Faculty Recognition & Funding Opportunities – March 15, 2017

posted March 15, 2017

RECOGNITION

Maria Hantzopoulos, Associate Professor of Education, is co-editor (with Monisha Bajaj) of Peace Education: International Perspectives (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016) which received Honorable Mention in the Education Practice category of the 2017 PROSE Awards. Through the annual Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) Awards, the Association of American Publishers recognizes the best in professional and scholarly books, journals and electronic content publishing across 53 categories.“ ‘Peace Education: International Perspectives’ offers a thought-provoking and nuanced alternative to the often-oversimplified macro-institutional approaches to peace education,” observed 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.”

David Tavárez, Professor of Anthropology, is the co-author, along with Elizabeth Hill Boone and Louise Burkhart, of Painted Words: Nahua Catholicism, Politics, and Memory in the Atzaqualco Pictorial Catechism (Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks, 2017). Painted Words presents a facsimile, decipherment and analysis of a seventeenth-century pictographic catechism from colonial Mexico, preserved as Fonds Mexicain 399 at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Works in this genre present the Catholic catechism in pictures that were read sign by sign as aids to memorization and oral performance. They have long been understood as a product of early evangelization, but this study shows that they are better understood as indigenous expressions of devotional knowledge. This manuscript also features Nahuatl texts that focus on don Pedro Moteuczoma, son of Moteuczoma II, the ruler who was captured and defeated by Hernando Cortés. Other glosses identify figures drawn within the manuscript as Nahua and Spanish historical personages, as if the catechism had been repurposed as a dynastic record. This striking combination of sign and alphabetic text showcases how colonial pictographers created innovative text genres that reimagined pre-Columbian writing and early evangelization—and articulated novel assertions of indigenous identity and memorialized native history.

*** EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE VASSAR COMMUNITY ***

MARCH 27 The Frances D. Fergusson Faculty Technology Exploration Fund was created to encourage faculty members to explore the ways in which technology can enhance their teaching or research. Such technologies can include both computer software and peripheral devices. Requests for funds will be reviewed by the Committee on Academic Technologies (CAT), with input from the Dean of the Faculty and the Chief Information Officer (CIO). Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2017 round of grants. Applications should include a brief statement of the need for the technology, how it would be used, the potential impact, and the expected cost. Each application must be reviewed by the appropriate Academic Computing Services (ACS) liaison before the application is submitted. To apply, and for details about the application process and review considerations, please see the Frances D. Fergusson Faculty Technology Exploration Fund website.

MARCH 31 Faculty Committee on Research Twice a year, the Committee on Research awards funds for all phases of faculty research. The committee considers projects at any stage of development, and encourages applications where initial funding holds promise for continuing funding from extramural sources as well as research that falls outside the purview of typical external funders. In awarding research funds, the committee takes into account the likelihood of the project resulting in a finished product: the publication of a scholarly article or book, or the successful completion of a work of art, the mounting of an art exhibition or a dramatic production. All faculty members, whether tenured, on tenure-track, on more limited contracts, or emeriti, are eligible to apply. Support for summer research is only available to faculty continuing in the fall. Guidelines and application instructions are posted at http://pages.vassar.edu/researchcommittee/

Please be sure to read the instructions prior to preparing your proposal because some changes have been made this year to the restrictions on funding categories! Applications for the Spring 2017 cycle are due by 5PM on Friday, March 31 (first Friday AFTER Spring Break) via email to researchcommittee@vassar.edu. If you have any questions about eligibility or the application process, please consult the Chair, Kathleen Susman,(kasusman@vassar.edu) or the Director of Grants Administration, Amanda Thornton, (amthornton@vassar.edu).

MARCH 31 The CarolynGrant '36 Endowment encourages the integration of experiential and imaginative processes, and other kinds of embodied learning, into the lives of members of the Vassar community. The Endowment supports ongoing education, professional development, and training that would lead to innovations in teaching and curricular design. Faculty and staff are encouraged to apply for support to prepare to teach new courses or add new dimensions to existing ones. The Endowment funds such expenses as: the cost of attending workshops, pursuing off-campus collaborations, the cost of equipment or supplies for courses, and the cost of bringing teachers or scholars to campus in connection with a course. The Endowment’s steering committee invites proposals that offer succinct descriptions of projects and the courses to be developed or modified by the use of Endowment funds. The pedagogical methods and goals of that course should be included, along with a breakdown of anticipated expenses for the undertaking (grants generally range from $500-$3500). Application forms are available at: http://carolyngrantendowment.vassar.edu. Please download the application form, respond to each question, and email as an attachment to Lori McElduff (lomcelduff@vassar.edu). Applications are due by 5PM on Friday, March 31 (first Friday AFTER Spring Break). If you would like more information on the Carolyn Grant ’36 Endowment, please check the website or discuss your ideas with any member of the steering committee: Beth Darlington, Eugenio Giusti, John McCleary, Jill Schneiderman, Sam Speers, Pat Wallace, Kathy Wildberger or Rick Jarow.

SOME UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR EXTRAMURAL FUNDING

NATURAL SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICS

MARCH 20 (pre-registration) The Human Frontier Science Program supports international collaborations in basic life science research and invites applications from researchers with an innovative approach to understanding the complex mechanisms of living organisms. HFSP offers two types of grants: Program and Young Investigator. Program grants are designed for independent scientists at any stage of their careers, while Young Investigator grants are intended for teams of scientists who are all within five years of establishing an independent laboratory and within ten years of obtaining their PhDs. Both types of grants provide support over three years for two- to four-member teams. Unless critical for the innovative nature of the project, no more than one member of a team can be from any one country. Applicants are expected to develop novel lines of research distinct from their ongoing research. Awards are dependent on team size, with successful team applications receiving up to $450,000 per year. In addition, the principal applicant must be located in an HFSP member country (although co-investigators may be located in any country). Applicants must register and obtain a 2017 reference number from the HFSP website by March 20, 2017. Letters of Intent must be received no later than March 30, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application. For complete program guidelines, an FAQ, and application instructions, see the HFSP website: http://www.hfsp.org/funding/research-grants/information-and-guidelines

MARCH 31 The Breakthrough Prize Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2018 Breakthrough Prizes in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences, and Mathematics. Founded by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Yuri and Julia Milner, the prizes, the largest science prize in the world, will honor top scientists with up to five prizes in the life sciences, one in fundamental physics, and one in mathematics. Each prize comes with a $3 million award, and selection committees are composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates, who choose the winners from a list of candidates developed during the nomination period. In addition, up to six New Horizons Prizes of $100,000 each will be presented to promising early-career researchers in the fields of fundamental physics and mathematics.

1) Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics: A single Breakthrough Prize ($3 million) will be awarded to an individual(s) who has made profound contributions to human knowledge. This category is open to all physicists — theoretical, mathematical, and experimental — working on the deepest mysteries of the universe. The prize can be shared among any number of scientists. Nominations are also being accepted for the New Horizons in Physics Prize, which will include up to three $100,000 awards for junior researchers who have already produced important work in their fields.

2) Breakthrough Prize in Life Science: Up to five Breakthrough Prizes ($3 million each) will be awarded to individuals who have made transformative advances in understanding living systems and in extending human life.

3) Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics: A single Breakthrough Prize ($3 million) will be awarded to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of mathematics. In addition, up to three $100,000 New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes will be presented to early-career mathematicians who have already produced important work in their fields.

For complete program guidelines and nomination instructions, visit the Breakthrough website: https://breakthroughprize.org/News/35

APRIL 12 (preliminary proposals) The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites preliminary proposals for Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers (ADVANCE). Despite significant increases in the proportion of women pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) doctoral degrees, women are significantly underrepresented as faculty, particularly in upper ranks, and in academic administrative positions, in almost all STEM fields. The ADVANCE program is designed to foster gender equity through a focus on the identification and elimination of organizational barriers that impede the full participation and advancement of all women faculty in academic institutions. The goals of ADVANCE are (1) to develop systemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic STEM[1] careers; (2) to develop innovative and sustainable ways to promote gender equity that involve both men and women in the STEM academic workforce; and (3) to contribute to the research knowledge base on gender equity and the intersection of gender and other identities in STEM academic careers. The ADVANCE program contributes to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce because of the focus on equity for STEM academic faculty who are educating, training, and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. All projects are expected to build on prior ADVANCE work and gender equity research and literature to broaden the implementation of organizational and systemic strategies to foster gender equity in STEM academic careers. All ADVANCE proposals are expected to recognize that gender does not exist in isolation from other characteristics, such as race/ethnicity, disability status, sexual orientation, foreign-born and foreign-trained status, faculty appointment type, etc., and should offer strategies to promote gender equity for all faculty. For complete requirements, guidelines and instruction, see the program solicitation online: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5383&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund

Multiple NSF funding opportunities are available! See the list of programs and deadlines here: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_list.jsp?org=NSF&ord=date

APRIL 15 (letters of intent) The Whitehall Foundation assists scholarly research in the life sciences through its research grants and grants-in-aid programs. It is the foundation's policy to support those dynamic areas of basic biological research that are not heavily supported by federal agencies or other foundations with specialized missions. 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: Research grants of up to $225,000 over three years will be awarded to established scientists of all ages working at an accredited institution 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: One-year grants of up to $30,000 will be awarded to researchers at the assistant professor level who experience 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; have Principal Investigator status; and be considered an "independent investigator" with his/her own dedicated lab space or have lab space independent of another investigator. Letters of Intent must be received no later than April 15, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by September 1, 2017. For complete program guidelines, information about previous grant recipients, and application procedures, see the Whitehall Foundation website: http://www.whitehall.org/grants/

JUNE 15 The American Psychological Foundation (APF) invites applications for its Kenneth B. and Mamie P. Clark Fund, which provides an award of $10,000 to an early-career psychologist in support of his/her research and demonstration activities that promote understanding of the relationship between self-identity and academic achievement, with an emphasis on children in grades K-8. Applicants must be an early-career psychologist (no more than ten years postdoctoral) and have received IRB approval, if human participants are involved, before funding can be awarded. See the APF website for complete program guidelines, information about past recipients, and application instructions: http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/clark-fund.aspx

AUGUST 1 The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation seeks to further the development of scientific leadership in the field of environmental chemistry through the Postdoctoral Program in Environmental Chemistry. A single grant of $120,000 (payable in two $60,000 installments) will be awarded to a principal investigator for the appointment of a postdoctoral fellow in environmental chemistry, with priority given to innovative fundamental research in the chemical sciences or engineering related to the environment. To be eligible, the principal investigator must have a well-established research effort in environmental science or engineering. Those activities need not be located in a traditional department in the chemical sciences, and collaboration across departments and institutions is encouraged. The postdoctoral fellow usually is not already identified or working in the principal investigator's lab at the time of application. See the Dreyfus Foundation website for complete program guidelines and application instructions: http://dreyfus.org/awards/postdoctoral_program.shtml

SEPTEMBER 19 The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation provides fellowships for advanced professionals in all fields except the performing arts. The fellowships are intended for individuals who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. The program seeks to further the development of scholars and artists by helping them engage in research in any field of knowledge and/or creation in any of the arts under the freest possible conditions. Fellowships provide grants to selected individuals over a period of between six and twelve months. Because the purpose of the program is to help provide fellows with blocks of time in which they can work with as much creative freedom as possible, fellows may spend their grant funds in any manner they deem necessary to advance their work. Support is only available to individuals. Fellowships are not available for the creation of residencies, curriculum development, or any type of educational program, nor are they available to support the development of websites or blogs. The foundation understands the performing arts to be those in which an individual interprets work created by others. Accordingly, the foundation will provide fellowships to composers but not conductors, singers, or instrumentalists; choreographers but not dancers; filmmakers, playwrights, and performance artists who create their own work but not actors or theater directors. Grant amounts vary, and the foundation does not guarantee it will fully fund any project. See the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation website complete guidelines and applications instructions: http://www.gf.org/about/fellowship/

NOVEMBER 3 The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) supports teachers with the aim of ensuring equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students. NCTM invites proposals for its Pre-K-6 Classroom Research Grants program, which supports classroom-based research in pre-college mathematics education in collaboration with college or university mathematics educators. Grants of up to $6,000 will be awarded to mathematics educators or classroom teachers currently teaching mathematics at the pre-K–6 level. The research must be a significant collaborative effort involving a college or university mathematics educator (a mathematics education researcher or a teacher of mathematics learning, teaching, or curriculum) and one or more pre-K–6 classroom teachers. The proposal may include but is not restricted to research related to curriculum development and implementation; involvement of at-risk or minority students; students' thinking about a particular mathematics concept or set of concepts; connection of mathematics to other disciplines; focused learning and teaching of mathematics with embedded use of technology (any acquisition of equipment must support the proposed plan but not be the primary focus of the grant); and/or innovative assessment or evaluation strategies. Involvement of preservice teachers is encouraged but not required. The research should lead to a draft article suitable for submission in the Mathematics Teacher Educator, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, or in one of the other NCTM school journals. In addition, proposals must address the following: research design, the plan for collecting and analyzing data, and the anticipated impact on student learning. To be eligible, applicants must be a current NCTM member (on or before October 15, 2016) or teach at a school having current NCTM pre-K-8 school membership. The college or university mathematics educator also must be a member of NCTM. For complete program guidelines and application instructions, visit NCTM online: http://www.nctm.org/Grants-and-Awards/Grants/Pre-K-6-Classroom-Research-Grants/

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 EXTRAMURAL FUNDING

ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

MARCH 31 IDEA, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve learning in higher education through research, assessment, and professional development, is accepting proposals for its 2017-18 Impact Grants Program, which seeks to promote new knowledge in higher education in the fields of teaching, learning, and campus climate. The program is designed to support effective student learning by carefully exploring and systematically documenting the efficacy of various teaching practices, learning environments, and institutional policies. Examples of the kinds of projects funded include but are not limited to classroom interventions designed to improve student learning; investigations of student and course characteristics that are related to learning; evaluation of innovative teaching methods; methods for engaging students in online courses; innovative approaches to faculty development that impact student learning; comprehensive approaches to teaching evaluation; innovative approaches to leadership development; and strategies and approaches that improve student well-being. In 2017, the program will award grants of up to $10,000 to individual faculty members, professional staff, departments, colleges, or programs. See the IDEA website for complete program guidelines and application instructions: http://www.ideaedu.org/Giving-Grantmaking/Grantmaking/Grant-Guidelines

APRIL 12 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowships support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources in the humanities. Projects may be at any stage of development. Fellowships support continuous full-time work for a period of six to twelve months via a monthly stipend. For details and application instructions, visit NEH online: https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships

Multiple NEH grant opportunities are available! See the full list here.

APRIL 14 (letters of inquiry) The Harpo Foundation seeks to stimulate creative inquiry and encourage new modes of thinking about art and invites Letters of Inquiry for its 2017 New Work Project Grants program. Through the annual program, grants of up to $10,000 are awarded to nonprofit organizations in support of new work by under-recognized artists age 21 or older. The foundation will consider proposals that directly support the production of new work by visual artists and/or collaborative teams who are underrecognized in their field. Production of such may happen in the context of an installation, public intervention, residency, or exhibition. LOIs must be received no later than April 14, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application. For complete program guidelines, information about previous fellowship recipients, and applications instructions, see the Harpo Foundation’s website: http://www.harpofoundation.org/apply/new-work-project-grants/

APRIL 21 The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Department at Yale University invites applications for the Yale LGBT Studies Research Fellowship. The annual fellowship is designed to provide access to Yale resources in LGBT studies to a scholar who lives outside the greater New Haven, Connecticut, area. The program supports scholars from any field interested in pursuing research in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer studies using faculty resources, manuscript archives, and library collections available at Yale. The one-month fellowship, which must be taken up between September 1, 2017, and April 30, 2018, provides an award of $4,000 to pay for travel to and from New Haven and act as a living allowance. The fellowship recipient is expected to be in residence for a minimum of twenty days during the period of his or her award. Graduate students conducting dissertation research, independent scholars, and all faculty are invited to apply. Scholars residing within a hundred miles of New Haven are ineligible. For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Yale LGBT studies website: http://lgbts.yale.edu/research

AUGUST 21 The Russell Sage Foundation is accepting applications for its Social, Economic and Political Effects of the Affordable Care Act Program. The program 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, and differential effects by age, race, ethnicity, nativity, or disability status. The foundation also is 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, or the 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 and projects that propose to analyze newly available or underutilized data are welcome. 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), as other funders already do that. 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 August 21, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application that must be returned no later than November 15, 2017. http://www.russellsage.org/research/funding/affordable-care-act

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, Grants Administration

Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2017