June Funding Focus Newsletter #2

Vice President for Research & Economic Development

Proposal Services & Faculty Support

Click here to apply internally for a limited submission

What is a Limited Submission?

A limited submission solicitation (RFA, RFP, etc.) places a cap on the number of proposals that Auburn may submit to a sponsor. Auburn coordinates limited submissions by sending out a notification via this newsletter and creating competitions in the Auburn University Competition Space (also known as InfoReady ).To apply to any limited submission posted below, click on the above link and search for your competition reflected on the page. Please refer to the Limited Submission Procedures page for a list of requirements.

Limited Submission Announcements

Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC): A Grant Initiative for the Appalachian and Delta Regions

This Announcement solicits applications for the WORC Initiative for grants serving the Appalachian and Delta regions. The purpose of this program is to demonstrate the alignment of regionally driven, comprehensive approaches to addressing economic distress and the necessary workforce development activities to ensure a workforce capable of succeeding in current and future job opportunities. Successful long-term economic growth strategies build upon bottom-up, community-led plans that promote economic resilience and maximize regional strengths. The WORC Initiative grants take a long-term view toward assisting eligible communities in diversifying their economies by investing in local strategies developed by regional partners. This long-term view also acknowledges the impact of the opioid crisis and the significant challenges it presents to a community’s workforce. To address these challenges, ETA encourages applicants to include within their applications strategies to address the employment and training needs of individuals affected by substance use disorder in their communities.

As mentioned, the goal of this grant opportunity is to create economic prosperity and gainful employment opportunities for eligible residents in impacted ARC and DRA regions, enabling them to remain and thrive in these communities. Successful applicants must demonstrate coordinated workforce strategies in the ARC and DRA regions and help the regions achieve long-term economic success.

Successful applications will propose projects including all of the following Objectives:

Objective 1: Implement innovative, sustainable service delivery strategies to address economic and workforce-related impacts within each of the regions;
Objective 2: Provide or facilitate the provision of new or enhanced training, job placement and support activities to the following eligible participants: dislocated workers (including displaced homemakers), new entrants in the workforce, and incumbent workers (including eligible individuals within those cohorts that may be affected by substance use disorder [e.g., opioids, stimulants, cocaine, and other substances]) who reside in ARC and DRA regions;
Objective 3: Align and integrate workforce development activities with existing state, regional, or community economic development strategies;
Objective 4: Develop and expand partnerships, including industry partnerships that build and sustain capacity, maximize available resources, and establish community-based approaches for addressing workforce challenges and industry needs in the ARC and DRA regions; and
Objective 5: Provide or facilitate delivery of support services to assist employers and industry in meeting workforce challenges and industry needs in the ARC and DRA regions.

Please note that for projects proposing equipment purchases or capital improvement activities, applicants must address how these proposed expenditures will facilitate all WORC goals and objectives and explain how these expenditures will assist in successful employment and training activities.

Institutional Limit: 1 Proposal

Internal Deadline: June 26, 2020, 4:45pm

Workshop Opportunity - Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) and Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium (MESC)

During this workshop, DISL/MESC plans to provide an overview of the "multiple stressor" research theme and explain why it is important to the State of Alabama. Briefly, ocean conditions are projected to change dramatically this coming century, and the impacts of these changes on the health of our economically critical coastal resources and the resiliency of our communities remain uncertain.

For this reason, this research plan will be of considerable importance for DISL/MESC resource managers as they seek to mitigate these complex socio-environmental interactions and secure the future economic and environmental health of our state. Furthermore, business and government need access to the best available scientific knowledge of our coastal waters to assess future risks and take advantage of opportunities for future economic development and job growth. One important lesson learned from the Deepwater Horizon experience is that the simple belief that the Gulf is ill can trigger dramatic business downturns in all of Alabama's coastal communities. From this experience, it seems clear that a healthy, vibrant future coastal economy will depend on a healthy Gulf of Mexico.

During this introductory workshop, faculty's attention will be called to an AGCRC-approved collaborative extramural competitive grant program that consists of a mix of larger and smaller grants. Specifically, 12 larger grants will be funded up to a maximum of $500,000 per grant, for a period not to exceed three years, with preference given to collaborative grant proposals that include 2or more MESC institutions. The 10 two-year Small Grants for Exploratory Research will be funded up to a maximum of $100,000. Preference will also be given to those proposals that are collaborative in nature as well.

DISL/MESC will also describe the extramural competitive process that will be used to direct funding decisions, and the role that the U.S. Department of Treasury will play in monitoring program performance in accordance with its rules and policies. Lastly, suggestions will be solicited that might improve the "multiple stressor" research theme.

To facilitate the presentation of important information about the Center, and next steps, the introductory online workshop will be held on June 24th. Additional details on the time and the access points for the workshop will be provided soon.

Up to 5 participants can serve as university/department faculty representatives for this workshop. Their input will be used to finalize the overall direction of the Request for Proposals (RFP). Once finalized there will be a second online workshop that will present the RFP to all who are interested. The RFP is anticipated to be released to the MESC science community later in the fall with funding decisions announced in late Spring of 2021.

If you have questions about the upcoming workshop, please do not hesitate to reach out to DISL/MESC at dbyron+coe@disl.org .

*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A STANDARD LIMITED SUBMISSION*

Institutional Limit: 5 Attendees

Internal Deadline: June 17, 2020, 4:45pm

IMPORTANT UPDATES

NSF Update

As you may know, beginning June 1, NSF implemented the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 20-1) for proposals submitted or due on or after this date. As you may also be aware, NSF has delayed the requirement to use NSF-approved formats for the biographical sketch and current and pending support sections to be for NSF proposals due on or after October 5, 2020. Proposers must continue to format these documents in accordance with PAPPG requirements (see PAPPG sections II.C.2.f and II.C.2.h). NSF encourages the community to use these formats and continue to provide valuable feedback as we enhance them for future implementation.

NSF has made updates reflecting this implementation to the following policy guidance, websites and frequently asked questions:

Biographical Sketch section of the PAPPG, Chapter II.C.2.f;
Current and Pending Support section of the PAPPG, Chapter II.C.2.h;
NSF-Approved Formats for the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support;
Frequently Asked Questions related to Current and Pending Support;
Frequently Asked Questions on Using SciENcv; and
Frequently Asked Questions on Using NSF Fillable PDF format.

In addition, webinars covering the use of NSF-approved formats as well as all of the significant changes to the PAPPG are available on the NSF Policy Outreach website.

Facebook Now Accepting Requests for Non-Aggregated Data for Research Purposes

Facebook and partners now offer a portal where researchers from academic and nonprofit institutions can request access to non-aggregated symptom survey data from Carnegie Mellon University and University of Maryland. Signed data use agreements are required for this access.

The sharing of non-aggregated data is intended to help facilitate more advanced modeling and forecasting efforts by researchers aiding public health responses around the world. Interested academic and nonprofit researchers can submit a request here .

Researchers should contact the Office of Research Compliance regarding IRB compliance.

Hanover Research Queue has Openings Available for Proposal Review after September 1st

In order to provide resources for faculty and staff, Auburn University has partnered with Hanover Research for a number of grant development solutions including: Pre-proposal Support; Proposal Development; and Capacity Building. Their full-service grant development solutions are available to set goals, build strategies to achieve key grantseeking objectives, and develop grant proposals that are well-planned, researched, and written. For information regarding Hanover’s core capabilities and project time lines, click here . If you are interested in a slot in the queue, please e-mail Tony Ventimiglia ( ventiaf@auburn.edu ).

NIH Moving Ahead with FORMS-F Grant Application Form Update

You must use FORMS-F forms for grant application due dates on or after May 25, 2020 and FORMS-E for due dates on or before May 24, 2020. If you aren’t sure what an application package “Competition ID” is or where to find it, check out Do I Have the Right Form Version For My Application?
The biosketch, data table, and other format pages have also been updated with FORMS-F versions. Format pages are approved formats to be used with specific grant application attachments.

Federal Agency Coronavirus Resource Hubs

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

PCORI: Phased Large Awards for Comparative Effectiveness Research – Cycle 3 2020

This PFA invites applications for high-quality comparative effectiveness research (CER) projects that will examine a critical patient-centered research question that is also relevant to decision makers and other stakeholders. For this PFA, investigators should propose an individual-level or cluster randomized controlled trial of significant scale and scope, requiring funding in excess of $10 million in direct costs. The proposed trials should address important decisional dilemmas that require new evidence about the comparative effectiveness of available interventions. Studies must compare two or more alternatives for addressing prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or management of a disease or symptom; improving healthcare-system-level approaches to managing care; or eliminating health or healthcare disparities.

This funding announcement anticipates that the proposed research projects will require an initial feasibility phase with funding support for study refinement, feasibility testing, stakeholder engagement, and infrastructure establishment. Continued funding of the second phase to carry out the full-scale study will be contingent upon the achievement of specific milestones and deliverables in the feasibility phase. In light of the scale, complexity, and scope of studies being solicited under this PFA, PCORI requires that funded trials include a data coordinating center (DCC) with an independent scientific leadership role to advise on and undertake the analytical, statistical, and data management aspects of both study phases.

For this solicitation, applicants are not required to demonstrate that patients and other stakeholders are already engaged as research team members at the time an application is submitted, but experienced leadership of engagement activities should be included. Applicants should outline how patients and other stakeholders will participate as partners in various phases of the proposed research, once awarded. Applicants should describe their plan to form a study advisory committee (SAC),1 or other appropriate engagement body, to ensure that a broad spectrum of patients and other stakeholders advises and assists the research team with refining the study questions, outcomes, and protocols. These patients and other stakeholders must include national or regional organizations that represent—at a minimum—patients, caregivers, clinicians, policy makers, and other healthcare system stakeholders. PCORI may recommend additional representation in collaboration with the applicant, including individual patients with lived experience and other relevant stakeholders, such as scientific and methodological experts.

Investigators may request up to $2 million in direct costs for a feasibility phase up to 18 months in duration, with up to $20 million in direct costs for continuation to a full-scale study phase up to five years in duration. Total direct costs for the full proposal should not exceed $22 million. Budgets for a data coordinating center representing more than 20 percent of total direct costs must be well-justified.

Click here to register for the town hall on July 14, 2020, at 12pm ET.

Letter of Intent Due: September 29, 2020, 5pm (eastern)

NSF: Disrupting Operations of Illicit Supply Networks (D-ISN)

Major goals of NSF’s D-ISN include:

Improve understanding of the operations of illicit supply networks and strengthen the ability to detect, disrupt, and dismantle them.
Enhance research communities that effectively integrate operational, computational, social, cultural and economic expertise to provide methods and strategies to combat this complex and elusive global security challenge.
Catalyze game-changing technological innovations that can improve discovery and traceability of illicitly sourced products and illicitly sourced labor inputs to products.
Provide research outcomes that inform U.S. national security, law enforcement and economic development needs and policies.

This solicitation is the first of what is envisioned to be a three-year program, based on availability of funds, to support the research needed to inform the economy, security, and resilience of the Nation and the world in responding to the global threat posed by illicit supply networks. The solicitation calls for fundamental research across engineering, computer and information science, and social science with two proposal submission tracks. Track 1 research proposals should address at least one or more of the five focus domain areas listed below. Under Track 2, D-ISN calls for proposals for planning grants to support activities leading to convergence research team formation and capacity-building within the research communities interested in addressing larger-scope challenges in the future.

Full Proposals Due: July 1, 2020 5pm (Central)

NSF: Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Program (IUCRC)

The IUCRC program provides a structure for academic researchers to conduct fundamental, pre-competitive research of shared interest to industry and government organizations. These organizations pay membership fees to a consortium so that they can collectively envision and fund research, with at least 90% of Member funds allocated to the direct costs of these shared research projects.

IUCRCs are formed around research areas of strategic interest to U.S. industry. Industry is defined very broadly to include companies (large and small), startups and non-profit organizations. Principal Investigators form a Center around emerging research topics of current research interest, in a pre-competitive space but with clear pathways to applied research and commercial development. Industry partners join at inception, as an existing Center grows or they inspire the creation of a new Center by recruiting university partners to leverage NSF support. Government agencies participate in IUCRCs as Members or by partnering directly with NSF at the strategic level.

Universities, academic researchers, and students benefit from IUCRC participation through the research funding, the establishment and growth of industry partnerships, and educational and career placement opportunities for students. Industry Members benefit by accessing knowledge, facilities, equipment, and intellectual property in a highly cost-efficient model; leveraging Center research outcomes in their future proprietary projects; interacting in an informal, collaborative way with other private sector and government entities with shared interests; and identifying and recruiting talent. NSF provides funding to support Center administrative costs and a governance framework to manage membership, operations, and evaluation.

Successful IUCRCs require:

A capable research/management team with an entrepreneurial mindset;
Universities, faculty, and students interested in engaging in research of interest to industry;
A community of industry partners seeking pre-competitive, use-inspired research projects.

Each IUCRC is expected to grow and become independently sustainable by the end of the NSF support.

Preliminary Proposals Due: July 7, 2020 5pm (Central)

NSF: Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12)

The Discovery Research PreK-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computer science (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of STEM education innovations and approaches. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. Projects should result in research-informed and field-tested outcomes and products that inform teaching and learning. Teachers and students who participate in DRK-12 studies are expected to enhance their understanding and use of STEM content, practices and skills.

The DRK-12 program invites proposals that address immediate challenges that are facing preK-12 STEM education as well as those that anticipate radically different structures and functions of preK-12 teaching and learning. The DRK-12 program has three major research and development strands: (1) Assessment; (2) Learning; and (3) Teaching. The program recognizes the synergy among the three strands and that there is some overlap and interdependence among them. However, proposals should identify a clear focus of the proposed research efforts (i.e., assessment, learning, or teaching) consistent with the proposal’s main objectives and research questions. The program supports six types of projects: (1) Exploratory, (2) Design and Development, (3) Impact, (4) Implementation and Improvement, (5) Syntheses, and (6) Conferences. All six types of projects apply to each of the three DRK-12 program strands.

Applications Due: October 7 2020 5pm (Eastern)

FY20 CDMRP Funding Opportunities

The office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) recently released Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) funding opportunities for the Department of Defense (DoD) Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP), Melanoma Research Program (MRP), Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP), and Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP).