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| September 2010 - Federal Funding | |
In This Issue:
Upcoming WorkshopsClick a workshop for more info or to register. Proposal Writing I
September 15-17
September 20-22
September 22-24
September 27-29
September 29 - October 1
October 6-8
October 6-8
October 12-14
October 20-22
October 20-22
October 27-29
October 27-29
Two-Day Workshops
October 18 & 19
One-Day Workshops
September 15
Note From the DirectorWe hope that you will find this bi-monthly newsletter beneficial. It is not meant to be exhaustive or complete; rather it is an effort to aid you in your grant-seeking experience. We want to assist you in every step of the way and encourage your efforts. If you are in need of any further information, please write or call us. In the meantime, we would like to let you know that you will be receiving this publication twice a month. Each issue will focus on a different area of funding, including federal, foundation, corporate and individual giving. We trust that this information will enhance your understanding of the myriad of changes that are taking place in grant funding. This should prove to be a rewarding experience in enhancing your ability to submit winning grant proposals. Mathilda E. Harris, Ph.D. |
New NIH Peer Review Videos
NIA Director Richard J. Hodes explained that there is emerging evidence which suggests that certain interventions--for instance exercise, environmental enrichment, diet, social engagement, cognitive training, and stress reduction--should be studied more intensively to determine if they might prevent or reduce declines in cognitive health. "These grants will make it possible for researchers to further pursue basic research in this area and to devise interventions that could be experimentally tested for their ability to improve cognitive function in older people," he added. "['NIH Peer Review Revealed'] provides an inside look at the dynamic way reviewers evaluate NIH grant applications,' added CSR Director Dr. Toni Scarpa. "You'll see the rigor and integrity of their efforts, which have enabled NIH to identify ground-breaking research year after year." The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) receives all grant applications for NIH, as well as some for other components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Center organizes the peer review groups or study sections that evaluate about 70 percent of these grant applications, which have made it possible for NIH to fund breakthrough research that has enabled millions to receive new medicines and cures for diseases. For over 60 years, its "mission has remained clear and timely: to see that NIH grant applications receive fair, independent, expert, and timely reviews -- free from inappropriate influences -- so NIH can fund the most promising research." To continue to provide funding for advances in research, CSR remains aligned with the growth and expanding complexities of scientific research through new efforts with the following goals: 1) Shortening the review process; 2) Recruiting and retaining the best reviewers; 3) Fostering a culture more favorable to innovative applications; 4) Addressing the concern that clinical research has not been properly evaluated. For more information about CSR's resources for grant applicants, please visit their website link atcms.csr.nih.gov. For more information about NIH's centers and news releases, please visit their website www.nih.gov. 
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NIH Announces New Program to Expand Research Careers in Women's HealthA little less than $6 million has been awarded to investigators and programs to help researchers in the early stages of careers in women's health research. The funding is from the National Institutes of Health's Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) and other co-sponsors, and will go to 12 new and continuing Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) programs nationwide. BIRCWH, funded through a collaborative effort among many components of NIH, was developed to increase the personnel of women's health researchers through the support of career development programs. By pairing scholars with senior investigators in a mentored, interdisciplinary scientific environment, the program aims to: 1) promote, expand, and enrich interdisciplinary research in women's health; 2) provide mentorship, learning opportunities, collaboration, networking, and experience to produce academically successful and scientifically independent investigators in women's health; and 3) prepare women's health investigators in women's health. The first BIRCWH programs were established in the fall of 2000 and so far, have awarded 62 programs at 40 institutions. "Interdisciplinary research has blossomed during the last decade into a major component of women's health research and career development opportunities," said Vivian W. Pinn, M.D., director of ORWH. "The BIRCWH initiative continues to expand the number of scientists with an understanding of interdisciplinary and comprehensive approaches to health and disease. This appreciation will be crucial for new strategies in women's health research and their transformation into practice in future years." For more information on this program, and other programs offered by the Office of Research on Women's Health, please visit their website at orwh.od.nih.gov.
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NIH Extends Funding for Food Allergy ResearchThe National Institutes of Health has announced that the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR), established in 2005 by the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID), will be funded for five more years. CoFAR will continue to conduct new observational and clinical studies to answer questions about, prevent, and treat food allergies. The program will also expand its capacity to include research on the genetic causes from which food allergies originate, and studies of food allergy-associated eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs). The causes of food allergy and EGIDs are unknown, and although these diseases seem to have a genetic component, the genes responsible have yet to be identified. Additionally, some people outgrow their childhood allergies, whereas others develop new ones. Funding for CoFAR is provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), components of NIH. "Food allergies are difficult to manage because even when one strictly avoids allergenic foods, people with food allergies are still at risk of potentially life-threatening accidental exposures, " says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci. "We need to find better ways to treat and prevent food allergy and improve the quality of life of those with the disease. " Two principal investigators will receive funding under the new CoFAR grant: Hugh Sampson, M.D., of Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City; and Xiaobin Wang, M.D., M.P.H., Sc.D., of Children's Memorial Research Center, Chicago. For more information about food allergy, please visit the NIAID Food Allergy Web portal at niaid.nih.gov.
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RAPID Response Grants Available for Research on the Gulf Oil SpillWith regards to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a reminder that there are Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grants currently available. This RAPID mechanism was set in place to accept and review proposals having an acute urgency considering the availability of, or access to data, facilities or special equipment, as well as quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events. RAPID has been regularly used to facilitate research for such events and disasters; in fact, a number of awards have already been made to support research on both earthquakes this year in Haiti and Chile, as well as the oil spill. With more than twenty awards totaling over $3 million, NSF's response to the Gulf oil spill involves active research in geosciences, computer simulation, engineering, biology, materials research, and other fields represented across the agency. The two most current Rapid Response grants were awarded to the following groups: two scientists, Gary King and Ed Laws of Louisiana State University to study Vibrio bacteria in Gulf oyster beds; and geologist Ping Wang along with three University of South Florida graduate students to study oil found on Alabama and North Florida beaches. For more information on the RAPID program, please follow the link at www.nsf.gov. To see an updates list of RAPIDs targeting the Gulf oil spill response, please follow the link RAPID. Funding approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by colleges and universities across the U.S., the National Science Foundation (NSF) is a U.S. government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. With an annual budget of about $6.9 billion (FY 2010), the Agency makes over 11,500 funding awards and awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts each year. For more information on this and other news releases, please visit NSF's website atnsf.gov/news/ .
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EPA Asks the Public for Resolutions to Cleaning Up Kalamazoo RiverThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received numerous suggestions regarding possible technology solutions for the oil spill response efforts since the Enbridge oil spill in the Kalamazoo River. In response to the large number of ideas and solutions being submitted, the Agency has developed a voluntary submittal process to allow for faster review of the suggestions being offered, and to provide guidance regarding what information would be most useful to the reviewing officials. The information received through this voluntary submittal process will be evaluated for innovative ideas and technological solutions that are safe for the environment and public health. The solutions will be placed along the Kalamazoo River to help with cleanup. The information submitted will be forwarded to the appropriate reviewing official who will contact submitters, if necessary. The Agency is seeking suggestions in the following areas: surface water containment and cleanup, air monitoring and detection, landfall cleanup, wildlife protection and cleanup and other management activities such as data collection and management. For more information or to submit a technical solution, go to the EPA Enbridge Oil Spill web site at www.epa.gov/enbridgespill/. Nearly half of the EPA budget (an estimated $10 billion) goes into grants to state environmental programs, non-profits, educational institutions, and others. The money is used for a wide variety of projects from scientific studies that help make decisions to community cleanups. Overall, grants help achieve the Agency's overall mission: protect human health and the environment. For more information on funding through the EPA, please visit their website at epa.gov.
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New Funding Available Through the Affordable Care Act
The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Public Health and Science has announced that it will begin accepting applications for the Pregnancy Assistance Fund. Created by the Affordable Care Act, this competitive grant program will provide pregnant and parenting teens and women a seamless network of supportive services to help them complete high school or postsecondary degrees and gain access to health care, child care, family housing, and other critical support. In addition, states can use the funds to fight violence against pregnant women. This $25 million per year program will provide much needed financial assistance for states and communities across the country to provide supports for pregnant women and teens. "The opportunity created by the Affordable Care Act will provide [s]tates and [t]ribes need[ing] assistance to support vulnerable teens and women who are pregnant and parenting," said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "The Pregnancy Assistance Fund provides states the opportunity to link these families to health, education, child care, and other supports that can help brighten the futures of parents and their children." The Act will provide $25 million in funding for each fiscal year, 2010 through 2019, to award competitive grants to states and Indian tribes or reservations. It is estimated that up to 25 grants, in the amounts of $500,000 - $2,000,000, will be awarded each year. For more information on this funding opportunity announcement, please visit www.hhs.gov.
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HHS Announces $1 Million to Each State for Health InsuranceThe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the availability of up to $1 million in grants to each state for the purpose of establishing health insurance Exchanges. Upholding President Obama's commitment to transparency and an open government, HHS also published a request for comment calling for public suggestions as the Agency develops rules and standards for these Exchanges. Starting in 2014, health insurance Exchanges - new, competitive, consumer-centered health insurance marketplaces - will allow for individuals and small businesses to have greater control and choices. The Exchanges will make purchasing health insurance easier by providing eligible consumers and businesses with "one-stop-shopping" where they can compare and purchase health insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act authorized grants to the states to help them design and establish Exchanges in time for millions of Americans to choose their coverage for 2014. "With most states struggling to keep their budgets in balance, these grants will give them the resources to conduct the research and planning needed to build the health insurance marketplace of the future," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "We are working hand-in-hand with states as we carefully implement the Exchanges to make sure they best meet people's health insurance needs." To see the complete request for comment, please follow the link www.healthcare.gov. For more information on initiatives from the Department of Health & Human Services, please visit their website at www.dhhs.org.
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HHS Announces $9 Million for Training Preventive Medicine PhysiciansHHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced 15 awards, a total of $9 million, to support Preventive Medicine Residency Programs at qualified schools of public health, schools of medicine, and hospitals. Of these funds, an estimated $6.7 million is part of the $200 million apportioned to HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to address the nation's health care workforce shortages. HRSA's Preventive Medicine Residency Program provides support to plan and develop new residency programs; maintain, improve and expand existing programs; and provide financial support to residency trainees in these programs. These new funds will provide financial support to approximately 56 residents. Over the next three years, it is expected that more than 180 preventive medicine residents will receive training in a variety of public health settings -- including state, local and tribal public health departments, hospitals, community health centers, industrial sites, occupational health centers, and academic centers. "Preventive medicine physicians have training in both clinical medicine and public health, giving them a unique understanding of how to reduce the risks of disease and disability for the increasing number of people in need," said Secretary Sebelius. "These residency programs are extremely important in our continuing efforts to seek ways to address public health needs and improve the overall health of the nation," said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield. Preventive medicine includes three areas of specialty: general preventive medicine and public health, aerospace medicine and occupational medicine. Awards made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and lists of awards from HRSA's 2010 appropriation can be found at link hhs.gov/recovery . More funding announcements can be found at the HHS website at hhs.gov .
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Rural & Low-Income School Programs Show Benefits to Many DistrictsFunded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program is a part of the Rural Education Achievement Program, and provides additional funds to help rural districts serving low-income students make adequate yearly progress, as required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). In the 2009-10 school year, the RLIS program distributed almost $86 million to 1,497 districts in 41 states. The average district received $57,000 from the program. "Rural schools have unique needs and face unique challenges," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "We're committed to moving forward with policies that consider the specific needs of rural schools and supporting them in preparing students for success in college and careers." In the Department of Education's evaluation of the program, researchers from Berkeley Policy Associates and Learning Point Associates found that the districts used the RLIS money in ways that were intended to improve the quality of instruction and increase student achievement. They spent their federal money to upgrade their computers and purchase educational software and technology, to provide professional development and buy instructional materials. For more information on the "Evaluation of the Implementation of the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) Program: Final Report", please follow the link RLIS. For more funding news from the U.S. Department of Education, please visit their site at www.ed.gov/news/ .
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Dept. of Ed Funds $25 Million Job Retention ProgramThe U.S. Department of Education has announced the availability of $25 million to help loan servicers in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program retrain and redeploy workers who were most affected by the higher education provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Beginning July 1, 2010, all loans previously made under the FFEL program are being made under the Direct Loan Program, in which students borrow directly from the Education Department instead of banks. As indicated by the Congressional Budget Office, this change will save the federal government $68 billion over the next 11 years. Savings will be used to increase Pell Grants and other programs to make college more affordable and accessible for all Americans. Funds under the job retention program will be distributed among loan servicers with high numbers of employees engaged in loan origination activities at each specific location. The amount of funding to each area will be weighted by the unemployment rates in those communities where, in all likelihood, laid-off workers would have the hardest time finding new work. The funds are to be used for training and related services that will lead employees to continued employment. Congress authorized a total of $50 million for these activities, with the remaining $25 million to be allocated in fiscal year 2011. Additional information and the application for the funding announced can be found at www2.ed.gov.
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USDA Awards Grants for Outreach Programs for Families & Youth
"Many American children are at risk for problems, such as infant mortality, poor health, abuse, crime, teen pregnancy and poor performance in school," said Roger Beachy, NIFA director. "CYFAR promotes positive youth and family development by supporting healthy environments and providing opportunities for learning and leadership by youth and adults in their communities." For instance, in Connecticut an urban gardening project will teach teens from low-income families the leadership and entrepreneurial skills that will help them as they grow into adults. This year NIFA awarded $4,620,000 to eight land-grant universities; to name a few, Alabama A&M University, Rutgers University, University of Arizona, and University of Connecticut. Since 1991, CYFAR has supported programs in over 600 communities in all states and territories. The purpose of SCP funding is to improve the quality and quantity of comprehensive community-based programs for at-risk children, youth, and families supported by the Cooperative Extension System. Collaboration among various disciplines, program areas, and geographic lines, as well as a holistic approach that views the individual in the context of the family and community, are essential to the Sustainable Communities Project. For a full list of recipients, the programs that were awarded, or for more funding news from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, please visit the USDA website link atusda.gov.
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New Funding Available Through the Affordable Care Act
This grant announcement builds on that investment, which began last December of 2009. This created funding for new projects, awarded by competition and funded through the 2009 Continuum of Care funds. In addition, the funding supports the Obama Administration's plan to end homelessness. In fact, earlier this year Donovan and several federal agencies introduced "Opening Doors", a first-time federal strategy to end veteran and chronic homelessness by 2015, and to end homelessness among children, families, and youth by 2020. In addition to the funding provided through HUD's Continuum of Care Programs, the Department allocated $1.5 billion through its new Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP). Made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, HPRP is proposed to prevent persons from falling into homelessness or to rapidly re-house them if they do. For additional information on this and/or other programs funded by HUD, please visit their website by following the link hud.gov.
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Grant OpportunitiesCURRENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT-WIDE OPPORTUNITIES US Agency for International Development: Development Innovation Ventures Grant Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) brings together diverse innovators from academia, the private sector and NGOs to identify, develop, and transition to scale promising approaches to pressing development problems around the world. Development Innovation Ventures aims to institutionalize further in USAID the serendipitous process by which great ideas are conceptualized, developed, refined to meet real-world operational challenges, tested, and ultimately scaled up to change the world in fundamental ways. DIV encourages innovation in all sectors that impact the ability of people in developing countries to live healthy and productive lives, from economic growth to agriculture to anti-corruption activities. Current Closing Date: July 21, 2011 For funding information and the full announcement, please follow the link DIV funding. National Institute of Health: Biomedical Prevention of HIV Research Education Closing Date: July 08, 2010 This FOA issued by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), solicits Research Education Grant (R25) applications from institutions/organizations that propose to create a supportive environment nationwide in the United States for participation in biomedical HIV prevention trials. The program will support innovative, evidence-based approaches to educate and engage U.S. populations most highly affected by HIV and AIDS about clinical biomedical prevention research. This FOA will provide support for the formation of partnerships on a national scale among scientists, educators, media experts, community leaders, and other members of stakeholder organizations to enhance knowledge and understanding within highly HIV-affected communities of clinical biomedical HIV prevention research. Clinical biomedical HIV prevention research includes, but is not limited to, HIV vaccine research, microbicide research, pre-exposure prophylaxis research, and research on testing and treatment strategies for reducing HIV incidence. Current Closing Date: November 9, 2010 For funding information and the full announcement, please follow the link NIH - HIV Research. National Institutes of Health: Grants for Research in Glomerular Diseases (R01) The Division of Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases (DKUHD) of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) invites applications from new or established investigators to pursue exploratory investigations of glomerular disease, which would foster development of new ideas enhancing the understanding of disease detection, pathogenesis, pre-emption and/ or treatment. Mechanism of Support. This funding announcement will utilize the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) grant mechanism Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the mechanism numbers, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received. Current Closing Date: May 7, 2013 For funding information and the full announcement, please follow the link NIH - Kidney Research. National Endowment for the Humanities: Scholarly Editions and Translations Scholarly Editions and Translations grants support the preparation of editions and translations of pre-existing texts and documents that are currently inaccessible or available in inadequate editions. These grants support full-time or part-time activities for periods of at least 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 demonstrate familiarity with the best practices recommended by the Association for Documentary Editing or the Modern Language Association Committee on Scholarly Editions. Translation projects should also explain the approach adopted for the particular work to be translated. Editions and translations produced with NEH support contain scholarly and critical apparatus appropriate to the subject matter and format of the edition. This usually means introductions and annotations that provide essential information about the form, transmission, and historical and intellectual context of the texts and documents involved. Proposals for editions of foreign language materials in the original language are eligible for funding, as well as proposals for editions of translated materials. Current Closing Date: Oct. 28, 2010 For funding information and the full announcement, please follow the link NEA. National Science Foundation: Computational Mathematics Supports mathematical research in areas of science where computation plays a central and essential role, emphasizing design, analysis, and implementation of numerical methods and algorithms, and symbolic methods. The prominence of computation with analysis of the computational approach in the research is a hallmark of the program. Proposals ranging from single-investigator projects that develop and analyze innovative computational methods to interdisciplinary team projects that not only create and analyze new mathematical and computational techniques but also use/implement them to model, study, and solve important application problems are encouraged. Current Closing Date: Dec. 15, 2010 For more information, or to view the full announcement please follow the link NSF - Computational Mathematics. National Institutes of Health: Nutrition and Alcohol-Related Health Outcomes (R01) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) encourages Research Grant (R01) applications from institutions/organizations that propose to examine associations between nutrition and alcohol-related health outcomes in humans and animal models. The goal of this program announcement is to stimulate a broad range of research on the role of nutrition in the development, prevention, and treatment of a variety of alcohol-related health outcomes including alcohol dependence and psychiatric co-morbidities, chronic and acute diseases, and organ function and damage. Study designs may include biomedical research, epidemiologic approaches, and intervention studies. Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism and runs in parallel with an FOA of identical scientific scope, PA-10-240 and PA-10-241 that encourages applications under the R03 and R21 mechanisms, respectively. Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the mechanism numbers, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received. Current Closing Date: Sep 07, 2013 For more information on this grant opportunity, please follow the link NIH Nutrition & Alcohol. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Assisted Housing Stability and Energy and Green Retrofit Grants and loans will be made available through HUD's Office of Affordable Housing Preservation (OAHP) for eligible property owners to make energy and green retrofit investments in the property, to ensure the maintenance and preservation of the property, the continued operation and maintenance of energy efficiency technologies, and the timely expenditure of funds. Physical and financial analyses of the properties will be conducted to determine the size of each grant and loan. Incentives will be made available to participating owners. The terms of the grants or loans will include continued affordability agreements. Grant and loan funds must be spent by the receiving property owner within two years. Current Closing Date: February 16, 2011 For more information on this grant opportunity, please follow the link HUD - Green.
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| Edited by Patrice Royal © 2010 Grant Training Center | |
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The Center for Scientific Review (CSR), a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has released a new series of videos to give applicants an inside look at how NIH grant applications are reviewed for scientific and technical merit. Each year NIH appraises over 80,000 proposal applications to find those that are strongest at meeting established research priorities and public health needs. By granting billions of dollars in funding to these researchers, NIH helps to establish investments that lead to substantial advances in health and science.
These new videos include: any new changes NIH has put in place for the peer review and grants processes, samples of research being openly discussed by a number of scientists, and advice to new applicants from NIH staff members. Both videos, "NIH Peer Review Revealed" and "NIH Tips for Applicants", are available to be viewed and downloaded via CSR's website.
USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded eight grants through the Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Sustainable Communities Project (SCP) to strengthen outreach programs giving at-risk children, youth and families the skills and knowledge they need to lead healthy and successful lives.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan has announced the availability of approximately $190 million in new grants to assist hundreds of local homeless assistance programs across the country. The funding will be allocated to 550 local projects that will offer critically needed housing and support services to approximately 20,000 homeless individuals and families over the extended lifetime of these grants.
© 2010 Grant Training Center