Funding Opportunities from the Department of Defense for Young Investigator Program and Early Career Program

The Air Force Young Investigator Program

The Air Force Young Investigator Program, or YIP, supports scientists and engineers who have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees within the last seven years.

The objectives of this program are:

1. To foster creative basic research in science and engineering.
2. Enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators.
3. Increase opportunities for the young investigator to recognize the Air Force mission and related challenges in science and engineering.

Most YIP awards are funded up to $150,000 per year for three years, for a total of $450,000. Exceptional proposals will be considered individually for higher funding levels and/or longer duration.

Learn more.

The Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program 

The Office of Naval Research, or ONR, program seeks to identify and support academic scientists and engineers who are in their first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent academic appointment, who have received their PhD or equivalent degree on or after 01 January 2016. Proposals addressing research areas as described in the ONR Science and Technology Department section of ONR's website.

Learn more.

The Army Research Laboratory Early Career Program

The Amy Research Laboratory Broad Agency Announcement seeks proposals from institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, foreign organizations, foreign public entities, and for-profit organizations for research based on the following Science and Technology campaigns:

• Computational sciences.
• Materials research.
• Sciences for maneuver.
• Information sciences.
• Sciences for lethality and protection.
• Human sciences.
• Assessment and Analysis.

Further details are described in the ARL Technical Strategy and in the ARL S&T Campaigns.

If you wish to discuss applying for any of these programs, please email ord@k-state.edu.

The Office of Research Development will again offer a month-long writing clinic that will use an iterative process to help interested faculty members develop and refine their submissions for the National Endowment for the Humanities, or NEH, Summer Stipends program. This clinic is based on the approach ORD has successfully offered for the National Science Foundation CAREER opportunity and has used for the last four years for the NEH Summer Stipends program.

The Writing Clinic steps will be as follows:

1. Prewriting Questions – submit by July 10; group meeting week of July 10.
2. Significance and contribution section as well as the Organization and methods section– based on answers to prewriting questions – submit by July 17; group meeting week of July 17.
3. Competencies, skills and access; final product and dissemination sections as well as the work plan (1 page) and bibliography – submit by July 24; group meeting week of July 24.
4. Full 3-page narrative section, 1 page work plan and resume – submit by July 31; group meeting week of July 31.

We will meet once a week via Zoom to review and discuss the writing assignments. Participants agree to take part in all sessions and complete the assignments of the clinic.

If you are interested in participating in this Writing Clinic please send an email stating your interest to ord@k-state.edu by June 16. Please use “Summer Stipends” in the email subject line.

K-State events and announcements

9-10 a.m.

Friday, May 19

Zoom

All K-State faculty are invited to attend a Pathways 2 Commercialization session on May 19 from 9-10 a.m. via Zoom.

David Rosowsky, vice president for research, as well as Ken Williams and Stephanie Pierce from K-State Innovation Partners, will be available to discuss the opportunity and answer questions from interested faculty.

Learn more about the program.

Email Stephanie Pierce at smpierce@k-state.edu to receive a Zoom link for the session.

This session will also be recorded and can be requested to view later by contacting Stephanie.

K-State faculty, staff and students are invited to design and facilitate a hands-on activity for the workshops. There is no set theme for the summer workshops. The goal is to provide students with hands-on experiences in a broad range of STEM disciplines, and introduce them to career options in STEM. For more information about facilitating at the workshops and for activity proposal templates, visit the website. The KAWSE office is happy to provide letters of support to grant agencies for those who collaborate with us. Activity proposals are due by May 17.

Any questions about the GROW/EXCITE summer workshop may be directed to Stephanie Wacker, KAWSE Program coordinator, at swacker@k-state.edu. 

Patton Trust Research Grants

Top takeaways

• Multidisciplinary collaborative research is encouraged
• All full-time researchers at BioNexus KC stakeholder institutions are eligible to submit proposals
• Awards are limited to $50,000 for one year and are intended to attract future external funding
• NEW All applicants must register online using the online portal

Application deadlines

• Letter of Intent is due by 5 p.m. on May 25, 2023
• Full application must be received by 5 p.m. on June 28, 2023
• Funding date for successful proposals — September 12, 2023

Resources

• Patton Trust Research Grants RFP
• Online grants portal instructions
• If you need additional support, please reach out to Daniel Kennedy

Undergraduate and graduate students:

Applications for the BioKansas & NBAF PAID Fall 2023 Internship Program at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) are open. Undergraduate and graduate students will not want to miss out on this excellent opportunity to gain valuable work experience and explore different career options at the intersection of science and government. 

We are seeking undergraduate and graduate students who are a part of underrepresented communities - Black, Latinx, Indigenous, disabled students, and women - in STEM disciplines.

Applications for the Fall 2023 internship must be turned in by May 15! 

Innovation Festival aims to elevate students and postdocs while highlighting interconnections between disciplines and sectors. Conference programming this year spans biotechnology, nutrition and the microbiome, human and animal health, engineering, data science, digital tech, pharmacology, deep tech, and more. 

Travel award applications are now open for both those applying to present, as well as those just wanting to attend. 

• Applying to present? The travel award application is included in the Innovation Festival - Conference Presenter Application Form
• Just attending but need some travel support? Complete this form. 

Innovation Festival is taking a novel approach to placing students and postdocs into industry jobs and academic research programs, including full-time jobs; internships; post-baccalaureate, summer, graduate, and postdoctoral training programs; and more! Industry companies and academic institutions will be in attendance to recruit attendees into highly sought-after positions. 

You’ll have the opportunity to:  

• Present your research orally or as a poster to industry and academic leaders, or to just attend! 
• Experience one-on-one conversations with industry and academic leaders interested in helping you reach your goals.  
• Participate in unique experiences to build your network and identify new career or training possibilities.  

Open the door to this unique experience and a wealth of opportunities by submitting an abstract or applying today! Space is extremely limited. 

Building Bridges to Use-Inspired Research and Science-Informed Practices

You're invited to participate in a workshop aiming to strengthen partnerships among academic, private, and government organizations.

Supported by NSF's Directorate of Biological Sciences, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, and the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, or TIP, this workshop will build new connections among key biological sciences communities to successfully conduct use-inspired research.

The workshop will consist of a series of events facilitated by KnowInnovation:

• Free virtual Pre-Workshop MicroLabs (for an unlimited number of participants) 
• 1-3 p.m., Friday, May 12
• In-person workshop held June 12-14, 2023 in Boise, Idaho (for 120 selected participants representing diverse groups and organizations; applications will open April 14, 2023).

Participants of the workshop will co-create the structures and processes that guide how diverse organizations support and value use-inspired science and will guide NSF to create use-inspired tracks within the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Office of Integrative Activities. Participants will build connections to new funding and partnership opportunities within and associated with NSF's new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. Participants will gain insight from government and private organizations who want their science needs to be more broadly understood and incorporated into research priorities.

Learn More

Noon-2 p.m.

Thursday, May 11

The workshop will be presented by recognized Team Science expert Dr. Jeni Cross. Building Genuine Relationships is a core domain of Team Science, comprised of the following competencies: 1) Acknowledging and including; 2) Self-awareness and social sensitivity; 3) Relationship building routines/practices (fun and team identity); and 4) Building trust and psychological safety.

Please register to attend.

The Division of Mathematical Sciences, or DMS, is hosting virtual office hours to share information about NSF’s current operations and provide guidance to the mathematical sciences community. All members of the mathematics research community interested in the work of DMS are welcome to attend.

Events are planned at monthly intervals and the topics vary for each event. The event will be in the form of a webinar, starting with a brief presentation of a few selected topics of current interest, followed by questions. DMS program directors will be available to answer questions from the community. 

Participants should register in advance.

2-3 p.m.

Tuesday, May 16

Please join the Division of Biological Infrastructure for the monthly Virtual Office Hour. Program Officers will introduce the Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, Program and discuss recent updates to the relevant solicitation. They will also provide tips on how to write great CAREER proposals. It is an opportunity to raise questions and communicate directly with program officers in your field.

Please register in advance.

1-2 p.m.

Thursday, May 18

Join this open-ended session to ask questions about what’s needed when creating a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer, or SBIR/STTR, proposal. A SBIR/STTR program director will answer questions and point you to resources. Prior to this session, we encourage you learn more about the proposal process, then come prepared with any questions you have.

Register for the Preparing your Phase I Proposal for America's Seed Fund webinar on Zoom.

1-2 p.m.

May 16 and June 20

Zoom

ExpandAI Office hours are provided for your convenience. NSF Program Directors representing different categories of MSIs will be available on the days and times listed to answer your questions about the program. Feel free to join/leave at any point during the meeting. To join, simply follow the event link below. You do not need to turn on your microphone or share your camera to join. Responses will be provided to questions typed into the Zoom chat window. Office hours will not be recorded but will be held regularly as advertised. Come prepared with your questions or simply join in to listen.

Join the Zoom meeting using this link.

Friday, May 19

3-4 p.m.

The Centers for Chemical Innovation, or CCI, Program supports research centers focused on major, long-term fundamental chemical research challenges. CCIs that address these challenges will produce transformative research, lead to innovation, and attract broad scientific and public interest. CCIs are agile structures that can respond rapidly to emerging opportunities through enhanced collaborations. CCIs integrate research with strong broader impacts, including innovation, education, broadening participation, and informal science communication.

We will provide an overview of the CCI Program, with focus on phase I CCIs, that provides $1.8 million/3 yrs. to support the preliminary, team-based research and planning needed to develop a strong center proposal. The current funding opportunity is NSF 23-575, with a preliminary proposal deadline of August 10, 2023. Learn the basics of preparing a compelling preliminary proposal and some of the factors that go into assembling a great team. There will be general Q&A as well as suggestions for how to contact a Program Director for a more in-depth private discussion of your ideas.

Register to attend.

12:30-1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 31

The Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, TIP, advances use-inspired and translational research in all fields of science and engineering, giving rise to new industries and engaging all Americans — regardless of background or location — in the pursuit of new, high-wage jobs in science, technology, engineering and math.

Join this webinar to hear what’s new in TIP. We’ll walk through our new programs and talk about our latest awards.

Register for the Intro to NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships webinar on Zoom. 

June 5–8

Zoom

Join the National Science Foundation for the Spring 2023 NSF Virtual Grants Conference, to be held during the week of June 5, 2023. 

Registration will open on Wednesday, May 10 at 11 a.m.

Just like the in-person grants conferences, the NSF Virtual Grants Conference is a must, especially for new faculty, researchers and administrators.

Highlights include:

• New programs and initiatives
• Proposal preparation 
• NSF's merit review process 
• NSF directorate sessions 
• Award management topics 
• Conflict of interest policies 
• NSF systems updates 

The NSF Grants Conference is designed to give new faculty, researchers, and administrators key insights into a wide range of current issues at NSF. NSF staff will provide up-to-date information about policies and procedures, specific funding opportunities and answer attendee questions. 

Learn more.

Can You Really Be Vegan and Have Pets? MSN

More Americans say they're stressed out about money Yahoo! Finanace

Farm Journal Foundation Holds Forum To Discuss Farm Bill Opportunities For Ag Innovation AgFax



K-State moves forward in establishing teaching, research farm near Alton The Mercury

HydroGraph Achieves Critical Technology Milestone for the First Cost Effective Modular Commercial Scale Unit for Production of High-Purity Graphene Yahoo! Finance

K-State Salina unveils new extended reality lab Pratt Tribune

Time tracking for early-career researchers: a practical guide

Ask any doctoral candidate what they find challenging about their work, and time management tends to be up there. In a 2022 survey of more than 3,200 graduate students around the world (Nature 610, 805–808; 2022), half worried that they would not finish their degrees on time and more than two-thirds reported struggles with work–life balance. Yet how to manage time is rarely something that universities rarely teach young academics. Nature

The 1970s psychology experiment behind 'Star Wars' special effects

Creating realistic simulations of neighborhoods using miniatures and computer-controlled cameras was the goal of an ambitious experiment designed by two NSF-funded researchers. What they didn't know was that their lab's research would influence how special effects are made in some of the most memorable movies and TV shows in history, from the first "Star Wars" movie to "The Mandalorian." NSF

‘Game changer’ method lets scientists peer into—and fly through—mouse bodies

A research team has turned the bodies of dead mice into vivid 3D maps of anatomy, with tissues, nerves, and vessels highlighted in color. The technique, which renders the corpses transparent and then exposes them to fluorescent antibodies that label distinct cell types, could help everything from drug development to understanding the spread of cancer, its creators and other scientists say. Science

The ‘Godfather of A.I.’ Now Warns of Its Dangers

Artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton announced he was leaving his part-time job at Google on Monday so that he could speak more freely about his concerns with the rapidly developing technology. Smithsonian Magazine

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