Weekly Research News Bulletin
Week of 4/20/09
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH News – April 13, 2009
New NIH Recovery Act Opportunity Seeks to Fund High Impact, Large-Scale, Accelerated Research
Goal to Promote Growth and Investment in Biomedical R&D, Public Health and Health Care Delivery
The National Institutes of Health highlighted a new funding opportunity under the Recovery Act that will support approximately $200 million in large-scale research projects that have a high likelihood of enabling growth and investment in biomedical research and development, public health and health care delivery. The purpose of this new program, the Research and Research Infrastructure "Grand Opportunities" (GO), is to support high impact ideas that lend themselves to short-term funding and may lay the foundation for new fields of scientific inquiry.
"With this new program, we will support large biomedical and biobehavioral research endeavors that will benefit from a significant two-year jumpstart in funds and are ready for immediate implementation," said Acting NIH Director Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D. "The goals are to fund high impact research that will lead to growth and investment in these fields and stimulate the economy in the process."
In responding to this opportunity, grant applicants may propose to address either a specific research question or the creation of a unique infrastructure/resource designed to accelerate scientific progress in the future. The GO grants will support large-scale research projects that accelerate critical breakthroughs, early and applied research on cutting edge technologies, and new approaches to improve the synergy and interactions among multi and interdisciplinary research teams.
Each participating NIH Institute has indicated their priorities for the GO grants. An example of the type of project that could be funded under this program is the identification and validation of biomarkers in human genetics and biology that indicate the risk for disease or that could serve as a marker of disease progression and/or responsiveness to treatment. Validation of biomarkers could dramatically improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of disease. Another priority is research on information technology that will enable physicians to share radiological images across health care institutions, which could result in reduced health care costs, as well as improved accuracy for medical decision-making.
For more information, see Recovery Act Limited Competition for NIH Grants: Research and Research Infrastructure "Grand Opportunities" (RC2): http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-004.html.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.
For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
Notices:
- Implementation of Executive Order on Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-085.html
- BioMed-ISS Pre-Application Meeting Information - Biomedical Research on the International Space Station (ISS) (PAR-09-120) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-AR-10-020.html
- RFP Announcement: Community Genetics Forum: A Model Community Engagement Program http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-HG-09-010.html
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Ovarian Cancer Academy
The FY2009 Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) is offering a new award mechanism, the Ovarian Cancer Academy. The Ovarian Cancer Academy is intended to provide intensive mentoring, national networking, and a peer group for early-career investigators.
The Ovarian Cancer Academy will be a virtual career development and collaborative and interactive research training environment consisting of up to five (5) Early-Career Investigator/Designated Mentor pairs from different institutions and will be led by an Academy Dean.
Applications to this award mechanism must be submitted by each Early-Career Investigator of the Early-Career Investigator/Designated Mentor pair, or by an individual applying to serve as the Academy Dean.
The Early-Career Investigator will be the PI of the Early-Career Investigator/Designated Mentor application. This award:
- provides the Early-Career Investigator with funding, networking opportunities, and research experience necessary to develop and sustain a successful, independent career at the forefront of ovarian cancer research.
- provides support and protected time for the Early-Career Investigator for five years of intensive research.
The Academy Dean will be the PI of the Academy Dean application. This award will enable the Academy Dean to:
- develop an interactive environment, and intensive mentoring and networking for the Early-Career Investigators.
- design a roadmap for the Academy to develop successful, highly productive ovarian cancer researchers in a collaborative and interactive research training environment within the 5-year period of performance.
Complete details for the FY2009 Ovarian Cancer may be found on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) website at http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/ocrp.htm and http://www.Grants.gov (CFDA# 12.420).
Universities Space Research Association
Emerging Commercial Suborbital Science Workshop
USRA, NASA and the Personal Spaceflight Federation (PSF) are co-sponsoring a workshop entitled Emerging Commercial Suborbital Science in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association. It will be held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, May 3, 2009, from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. There is no charge for attendance at this workshop so if you are in the Los Angeles area you might want to attend.
The purpose of this workshop is to bring interested researchers together with suborbital vehicle developers (such as Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, Armadillo Aerospace and others) to begin to develop an understanding of the potential of these vehicles for future research by engaging in small group discussions and exchanging technical information. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the options offered by a wide range of commercial suborbital service providers and discuss the capabilities, needs, constraints, and opportunities of this program. Equally important, commercial suborbital service providers will receive input on how their vehicles can be made to best be of service to the research community.
URL: http://suborbitalex.arc.nasa.gov/
Energy & Natural Resources Funding Opportunities
California Energy Commission
Energy Innovations Small Grant Program (EISG) - (Electricity Program)
The purpose of this program is to provide benefit to California electric and gas ratepayers by funding energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) projects that are not adequately provided for by competitive and regulated energy markets. (There is no requirement for applicants to reside in California or that the work be performed in California; however, the proposed research must be clearly relevant to California's electric market.)
URL: http://www.energy.ca.gov/contracts/smallgrant/09-01_electricity/index.html
International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP)
Workshop and Summer School Support
Each year, Past Global Changes (PAGES) supports a limited number of workshops and summer schools in the field of paleoscience.
URL: http://www.pages.unibe.ch/resources/support/index.html
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
Marine Debris Research and Technology Grants Program
This program provides grants for projects to improve the understanding of the impacts of marine debris on marine and coastal resources, and to reduce and prevent debris in the marine environment.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry Program - NSF 09-552
This program supports research on (1) the interactions between biological and geological systems at all scales of space and time; (2) geomicrobiology and biomineralization processes; (3) the role of life in the transformation and evolution of the Earth's geochemical cycles; (4) inorganic and organic geochemical processes occurring at or near the Earth's surface now and in the past, and at the broad spectrum of interfaces ranging in scale from planetary and regional to mineral-surface and supramolecular; (5) mineralogy and chemistry of soils and sediments; (6) surficial chemical and biogeochemical systems and cycles and their modification through natural and anthropogenic change; and (7) development of tools, methods, and models for low-temperature geochemistry and geobiological research - such as those emerging from molecular biology - in the study of the terrestrial environment.
URL: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09552/nsf09552.htm
Graduate Research Supplements (GRS)
The long-term goal of GRS is to increase the number of persons from underrepresented groups in advanced academic and professional careers.
URL: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09045/nsf09045.jsp?govDel=USNSF_25
Sloan Foundation, Alfred P.
Census of Marine Life
The goal of this project is to advance a major new international observational program to be completed by 2010 to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life.
URL: http://www.sloan.org/program/8
United Engineering Foundation (UEF)
Grants
The foundation advances the engineering arts and sciences for the welfare of humanity by making grants in support of engineering and education.
URL: http://www.uefoundation.org/grants.html
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Integrated Pest Management Crops at Risk Program
The goal of this program is to enhance the development and implementation of innovative, ecologically based sustainable integrated pest management system(s).
URL: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/cropsatriskicgp.cfm
United States Department of Defense (DOD)
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA): Smaller, Lighter Co-Generation and Absorption Environmental Control Technologies (ARRA, Recovery Act)
The U.S. Army is interested in receiving white papers followed by proposals for 12 to 18 month programs in basic and applied research, development, and demonstration of small, lightweight, efficient environmental control technology for use in various applications in capacities ranging from 6 kBTUh to 120 kBTUh.
New and Innovative Ideas for Air, Space and Missile Defense Technology
DOD announces interest in receiving research, development, and technology maturation proposals with technical, management, and cost presentations in the following areas/categories: 1) Command, Control, Communications and Computer Technologies; 2) Weapon Technologies; 3) Sensor Technologies; 4) Air, Space and Missile Advanced Technologies; 5) Space Force Enhancement; 6) Space Superiority; 7) Space Force Application; 8) Space Support; 9) Power Technologies; 10) Materials Technologies; 11) Lethality, Survivability and Kill Assessment; 12) Software Technologies; 13) Directed Energy Technologies; and 14) Other Air, Space, Or Missile Defense Initiatives not more specifically categorized above.