RFPs & Funding Opportunities

USAID Announces $1 Million Grant to Improve Education in Africa

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide $1 million to fund 20 partnership-planning grants of $50,000 to plan long-term collaborations between African and U.S. institutions of higher education.

Collaborating with the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), the USAID grant will help to build African university capacity for instruction and problem-solving through the Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative. The focus will be in areas such as agriculture, health care, science and technology, primary and secondary education, business, engineering, economics and other disciplines. The entire $1 million will be used for partnership grants because NASULGC and others will share the administrative costs.

The grant was announced during the two-day Higher Education Summit for Global Development held April 29 and 30 at the U.S. Department of State. The conference drew nearly 300 university presidents, government officials, and corporate and foundation leaders to Washington, from around the globe.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also awarded a $100,000 grant to NASULGC to build the grant-making framework for the Africa-U.S. Higher Education Collaboration Initiative. New funding would be used for university partnerships to build agriculture education and problem- solving capacity in African universities.

The Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative is led by NASULGC with the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, Higher Education for Development and the American Distance Education Consortium as key partners. More than a dozen other higher education organizations, African embassies and other organizations are also participating.

For more information about USAID and its education programs around the world, please visit http://www.usaid.gov.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-30-2008/0004803950&EDATE=

What is MIIE?

MIIE is a consortium of all fifteen Michigan Public Universities acting together
strategically to foster a new Michigan knowledge economy based on entrepreneurship
and innovation. By using the considerable resources of Michigan’s institutions of higher
education, MIIE seeks to enhance the State’s economic competitiveness and stimulate
growth. The consortium supports individual universities in their role as local and regional
economic drivers for Michigan and encourages regional collaboration between
universities, foundations, economic development organizations, government agencies,
and private enterprise.

Working with a grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation, MIIE is running a pilot program to
fulfill its mission of leveraging university assets for economic development and
supporting institutional culture change. MIIE will accept proposals to three funds:

o Technology Commercialization
o Industry Engagement
o Talent Retention & Entrepreneurship Education

Please address questions regarding the MIIE opportunity to Dr. Don Anderson - ander507@egr.msu.edu

The complete RFP is contained the attached .pdf.

Note that this is an institutionally limited opportunity. Below are application forms
for each of the three categories. Proposals must be submitted by Friday, May 30, at 8:00AM.
Details are contained in the individual application forms.

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
invites submissions to the 2008 Intramural Research Grants Program
(IRGP).  Guidelines and instructions appear online at the Grant Proposal
System (GPS) (https://www.vprgs.msu.edu/gps/),  and will not be sent out
in paper form.  Electronic submission of proposals is also required
through the IRGP GPS site.  If you have additional questions after you
have explored the IRGP website, contact us at vprgs@msu.edu or 432-3773.

The IRGP invests in MSU faculty who are conducting work that addresses
important research questions or produces significant creative products.
Projects selected for funding are expected to enhance the reputation of
the researcher and the university, lead to external funding, or both. 

IRGP-funded activities may have an impact on teaching and outreach, but
the primary goal of the program is to support intellectual inquiry.  The
program has three components:

The Scholarly and Creative Grants Program is designed to support
scholarly and creative projects and activities that seem likely to
enhance the reputation of the faculty member and the university.  These
activities typically fall into the arts and humanities disciplines where
external support is not generally available, but may include social
sciences, education, communications and business disciplines as well.
In unusual circumstances, certain projects in the biological and
physical sciences may be appropriate for this program.

The New Faculty Grants Program provides assistance for the research
programs of new tenure track, non-tenured faculty.  Projects supported
must demonstrate the potential to develop into externally funded
research programs.  These grants most often support faculty in the
sciences (natural, physical, and social) and engineering, but faculty
from all disciplines are eligible.

The New Directions Grants Program supports explorations in new areas
that researchers have not previously explored and for which they have
not previously received funding.  Preference will be given to
multidisciplinary teams.  However, individual researchers who propose
significant changes in their research activity that initiate new and
innovative research directions are also eligible.  Projects supported
will have the potential to develop into externally funded research
programs that are well regarded by peers.  These grants may be awarded
in any subject area. 

I encourage you to submit a proposal to the IRGP.  The deadline is 5:00
p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, 2008. 

Best wishes for a successful application!

Sincerely,

J. Ian Gray

The Canadian Government, through its Embassy and Consulates in the United States, supports research, conferences, teaching, and program activity related to Canada and/or Canada-U.S. relations. Our grant program seeks to encourage comparative research and teaching, faculty exchanges, student mobility, and collaboration between American and Canadian researchers. We also seek to build stronger ties between American and Canadian universities and colleges.

We ask that you forward this notice to faculty and doctoral students who may be interested in our grant program. More information on each grant program is available below.

Research Grant Program assists individual scholars or teams of scholars in writing an article-length manuscript of publishable quality with a focus on Canada or Canada-U.S. relations. Applications due: September 30, 2008 . http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/studies/research-en.asp

Doctoral Student Research Award offers doctoral students an opportunity to conduct part of their dissertation research in Canada. The program is intended for students whose dissertations are related in substantial part to the study of Canada. Applications due: October 31, 2008 . http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/studies/graduate-en.asp

Faculty Enrichment (Course Development) Program provides faculty members an opportunity to develop or update a course with substantial Canadian content that will be offered as part of their regular teaching load. Applications due: October 31, 2008 .
http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/studies/faculty-en.asp

Conference Grant Program supports conferences that address important and timely issues about Canada or Canada-U.S. relations. It is designed to assist an institution in holding a conference and publishing the resulting papers and proceedings in a scholarly fashion. Applications due: June 30, 2008 . http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/studies/conference-en.asp

North American Research Linkages Program is designed to facilitate North American collaboration within the academic communities of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. It aims to foster the development of permanent exchange networks by providing assistance to teams of researchers from all three countries in order to organize seminars, workshops, or other forms of research linkages. Applications due: May 1, 2008 . http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/studies/narl-en.asp

Program Enhancement Grant encourages scholarly inquiry and multidisciplinary professional academic activities that contribute to the development or expansion of a program dedicated to the study of Canada or Canada-U.S. relations. Applications due: June 15, 2008 . http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/studies/enhancement-en.asp

Outreach Grant Program encourages and supports training and resource development that benefit K-12 teachers who teach about Canada, Canada-U.S. relations, and/or Canada's role in the international community. Applications due: June 30, 2008 .
http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/studies/institution-en.asp#outreach

We are particularly interested in projects that have policy relevance for Canada and Canada-U.S. relations. Such topics include:

smart and secure borders

North American economic competitiveness

regulatory cooperation

Canada-U.S. trade and investment partnership

energy security and sustainability

environmental sustainability

emergency planning and management

Canada-U.S. security and defense cooperation

Canada in Afghanistan

global health policy

changing demographics in North America.

Also keep in mind the Library Support Program, which is designed to assist university libraries to strengthen their library holdings related to Canada in order to support teaching and research on Canada and/or Canada-U.S. relations. http://www.iccs-ciec.ca/pages/newweb/sample2/LSP_en.asp?shownav=4

In 2007-08, the Canadian Studies Grant Program provided support to faculty, researchers, and graduate students at 80 universities, colleges, and institutions in 31 states. More than 100 projects were funded on a wide range of topics and in many disciplines. Click here for a list of grant recipients and their projects.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to discuss their interest in the grant program with a Canadian government officer in their area.

We would like to encourage faculty and students to sign up for Canada Watch, a weekly summary of the publications and commentaries from Canadian think tanks and research centers on a wide range of Canadian and Canada-U.S. issues NewsCan, a weekly summary of news from Canada; and/or the Canada-U.S. Business and Economic Monitor.

Alexander Leipziger
Research and Academic Relations | Recherche et relations académiques
Canadian Embassy | L'Ambassade du Canada
501 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
Tel: (202) 682-7727 Fax: (202) 682-7791
alexander.leipziger@international.gc.ca

American Heart Association | American Stroke Association 

July 2008 Deadline Announcement! 


American Heart Association Research Funding Opportunities 

The American Heart Association announces its July 2008 deadlines. The 
National Research Program, the Midwest and Pacific Mountain Affiliates offer 
the Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships, Clinical Research Program, 
Scientist Development Grant, Beginning Grant-in-Aid, Grant-in-Aid and 
Established Investigator Award funding opportunities. 


Introducing the new Innovative Research Grant 

This grant is to support highly innovative, high-risk, high-reward research 
that could ultimately lead to critical discoveries or major advancements 
that will accelerate the field of cardiovascular and stroke research. 

Program information is available on the American Heart Association Web site: 
www.my.americanheart.org  click on the Research Awards tab. Forms and 
Instructions will be available soon. (http://www.my.americanheart.org) 

The American Heart Association funds research broadly related to 
cardiovascular disease and stroke. We support research in clinical and basic 
sciences, bioengineering, biotechnology and public health. 

Proposals to the National programs encourage applications related to 
obesity, women and heart disease, and resuscitation.


Current Awardees 

The American Heart Association currently has over 2,400 active awards across 
the United States. View a list of our Current Awardees. 
(http://www.heart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2347) 


Other Funding Opportunities 

Notice of Intent to Publish a Request for Applications for The AHA/Jon 
Holden DeHaan Foundation Myogenesis Research Centers 

The purpose of this notice is to announce the AHA's intention to issue a 
Request for Applications (RFA) in the spring 2008 to fund up to three 
centers to develop and validate efficient, accessible large-scale cardiac 
myogenesis research programs. The centers will be activated in early 2009, 
and each will include two to four integrated research projects. The AHA's 
ultimate goal is to apply the results from these programs to further 
understand the cardiac developmental/repair process and possibly identify 
areas for therapeutic intervention. Learn more 
(http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3052242) 

Young Investigator Database Research Seed Grant — Stroke Council 

The intent of this seed grant is to provide adequate funds to 1) allow 
initial project design, access to the GWTG data and statistical analysis 
related to stroke; and 2) to cover travel expenses of the recipient to 
travel to an AHA Conference to present the results. Mentors provide 
recipients methods of clinical research using GWTG Steering or Subcommittee 
or EDSC databases. Learn more 
(http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3049456) 

 ----------
Contact Us
To contact American Heart Association Research Funding email 
promo@heart.org. (mailto:promo@heart.org)

UPDATE 4/30/08 -

Dear Seminar Participants,

The LaTeX Seminar will meet on Thursdays, 3:00-4:50 in C211 WH. Our first meeting will be May 15.

If you don't already have a TeX implementation on your computer, here in information on where to find one.

Mac users: If you're running OS X, go to \url{www.uoregon.edu/~koch/texshop}. Follow the instructions for downloading and installing TeXShop.

Windows users: You'll need a TeX editor and a TeX compiler. For an editor go to \url{www.toolscenter.org} and download Texnik Center. For a TeX compiler go to \url{www.miktex.org} and download MikTex. Some Windows users prefer WinEdit, a commercial product that can be obtained from \url{www.winedt.com}.

I'll see you on May 15.

Sincerely,

Clifford E. Weil
Department of Mathematics
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
USA

* * * *

The Department of Mathematics will offer a one credit course on LaTeX in
the first session of the summer semester, 2008. The course will cover some of the
basics such as horizontal and vertical spacing, page styles and numbering, font
families, shapes, and series, referencing, footnotes and margin notes. Some of the
more advanced topics will be, lists and tables, long and involved mathematical
expressions, matrices and commutative diagrams.

Of special interest to graduate students will be the introduction of a class file
which can be used to produce a thesis in a fashion that will address formatting
requirements of the Graduate School.

Those wishing to attend should send an email message to weil@math.msu.edu
indicating what days and times they can’t meet. This information will be used
to fix the meeting time and all respondents will be informed. To enroll, graduate
students must send an email message to Barbara Miller at bmiller@math.msu.edu
requesting an override into the course. At least 15 students must enroll
in order to run the course. Any undergraduates wishing to take the course
should enroll in MTH 490 106. All interested faculty and staff are also invited
to attend.

For more information, please contact:

Clifford E. Weil
Department of Mathematics
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
weil@math.msu.edu

The link below is to a presentation by Dr. Raymond Orbach of the U.S. Department of Energy, discussing a new initiative from the DoE Office of Science to establish multiple Energy Frontier Research Centers in FY 2009. The final slide is particularly noteworthy, in that it provides information on the likely research areas to be funded. The funding announcement is to be released later in 2008.

• Conversion of Plants to Biofuels
• Solar Energy Utilization
• Solid State Lighting
• Electrical Energy Storage
• Superconductivity
• Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems
• Combustion of 21st Century Transportation Fuels
• Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Use
• Catalysis for Energy
• Materials Under Extreme Environments
• Geosciences for Nuclear Waste and CO2 Storage


http://www.er.doe.gov/News_Information/speeches/NASULGC-rev6.pdf

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS FOR BASIC, CLINICAL or TRANSLATIONAL LUPUS RESEARCH

RFA 008-02

Related to:

STEM CELL RESEARCH: RFA 008-02 (S)

Award Amount: Up to (2) one-year grants of $100,000

Research sponsored by the Cooper Family Foundation

NEUROPSYCHIATRIC LUPUS RESEARCH RFA 008-02 (NP)

Award Amount: Up to (2) one-year grants of $75,000 ea. with a potential for second-year funding.

*NOVEL PILOT PROJECTS IN LUPUS RESEARCH: RFA 008-02 (N)

Award Amount: Up to (5) one-year grants of $60,000 each, with a potential for second-year funding. *One of these five novel grants will be awarded to a novel lupus dermatology study; one additional novel grant will be awarded to a lupus nephrology study. Nephrology funding has been generously provided by the Louis Berkowitz Family Foundation.

MICHAEL JON BARLIN PEDIATRIC LUPUS RESEARCH PROGRAM RFA 008-02 (P)

The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. proudly announces the launch of its annual Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Lupus Program. Lupus in children may develop early and tends to be more severe with multi-organ system involvement. The genetic and hormonal influences in children with lupus may be more amenable to dissection by clearly defined research studies. New diagnostic and prognostic tests, as well as directed therapeutic interventions, are still needed. Early therapeutic intervention may affect the later development of sequellae of disease and therapy as these children become adults.

Award Amount: (1) one-year grant of $100,000, with a potential for second-year funding.

The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is the foremost national nonprofit organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus and providing services to people affected by lupus. Lupus is a complex disorder that continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality. Although basic science and therapeutic advances are being made, substantial work remains to fully understand the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis and clinical impact of these disorders. New diagnostic and prognostic tests, as well as directed therapeutic interventions, are still needed.

The purpose of these RFA’s is to accelerate research related to the causes, treatments, prevention and cure of lupus and to directly sponsor research to test new approaches and develop experimental prototypes. This research program is supported exclusively through donations from the LFA’s constituent chapters, private foundations or corporations and the concerned public.

All RFA guideline templates are available via the web at http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_researchlfa.aspx?articleid=1365&zoneid=31

BINDING LETTERS OF INTENT MUST BE SUBMITTED BY April 21, 2008

ONLINE APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MAY 19, 2008

AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT DATE JULY 11, 2008

RFP Now Available	 

	
From the National Pork Board	 	
	
The National Pork Board's Request for Proposals for the Spring Call 2008
is now available on our website at www.pork.org

(Please scroll down to the bottom right of the main page)  

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Tuesday, May 6th - 5:00 pm CST

If you have questions specific to the content of your proposal, please
contact the program manager for the category to which you are
submitting::

Environment
Allan Stokes
astokes@pork.org
515/223-3447

Swine Health
Paul Sundberg
psundberg@pork.org
515/223-2764

Animal Welfare
Sherrie Niekamp
sniekamp@pork.org 
515/223-3533

International Trade
Steve Larsen
slarsen@pork.org
515/223-2754
Patrick Webb
pwebb@pork.org
515/223-3441

If you have questions specific to the website and submission process,
please contact me at beveritt@pork.org or 515/223-2750. If you encounter
problems with the website, contact me with specific information about
the browser type and version you are using, what you were doing when the
problem occurred and the exact text of any error messages you encounter.
Some problems have been encountered when using Word Perfect and/or
Macintosh systems and any browser other than Internet Explorer.

Thank you for your interest in our research program!
 


National Pork Board 
Bev Everitt
Research Program Assistant