Physical Sciences & Engineering

M. Fox (Center of Excellence in Data for Society).

UofA may submit one proposal as the lead organization. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is looking for an organization that can help develop, launch, and run a “Builder Platform” to support its NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) awardees, a signature initiative of NSF’s Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) directorate. The goal of the NSF Engines program is to spur the development of inclusive and diverse innovation ecosystems across the country, with an intentional focus on regions that have not fully participated in the tech boom of past decades. The NSF Engines Builder Platform and accompanying team will be responsible for providing the tailored support structures, networks, and services needed by and vital to the growth of individual NSF Engines. The NSF Engines Builder Platform has been planned as a human-centered portfolio of support structures that empower awardees with the tools, skills, networks, and capital needed to thrive

M. McClaran (School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Arizona Experiment Station)

UArziona may submit one proposal to this funding program.

The purpose of the Research Facilities Act Program (RFAP) is to assist qualifying institutions with the costs related to constructing, purchasing, updating, renovating, or modifying agricultural research buildings to conduct research in the areas of agriculture and food sciences. The proposed agricultural research facility must expand the institution's capacity for long-term impactful research and must be the result of thorough strategic planning. Awards may be used to fund the construction of buildings or sites for agricultural research facilities or other facilities that store agricultural research experimental samples or specimens, as well as the purchase of real estate or durable equipment. Activities might include, but are not limited to:

1. Evaluating infrastructure and sites.
2. Conceptual planning and design for a newly constructed, restored, or rebuilt structure or place.
3. Creating construction plans and schematics for the facility or site that is being built, restored, or rebuilt.
4. Building, restoring, or remodeling a facility or location.
5. Investing in and putting in permanent equipment for research monitoring and safeguarding samples and specimens.
6. Investing in and putting in essential building systems like electricity, climate control, security, life safety, lighting, utilities, telecommunications, and energy management.

Match Required – Applicants MUST provide at least 100% matching contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis for all Federal funds awarded under the Research Facilities Act Program. The non-Federal share must be paid in cash and may include funding from private sources or from units of State or local government. In-kind matching will not be considered.

Range of Awards: $75,000 - $500,000

J. Barton (BOI5 Instiutue) 

UArizona may submit one proposal to this funding program.

BioFoundries is an infrastructure program from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that is designed to accelerate advances in the biological sciences, chemical biology, biotechnology, and bioengineering via access to modern infrastructure, technology, and capacity. BioFoundries will provide the intellectual, technical, digital, and physical frameworks needed for tight integration of technology innovations and applications with foundational interdisciplinary research and training, by: 

1. serving as access points for new biological technologies, workflows, processes, automations, and knowledge-bases to enable transformative discoveries;
2. catalyzing new innovations and transformative discoveries by supporting in-house and external user-initiated research programs that take full advantage of technological and methodological advances;
3. continuing to develop novel technologies, workflows, processes, automations, and knowledge-bases that are both forward-looking and user-responsive;
4. increasing the reproducibility of life science discoveries and data and knowledge sharing capabilities;
5. training the next generation of the scientific workforce; and
6. facilitating pathways to translation.

Leveraging lessons learned from existing national and international biofoundries, NSF encourages researchers to consider a diversity of models (centralized, distributed, consortium) in the design and implementation of BioFoundries. Each BioFoundry should enclose a scientific ecosystem, that includes in-house research scientists across all relevant disciplines supported by NSF, technical staff including cyberinfrastructure experts, external users, and other contributors who, collectively, form a community of practitioners and share tools, reagents, workflows, software, samples, and data. Knowledge sharing should be a central tenet, designed to strengthen collaborations among researchers and enable them to work in new ways and to foster new modalities of research and education/training, for the purpose of accelerating discovery and advancing development. BioFoundries should promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their in-house programs and external user programs. BioFoundries should also promote new avenues for translating such knowledge and technology broadly in ways that benefit society.

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

UArizona may only submit one proposal as the lead organization

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), its grantees, and partners have demonstrated the impact of using data to communicate and increase understanding of how the conditions of place impact community health. Structural racism produces a complex set of barriers (often invisible) that undermines opportunities for health and wellbeing for many communities. Yet researchers and data producers—especially those with vital comprehensive, nationwide data that include findings at smaller state and local levels—often struggle to communicate their findings in ways that resonate for policymakers, community partners, and others who are best positioned to make decisions informed by this information. Data visualization, or tools that make it easy to visualize complex measures, can be a powerful means to communicate data showing structural racism’s impact on communities and to contextualize the legacy of racism.

This Call for Proposals will fund up to eight interdisciplinary teams that each consist of researchers/data producers, data scientists, communications experts, designers, and national social change networks/alliances or national-level social change organizations. Funding will support the creation of data visualizations as tools to provide an understanding of structural racism’s impact on place, health, and wellbeing.

Because organizations in individual sectors may find it difficult on their own to communicate an effective understanding of the impact of structural racism to diverse audiences (e.g., policymakers, advocates, funders and investors, or the media), collaboration is needed across organizations and/or disciplines such as academia, design, media, policy, public health, and social services. Together, these sectors can combine their relevant expertise to design new ways to understand and communicate the impacts of structural racism.

The sponsor has confirmed that the  Women in STEM2D Scholars Program is under review; therefore, the solicitation won't be open during 2023. 

• K. Renner (Orthopaedic Surgery) - Engineering discipline
• K. Rodriguez (Veterinary Medicine) - Science discipline
• A. Ryan (Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics) -  Technology discipline

Math, Manufacturing & Design disciplines are still available. 

UArizona may submit a limit of 6 proposals, one per award category: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing & Design. 

When the 2023 solicitation and guidelines are posted by the sponsor, the internal competition will be updated. 

The Johnson & Johnson Scholars Award Program aims to fuel development of female STEM2D leaders and feed the STEM2D talent pipeline by awarding and sponsoring women at critical points in their careers, in each of the STEM2D disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design. The awards will fund one woman per STEM2D discipline who has completed her advanced degree, who is working as an assistant professor (or global equivalent faculty position) and who is not yet tenured at an accredited university, institution or design school. The goal is to fuel the research passion of the awarded women and inspire career paths in their respective STEM2D fields. Johnson & Johnson is looking to identify global women leading in both their research fields and leading as mentors, to be a vision for girls and other women in STEM2D.

The Scholars Award is a three-year award in the gross amount of $150,000, which will be paid to the University (the “Recipient”) for the benefit of the Johnson & Johnson Scholar and her research, with the understanding that the Recipient will administer the funds. The Scholars Award will be paid in three (3) installments of U.S. $50,000 per year of the three-year scholarship period, payable in 2023, subject to compliance with the terms and conditions of the program’s Agreement. Winners achievements will also be showcased at a symposium.

Judges will use the following criteria to evaluate the applications:

• Scientific/technical expertise exhibited
• Novelty/innovation of the research
• Potential impact of the research
• Feasibility of the research

You must be a woman working in the field(s) of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing and Design (STEM2D).

You must be an early to mid-career women working within a STEM2D university department at the time of application at an accredited academic university, institution or design school. Examples include a non-tenured assistant professor, assistant professor or associate professor.

The female scholar should have a minimum degree for the appropriate field:

• Science; M.D., Ph.D.
• Technology; Ph.D.
• Engineering; Ph.D.
• Math; M.S., Ph.D.
• Manufacturing; Ph.D.
• Design; M.A., M.S., MDes, MArch, MFA, MLA, Ph.D.

Limit: 2  // PIs: 
M. Kwinn   ( Systems and Industrial Engineering /Engineering Management)
H. Budinoff (Systems and Industrial Engineering)

UArizona may submit two proposals to this funding program. 

VentureWell Course and Program (C&P) Grants of up to $30,000 are awarded to US higher education institutions to support curriculum to grow and expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem in order to engage students in science and technology (S&T) innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E). Ideally, C&P Grant funding should act as a catalyst for increased entrepreneurial activity and help faculty and universities leverage other opportunities to launch and/or grow their I&E ecosystems. 

C&P grants may be used to strengthen existing curricular programs or to build new, pedagogically inclusive courses and programs that engage student teams in developing and pursuing scalable solutions to real-world needs through S&T I&E. The end goal is to support diverse groups of faculty, staff, and students in collaborating to develop novel inventions and technologies that have positive environmental and social impact.

Activities supported by C&P grants should lead to effective courses and programs that are sustained by the institution, lead to the formation of student teams by leveraging experiential learning practices, and expand opportunities for learning across S&T I&E.

C&P grant proposals may include plans to create or improve an individual course, course sequence, minor, major, certificate program, or other co- and extracurricular programs, including non-credit programs, that are directly tied to and support I&E-focused curriculum. S&T focus area may include, but are not limited to:

• General (science- and technology-based) entrepreneurship
• Sustainable technologies (new materials, clean tech, green energy, and chemistry innovation)
• Climate change solutions (technology to mitigate and/or adapt to climate change), especially technologies that support communities most impacted by climate change
• Biomedical and healthcare innovation
• Technologies that address poverty alleviation and basic human needs

No applicants // Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 2 

UArizona may submit no more than two (2) applications in response to this announcement.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency, established by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, tasked with licensing, and regulating the Nation’s civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear material to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment.

The program provides funding to support research and development (R&D) for nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials. University R&D activities provide an opportunity to complement current, ongoing NRC-led research.

More specifically, the program shall be used to provide financial assistance for R&D projects relevant to the programmatic mission of the NRC referenced above, with an emphasis on providing financial assistance with respect to research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of new and advanced nuclear technologies. New this year, nontechnical research will be considered under this announcement (for example, projects that would foster the development of innovative community engagement strategies, including incorporation of principles of equity and environmental justice).

K. Skorupski (Nutritional Sciences and Wellness)

NIFA requests applications for the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program for one funding cycle, Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, to provide traineeship programs to eligible institutions for meeting the national need to develop scientific and professional expertise in the food and agricultural sciences. The amount available for grants in FY 2023 is approximately $3,100,000.

The purpose of the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship (NNF) Grants Program, Assistance Listing 10.210, is to provide funding to support graduate student training and completion of master’s and/or doctoral degree programs in identified national need areas within the food and agricultural sciences. The overarching goals and objectives of these graduate fellowships are to encourage outstanding students to pursue and complete graduate degrees in the areas of food and agricultural sciences designated by NIFA as national needs. Awards made by the NNF program are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in areas where there is a national need for the development of scientific and professional expertise in the food and agricultural sciences. NNF awards invest in graduate training and relevant international experiential learning for diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the USDA. This funding opportunity is open to eligible institutions. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

For this award cycle, NIFA intends to support graduate Fellowship training grants for both master’s and doctoral levels of study only. Post-doctoral Fellowships will not be awarded under this grant announcement.

NIFA is soliciting NNF applications in the following areas:

1. Graduate Fellowships to support the training for and completion of master’s and doctoral degree programs in the food and agricultural sciences; and 

2. Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) for NEW eligible master’s and doctoral USDA Fellows.

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions. For those new to Federal financial assistance, Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The DHS S&T Office of University Programs (OUP) is requesting applications from accredited U.S. colleges and universities to lead a consortium of universities for a Center of Excellence for Homeland Security in the Arctic. The Center of Excellence (COE) for Homeland Security in the Arctic will conduct research and education to support homeland security mission goals in the Arctic, including those described in the 2022 National Strategy for the Arctic Region which seeks an Arctic region that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and cooperative; the 2021 DHS Strategic Approach for Arctic Homeland Security, which provides a strategic alignment and vision to protect the homeland and secure prosperity in the region; and the 2019 U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Strategic Outlook, which reaffirms United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) commitment to leadership in the Arctic region.

The U.S. Arctic is dynamic; evolving environmentally, operationally, and strategically. A challenging landscape and seascape, combined with the sheer vastness of distance from the mainland United States, austere communications, and limited infrastructure, exacerbate the harshness of Arctic operations. This new operating environment will not only require additional maritime security presence but will also necessitate new operational capabilities and additional resources to perform cyber and infrastructure security missions, trade and travel facilitation, and natural disaster response in the near term; and inevitably, additional mission sets. 

For example, as changing conditions such as receding sea ice increase access to waters and land across the region, the homeland security mission in the Arctic is expanding.6 This includes furthering collaborative efforts to strengthen security and resilience with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial entities; private and non-profit industry; and communities and individuals. This will also involve efforts to ensure the resilience of the Arctic infrastructure necessary for basic and surge operations as well as lifeline functions against a range of natural and man-made threats; the advancement of situational awareness in the Arctic; the ability to respond to and recover from adverse events; identification of best practices, actions, technologies and policies that could prevent or help plan and prepare for adverse events; and fostering collaborative efforts via interagency and international fora to address areas of mutual interest.

The COE for Homeland Security in the Arctic will conduct interdisciplinary basic and applied research, education, and technology transition to inform those efforts and support DHS components having an operational presence in the Arctic, including the USCG, FEMA, CBP, CISA and other HSE entities in coordination with partner agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of State (DoS), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Areas of Interest 

Theme Area One: Advance All-Domain Situational Awareness

• Topic 1A. Impacts of Emerging Technology on Operations
• Topic 1B. Technology Suitability and Adaptability for the Operational Environment
• Topic 1C. Trend Analysis of Dynamic Human and Non-Human Systems in a Changing Environment

Theme Area Two: Improve Understanding of Risks and Potential Impacts

• Topic 2A: Foundational Risk Assessment and Analysis for Operations
• Topic 2B: Risk Management for Crisis Response

Theme Area Three: Enable Adaptation for Resilience

• Topic 3A: Operational Adaptation for Security (multiple problem statements)
• Topic 3B: Planning and Analysis for Future Conditions
• Topic 3C: Advanced Technologies and Tools for Remote and Harsh Operating Conditions
• Topic 3D: Building Capacity to Adjust to Future Conditions

Theme Area Four: Expand Collaboration and Cooperation across the Homeland Security Enterprise

• Topic 4A: Training, Education, and Workforce Development
• Topic 4B: Outreach and Engagement
• Topic 4C: Collaboration with Local Communities

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The Food and Agricultural Education Information System (FAEIS), under assistance listing number 10.200, is a comprehensive database that gathers information, on a voluntary basis, from degree granting institutions of higher education on student enrollment in Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences (FANH), degrees awarded, and graduate placement at all degree levels and by gender, race, and other relevant categories. In addition, data is collected on faculty salaries by rank and discipline.

Funding under this authority provides funds to administer the FAEIS database. The applicant will:
1. Collect and maintain an accurate, verified and validated set of data, with a focus on FANH sciences from institutions of higher education in the United States.
2. Maintain and enhance an online platform offering user-friendly access to the data for students, institutions, industry, Federal agencies, and the public at large.
3. Facilitate outreach and dissemination of information on both FAEIS itself and outcomes from FAEIS data to NIFA, contributors of the data, and other users of data.