Kansas NSF EPSCoR New Funding Opportunity for Early Career Faculty

     Kansas NSF EPSCoR is announcing a new funding opportunity for First Awards in the area of microbiome research. The First Award program helps early-career faculty become competitive for funding from the research directorates at the National Science Foundation by 1) encouraging early-career faculty to submit proposals to the NSF (or other federal funding agency) as soon as possible after their first faculty appointment, and 2) by accelerating the pace of their research and the quality of their subsequent proposals.

    Eligible to apply is any individual tenure track faculty member who is currently untenured
at the assistant professor rank at Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Wichita
State University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State
University or Washburn University and who:

• is within the first three years of his/her faculty appointment,1
• has not previously received a First Award or similar funding from another EPSCoR or EPSCoR‐like (Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence, COBRE) program in Kansas, and is not currently nor has previously been a lead Principal Investigator of a research grant funded by a federal agency.

First Awards are intended to be single‐investigator awards to support the PI’s research program at their institution.

Download the Request for Proposal Information at: 

2019 First Awards in Microbiome Research

Submission Deadlines:

• White Papers due by 5:00 pm Wednesday, 9/25/2019

Download the First Award

Letter of Intent Information Form 

at LOI Form

• Final Proposals are due by 5:00 pm Monday, 11/25/2019

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding for First Awards 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.

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. 

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 

REQUEST FOR WHITE PAPERS: RESEARCH & EDUCATION INNOVATION (REI) AWARDS In Microbiome Research

     Kansas NSF EPSCoR is seeking White Papers for impactful initiatives for REI Awards. REI Awards are for small projects that will either allow for networking and planning or for the immediate pursuit of larger projects for developing new transformational concepts. These are awarded for both research and education, given their close relationship. These awards are in the same spirit as and share goals with NSF EAGER (Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research) awards, for high risk/high gain research ideas.  
     The current RII Track-1 award funding REI Awards is titled Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems (MAPS) across Kansas. Broadly, MAPS’ mission is to elucidate how microbiomes interact within native and agriculturally dominated aquatic, plant, and soil habitats, leveraging the steep precipitation gradient across Kansas as a means of projecting system response to environmental change. The MAPS project provides a vehicle for education, training, and outreach that includes informing policymakers and managers. 

Only projects with research in areas that are related to the current Kansas NSF EPSCoR focus of microbiomes as broadly construed to be in aquatic, plant and/or soil systems are eligible for REI Awards.

Eligible to apply:  Any individual with PI status at Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Wichita State University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University or Washburn University.

An individual Principal Investigator may submit a total project budget of up to $50,000 in direct costs for up to 12 months. 

Please note new proposal submission details included in the RFP

White papers are due by 5:00 pm  
Thursday, January 31st, 2019

for additional information go to Kansas NSF EPSCoR Funding Opportunities

It is expected that Kansas NSF EPSCoR will fund as many as four REI Awards depending upon the size of the requests

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding for the Research and Education Innovation (REI) Awards 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.

ANNOUNCING MAPS First Award Funding Opportunity

     Kansas NSF EPSCoR is announcing a funding opportunity for First Awards in the areas related to the current Kansas NSF EPSCoR focus of microbiomes as broadly construed to be in aquatic, plant and/or soil systems. The First Award program helps early career faculty become competitive for funding from the research directorates at the National Science Foundation. 

The full request for proposals with submission instructions can be downloaded as a PDF at: http://www.nsfepscor.ku.edu/funding.html

Submission Deadlines:

     Letters of Intent due by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.

     Full proposals due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2018 

Please note new proposal submission details included in the RFP.

Eligible to apply is any individual tenure track faculty member who:

• is currently untenured at the assistant professor rank at Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Wichita State University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University or Washburn University; 

• is within the first three years of his/her faculty appointment;

• has not received a previous First Award or similar funding from another EPSCoR or EPSCoR-like (Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence, COBRE) program in Kansas; and

• is not currently be nor previously been a lead Principal Investigator of a research grant funded by a federal agency.

In addition, one of the following conditions must apply:

• The Principal Investigator has a pending proposal or is planning to submit a proposal to the NSF (or other federal funding agency) for the proposed research submitted to this program.  If in the planning stages, the proposed research must be submitted to a federal funding agency by July 31, 2020. 

• The Principal Investigator has had the proposed research declined by the NSF (or other federal funding agency) and has a plan to re-submit the proposed research by July 31, 2020. 

Only projects with research in areas that are related to the current Kansas NSF EPSCoR focus of microbiomes as broadly construed to be in aquatic, plant and/or soil systems are eligible for First Awards.

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding for the MAPS first awards 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.

NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2 FEC Solicitation

   The NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) has released the Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-2: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (RII Track-2 FEC), NSF 18-589 solicitation.  Proposals submitted for this FY19 RII Track-2 FEC competition must address the NSF Harnessing the Data Revolution scientific topic area.  Harnessing the Data Revolution is one of the NSF Ten Big Ideas. The research proposal must address a specific compelling problem related to a scientific topic of national importance.  Details about the requirements are provided in the solicitation.  Only one proposal from each submitting organization can be submitted.

Letters of Intent are due: November 26, 2018

Full Proposals are due: January 25, 2019

Questions regarding the new RII Track-2 FEC solicitation may be directed to Dr. J.D. Swanson (jswanson@nsf.gov; 703-292-2898).

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS KANSAS NSF EPSCoR MAPS - Research & Education Innovation (REI) Awards - In Microbiome Research

Kansas NSF EPSCoR is announcing a funding opportunity for REI Awards in the area of microbiome research. REI Awards are for small projects that will either allow for networking and planning or for the immediate pursuit of larger projects for developing new transformational concepts. These are awarded for both research and education, given their close relationship. These awards are in the same spirit as and share goals with NSF EAGER (Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research) awards, for high risk/high gain research ideas.

The current RII Track‐1 award funding REI Awards is titled Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems across Kansas (MAPS). Broadly, MAPS’ mission is to elucidate how microbiomes interact within native and agriculturally dominated aquatic, plant, and soil habitats, leveraging the steep precipitation gradient across Kansas as a means of projecting system response to environmental change. Only projects with research in areas that are related to the current Kansas NSF EPSCoR focus of microbiomes as broadly construed to be in aquatic, plant and/or soil systems are eligible for REI Awards.

Any individual with PI status at Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Wichita State University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University or Washburn University.

Submission Deadline:
Proposals due by 5:00 pm on Friday,
June 29, 2018.

For More Information and to download RFP; Timeline Example; and NSF EPSCoR Budget Form go to: 

Kansas NSF EPSCoR
Research & Education Innovation (REI) Awards RFP 
Timeline Example

The source of funding for REI Awards is Kansas NSF EPSCoR, which receives its funding from the current National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1 award (OIA-1656006). Matching support is provided by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) and the participating universities.

Free NSF Webinar to highlight NSF Funding Opportunities to Broaden Participation in STEM

The National Science Foundation Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) is hosting a

FREE Webinar 

on June 14, 2018 from 1:00-3:30 pm ET 

The Webinar will feature and discuss current funding opportunities available at NSF aimed at broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and targeting underrepresented groups and Minority Serving Institutions. Funding opportunities for programs like NSF INCLUDES, ADVANCE, LifeSTEM, IUSE, ITEST, GRFP and many others will be highlighted. NSF Program Officers and Staff from all four EHR Divisions will be represented.

Divisions include:

• Division of Research on Learning 
• Division of Graduate Education 
• Division of Undergraduate Education
• Division of Human Resource Development 

In addition, Q & A opportunities with Program Officers will be provided during the webinar.

Administrators, faculty, researchers, evaluators, and other STEM education leaders working to broaden participation in STEM in formal and or informal contexts are encouraged to attend.

Please register here as soon as possible 

Once you have registered, help spread the word about the webinar by forwarding this link to your STEM & broadening participation in STEM networks.

DOE EPSCoR Funding Opportunity

DOE EPSCoR has released their National Lab partnerships solicitation.

Awards are up to 250,000 per year for up to 3 years. 

Cost sharing is not required.

For more information go to:  https://science.energy.gov/~/media/grants/pdf/foas/2018/SC_FOA_0001897.pdf

Letters of Intent are due April 25, 2018

Applications are due May 16, 2018

General inquiries about this FOA should be directed to the Technical/Scientific Program Contact:

     Dr. Tim Fitzsimmons

     301-903-9830

     Tim.fitzsimmons@science.doe.gov

Informational Webinar for the EPSCoR RII Track-4

NSF EPSCoR would like to invite interested faculty to participate in an informational webinar on the FY18 competition for EPSCoR’s RII Track-4 awards at 2:00pm (EST) on either Thursday, January 11, or Friday, January 12.  All attendees are encouraged to review the program solicitation - NSF 18-526 prior to the webinar.

This virtual meeting/webinar will consist of both an audio portion via teleconference and a presentation component via WebEx. In addition to a computer connection for the visual part of the meeting, you will need a separate phone connection to participate in the teleconference. (Cell phones/iPhones are NOT recommended due to the increased likelihood of connectivity issues and interference.)

Click the Meeting ID 743011839 to connect to the Webinar
Audio Component – Teleconference:
Direct (Toll Free) Call-in Number: 888-680-8032
* Password: EPSCoR

The meeting will be open 15 minutes prior to the start time for you to login/call-in. You are encouraged to login/call-in early to ensure connectivity.

Web Ex Instructions

To join the meeting directly through WebEx: 

1. Click the link (above) for the meeting you are attending.  

2. When requested, enter your name and email address.

3. Click "Join." 

4. You are now in the “web” portion of the webinar. 

WebEx will automatically setup Meeting Manager the first time you join a meeting using WebEx. To save time, we strongly encourage you to setup prior to the meeting to ensure connectivity. To set up the meeting manager, click this link: https://nsf.webex.com/nsf/meetingcenter/mcsetup.php. 

Trouble shooting issues:

If you cannot access the direct login link for the webinar, you can still login through WebEx. To join the online meeting through the WebEx Website: 

1. Click NSF WebEx link: https://nsf.webex.com. 

2. Enter the WebEx meeting ID (743011839), then click “Join Meeting.” 

3. When requested, enter your name and email address and password; it is EPSCoR18! 

4. Click "Join"

5. Be sure to call in as well: 888-680-8032, Password: EPSCoR

Administrative Support: If you have any questions about WebEx meeting access, please contact

Liz Lawrence at least 24 hours prior to the webinar (Email: elawrenc@nsf.gov; Phone: 703-292-8997)

For Technical Assistance:

Go to https://nsf.webex.com/nsf/mc.

On the left navigation bar, click "Support". 

The playback of UCF (Universal Communications Format) rich media files requires appropriate players. To view this type of rich media file in the meeting, please check whether you have the players installed on your computer by going to https://nsf.webex.com/nsf/systemdiagnosis.php.

Limited Submission Funding Opportunity: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 4: EPSCoR Research Fellows (RII Track-4)

     The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) promotes scientific progress nationwide and offers a number of funding tracks for researchers. The EPSCoR RII Track-4 provides opportunities for non-tenured investigators to visit the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers and build research collaborations.  During these visits, the EPSCoR Research Fellows will have the unique opportunity "to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations or advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions."  These Fellowship experiences are designed to enhance the Fellows’ research trajectories well beyond the award period.  These Fellowships can also improve the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions.  This opportunity is open to non-tenured faculty who have an appointment at an institution of higher education or an early-career career-track appointment at an eligible non-degree-granting institution.

Please work with your institutional research office to meet the limited submission proposal requirements.

Submission Deadline: March 13, 2018 by 5 pm of submitter's local time. 

For more information click on the following link:  NSF EPSCoR Track-4

MAPS Graduate Student Research Opportunities

    Dr. Amy Burgin, Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies and Associate Scientist, Kansas Biological Survey at the University of Kansas is recruiting graduate students to be a part of a unique research opportunity as part of the Kansas EPSCoR Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Ecosystems Across Kansas (MAPS) Award. Interested students will study the microbiomes of linked aquatic, plant and soil ecosystems that span the pronounced precipitation gradient as well as the hydrologic gradient across Kansas. Dr. Burgin's specific work focuses on" understanding how changes in nutrient loading will alter N cycling rates in rivers and the propensity for harmful algal blooms in reservoirs." This is a team-based science opportunity and interested students can contact Dr. Burgin at: burginam@ku.edu

For more information about this research opportunity go to:

• KU Today
• KState News
• NSF EPSCoR MAPS

Education and outreach funding 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 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.

First Award Letter of Intent Submission Deadline Extended

Deadline to Submit Letters of Intent Extended for Kansas NSF EPSCoR

MAPS First Awards 

Related to the current Kansas NSF EPSCoR focus of

microbiomes as broadly construed to be in aquatic, plant and/or soil systems. 

A Research Program for Tenure Track

Faculty Early in their Careers

Submission Deadlines:

Letters of Intent Due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, November 30, 2017

Proposals are still due by 5:00 pm on TUESDAY, January 23, 2018 

2017-2018 First Awards information

Efforts to widely disseminate this opportunity are greatly appreciated. 

*Those that have already submitted an LOI need not re-submit

Education and outreach funding 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 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.

NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Track-2 Funding Opportunity

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 

for

NSF EPSCoR FY 2018 RII Track-2 FEC

This solicitation is now available and remains relatively unchanged from last year.   

Submission Deadlines:

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):November 27, 2017

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):January 26, 2018

    The RII Track-2 FEC seeks to build inter-jurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators to participate in investigator-driven research in scientific focus areas consistent with NSF priorities. Projects must include researchers from at least two RII eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions who without the assistance of the other team and complementary resources would not be in a position to tackle the projects as well or rapidly alone.
    The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) research and education activities should include and integrate a variety of individuals, institutions, sectors and programs to broaden participation throughout the project. Proposals must reflect an integrated comprehensive vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies individual, institutional, geographic, and disciplinary diversity with an emphasis on developing a diverse early-career faculty.

The topic for the FY 2018, RII Track-2 FEC proposals is Understanding the relationship between genome and phenome.

The full request for proposals with submission instructions can be downloaded as a PDF here:  

 NSF EPSCoR FY 2018 RII Track-2 FEC 

First Awards - Kansas NSF EPSCoR Funding Opportunity

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 

for

    FIRST AWARDS

Related to the current Kansas NSF EPSCoR focus of

microbiomes as broadly construed to be in aquatic, plant and/or soil systems. 

A Research Program for Tenure Track

Faculty Early in their Careers

Submission Deadlines:

Letters of Intent Due by 5:00 pm on WEDNESDAY, November 8, 2017.

Proposals Due by 5:00 pm on TUESDAY, January 23, 2018.  

     Kansas NSF EPSCoR helps Kansas build its research capacity and competitiveness in science and technology.  The First Award Program helps early career faculty become competitive for funding from the research directorates at the National Science Foundation by encouraging early career faculty to submit proposals to the NSF (or other federal funding agency) as soon as possible after their first faculty appointment, and by accelerating the pace of their research and the quality of their subsequent proposals. First Awards are intended to be single‐investigator awards to support the PI’s research program at their institution.  The inclusion of Co‐PIs, other senior personnel and sub-awards to other institutions is prohibited.
     Individual tenure track faculty member who are currently untenured at the assistant professor rank at Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Wichita State University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State, University or Washburn University and meet the following criteria may apply:

1. Is within the first three years of his/her faculty appointment,  
2. Has not previously received a First Award or similar funding from another EPSCoR or EPSCoR‐like (Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence, COBRE) program in Kansas, and
3. Is not currently nor has previously been a lead Principal Investigator of a research grant funded by a federal agency.

The full request for proposals with submission instructions can be downloaded as a PDF here:  

2017-2018 Kansas EPSCoR First Awards

Education and outreach funding 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 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.

Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities in AMO Physics at Kansas State University and the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. APPLY NOW!

ATTENTION KANSAS AND NEBRASKA UNDERGRADUATES

Both the Kansas NSF EPSCoR and the Nebraska NSF EPSCoR programs are sponsoring at least six Kansas or Nebraska undergraduate students to participate in their 2017 Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) Physics Summer Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) students (at least three students will be accepted at each campus). 

The Kansas AMO Physics REU will be held at Kansas State University (KSU) and is titled, Interactions of Matter, Light & Learning. 

Students will earn a $5200 stipend, have a $500 travel allowance and on-campus room and board will be covered.

This year's research topics include:

• Ultrafast lasers & attosecond physics
• Nanoparticle formation & light scattering
• Nonlinear fiber optics
• High energy and neutrino physics
• Atomic and condensed matter theory
• Physics education 
• AND MORE!

Rolling Admission for the KSU REU begins 2/1/2017

 APPLY NOW to the KSU AMO PHYSICS REU 

For more information on the Kansas State University REU go to: KSU AMO REU or call 785-532-1612

For more information on the 2017 AMO Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL) or to apply go to: http://www.unl.edu/summerprogram/physics

Priority deadline for the UNL Summer Physics REUs is 2/1/2017

Only US citizens and permanent residents are eligible for NSF funding.

Funding for these research opportunities are provided by the Kansas and Nebraska NSF EPSCoR Track 2 Grant #1430519 titled: "Imaging and Controlling Ultrafast Dynamics of Atoms, Molecules, and Nanostructures." 

2016-2017 Community College Innovative Challenge Announced

picture from the NSF website

Attention Community College Students 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) have teamed up to present the third annual Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC).

To participate, community college teams of three to five students, a faculty mentor and a community/industry partner are required to collaborate on an innovative STEM-based solution to a real-world problem.  Issues can range from local to global concerns.  Teams will submit projects in one of three theme areas: Maker to Manufacturer, Energy and Environment, and Security Technologies. Each theme also list resource links to assist teams in the developing their project. An official entry consists of a written presentation and a 90-second video.

Winning teams will receive the following prizes:

• First place: $1,500 per student team member.
• Second place: $1,200 per student team member.

All entries must be received during the competition submission window from Oct. 14, 2016, to 11.59 p.m. EST, Feb. 15, 2017.  

Consult the Eligibility & Rules, Entry Guidelines, Participant Guidelines, Getting Started Tips, Competition Process and Registration for more details related to the competition as well as visit the Promotional Toolkit, where you can download posters, postcards and more .

NSF EPSCoR announces new funding opportunity for non-tenured faculty: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 4 "EPSCoR Research Fellows"

     EPSCoR Research Fellows (RII Track-4) is the fourth track within our EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) program and is designed to provide non-tenured investigators opportunities to further develop their research potential through collaborative visits to the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers.  EPSCoR Research Fellows will be able to learn new techniques, access unique equipment and facilities, and explore transforming their research in new directions.  In addition, the experience is intended to establish a foundation for future research collaborations to span the recipient’s entire career, as well as enhance the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions.

Eligibility and assistance information: 

• PIs for all RII Track-4 proposals must hold a non-tenured faculty appointment or its close equivalent, either in the form of a pre-tenure tenure-track position or a long-term non-tenure-track position. 
• There is a limit of three proposal submissions per eligible institution.
• Informational webinars for RII Track-4 are planned 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on November 29, 2016 and November 30, 2016. 
• Additional guidelines
• Full details for RII Track-4 are available in the solicitation, NSF 17-509. 

Proposals are due February 28, 2017.  

Research administrators and potential PIs at EPSCoR-eligible institutions are encouraged to participate on one of the listed webinars; further details for webinar access will follow soon.

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. A jurisdiction is eligible to participate in EPSCoR programs if its level of NSF research support is equal to or less than 0.75 percent of the total NSF research and related activities budget for the most recent three-year period (FY 2016 Eligibility Table). Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education, and industry that are designed to effect sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and hence, its R&D competitiveness.

Update from the National Science Foundation’s SBIR/STTR Program: Fall 2016

NEW SBIR/STTR Solicitations: 
The new SBIR Phase I and STTR Phase I solicitations are available! Take a look and get started soon. The deadline for SBIR and STTR proposals is December 6. 

Solicitation Changes:
An organization may submit no more than ONE Phase I proposal to this SBIR/STTR cycle (where SBIR/STTR cycle is defined to include the SBIR Phase I solicitation and the STTR Phase I solicitation with a December 6, 2016 deadline).

Webinars: 
We’re hosting 7 webinars before the December deadline. Join us for the first one on Friday, Sept. 30th at 12:00 pm ET. 

Thinking of submitting? Start your registrations now.

These four registrations take time and are required to receive funding. You must register the same information in the same way in each of these systems to avoid problems later. 

1. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
2. System for Award Management (SAM)
3. Small Business Administration (SBA) Company Registry
4. NSF FastLane - register company and Principal Investigator (PI)

Read through SBIR/STTR Topics: 
NSF welcomes proposals for research and development in all areas of science, engineering, and related education. Topics are suggestions. Check them out, here. Not sure where you fit? Consider Other Topics.

3 New Program Directors:
Three new SBIR/STTR Program Directors started this summer – Henry Ahn (Biomedical Technologies), Debasis Majumdar (Advanced Materials and Instrumentation), and Rick Schwerdtfeger (Semiconductors, Photonic Devices, and Internet of Things). Click here for a list of Program Director Contact Information. 

Events: 
NSF staff will be at several events in the coming months. If you attend, come find our booth!

Water Environment Federation’s Annual Tradeshow and Conference (WEFTEC), Sept. 24-28, New Orleans, LA
WEFTEC is a water quality conference for thousands of professionals looking for water quality solutions and the latest innovation. NSF will sponsor the innovation showcase with 14 NSF-funded companies presenting. Learn more.

SBIR Women’s Networking Event & New England SBIR Conference, Oct. 5-6, Cambridge, MA
The events will convene women entrepreneurs, technology companies, inventors, leaders and supporters of STEM entrepreneurship and early-stage funding decision makers to discuss non-dilutive funding opportunities. Learn more.

SynBioBeta SF 2016, Oct. 4-6, San Francisco, CA
SynBioBeta SF 2016 is a conference for the synthetic biology industry – bringing the global community together to drive technology and business forward. Highlighted topics for this year include the future of food, biosecurity, engineered cell therapies, DNA storage, public engagement, and more! NSF Network Gets 20% Off Registration. Use Code “NSFSAVE20” Learn More & Register.

SXSW Eco 2016, Oct. 10-12, Austin, TX
SXSW Eco creates a space for business leaders, investors, innovators and designers to drive economic, environmental and social change. NSF Network gets 40% off the walk-up rate for SXSW Eco. Use code: “reg-eco-rate2partner4_f695dec569” Learn More & Register.


We updated our Twitter handle to @NSFSBIR. Please follow us/tag us with your news. We’re happy to promote the successes of NSF SBIR funded companies. 

Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity in AMO Physics

The Kansas NSF EPSCoR Track 2 Grant provides support for three Kansas undergraduate students to conduct Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics research at Kansas State University during the summer of 2016. Students who are accepted into the program will receive a $5,200 stipend and have both travel expenses as well as on-campus room and board covered.

Students interested in the chemistry and/or physics associated with Atomic, Molecular and Optical Phyics should apply through this link:

K-State AMO Physics Summer 2016 REU
(only online applications are accepted)

For more information go to: https://www.phys.ksu.edu/images/reu/flyer.pdf .

Education and outreach funding for this REU opportunity is provided by the Kansas and Nebraska NSF EPSCoR Track 2 Grant #1430519 titled: "Imaging and Controlling Ultrafast Dynamics of Atoms, Molecules, and Nanostructures."  The grant's 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 atomic/molecular/optical science.