NSF Announces Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) Funding

Posted on August 14, 2009October 17, 2012

The Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation has established the Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) to serve a critical role in focusing on important emerging areas in a timely manner. The EFRI Office is launching a new funding opportunity for interdisciplinary teams of researchers to embark on rapidly advancing frontiers of fundamental engineering research. For this solicitation, they will consider proposals that aim to investigate emerging frontiers in the following two specific research areas: (1) Renewable Energy Storage (RESTOR), and (2) Science in Energy and Environmental Design (SEED): Engineering Sustainable Buildings. This solicitation will be coordinated with NSF Directorates listed above, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EFRI seeks proposals with transformative ideas that represent an opportunity for a significant shift in fundamental engineering knowledge with a strong potential for long term impact on national needs or a grand challenge. The proposals must also meet the detailed requirements delineated in this solicitation.

INFORMATION WEBCAST: The EFRI Office plans to hold an information workshop on September17, 2009, to answer any questions about the EFRI Office and this solicitation. Details will be posted on the EFRI website (www.nsf.gov/eng/efri) as they become available.

NSF Seeks Review Panelists

Posted on August 3, 2009October 17, 2012

The National Science Foundation Academic Research Infrastructure -Recovery and Reinvestment (AR-R2) is seeking reviewers for their upcoming panels to review proposals for this program. The announcement from NSF follows.

National Science Foundation

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
Academic Research Infrastructure – Recovery and Reinvestment (ARI-R²)

July 31, 2009

Dear Colleagues

The National Science Foundation is requesting merit review expertise in the Academic Research Infrastructure – Recover and Reinvestment (ARI-R²) program (http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09562/nsf09562.pdf). This program is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

ARI-R² is designed to support 21st century research and research training infrastructure in our Nation’s academic institutions and non-profit research organizations, such as research museums, research laboratories, and research consortia. ARI-R² will revitalize existing research facilities so that they provide next-generation research infrastructure and facilitate the integration of researchers with shared resources such as remote instruments and research platforms, data repositories, and national computing facilities. Research facilities are shared space where sponsored and/or unsponsored research activities and research training take place. They may be “bricks and mortar,” mobile or virtual research space.

The National Science Foundation is in need of expertise in a wide range of fields to evaluate the proposals submitted to this competition. NSF is in need of reviewers in three broad categories: a) expertise in a scientific, engineering or architecture field, b) experience in managing large facilities and centers, or c) expertise in computer networking; it is not expected that individuals will have competence in all categories. The merit review panels for this activity will be held during three weeks in October, 2009. Each panelist will be asked to commit up to 3 days to serve on a panel at NSF headquarters in Arlington, VA. Travel expenses, per diem and an honorarium will be provided for your services.

If you have an interest in participating in the merit review process of this important program and have the time to serve on a panel in October, 2009, please go to

http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/ari/ari_reviewer/

and complete and submit the short form indicating your field of expertise and availability.

Thank you for contributing your time and attention to this critical program in the revitalization of United States research resources.

HHS Recovery Act Funding Available to Expand Health Professions Training

Posted on July 28, 2009October 17, 2012

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of $200 million to support grants, loans, loan repayment, and scholarships to expand the training of health care professionals. The funds are expected to train approximately 8,000 students and credentialed health professionals by the end of fiscal year 2010. Today’s funds are part of the $500 million allotted to HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to address workforce shortages under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The $200 million will be directed to the following program areas:

$80.2 million for scholarships, loans, and loan repayment awards to students, health professionals, and faculty. Of those funds, $39 million will be targeted to nurses and nurse faculty, $40 million to disadvantaged students in a wide range of health professions, and $1.2 million to health professions faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds.
$50 million in grants to health professions training programs. Funds will be used to purchase equipment needed to expand programs and improve the quality of training.
$47.6 million to support primary care training programs. These funds will support the training of residents, medical students, physician assistants, dentists and individuals, many of whom will practice in underserved areas.
$10.5 million to strengthen the public health workforce. Funds will support public health traineeships and increase the number of individuals trained through preventive medicine and dental public health residencies.
$10.2 million to increase the diversity of the health professions workforce.
And $1.5 million to support the efforts of state professional licensing boards in reducing barrier to telemedicine.

HRSA is using a competitive process to award all funds. Some awards will be made over the next several months. In addition, funding opportunities for some programs will be announced over the next several months, giving applicants adequate time to prepare materials. The remaining $300 million in ARRA workforce funds is being used to expand HRSA’s National Health Service Corps, which provides scholarships and loan repayment for primary care providers who serve in health professional shortage areas. In addition, HRSA received $2 billion through ARRA to expand health care services to low-income and uninsured individuals through its health center program.

FY09 and FY10 Administrative Savings

Posted on July 28, 2009October 17, 2012

On Monday, the Administration announced that federal agencies had met the goal set by President Obama of finding at least $100 million in administrative savings from their agency budgets. The 77 cost-savings measures identified by agencies would yield $102 million in savings this fiscal year (FY09) and about $140 million in savings in fiscal 2010. Most of the proposals pertain to asset management (e.g., facilities, equipment, and vehicles), energy and other resource usage, meetings and travel, procurement and contracting, and productivity or process improvements. The largest is a Pentagon plan to save $52 million in 2010 by using commercial jet fuel, but the vast majority would provide just modest savings.

Read the complete list of proposed savings.

Obama Administration Announces $85 Million in ARRA Funding for Early Career Scientists’ Research

Posted on July 17, 2009October 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC– U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that up to $85 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be awarded in early 2010 to support at least 50 early career researchers for five years at U.S. academic institutions and DOE national laboratories.

To be eligible for the competition, a researcher must be an untenured, tenure-track assistant professor at a U.S. academic institution or a full-time employee at a DOE national laboratory. The applicant must also have received a Ph.D. within the past ten years.

Each university award will be at least $150,000 per year for five years to support summer salary and other research expenses. For DOE national laboratories, awards will be at least $500,000 per year for five years to support year-round salary and expenses.

Early career researchers may apply to one of six Office of Science program offices: Advanced Scientific Computing Research; Biological and Environmental Research; Basic Energy Sciences; Fusion Energy Sciences; High Energy Physics; or Nuclear Physics. Proposed research topics must fall within the programmatic priorities of DOE’s Office of Science, which are provided in the program announcements. Funding will be competitively awarded on the basis of peer review.

Letters of intent will be due on August 1, 2009, and proposals will be due on September 1, 2009.