UM Research Funding News
Proposal and Award Activity
UM faculty and staff submitted 45 external funding proposals and received 14 external funding awards during May 2009. For a complete listing, see the Monthly Report.
Faculty Travel Support
In May $2,660 was awarded by the ORSP to help support research-related travel. The ORSP's Faculty Travel Support program provides funds for UM faculty members to take part in development activities that will lead to new or extended research, scholarly or creative work. The program typically does not support travel to a conference for presentation of completed work unless the request includes specific development activities beyond the conference itself.
Examples of research purposes for which faculty have recently received support include:
- Attend special focus international seminar and visit research sites
- Conduct field work with collaborators and develop new field research course
- Attend summer artists’ colony to develop new work
- Expand ongoing research project by conducting in-person interviews in new location
- Collect research data for planned monograph through observations and interviews
Faculty Travel Support guidelines, application, and FAQ are available from the ORSP Internal Support page.
Additional Information
A Few Program Announcements and Deadlines
DHS Multidisciplinary, Multi-Institutional Science and Technology Funding ~ Deadline July 15
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is requesting applications from accredited United States colleges and universities to conduct multidisciplinary research in one of the four topics as follows:
- Community participation and resilience
- Multiple sensor integration
- Port systems resilience
- Immigration security
Institutions may submit applications for more than one topic, but these must be separate applications. DHS's intent in funding this competition is to take advantage of the existing scientific expertise and technological capabilities of multiple research centers and institutions to address complex and difficult problems facing DHS that no one institution can address adequately on its own.
2010 Searle Scholars Program ~ UM Internal Deadline August 5
The University of Mississippi is among the institutions invited to submit proposals for the 2010 Searle Scholars Program, which will award fifteen $300,000 three-year grants to junior faculty with outstanding potential. The Searle Scholars Program focuses on faculty pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, physiology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences. Candidates should have begun their first appointment at the assistant professor level on or after July 1, 2008 and therefore be in their first or second year in a tenure-track (or equivalent) position in an academic department. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is soliciting brief Concept Papers from UM researchers who meet these criteria, in order to select one nominee who will submit a full proposal to Searle in September. Full information and instructions about UM’s internal selection process are provided in the Searle Solicitation for Concept Papers.
NSF Cognitive Neuroscience Program ~ Deadlines August 27, January 24
This National Science Foundation program seeks highly innovative and interdisciplinary proposals aimed at advancing a rigorous understanding of how the human brain supports thought, perception, affect, action, social processes, and other aspects of cognition and behavior, including how such processes develop and change in the brain and through time. The following funding opportunities are available under this program.
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Individual Investigator Research Projects. Many research topics are studied most effectively by individual research scientists or by small teams of collaborating investigators. Investigators are invited to submit proposals that focus on cognitive neuroscience topics.
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Workshops. Workshops will be supported that bring together diverse scientific partners around specific topics. Meetings will be focused on topics that can benefit from intensive small group discussions.
NEH Summer Stipends ~ UM Internal Deadline September 10
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Stipend grants provide individuals with an opportunity to pursue research in the humanities that contributes to scholarly knowledge or to the public's understanding of the humanities. Recipients might eventually produce scholarly articles, a monograph on a specialized subject, a book on a broad topic, an archaeological site report, a translation, an edition, a database, or other scholarly tools. Summer Stipend recipients may hold other research grants during the tenure of their awards, but they must work full-time on their projects during the two months of their tenure. UM pre-proposals will be reviewed and screened by a University committee to select the two nominees to be submitted by the University to the NEH. Proposal narratives must be delivered to Dr. Holly Reynolds, Associate Dean of Liberal Arts, Ventress Hall, by Thursday, September 10, 2009. The narrative text should follow the requirements outlined in the program guidelines (see sponsor website link below) and should not exceed three single-spaced pages (12,500 characters, approximately 1,785 words).
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Fellowships ~ Deadline October 1 (anticipated)
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars awards residential fellowships annually to individuals with outstanding project proposals in a broad range of the social sciences and humanities on national or international issues. Topics and scholarship should relate to key public policy challenges or provide the historical or cultural framework to illumine policy issues of contemporary importance. The center devotes significant attention to the exploration of broad thematic areas. Primary themes are:
- governance, including such issues as the key features of the development of democratic institutions, democratic society, civil society, and citizen participation;
- the U.S. role in the world and issues of partnership and leadership - military, political, and economic dimensions; and
- key long-term future challenges confronting the United States and the world.
While the center does not engage in formulating actual policy, priority will be given to proposals related to these themes and intersecting with crucial public policy issues. Within this framework, the center also welcomes projects that provide the historical or cultural context for some of today's significant public policy debates.
National Humanities Center Fellowships ~ Deadline October 15 (anticipated)
The National Humanities Center offers residential fellowships for advanced study in the humanities during the academic year, September 2010 through May 2011. Most of the center's fellowships are unrestricted. Several, however, are designated for particular areas of research. These include environmental studies and history; English literature; art history or visual culture; French history, literature, or culture; Asian Studies; and theology.
Additional Resources
Some Upcoming Events
Smithsonian
Science and Scholarship in Society Series: The Diplomacy of Science ~ September 10 in Washington
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the First Lunar Landing ~ On 25 May 1961, President Kennedy addressed a special Joint Session of Congress in which he articulated simply yet profoundly the bedrock of American democracy, “We stand for freedom.” That succinct yet eloquent statement was the starting point from which the President recognized the struggle of developing peoples for new beginnings in justice and prosperity. It was the same starting point from which the President promoted the cause of scientific excellence especially in the hope of a first lunar landing by the end of that decade. Though he tragically did not live to see that dream fulfilled, in July of 1969 the President's aspiration was realized. This year, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of that first lunar landing. In a most meaningful way, that giant leap for humanity is a fitting context for us today to consider the power of science and technology to be a bridge of understanding among nations for advancing the progress of freedom and justice for women, men and children of every culture and time. This special event will offer participants the opportunity to reflect critically upon science itself as a form of diplomacy for building world peace, harmony among nations, and mutual respect and compassion for all persons and communities all across the globe. While recalling the successes we have already experienced through the tremendous power of the sciences, this event will challenge each of us to become more deeply each day instruments of that gift President Kennedy articulated so well --- Freedom. The conference is free and open to the public; registration requested.
2nd ISPIM Innovation Symposium ~ December 6-9 in New York City
Stimulating Recovery: The Role of Innovation Management ~ This symposium will bring together academics, business leaders, consultants and other professionals involved in innovation management. Economies around the world are displaying similar symptoms in a global downturn: profits and investment are disappearing, companies are failing and unemployment is rising. These chaotic and uncertain economic circumstances have required companies and governments to define and implement innovative actions to ensure survival and stimulate recovery. High uncertainty calls for creative and innovative management. Consumers and businesses still have needs, but what are the best ways to address them? How do we develop such creative strategies? What innovative solutions deal with today's problems and still strengthen business and economic innovation in the long run? How should we manage innovation in the current climate? Those companies and governments that can answer these questions will not only survive the economic crisis, but will emerge in a strengthened strategic position as recovery takes root.
Congratulations from the VCRSP
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs oversees funding for research, service, and education projects. These activities complement the fundamental aspects of The University of Mississippi’s mission and are among its most tangible contributions to the future. Funding for these activities is one of the best measures of a university’s success in engaging with national and international communities.
All of us who have sought funding to test our ideas know that it is difficult and that the communities to which we belong are highly competitive. That spirit of competition is critical and it contributes more than a little to the relief and excitement a researcher feels on receiving a funding award.
Listed below are our colleagues who have been notified of external funding awards in the last calendar month. Please join me in congratulating them. The news of their discoveries and the importance of their contributions are part of all of our futures and the future of Ole Miss.
Alice M. Clark, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs
Summary of Awards Received in May 2009
| PI Name |
PI Department/Unit |
Co-PI Name/s |
| Angle, T. | Division of Outreach and Continuing Education | |
| Beason, Kim | Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management | |
| Cox-McCarty, Sandra | School of Law | |
| Cremaldi, Lucien M | Physics and Astronomy | |
| ElSohly, Mahmoud | National Center for Natural Products Research | Khan, Ikhlas |
| Gilbert, Kenneth | Jamie Whitten National Center for Physical Acoustics | |
| Gladden, Joseph | Physics and Astronomy | |
| Gurley, W. | Small Business Development Center | Forster, Robert |
| Jo, Seongbong | Pharmaceutics | |
| Jones, Terron | Physical Plant | Buchannon, Denny
Pearson, Ashton
Swann, C. |
| Parcher, Jon | Chemistry and Biochemistry | |
| Waxler, R. | Jamie Whitten National Center for Physical Acoustics | |
| Wu, Weiming | National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering | |
| Zjawiony, Jordan K | Pharmacognosy | Burandt, Charles |
- May 2009 Report: A list of awards received and proposals submitted by The University of Mississippi in the previous month.
- May Proposals Submitted: 45 from 38 Principal Investigators
- May Awards Received: 14 totaling $1,703,718
- FY09 Year-to-Date Number of Active Sponsored Projects: 522
- FY09 Year-to-Date Number of Active Investigators: 245