Faculty Recognition & Funding Opportunities – February 1, 2016
February 1, 2016
Greetings for the Spring 2016 semester! Issued by the Grants Office during the academic year, this bulletin recognizes faculty accomplishments in grants and publication and provides information on funding opportunities available for research, fellowships, professional development and more. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list. For more information, to suggest inclusions or to have your publication or grant news shared in a future bulletin, contact Gary Hohenberger (gahohenberger, x7092). These bulletins are also posted online at grants.vassar.edu/news
RECOGNITION
Mita Choudhury, Professor of History, is author of The Wanton Jesuit and the Wayward Saint: A Tale of Sex, Religion, and Politics in Eighteenth-Century France, newly published by Penn State Press. This microhistory investigates the famous and scandalous 1731 trial in which Catherine Cadière, a young woman in the south of France, accused her Jesuit confessor, Jean-Baptiste Girard, of seduction, heresy, abortion and bewitchment. Generally considered to be the last witchcraft trial in early modern France, the Cadière affair was central to the volatile politics of 1730s France, a time when magistrates and lawyers were seeking to contain clerical power. Through extensive examination of archival material, including trial records, pamphlets, periodicals, and unpublished correspondence from witnesses, Choudhuryoffers new insights into how the eighteenth-century public interpreted the accusations and why the case consumed the public for years. Jeffrey S. Ravel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology praised Mita’s work as a “rich account of the scandalous provincial encounter in the early 1730s that resounded all the way to the halls of Versailles and the Sorbonne.”
Kelli A. Duncan, Assistant Professor of Biology, is editor of Estrogen Effects on Traumatic Brain Injury, newly published by Elsevier (2015). This book demystifies, deconstructs, and simultaneously humanizes the field of estrogen-mediated neuroprotection following traumatic brain injury, making the subject approachable to both researchers and advanced students. A “one-stop” resource on the new and exciting world of estrogen-mediated neuroprotection, Estrogen Effects on Traumatic Brain Injury also serves as a resource to younger scientists on the many paths that one can take to success in the sciences.
Debra Meloy Elmegreen, Professor of Astronomy on the Maria Mitchell Chair, has been elected to a six-year term as Vice President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU, founded in 1919, is the worldwide organization for professional astronomers, and has 12,000 members from 96 countries. Professor Elmegreen is the only member of the Executive Committee from the United States. In the history of the IAU, she’s the first member of the Executive Committee from a small college, and the third female VP from the United States. Professor Elmegreen was also elected Vice Chair of the Board of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), which oversees management of the Hubble Space Telescope and all ground-based federal observatories. She recently received a certificate of commendation from NASA for her Hubble Space Telescope research on galaxies.
Maria Hantzopoulos, Associate Professor of Education, is co-editor (with Monisha Bajaj) of Peace Education: International Perspectives newly published by Bloomsbury Publishing (January 2016). Bringing together the voices of scholars and practitioners on the challenges and possibilities of implementing peace education in diverse global sites, this book addresses key questions for students and scholars seeking to deepen their understanding of the field. “ ‘Peace Education: International Perspectives’ offers a thought-provoking and nuanced alternative to the often-oversimplified macro-institutional approaches to peace education,” observes M. Ayaz Naseem, Professor of Education, Concordia University, Canada and Research Professor of Educating for Sustainable Peace, Georg Eckert Institute, Germany. “Editors of and contributors to the volume ask us to imagine human(ist) potentialities for the possibility of sustainable peace....Coupling theoretical visions with practical insights, this volume will be a vital resource for students and teachers of peace education.”
Jonathon S. Kahn, Associate Professor of Religion and Chair, Program in American Studies, is co-editor (with Vincent W. Lloyd) of Race and Secularism in America, forthcoming from Columbia University Press (March 2016). This anthology draws bold comparisons between secularist strategies to contain, privatize and discipline religion and the treatment of racialized subjects by the American state. “I know of few books that have such a clear and important rationale as ‘Race and Secularism in America’,” writes Ted Smith, Associate Professor at Emory University's Candler School of Theology. “This combination of topics is especially important right now. This timeliness, coupled with the excellence of the contributors, make the book essential reading for our times.”
Michael H. McCarthy, Professor emeritus of Philosophy, and his new book, Authenticity as Self-Transcendence: The Enduring Insights of Bernard Lonergan, were awarded the Bronze Medal in the Third Annual Illumination Book Awards of Jenkins Group Publishing Services. For over fifty years, McCarthy has studied the work of Canadian philosopher-theologian Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984), arguing in his writing for the comprehensive power of Lonergan’s thought and its exceptional relevance to the cultural situation of late modernity. The Illumination Book Awards recognize the year’s best new works with a Christian worldview, and this year’s 78 medals went to books from 27 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand, representing long-established publishers, small presses and self-published authors alike.
John Meehan, Professor of Dance and Director of Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre on the Frances D. Fergusson Chair, will succeed Edward Villella as Chair of the Jury for the 11th USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC), one of the world’s foremost ballet competitions. In announcing his selection, Mona Nicholas, USA IBC Executive Director, cited John’s artistic accomplishments and global network as important factors. “John has danced on the world’s great stages, and his choreography is in the repertoire of major ballet companies, where many of his former students also perform,” she said. “His active engagement in the international dance community will be an asset as we continue to earn our status as one of the world’s most respected ballet competitions.” The competition is set for June 2018 in Jackson, Mississippi.
Thomas Parker, Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies, received Gourmand’s Special Jury Award for Best Wine Books in the World 2015 for Tasting French Terroir: The History of an Idea (University of California Press, 2015). Each year, Gourmand International’s World Cookbook Awards recognize and celebrate global achievement in cookbook, food and wine writing and publishing. Tom’s new book explores the origins and significance of the French concept of terroir, demonstrating that the way the French eat their food and drink their wine today derives from a cultural mythology developed between the Renaissance and the French Revolution.
Miriam Rossi, Professor of Chemistry, and her research collaborator Francesco Caruso, Visiting Scholar in the Department of Chemistry, were awarded a full allocation on the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) Jetstream for their proposal titled: “Modeling the interaction between antitumor arene-ruthenium beta-diketones from natural compounds and small fragments of DNA”. Funded by the National Science Foundation, XSEDE is a single virtual system that scientists can use to interactively share computing resources, data, and expertise. Miriam and Francesco’s XSEDE allocation will permit them to access the most advanced, powerful, and robust collection of integrated advanced digital resources and services in the world.
Shane Omar Slattery-Quintanilla, Assistant Professor of Film, is writer, producer, and co-director of photography of The Seventh Fire, a nonfiction film about the Native American gang crisis, executive produced by Terrence Malick and Natalie Portman. In February 2015 The Seventh Fire had its World Premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, and throughout the year also played in various festivals and cities, including Stockholm, Madrid, London, New Orleans, Santa Fe, Mar del Plata, Honolulu, and Tehran. In October 2015 the distribution company Film Movement acquired the North American rights to the film; last month, The Seventh Fire had its West Coast Premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
***UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR INTRAMURAL FUNDING***
FEBRUARY 2 Faculty Conversations Small grants are available to support conversations that bring together faculty from different departments and multidisciplinary programs. The conversations can be about teaching or research, should be driven by faculty interests and can range in size from a few faculty members meeting regularly to a large group meeting once or twice a semester. Funds can be used for books, refreshments or modest honoraria for guest speakers. They also can be used to support ongoing writing, research or accountability support groups. Maximum awards are $600 per semester, or $1200 per year. If you would like to apply for a faculty conversations grant please complete the application form and email it to Chris White, Faculty Director of Research Development and Associate Professor of Religion, (chwhite@vassar.edu) by Tuesday, February 2nd. If you have questions about these grants please contact Chris or Peter Antelyes, Faculty Director of Teaching Development/Associate Professor of English /Director of Jewish Studies (antelyes@vassar.edu).
FEBRUARY 15 Creative Arts Across Disciplines (CAAD) Multi-Arts Collectives Under the auspices of the Creative Arts Across Disciplines project, funded by the Andrew W.Mellon Foundation, Vassar is offering opportunities over the summers of 2015, 2016, and 2017 for multidisciplinary teams of two or more students to work together on creative arts or design-based projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor or mentors. Students with majors in different arts departments may collaborate, or arts majors may collaborate with majors from outside the arts. Teams might include, for example: a painter and an actor; a mathematician, a dancer, and a musician; a chemist and a sculptor; a creative writer, a historian, and a filmmaker. We invite collaborating students to initiate a proposal for the upcoming summer of 2016. Proposals must include one or two faculty member(s) agreeing to provide mentorship. Proposals are for projects whose creation spans 8 weeks, from May 30 through July 22. All the collaborating students must be in residence on campus during this period. For details and application instructions: http://pages.vassar.edu/creativearts/files/2016/01/Multi-Arts-Collectives-RFP-2016.pdf
Have an idea for a creative project for the CAAD's Collaboratory? Use this link to submit a proposal! Contact Tom Pacio, Interdisciplinary Arts Coordinator, at thpacio@vassar.edu with any questions or concerns.
FEBRUARY 16 University of Bologna (Unibo) and Eastern College Consortium (E.C.Co.) Faculty Exchange As in the past few years, once again we bring to your attention the possibility to either spend some time at the University of Bologna, Italy, engaged in research and pedagogical activity, or invite a colleague from the University of Bologna to our campus. Since 2000 E.C.Co., our study-away program, has enjoyed a close working relationship with the University of Bologna (Unibo), Italy. Together with our partner schools, Wesleyan University and Wellesley College, we send about fifty students to Bologna every year. Three students from the University of Bologna come to our campuses annually. Vassar hosts a research fellow for one semester each year. Our agreement with Unibo includes a faculty exchange, which provides the possibility for Vassar faculty to conduct research and pedagogical activity in Bologna, such as lecturing or participating in a seminar, and for faculty members from Bologna to spend time on campus here in Poughkeepsie. Details about the application procedure for 2016 are available here.
SOME UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR EXTERNAL FUNDING
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICS
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) funding opportunities are open! See the list online at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_list.jsp?org=NSF&ord=date
NATIONAL INSTITUTES of HEALTH (NIH) funding opportunities are available! Visit NIH online at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm
New to NIH? Check out this video overview of the NIH grants process!
MARCH 1 Research Corporation for Science Advancement’s Frontiers in Research Excellence and Discovery (FRED) Award supports the early stages of exceptional high risk/high reward research that will potentially transform a field of scientific research. These competitive awards are given to highly creative Cottrell Scholars whose ideas and potential solutions address major current challenges in their areas of research expertise. By developing unique perspectives for solving key research challenges, FRED awardees create new approaches that accelerate basic science research for the benefit of society. Award size is $250,000. Applicants must be tenured Cottrell Scholars who received their initial Cottrell Scholar Award (CSA) within the past five to ten years. For the 2016 competition, eligibility will be limited to Cottrell Scholars who received their awards during the 2006-2011 time period. FRED proposals should contain a five-page research plan to be conducted in a period of three years. Proposed projects may build upon on-going research in the principal investigator’s laboratory, but new directions must be clearly delineated. Successful proposals must convince external reviewers and the Science Advisory Committee that the applicant is a highly creative researcher and that the proposed project is poised to have a transformative impact in the specific research field. While CS SEED awards support testing new ideas, FRED Awards are for fully developed proposals, expected to lead to top-level publications in scientific journals of high impact. For details and application instructions, visit Research Corporation online: http://rescorp.org/cottrell-scholars/fred-award
APRIL 8 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) announce the Cycle 24 Call for Proposals for Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Observations and funding for Archival Research and Theoretical Research programs. Participation in this program is open to all categories of organizations, both domestic and foreign, including educational institutions. This solicitation for proposals will be open through April 08, 2016 8:00pm EDT. The Astronomer's Proposal Tools (APT), which is required for Phase I Proposal Submission will be made available/released for Cycle 24 Phase I use during the 2nd week of February 2016. Results of the selection will be announced by the end of June 2016. All programmatic and technical information, as well as specific guidelines for proposal preparation, are available electronically from the STScI Announcement Web Page: http://www.stsci.edu/hst/proposing/docs/cycle24announce
Rolling The Simons Foundation invites Letters of Intent for its new Targeted Grants in Mathematics and Physical Sciences program, intended to support high-risk projects of exceptional promise and scientific importance on a case-by-case basis. For projects with principal investigators at different institutions, the LOI should be submitted by the lead PI and his/her institution. Applicants will be notified within two months of the submission of the LOI. See the Simons Foundation website for complete program guidelines and application instructions: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/funding/funding-opportunities/mathematics-physical-sciences/targeted-grants-in-mps/
Rolling The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation believes that a carefully reasoned and systematic understanding of the forces of nature and society, when applied inventively and wisely, can lead to a better world for all. The Foundation makes grants to support original research and broad-based education related to science, technology, and economic performance; and to improve the quality of American life. The Foundation is unique in its focus on science, technology, and economic institutions. It believes the scholars and practitioners who work in these fields are chief drivers of the nation’s health and prosperity. In each grant program, the Foundation seeks proposals for original projects led by outstanding individuals or teams.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is interested in projects that it expects will result in a strong benefit to society, and for which funding from the private sector, the government, or other foundations is not widely available. For areas of interest and application instructions, visit the Sloan Foundation online: http://www.sloan.org/major-program-areas/?L=0%3FcHash%3D3abefb807773927e5a962594e662c143
SOME UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR EXTERNAL FUNDING
ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
FEBRUARY 23 Catwalk Institute welcomes proposals from artists and collaborative teams for 2-to-4-week residencies during the months of April-October 2016. Participation is exclusively for faculty and alumnae/i from Vassar College, Columbia University, New York University, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and applications are to be submitted through the applicant’s respective home institution. Situated on a magnificent historic site of 70 acres on the Hudson River, Catwalk sits across from Olana, the home of Frederic Edwin Church, and just north of Thomas Cole’s home, Cedar Grove. Catwalk residencies are space/time grants designed to reflection and personal artistic growth. Spaces include a fully outfitted kitchen and individual studio spaces. The quiet solitude and surrounding nature create an idyllic atmosphere for visual artists, performance artists, writers and scholars to rejuvenate and recreate their own personal vision. Please note project stipends are not available. Full use of the grounds is encouraged along with exploration of the Catskill and Hudson area, which is not served by public transportation. Residents are encouraged to bring/rent a car during their stay. Projects that connect to this region specifically are especially appropriate for selection. Please send a cover letter with date preferences (Tuesday-Sunday), two letters of reference, resume and a one page description of the work you are proposing while in residence. Collaborative teams of 2-3 persons are welcome, requiring resumes for all members. Vassar College faculty should submit their applications to Gary Hohenberger, Vassar Box 657, gahohenberger@vassar.edu See also the related residency opportunities of Catslair.
MARCH 1 The Ucross Foundation 2016 Fall Residency Program will provide uninterrupted time, work space, and living accommodations at its campus in Sheridan, Wyoming, to approximately eighty-five visual artists, writers, and composers per year. Previous residents have come from every state in the U.S. as well as from many countries, including Germany, France, Scotland, England, Poland, Egypt, the Netherlands, Canada, and Thailand. Residencies vary in length from two to six weeks. At any one time, there are up to nine individuals in residence comprising a mix of visual artists, writers, and composers. In most cases, studios are separate from living quarters. Lunch and dinners are prepared Monday to Friday by a professional chef with ample provisions on hand for breakfasts and weekends. In addition, there is cell phone service on the property and several wireless Internet connection sites for residents’ use. Residents are responsible for providing their own working materials and for their travel to Sheridan, Wyoming. There is no charge for a residency. Artists, writers, and composers from around the United States and the world, in all stages of their professional careers, are invited to apply to work on individual or collaborative projects. For complete residency information, lists of previous artist residents, and guidelines for the online-only application process, visit the Ucross Foundation website here: http://www.ucrossfoundation.org/residency-program/
MARCH 30 (letters of interest) The Russell Sage Foundation invites proposals for its Social, Economic and Political Effects of the Affordable Care Act Grant Program, which supports innovative social science research on the social, economic, and political effects of the Affordable Care Act. The Foundation is especially interested in funding analyses that address important questions about the effects of the reform on outcomes such as financial security and family economic well-being, labor supply and demand, participation in other public programs, family and children’s outcomes, immigrant outcomes, and differential effects by age, race, ethnicity, nativity, or disability status. The Foundation is also interested in research that examines the political effects of the implementation of the new law, including changes in views about government, support for future government policy changes, and impact on policy development outside of health care. Funding is available for secondary analysis of data or for original data collection. Projects that propose novel uses of existing data or analysis of newly available or underutilized data are welcomed. The foundation will not fund research on the effects of the ACA on healthcare delivery or health outcomes (e.g., barriers to implementation, changes in the quality of care and health status, or trends in enrollment and affordability). Grant requests are limited to no more than a two-year period, with a maximum of $150,000 (including overhead) per project. LOIs must be received no later than March 30, 2016. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit full applications by July 15, 2016. For complete program guidelines and to access the online application portal, visit the Russell Sage Foundation website: http://www.russellsage.org/research/funding/affordable-care-act
Rolling The Jerome Foundation offers grants in support of the creation, development, and production of new works by emerging artists in New York City and Minnesota. Through its General Program, the foundation seeks to support organizations and programs that demonstrate a substantial and ongoing commitment to the creation, development, and production of new works by emerging artists. Priority will be given to organizations and/or programs that foster a deep and sustained engagement between the artist and the organization. Grant amounts are determined on a project-by-project basis. The foundation is open to applications in and across all arts disciplines. However, programs must provide adequate payment to artists for their work and/or offer substantial opportunities to advance their work and recognition. In addition, organizations must have their primary office and operation in New York City or Minnesota. For complete program guidelines, an FAQ, information about previous grantees, and application instructions, visit the Jerome Foundation website: http://www.jeromefdn.org/apply/general-program
Rolling Mellon Slavic Studies Initiative The field of Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies is actively redefining itself in response to the dramatic transformations of the post-Soviet period and the realities of an increasingly interconnected world. To encourage fresh perspectives by emerging scholars of this dynamic region, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin university presses are launching a joint publishing initiative supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Northwestern seeks studies of Slavic literature, art, and culture; Pittsburgh is looking for projects in the social, political, environmental, urban, and cultural history of the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; Wisconsin is especially interested in cultural and intellectual history, literary and film studies, anthropology, and human rights, with a focus on Russia and Eastern Europe. For program details, please visit: http://www.mellonslavicstudies.org/submissions.htm
Questions about funding for research and scholarship? Contact us:
Judith Dollenmayer (5376, judollenmayer), Associate Director, Corporate, Foundation & Government Relations
Gary Hohenberger (7092, gahohenberger), Director, Corporate, Foundation & Government Relations
Lori McElduff (5490, lomcelduff), Grants Office Specialist
Patricia Pritchard (5893, papritchard), Director, Grants Accounting
Amanda Thornton (5309, amthornton), Director of Grants Administration
Christopher White (7836, chwhite), Associate Professor of Religion and Faculty Director of Research Development
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