OPPORTUNITY FUNDING ALERT

Arts
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation Announces New Guest Artist Initiative Program
Asian Languages
Blakemore Foundation - Blakemore Freeman Fellowships
Brain Cancer
The Ivy Foundation - Patient-Focused Research on Glioma
Business - Africa
U.S. Agency for International Development and Western Union - African Diaspora Business Program
Career Development
National Science Foundation - Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program and Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists (PECASE)
Education Science - Research & Training
Institute of Education Sciences - Research and Training Programs
Energy
U.S. Department of Energy - Recovery Act: Energy Efficient Information and Communication Technology
Hemophilia Research
CSL Behring Foundation - Hemophilia Research Grants
Multiple Sclerosis
Department of Defense - Multiple Sclerosis Research Program
Science Education
National Science Foundation - NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Scientific Research
U.S. Army Research Laboratory - ARL/ARO Basic and Applied Scientific Research for FY 2007-2011
Of Interest
"Thriving on Change" - 2009 External Funding Conference - August 23-26, 2009

Arts

Asian Languages

Blakemore Foundation - Blakemore Freeman Fellowships
Blakemore Freeman Fellowships are awarded for one year of advanced level language study in East or Southeast Asia in approved language programs (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer, Burmese). To be eligible for a Blakemore Freeman Fellowship, an applicant must: Be pursuing an academic, professional or business career that involves the regular use of a modern East or Southeast Asian language; Have a college undergraduate degree; Be at or near an advanced level in the language as defined in the grant guidelines (Minimum requirement is 3 years of study of the language at college level or equivalent fluency); Able to devote oneself exclusively to full-time language study during the term of the grant. Grants are not made for part-time study or research. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States. Blakemore Freeman Fellowships are intended to cover basic expenses at a graduate student level necessary to pursue a year of full-time language study in Asia, including tuition or tutoring fees, plus a stipend for travel, living and study expenses. Deadline: December 30, 2009. Go to: http://www.blakemorefoundation.org/Language%20Grants/Language.htm

Brain Cancer

The Ivy Foundation - Patient-Focused Research on Glioma
The Foundation's target area of impact for the 2009 Ivy Awards is optimizing the efficiency of therapeutics development for adults with GBM. Specifically, with this the Ivy Foundation is interested in projects whose primary objective is to accomplish one or more of the following: Test a promising strategy to maximize output of clinical trials for GBM (i.e., data and analyses that enhance understanding of the biologic impact of a candidate therapeutic for GBM.); Test a promising strategy to optimize the identification of GBM patient subset(s) early on that are most likely to benefit from a therapeutic approach in clinically meaningful ways. Test a promising strategy to optimize the development of combination therapies for GBM. Research proposals MUST: Focus on one or more of the three objectives outlined above, and be a stand-alone project to establish proof-of-principle or to generate results (positive or negative) that are actionable, and focus on GBM in adults. Successful applications will likely involve: Linking biological findings with clinical endpoints; Conducting studies in patients or patient-derived tissue specimens; Collaborative, multi-institutional and/or multi-disciplinary efforts; Strategies that offer improvements/refinements or favorable alternatives to current strategies. There are no restrictions as to the specific scientific approaches under this RFP. Research may be conducted in a laboratory setting, a clinical setting or both. We accept proposals that involve a clinical trial as well as proposals that do not involve a clinical trial. There is no preference as to whether strategies involve optimization of existing therapeutics versus a new one. Project period: 3 years; Total funds allocated to program - up to $7.6 million; Total budget per project: up to $3 million. Deadline: July 20, 2009. Go to: http://www.ivyfoundation.org/apply_for_a_grant

Business - Africa

United States Agency for International Development and Western Union - African Diaspora Business Program
The United States Agency for International Development and Western Union have launched the African Diaspora Marketplace, a business-development program that will support the U.S.-based African diaspora in creating plans for sustainable start-up and established businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. The program will also provide grant funding to between ten and twenty small and medium businesses with the strongest proposals for boosting economic opportunity and job creation in Sub-Saharan Africa through diaspora-driven development.

The initiative, which includes a research component, is designed to demonstrate the impact that entrepreneurs from the world's diaspora or migrant communities can have on development in their home countries.

Proposals must be implemented in one of the following Sub-Saharan African countries where USAID has both on-the-ground presence and potential technical assistance programs for entrepreneurs: Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. To participate, candidates must be a member (or members) of the Sub-Saharan African diaspora living in the United States as a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and must have a local partner in the country of implementation.

A selection committee will review initial proposals and identify qualifying applicants who will be requested to submit a comprehensive business plan for evaluation. Program finalists will be provided with guidance and technical assistance in developing their business plans. The grant selection panel will evaluate final business plans and select grant recipients based on criteria that include the business idea and management framework, prospects for sustainability, capacity to leverage diaspora resources, and results orientation. Deadline: July 21, 2009. Grants will range from $50,000 to $100,000 each. Go to: http://www.diasporamarketplace.org/

Career Development

National Science Foundation - Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program and Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists (PECASE)

CAREER: The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program (NSF 08-557) is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Such activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from junior faculty members at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply. For more information, go to: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08557/nsf08557.htm

PECASE: Each year NSF selects nominees for the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from among the most meritorious new CAREER awardees. Selection for this award is based on two important criteria: 1) innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology that is relevant to the mission of the sponsoring organization or agency, and 2) community service demonstrated through scientific leadership, education or community outreach. These awards foster innovative developments in science and technology, increase awareness of careers in science and engineering, give recognition to the scientific missions of the participating agencies, enhance connections between fundamental research and national goals, and highlight the importance of science and technology for the Nation's future. Individuals cannot apply for PECASE. These awards are initiated by the participating federal agencies. At NSF, up to twenty nominees for this award are selected each year from among the PECASE-eligible CAREER awardees who are most likely to become the leaders of academic research and education in the twenty-first century. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy makes the final selection and announcement of the awardees.

Education Science - Research & Training

Institute of Education Sciences - Research and Training Programs
Across its education and special education research programs, the Dept. of Education's Institute of Education Sciences has established long-term programs of research that focus on outcomes that differ by periods of education. In the infancy and preschool period, the outcomes of interest are those that enhance readiness for schooling (e.g., language skills) and developmental outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities. The Institute's 14 long-term education research programs are: Reading and Writing; Mathematics and Science Education; Cognition and Student Learning; Teacher Quality-Reading and Writing; Teacher Quality-Mathematics and Science Education; Social and Behavioral Context for Academic Learning; Education Leadership; Education Policy, Finance, and Systems; Middle and High School Reform; Interventions for Struggling Adolescent and Adult Readers and Writers; English Language Learners; Postsecondary Education; Education Technology; Early Childhood Programs and Policies.

The program seeks applications for the following funding opportunities:

The Special Education Research and Development Center on Assessment and Accountability will identify the academic growth trajectories of students with disabilities, and develop and test practically relevant methods of accurately measuring academic growth for students with disabilities to be used in accountability systems.

The Special Education Research and Development Center on Improving Mathematics Instruction for Students with Disabilities will explore underlying cognitive processes that impede mathematics performance and develop innovative approaches to improving instruction that is informed by cognitive science for students with learning difficulties in mathematics.

The Education Research and Development Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools will identify policies, programs, and practices that distinguish between schools that effectively educate students who are from traditionally underachieving populations and schools that do not, and create a system to scale up such practices among schools serving similar student populations. The Education Research and Development Center on Mathematics Standards and Assessment will work with a state or consortium of states to revise and/or develop standards and a framework for mathematics assessments, and to conduct research to improve the development of high-stakes mathematics assessments.

The Education Research and Development Center on Cognition and Mathematics Instruction will work to improve student learning in mathematics by redesigning an existing mathematics curriculum intervention in ways that will substantially improve student outcomes. The research will use what is currently known about improving the acquisition, retention, and transfer of knowledge in redesigning the mathematics curriculum.

Deadlines: Letter of Intent - August 3, 2009 for October submission. Proposals: July and or October, 2009; The Request for Applications for each of these National Research and Development Centers and for Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Programs, is available at: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/. For submission guides, go to: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/10rfas.asp.

Energy

U.S. Dept. of Energy - Recovery Act: Energy Efficient Information and Communication Technology
This $50 million funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000107; CFDA 81.086) seeks to develop new technologies to dramatically improve energy efficiency in our information, communications technology systems with an emphasis on new technologies that can be commercialized within the next three to five years, and to demonstrate through field testing high energy efficient, emerging technologies that are ready for or are in the initial stage of commercial introduction. Deadline: July. 21, 2009. To see the full announcement, go to: https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/PublicPages/PublicSearch/
Public_Opportunities.aspx

Hemophilia Research

CSL Behring Foundation - Hemophilia Research Grants
The CSL Behring Foundation for Research and Advancement of Patient Health offers several types of grants to support the bleeding disorders community. Research grants offer support for scientific, educational, social, and/or epidemiological projects. Patient grants provide funding to hemophilia foundations, chapters, associations and/or other not-for-profit organizations for innovative programs that address the needs of the bleeding disorders community. Please submit your completed application via email to CB.Foundation@cslbehring.com. Patient and research grant proposals and all supporting materials must be received by the CSL Behring Foundation no later than July 31, 2009. Go to: http://www.cslbehringfoundation.com/s1/cs/enfo/1211307170421/content/
1207592635854/content.htm

Multiple Sclerosis

Dept. of Defense - Multiple Sclerosis Research Program
The fiscal year 2009 Department of Defense Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) is offering $5 million in two funding mechanisms: 1) Metric Development and Validation Awards, and 2) Synergistic Idea Awards. (Grant Opportunity No. W81XWH-09-MSRP-MDVA). Please forward to investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) in bio-life, informatics, bio-metrics, clinical metric development, quality of life measurement, biology, biochemistry, clinical medicine, computational biology, endocrinology, environmental sciences, epidemiology, genetics, immunology, mathematics, microbiology, neuroscience, nutrition, physics, physiology, and statistics.

The FY2009 Multiple Sclerosis Research Program specifically encourages applications that address critical needs of the MS community through understanding the genetic, biological, and environmental factors that contribute to any of the following: Etiology: The search for the cause or trigger of MS; Population subgroups: Elucidate the causes of differences in incidence and severity that are attributable to race and gender, which could be relevant to an understanding of the disease process; Primary progressive MS: The events that lead to primary progressive disability, and identifying ways to stop and reverse disease progression; Relapse-remitting MS: Define key processes that are involved in the vulnerability of tissue to attack, and the success of repair during this phase of disease; Secondary progressive MS: The events that cause relapsing-remitting MS to develop into secondary progressive MS, and identifying ways to stop and reverse disease progression.

1. The Multiple Sclerosis Metric Development and Validation Awards are designed to develop and/or validate readily accessible, cost-effective, analytical methods that may be utilized to quantify the disease, monitor disease progress, and/or evaluate the efficacy of disease therapies. Particular emphasis is laid on the development of measurement processes with regard to reproducibility and accuracy and/or the validation of existing and novel measures. Resulting metrics should have broad clinical and/or research applications, as well as the potential for high impact on the MS clinical and/or research community. High-impact measurements, if successful, will significantly improve the sensitivity and/or specificity of current methods, or provide methods specific to novel targets, and thereby will enable improved experiments toward the MSRP vision of preventing the occurrence, reversing or slowing the progression and disability, and lessening the impact of MS. Clinical trials are not allowed under this mechanism.

Clinical/Research Metrics: It is critical that each proposal address at least one area of MS research in which current measures are inadequate for clinical and/or research needs. Examples of metrics that if systematically validated would be of interest for MS detection and quantification include, but are not limited to: Biometrics: Biomarkers of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity, demyelination, axonal degeneration, synaptic regeneration, microbial exposure, nutritional status, gene expression, epigenetics, genetic susceptibility, etc. Cognitive Disability Metrics: Memory attention, visual perception, information processing speed, executive function, etc.; Imaging Metrics: Magnetic resonance imaging, optical coherence tomography, positron emission tomography, etc.; Multidimensional Metrics: Algorithms using combinations of multiple metrics; Physical Disability Metrics: Ease of movement, strength, speed, coordination, dexterity, use of assistive devices, etc. , Quality of Life Metrics: Pain, fatigue, sleep disorder, depression, anger, sexual dysfunction, co-morbidities, etc.

2. The Multiple Sclerosis Synergistic Idea Awards are designed to promote innovative ideas and scientific collaborations by supporting novel approaches to MS research that will move the field toward the MSRP vision of reventing the occurrence, reversing or slowing the progression and disability, and lessening the impact of MS. This award mechanism is designed to support new ideas, not ideas that are extensions of existing collaborative efforts. collaborative partnerships must involve at least two, and up to a maximum of four, Principal Investigators (PIs) from different research disciplines. Each collaborative partnership should use synergistic and multidisciplinary perspectives to address a central critical problem or question in MS research. Proposals should have a high probability of revealing new avenues of investigation. Applications must clearly identify the synergy that will enable or greatly accelerate the evaluation of a single innovative hypothesis through a multidisciplinary approach. Clinical trials are not allowed under this mechanism. Submission of preliminary data relevant to MS and the proposed project is encouraged but not required.

Deadlines: Pre-proposal through http://cdmrp.org due: August 13, 2009. Proposal (by invitation only) November 24, 2009. Go to: http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/msrp.htm For other current DoD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs open funding Synopsis Charts, go to: http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/reftable.htm

Science Education

National Science Foundation - NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
This program (NSF 09-567) makes grants to institutions of higher education to support scholarships for academically talented, financially needy students, enabling them to enter the workforce following completion of an associate; baccalaureate; or graduate-level degree in science and engineering disciplines. Grantee institutions are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, reporting demographic information about student scholars, and managing the S-STEM project at the institution. The program does not make scholarship awards directly to students; students should contact their institution's Office of Financial Aid for this and other scholarship opportunities. Awards - Up to $600,000. Deadlines: Letter of Intent: August 11, 2009; Proposal: September 14, 2009, Go to: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=48047

Scientific Field Research

U.S. Army Research Laboratory - ARL/ARO Core Broad Agency Announcement for Basic and Applied Scientific Research for FY 2007-2011
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) solicits proposals (Funding Opportunity No. W911NF-07-R-0001-03, Coda 12.431) for basic and scientific research in chemistry, electronics, environmental sciences, life sciences, materials science, mathematical and computer sciences, mechanical sciences, physics, computational and information sciences, sensors and electron devices, survivability/lethality analysis, and weapons and materials research. This announcement is available at http://www.aro.army.mil/baa or http://www.arl.army.mil/www/DownloadedInternetPages/CurrentPages/ DoingBusinesswithARL/research/07-r-0001-03.pdf

Of Interest

"Thriving on Change" - 2009 External Funding Conference - August 23-26, 2009
"Thriving on Change" is the theme of the August 23 - 26, 2009 Grants Resource Center conference to be held at the Sofitel Lafayette Square Hotel in Washington, D.C. The quickened pace of the release of new program announcements, agency grant and contract rules, proposal review changes, and congressional funding priorities make attendance at the meeting crucial. The meeting agenda will present the latest news from Washington, speakers will address the key issues that will drive campus funding in the next two fiscal years. To register, go the GRC Events http://www.aascu.org/grc/events/ page. In the meantime, contact Linda Anthony at anthonyl@aascu.org to volunteer to lead a roundtable or to provide input on agenda content. http://www.aascu.org/grclogin/LoginFirst.asp?reason=denied_empty&
script_name=/grc/events/ To gain access to the Grants Resource Center (GRC) web page, which is available only to GRC-member institutions, your institution must be a member of GRC (FAU is a member), please enter your login name and password: Login using Cookie based Authentication; Enter your username: Enter your password: Upon verification, a cookie will be set on your local machine that will allow you access to this restricted site. If your institution is a member of GRC and you do not know your password, please request the correct password from your Office of Sponsored Programs or send an e-mail request to grchelp@aascu.org with the following information:

Name
Name of Institution
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Send comments to Camille Coley, Executive Assistant Vice President or Penny Ashwanden, Content Editor.

Prior Opportunity Alerts

July 2009