Since 1948, students and faculty of The University of Mississippi have benefited from its membership in Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU is a consortium of 91 colleges and universities and a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ORAU works with its member institutions to help their students and faculty gain access to federal research facilities throughout the country; to keep its members informed about opportunities for fellowship, scholarship, and research appointments; and to organize research alliances among its members.

Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), the DOE facility that ORAU operates, undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and faculty enjoy access to a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Students can participate in programs covering a wide variety of disciplines including business, earth sciences, epidemiology, engineering, physics, geological sciences, pharmacology, ocean sciences, biomedical sciences, nuclear chemistry, and mathematics. Appointment and program length range from one month to four years. Many of these programs are especially designed to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority students pursuing degrees in science- and engineering-related disciplines. A comprehensive listing of these programs and other opportunities, their disciplines, and details on locations and benefits can be found on the ORISE web site.

ORAU's Office of Partnership Development seeks opportunities for partnerships and alliances among ORAU's members, private industry, and major federal facilities. Activities include faculty development programs, such as the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, the Visiting Industrial Scholars Program, consortium research funding initiatives, faculty research and support programs, and services to chief research officers.

For more information about ORAU and its programs, visit the ORAU web site.

Opportunities from Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Visiting Industrial Scholars Program ~
Deadline: December 3, 2004
The Visiting Industrial Scholars Program helps support visits by senior industrial scientists to ORAU member institutions. The primary goal of the program is to foster interactions between faculty and students at member institutions and industrial scientists. The form of the interaction is left to the individual institution: seminars, lectures, cooperative project development, etc. Funds will be awarded based on the merit of the proposed activity, including the number and type of on-campus activities; the number of students and faculty involved; the purpose of the visit; and the credentials of the scholar.

Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Awards Program ~
Deadline: February 4, 2005
The Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards provide seed money for research by junior faculty at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) member institutions. These awards are intended to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty and result in new funding opportunities. The research project must be in one of the following five disciplines: Engineering and Applied Science; Life Sciences; Mathematics/Computer Sciences; Physical Sciences; Policy, Management, or Education. The institution’s award can include funds for travel, equipment, or other assistance relevant to the faculty’s research. Applicants are encouraged to develop research collaborations with governmental, private-sector, and other academic researchers.

For more information about both of these opportunities, visit www.orau.org/academic/financial/felawgr.htm.

National Association of Broadcasters Grants for Research in Broadcasting
~ Deadline: January 31, 2005
The program funds research on economic, business, social, and policy issues important to station managers and other decision-makers in the U.S. commercial broadcast industry. The competition is open to all academic personnel, including graduate students and senior undergraduates. Announcement and application are available online at www.nab.org/research/grants/grants.asp.

Grants for International Business Education Programs ~
Deadline: November 9, 2004
The U.S. Department of Education is accepting applications for grants that enhance international business education programs and expand the capacity of the community to engage in international activities. The department estimates making 28 grants between $50,000 to $110,000. Applications can be found at www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2004-3/092304a.html.

Find MORE on the ORSP Funding Opportunities Recent Announcements page.

SEARCH for Funding Opportunities using Community of Science.

Division of Research
In addition to its regular responsibility to assist faculty with proposals to external sponsors, this month the ORSP Division of Research is busy conducting the annual review process for the University's internal funding program, the Faculty Research Program (FRP). Each of the three peer review committees is meeting twice, for a total of six discussion sessions to deal with the 62 proposals submitted by UM faculty to this year's FRP competition. Committees' recommendations will be reviewed by Dr. Alice Clark, Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs, who will make the funding decisions. Announcement of awards is expected by December 10, 2004.

Division of Research Integrity and Compliance
There are several changes in procedures and forms for human and animal research, and these are posted on the DRIC web site. This fall, both IACUC and IRB began emailing bulletins to PIs and graduate students to alert them to some of these changes and to give guidance to speed application processing time. The IACUC Bulletins covered (1) protocol pain and distress categories and alternative methods (3-R's) literature searches, and (2) the Occupational Health Program, in particular new forms and mandatory tetanus vaccinations (which we pay for). The IRB Bulletin covered the mandatory online education required for all project staff on applications submitted after February 15, 2005 and the Waiver of IRB Application for Class Projects. Protocol application forms (as well as other compliance forms) for both IRB and IACUC are being updated, and all researchers should get forms from the web site Compliance Forms page rather than use saved forms.

Division of Sponsored Programs Administration

• The UM Federal Property Manual is now online at www.olemiss.edu../../../policies/index.html. The manual provides procedures for the management of government property (property in which title vests with the federal government—as is most often the case in DoD contracts).
• All purchases of equipment from federally-sponsored grant and contract accounts where the unit cost of each item is $5,000 or more, the useful life is more than one year, and the item is not expendable in nature or non-recoverable once used must be screened against existing equipment before initiating lease or purchase. Evidence of screening and lease vs. purchase evaluation should be documented on the Non-Availability of Equipment form. The completed form should be forwarded to the ORSP Contracts and Grants Accountant. The form is available at www.olemiss.edu../../../forms/index.html.

Division of Technology Management
The ORSP Division of Technology Management is cooperating with the Mississippi Research Consortium and Mississippi Technology Alliance to present the Intellectual Property Forum and Technology Expo mentioned elsewhere on this page. The division hopes to have a very strong showing from University of Mississippi researchers in a wide range of disciplines. The schedule of events includes a pre-conference golf outing and a welcome reception with a poster session of research from each university being displayed. The main program includes oral presentations from each of the universities, as well as a luncheon program, and continued viewing of the poster presentations.

For complete information about the ORSP — mission, structure, services, responsibilities, and more — visit the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs page.

Intellectual Property Forum/Technology Expo
An Intellectual Property Forum and Technology Expo, hosted by the Mississippi Research Consortium and Mississippi Technology Alliance, will be held at the Marriott Downtown in Jackson on November 30 and December 1, 2004. The goal of this meeting is to bring university researchers together with Mississippi's business leaders, as well as outside venture capitalists, and allow them an opportunity to present company ideas and unique technologies being developed at the state's major research institutions and to explore new opportunities for collaborative research. To register, visit www.outreach.olemiss.edu/events/technology.

Mississippi Academy of Sciences to Meet in Oxford
The Mississippi Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting will be in Oxford at the new Oxford Conference Center on Thursday and Friday, 17 and 18 February 2005. Each year, the Academy holds an annual meeting to present addresses, symposia, workshops, scientific papers, and exhibits of interest to its members. To join MAS, submit an abstract, or pre-register for the meeting, visit www/msacad.org/index.html.

14th International Scientific Congress in Havana
Every five years, the National Center for Scientific Research (Cuba) holds its International Scientific Congress. The meeting has the aim to allow a gathering as well as a fruitful scientific-technical exchange among an important number of national and international specialists in their research fields. The Congress also offers an excellent opportunity for showing new products and technologies from the medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. Modern facilities, poster display, and simultaneous translation will be available. To view the full list of topics included in the 2005 meeting, visit www.cnic.edu.cu/14Congreso/Bienvenida.htm.

ASM Biodefense Research Meeting
The American Society for Microbiology is currently accepting abstract submissions for its third annual Biodefense Research Meeting scheduled for March 20-23, 2005 in Baltimore, Maryland. This third biodefense meeting will emphasize select agents and countermeasure development, including diagnostics and forensics. The program and workshops will highlight practical issues related to biosafety and product development, including a keynote address on application of the recently enacted Bioshield legislation. Abstracts may be submitted at www.asmbiodefense.org by Monday, January 24, 2005; program information will be posted at the same website as it becomes available.

ORSP Fall 2004 Workshops and Forums

Funds to Fight Alcohol Abuse on Campus
The Federal Assistance Monitor reports that the U.S. Department of Education plans to issue RFPs in January for its two college alcohol prevention programs. Officials hope to receive new funding in FY 2005 for the programs, and there should be some additional funding available from expired grants. The two programs are: 1) Preventing High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among College Students, and  2) Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Models on College Campuses.

New PHS 398, PHS 2590, and Other Forms
NIH has revised the PHS 398 and other forms, as outlined in a recent series of NIH Guide notices. Check out the NIH Forms and Applications page for the revisions. You can use the new PHS 398 grant application instructions and forms starting December 1, 2004, and must switch to the new forms by May 10, 2005; NIH will return applications using the older forms after that date. You can start using the new PHS 2590 progress report right away, and you must use the new version by May 1, 2005. Several other forms have small changes, including the PHS 2271 Statement of Appointment, the PHS 3734 Official Statement Relinquishing Interest and Rights in a PHS Research Grant, and the HHS 568 Final Invention Statement and Certification. For details, see the NIH Guide notices posted the week of November 5, 2004.

Physics Professor's Grant on the Short List
Tom Marshall, Chair and Professor of Physics and Astronomy, has received a highly competitive grant from the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation for work with Russian collaborator E.A. Mareev. Of the 430 proposals received in this round of the CRDF Cooperative Grants Program, Marshall's was among the 23 awards made. Marshall and Mareev will model the role of thunderstorms in the global electric circuit during their two-year project. See www.crdf.org/Awards/CGPAwards2004a.htm.

UM Ranks in Top 20 for Physics R&D Expenditures
In the latest survey by the National Science Foundation, UM is ranked #20 among U.S. academic institutions in the physics subfield in Total Research and Development Expenditures. This ranking is basically a measure of how successful we are in bringing in (and spending) external dollars for physics research. The NSF only ranks the top 100, and UM is listed with the likes of Rutgers, UC San Diego, Harvard, and SUNY Stony Brook, ahead of Georgia Tech, Princeton, and Florida, for example. In the 2001 NSF survey UM was #26 in the same category. UM also has ranked very highly both years in Total R&D Expenditures in the physical sciences as a whole (this includes chemistry, physics, and astronomy): #56 in 2001 and #57 in 2002. The 2002 tables are at www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf04330/sectb.htm (B-50 is physical sciences, B-53 is physics sub-field).

NSF Approves Changing Cost-Sharing Requirements
The National Science Board of the National Science Foundation in October approved revising agency policy to do away with program-specific cost sharing requirements for its grants. The change in policy, which should go into effect in 2005, will mean that cost sharing on all NSF grants will be set at one percent, the minimum allowed by law for NSF-supported research. The move should eventually make life easier for grants administrators who must track committed cost sharing to ensure compliance with the requirements of each grant.

NIH Electronic Research Administration Newsletter
Inside eRA for Partners, the newsletter of the NIH Electronic Research Administration (eRA), provides NIH grantees with pertinent information about the plans and progress of the eRA Project. The eRA Project is a collaborative endeavor of the full NIH community.
If you have technical questions about NIH eRA Commons software, email the Helpdesk or call 301-402-7469 (toll-free 866-504-9552). Address other questions or concerns to members of the NIH Commons Working Group, who serve as liaisons to the grantee community. eRA currently is recruiting a new advocate to represent Commons users on the eRA team.
Web version of this NIH eRA newsletter issue: http://era.nih.gov/eranews/latestpartners.cfm.

NIH Announces New Address for Centralized Receipt of Progress Reports Due on/after October 1, 2004
The new centralized mailing address for NIH non-competing progress reports for all NIH Institutes/Centers is now:

Division of Extramural Activities Support, OER
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive , Room 2207, MSC 7987
Bethesda MD 20892-7987 (for regular or USPS Express mail)
Bethesda MD 20817 (for other courier/express mail delivery)
Phone Number: (301) 594-6584

NIH Non-Competing Grant Progress Report Due Date Information – OER Website Now Available.
Query using UM’s Institutional Profile Number (IPF) 5390301 to return a list of “due” progress reports. Review the list at least once a month. Several months of “due” information will be in the query at all times and records will drop off of the list as NIH receives the progress reports. New records will be added on/around the 30 th of each month. http://era.nih.gov/userreports/pr_due.cfm