Faculty Recognition & Funding Opportunities – September 1, 2016
RECOGNITION
David T. Bradley, Associate Professor of Physics, is the lead editor of Worship Space Acoustics: 3 Decades of Design, a newly published compendium by Springer. This work begins with a series of essays on topics ranging from the soundscape of worship spaces to ecclesiastical design at the turn of the 21st Century. Perspective pieces from an architect, audio designer, music director, and worship space owner are also included. The core of the book presents the acoustical and architectural design of a wide variety of individual worship space venues. Acoustical consulting firms, architects, and worship space designers from across the world contributed their recent innovative works in the area of worship space acoustics. The contributions include detailed renderings and architectural drawings, as well as informative acoustic data graphs and evocative descriptions of the spaces. Mendel Kleiner of Chalmers University’s Applied Acoustics department praised Bradley’s work as “a comprehensive compendium that far surpasses previous publications in the field in its depth, design, and information. Worship spaces of all major U.S. religions are covered. This book should be an obligatory reference for any consultant involved in church architecture and acoustics.”
Nancy Ide, Professor of Computer Science, received a supplemental award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her ongoing “INTEROP: Sustainable Interoperability for Language Technology” project, in which members of the language processing community and related areas are working toward consensus in the sharing of data and technologies for language resources and applications, interoperability of existing data and tools, and the promotion of standards for resource building and annotation. The INTEROP project began with an NSF grant to Professor Ide and her collaborator at Brandeis University in 2008.
Amitava Kumar, Helen D. Lockwood Professor of English, has been awarded a Lannan Foundation writing residency in Marfa, Texas. His essay “Pyre”, which was published in Granta, has been selected for inclusion in Best American Essays 2016 by this year’s editor, novelist Jonathan Franzen.
Michael H. McCarthy, Professor emeritus of Philosophy, received a CPA Book Award (2nd Place in Theology) from the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada (CPA) for his recent work, Authenticity as Self-Transcendence: The Enduring Insights of Bernard Lonergan. For over fifty years, McCarthy has studied the works of Canadian philosopher-theologian Bernard Lonergan (1904–1984) and argued for the excellence of Lonergan’s philosophical insights and their exceptional relevance to the cultural situation of late modernity. Established in 1911 to serve the needs of the Catholic faith with viable publications, CPA acknowledges excellence in Catholic journalism, scholarship and media with its annual award programs.
Professor of History Lydia Murdoch won the Society for the History of Children and Youth’s Fass-Sandin Prize for the best article (in English) on the history of children and youth published in 2015. The Prize Committee of international scholars wrote of her essay “Carrying the Pox: The Use of Children and Ideals of Childhood in Early British and Imperial Campaigns Against Smallpox” (Journal of Social History, Spring 2015): “Murdoch’s essay stood out for us not only because of the fascinating story she tells—of the use of children as carriers of smallpox vaccines around the globe in the early 19th century—but also [due to] her careful attentiveness to the multiple ways in which the category of childhood was made and remade in intersection with ideas [of] class, race and gender. . . .Perhaps unsurprisingly, children who were poor, black and without the protection of parents were particularly useful for officials and doctors working to make the smallpox vaccine widely available. . . .By dint of their innocence—and vulnerability—children were, then, significant to the extension of scientific and medical knowledge, and also to the making and entrenchment of imperial rule. [Her]... article asks us to think carefully about how unstable age categories are crucial to the workings of power.”
Hiram Pérez, Associate Professor of English and Steering Committee Member in Women’s Studies, has won the 2016 Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Studies for his book A Taste for Brown Bodies: Gay Modernity and Cosmopolitan Desire (NYU Press, 2015). The 28th Annual Lambda Literary Awards were presented on June 6, 2016 at a gala emceed by comedienne Kate Clinton and celebrated by a crowd of 500 at New York University’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
Harry Roseman, Professor of Art, is featured in the documentary project Gorky's Granddaughter, a video blog about art and artists by Christopher Joy and Zachary Keeting. To view Harry's segment, please visit the following link: http://www.gorkysgranddaughter.com/2016/07/harry-roseman-july-2016.html
Bryan Van Norden, Professor of Philosophy, was selected as winner of the American Philosophical Association’s 2016 Public Philosophy Op-Ed Contest for his essay, “Confucius on Gay Marriage”, as published in the international current affairs journal The Diplomat. With this contest, APA acknowledges op-ed writing that successfully blends philosophical argumentation presented in a style that calls public attention to the value of philosophical thinking. Pieces are judged in terms of their success as examples of public philosophy, focused on important topics of public concern, and characterized by sound reasoning. Professor Van Norden’s essay is one of only five winning pieces selected by the APA out of nearly 100 submissions.
HELPFUL TOOL FOR GRANTSEEKERS!
The Grants Office is pleased to offer a resource for Vassar grantseekers with InfoEd Global’s SPIN. SPIN is an online database and search engine for funding opportunities that is accessible from any campus computer. To access SPIN, please visit https://spin.infoedglobal.com/Home/GridResults. First-time users are best advised to start with the SPIN tutorial videos at: https://spin.infoedglobal.com/Home/TrainingVideos
SOME UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR EXTERNAL FUNDING
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICS
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
OCTOBER 1 The Whitehall Foundation assists scholarly research in the life sciences through its research grants and grants-in-aid programs. The foundation emphasizes the support of young scientists at the beginning of their careers and productive senior scientists who wish to move into new fields of interest.
1) Research grants of up to $225,000 over three years will be awarded to established scientists of all ages working at accredited institutions in the United States. Grants will not be awarded to investigators who have already received, or expect to receive, substantial support from other sources, even if it is for an unrelated purpose.
2) Grants-in-Aid provide up to $30,000 over one year to researchers at the assistant professor level who have experienced difficulty in competing for research funds because they have not yet become firmly established. Grants-in-Aid can also be made to senior scientists.
To be eligible, applicants must hold the position of assistant professor or higher; hold principal investigator status; and be considered an “independent investigator” with his/her own dedicated lab space or with lab space independent of another investigator. Letters of Intent must be received no later than October 1, 2015. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit complete applications by February 15, 2016.
For complete program guidelines, information about previous grant recipients, and application procedures, visit the Whitehall Foundation website: http://www.whitehall.org/about/
OCTOBER 3 (letters of intent) The Simons Foundation Mathematics and Physical Sciences division invites Letters of Intent for the Simons Collaborations in MPS program. The aim of the program is to stimulate progress on fundamental scientific questions of major importance in mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer science. Grants of up to $2.5 million will be awarded for collaborative projects that address a mathematical or theoretical topic of fundamental scientific importance and where a significant new development creates a novel area for exploration or provides a new direction for progress in an established field. The questions addressed by the collaboration may be concrete or conceptual, but there should be little doubt that answering them would constitute a major scientific milestone. The project should have clearly defined initial activities and goals by which their progress and success can be measured, and the support from the foundation should be seen as critical for its objectives. The project should involve outstanding researchers with a range of career stages. (Excellence of scientific leadership is one of the main criteria in the selection process.) In addition, the project should be organized and managed in a manner engendering a high level of collaboration.
For details, see: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/funding/funding-opportunities/mathematics-physical-sciences/simons-collaborations-in-mathematics-and-the-physical-sciences/
OCTOBER 25, 2016 NIH Academic Research Enhancement Awards (AREA) support meritorious research at undergraduate degree-granting colleges and universities in order to expose students to research and help to strengthen the research environment of awardee institutions. Projects may last up to three years, and direct costs are not to exceed $300,000. AREA grants are renewable, and preliminary data are not required. For complete eligibility and instructions, please visit NIH online at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/area.htm
New to NIH? Check out this video overview of the NIH grants process!
Plus: NIH Podcast: Drafting your vertebrate animal section for the NIH proposal
January 11, 2017 National Science Foundation (NSF) The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) serves to increase access to shared scientific and engineering instruments for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education, not-for-profit museums, science centers and scientific/engineering research organizations. The program provides organizations with opportunities to acquire major instrumentation that supports the research and research training goals of the organization and that may be used by other researchers regionally or nationally. The MRI program assists with the acquisition or development of a shared research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. The instrument acquired or developed is expected to be operational for regular research use by the end of the award period. Instrument acquisition or development proposals that request funds from NSF in the range $100,000-$4 million are be accepted. Proposals that request funds from NSF less than $100,000 may also be accepted from any MRI-eligible organization for the disciplines of mathematics or social, behavioral and economic sciences and from non-Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education for all NSF-supported disciplines. http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5260
Many other NSF funding opportunities are available. See the list and links here!
SOME UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR EXTERNAL FUNDING
ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
SEPTEMBER 28 The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is now accepting applications for Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellowships for Recently Tenured Scholars. These fellowships, which are made possible by the generous assistance of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, support long-term, ambitious projects in the humanities and related social sciences. For the 2016-17 competition, ACLS is pleased to announce that the Burkhardt program is offering an increased level of support per award, with a stipend of $95,000 plus up to $7,500 for research costs and related scholarly activities, and up to $3,000 for relocation costs. The Burkhardt program includes opportunities for recently tenured professors to take up residency at one of 13 participating research centers, as well as opportunities available solely to recently tenured faculty at liberal arts colleges to support an academic year of residence at a research university academic department/program or university-based humanities center of their choice. Liberal arts college applicants may apply for either opportunity and should select the type and location of residency that will best serve their project. Applications must be submitted online by 9pm EDT on September 28, 2016. For more information about eligibility criteria and how to apply, please visit the program’s website: http://www.acls.org/programs/burkhardt_liberal_arts_college_faculty/. Questions about ACLS fellowship programs may be directed to fellowships@acls.org.
SEPTEMBER 28 The ACLS Fellowship program invites research applications in all disciplines of the humanities and related social sciences. The ultimate goal of the project should be a major piece of scholarly work by the applicant. ACLS does not fund creative work (e.g., novels or films), textbooks, straightforward translation, or pedagogical projects. The ACLS Fellowships are intended as salary replacement to help scholars devote six to twelve continuous months to full-time research and writing. ACLS Fellowships are portable and are tenable at the fellow's home institution, abroad, or at another appropriate site for research.
The fellowship stipend is set at three levels based on academic rank: up to $35,000 for Assistant Professor and career equivalent; up to $45,000 for Associate Professor and career equivalent; and up to $70,000 for full Professor and career equivalent. ACLS will determine the level based on the candidate's rank or career status as of the application deadline date. Approximately 25 fellowships will be available at the Assistant Professor level, approximately 25 at the Associate Professor level, and approximately 20 at the full Professor level.
Institutions and individuals contribute to the ACLS Fellowship Program and its endowment, including The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Council's college and university Associates, and former Fellows and individual friends of the ACLS. ACLS is fortunate to have special funds available to support research in particular areas: the Oscar Handlin Fund supports archival research in US history; the Frederic Wakeman Fund aids research in modern Chinese history; and the Donald Munro Fund is dedicated to work that exhibits high quality in sinology and in critical analysis of Chinese philosophical traditions and ethical systems. For details and application instructions, visit ACLS online: http://www.acls.org/programs/acls/
Multiple ACLS competitions are now open! Visit ACLS online!
SEPTEMBER 30 American Academy in Berlin welcomes emerging as well as established scholars, writers, and professionals who wish to engage in independent study in Berlin. Around two dozen Berlin Prizes are conferred annually. Past Berlin Prize recipients have included historians, economists, poets, art historians, journalists, legal scholars, anthropologists, musicologists, public policy experts, and writers, among others. Fellowships are typically awarded for an academic semester or, in some cases, for an entire academic year. Fellowship benefits include round-trip airfare, housing at the Academy, partial board, and a stipend of $5,000 per month. The Academy’s furnished apartments at the Hans Arnhold Center are suitable for individuals and couples; we also offer accommodations for families with children. For details and application instructions, please see http://www.americanacademy.de/home/fellows/applications
OCTOBER 1 The Samuel H. Kress Foundation History of Art Grant Program supports scholarly projects that enhance the appreciation and understanding of European art and architecture, from antiquity to the dawn of the modern era. Grants are awarded to projects that create and disseminate specialized knowledge, including archival projects, the development and dissemination of scholarly databases, documentation projects, museum exhibitions and publications, photographic campaigns, scholarly catalogs and publications, and technical and scientific studies. The program also supports activities that permit art historians to share their expertise through international exchanges, professional meetings, conferences, symposia, consultations, the presentation of research, and other professional events. In previous years, grant amounts have ranged from $1,000 to $100,000. See the Kress Foundation website for complete program guidelines, information about previous grant recipients, and application instructions: http://www.kressfoundation.org/grants/default.aspx?id=142
OCTOBER 1 The Samuel H. Kress Foundation Conservation Grants Program supports projects that illuminate European works of art and architecture from antiquity to the early nineteenth century and provides support for the professional practice of art conservation. Grants are awarded to projects that create and disseminate specialized knowledge, including archival projects, the development and dissemination of scholarly databases, documentation projects, exhibitions and publications focused on art conservation, scholarly publications, and technical and scientific studies. Grants are also awarded for activities that enable conservators and conservation scientists to share their expertise with professional colleagues and a broader audience through international exchanges, professional meetings, conferences, symposia, consultations, the presentation of research, exhibitions that include a prominent focus on materials and techniques, and other professional events. See the Kress Foundation website for complete program guidelines, an FAQ, information about previous grant recipients, and application procedures: http://www.kressfoundation.org/grants/conservation/
OCTOBER 3 The Getty Foundation is accepting applications for its Getty Scholar Grants Program for established scholars or writers who have attained distinction in their fields. Getty Scholars will be in residence at the Getty Research Institute or Getty Villa, where they will pursue their own projects free from academic obligations, make use of Getty collections, join their colleagues in a weekly meeting devoted to an annual research theme, and participate in the intellectual life of the Getty. Scholars may be in residence for one of six periods ranging from three to nine months: September to December; January to March; April to June; September to March; January to June; or September to June. A stipend will be awarded based on length of stay, need, and salary. The grant also includes an office at the Getty Research Institute or the Getty Villa, research assistance, an apartment in the Getty scholar housing complex, airfare to and from Los Angeles, and healthcare options. Researchers of all nationalities who are working in the arts, humanities, or social sciences are eligible to apply. For complete program guidelines and application instructions, visit the Getty Foundation online: http://www.getty.edu/foundation/initiatives/residential/getty_scholars.html
Questions about funding for research and scholarship? Contact us:
Judith Dollenmayer (5376, judollenmayer), Associate Director, Corporate, Foundation & Government Relations
Katherine Hite (7661, kahite), Professor of Political Science & Faculty Director of Research Development
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, Grants Administration
Posted on