American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

by Alice M. Clark, Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs

On February 17, 2009 President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law. This bill appropriates approximately $787 billion directed at creating/retaining jobs, tax cuts to individuals, enhancing infrastructure systems, and investing in science and innovation. While this legislation provides economic relief for both individuals and states, the additional funds going to the budgets of the federal agencies create excellent opportunities for the University to receive additional grant money. A full spending plan is not yet in place for all agencies, but both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have issued requests for applications (RFAs) and/or particular initiatives they will be focusing on with funds from the Recovery Act.

Currently, all spending plans by the agencies have to be approved by Congress before announcements are made, and most agencies are reporting that information will be made available as soon as plans are approved. In the meantime, investigators should contact their program officers to ask about opportunities to receive supplemental funding for active grants for graduate students, post-docs, equipment, and other needs, as well as to check on pending proposals that have been reviewed but not yet funded. Also, any proposals that have been critiqued but not funded should be prepared for resubmission.

The key things to remember are:

  1. the timeline is very short for submissions;
  2. submissions need to have clear-cut two-year goals;
  3. there must be an economic impact (job retention/creation, decrease health care costs, etc.); and
  4. grants funded by money from the Recovery Act will require more frequent reporting.

Regularly check the ORSP ARRA Announcements page for links to agencies and further information as it becomes available.

Research Park Assistant Director Now On Board

William P. Nicholas has joined the staff of the University of Mississippi Research Park as Assistant Director. Mr. Nicholas will manage Research Park marketing strategies, leasing, exhibits, and logistics; oversee the partnership office and manage services provided to Park tenants and tenant relations; develop funding opportunities for tenants; and assist with policy development.

Mr. Nicholas comes to UM from the Oxford Division of Whirlpool Corporation, where he worked in Procurement and Organization Development Management. His duties included design, development, and implementation of organizational development programs, and he was responsible for performance management for the facility. Prior to Whirlpool, Mr. Nicholas was employed in the medical/pharmaceutical industry in Denver, Colorado.

UM Research Funding News

Proposal and Award Activity

UM faculty and staff submitted 50 external funding proposals and received 12 external funding awards during February 2009. For a complete listing, see the Monthly Report.

Faculty Travel Support

In February $4,200 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:

  • Collect research data for planned monograph through observations and interviews
  • Meet with collaborator about planned grant proposal while at conference
  • Conduct research with overseas collaborators during sabbatical leave
  • Discuss new research projects with collaborators while at conference
  • Help create new research group while at conference

Faculty Travel Support guidelines, application, and FAQ are available from the ORSP Internal Support page.

Additional Information

Speaking of COS

COS Introduces End User Training Sessions

Now you can learn skills to maximize your use of COS Funding Opportunities searching, right at your own computer. During March COS is offering training sessions designed for faculty/staff users to teach you the best ways to use the Funding Opps database to find the funding you need. Later in the year, COS will offer a broader schedule of online training. There is one remaining Funding Opps session on March 30 — enroll online at COS User Training.

Dos and Don’ts, Chapter 2

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs subscribes to COS Expertise and Funding Opportunities so that, whether your work is in the sciences or the arts, COS funding and expertise services can help support and advance your research. Last month we published the Top Ten list of Dos for using the COS Funding Opportunities search function. Take a look now at the top ten Don'ts:

  1. Don’t think that COS is only for scientists. It is entirely multidisciplinary.
  2. Don’t think that you know about all of the funding in your field. You might know about most of it, but probably not all.
  3. Don’t always set up your searches based on discipline or area of study. Run searches based on demographics, as well.
  4. Don’t think that you will remember how to construct a search that you are satisfied with. Save it! You may save up to 40 searches into your account.
  5. Don’t think that you need to be on campus to access COS. Register for a username and password, and then you'll have access from anywhere.
  6. Don’t think there is nowhere to go if you need help. Your COS liaison on campus, as well as the COS Help Desk, are available to assist you.
  7. Don’t forget that there are additional search fields available at the bottom of the Advanced Search form. Using these fields is entirely optional.
  8. Don’t overlook sponsors from other countries. Many sponsors fund work for projects all over the world.
  9. Don’t overlook the Internal Coordination Required tag. If you are interested in a record of that type, contact your Program Development Specialist in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
  10. Don’t forget that you may access your weekly COS Funding Alert results online, if you prefer not to receive an email about it.

Here's a great PowerPoint tutorial from COS that covers the pointers above and lots more. Check it out and be sure to register for one of the new online training sessions mentioned above. More online training sessions will be offered soon.

Don’t know about COS?

Check out our COS page, the January 2005, September 2006, and March 2007 newsletter articles, and/or the COS home page. COS is for all UM faculty in all academic disciplines and research areas.

Bits & Pieces

NCI Fellowship Opportunities in Technology Transfer — Negotiator

The DHHS, NIH, NCI Technology Transfer Center (TTC) has fellowship opportunities available to qualified candidates in one of the fastest growing fields, technology transfer. These fellowship opportunities let you combine your science background with a new career in the technology transfer field. Candidates must possess an advanced degree in the sciences and/or a law degree.

The TTC is responsible for negotiating agreements and promoting research partnerships between National Cancer Institute (NCI) scientists and outside parties such as universities and biotechnology/ pharmaceutical companies. These research partnerships allow for federally funded research findings to be further developed and commercialized.

Candidate will be responsible for:

  • Drafting and negotiating Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) for NCI scientists and their industrial/academic research partners;
  • Planning and negotiating Material Transfer Agreements, Clinical Trial Agreements and other technology transfer agreements;
  • Development of technology transfer educational programs for scientists;
  • Overseeing patent related issues for NCI scientists; 
  • Other duties as pertaining to intellectual property and technology transfer.

Stipends are determined by the level of education and number of years of experience post-graduation. Starting stipends for those with no experience are: Master's degree $31,700; Ph.D. or J.D. $45,300. Starting stipends are higher if candidate has relevant work experience and/or additional, applicable degrees. Stipends are paid monthly in arrears. Annual stipend increases may be given on the Fellow's anniversary date and health benefits are provided. Candidate must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (must hold green card) eligible for citizenship within four years. Candidate must have received most current degree within the last eight years. 

To apply: Submit a copy of your resume or CV and a statement of interest explaining why you are interested in the TTC fellowship program. Also, include two letters of recommendation. Fax: Attention: TTC Fellowship Coordinator (fax# 301-402-2117) or mail to Technology Transfer Center National Cancer Institute, 6120 Executive Blvd., Suite 450, Rockville, MD 20852, ATTN: TTC Fellowship Coordinator. Email: Karen Griffin (kg6q@nih.gov). Applications are accepted year round. The DHHS/NIH/NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.

RAND Gulf States Policy Institute

The RAND Corporation is an internationally recognized nonprofit research organization focused on solving critical, complex, domestic and military problems.  RAND formed the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute in December 2005 to conduct its trademark objective and nonpartisan research and analysis with the goals of informing public policy in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and improving the lives of the people who live here.

RAND's work will draw upon high-quality research and analysis across a broad range of issues:

  • Rural/urban economic development and renewal
  • Health care system redesign
  • Public educational reform and financing
  • Construction of durable and affordable housing
  • Coastal, water, and flood management
  • Wetlands restoration
  • Risk management
  • Emergency planning
  • Disaster relief efforts

RAND Gulf States is committed to connecting with local colleges and universities to collaborate on research projects of common interest.  If you are interested in learning more about RAND Gulf States, receiving the RAND Gulf States University Partners Newsletter, and/or collaborating with RAND researchers, please visit the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute website. You can add your name to the newsletter mailing list, by scrolling down to the link on the lower right side of the home page, and register to receive additional information about regional research projects.

A Few Program Announcements and Deadlines

National Endowment for the Arts ARRA Funding ~ Deadline April 2

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 recognizes that the nonprofit arts industry is an important sector of the economy. In accordance with this Act, the National Endowment for the Arts has received funds to help preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector that are threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn. This program will be carried out through one-time grants to eligible nonprofit organizations including arts organizations, local arts agencies, statewide assemblies of local arts agencies, arts service organizations, units of state or local government, and a wide range of other organizations that can help advance the goals of the Arts Endowment and this program. All applicants must be previous NEA award recipients from the past four years (see “Applicant Eligibility” for more information). The University of Mississippi is eligible to apply under this requirement.

If you intend to submit a proposal to this NEA opportunity, please notify Mickey McLaurin in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (7482 or mclaurin@olemiss.edu) as soon as possible.

National Institutes of Health ARRA Funding ~ Deadline April 27

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has posted a new Request for Applications (RFA) for Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research. Challenge Grants are one mechanism by which the NIH plans to award some of the $10.4 billion for the agency included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, often referred to as the stimulus bill). The NIH has designated at least $200 million for Challenge Grants. Proposal preparation time is short — applications are due April 27, 2009.

If you intend to submit a proposal in response to this NIH RFA, please notify Mickey McLaurin in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (7482 or mclaurin@olemiss.edu) as soon as possible.

NSF Hydrologic Sciences Funding ~ Deadlines June 1, December 5

This National Science Foundation program focuses on the flow of water and transport processes within streams, soils, and aquifers. Particular attention is given to spatial and temporal heterogeneity of fluxes and storages of water, particles, and chemicals coupling across interfaces with the landscape, microbial communities, and coastal environments, to upscaling and downscaling given these heterogeneities and interfaces and how these processes are altered by climate and land use changes. Studies may address aqueous geochemistry as well as physical, chemical, and biological processes within water bodies. These studies commonly involve expertise from many basic sciences and mathematics, and proposals often require joint review with related programs.

NSF Science, Technology, and Society Grants ~ Deadline August 1

STS considers proposals that examine historical, philosophical, and sociological questions that arise in connection with science, engineering, and technology, and their respective interactions with society. STS has four components:

  1. Ethics and Values in Science, Engineering, and Technology (EVS)
  2. History and Philosophy of Science, Engineering, and Technology (HPS)
  3. Social Studies of Science, Engineering, and Technology (SSS)
  4. Studies of Policy, Science, Engineering, and Technology (SPS)

The components overlap, but are distinguished by the different scientific and scholarly orientations they take to the subject matter, as well as by different focuses within the subject area. STS encourages the submission of hybrid proposals that strive to integrate research involving two or more of these core areas.

Additional Resources

Some Upcoming Events

Oxford International Conference on the Science of Botanicals, April 6-8

The National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR) within the School of Pharmacy at The University of Mississippi is pleased to announce a conference on Quality and Safety Issues Related to Botanicals. The purpose of this conference is to review, discuss, and explore the confluence of current research topics in natural product chemistry, pharmacognosy and botanicals. Topic areas will include such issues as authentication, cultivation, collection, post-harvest practices for producing quality plant material, chemical and toxicological methods for quality/safety assessment of botanicals. Each session will open with a plenary speaker outlining the current approaches, limitations, and research needs of the topic area. Speakers will be leading researchers from industry, academia, nonprofit institutions, and government. Each speaker will address current approaches, limitations, and research needs.

Topics include:

  • Cultivation, Collection and Post Harvest Practices to Produce Quality
  • Botanical Material
  • Authentication, Identification and Purity of Botanicals
  • Approaches Toward Establishing the Safety and Quality of Botanicals
  • Regulatory Aspects for Safety Assessment of Botanical Products

The conference is supported by a cooperative agreement between the NCNPR and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This conference is also being cosponsored by the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica/CAS, China, The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR - India), Ministry of Indigenous Medicine, Sri Lanka, American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP) and the Society for Medicinal Plant Research (GA).

For more information, email icsb@olemiss.edu or visit the ICSB website.

NIH Regional Seminar in Atlanta April 15-17

The first NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration for 2009 will be held in Atlanta, GA in April. These seminars are held only twice each year and are intended to help demystify the application and review process, clarify federal regulations and policies, and highlight current areas of special interest or concern. Approximately 25 leading NIH and HHS policy, program, and grants management officials will share their expertise and guidance on topics such as:

  • Fundamentals of the NIH Grants Process
  • How to apply for and manage an NIH grant
  • What's new in NIH peer review
  • Latest grant policies
  • Grant writing for success
  • Public access
  • Cost issues
  • Compliance
  • Small business opportunities
  • Human and animal policies/resources
  • NIH's Loan Repayment Payment Program
  • How to interact electronically with NIH

On the day prior to the seminar, attendees have the option of participating in electronic Research Administration (eRA) Computer Workshops designed to provide hands-on experience in utilizing the eRA Commons for administrators and investigators. For an additional fee, participants can attend the eRA Electronic Application Submission Workshop or the eRA Commons Workshop: Account Administration Basics and Post Submission Functionality. These workshops are geared to administrators, principal investigators and assistants with little or no eSubmission or eRA Commons experience and focus on how to use the electronic systems to facilitate application/grant administration.

Program, hotel, and seminar registration information is available at NIH Seminar website.

If this date/location does not work for you, the NIH offers an additional seminar in June, 2009. For more information, visit:

Workshop on Bayesian Inference and Maximum Entropy Methods, July 5-10

The local organizing committee for MaxEnt 2009 is pleased to announce the 29th International Workshop on Bayesian Inference and Maximum Entropy Methods in Science and Engineering, to be held July 5-10, 2009 on the University of Mississippi campus here in Oxford. For more than 25 years the MaxEnt workshops have explored the use of Bayesian and Maximum Entropy methods in scientific and engineering applications. This year's workshop includes a one-day tutorial session, state-of-the-art lectures, invited papers, contributed papers and poster presentations.

All aspects of probabilistic inference, such as techniques, applications and foundations, are of interest. With the rapid growth of computing power, computational techniques such as Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling are of great interest, as are approximate inferential methods. Foundational issues involving probability theory and information theory, as well as inference and inquiry are also of keen interest as there are yet many open questions. Application areas include, but are not limited to the following: astronomy and astrophysics, genetics, geophysics, medical imaging, material science, nanoscience, source separation, particle physics, quantum mechanics, plasma physics, chemistry, earth science, climate studies, engineering and robotics.

Contributed papers related to the topics mentioned above are being solicited. Especially encouraged are papers whose content is novel, either as to approach or area of application. Selected papers presented at this year's workshop will be edited and published in a hard-bound proceeding. Abstracts (one page of about 400 words) of the proposed papers should be submitted via the conference website, no later than April 3, 2009.

2nd ISPIM Innovation Symposium, December 6-9

The 2nd ISPIM Innovation Symposium, “Stimulating Recovery - The Role of Innovation Management,”  will be held in New York City, USA on 6-9 December 2009. Organized by the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) and hosted by The Fashion Institute of Technology, this symposium will bring together academics, business leaders, consultants and other professionals involved in innovation management. The symposium format will include facilitated themed sessions for academic and practitioner presentations together with interactive workshops and discussion panels. Additionally, the symposium will provide excellent networking opportunities together with a taste of local New York culture.

Submissions from academics, consultants and managers on innovation-related topics are strongly encouraged and should focus on the following:

  • Collaboration and open innovation
  • Commercializing and financing innovation
  • Entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship
  • Innovating business models
  • Innovation and IP
  • Innovation policy for economic recovery
  • Integrating innovation practice into education
  • Lean innovation
  • Managing innovation to stimulate recovery
  • Measuring and managing innovation
  • Methods and tools for innovation
  • Networks and regions of innovation
  • Organisational creativity and idea generation
  • Training and leadership for innovation

Visit the ISPIM Innovation Symposium website.

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 Signature

Alice M. Clark, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs

Summary of Awards Received in February 2009

PI Name PI Department/Unit Co-PI Name/s
Abadie, AnnCenter for the Study of Southern Culture
Easterbrook, NormanFord Center for the Performing Arts
Gilbert, KennethJamie Whitten National Center for Physical AcousticsMobley, Joel
Goggans, Paul MElectrical Engineering
Hamann, MarkPharmacognosy
Lackey, EllenMechanical EngineeringVaughan, James G
Liebenberg, AndreFinance
Spain, SydResearch Park
Uddin, WaheedCivil Engineering
Vaughan, James GMechanical EngineeringLackey, Ellen
Weber, Eric Public Policy Leadership
Wigginton, Michael Peter Legal Studies Williamson, Lorri C
  • February 2009 Report: A list of awards received and proposals submitted by The University of Mississippi in the previous month.
  • February Proposals Submitted: 50 from 43 Principal Investigators
  • February Awards Received: 12 totaling $1,763,028
  • FY09 Year-to-Date Number of Active Sponsored Projects: 469
  • FY09 Year-to-Date Number of Active Investigators: 229