To allow ample time for teams to formulate winning proposals, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) has been asked to publicize an URGENT limited competition deadline for the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI). Though applications are not due to the NSF until January 20, 2020, it is imperative for JMU to identify the most competitive proposals during the concept phase. OSP will collect abbreviated information outlining the potential applicant(s)’ MRI proposal plan. If necessary the OSP will then coordinate a Limited Submission competition internally to identify the most meritorious proposals to move forward. 

INSTRUCTIONS

Those interested in submitting any MRI grant application in January 2020 must send a "MRI notice of interest" e-mail to  jmu_grants@jmu.edu along with a completed  Limited Submission Form by  Wednesday September 11 to inform the OSP and reviewers of their MRI proposal plan. Only proposal materials submitted by this deadline will be under consideration. to submit a full NSF MRI in January 2020.

The body of the email should include the name of the Principal Investigator, Co-Investigators, and which track the proposal will fall under.

In most cases, applicants will be notified of decisions within ten business days of the above stated deadline.

*Note: it is very important to read the new solicitation ( NSF 18-513 ) to determine which Track your request addresses. The number of MRI proposal submissions allowed per institution continues to be a maximum of three, two (2) for Track 1 and one (1) for Track 2.

The Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) advances science- and technology-based research, development, and commercialization to drive economic growth in Virginia. To do so, CRCF creates and fosters high-potential technology companies while encouraging and strengthening collaboration and partnerships between the public and private sector. The Fund seeks to advance Virginia's position in strategically important areas including, but not limited to human health, cyber security, smart communities, and unmanned systems. 

The Matching Funds Program assists qualified organizations in commercializing research or technologies with high potential for economic benefit to Virginia and/or leveraging federal and private funds designated for commercialization. A one-to-one match is required.

Award Amount: $150,000 max

LOI: This year the LOI will call for more information about the proposed technology and why funding its development would be a good investment for the Commonwealth. LOIs are to be a maximum of 2.5 pages and prepared using the template with Arial font, size 11, and with .5" minimum margins. The response for each section should be no more than 1200 characters, including spaces. The LOI is due November 6, 2019 and is mandatory.

Note that the competition is limited to four submissions per institution, so this may become a limited submission if interest peaks.

Information Session: CIT representatives will be on campus on October 2, 2019 from 1:30 to 3:00pm at the JMU Ice House for interested parties, including individuals from the surrounding community. Registration is required in advance due to space limitations.

Although the 2020 grant cycle has not been released, this is a funding opportunity to keep on your radar. Applications are typically due in February and this may become a limited submission if there is a heavy interest. Last year, James Madison University filled all five of our allotted slots for submission.

The Jeffress Trust Program provides $100,000 awards as seed funding to support one-year pilot studies that encourage the development of innovative interdisciplinary strategies that integrate computational and quantitative scientific strategies across a broad range of scientific disciplines. Full-time faculty at institutions in Virginia that are within seven years of their first faculty appointment are eligible to apply as Principal Investigators. Student participation is a requirement of the proposed research plan. Eligible research areas for Jeffress support include astronomy, biosciences, chemistry, computer sciences, engineering, environmental sciences, material science, mathematics and physics.

Please contact OSP if you intend to apply for this funding opportunity so we can monitor if a limited submission competition is required.

We hope you will join us for the 2019 Noftsinger Celebration of Madison Scholarship and Recognition Reception , scheduled for Wednesday, November 6 ^th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Festival Ballroom. The program will feature remarks by President Alger and Provost Coltman, faculty recognition awards presented by the Office of Sponsored Programs Pre-Award, a keynote address by the 2019 Provost Award Winner for Excellence in Research and Scholarship Dr. Sharon Mazzarella, and an interactive music activity produced by representatives from the Center for Inclusive Music Engagement. A catered reception featuring faculty scholarship will follow the formal program. Make sure to REGISTER by October 30 ^th .

Detailed budget justifications are extremely important for the fiscal management of your sponsored program. It has come to our attention that extra scrutiny is being made to expenditures on sponsored programs that may have been approved by the sponsor but not explicitly stated within the budget justification. To ensure that the fiscal management of your project runs smoothly on post-award, make sure to explicitly state deviations from JMU's Financial Procedures Manual within the budget justification at the proposal stage.

A common expenditure that should be mentioned within the budget justification is promotional items. Per JMU policy, these items cannot exceed $10 per person. If the sponsor allows for the purchase of a promotional items that exceed this threshold, simply including the line-item within the approved budget is no longer sufficient. Make sure that the specific item and estimated cost should appear within the budget justification.

This also serves as a friendly reminder that expenditures on sponsored projects must be in accordance with the awarded line-item budget and budget justification. Make sure to contact OSP if you need a budget revision before purchases are made that deviate from the awarded budget. If the revision needs prior approval from the sponsor, the sponsor must approve and/or issue the appropriate modification before the revised budget can be followed.

Did you know that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has supplemental funds available for projects? Some requests can be made in conjunction with regular competitive proposals and others may be requested as supplemental funding to an existing NSF award. The Office of Sponsored Programs has compiled a list of current supplements available on our NSF Toolbox webpage. Some supplemental opportunities include Research Opportunity Awards, Research Experience for Undergraduates, and Supplemental Support.

Check out our webpage to learn more about the different supplemental funds available and if your project may qualify. If you are interested in pursuing a supplement from NSF, make sure to let OSP know early in the process so that we can assist.