NIH will be transitioning to updated electronic application forms packages. These packages, identified with a Competition ID of FORMS-C, will be required for all applications with due dates on or after September 25, 2013 with the following exceptions:

• Individual Research Career Development Award Programs (Ks), Institutional Training and Career Development Programs (Ts and Ds) and Individual National Research Service Awards (Fs) applicants will be required to use FORMS-C packages for due dates on or after January 25, 2014.

• Small Business programs (SBIR/STTR) applicants will transition to FORMS-C packages later in 2014, when we can combine these form changes with anticipated form changes relating to the Small Business Authorization Act.

Details of the form changes are documented at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/files/FORMS-C_Changes.pdf.

Full details can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-13-075.html

The U.S. State Department has released their newest Open Competition for International Visitor Leadership Program Assistance Award.  This program seeks to increase mutual understanding between the U.S. and foreign publics through carefully designed professional programs. IVLP projects support U.S. foreign policy objectives. Participants are current or potential foreign leaders in government, politics, media, education, science, non-government organizations (NGOs), the arts, and other key fields. They are selected by officers of U.S. embassies overseas and are approved by the DOS staff in Washington, D.C. Each project will focus on a substantive theme. Some typical IVLP projects themes are: (1) agriculture; (2) counterterrorism; (3) democracy and human rights (4) economic and business development; (5) education; (6) environmental issues; (7) freedom of information; (8) international crime; (9) media; (10) rule of law; (11) science and technology; (12) tolerance and diversity; (13) U.S. foreign policy, and (14) U.S. government and political system, and (15) Women's Issues.   Under the International Visitor Leadership Program, DOS permits institutions to submit a maximum of one proposal.  Proposals are due June 7, 2013.

The program announcement can be found at:

http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding/open-grant-solicitations

Due to these limitations, Sponsored Programs is requiring submission of letters of interest by May 13, 2013.  If you intend to submit, please forward your letter of interest, to include a brief description of your project, to Becky Hayes at rlhayes@kent.edu .  Your letter of interest should be no more than 3 pages.  If Sponsored Programs receives more than one letter of interest, an internal review will follow.

The National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities has released the Summer Stipends guidelines for 2013.  The Summer Stipends 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. Summer Stipends support full-time continuous work on a humanities project for a period of two months.  NEH allows only two applications per institution.    The deadline for full applications is September 26, 2013.

The website for a full set of guidelines is:

http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/summer-stipends

Due to the limitations set by NEH, Sponsored Programs is requiring submission of letters of interest by July 1, 2013 if you are interested in submitting an application.  Please forward your letter of interest to Becky Hayes at rlhayes@kent.edu.  Your letter of interest should be no more than 3 pages and should include review information if you have submitted for funding through this program in the past.  If Sponsored Programs receives more than one letter of interest, an internal review will be conducted.

The National Institute of Health Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM (P01) – PAR-12-151 encourages applications that propose to conduct research that is of high-priority to NCCAM that requiressynergistic collaboration between outstanding scientists, and the synthesis of multiple research approaches by multi-disciplinary research teams. The CERC mechanism is designed to support research in which the funding of three or four synergistic, highly meritorious projects as a group offers significant scientific advantages over support of the same projects as individual research grants. Each CERC must consist, throughout the duration of the award, of three or four research projects, focused on basic, mechanistic, and/or translational research questions relevant to the research priorities described in the current NCCAM Strategic Plan.  Under Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM, NIH permits institutions to submit only one application.  Proposals are due September 25, 2013.

The website for a full set of guidelines is:

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-12-151.html

Due to these limitations, Sponsored Programs is requiring submission of letters of interest by July 12, 2013.  If you intend to submit, please forward your letter of interest, to include a brief description of your project, to Becky Hayes at rlhayes@kent.edu .  Your letter of interest should be no more than 3 pages.  If Sponsored Programs receives more than one letter of interest, an internal review will follow.

The National Science Foundation's Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) Program - NSF 13-559 supports university-based centers and institutes where the collective efforts of a larger group of individuals can enable transformational advances in the most promising research areas.  The program is designed to foster major breakthroughs at the intellectual frontiers of physics by providing needed resources such as combinations of talents, skills, disciplines, and/or specialized infrastructure, not usually available to individual investigators or small groups, in an environment in which the collective efforts of the larger group can be shown to be seminal to promoting significant progress in the sciences and the education of students.  

Under the Physics Frontiers Center program, NSF permits institutions to submit a maximum of two preproposals.  Preproposalsare due August 5, 2013.  Full Proposals are due January 27, 2014.

The program announcement can be found at:

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13559/nsf13559.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

Due to these limitations, Sponsored Programs is requiring submission of letters of interest by May 24, 2013.  If you intend to submit, please forward your letter of interest, to include a brief description of your project, to Becky Hayes at rlhayes@kent.edu .  Your letter of interest should be no more than 3 pages.  If Sponsored Programs receives more than two letters of interest, an internal review will follow.

The National Science Foundation has released their Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) NSF 13-556 announcement.  MRSECs provide sustained support of interdisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering. MRSECs address research of a scope and complexity requiring the scale, synergy, and interdisciplinarity provided by a campus-based research center. They support materials research infrastructure in the United States, promote active collaboration between universities and other sectors, including industry and international institutions, and contribute to the development of a national network of university-based centers in materials research, education, and facilities. A MRSEC may be located at a single institution, or may involve multiple institutions in partnership.

Under the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers Program, NSF permits institutions to submit a maximum of one Pre- proposal per institution as the lead.  Preliminary proposals are due August 26, 2013.

The program announcement can be found at:

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13556/nsf13556.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

Due to these limitations, Sponsored Programs is requiring submission of letters of interest by June 3, 2013.  Your letter of interest isto include a brief description of your project of no more than 3 pages. Please forward your letter of interest, to Becky Hayes at rlhayes@kent.edu .  If Sponsored Programs receives more than the one letter of interest, an internal review will be conducted using your letter of interest.

The National Science Foundation's Widening Implementation & Demonstration of Evidence-Based Reforms (WIDER)- NSF 13-552 seeks to transform institutions of higher education into supportive environments for STEM faculty members to substantially increase their use of evidence-based teaching and learning practices.  Under the WIDER program NSF permits institutions to submit a maximum of one Planning or one Institutional Implementation proposal.  There are no restrictions on the number of Community Implementation or Research proposals.  Proposals are due July 3, 2013. 

The program announcement can be found at:

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13552/nsf13552.pdf 

Due to these limitations, Sponsored Programs is requiring submission of letters of interest for Planning or Institutional Implementation proposal by May 15, 2013.  If you intend to submit, please forward your letter of interest, to include a brief description of your project, to Becky Hayes at rlhayes@kent.edu .  Your letter of interest should be no more than 3 pages.  If Sponsored Programs receives more than one letter of interest for any single category, an internal review will follow.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have released information concerning the potential impact of the FY 2013 Sequestration on awards within each agency and the planned operation in the event of Sequestration.  The agencies are currently operating under a Continuing Resolution that will expire on March 27, 2013.  Revisions to these notices may be necessary.

Under the Sequestration, the FY 2013 appropriations of the National Science Foundation will be reduced by 5 percent.  The NSF intends to protect commitments to NSF's core mission and maintain existing awards; protect the NSF workforce; and protect STEM human capital development programs.  With these principles in mind, the major impact of sequestration will be seen in reductions to the number of new research grants and cooperative agreements awarded in FY 2013.  NSF anticipates reducing the number of awards by approximately 1,000.

In an effort to minimize disruption of scientific research, FY 2013 NSF continuing grants and annual increments for cooperative agreement are expected to be provided funds as scheduled.  Overall funding constraints may require reductions to certain major investments that will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

While under the Continuing Resolution, the National Institutes of Health are currently funding non-competing continuation awards at a level below that indicated on the most recent Notice of Award (generally up to 90% of the previously committed level).  Funding may be reduced further by the sequestration.  In addition, NIH expects to make fewer competing awards.   NIH Institutes and Centers will announce respective approaches to meeting the new budget levels.

A project has been selected to submit to this program. 

The National Endowment for the Arts has released the Grants in Arts Projects guidelines for 2013.  The Art Works program is designed to support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts.  The categories for applications are Artistic Communities, Arts Education, Dance, Design, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literature, Local Arts Agencies, Media Arts, Museums, Music, and Opera.  NEA has two deadlines for applications depending on the category in which you which to submit – March 7 and August 8, 2013.  NEA allows only one application per institution, regardless of the deadline under which you submit.   

To view the guidelines, go to www.arts.gov/grants/apply, select the field or discipline most relevant to your project, and choose Grants for Arts Projects from the list of funding opportunities.

Due to the limitations set by NEA, Sponsored Programs is requiring submission of letters of interest by February 1, 2013 if you are interested in submitting to either of the application deadlines.  Please forward your letter of interest to Becky Hayes at rlhayes@kent.edu.  Your letter of interest should be no more than 3 pages and should include your source for cost share.  If Sponsored Programs receives more than one letter of interest, an internal review will be conducted.

Upcoming Changes to the Financial Conflict of Interest Policy

The Public Health Service (PHS) has implemented new regulations governing Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) policy for PHS funded research (from such agencies as NIH, CDC, HRSA, AHRQ, SAMHSA, Medicare).  As a result, Kent State University will be implementing revised Conflict of Interest Policy and procedures incorporating changes for all PHS-funded investigators and investigators funded by other agencies that have adopted the PHS FCOI policy (such as the American Heart Association).        This includes PHS funded subawards.  Some of the changes in the regulation include additional reporting requirements and the addition of a training requirement.

The revised policy and procedures are required to be in place by August 24, 2012.  The policy applies to all individuals who are involved in the design, conduct or reporting of research (including graduate students and post docs as appropriate). 

As updates are available and required training modules are created, announcements will be disseminated through research listservs and the Sponsored Programs news page.  

NIH Just-in-Time (JIT) Requests

Many federal agencies request additional information after a proposal has been submitted, during the review process.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) makes this request through the Just-in-Time (JIT) process.  These requests commonly include:

·      Other Support documentation

·         Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval

·         Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval

·         Human subject training requirement certification

·         Budget revisions and justification

·         Subrecipient documentation listed above

JIT requests are not a notice of grant award, but simply a request for additional information for a proposal under consideration.  These JIT requests are being sent by the NIH to the principal investigators.  If you receive a JIT request, please forward it to the Sponsored Programs Administrator with whom you worked when submitting your proposal or to me.  We will work with you in submitting your required documents.  All documentation must be approved and forwarded to the sponsor by the Sponsored Programs Office in order to meet the NIH requirements.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Becky Hayes

Assistant Director, Sponsored Programs

330-672-0712

rlhayes@kent.edu

USDA Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields Program

USDA Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields Program (WAMS) supports research and extension projects that have robust collaborations to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields that are relevant to USDA priorities identified by the Secretary: (i) Promotion of a safe, sufficient, and nutritious food supply for all Americans and for people around the world; (ii) Sustainable agricultural policies that foster economic viability for small and mid-sized farms and rural businesses, protect natural resources, and promote value-added agriculture; (iii) national leadership in climate change mitigation and adaptation; (iv) Building a modern workplace with a modern workforce; and (v) Support for 21st century rural communities.  See: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/womenandminoritiesinsciencetechnologyengineeringandmathematics.cfm

NEW – A Thesaurus-Based Search Tool for NIH funded projects

LikeThis is a new search tool which aids investigators in finding other research projects with similar goals and objectives as their own.  This can be done by entering specific scientific terms or by accessing their own application or grant and clicking on the new LikeThis link available through eRA Commons.  Investigators will be provided a list of similar funded projects and/or publications as well as a list of scientific terms and their corresponding weights within the publications.

Here are some helpful resources to help you navigate LikeThis

Overview < http://era.nih.gov/services_for_applicants/like_this/likethis.cfm>

User Guide < http://era.nih.gov/files/LikeThis_user_guide.pdf>

FAQs < http://era.nih.gov/commons/faq_commons.cfm#XVII

The Dangers in Delay-Office of Extramural Research

National Institutes of Health

http://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2011/12/28/the-dangers-in-delay/

As the electronic submission process has improved, so have the potential dangers when submitting an application near the deadline.

One of the most fundamental steps you can take to ensure consideration of your application is to make certain we receive it successfully. This means applying well before the due date. Now we know we preach this often, but it is as true now as ever before.

As people become more confident in the ability of eRA to process applications quickly, we see an increasing backlog of "last minute" applications on submission due dates. For a recent December due date, more than 1,000 applications were submitted in the final hour. Here is the rub. This rush of submissions can create a potential back-log in processing; checking for errors can take up to 4 hours. Remember that a submission must be error free before it can be sent on for review. 

What does this mean for you? Take this possible scenario…

• The application is due at 5 p.m.

• You submit at 4 p.m. on the due date.

• Processing takes an hour and 45 minutes. 

• Two errors were identified.

You are now 45 minutes past the submission deadline with no chance to correct the errors that were identified. Not good. NIH's late policy will not allow for the consideration of this application. Had you submitted in the morning of the due date, or even the day or two before, you would have had plenty of time to correct the errors and submit a error-free application.

Please, we want your applications. Submit early.

National Science Foundation Announcement

Dear Colleague:

The purpose of this memorandum is to inform you of recent developments in the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).   There was a recent change in policy that NSF has decided to reconsider.  In particular, the policy concerns what can be expected of Fellows during the three years they receive NSF funding (on tenure).  NSF has decided to reinstate the previous policy with respect to this issue while further study is conducted to inform this and other GRFP policies.  The policy that will be in effect during the 2011-2012 Fellowship Year is an updated version of the one described in the 2009 Guide (NSF 09-62), which is as follows:

Each Fellow is expected to devote full time to advanced scientific study or work during tenure. However, because it is generally accepted that teaching or similar activity constitutes a valuable part of the education and training of many graduate students, a Fellow may undertake a reasonable amount of such activities, without NSF approval. It is expected that furtherance of the Fellow's educational objectives and the gain of substantive teaching or other experience, not service to the institution as such, will govern these activities. Compensation for such activities is permitted based on the affiliated institution's policies and the general employment policies outlined in this document.

You can refer to the 2011 Guide (NSF 11-031) at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf11031 for further information about teaching, research, and other work activities during tenure years. 

We apologize for confusion these changes may have caused, but look forward to working with you to ensure the GRFP is as effective as possible in helping to ensure the vitality of the U. S. scientific and engineering workforce. 

Sincerely,

The Graduate Research Fellowship Program Office

Division of Graduate Education

Directorate for Education & Human Resources

National Science Foundation

grfp@nsf.gov

FastLane will begin automated compliance checking for the data management plan starting January 15th and proposals (including unsolicited proposals) that do not comply with the requirement will be prevented from submission.   

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the new PAPP Guide, and visit the Policy Office website ( http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/) for additional information.  We have developed an entire suite of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on topics such as general proposal preparation and award administration, Project Outcomes Reports, Responsible Conduct of Research, Data Management Plans and Cost Sharing.  The Policy Office updates these FAQs as new questions are raised, to keep the community aware of emerging issues, so please visit our site often to access the latest information on NSF policies and procedures.     

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact the Policy Office on (703) 292-8243 or by e-mail to policy@nsf.gov.   

NSF Data Management Plan Requirements

Proposals submitted or due on or after January 18, 2011, must include a supplementary document of no more than two pages labeled "Data Management Plan". This supplementary document should describe how the proposal will conform to NSF policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results. See Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Chapter II.C.2.j for full policy implementation.

More information can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmp.jsp.