Faculty Recognition & Funding Opportunities – November 1, 2016
This bulletin is issued regularly during the academic year to provide information on funding opportunities available for research, fellowships, professional development and more. Please be advised 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
Debra Elmegreen, Professor of Astronomy on the Maria Mitchell Chair, received a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through the Space Telescope Science Institute for her research utilizing the Hubble Space Telescope for “Probing Super Star Cluster Formation in the most favorable environments: the metal-enriched, gas-rich and turbulent collisional ring of NGC 5291”.
Jennifer Rubbo, Manager of the Environmental Cooperative at the Vassar Barns, in collaboration with Mary Ann Cunningham, Associate Professor and Chair, Earth Science and Geography; Margaret Ronsheim, Professor of Biology; and Mary Ellen Czesak, Biology Lecturer and Lab Coordinator, secured a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP) to support the creation of a Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) and a Habitat Assessment Map for the City of Poughkeepsie. The NRI will provide baseline information on natural, historic and cultural resources in the City including its trees, parks, tributaries to the river and the waterfront. The Habitat Assessment Map will be conducted by Hudsonia Ltd. and will identify important biological habitats in the City of Poughkeepsie. Thanks to the vision and efforts of Jennifer and the Environmental Cooperative, with the support of Marianne H. Begemann and the Office of the Dean for Strategic Planning and Academic Resources, this award is Vassar’s second from the Hudson River Estuary Program in 2016.
*** EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR VASSAR FACULTY ***
Catwalk Institute (Catskill, NY)welcomes proposals from artists, scholars and collaborative teams for residencies of up to 8 weeks at Catslair and Catwalk. This residential complex is situated on a magnificent historic site of 70 acres on the Hudson River across from Olana, the home of Frederic Edwin Church, America's first environmentalist and just north of Thomas Cole’s home, Cedar Grove. Residencies are available to artists, writers and scholars in all media and disciplines exploring subjects related to place, landscape and environment investigating universal aspects of nature embedded in the Hudson Valley landscape and ecology. Residencies are space/time grants fully outfitted lodging, but note that stipends are not available and visitors must have access to a car during their stay. Participation is exclusively for faculty and alumni from Columbia University, New York University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Vassar College. Applications are by recommendation through each institution; if you are interested, please contact Gary Hohenberger (gahohenberger@vassar.edu, x7092). Deadline November 14 for the November-February cycle, or February 24 for April-October 2017 residencies.
*** ATTENTION ASIA SCHOLARS ***
ASIANetwork, the consortium of some 160 North American colleges, strives to strengthen the role of Asian Studies within the framework of liberal arts education to help prepare succeeding generations of undergraduates for a world in which Asian societies play prominent roles in an ever more interdependent world. Deadlines are upcoming for several ASIANetwork opportunities:
November 30 Post-Doctoral Teaching Fellows - ASIANetwork will provide $40,000 to each of the selected colleges as partial support for the hiring of a teaching fellow and an additional $1,000 stipend to the fellow’s mentor: http://www.asianetwork.org/programs/postdoc/
December 1 Student-Faculty Fellows Program - ASIANetwork will provide up to $45,000 to support a project that includes a summer trip to Asia for 1 or 2 faculty members and 4 to 6 students. Open to all academic disciplines: http://www.asianetwork.org/programs/freeman-student-faculty-program/
December 9 Faculty Enhancement Program - ASIANetwork will provide a three-week summer faculty development trip to Asia: Indonesia 2017: http://www.asianetwork.org/programs/faculty-enhancement-program/
See also the D. Kim Foundation, Luce/ACLS and Asian Cultural Council opportunities, below.
SOME UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR EXTERNAL FUNDING
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICS
NOVEMBER 7 The Simons Foundation is accepting Letters of Interest for its Simons Early Career Investigator in Marine Microbial Ecology and Evolution Awards. Microbes inhabit and sustain all habitats on Earth. In the oceans, microbes capture solar energy, catalyze biogeochemical transformations of important elements, produce and consume greenhouse gases, and provide the base of the food web. The purpose of the program is to help launch the careers of outstanding investigators who use quantitative approaches to advance our understanding of marine microbial ecology and evolution. Investigators with backgrounds in different fields or with an interest in modeling or theory are encouraged to apply. Grants will be for $180,000 a year for a period of three years. Appropriate expenses include salary support for the investigator and postdoctoral and graduate research assistants, travel, equipment, supplies, and other research expenses. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree and have carried out research in an independent position (tenure-track or equivalent) for at least a year and no more than eight years (start date between November 2008 and November 2015) at a U.S. or Canadian institution. Letters of Interest must be received no later than November 7, 2016. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal by February 22, 2017.
For details, please visit the Simons Foundation online here.
DECEMBER 1 The D. Kim Foundation for the History of Science and Technology in East Asia provides fellowships and grants to support graduate students and young scholars who are working in the history of science and technology in modern East Asia, regardless of their nationality, origins, or gender. Comparative studies of East Asia and the West as well as studies in related fields (mathematics, medicine and public health) are also welcome. English is the official language of the Foundation. All application materials (including sample chapters, papers, and essays) should be written in English. For details and instructions, please see http://dkimfoundation.org/wp1/fellowships/
JANUARY 11, 2017 National Science Foundation (NSF) Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) serves to increase access to shared scientific and engineering instruments for research and research training in institutions of higher education. 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. Instrument acquisition or development proposals that request funds from NSF in the range $100,000-$4 million may be accepted from any MRI-eligible organization. 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. See the full solicitation online: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15504/nsf15504.htm
Many other NSF funding opportunities are available. See the list and links here!
FEBRUARY 10, 2017 The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation is accepting nominations for its Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program. The annual program supports the research and teaching careers of talented young faculty in the chemical sciences at undergraduate institutions. Based on institutional nominations, the program provides discretionary funding to faculty at an early stage in their careers. The award is based on accomplishment in scholarly research with undergraduates as well as a compelling commitment to teaching, and provides an unrestricted research grant of $75,000. The program is open to academic institutions in the states, districts, and territories of the United States that grant a bachelor's or master's degree in the chemical sciences, including biochemistry, materials chemistry, and chemical engineering. Nominees must hold a full-time tenure-track academic appointment; be beyond the fourth and not after the twelfth year of their independent academic careers; and be engaged in research and teaching primarily with undergraduates. For complete program guidelines and nomination instructions, see the Dreyfus Foundation website: http://dreyfus.org/awards/camille_dreyfus_teacher_award.shtml
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
NOVEMBER 9 The Henry Luce Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies seek to support the vitality of China studies in the United States through fellowships and grants through the Luce Foundation/ACLS Program in China Studies. The program offers three competitions including Collaborative Reading-Workshop Grants of up to $15,000 provide opportunities for scholars of different disciplines to share in-depth investigation of texts that are essential points of entry to Chinese periods, traditions, communities, or events in contemporary or historical times. Applications in all disciplines of the humanities and related social sciences are welcome. Awards may be used to support travel and lodging costs, acquisition of materials, communications, and local arrangements. Workshops must bring together scholars who would not otherwise have the opportunity to work together. Each member of the organizing team must hold a Ph.D. from an institution in the U.S. or be a U.S. citizen with a Ph.D. from any institution. Workshops must be held at a location in the U.S. See the ACLS website for complete program information and application procedures: http://www.acls.org/programs/china-studies/
NOVEMBER 14 (also February 24, 2017) Catwalk Institute (Catskill, NY) welcomes proposals from artists, scholars and collaborative teams for residencies of up to 8 weeks at Catslair and Catwalk. This residential complex is situated on a magnificent historic site of 70 acres on the Hudson River across from Olana, the home of Frederic Edwin Church, America's first environmentalist and just north of Thomas Cole’s home, Cedar Grove. Residencies are available to artists, writers and scholars in all media and disciplines exploring subjects related to place, landscape and environment investigating universal aspects of nature embedded in the Hudson Valley landscape and ecology. Residencies are space/time grants fully outfitted lodging, but note that stipends are not available and visitors must have access to a car during their stay. Participation is exclusively for faculty and alumni from Columbia University, New York University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Vassar College. Applications are by recommendation through each institution; if you are interested, please contact Gary Hohenberger (gahohenberger@vassar.edu, x7092). Deadline November 14 for November-February cycle, or February 24 for April-October 2017 residencies.
NOVEMBER 15 The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is accepting applications for the third year of an initiative supporting research and teaching in Buddhist studies. Working with Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, ACLS offers an articulated set of fellowship and grant competitions designed to expand the understanding and interpretation of Buddhist thought in scholarship and society, strengthen international networks of Buddhist studies, and increase the visibility of innovative currents in those studies. Starting this year, the foundation will offer a new set of research fellowships for PhDs at any stage of their careers: The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Research Fellowships in Buddhist Studies will provide a stipend of up to $70,000, intended to allow fellows up to nine months to devote full time to the proposed project. Applicants must identify a significant scholarly product (monograph, series of journal articles, etc.) that will result from the fellowship. For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and information on related opportunities, visit ACLS online at http://www.acls.org/programs/buddhist-studies/
DECEMBER 1 Asian Cultural Council (ACC)invites proposals from individuals “exhibiting an abiding passion” and interest in cultural exchange between the United States and the countries of Asia, as well as among the countries in Asia. Each year, ACC funds about a hundred established masters as well as tomorrow's rising stars in fields such as archeology, architecture (design, theory, and history), art history, arts administration, arts criticism, choreography, composition, conceptual art, conservation, crafts, dance, design (noncommercial), filmmaking, installation art, literature, museology, music, new media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, theater, video art, video conservation, and work that defies categorization. Citizens and permanent residents of the United States are eligible to apply for a grant supporting research, study, and creative work. In Asia, ACC grants are open to citizens and permanent residents of countries located east of (and including) Afghanistan and south of Mongolia. Oceania is not applicable. There is no specific amount given for individual fellowships or organizational projects. As grants vary in length of duration (from a month to a year), amounts vary accordingly. Visit the ACC website for programs guidelines, information about previous recipients, and application procedure: http://www.asianculturalcouncil.org/apply-now/individual-guidelines
DECEMBER 7 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is accepting applications to its Scholarly Editions and Translations grants program. Grants will be awarded to support the preparation of editions and translations of pre-existing texts and documents that are currently inaccessible or available in inadequate editions. The grants are intended to support full- or part-time activities for a minimum of one year, up to a maximum of three years. Projects must be undertaken by a team of at least one editor or translator and one other staff member. Grants typically support editions and translations of significant literary, philosophical, and historical materials, but other types of work such as musical notation are also eligible. Applicants should be able to demonstrate familiarity with the best practices recommended by the Association for Documentary Editing or the Modern Language Association Committee on Scholarly Editions. Translation projects also should explain the approach adopted for the particular work to be translated. Visit the NEH website for complete program guidelines, an FAQ, information about past recipients, and application instructions: http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/scholarly-editions-and-translations-grants
DECEMBER 9 The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation is accepting applications for its On Screen/In Person Program, which provides opportunities for independent filmmakers to tour the mid-Atlantic region with their recent films with the aim of fostering greater understanding and appreciation of their work through direct audience engagement. Six films and their creators are selected for the program annually. Each tour engagement includes a public screening, a pre-or post-screening discussion with the visiting filmmaker, and a community activity collaboratively developed by the filmmaker and the local host site that provides greater appreciation for the filmmaker's work and the art of film. Nonprofit venues and arts organizations in the mid-Atlantic region apply to partner with MAAF and serve as host sites for the touring filmmakers. Each filmmaker is scheduled to visit between five and eight host sites and tour for approximately two weeks during one of the months the program is active. All travel expenses are paid by MAAF. In addition, a $200 per diem for each calendar day the filmmaker is on tour will be provided by the foundation to cover accommodations, food, and miscellaneous travel costs, along with a $400 stipend from each host site/screening engagement. The program is open to filmmakers from across the United States. Animation, documentary, experimental, and narrative works are eligible for consideration. Organizations accepted as host sites are invited to participate in the film selection process. See the MAAF website for complete program guidelines and application instructions: http://www.midatlanticarts.org/grants-programs/grants-for-artists/#on-screen-in-person
JANUARY 9, 2017 (letters of inquiry) The Russell Sage Foundation dedicates itself to strengthening the methods, data, knowledge, and theoretical core of the social sciences as a means of diagnosing social problems and improving social policies. The foundation’s program on Social Inequality supports research on the social, economic, political, and labor market consequences of rising economic inequalities in the United States. Priority will be given to projects that use innovative data or other methodologies to address important questions about inequality. Examples of the kinds of topics that are of interest include, but are not limited to, economic well-being, equality of opportunity, and intergenerational mobility; the political process and the resulting policies; psychological and/or cultural change; education; labor markets; child development and child outcomes; neighborhoods and communities; families, family structure, and family formation; and other forms of inequality. The foundation encourages methodological variety, but all proposals should have well-developed conceptual frameworks and research designs, and must be investigator-initiated. Analytical models should be specified and research questions and hypotheses should be clearly stated. Awards are available for research assistance, data acquisition, data analysis, and investigator time for conducting research and writing up results. Letters of Inquiry must be received no later than January 9, 2017. Upon review, select applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and an FAQ, visit the Russell Sage website: http://www.russellsage.org/research/funding/social-inequality
JANUARY 11 NEH Digital Humanities Advancement Grants (DHAG)support digital projects throughout their lifecycles, from early start-up phases through implementation and long-term sustainability. Experimentation, reuse, and extensibility are hallmarks of this grant category, leading to innovative work that can scale to enhance research, teaching, and public programming in the humanities. This program combines the former Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants and Digital Humanities Implementation Grants programs; the combined program is offered twice per year. Proposals are welcome for digital initiatives in any area of the humanities. Through a special partnership, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) anticipates providing additional funding to this program to encourage innovative collaborations between museum or library professionals and humanities professionals to advance preservation of, access to, use of, and engagement with digital collections and services. Through this partnership, IMLS and NEH may jointly fund some DHAG projects that involve collaborations with museums and/or libraries. For full guidelines, visit NEH online at https://www.neh.gov/grants/odh/digital-humanities-advancement-grants
Many NEH funding opportunities are now open! Check out the list at https://www.neh.gov/grants
Rolling Mellon Slavic Studies Initiative Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies are the focus of this joint publishing initiative supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in offered in partnership with Northwestern, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin university presses. 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
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 of Grants Administration
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