Faculty Recognition & Funding Opportunities – October 1, 2017

posted October 1, 2017

RECOGNITION

Nancy Ide, Professor of Computer Science, was awarded funding from the National Science Foundation via subaward with The Pennsylvania State University for her role in an ongoing open, web-based infrastructure project that addresses challenges in providing interoperable access to hundreds of Natural Language Processing (NLP) component web services, together with facilities for service discovery, service composition, performance evaluation, and resource delivery for a wide range of language resources. Professor Ide’s collaboration with Dr. Anton Nekrutenko of Penn State and others will develop state-of-the-art facilities within this infrastructure for mining information in scientific publications in genomics, including recognition of relevant entities (proteins, genes, etc.), discovery of relations among them, event detection, etc. In addition, the collaboration will augment the Galaxy workflow engine to better handle processing of large language datasets.

Professor Idewas also awarded a research allocation on the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE), a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded single virtual system that scientists can use to interactively share computing resources, data, and expertise. Professor Ide’s allocation will be used to support maintenance and continued development of an XSEDE Science Gateway, the Language Applications (LAPPS) Grid; and provide resources to support the Vassar course in Computational Linguistics (CMPU 366) in Spring 2018.

Leah Isseroff Bendavid, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, received a National Science Foundation-XSEDE allocation for two projects that seek to improve the materials used in two fields of solar energy technologies – photocatalytic fuel production and hybrid organic-inorganic photovoltaics. The first examines the photocatalytic potential of novel two-dimensional CdS/graphene and CdS/graphene-oxide bilayer nanocomposites, using density functional theory to explore means of strengthening interfacial coupling through doping and oxidation. The second project studies methods to enhance the efficiency of the ZnO/P3HT hybrid solar cell, using density functional theory to explicate the individual and combined impacts of doping and interfacial modification on photovoltaic properties.

Charles Steinhorn, Professor of Mathematics, was awarded a five-year Collaborations Grant for Mathematicians by the Simons Foundation for his project, “Collaborative Research in Model Theory”. The Foundation's Collaborations Grants aim to support and stimulate the “mathematical marketplace” by increasing collaborative contacts between mathematicians, and are awarded based on the quality of the applicant’s previous research and on the likely impact that the collaboration grant will have on future research. Professor Steinhorn’s collaborative research has as its foundation model theory, one of the principal subfields of mathematical logic. Model theorists study properties of familiar mathematical structures that can be expressed in a formal mathematical language such as predicate logic. This distinctive point of view can provide understanding and insights into such structures that otherwise could not be easily obtained.

REMINDER!

Applications to participate in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity's Faculty Success Program, nicknamed the faculty "boot camp”, are due Monday, 9 October. Faculty boot camp is a 15-week program that combines empirically tested methods, coaching, peer discussions, and accountability tools to help academics thrive in their careers and achieve a work-life balance. There are two sessions to choose from: the upcoming one is from January 21-April 14, 2018, and the second is in late May 2018. The Dean of the Faculty office wishes to provide a select number of continuing Vassar faculty with support to participate in one of the two sessions. Please find the detailed application here, and contact Katie Hite, Faculty Director of Research Development (kahite@vassar.edu), if you have any questions.

***INTRAMURAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES***

OCTOBER 16 Environmental Research Institute (ERI). The Collins Faculty Research Fund supports faculty research in the area of environmental sciences, including multidisciplinary projects. The fund will consider single-year and multi-year projects. The funding of faculty research by the Collins Fund will be on a competitive basis. Project budgets up to $5,000 will be considered. Applications are due Monday after October Break (16 October 2017). For further information, see the Environmental Research Institute Faculty Funding page.

OCTOBER 16 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, or the Chief Information Officer (CIO) when appropriate. Applications are now being accepted for the fall 2017 round of grants. Please note that all applications must be submitted by Monday, October 16. Applications should include a brief statement of the need for the technology, how it would be used, the potential impact, the expected cost, and how the technology will enhance teaching or research. Each applicant is strongly encouraged to consult with the appropriate Academic Computing Services (ACS) liaison before the application is submitted. The ACS liaison can help the applicant identify available technologies and help determine the feasibility for continued support, thereby strengthening the merits of the grant application. Priority will be given to applicants who have not received Fergusson grants in the recent past. To apply, and for more details about the application process and review considerations, please see the Frances D. Fergusson FacultyTechnology Exploration Fund website.

OCTOBER 20 Faculty Committee on Research. The Committee on Research is now accepting applications for funding for the Fall 2017 cycle! All faculty members on tenure-track lines, emeriti, and faculty on continuing contracts are eligible to apply. Instructions and the application form are available at: http://pages.vassar.edu/researchcommittee/. Please be sure to read the instructions prior to preparing your proposal because some changes were made last year to the restrictions on funding categories. Applications for the Fall 2017 cycle are due by 5 pm, Friday, October 20, 2017. Please email attached proposals to researchcommittee@vassar.edu. If you have any questions about eligibility or the application process, please consult the Committee Chair, Kate Susman (kasusman@vassar.edu). If you have questions about accessing the site or the files, contact the researchcommittee@vassar.edu.

OCTOBER 23 The Carolyn Grant '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 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. Proposals should offer a succinct description of the project and the course to be developed or modified by the use of Endowment funds. The pedagogical methods and goals of that course, particularly as they address the Endowment’s purposes, should be included, along with a breakdown of anticipated expenses for the undertaking (grants generally range from $500-$3500). Application forms are available on the Carolyn Grant Endowment website. Please download the form, respond to each question, and email as an attachment to Lori Buckey (lbuckey@vassar.edu). The deadline for this semester's application is 5PM, Monday, October 23rd.

SOME UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR EXTRAMURAL FUNDING

ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

OCTOBER 12 (letters of intent) The Spencer Foundation is accepting Letters of Intent from investigators for its Lyle Spencer Research Awards program. Grants of up to $1 million will be awarded to support intellectually ambitious large-scale education research projects. In an effort to create much-needed space for creative and ambitious research projects that promise to advance our understanding of educational practice and its improvement, the program encourages proposals from scholars across a variety of disciplines and fields. To be eligible, principal investigators and co-PIs must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field, or appropriate experience in an education research-related profession. In addition, the PI must be affiliated with a college, university, school district, nonprofit research facility, or nonprofit cultural institution that is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded. The foundation does not award grants directly to individuals. LOIs must be received no later than October 12, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. See the Spencer Foundation website for complete program guidelines, an FAQ, information about previous grant recipients, and application procedures: http://www.spencer.org/lyle-spencer-research-awards

NOVEMBER 1 Spencer Foundation Small Research Grants support education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived. Examples of previously funded projects include an experimental study of how college students use visual representations in solving math problems; a study exploring the process of racial and rural identity formation among African-American high-school students who attend de facto segregated schools in the rural South; and a mixed-methods study focused on the different types of knowledge novice and experienced teachers draw on in teaching reading comprehension.

The Small research Grants program awards grants of up to $50,000. The Foundation will be hosting an informational webinar on Wednesday, September 20, 2017. See the Spencer Foundation website for complete grant program guidelines, an FAQ, and application instructions: http://www.spencer.org/small-research-grants

NOVEMBER 1 The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research is a private operating foundation dedicated to the advancement of anthropology around the world. Located in New York City, it is one of the major funding sources for international anthropological research and is actively engaged with the anthropological community through its varied grant, fellowship, networking, conference, and symposia programs. It also founded and continues to publish the international journal Current Anthropology, and disseminates the results of its symposia through open-access supplementary issues of this journal. Grants of up to $20,000 will be awarded to individuals holding a PhD or equivalent degree to support individual research projects. The program supports research that demonstrates a clear link to anthropological theory and debates and promises to make a solid contribution to advancing these ideas. There is no preference for any methodology, research location, or sub-field. The foundation encourages projects that employ a comparative perspective, can generate innovative approaches or ideas, and/or integrate two or more sub-fields. See the Wenner-Gren Foundation for complete program guidelines and application instructions: http://www.wennergren.org/programs/post-phd-research-grants

NOVEMBER 2 The National Academy of Education (NAEd) works to advance high-quality education research and its use in policy formation and practice. Founded in 1965, the academy comprises members in the United States and foreign associates who are elected on the basis of outstanding scholarship related to education. Since its establishment, NAEd has undertaken research studies that address pressing issues in education conducted by its members and other scholars with relevant expertise. As part of that mission, the NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports early-career scholars working in critical areas of education research. The non-residential postdoctoral fellowship funds proposals with the potential to make significant scholarly contributions to the field of education. The program also aims to develop the careers of its recipients through professional development activities involving National Academy of Education members. Fellows receive $70,000 for one academic year of research, or $35,000 for each of two contiguous years working half-time, and are included in professional development retreats with other fellows and NAEd members. The program is open to all eligible applicants regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Applicants must have received their PhD, EdD, or equivalent research degree between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2016. In addition, all applicants should have a demonstrated record of research experience in education. For complete program guidelines, information about a pre-recorded informational webinar and FAQ, and application instructions, see the NAEd website: https://naeducation.org/naedspencer-postdoctoral-fellowship-program/

NOVEMBER 2 The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) offers the Dialogues on the Experience of War program, which supports the study and discussion of important humanities sources about war, in the belief that these sources can help U.S. military veterans and others think more deeply about the issues raised by war and military service. Although the program is primarily designed to reach military veterans, men and women in active service, military families, and interested members of the public may also participate. The program awards grants of up to $100,000 that will support the convening of at least two discussion programs for no fewer than fifteen participants; and the creation of a preparatory program to recruit and train program discussion leaders (NEH Discussion Leaders). Discussion programs may take place on college and university campuses, in veterans’ centers, at public libraries and museums, and at other community venues: https://www.neh.gov/grants/education/dialogues-the-experience-war

Multiple NEH funding opportunities are now open! Match your project to an NEH grant opportunity: https://www.neh.gov/grants/match-your-project

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/

NOVEMBER 15 The American Council of Learned Societies invites applications for its initiative supporting research and teaching in Buddhist studies. Working with the 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. Available grant opportunities include: the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships in Buddhist Studies: An annual stipend of $55,000 will be awarded for a fellowship period running from July 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019. (In addition, a relocation allowance of $5,000 will be provided, if required.) The fellowship is designed to provide two years of funding to recent PhD recipients in residence at a university for the purpose of revising his/her dissertation into a publishable manuscript, or to help start his/her first project after completion of the PhD. Applications must be received no later than November 15, 2017. Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Grants for Critical Editions and Scholarly Translations: One-year grants of up to $80,000 will be awarded to institutions of higher education in support of a broad range of initiatives, from the creation of critical editions (with full scholarly apparatus), to the translation of canonical texts into modern vernaculars, to the translation of scholarly works on Buddhism from one modern language into another. For complete program guidelines and related opportunities, see the ACLS website: http://www.acls.org/programs/buddhist-studies/

DECEMBER 1 The Brady Education Foundation seeks to close the achievement/opportunity gap for children at risk for poor school outcomes due to environmental factors associated with poverty. To advance this mission, the foundation is accepting stage-one applications for projects related to the development and evaluation of programs that are consistent with a strength-based approach and show promise of being feasible, effective, and sustainable. 1) Program Development: One-year grants will be awarded to projects aimed at developing and testing the feasibility of new programs that promote positive cognitive and/or achievement outcomes for children (birth through 18 years) from underserved groups and/or low-resourced communities. Past Program Development grants have ranged between $25,000 and $276,000. 2) Existing Program Evaluation: Grants for up to three years will be awarded to evaluate the effectiveness of programs designed to promote positive cognitive and/or achievement outcomes for children (birth through 18 years) from underserved groups and/or low-resourced communities. Past Existing Program Evaluation grants have ranged between $241,000 and $792,000. See the Brady Education Foundation for complete program guidelines and application instructions: http://www.bradyeducationfoundation.org/applicationguidelines.html

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

SOME UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR EXTRAMURAL FUNDING

NATURAL SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICS

OCTOBER 25 National Science Foundation (NSF) Integrative Activities in Physics Program supports activities in conjunction with NSF-wide programs such as Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and programs aimed at women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. Further information about all of these programs and activities is available in the Crosscutting Investment Strategies section of the NSF Guide to Programs. The program also supports activities that seek to improve the education and training of physics students (both undergraduate and graduate), such as curriculum development or physics education research directed towards upper-level or graduate physics courses, and activities that are not included in specific programs elsewhere within NSF. The program supports research at the interface between physics and other disciplines and extending to emerging areas. Broadening activities related to research at the interface with other fields, possibly not normally associated with physics, also may be considered.

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

OCTOBER 25 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Academic Research Enhancement Awards (AREA) stimulate research in educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees in sciences but that have not been major recipients of NIH support. AREA grants create opportunities for scientists and institutions otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH research programs to contribute to the Nation's biomedical and behavioral research effort. AREA grants are intended to support small-scale research projects proposed by faculty members of eligible, domestic institutions, to expose undergraduate and/or graduate students to meritorious research projects, and to strengthen the research environment of the applicant’s home institution. Visit NIH online for details: https://area.nih.gov/

New to NIH’s grantmaking? Read all about it here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/about_grants.htm

JANUARY 15, 2018 The American Chemical Society (ACS) is seeking applications to its Local Section Innovative Projects Grants program. The biannual program encourages local ACS sections to conceive of and implement innovative projects designed to strengthen the functioning of the local section. Projects must be new to the applying local section, stimulate local section member involvement, and pilot a continuing section activity or take advantage of a unique upcoming opportunity for the section. Projects that support interaction with other ACS local sections, ACS divisions, ACS committees, other professional associations or community groups are especially encouraged, as are programs that foster inclusiveness and participation of diverse section membership or segments of the general public. Awards will be up to $3,500 per project. See the ACS website for complete program guidelines and application instructions: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/grants/acscommunity/lsinnovativegrant.html

FEBRUARY 15, 2018 AMBRF/Foundation for Alcohol Research invites applications from research projects focused on the effects of alcohol consumption on human health and behavior. The Foundation encourages basic and clinical research, including epidemiology. Examples of valid topics include factors influencing underage drinking, the mechanisms of alcohol-related organ injury, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and the effects of alcohol on general health. Areas of particular interest include studies on how particular patterns of consumption (quantity of alcohol consumed, types of alcoholic beverages consumed, frequency of consumption, and context) are related to health and behavioral outcomes; and interdisciplinary, bioinformatics, and other approaches to genetic and environmental factors that influence the patterns of consumption of alcoholic beverages and related consequences. Priority is given to projects led by young investigators. Grants of up to $75,000 a year will be awarded for either one or two years. See the AMBRF/Foundation for Alcohol Research website for complete program guidelines and application instructions: http://www.abmrf.org/appyling_grant

Questions about funding for research and scholarship? Contact us:

Judith Dollenmayer (5376, judollenmayer), Associate Director, Corporate, Foundation & Government Relations

Katherine Hite (7661, kahite), Professor and Chair of Political Science & Faculty Director of Research Development

Gary Hohenberger (7092, gahohenberger), Associate Vice President, Corporate, Foundation & Government Relations

Lori Buckey (5490, lbuckey), Grants Office Specialist

Patricia Pritchard (5893, papritchard), Director, Grants Accounting

Amanda Thornton (5309, amthornton), Director, Grants AdministrationPosted on Sunday, October 1, 2017