposals must be submitted to an exisiting SBE or GEO program according to the program's regular target or deadline dates

Award: Based on linked program

To promote research that links the geosciences and the social and behavioral sciences in new and vital ways

The sponsor will consider proposals that describe new research efforts relating to the integrated study of environment, society, and economics. Interdisciplinary teams of researchers are strongly encouraged. Projects are expected to involve researchers in the geosciences and social and behavioral sciences, but they may also include other disciplines. Prospective topics of interest in the general area of Environment, Society, and the Economy include, but are not limited to, the following: Decision-making strategies related to ongoing or predicted global, regional, and local environmental changes; Economic and geosciences evaluation of technology and practices linked to climate change; Impacts and adaptation of economic systems; Pathways to successful application of geoscience research findings; Development and implementation of mitigation strategies within political and economic constraints; Interplay of environmental change and inequality of income, access to resources, etc.; Role of incentives in human behavior; Politics and economics of resource agreements; Environmental change and its impact on the evolution of human behavior; and Capacity building.

More information is available here.