Almost all links are to the COS Funding Opportunities website. If you are off-campus you will need to register as a Missouri State member.
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP)
The Notice announces the funds available for loans and grants under the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) pursuant to 7 CFR part 4280, subpart D for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.
The purpose of RMAP is to support the development and ongoing success of rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises (businesses generally with ten employees or fewer and in need of financing in the amount of $50,000 or less as defined in 7 CFR 4280.302).
Assistance provided to rural areas under this program may include the provision of loans and grants to rural Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) for the provision of microloans to rural microenterprises and microentrepreneurs; provision of business-based training and technical assistance to rural microborrowers and potential microborrowers; and other such activities as deemed appropriate by the Secretary to ensure the development and ongoing success of rural microenterprises.
Application Deadline: Continuously Open
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture
FY12 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Programs (STEM for K-12 & Institutions of Higher Education)
ONR seeks proposals in support of education programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The ONR mission of STEM is to: foster an interest in, knowledge of, and study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics nationwide to ensure an educated and well-prepared naval and national STEM workforce. In support of this mission, the following four investment priorities have been identified:
1. Inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
2. Engage students in STEM-related hands-on learning activities with Naval relevance.
3. Educate students to be well prepared for STEM employment in the Navy and Marine Corps as well as supporting academic institutions and/or the Naval contractor community.
4. Employ, retain and develop Naval STEM professionals.
The purpose of this announcement is to receive proposals in support of the Naval Strategic Plan and the Office of Naval Research’s scientific outreach and education mission to develop its next generation of scientists and engineers. The objective of these activities will include the following:
1. Establish successful, sustainable, and affordable long-term, national Navy-sponsored programs targeted at elementary and secondary schools as well as institutions of higher learning.
2. Increase the awareness of and exposure to Naval relevant STEM content, research experience and career options through education and outreach programs.
3. Establish and maintain a pipeline of students, particularly women and under-represented minorities, who will apply for and participate in Naval education and outreach programs.
4. Increase the number of domestic students (particularly students from under-represented groups) completing STEM degrees through enhancing student interest and attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
5. Strengthen peer, family, and school support for STEM programs.
6. Ensure long-term inclusiveness of women and minorities in Naval science and technology programs.
7. Increase the number of students taking college-prep science and mathematics courses.
8. Strengthen the resources and training offered to STEM teachers.
Application Deadline: Continuously Open
Funding Agency: Office of Naval Research
Federal Work-Study Program
The FWS Program provides funds that are earned through part-time employment to assist students in financing the costs of postsecondary education. Students can receive FWS funds at approximately 3,400 participating postsecondary institutions. Institutional financial aid administrators at participating institutions have substantial flexibility in determining the amount of FWS awards to provide to students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment. Hourly wages must not be less than the federal minimum wage.
Financial need is determined by the Department, using a standard formula established by Congress, to evaluate the financial information reported on the FAFSA and to determine the expected family contribution (EFC). The fundamental elements in this standard formula are the student’s income (and assets, if the student is independent), the parents’ income and assets (if the student is dependent), the family’s household size, and the number of family members (excluding parents) attending postsecondary institutions. The EFC is the sum of: (1) a percentage of net income (remaining income after subtracting allowances for basic living expenses) and (2) a percentage of net assets (assets remaining after subtracting an asset protection allowance). Different assessment rates and allowances are used for dependent students, independent students without dependents, and independent students with dependents. After filing a FAFSA, the student receives a Student Aid Report (SAR), or the institution receives an Institutional Student Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR), which provides the student’s EFC.
Application Deadline: Varies
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
ERDC BAA – Land Management (CERL-23)
The goal of research in land management is to develop and improve planning and management tools and procedures that enable land managers to address the priorities of the military mission, meet the requirements of environmental legislation, and support the stewardship of natural and cultural resources on military lands.
Specific research efforts are requested in the following areas:
1. Impacts of military land use activities on species listed pursuant to the Endangered Species Act and developing management plans and mitigation strategies
2. Fragmentation of habitat of threatened and endangered species
3. Developing technologies for integrating cultural and natural resources management planning
4. Predicting and controlling erosion and dust associated with military training activities
5. Evaluating the carrying capacity of training lands and improving
understanding of the impacts of military training on the environment
6. Developing new technologies designed to mitigate environmental effects of training on the landscape
7. Assessing and modeling the effects of helicopter, aircraft, blast, and small arms noise on animals and humans
8. Designing noise data collection systems for installations
9. Developing noise impact mitigation techniques
10. Developing technologies for control of invasive species
11. Developing sustainability indices and risk assessments for military training lands
12. Designing predictive computer models and decision support tools for assessing environmental change, the effects of both human and natural influences on the environment, and the integrated management of natural and cultural resources
13. Developing a full range of land use planning tools to facilitate long term sustainability of defense installations
14. Developing databases relevant to land and ecosystem management and
improving information flow for modeling and decision support purposes
15. Identifying, designing, or developing a computing system
environment or protocols to facilitate interactions between analysis
tools and common delivery mechanisms under development by CERL and ERDC
Application Deadline: Continuously Open
Funding Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
ARPA: Agriculture Risk Management Education Program
The Risk Management Education Program provides U.S. agricultural producers with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to make informed risk management decisions for their operations, with the goal of enhancing farm profitability. To that end, the program will fund four Regional RME Centers, one each in the four geographical regions of the U.S. (See RFA for definitions of the four regions). The program will also fund a risk management education electronic support center to provide existing risk management tools and the formation of networks that are focused on agricultural producers; further development of agricultural risk management curricula and materials; the delivery of agricultural RME to producers using one or more of the wide range of delivery methods; and the verification of program impacts.
Application Deadline: Continuously Open
Funding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture
Games and Gaming
The use of games is aggressively pursued for its instructional value in today’s society and military; however, it is a relatively new instructional technology that has limited empirical support. Theoretically, if built properly, these training games have the potential to improve skill acquisition, recall of facts, increase situation awareness, and improve ability to effectively multitask, for example. The question is how can games be developed to ensure they meet specific training objectives. Potential topics of research include: how to identify the essential characteristics of effective games, how to implement these characteristics into a training game, how games engage users in game play, and how this engagement of users improves training.
Application Deadline: Continuously Open
Funding Agency: Department of the Navy
Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12)
The DRK-12 program seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students, teachers, administrators and parents. All DRK-12 projects should be framed around a research question or hypothesis that addresses an important need or topic in preK-12 STEM education. The emphasis in DRK-12 is on research projects that study the development, testing, deployment, effectiveness, and/or scale-up of innovative resources, models and tools. DRK-12 invites proposals that address immediate challenges that are facing preK-12 STEM education as well as those that anticipate a radically different structure and function of preK-12 teaching and learning. DRK-12 especially encourages proposals that challenge existing assumptions about learning and teaching within or across STEM fields, envision the future needs of learners, and consider new and innovative ways to support student and teacher learning. DRK-12 is particularly interested in projects that hold promise for identifying and developing the next generation of STEM innovators (NSB, 2010). There are four strands described in detail in the solicitation:
1. The Assessment Strand: projects that develop and study valid and reliable assessments of student and teacher knowledge, skills, and practices.
2. The Learning Strand: projects that develop and study resources, models and tools to support all students’ STEM learning, enhance their knowledge and abilities, and build their interest in STEM fields.
3. The Teaching Strand: projects that develop and study resources, models and tools to help pre- and in-service teachers provide high quality STEM education for all students.
4. The Scale-up and Sustainability Strand: projects that develop and study the factors that contribute to successful implementation, scale-up, and sustainability of proven, high-quality innovations in schools and districts in a cost effective manner.
DRK-12 projects are based on theories of learning, prior research and development. Projects reflect the needs of an increasingly diverse population as well as national, state, or discipline priorities. Outcomes include usable and scalable resources, models, tools, and contributions to the knowledge about STEM teaching and learning. In addition, teachers and students who participate in DRK-12 studies are expected to enhance their understanding and use of STEM content, practices and skills.
The DRK-12 program is primarily concerned with the goals and effectiveness of formal education, but recognizes that learning is not limited to formal school environments and times. The program encourages projects to draw from knowledge and practice of learning in out-of-school and informal settings.
Most young people and STEM professionals today use powerful technologies in the activities of their everyday lives. New knowledge, new ways of thinking, and new ways of finding and processing information drive our society and economy. Many of the resources, models and tools researched and developed by DRK-12 will provide innovative ways to use current and emerging technologies to transform STEM education.
DRK-12 recognizes that outstanding teaching is a critical and integral component of this improvement process. While Strand 3 has a specific focus on resources, models and tools for teacher education and the impact of those models on student learning, projects submitted to the other strands may also include teacher support materials or professional development components in support of student learning. Projects submitted to the Learning strand might also include the development of assessments related to the specific goals of the project.
Some DRK-12 projects focus on a specific STEM discipline or concept, while others have cross-disciplinary, cross-grade level content, but all projects must demonstrate that the content is important from both a disciplinary and learning perspective.
The DRK-12 program invites proposals for three types of projects: Exploratory projects, Full Research and Development projects and Conferences and Workshops.
Exploratory projects allow researchers and developers an opportunity to undertake preliminary work needed to clarify constructs, assemble theoretical or conceptual foundations, or perform early investigations of an idea for an innovative resource, model, or tool. Exploratory projects can also focus on the innovative repurposing or adaptation of existing resources, models, or tools. These short duration projects might develop prototype educational materials or practices and conduct research in small-scale pilot tests to provide proof of concept and preliminary estimates of impact. These projects should produce empirical evidence forming the basis of anticipated further research and development work. Exploratory projects may also be synthesis projects that bring together findings on current technology-enhanced resources and models to identify new directions for research and development. DRK-12 particularly encourages synthesis projects that provide research findings and recommendations that are useful to STEM education practitioners and decision makers.
Full Research and Development projects are expected to lead to successful dissemination and adoption of findings or products in the preK-12 enterprise at a scale beyond that directly supported by the grant. Full Research and Development projects are built on the most promising Exploratory projects or other (non-NSF funded) projects. These projects have already demonstrated effectiveness in small sets of classrooms, schools, or other learning settings. Greater funding levels and longer timelines allow researchers and developers an opportunity to undertake more in-depth product development, more targeted research, and to reach a broader, more diverse, audience. Resources, models, or tools developed in full research and development projects should result in completed products, ready for implementation by others who request them.
Conferences and Workshops related to the mission of the DRK-12 program are also supported under this solicitation. Conferences or workshops should be well focused, related to the goals of the program, and generate a product usable by researchers or practitioners. All conference proposals should provide for an evaluation of the impact of the conference to be conducted at least 12 months after the conference is completed.
Required Letter of Intent Deadline: November 17, 2011
Application Deadline: January 10, 2012
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Neighborhood Stabilization Program
Through this NOFA/Request for Qualifications, HUD is announcing the availability of funds for NSP TA.
The purpose of NSP TA is to provide state government, local government and nonprofit recipients of federal NSP funding with the assessment tools and technical and capacity building assistance needed to fully understand their local market conditions, to increase their capacity to successfully carry out federal assistance programs while leveraging other public and private resources, and to achieve positive and measurable outcomes. Under NSP TA, technical assistance will involve the delivery of expert statutory, regulatory, and technical support that improves the program knowledge, skills and capacity of NSP grantees and their partners. Capacity building efforts will be directed at advancing the efficiency and performance of grantees and their partners (e.g., for-profit and public or private non-profit organizations) in the administration of NSP, the leveraging of other resources and the furthering of key Departmental objectives, including, but not limited to, energy efficiency and green building.
NSP TA will be centrally managed by HUD Headquarters with extensive involvement of the forty-three HUD field offices. Field offices will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of NSP TA, including: establishing the technical assistance and capacity building needs of the grantees based on assessments; negotiating and finalizing the individual work plans with the TA provider(s); achieving specified outcome/performance goals; ensuring the timely submission and approval of TA deliverables; and evaluating the performance of the TA provider(s).
Application Deadline: November 21, 2011
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Sustainability Research Networks Competition (SRN)
Sustainability Research Networks (SRNs) will engage and explore fundamental theoretical issues and empirical questions in sustainability science, engineering, and education that will increase our understanding of the ultimate sustainability challenge – maintaining and improving the quality of life for the nation within a healthy Earth system. The goal of the Sustainability Research Networks (SRN) competition is to support the development and coalescence of entities to advance collaborative research that addresses questions and challenges in sustainability science, engineering, and education. SRNs will link scientists, engineers, and educators, at existing institutions, centers, networks, and also develop new research efforts and collaborations.
Each SRN network will be built upon an ambitious and nationally important sustainability theme. Proposers will be tasked with choosing a specific theme for their network, identifying the research already being done in this area, proposing methods for linking existing research efforts, and then proposing research needed to advance their specific research theme. Examples of possible SRN themes are provided in the “Program Description” section of this solicitation (Section II.B.). SRNs will foster new knowledge and tools at a frontier of research that significantly crosses and melds the boundaries of diverse disciplines, and creates the integrated science and engineering disciplines of the future. SRNs will pursue new opportunities in science, engineering and educational research that truly require the scale, scope, and facilities enabled by such a network.
The SRN competition outlined here is one part of the growing NSF investment in its Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) portfolio (http://www.nsf.gov/sees/). Challenges associated with broadly based SEES goals will be met by supporting fundamental science and engineering research and education needed to understand and overcome the barriers to sustainable human well being and to forge reasoned pathways to a sustainable future. NSF, in partnership with other agencies, international efforts, and the private sector, aims to support members of the academic research community for projects which produce discoveries and knowledge that will inform decisions leading to environmental, energy, social and cultural sustainability. NSF support will advance the frontiers of conceptual, empirical and computational research in science, engineering and education so that the nation has the knowledge base to inform policies on sustainability.
Proposed SRNs are expected to be multi-dimensional with regard to “disciplines” and address fundamental issues that are likely to yield significant new understanding and knowledge.
Required Preliminary Proposal Deadline: December 1, 2011
Invited Full Proposal Deadline: April 1, 2012
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Cyberlearning: Transforming Education (Cyberlearning)
Through the Cyberlearning program, NSF seeks to integrate advances in technology with advances in what is known about how people learn to
- better understand how people learn with technology and how technology can be used productively to help people learn, through individual use and/or through collaborations mediated by technology;
- better use technology for collecting, analyzing, sharing, and managing data to shed light on learning, promoting learning, and designing learning environments; and
- design new technologies for these purposes, and advance understanding of how to use those technologies and integrate them into learning environments so that their potential is fulfilled.
Of particular interest are technological advances that allow more personalized learning experiences, draw in and promote learning among those in populations not served well by current educational practices, allow access to learning resources anytime and anywhere, and provide new ways of assessing capabilities. It is expected that Cyberlearning research will shed light on how technology can enable new forms of educational practice and that broad implementation of its findings will result in a more actively-engaged and productive citizenry and workforce.
Cyberlearning awards will be made in three research categories, each focusing on a different stage of research and development: Exploratory (EXP), Design and Implementation (DIP), and Integration and Deployment (INDP). The Cyberlearning program will also support small Capacity-Building Projects (CAP) and a Cyberlearning Resource Center (CRC).
The following list summarizes the purposes and prerequisites of each project category.
1. EXP: The purpose of this project type is to explore the feasibility of a technological innovation and to shed light on the answers to fundamental research questions related to learning with technology. The prerequisites are a team with a shared vision that takes into account what is known about how people learn, learning in the targeted domain, use of technology for such learning, and challenges to technology use.
2. DIP: The purpose of this project type is to ascertain the potential of ideas, develop guidelines for use of an innovation, and answer research questions about learning with technology. The prerequisites are same as EXP plus completed work equivalent to one or more Cyberlearning EXP projects.
3. INDP: The purpose of this project type is to integrate or extend the use of one or more technologically-sophisticated efforts that have already shown promise and answer a variety of research questions related to learning with technology. The prerequisites are same as EXP plus completed work equivalent to one or more Cyberlearning DIP projects.
4. CAP: The purpose of this project type is partnership building and community building, including conferences, workshops, and short courses.
5. Cyberlearning Resource Center: The purpose of this project type is to support Cyberlearning projects and programmatic efforts. The prerequisites are lead institution should have cyberlearning expertise and demonstrated capacity to plan, develop, and manage a national center that provides technical support for a diverse porfolio of projects.
Multiple Deadlines: Next deadline is December 15, 2011
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
NEA Your Town Program Solicitation, FY2012 (Your Town: The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design)
The purpose of this Program Solicitation is to select an organization (Cooperator) to coordinate all Your Town activities nationally. Your Town aims to enhance the quality of life and economic viability of rural areas primarily through workshops where community participants address specific planning and design issues with experts in the planning, design, and related fields.
Application Deadline: January 5, 2012
Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Arts
Informal Science Education (ISE)
The ISE program supports innovation in anywhere, anytime, lifelong learning, through investments in research, development, infrastructure, and capacity-building for STEM learning outside formal school settings.
Like all NSF programs, ISE invests in Conferences, Symposia, and Workshops; EAGER and RAPID grants; and Grant Supplements. The ISE program also invests in five types of projects that are specific to the program: Research; Connecting Researchers and Public Audiences; Pathways; Full-Scale Development; and Broad Implementation. These project categories relate to the DRL cycle of innovation, and are not listed in any order of priority. Although all proposals should have a foundation of prior work and research, the cycle sequence is not meant to be taken literally. For example, Full-Scale Development projects must build on extant literature and the state of the informal learning field, but they do not necessarily require completed prior Research or Pathways projects.
1. Research projects contribute to the “hypothesize and clarify” and “synthesize and theorize” components of the DRL cycle of innovation. The primary goal of research projects is to advance knowledge in the informal STEM learning field rather than to develop specific deliverables for implementation. Research projects may be innovative empirical studies, methodological advances, syntheses of research, or theoretical studies intended to move the field forward. They might develop innovative approaches for assessing societal, economic, or learning impacts of informal science activities. Of interest are projects to develop, validate, and disseminate assessment tools, especially if these have potential utility for a group of related projects and activities in the informal science education field. One question of particular interest to the ISE program is how to create improved measurement models and methods for assessing changes in public understanding of science, science literacy, and engagement with science. Such research proposals could assess the current status of measurement in these areas, and propose methods to increase their reliability and validity. Projects that synthesize existing research or evaluation studies, or that study learners across multiple or distributed settings and over time are strongly encouraged as well. A research project may involve the creation of new learning resources, applications, media, artifacts, programs, or environments if these are necessary to answer the research questions or test hypotheses that are posed. ISE Research projects are distinguished from proposals submitted to the REESE program by their emphasis on the connections to practice in informal science education. They should involve informal learning organizations and practitioners as active partners.
2. Connecting Researchers and Public Audiences (CRPA) projects relate to the “implement, study efficacy, and improve” component of the DRL cycle of innovation and promote knowledge-building in society, thereby enhancing the intellectual capital of the Nation. These awards, formerly known as Communicating Research to Public Audiences, provide an opportunity for NSF-funded researchers to convey to diverse audiences key features of their research such as the methods, results, and significance. This type of ISE investment is an effort to broaden the impacts of NSF research by promoting the general public’s STEM literacy and engagement with research in out-of-school settings. To encourage the use of best practices in informal science education, collaborations with informal science education institutions and/or professionals in the design and implementation of project activities are required. Projects will be based on current NSF research awards (or be submitted within 12 months after their final expiration date). Any research subject area supported by NSF is eligible for CRPA funding and collaborations that incorporate multiple research proposals and scientists to address a common theme are also appropriate. The research award results may be communicated to the public by any platform (such as media presentations, exhibits, youth-based activities, web-based, or cyber-enabled learning) using contemporary, evidenced-based approaches. It is expected that the product (s) will be sustained beyond the expiration of the CRPA award. ISE is collaborating with NSF Directorates and programs to advance CRPA goals.
3. Pathways projects relate to the “design, develop, and test” component of the DRL cycle of innovation. They include planning activities, pilot studies, and feasibility studies, or, in general, innovative work that is on a path toward a major ISE project (Research, Full-Scale Development, or Broad Implementation) but needs to address critical issues or decisions before major projects can be formulated. Pathways proposals should be more focused than general planning work normally required for submission of a major proposal, and should result in lessons learned that can inform the informal science education field as well as the project team. Not all of the Pathways projects will necessarily result in a subsequent proposal.
4. Full-Scale Development projects relate to the “implement, study efficacy, and improve” component of the DRL cycle of innovation. These projects generate an innovative idea or approach to informal science education, develop and fully implement the concept, and evaluate its effectiveness. Such initiatives can be directed at improving STEM learning by the public, increasing capacity of the professional audience, contributing to the informal science education infrastructure, or embracing several of these goals. While many Full-Scale Development projects create complete STEM learning resources, programs, or experiences, they need to be guided by an explicit conceptual framework and should generate significant knowledge about impact and efficacy.
5. Broad Implementation projects relate to the “scale up and study effectiveness” component of the DRL cycle of innovation, proposing strategies for maximizing prior investments in informal STEM education. These projects are expected to substantially broaden the reach of products or programs within the informal science education field that have demonstrated success with the audience they already reach without sacrificing quality. Definitions of expanded reach may include, but are not limited to, geography, age, socio-economic status, cultural/linguistic group, gender, or learning setting. Proposers are particularly encouraged to consider underrepresented groups as target audiences. Broad Implementation projects will generally, but not necessarily, extend work done with prior ISE program funding. Broad Implementation proposals must describe substantive evidence from summative evaluations or efficacy studies that the already-developed educational products are effective with some populations or in some settings and are ready for wider distribution to a broader population or new setting(s). It is likely that such projects will involve innovative integration or incremental improvements or adaptations.
Pre-Proposal (optional) Deadline: August 12, 2011
Application Deadline (non-CRPA): January 11, 2012
CRPA Application Deadline: Continuously Open
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Youth & Youth Educator Grants
NCR-SARE Youth & Youth Educator Grants are intended to provide opportunities for youth in the North Central Region to learn more about Sustainable Agriculture, defined as farming and ranching that is ecologically sound, profitable, and socially responsible. Please note that 21st Century Farming involves growing food and fiber and can include market gardens and urban agriculture.
There are two options:
1. Youth Grants – Grants for on-farm research, demonstration, or education projects by youth ages 8-18. Research and demonstration projects are for hands-on efforts to explore Sustainable Agriculture issues and practices. Education projects can involve teaching others about Sustainable Agriculture or attending a Sustainable Agriculture conference, workshop, or camp.
2. Youth Educator Grants – Grants for educators to provide programming on Sustainable Agriculture for youth.
NCR-SARE encourages applicants to be creative and innovative, and to work directly with local farmers and ranchers who practice Sustainable Agriculture.
Sustainable Agriculture Practices
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Rotational Grazing (including Management-intensive Grazing and Mob Grazing)
- Soil Erosion Control
- Soil Quality Improvement
- Water Quality Improvement/Wetlands
- Cover Crops
- Crop/Landscape Diversity
- Nutrient Management
- Agroforestry
- Value-Added and Direct Marketing
- Wildlife Preservation
- Beneficial Insects
- Poultry and Small-Scale Livestock Production
- Holistic/Systems Approaches to Farming and Ranching
- Organic Agriculture
- Proactive Weed Control (For example: Interseeded cover crops, use of crop rotation, planting row crops in warm soils.)
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program is funded through the USDA National Institute of Agriculture (NIFA). The SARE program works primarily through competitive grant programs administered by four regions: North Central, Northeast, South, and West. The 12 states of North Central Region – SARE (NCR-SARE) include: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The mission of NCR-SARE is to strengthen rural communities, increase farmer/rancher profitability, and improve the environment by supporting research and education.
Application Deadline: January 12, 2012
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Developmental and Learning Sciences (DLS)
DLS supports fundamental research that increases our understanding of cognitive, linguistic, social, cultural, and biological processes related to children’s and adolescents’ development and learning. Research supported by this program will add to our basic knowledge of how people learn and the underlying developmental processes that support learning, with the objective of leading to better educated children and adolescents who grow up to take productive roles as workers and as citizens.
Among the many research topics supported by DLS are developmental cognitive neuroscience; development of higher-order cognitive processes; transfer of knowledge from one domain or situation to another; use of molecular genetics to study continuities and discontinuities in development; development of peer relations and family interactions; multiple influences on development, including the impact of family, school, community, social institutions, and the media; adolescents’ preparation for entry into the workforce; cross-cultural research on development and learning; and the role of cultural influences and demographic characteristics on development. Additional priorities include research that: incorporates multidisciplinary, multi-method, microgenetic, and longitudinal approaches; develops new methods, models, and theories for studying learning and development; and integrates different processes (e.g., learning, memory, emotion), levels of analysis (e.g., behavioral, social, neural), and time scales (e.g. infancy, middle childhood, adolescence).
Application Deadline: January 15, 2012
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Rural Policy Analysis Program
The purpose of this program is to support research and analysis of key policy issues affecting rural communities to inform policy makers. The program is national in scope and looks at cross-cutting rural health and human services issues in order to identify trends and challenges. Funded projects should focus on the changing rural environment and outline how they would achieve the following:
1. Facilitate public dialogue on key rural policy issues by tracking emerging rural health and human services policy issues and synthesize them in a manner that provides for easy consumption by rural community leaders, with particular emphasis on rural health care providers and systems.
2. Identify opportunities for integrating health and human services in rural policy, program, and evaluation in a local community context.
3. Identify opportunities to demonstrate broad community impact of policies and programs in rural health and human services, consistent with policy goals related to rural revitalization and sustainability of rural regions
4. Provide analysis of policies and regulations that helps optimize positive impacts on rural health systems and communities in the form of policy briefs, reports, and oral presentations.
These activities should educate and inform rural decision makers and policy leaders as well as organizations focused on improving health and human services in rural communities such as State Offices of Rural Health, State Rural Health Associations, and the like.
Application Deadline: January 17, 2012
Funding Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration
High School Equivalency Program (HEP)
The purpose of the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) is to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their children obtain a general education diploma (GED) that meets the guidelines for high school equivalency established by the state in which the HEP project is conducted, and to gain employment or be placed in an institution of higher education (IHE) or other postsecondary education or training.
Application Deadline: January 18, 2012
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)
The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) assists students who are migratory or seasonal farmworkers (or children of such workers) enrolled in their first year of undergraduate studies at an IHE. The funding supports completion of the first year of studies. Competitive five-year grants for CAMP projects are made to IHEs or to nonprofit private agencies that cooperate with such institutions. The program serves approximately 2,000 CAMP participants annually.
Services include outreach to persons who are eligible, counseling, tutoring, skills workshops, financial aid stipends, health services, and housing assistance to eligible students during their first year of college. Limited follow-up services are provided to participants after their first year.
Application Deadline: January 18, 2012
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Basic Research on Decision Making: Cognitive, Affective, and Developmental Perspectives (R01)
This FOA, issued as part of the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences Opportunity Network (OppNet), encourages research grant applications that propose to increase understanding of the basic cognitive, affective, motivational, and social processes that underlie decision making across the lifespan. This includes an appreciation of the interactions among the psychological, neurobiological, and behavioral processes in decision making. It also includes consideration of the mediating and/or moderating influences of genetics, physiology, the social environment, and culture.
Letter of Intent (not required) Deadline: December 18, 2011
Application Deadline: January 18, 2012
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health
Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program
The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants (SPECA) program seeks to (a) promote and strengthen secondary education and two-year postsecondary education in agriscience and agribusiness in order to help ensure the existence in the United States of a qualified workforce to serve the food and agricultural sciences system; and (b) promote complementary and synergistic linkages among secondary, two-year postsecondary, and higher education programs in the food and agricultural sciences in order to advance excellence in education and encourage more young Americans to pursue and complete a baccalaureate or higher degree in the food and agricultural sciences.
Application Deadline: January 20, 2012
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Research Grants
A central purpose of the Institute is to produce and disseminate empirical research that analyzes policies affecting the demand or supply sides of the labor market. The Upjohn Institute invites submission of proposals to conduct original, policy-relevant research on labor market and regional economic development issues. In past years, the institute has required grantees to develop book-length manuscripts. For this year, the institute has restructured the program to focus on article-length research papers, accompanied by a policy brief.
The research paper is expected to be suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, and acceptable papers will be published in the Upjohn Institute Working Paper series. The policy brief expands upon the policy implications of the analysis presented in the research paper, and its 12-page format is intended to be accessible to practitioners and policymakers. Acceptable policy briefs will be posted on the Upjohn Institute website and may be distributed in paper copy by the institute’s Publications Unit. The research findings and policy recommendations may also be summarized in Employment Research, the institute’s quarterly newsletter.
Application Deadline: February 1, 2012
Funding Agency: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE)
The Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program supports efforts to understand and address gender-based differences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce participation through research, the diffusion of research-based innovations, and extension services in education that will lead to a larger and more diverse domestic science and engineering workforce. Typical projects will contribute to the knowledge base addressing gender-related differences in learning and in the educational experiences that affect student interest, performance, and choice of careers; how pedagogical approaches and teaching styles, curriculum, student services, and institutional culture contribute to causing or closing gender gaps that persist in certain fields. Projects will communicate and apply findings, evaluation results, and proven good practices and products to a wider community.
The Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program has been funding these objectives since 1993, under the prior names “Program for Women and Girls” (PWG), “Program for Gender Equity in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology” (PGE), and “Gender Diversity in STEM Education” (GDSE). The program continues to seek to broaden the participation of girls and women in all fields of STEM education, but also considers gender more broadly to include research and diffusion activities focused on men and boys who are underrepresented in STEM fields.
The program does not currently fund intervention or education projects that directly serve students as their primary purpose, or that focus solely on evaluating a student intervention. Research projects may involve an intervention with students as subjects only if the intervention is an integral part of creating a context for gathering data and if the findings from the intervention would substantially answer the research questions posed within the context of theory, concepts or frameworks of interest. There should be meaningful control or comparison groups also included in the design when appropriate. Those wishing to undertake direct intervention or education service projects or evaluations are encouraged to search the NSF website and other publications for appropriate funding programs.
The following deadline is for Research Track submissions. For all relevant deadlines, please follow the funding link.
Application Deadline: February 8, 2012
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Relation Between Education and Social Opportunity
The Spencer Foundation provides funding for research projects that study education in the United States and abroad. The foundation seeks to shed light on the role education plays in reducing economic and social inequalities – as well as, sometimes, reinforcing them – and to find ways to more fully realize education’s potential to promote more equal opportunity. Expanded opportunity is important not only to a society’s economic well being but to the character of its civic, cultural, and social life as well.
Education enriches and expands people’s lives in many ways, including through their employment opportunities, their civic and political involvements, and the quality of their personal lives. The foundation’s interests therefore extend to studies that examine the ways in which differences in educational experiences (including quality and character of schooling as well as number of years in school) translate into differences in employment, earnings, and civic and social outcomes. Such work can help identify ways to change schooling investments and outcomes in the interests of a more just and prosperous society.
Application Deadlines:
Large Grants (>$40k): Continuous
Small Grants ($40k or less): February 11, 2012
Funding Agency: Spencer Foundation
Policy Research Centers Grant Program (PRC)
A Policy Research Center (PRC) is defined to have the analytical capacity to either perform policy analysis across multiple sets of public policy issues or have a specialized capacity in a single policy area. A center may reside in a single institution or be a collaborative effort across multiple institutions.
The purpose of the grant program is to support rigorous and comprehensive research and education programs on the impact of public policies and trade agreements on farmers, ranchers, consumers and taxpayers. In addition, proposed research and education programs should be objective, operationally independent, and external to the Federal Government and focus on the effect of public policies and trade agreements specifically on the following emphasis areas: (1) The farm and agricultural sectors (including commodities, livestock, dairy and specialty crops); (2) the environment; (3) rural families, households, and economies; and (4) consumers, food, and nutrition. Research may be either disciplinary or interdisciplinary concerning policy research activities identified above and include activities that (1) quantify implications of public policies and regulations; (2) develop theoretical and research methods; (3) collect, analyze, and disseminate data for policy makers, analysts, and individuals; and (4) develop programs to train future analysts.
Centers will include the development or enhancement of existing capacity to perform public policy analysis. Funds will support development of theoretical and empirical research methods and models to evaluate and quantify the economic impact of existing or proposed alternative policies and regulations on the agricultural sector, consumers, the environment and taxpayers, (as appropriate). Approaches may include econometric or large-scale simulation models which provide baseline and outlook projections of near- and long-term economic activity and policy impacts. Funding may also be used to collect, analyze, and disseminate data for policy makers, analysts, and individuals. Finally, centers should include training opportunities for new analysts to develop skills in public policy analysis and dissemination.
Application Deadline: February 13, 2012
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Infrastructure Management and Extreme Events (IMEE)
The IMEE program focuses on the impact of large-scale hazards on civil infrastructure and society and on related issues of preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery. The program supports research to integrate multiple issues from engineering, social, behavioral, political, and economic sciences. It supports fundamental research on the interdependence of civil infrastructure and society, development of sustainable infrastructures, and civil infrastructure vulnerability and risk reduction.
Application Deadline: February 15, 2012
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Math and Science Partnership (MSP)
The MSP program is a major research and development effort that supports innovative partnerships to improve K-12 student achievement in mathematics and science. MSP projects are expected to raise the achievement levels of all students and significantly reduce achievement gaps in the STEM performance of diverse student populations. MSP projects contribute to what is known in K-12 STEM education. All STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields supported by NSF may be involved in this work, with special encouragement to areas that are gaining increased traction at the K-12 level, such as computer science and engineering, in addition to mathematics and science. MSP projects also serve as models that have a sufficiently strong evidence/research base to improve STEM education outcomes for all students.
Through this solicitation, NSF seeks to support two levels of Targeted Partnership awards, Implementation and Prototype. Implementation awards are intended to develop and put into practice innovative approaches and strategies in education. Prototype awards explore potentially innovative approaches and strategies in education. Both types of Partnerships incorporate significant new innovations to STEM education, linked to a strong educational research agenda, in one of four focal areas: Community Enterprise for STEM Learning; Current Issues Related to STEM Content; Identifying and Cultivating Exceptional Talent; and K-12 STEM Teacher Preparation. In addition, there are three types of Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance (RETA) project opportunities in this solicitation: research related to sustainability, or policies, or state plans for STEM education; technical assistance for evaluators of MSP projects; and the STEM Education Resource Collaboratory.
Application Deadline: March 5, 2012
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Unsolicited Grant Opportunities
The Institute of Education Sciences announces its willingness to consider unsolicited applications for research, evaluation, statistics, and knowledge utilization projects that would make significant contributions to the mission of the Institute. The Institute’s mission is to conduct and support rigorous education statistics, research, and evaluation in order to provide reliable information about the condition of education, education practices that improve academic achievement, and the effectiveness of federal and other education programs, policies and practices. Unsolicited applications are defined as those that are not eligible for funding under the Institute’s current grant competitions. The Institute’s current grant competitions are those for the fiscal year (FY2012), both open and closed, which are described at http://ies.ed.gov/funding/.
For example, the Institute could consider unsolicited proposals to conduct innovative research in areas that fall outside the Institute’s current research priorities (the current research priorities are covered by the Institute’s regular grant competitions, and are described at http://ies.ed.gov/director/board/priorities.asp) but are not covered by the Institute’s regular grant competitions. The Institute could also consider unsolicited proposals that focus on building the capacity of investigators to conduct rigorous research, or of policy-makers or practitioners to utilize evidence in decision-making. In contrast, the Institute would not consider an unsolicited application to conduct research on the effectiveness of a mentoring program for teachers because this content was solicited in the Institute’s competitions for Effective Teachers and Effective Teaching Research Grants.
Application Deadline: March 6, 2012
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education – Institute of Education Sciences
Transforming STEM Learning (TSL)
TSL combines interests and resources of separate programs in the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) to explore the opportunities and challenges implied by innovative visions of the future for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. The TSL program invites interdisciplinary teams of STEM content specialists, experts in relevant technologies, STEM formal and informal education specialists, researchers with expertise in the learning sciences, and specialists in education research and evaluation methods to submit proposals for research projects that (1) study efficacy of existing prototypes for innovations like virtual schools, special STEM schools, and educational programs that combine opportunities of formal and informal learning resources in their communities; or (2) design and conduct exploratory development of new potentially transformative models for STEM learning environments. The crosscutting proposals will draw from work in the four primary DRL programs: Discovery Research K-12 (DR K-12), Informal Science Education (ISE), Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering (REESE), and Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST). However, proposals submitted in response to this solicitation must have a scope that extends well beyond any of those programs individually.
Application Deadline: March 9, 2012
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Research Grants
The foundation funds original, rigorous empirical research projects that advance the HR profession.
The foundation funds high impact HR research, aimed at an academic audience while also having direct actionable implications for HR practice, whether the focus is on addressing current challenges or understanding emerging trends. Any topic will be considered, however the grant must be for original rigorous empirical academic research that advances the HR profession. While aimed at an academic audience, funded research should also have clear applicability for HR practice and help contribute to evidence-based HR. As such, projects submitted for funding should have a high likelihood of both adding value to the HR academic literature (i.e., be suitable for leading academic journals) and yielding practical implications for HR managers (i.e., applied outlets should be interested in the research results). The SHRM Foundation is open to funding research using any type of research methodology as long as the proposed methodology is sound and appropriate for the proposed research question(s). Those research questions typically (but not solely) take the form of theoretically derived hypotheses.
Application Deadline: April 1, 2012
Funding Agency: Society for Human Resource Management Foundation
Research Grants
The foundation funds original, rigorous empirical research projects that advance the HR profession.
The foundation funds high impact HR research, aimed at an academic audience while also having direct actionable implications for HR practice, whether the focus is on addressing current challenges or understanding emerging trends. Any topic will be considered, however the grant must be for original rigorous empirical academic research that advances the HR profession. While aimed at an academic audience, funded research should also have clear applicability for HR practice and help contribute to evidence-based HR. As such, projects submitted for funding should have a high likelihood of both adding value to the HR academic literature (i.e., be suitable for leading academic journals) and yielding practical implications for HR managers (i.e., applied outlets should be interested in the research results). The SHRM Foundation is open to funding research using any type of research methodology as long as the proposed methodology is sound and appropriate for the proposed research question(s). Those research questions typically (but not solely) take the form of theoretically derived hypotheses.
Application Deadline: April 2, 2012
Funding Agency: Society for Human Resource Management Foundation
Investigator-Initiated Research Grants
The Foundation supports high-quality research that addresses our Current Research Interests: enhancing our understanding of how youth settings work, how they affect youth development, and how they can be improved; and when, how, and under what conditions research evidence is used in policy and practice that affect youth, and how its use can be improved.
To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:
- submit a project that is consistent with the Foundation’s Current Research Interests;
- address issues that have compelling relevance for theory, policy, and/or practice affecting the settings of youth ages 8 to 25 in the United States; and
- reflect high standards of evidence and rigorous methods, commensurate with the project’s goals.
Note: The Foundation rarely funds international studies. The Foundation funds research abroad only when it addresses an issue or question that has clear, compelling policy or practice implications for youth ages 8 to 25 in the United States.
To apply for an investigator-initiated grant, principal investigators should submit a letter of inquiry. If the letter of inquiry demonstrates that the project falls within Current Research Interests and potentially meets funding criteria, the Foundation will invite a full proposal for further consideration. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.
Note: The funding link indicates an April 6 deadline, however the foundation’s website has the listed deadline.
Letter of Intent/Inquiry: April 3, 2012
Funding Agency: William T. Grant Foundation
Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS)
The SFS program seeks to increase the number of qualified students entering the fields of information assurance and cybersecurity and to increase the capacity of the United States higher education enterprise to continue to produce professionals in these fields to meet the needs of our increasingly technological society.
The SFS program is composed of two tracks:
1. The Scholarship Track provides funding to colleges and universities to award scholarships to students in the information assurance and cybersecurity fields. Scholarship recipients shall pursue academic programs in information assurance for the final two years of their bachelor’s- or master’s-level program; final three years of study where the student is receiving both the bachelor’s and the master’s degree; final three years in combined bachelor’s and master’s degree (“five year”) programs; or for the final three years of research-based doctoral-level study. During the scholarship period, the students will participate in meaningful summer internships but doctoral students may be allowed to replace their summer internship with a research activity. In return for their scholarships, recipients will work after graduation for a Federal, State, Local, or Tribal Government organization in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship. A limited number of students may be placed in National Laboratories and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs).
2. The Capacity Building Track provides funds to colleges and universities to improve the quality and increase the production of high-quality information assurance and cybersecurity professionals by providing support for efforts within the higher education system, as well as outreach to K-12 students with related interests. Professional development of faculty expertise in information assurance, cybersecurity or digital forensics can be funded under this track, as well as projects to increase interest in information assurance and accelerate the integration of information assurance, computer security or cybersecurity knowledge across the STEM disciplines; development, deployment, and evaluation of information assurance, cybersecurity and/or digital forensics curriculum guidelines leading to wide adoption nationally; evaluation of the effectiveness of cybersecurity competitions, games, and other outreach and retention activities; and other innovative and creative projects which lead to an increase in the ability of the United States higher education enterprise to produce information assurance and cybersecurity professionals.
Application Deadline: April 17, 2012
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
PMI Academic Resources Opens Call for Research Proposals
This year’s call for proposals for 2013 funding opens on 1 February and closes on 25 April 2012.
We seek proposals from scholars, both within and outside the field of project management, including management, organizational psychology, sociology, education, linguistics and others. Proposed research must have a direct application to some aspect of the project management body of knowledge or its practice. In addition, we encourage proposals on research involving multi-disciplinary teams of investigators or teams consisting of academics and practitioners, who bring new ways of thinking and related bodies of literature to the field.
Those advancing to the second round will be notified by July 2012. All grant recipients will be notified of awards up to US $50,000 by November 2012. Funded projects begin on 1 January 2013.
Application Deadline: April 25, 2012
Funding Agency: Project Management Institute
Virtual Reality Technologies for Research and Education in Obesity and Diabetes (R01)
The purpose of this FOA is to encourage submission of hypothesis-testing research applications that capitalize on the unique capabilities of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to visualize outcomes, teach, motivate, and to extend the health care and learning environments, in order to foster to foster desirable eating, physical activity, self-care, and other health-related behaviors necessary for prevention and management of obesity and diabetes.
Of highest interest are well-designed multidisciplinary projects drawing on expertise in VR technologies and biomedical behavioral and pedagogical sciences. The overall goal is to develop the potential of VR technologies as research tools for behavioral science-oriented studies in diabetes and obesity, and as practical tools for clinical and public health-level prevention and management of obesity and diabetes.
Application Deadline: June 5, 2012
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health
Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH)
The Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH) Program promotes interdisciplinary analyses of relevant human and natural system processes and complex interactions among human and natural systems at diverse scales. The relevant NSF components are the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE); the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO); and the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO).
Application Deadline: November 20, 2012
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation