Physical Sciences & Engineering

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

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

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, non-technical 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).

The estimated budget for this program is $6,000,000.00 for a project period of three years. 

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Application of wireless communications, drones, robotics, and autonomous control in operations and maintenance activities;

• Digital engineering/analytics, advanced sensors, and digital instrumentation/controls at nuclear facilities;

• Evaluation of technical gaps and major uncertainties in assessing risk for operating, new and advanced reactors (e.g., modeling of complex dependencies, advanced calculation techniques, multi-unit and multi-moule risk, application of risk techniques to radiological consequence analysis, development of improved risk metrics);

• Human and organizational factors and human reliability analysis for advanced nuclear applications, (e.g., improved models for dependency, consideration of organizational factors, dynamic methods, and risk analysis).

• Characterization of fire hazards in new reactor designs (e.g., sodium) and post-fire safe shutdown capability;

• Characterization of natural hazards including but not limited to flooding, high winds, hurricanes, wildfires, climate change;

• Analysis models and methods for fuel and cladding performance;

• Advanced technology approaches (e.g., data and text analytics, data visualization techniques, and artificial intelligence) and applications (e.g., data mining, autonomous control) in nuclear power-related applications; Evaluation of the radiological releases and offsite consequences for fusion reactor accidents;

• Application of innovative and advanced technologies for decommissioning and remediation of radiologically contaminated sites;

• Evaluation of the technical gaps and uncertainties in licensing new veterinary and medical uses of byproduct materials;

• Analytical approaches that combine probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) risk quantification methods with reactor systems sensitivity or uncertainty analysis methods to quantify the risk significance of safety analysis errors or uncertainties; Performance-based technology-neutral safety assurance;

• Evaluation of technical gaps and major uncertainties in assessing risk for decommissioning and waste management; and

• Comparative analysis, consistencies, and harmonization in application of dosimetry and dose coefficients

J. Van Haren (Biosphere 2)

Mid-scale RI-2 is an NSF-wide competitive program that addresses scientific demand for research infrastructure in the $20 million -$100 million cost range for implementation. Mid-scale RI-2 is intended to support visionary projects that are high-priority national needs as identified by research communities of the United States, rather than projects primarily serving regional, campus or local interests. Solving the most pressing scientific and societal problems of the day – such as those called out in National Academies reports and decadal surveys, identified through research community planning and prioritizing exercises or other emerging national priorities – using new technologies, techniques, and concepts is encouraged in this competition. The scientific justification should demonstrate how the proposed research infrastructure provides potentially transformative research capability or access relative to what is currently available to the general U.S. research community. Investigators whose preliminary proposals are for capabilities similar to those currently available to the U.S. research community are unlikely to be invited to submit full proposals. All proposals should show the project's value and benefit to the U.S. science community.

Proposals for research infrastructure that is part of a larger project must clearly state the impact of the proposed infrastructure on the project, whether and how any specific part(s) of the infrastructure would be identified with NSF, and the benefit to the U.S. research communities that NSF supports.

The Total Project Cost (TPC) submitted to NSF for implementation must be at least $20 million but less than $100 million. Mandatory cost analyses will be conducted on proposals considered for award and will need to demonstrate a high probability that the project can be completed in less than $100 million. Projects whose most likely risk-adjusted costs are found to exceed this threshold, as determined via the NSF cost analysis, will not be considered for funding from the Mid-scale RI-2 Program. NSF will utilize independent cost estimate reviews (in some cases performed by contractors or other government agencies) to inform the cost analysis.

PIs are reminded of the GAO cost escalation and uncertainly requirements as outlined in the RIG (Section 4.2.2.3). Besides the award duration, careful consideration should also be given to the 2-year cycle of the Mid-scale RI-2 Program, from solicitation publication to eventual award decision, and its potential impact on the anticipated total project cost. Thus, proposed budgets should carefully consider validity of quotes, market forces, escalation (including inflation), and other potential influencing factors that could push the risk-adjusted total project cost above the programmatic threshold.

If a PI finds, while developing the project budget, that the total project cost could reasonably exceed the upper limit of the Mid-scale RI-2 Program, they should consult with the cognizant Program Officer about other potential options.

NSF defines Research Infrastructure (RI) as any combination of facilities, equipment, instrumentation, or computational hardware or software, and the necessary human capital in support of the same. Major facilities and mid-scale projects are subsets of research infrastructure. The NSF Mid-scale RI-2 Program supports the implementation of unique and compelling RI projects at a national scale. Mid-scale RI-2 projects may include any combination of equipment, instrumentation, cyberinfrastructure, broadly used large-scale data sets, and the commissioning and/or personnel needed to successfully complete the project. Mid-scale RI-2 projects should fill a research community-defined scientific need or national research priority that enables current and next-generation U.S. researchers and a diverse STEM workforce to remain competitive in the global research environment. Mid-scale RI-2 investments are expected to demonstrate high potential to significantly advance the Nation's research capabilities. Mid-scale RI-2 projects will directly enable advances in any of the research domains supported by NSF, including STEM education research. Projects may also include upgrades to existing research infrastructure.

Mid-scale RI-2 is intended to support the implementation stage of a wide variety of RI projects. Mid-scale RI-2 therefore uses an inclusive definition of implementation, which can include traditional stand-alone construction or acquisition as well as a degree of final development for infrastructure and equipment projects. For example, it could include a spiral development step leading to the acquisition of a larger system for cyberinfrastructure or other shared community research capability.

A.Linares-Gaffer (Nutritional Sciences) 

The purpose of the Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP), Assistance Listing 10.220, is to provide scholarships to support recruiting, engaging, retaining, mentoring, and training committed multicultural scholars, resulting in either baccalaureate degrees within the food and agricultural science disciplines or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degrees. The goals and objectives of the scholarships are to encourage outstanding students from groups that are historically underrepresented and underserved to pursue and complete baccalaureate degrees in food and agricultural sciences, or achieve a D.V.M., that would lead to a diverse and highly skilled work force. This may or may not include the teaching and preservation of traditional ecological knowledge.

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Brain Research Foundation is inviting UArizona to nominate one senior faculty member to submit a Letter of Intent for the 2023 Scientific Innovations Award (SIA). The objective of the program is to support projects that may be too innovative and speculative for traditional funding sources but still have a high likelihood of producing important findings. It is expected that investigations supported by these grants will yield high impact findings and result in major grant applications and funding as well as significant publications in high impact journals.

To be eligible, the nominee must be a full-time associate professor/full professor working in the area of neuroscience and brain function in health and disease. Current major NIH or other peer-reviewed funding is preferred but evidence of such funding in the past three years is essential. The grant period is for two years totaling $150,000. The support focus is for new research projects of the highest scientific merit. 

Brain Research Foundation’s Scientific Innovations Award Program provides funding for innovative science in both basic and clinical neuroscience. This funding mechanism is designed to support creative, exploratory, cutting edge research in well-established research laboratories, under the direction of established investigators.

The objective of the SIA is to support projects that may be too innovative and speculative for traditional funding sources but still have a high likelihood of producing important findings. It is expected that investigations supported by these grants will yield high impact findings and result in major grant applications and significant publications in high impact journals.

Funding Preferences:

• Funding is to be directed at projects that may be too innovative and speculative for traditional funding sources but still have a high likelihood of producing important findings. This should be a unique project for senior investigators who are encouraged to stretch their imagination into areas that can substantially change an area of research.
• Funding of research projects that will likely lead to successful grant applications with NIH and other public and private funding entities.

• G. Sutphin (Molecular and Cellular Biology)  - Medical Research Track
• The physical Sciences and Engineering slot is available

UA may submit one concept paper in Physical Sciences and Engineering and one concept paper in Medical Sciences in this cycle.
The selected projects must participate in the concept counseling session with the W.M. Keck Foundation between July 1 and August 15 to determine if they can proceed to the Phase I submission.

The W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program uses a three-step process for this opportunity. The first step is a Concept paper. The Undergraduate Education program is currently not accepting concept papers. The next steps are by the foundation’s invitation. UArizona review criteria reflect previous interactions with the W.M. Keck Foundation. Proposals should focus on basic, fundamental science with broad applications.

The proposed work should show a significant leap forward rather than an extension of existing work.  

To be considered by Keck, applicants must have a statement from a federal program officer expressing that the project is not a good fit due to risk (rather than technical or theoretical fit) or a decline from a federal program where the summary statement or individual reviews highlight the incredible novelty, but the high-risk nature that makes it difficult to fund at the federal level.

Limit: 4*  // PIs selected: 

Track 1:

• J. Pyun (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
• D. Sand  (Astronomy)

Track 2:

• J. Schaibley ( Physics)
   

Track 3:

• J. Dai (Chemistry and Biochemistry)

*Number of proposals allowed per organization: Four.

• No more than two submissions in Track 1 (Track 1 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $100,000 and less than $1,400,000).
• No more than one submission in Track 2 (Track 2 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $1,400,000 up to and including $4,000,000). 
• Track 3: Track 3 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $100,0001 and less than or equal to $4,000,000 that include the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment and instrumentation to conserve or reduce the consumption of helium. Institutions may submit no more than one Track 3 proposal. Submission of a Track 3 proposal does not impact limits that apply for Track 1 and Track 2 proposals.

The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program (MRI Program Website) serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. An MRI award supports the acquisition of a multi-user research instrument that is commercially available through direct purchase from a vendor, or for the personnel costs and equipment that are required for the development of an instrument with new capabilities, thereby advancing instrumentation capabilities and enhancing expertise for instrument design and fabrication at academic institutions. MRI instruments are, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.

MRI provides support to acquire critical research instrumentation without which advances in fundamental science and engineering research may not otherwise occur. MRI also provides support to obtain next-generation research instruments by developing instruments with new capabilities that open new opportunities to advance the frontiers in science and engineering research. Additionally, an MRI award is expected to enhance research training of students who will become the next generation of instrument users, designers and builders.

An MRI proposal may request from NSF up to $4 million for either acquisition or development of a research instrument. Each performing organization may submit in revised "Tracks" as defined below, with no more than two (2) submissions in Track 1 and no more than one (1) submission in Track 2. For the newly defined Track 3, no more than one (1) submission per competition is permitted.  As a result, it is now possible for an institution to submit up to four MRI proposals within the Track limits as described above.

• Track 1: Track 1 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than $100,000[1] and less than $1,400,000.
• Track 2: Track 2 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $1,400,000 up to and including $4,000,000.
• Track 3: Track 3 MRI proposals are those that request funds from NSF greater than or equal to $100,000[1] and less than or equal to $4,000,000 that include the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment and instrumentation to conserve or reduce the consumption of helium. Track 3 is an institutionally coordinated submission and won't be part of the internal competition.

  Institutions may submit no more than one Track 3 proposal. Submission of a Track 3 proposal does not impact limits that apply for Track 1 and Track 2 proposals.

Cost sharing requirements for new awards in the MRI Program are waived for a period of 5 years beginning with the FY 2023 MRI competition. Institutional submission limits for Track 1, Track 2 and Track 3 proposals remain.

The MRI Program especially seeks broad representation of groups, institutions, and geographic regions that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines. Proposals from women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities and early-career PIs are encouraged, as are proposals that benefit early-career researchers and proposals with PIs from geographically underserved regions, including EPSCoR jurisdictions. Additionally, proposals are encouraged from under-resourced institutions, including from emerging research institutions, where MRI can significantly build capacity for research

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

The CCDC ARL invites applications/proposals from covered educational institutions for research and education programs that will meet the following objectives:

a. Enhance research and engineering capabilities in areas important to national defense;
b. Increase the number of graduates in STEM disciplines; and
c. Encourage research and education collaborations with other institutions of higher education and with defense organizations.

Support for research, development, testing, evaluation, or educational enhancements will be through the competitive awarding of grants or cooperative agreements.

The Department of Defense, through the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E) Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program will establish four new Centers of Excellence (COE) in critical technology areas.  

COE critical technology focus areas ( UofA may submit under one of these topics):

• Advanced Computing and Software
• Future Generation Wireless Technology (FutureG)
• Integrated Sensing and Cyber 
•  Renewable Energy Generation and Storage

Funding and Performance Period: $2 million per year, over 5 years
DoD will host a webinar to overview the RFPs and to address any questions that arise

Please find the registration link for the webinar below. Please also note the date/time for the webinar is 12 April 2023 at 1:30 pm ET.

Webinar Registration - Zoom:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dVnGm8cHTCCpc2E03aIPHg

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

The intent of this solicitation is to request proposals from organizations who are willing to serve as resource providers within the NSF Advanced Computing Systems and Services (ACSS) program. Resource providers would (1) provide advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI) resources in production operations to support the full range of computational- and data-intensive research across all of science and engineering (S&E), and (2) ensure democratized and equitable access to the proposed resources.

To increase the Nation's capacity for transformative S&E discoveries, NSF is interested in continuing to diversify and evolve its portfolio to take advantage of new technologies and services that include capabilities addressing emerging computational- and data-intensive S&E research topics, workflows, and communities, while expanding opportunities for participation by a broader range of potential RPs.

This competition emphasizes the provisioning of an ecosystem of advanced computational resources and services that is responsive to the dramatic increase in the number and nature of applications using NSF-funded resources. Proposals are requested for advanced CI that will acquire and deploy capabilities and services, including composable services, to address the increase in demand for computation and data analytics resources in the S&E research community, as well as explore novel paradigms for enabling transformative S&E discoveries.

The current solicitation is intended to complement previous NSF investments in advanced computational infrastructure by provisioning resources, broadly defined in this solicitation to include systems and/or services, in two categories:

• Category I, Capacity Resources: production computational resources maximizing the capacity provided to support the broad range of computation and data analytics needs in S&E research; and
• Category II, Innovative Prototypes/Testbeds: innovative forward-looking capabilities deploying novel technologies, architectures, usage modes, etc., and exploring new target applications, methods, and paradigms for S&E discoveries.

Resource Providers supported via this solicitation will be incorporated into NSF’s ACSS program portfolio. This program complements investments in leadership-class computing and funds a federation of nationally available HPC resources that are technically diverse and intended to enable discoveries at a computational scale beyond the research of individual or regional academic institutions. NSF anticipates that at least 90% of the provisioned resource will be available to the S&E community through an open peer-reviewed national allocation process and have resource users be supported by community and other support services. Such allocation and support services are expected to be coordinated through the NSF-funded “Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem: Services & Support” (ACCESS) suite of services, or an NSF-approved alternative as may emerge. If this is not feasible for the proposed resource, proposers must clearly explain in detail why this is the case and how they intend to make the proposed resource available to the national S&E community.

1. E. Gornish (Cooperative Extension Specialist in Ecological Restoration)
2. T.  Hodges ( Regional Academic Programs - Yuma Distance Campus)
    

UArizona can submit two proposals to this funding program. 

The purpose of this program is to support research, education/teaching, and extension projects that increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in STEM. NIFA intends this program to address educational needs within broadly defined areas of food and agricultural sciences. Applications recommended for funding must highlight and emphasize the development of a competent and qualified workforce in the food and agricultural sciences. WAMS-funded projects improve the economic health and viability of rural communities by developing research and extension initiatives that focus on new and emerging employment opportunities in STEM occupations. Projects that contribute to the economic viability of rural communities are also encouraged.

The submission for this funding program is coordinated by the University of Arizona Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives (HSI), for more information don't hesitate to get in touch with Riley McIssac, Associate Director of Grants Development.

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

UArizona can submit one proposal as a lead organization and can serve on no more than two proposals as a collaborator. Both, collaboration and leading projects should participate in the internal competition in other to determine the projects that will be selected to represent UofA.

All IHEs can participate in ART in some form, either as lead or partner/mentor.  It’s up to the institution to make the case of where they seem themselves fitting in.  There are different metrics that can be used to determine research translation and entrepreneurship that reflect the current capacity and status of infrastructure for translational research at an IHE.  We are asking IHEs to self-determine and provide data as justification.  

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) announced a new foundation-wide solicitation for the Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program, which was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.  The ART program aims to support projects that will increase the role of U.S. institutions of higher education in their region’s innovation ecosystems through building their capacity and strengthening their infrastructure for translational research and supporting translational research training for graduate students and postdocs.  For this competition, NSF recognizes “translational research” as converting research into practical applications that can be deployed at scale, including knowledge/technology transfer, commercialization, or transition to practice, resulting in tangible economic and/or societal benefits.

This solicitation seeks proposals that enable IHE-based teams to propose a blend of: (1) activities that will help build and/or strengthen the institutional infrastructure to sustainably grow the institutional capacity for research translation in the short and long terms; (2) educational/training opportunities, especially for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, to become entrepreneurs and/or seek use-inspired and/or translational research-oriented careers in the public and/or private sectors; and (3) specific, translational research activities that offer immediate opportunities for transition to practice to create economic and/or societal impact. The funded teams will form a nationwide network of 'ART Ambassadors' who will champion the cause of translational research.

Submissions to the ART solicitation must address how an institution would:

1. “Develop institutional capacity and infrastructure for translational research activities in the short term (during the four-year duration of the award) and long term (beyond the duration of the award);
2. Create and continually train new cohorts of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers versed in translational research to successfully create economic and/or societal impact through various career pathways, e.g., as entrepreneurs, in industry or public sectors; and
3. Support a nationwide network of 'ART Ambassadors' who will be the agents of change within their institutions and region to support equal importance for translational research and its ensuing impact.”

Among other activities, ART awardees will be required to identify and fund at least two Seed Translational Research Projects (STRPs) selected from research being done at the lead institution with translational potential.  Each STRP must be supported for at least two years and total funding for all STRP projects supported throughout the duration of the award cannot be more than half of the total funding for the project. 

Colleges and universities that have high levels of fundamental research activity but low translational research activity are encouraged to apply to the ART solicitation.  NSF recommends that institutions who already have high levels of translational research activity consider participating as a collaborator that can provide expertise to funded institutions working on their translational research capacity building.  Applicants must provide data to “justify their current capacity and infrastructure for translational research activities, using multiple evidence-based methods and metrics to determine their capacity.”  NSF recommends utilizing their data on research expenditures, linked below, as a starting point to determine if an institution is operating at a high fundamental research level.  Specific metrics to reflect the level of translational research activity are up to the applicant.  Some examples provided by NSF are number of invention disclosures; number of start-ups; number of patents issued; volume of industry-funded research; broad adoption of research outputs; licenses issued; and revenue from royalties.  Institutions applying to the ART program also need to clearly state why they have significant potential to build translational research capacity. Finally, the solicitation highlights that translational research activities at institutions receiving ART awards must be valued similarly to fundamental research activities, including when institutions are making decisions about faculty recruitment, promotion, and tenure.

Sources and Additional Information:

• The ART program page is available at https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/accelerating-research-translation-art.
• The full ART solicitation is available at https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23558/nsf23558.htm.
• Registration information for the webinar can be found at https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_N-mFOgtjSkijCuOI7orPvw?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.