Physical Sciences & Engineering

E. Sparks (4-H Youth Development)

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA announces the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) funding program to improve the quality and quantity of comprehensive community-based programs for at-risk children, youth, and families supported by the Cooperative Extension System. The CYFAR program mission is to marshal resources of the Land-Grant and Cooperative Extension Systems to develop and deliver educational programs that equip limited resource families and youth who are at-risk for not meeting basic human needs with the skills they need to lead positive, productive, contributing lives.

R. Tronstad ( Agricultural and Resource Economics)

The primary goal of BFRDP, under assistance listing number 10.311, is to help beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States and its territories enter and/or improve their successes in farming, ranching, and management of nonindustrial private forest lands, through support for projects that provide education, mentoring, and technical assistance to give beginning farmers and ranchers the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed decisions for their operations and enhance their sustainability. The term “farmer” is used in the broadest sense and may be interpreted to include agricultural farmers, ranchers, and non-industrial private forest owners and managers. The term "beginning farmer or rancher" means a person that (A)(i) has not operated a farm or ranch; or (ii) has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 years; and (B) meets such other criteria as the Secretary may establish.

S. Song (Biomedical Engineering)

UA may submit one nomination. 

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level. The current grant level is $300,000; $75,000 per year for a four-year period.

Candidates must hold a doctorate in biomedical sciences, medicine, or a related field, including engineering or the physical sciences.

Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. This program does not fund clinical trials research. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply.

S. Song (Biomedical Engineering)

The internal deadline has been extended to June 07, 2023.

Due to the competitive nature of this funding program, this selection process is running with an anticipated deadline.
We will keep all applicants informed of relevant updates in the guidelines, submission deadlines, and eligibility as soon as more information becomes available.

The Searle Scholars Program supports research of outstanding individuals who have recently begun their appointment at the assistant professor level, and whose appointment is their first tenure-track position at a participating academic or research institution. Today, 168 institutions are invited to participate in the Program.

The Program was established at The Chicago Community Trust in 1980 and has been administered by Kinship Foundation since 1996. The Program is funded from the estates of Mr. and Mrs. John G. Searle. Mr. Searle was the grandson of the founder of the world-wide pharmaceutical company, G.D. Searle & Company. It was Mr. Searle's wish that certain funds be used to support "...research in medicine, chemistry, and the biological sciences."

Each year 15 new individuals are named Searle Scholars. Awards are currently set at $100,000 per year for three years. Since its inception, 617 Scholars have been named and over $174 million has been awarded.

The Searle Scholars Program Scientific Advisory Board is primarily interested in the potential of applicants to make innovative and high-impact contributions to research over an extended period of time. 

Applicants for the 2024 competition (awards which will be activated on July 1, 2024) are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences. 

Applicants should have begun their appointment as an independent investigator at the assistant professor level on or after July 1, 2022. The appointment must be their first tenure-track position (or its nearest equivalent) at an invited institution. 

Institutions which do not have tenure-track appointments should consult with the Scientific Director of the Program regarding eligibility of selected applicants PRIOR to nominating such individuals. 

The Searle Scholars Program does not ordinarily support purely clinical research but has supported research programs that include both clinical and basic components. Potential applicants who are unsure if their research is appropriate for our Program are encouraged to examine the research interests of present and former Searle Scholars on this website. 

Applicants who were nominated for awards in the previous competition year but were not awarded may still meet the eligibility criteria for the current competition. Institutions should consult with the Scientific Director of the Program regarding renomination of such individuals.

The Searle Scholars Program Scientific Advisory Board is primarily interested in the potential of applicants to make innovative and high-impact contributions to research over an extended period of time.

Amount per Award: $300,000
Duration of Award: 3 Years

V. Yurkiv ( Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering)

The DOE SC program in Basic Energy Sciences (BES) hereby announces its interest in receiving new applications for Energy Innovation Hub projects pursuing multi-investigator, crossdisciplinary fundamental research to address emerging new directions as well as long-standing challenges for the next generation of rechargeable batteries and related electrochemical energy storage technologies. Electrochemical energy storage is typically viewed as the bidirectional interconversion of electricity and chemical potential energy using electrochemistry for the purpose of storing electrical energy for later use, with lithium (Li)-ion and lead acid batteries being representative of the current generation of electrochemical energy storage. Discovery and scientific exploration of new battery chemistries, materials, and architectures for energy storage are encouraged. Research on electrolyzer/fuel cell combinations using hydrogen or hydrocarbons as the chemical storage media are supported elsewhere within DOE programs and are specifically excluded from this FOA. Regardless of materials and electrochemical processes involved, the focus must be on fundamental scientific concepts and understanding for the next generation of batteries and electrochemical energy storage. 

K. Fitzsimmons ( International Initiatives/ Environmental Science) - Collaboration Track

There is one slot still available for the Collaboration Track and two free slots for the Conference Track. 
UA may not submit more than two Collaboration and two Conference applications to this program, as a lead institution each year. There is no limit on the number of Regular applications submitted by an institution
 

For FY 2023, only two awards will be made to the same lead institution, with up to one being a Collaboration award each year. Conference awards are excluded from this award limitation. A Project Director may not apply for a Collaboration grant as the lead project director if they currently have an active USDA NIFA HSI Collaboration award in its first or second year of the project

The purpose of the HSI Education Grants Program is to encourage innovative teaching or education proposals with potential to impact and become models for other institutions that serve underrepresented students at the regional or national level. Projects supported by this program must include/address one or more of the following goals:

1.  Attract and support undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups to prepare them for careers related to the food, agricultural natural resources, and human systems and sciences in the United States.
2.  Enhance the quality of postsecondary instruction within the above disciplines.
3. Provide opportunities and access to food and agricultural careers in the public, non-profit and private sectors.
4. Align the efforts of HSIs and other non-profit organizations to support academic development and career attainment of underrepresented groups.

The HSI Education Grants Program is aligned with the following USDA Strategic Plan FY 2022- 2026:

1. Strategic Goal 2: Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous
2. Strategic Goal 4: Provide All Americans Safe, Nutritious Food

Collaboration Grant
Collaboration Grants for this program must be submitted by agroup of two or more HSIs forming a linkage arrangement for the purpose of carryingout common objective(s) on the group’s behalf. The arrangement must be formed topromote and strengthen the institutional abilities to carry out higher educationprograms related to FANH . Collaboration grants must support Education/TeachingProjects. Collaboration grants for Community Development Projects will not beaccepted.

Grants are designed to help institutions develop competitive projects and to attractnew students into careers in high-priority areas of national need. To ensure the cost- effectiveness of funded projects, the institutions will work together to recruit andgraduate a minimum of fifteen undergraduate and ten graduate students fromunderrepresented groups in an Associate, Baccalaureate, MS, or PhD degree program.The twenty-five students must be recruited during the duration of the grant.

Collaboration Grants will be funded up to approximately $1,000,000 total, and mustbe for a project period of four years.

All partners must have a significant role in the collaboration and each institution’sbudget needs to be appropriate to support its activities. More information regardingpartnership and allowed activities can be found in “HSI Education Grants ProgramSupplemental Information.”
 

Conference Grants
Conference Grants support scientific meetings that bring togethereducators to identify research, education/teaching, and/or extension needs, updateinformation, or advance an area of education/teaching. Individual conference grantsmust not exceed $50,000 total for a project period of up to three years. Conferencegrants are not renewable. Indirect costs are not permitted on Conference Grantawards.

In FY 2023, one of the conference grants will be awarded to an institution to bringtogether a diverse and representative group of HSIs for a HSI Assessment andEvaluation conference to convene HSIs from across the country and Puerto Rico.Applications are expected to propose a conference that will emphasize research andpractice as related to educational assessment and evaluation of projects fundedthrough the NIFA HSI Education Grants program. Projects should focus on thefollowing areas:

a.Measuring to what extent previously funded projects from the NIFA HSIEducation Grants Program achieve the following program goals to guidecurrently funded and future project applicants:

1.Attract and support undergraduate and graduate students fromunderrepresented groups to prepare them for careers related toFANH agricultural and natural resources systems and sciences inthe United States.

2.Enhance the quality of postsecondary instruction within the abovedisciplines.

3.Provide opportunities and access to food and agricultural careers in thepublic and private sector.

4.Align the efforts of HSIs and other non-profit organizations to supportacademic development and career attainment of underrepresented groups.

b.Capturing the outcomes and impacts of NIFA funds on student recruitment, retention, and graduation and faculty professional development, including retention and promotion. c. Disseminating and reporting outcomes, impacts, and best practices to federal agencies, the greater HSI community, and other stakeholders.

d. Promoting and strengthening the ability of HSIs to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs.

Conference activities should bring together participants from a range of backgrounds and institution types to learn ways to evaluate and assess their projects, discuss challenges facing HSIs, and provide opportunities for participants to discuss their own experiences. Invitees will be determined in collaboration with the agency with a minimum of twenty-five institutions expected to attend. The conference date will be determined with guidance from program staff to accommodate agency and stakeholder needs.

Conference applications focused on assessment and evaluation should include 1) a comprehensive plan for outreach and ensuring attendance of a diverse and representative group of HSIs and stakeholders and 2) a robust dissemination plan for the conference proceedings.

The awardee is required to develop conference proceedings which will include, but not limited to: a) a detailed conference agenda, b) a list of the individuals, and their institutional affiliations, who participated as speakers or attendees in the formally planned sessions of the meeting, c) a summary of topics discussed, including current trends in evaluation methodology and recommendations of products that can assure preservation of and ready access to information and outputs from projects, and conclusions, and d) an analysis of HSIs’ future research, education, and extension needs in FANH as determined by the participants.

Applicants of regular, collaboration, or conference grants are encouraged, but not required, to partner with a USDA agency to leverage resources and expertise for the proposed project.

1. A.  Jalilzadeh (Systems and Industrial Engineering)
2. M. Chertkov (Applied Mathematics)
3. S. Missoum ( Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering)

4. D. Moore (Natural Resources & the Environment)

UA may submit four pre-applications as the lead institution in a single- or multi-institutional team. No more than two pre-applications for each PI at the applicant institution are allowed. 

The DOE SC program in Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) hereby announces its interest in research applications to explore potentially high-impact approaches in the development and use of scientific machine learning (SciML) and artificial intelligence (AI) in the predictive modeling, simulation and analysis of complex systems and processes.

High-performance computational models, simulations, algorithms, data from experiments and observations, and automation are being used to accelerate scientific discovery and innovation. Recent workshops, report, and strategic plans across the DOE have highlighted the research, development, and use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for science, energy, and security. Relevant domains include materials, environmental, and life sciences; high-energy, nuclear, and plasma physics; and the DOE Energy Earthshots Initiative, for examples. A 2018 Basic Research Needs workshop and report on scientific machine learning (SciML) and AI1 identified six Priority Research Directions (PRDs) for the development of the broad foundations and research capabilities needed to address such DOE mission priorities. The first three PRDs for foundational research are a set of themes common to all SciML approaches and correspond to the need for domain-awareness, interpretability, and robustness and scalability, respectively. Of the other three PRDs for capability research, PRD #5 (Machine Learning-Enhanced Modeling and Simulation) and uncertainty quantification are the subject of this FOA. 

1. S. Song ( Biomedical engineering)
2. M. Latypot (Materials Science and Engineering)
    

The Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering allow the nation's most promising early career professors to pursue their science and engineering research with few funding restrictions and limited paperwork requirements. The Foundation invites the presidents of 50 universities to nominate two early-career professors each from their institutions. Nominations are carefully reviewed by the Fellowship Advisory Panel, comprised of distinguished scientists and engineers. 20 recipients will receive individual grants of $875,000 distributed over five years. Of the $175,000 paid each year, $17,500 is available to the university as compensation for administrative costs.

Packard Fellows are inquisitive, passionate scientists and engineers who take a creative approach to their research, dare to think big, and follow new ideas wherever they lead. The Fellowships for Science and Engineering program invests in future leaders who have the freedom to take risks, explore new frontiers in their fields of study, and follow uncharted paths that may lead to groundbreaking discoveries.The Foundation emphasizes support for innovative individual research that involves the Fellows, their students, and junior colleagues, rather than extensions or components of large-scale, ongoing research program.
 

Eligibility: 

• Candidates must be faculty members who are eligible to serve as principal investigators engaged in research in the natural and physical sciences or engineering and must be in the first three years of their faculty careers, that is, whose initial faculty appointments began no earlier than May 31, 2020, and no later than May 31, 2023.
• Disciplines that will be considered include physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, astronomy, computer science, earth science, ocean science, and all branches of engineering. Candidates engaged in research in the social sciences will not be considered.

Ineligible areas

The Foundation recognizes that certain areas of contemporary science and engineering already have access to relatively generous funding (for example, clinical research, research associated with the design and construction of large national facilities such as accelerators and space stations and applied research of direct relevance to national security), the Packard Fellowships are directed to other, less generously supported fields.

Apply to the UA internal competition.
UA may submit one proposal.

The mission of the Foundation is to support early stage investigators engaged in basic biomedical research that has the potential to significantly advance the understanding, diagnosis or treatment of disease.

The funds are designed to provide to tenure track faculty members in their first to fourth year, at American Institutions, who hold M.D. and/or Ph.D. degrees, start-up support to move the project forward to the point where R01 or other independent funding can be obtained.  Applicants with current R01 funding should not apply.

Grant provides $60,000 annually for a period of up to three years.  Grants are not renewable.  Institutions may submit one proposal per session.  Interested candidates should work through their sponsored projects office.

Proposals must contain an adequately detailed description of the project to be clearly understandable by the scientific members of the Trustees.  They need not be in the detail requested by the NIH for R01 grants and should not exceed five pages in length.  Additional material can be submitted, but the five-page application should contain the essential information.  References should also be included to support the proposal.  Note that the five page limit is only for the project description.  

In addition to the institution providing recognition of an internal selection process resulting in no more than one candidate, (this requires just a sentence that may be included in the letters), the proposal must be accompanied by letters of approval by the Dean of the medical school and/or another senior faculty member or members who can represent the support of the institution and who are acquainted with the qualifications of the applicant and the potential impact of his/her work.

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

UArizona may submit two proposals.
No more than two proposals across both tracks may be submitted by any Lead institution.

The Centers for Innovation and Community Engagement in Solid Earth Geohazards program supports university-based centers to advance research on the fundamental solid Earth processes that underpin natural hazards. Centers will catalyze, coordinate, and produce transformative research, lead innovation, and enable convergent approaches for systems-level insights that require the collective efforts of a large group of individuals.

Centers focus on addressing major, fundamental science challenges for understanding solid Earth geohazards, primarily those related to faulting, volcanoes, mass movements, and other dynamic processes. In particular, the Centers will advance understanding in one or more of the priorities outlined in the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine decadal survey report The Earth in Time, including; What is an earthquake? What drives volcanism? What are the causes and consequences of topographic change? and How can Earth science research reduce the risk and toll of geohazards?

Centers will also foster different dimensions of community engagement to meaningfully improve the national welfare. Flagship community engagement activities will take bold and creative action to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in the geoscience workforce and expand the impact of fundamental research in solid Earth geohazards to inform and prepare a broader community. Centers will establish partnerships to enable public outreach, hazard mitigation and other community engagement activities.

The Program has two tracks, both of which are described in this solicitation. Track I – Center Catalyst awards are intended to provide resources to catalyze initiatives to develop future centers. These awards would support groups to develop the science, management, and broader impact concepts for of a major research center. Track II – Center Operation awards are intended to support the operation of a fully developed center.
 

Track I – Center Catalyst 

For the FY 2022 competition, Track I – Center Catalyst proposals will address topics that focus on the fundamental processes that create solid Earth geohazards, including earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and other solid earth or tectonic processes. The proposal’s scope will align with one or more of the priorities outlined in the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine decadal survey report The Earth in Time, including; What is an earthquake? What drives volcanism? What are the causes and consequences of topographic change? and How can Earth science research reduce the risk and toll of geohazards?

Catalyst proposals will outline center development activities, including goal setting, strategic planning and community building, as well as developing and piloting center-scale activities that generate new knowledge with a broad range of impacts. Awardees must engage in research, broader impact activities, and center development activities over the two-year duration of the award. The activities may build on pre-existing efforts, but new, collaborative results attributed to the award are expected.

Track I - Center Catalyst Principal Investigators are required to develop a complete strategic plan for operating a future Center. Proposals will describe community engagement activities that will be carried out to develop the plan by the end of the award period. NSF staff will evaluate the plan and monitor progress throughout the award period. Developing a strong strategic plan may require consultation with strategic planning experts. 

Proposals should speak to a broad audience of Earth scientists and clearly articulate the value of the proposed Center to fundamental research and community engagement in solid Earth geohazards.

Key milestones during a Track I project will include a mandatory virtual site visit at the end of year 1 and submission of the strategic plan at 24 months. Additional information is provided in the proposal preparation guidance for a Track I full proposal.

Track II – Center Operations

In FY 2022, the program will consider only those proposals built around a compelling research challenge or theme related to fundamental earthquake processes. NSF intends to open future competitions to proposals focused more broadly on solid Earth geohazards.

Center Operations proposals are expected to outline broad, strategic, center-scale activities in accordance with the Center Attributes, as described earlier in this section. Centers will be agile structures that respond rapidly to emerging opportunities, promote synergy, enhance collaborations, and engage in potentially transformative research. Centers will integrate research, innovation, education, science communication, and efforts to broaden participation.

Center proposals will organize their scope into Major Activities, which will provide the framework for aligning the proposed scope with realistic budgets and timelines for achieving Center goals. A Major Activity will most frequently be a major research thrust of the Center but may also be a large-scale effort for workforce development, community-building, broadening participation, or other comparable effort to support broader impacts.

Centers may need flexibility to advance Major Activities or to respond quickly and effectively to emerging research and/or broader impact opportunities through subaward seed funding. These emerging areas may include (but are not limited to): high-risk research projects; emerging areas of interdisciplinary research; development of new cyberinfrastructure to support the Center; support for early-career faculty or for investigators changing fields; and innovative educational, diversity-promoting, or outreach ventures. Seed funding is not intended to provide a substitute for NSF individual investigator funding, nor should it be used to fund foundational operational support for the Center. Proposals should describe the criteria and mechanisms for selecting and evaluating projects that may require seed funding.

Key milestones will include periodic site visits and other oversight by NSF staff. The initial Track II awards will be made for five years (contingent on acceptable progress). Additional information is provided in the proposal preparation guidance for a Track II full proposal.