Register for the Department of Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) Northeast Regional Meeting

   

    The Department of Defense is holding a Northeast regional meeting at the University of Rhode Island on September 26, 2019 from 8am to 5:00 to present funding opportunities through the recently reinstituted DoD Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) and related DoD research programs. Program managers from the research agencies and other DoD representatives will participate in the meeting.

The meeting will cover the following topics:

• How to work with the DoD, especially ARO, ONR, AFOSR
• How to make connections with DoD program officers
• How to pursue funding opportunities specific to DEPSCoR
• How to pursue other programs within the Basic Research Office

This is a free event presented by the Department of Defense and hosted by the University of Rhode Island.

If you would like to attend this meeting please REGISTER HERE.

You have the option to submit a quad chart with your meeting registration. Please submit your quad chart by August 26, 2019 so the DoD program officers may have time to review it.

There will be a poster review session during lunch, please see the website for details.

DoD is also hosting a DEPSCoR webinar on August 15th  to discuss the program and the posted funding opportunity announcement. 

MAPS REU and HERS students present posters at the 2019 University of Kansas Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Session

     On July 26, 2019, three undergraduate researchers from the Kansas NSF EPSCoR Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems (MAPS) Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates cohort at the University of Kansas (KU) and one Haskell Environmental Research Studies (HERS) Program student presented their summer research projects at the 2019 University of Kansas Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Session held at Ritchie Hall. Students presented their posters digitally during one of the 5 twenty-minute sessions.

The following is a list of student presenters, the title of their research and their mentors:

Adriana Caldwell

The Effects of Concentration, Location, and Land-Use History on Plants Success in Prairie Restoration

Mentored by Jim Bever & Ben Sikes, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Martin Pollack

Effectiveness of Disease Control Measures in a Pathosystem with Co-Infectionand Vector Preference 

Mentored by Folashade Agusto, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Amanda Rouillard

How Does Land Use Increase Coliform Bacteria Concentrations in Drinking Water Sources for the Santee Sioux Nation?

Mentored by Katrina McClure, Geography

Steven Winkler 

How Root Exudated Organic Acids change Soil pH and Affect Nutrient Availability, Across Different Land Use History

Mentored by Sharon Billings and Ligia Souza, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology


     The poster session was the culminating event of their summer research experience. The specifics about each student and their project will appear in a blog article in the fall. 

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding for the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas. The grant's workforce development and educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems

Kansas Science Teachers Explore the Konza Prairie with the KSU MAPS Team

Teachers conducting fieldwork
Pictures courtesy of  Tom Platt and Peggy Schultz

      The 2019 Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute was held June 17-21, 2019 at the Konza Prairie Biological Station as part of the Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems (MAPS) across Kansas education and outreach initiatives. Ten high school science teachers from across the state were invited to attend. The teachers participated in activities related to aquatic, terrestrial and soil ecosystems. Kansas State University (KSU) MAPS faculty, staff, and graduate students led field experiments, facilitated group discussions, and guided lesson planning. The MAPS faculty leading the activities included Peggy Schultz, Director of the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute and Associate Specialist with the Environmental Studies Program at the Unversity of Kansas (KU); Walter Dodds, University Distinguished Professor of Biology at KSU and Co-PI of the MAPS project; Tom Platt, Assistant Professor of Biology and MAPS Plant Research Team Lead at KSU; and Lydia Zeglin, Assistant Professor of Biology and MAPS Aquatic Team Lead at KSU. Other KSU Biology Department facilitators included Teacher Assistant Professor Anna Larimer, Research Assistant Professor Mark Mayfield and graduate students Jaide Allenbrand and Ashlee Herken. Jill Haukos, Director of the Konza Environmental Education Program (KEEP) also led group discussions and outdoor activities.
     Each day began with a whole group aquatic, plant or soil activity which was followed by afternoon breakout sessions focusing on the teachers’ area of interest (aquatic, terrestrial, or soil systems). During the lunch hour, teachers participated in open discussions related to the current issues Kansas science teachers are facing.

Teachers conducting experiments
Pictures courtesy of Evan Brandt and Tom Platt

     When the participants were asked about their overall impression of the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute experience, one teacher said, "The summer institute gave me time to reflect on my curriculum and develop meaningful methods for helping my students grasp important ecological concepts." Another teacher added “I feel I'm walking away with great information to apply to my classroom, specifically, data related to the prairie. I know more about the prairie than I ever have, and I can share that with students. I will love creating a smaller version of a restored prairie on our school grounds, and getting my students to be active with researching what happens." When asked what was their favorite part or activity of the institute, one teacher shared, "There were so many great activities. It is hard to pick just one," and another indicated, "Listening to the professors and learning about their research and how it relates to the hands-on activities we participated in was the most valuable and will help us develop lessons for our kids." Collectively, the participants agreed the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute was a great learning experience that will have a positive impact on their teaching, and they would definitely recommend Kansas science teachers apply for next year's institute.

2019 Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute Participants
Picture courtesy of Jill Haukos

Teachers attending the 2019 Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute: 

1. Eric Beckman, Russell HS
2. Evan Brandt, Shawnee Mission North HS
3. Brian Gahagan, Chanute HS  
4. Ruth Hudson, Blue Valley HS
5. Michelle Loeffler, Leavenworth HS  
6. Jennifer Karr, Manhattan HS
7. Chris Morrison, South HS  
8. Walter Pitts, Onaga HS
9. Pesha Ptacek, Southeast of Saline HS
10. Anna Thornton, Eureka HS

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding for the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas. The grant's workforce development and educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.

New Funding Opportunity for EPSCoR States - DEPSCoR: Defense Established Programs to Stimulate Competitive Research

The Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) is a pilot program that aims to:

1. Increase the number of researchers capable of performing Science and Engineering (S&E) research responsive to the needs of the Department of Defense (DoD); 
2. Improve the capabilities of institutes of higher education (IHEs) in eligible EPSCoR states and territories to develop, plan, and execute science and engineering (S&E) research that is relevant to the mission of the DoD and competitive under the peer-review systems used for awarding Federal research assistance; and 
3. Increase the probability of long-term growth in the competitively awarded financial assistance that IHE in eligible states/territories receive from the Federal Government for S&E research. The program is sponsored and managed by the Basic Research Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD [R&E]), awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

Approximately $3.6 million in total funding will be made available for this program to fund approximately six (6) awards of up to $600,000 (total cost) each. Each award will be funded up to $200,000 (total cost) per year for three (3) years in the form of a grant. Subjected to funding availability. 

Eligibility

   This program aims to create basic research collaborations between a pair of researchers, namely:

1. Applicant (Principal investigator, Mentee), a non-previously DoD-funded, full-time faculty member with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to conduct the proposed research as the principal investigator and 
2. Collaborator (co-Principal Investigator, Mentor), an investigator who was previously funded by DoD within the last seven years. Though this is a collaboration between Applicant and Collaborator, Applicant’s Institution of Higher Education (IHE) will submit the proposal. 
3. Applicant and Collaborator, both must hold a tenured or tenure-track position with your IHE, or your proposal must include a letter from your IHE stating that you will be considered for a tenured or tenure-track position if you currently hold a short- term appointment.

Application Criteria:

• Proposed research should describe cutting-edge efforts on basic scientific problems. White papers deemed to be applied research, as opposed to basic research, will not advance to the proposal stage of the competition.
• You should show strength in as many of the evaluation and selection areas as practicable to demonstrate maximum competitiveness

Registration and submission Deadlines:

• Applicants must register with Sam.gov by no later than 11:59 PM EST on October 18, 2019
• White Paper and Supporting Documents must be submitted by no later than 11:59 PM EST on October 25, 2019

For more information go to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html/ and search for DEPSCoR

For General Inquiries and Questions, contact: 
Ms. Lisa Pizarro
Grants Officer
Email: Lisa.Pizarro.1@us.af.mil


The program objectives for DEPSCoR are described in the program statue:
  Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title II, §219[e][3], Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1331 

Registration is open for the 2019 EPSCoR National Conference in Columbia South Carolina October 27-30, 2019

NSF EPSCoR National Conference organizers have opened registration for the 26th NSF EPSCoR Conference to be held in Columbia, SC, from October 27-30, 2019.

To register, go to:  https://nsfepscor2019.org/register/

The theme of the conference is Science and partnerships across disciplinary boundaries. Undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, RII Track-2 PIs, RII Track-4 PIs, and others engaged in EPSCoR projects are invited to give a poster presentation related to this theme. One RII Track-1 PI from each jurisdiction is invited to submit an abstract to present a three-minute lightning talk. A few RII Track-2 PIs will also be selected from the submitted abstracts to present a lightning talk. 

There is no limit on the number of poster presentations that may be submitted from each jurisdiction, but presenters are limited to one presentation each.

Submit your abstract at:  https://nsfepscor2019.org/abstracts.  

Important Dates for 26th NSF EPSCoR National Conference
         

• June 1             Early Registration opens
• July 1             Call for Abstracts
• July 16             Regular Registration begins
• September 20     Final day to register
• October 27     Welcome Reception
• October 28-29     26th NSF EPSCoR National Conference
• October 30     PD/PA/EOD meeting

Conference Contacts

Overview: Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti, prakash@mailbox.sc.edu

Program: Dr. Lauren Clark, ClarkLL@mailbox.sc.edu

HERS students prepare to present research at UCAR

2019 HERS Post It Poster session. 
Photo provided by Katrina McClure

    At the beginning of the 2019 Haskell Environmental Research Studies (HERS) Program, students were asked to select a research topic. Some students selected topics that were of particular interest to their tribal communities and others chose topics of personal interest. Topics included both the social and environmental sciences. During, the first weeks of the program, students worked with mentors in classrooms and laboratories at Haskell Indian Nations University, The University of Kansas, and in the field to study climate change and to develop an independent research project.
     On June 21, 2019, the students presented their research at the HERS 'Post It' Poster Session held at Haskell Indian Nations University. This session was designed to allow HERS students to display their posters and practice presenting their research to invited guests. The guests, in turn, provided constructive feedback and suggestions on "post its" they attached to the interns' posters. Faculty from Haskell Indian Nations University and the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems (MAPS) project were invited to attend.

HERS students revising their work with Dr. Brian Lagotte

     Following the poster session practice, students continued to work with Assistant Teaching Professor, Brian Lagotte of the Center for Global and International Studies at the University of Kansas, to revise their written research reports. Students will use the feedback they received at the Post-it Poster Session and from their work with Dr. Lagotte in their final draft of their research papers and posters. The HERS students will present their research project and poster while visiting the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in Boulder CO next week (July 8-12, 2019). While at UCAR, the HERS students will also participate in special programming planned specifically for them. After they complete their summer HERS internship, the students will have additional opportunities to present their work at other professional meetings, workshops, and symposia around the country, such as the Society for Advancing Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and the 2020 MAPS Symposium.

The HERS Institute is an 8-week paid summer internship program for undergraduate or recent graduate students held in June and July. The institute's underlying mission is to provide an opportunity for students to work with faculty from Native American colleges who are conducting long-term and short-term research relating to key problems on American Indian lands with the intent to disseminate the information through programs and various forms of media to American Indian peoples. The program is also dedicated to preparing tribal college students for science and technical careers and/or graduate school experiences. 

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding for the HERS program is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas. The award's workforce development and educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.