Office of Research

OCTOBER 2021

Monthly Campus Updates from the Syracuse University Office of Research

Campus view with Lyman in fall
 

Deadline Approaching! SOURCE Faculty Funding Opportunity: Research Assistant (RA) Grant Program

The SOURCE RA Grant Program provides funding through a faculty-led application to hire undergraduate student research assistants. Funds provide either academic year payroll or a summer stipend to students for remote or in-person work with faculty mentors that supports the mentor’s ongoing research or new research projects. The goal of this program is to provide a mutual benefit to students and faculty mentors.

Intent to Apply Deadline: Oct. 21

More Information
 
 

New Sponsored Funding Guidance: Other Support/Current and Pending Support

Federal agency guidance on current and pending support is changing. Recently the federal government has been placing additional scrutiny on foreign influence and the impact to federal research. These government concerns around foreign influence have resulted in some federal agencies providing additional guidance on what needs to be included in Current and Pending/Other Support documents. Guidance for the specific agencies can be found on the Other Support/Current and Pending Support page of the Office of Sponsored Programs website.

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Awardees Announced for 2021 Postdoctoral Scholars Program

Syracuse University will invest up to $1.4 M over two years to support up to 20 new postdoctoral scholars through the Postdoctoral Scholars Program. Established in 2019, the goal of the program is to provide financial incentive for programs, departments, schools and colleges to increase the number of postdoctoral scholars across the University. For the 2021 awards, a committee of 10 peer reviewers evaluated 43 applications from 27 different units. Twenty positions were funded across the College of Arts and Sciences, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Newhouse School of Public Communications, School of Education and School of Architecture. Read the full postdoctoral scholars news story.

 

Office of Research Events

Below are upcoming research events. A full list of events from the Office of Research can be found on this downloadable flyer [PDF] or the Syracuse University Events Calendar. Most past events are recorded and can be found on the Office of Research Trainings webpage

Humanities Fellowship Proposals—Soup to Nuts

Oct. 22 | 10-11:30 a.m. ET | Zoom

Join us as we share resources for finding fellowship opportunities, brainstorm how to determine the right home for your project and discuss successful writing strategies. Register for Humanities Fellowship Proposals—Soup to Nuts.

Submitting Proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF)

Nov. 3 | 10-11:30 a.m. ET | Zoom

Join the Office of Research for a presentation about submitting proposals to the NSF. Register for Submitting Proposals to the NSF.

Using PIVOT to Identify Funding Opportunities: A Learning Lab at the Newhouse School

Nov. 12 | 10-11:30 a.m. ET | Newhouse 3, 253

Join us for a learning lab session about using PIVOT to identify sponsored funding opportunities. Register for Using Pivot to Identify Funding Opportunities

Building Strong Proposal Budgets

Nov. 17 | 10-11:30 a.m. ET | Zoom

Join the Office of Research for a presentation and panel discussion about proposal budgets. Register for Building Strong Proposal Budgets.

 

Research News

Research Clusters Accelerate the Impact of Emerging Technologies

Newly Appointed University Professor Asks the ‘Big Questions’

Recipe for Research

A&S Physicist Part of a Five-University Team Programming Biological Cells to Design Futuristic Materials

Professors Use Machine Learning to Guide the Design of Stable Nanoparticles

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor Sucheta Soundarajan Receives NSF CAREER Award

Design Professor Receives Grant to Develop New Interdisciplinary Minor Focusing on Sustainable Design Innovations

NEH Grant Awarded to Romita Ray to Convene Leading Scholars for an International Research Workshop and Symposium

Advancing Understanding of the Link Between Pain and Nicotine Consumption

Syracuse University Receives $750,000 From U.S. Department of Energy to Accelerate Innovations for ‘Grid-Interactive’ and Energy-Efficient Buildings

Arts and Sciences Professor Instrumental in the Rediscovery of Lost Painting

Professor Shikha Nangia Selected as Rising Star by American Chemical Society

Communication and Rhetorical Studies Professor Wins Prestigious Scholar Award from National Communication Association

Architecture Faculty Collaborate on ‘Mycotecture’ Projects in Rwanda

BioInspired Institute Partners With Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Undergraduate Research Grants Open New Opportunities for Students

Graduate School Providing One-Time Funding to Support Grad Students Facing COVID-Related Delays

 

Limited Submission Opportunities

The following Limited Submission Opportunities were announced over the past month and are currently open. Competitions marked as “Letter of Intent” only require a short form; please submit an application as soon as you know you are interested rather than waiting for the deadline. A full explanation of the process may be found on the Office of Research website.

NEW! 2022 NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers Program (MRSEC) – Letter of Interest
Internal Proposal Due Date: Nov. 1
The Office of Research is soliciting letters of interest from researchers who would like to participate in the 2022 NSF MRSEC Program.

NEW! NIH Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities: Advancing Research-Related Operations
Internal Proposal Due Date: Nov. 1
Number of Internal Nominees: 1
Funding Amount: $400,000
This solicitation invites applications for support to purchase and install advanced equipment to enhance and modernize research-supporting operations of biomedical research facilities. Targeted are core facilities, animal research facilities and other research spaces that are used on a shared basis. 

NEW! Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Recordings at Risk
Internal Proposal Due Date: Nov. 8
Number of Internal Nominees: 1
Funding Amount: $50,000
Recordings at Risk is a national regranting program administered by CLIR to support the preservation of rare and unique audio, audiovisual and other time-based media of high scholarly value through digital reformatting. 

NEW! NSF National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes – Letter of Intent
Internal Proposal Due Date: Nov. 8
Number of Internal Nominees: 2
Funding Amount: $20,000,000
This National AI Research Institutes program solicitation will fund Institutes comprised of scientists, engineers and educators united by a common focus on advancing the research frontiers in AI. 

NEW! NSF Ethical and Responsible Research (ER2) – Letter of Intent
Internal Proposal Due Date: Dec. 1
Number of Internal Nominees: 1
Funding Amount: $600,000
ER2 funds research projects that identify (1) factors that are effective in the formation of ethical STEM researchers and (2) approaches to developing those factors in all STEM fields that NSF supports. 

NEW! NSF Innovations in Graduate Education Program – Letter of Intent
Internal Proposal Due Date: Dec. 1
Number of Internal Nominees: 2
Funding Amount: $500,000
The program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. 

NEW! 2021 Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant Program – Letter of Intent
Internal Proposal Due Date: Nov. 17
Number of Internal Nominees: 1
Funding Amount: $80,000
This program will provide start-up monies for new research projects in the field of neuroscience that will likely lead to extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health or other outside funding sources. Applicants must be full-time assistant or associate professors. 

UPDATE! 2022 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards
Internal Proposal Due Date: Nov. 1
Number of Internal Nominees: 2
Funding Amount: $5,000
A prior version of this solicitation noted that eligibility was limited to faculty within “two years of their initial tenure track appointment.” However, the sponsor has updated their eligibility. Faculty are eligible if they are within two years of their appointment at Syracuse University. Prior tenure-track appointments do not count against your eligibility.

2022 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program
Internal Proposal Due Date: Nov. 17
Number of Internal Nominees: 1
The program supports the research and teaching careers of talented young faculty in the chemical sciences. Nominees must hold a full-time tenure-track academic appointment and are normally expected to have been appointed no earlier than mid-year 2016.

Keck Science and Engineering Research Program – December 2022 Research Grants
Internal Proposal Due Date: Dec. 6
Number of Internal Nominees: 4
The Keck Foundation supports pioneering science and engineering research and the development of promising new technologies. It encourages projects that are high-risk with the potential for transformative impact. 

Limited Submissions
 
 

Funding Opportunities

The Office of Proposal Support Services has updated its Sponsored Funding Opportunities webpage with federal, state and foundation funding opportunities relevant to campus in a variety of topic areas. Below are some highlighted opportunities:

NSF Mid-Career Advancement (MCA)
The MCA offers an opportunity for scientists and engineers at the associate professor rank (or equivalent) to substantively enhance and advance their research program through synergistic and mutually beneficial partnerships, typically at an institution other than their home institution.
Deadline: Feb. 7, 2022

Newberry Library Fellowships
Fellows have access to the Newberry’s wide-ranging and rare archival materials as well as to a lively, interdisciplinary community of researchers, curators and librarians. Long-term fellowships (four to nine months; $5K stipend/month) must be submitted by Nov. 1. Short-term fellowships (one to two months; $3K stipend/month) are due by Dec. 15.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evidence for Action
Evidence for Action funds research that expands the evidence needed to build a Culture of Health, with an explicit emphasis on advancing racial equity.
Deadline: Rolling

Funding Opportunities
 
 

Sponsored Funding Awards

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) provides monthly updates on all proposals submitted through OSP and awarded to the Syracuse University community. 

You may access OSP Highlights on answers.syr.edu (NetID and password required). 

OSP Highlights
 
 

Funder Updates

NSF Logo

National Science Foundation (NSF) Updates

Fall 2021 NSF Virtual Grants Conference

The Fall 2021 NSF Virtual Grants Conference was held Oct. 4-8. All presentations, handouts and webinar recordings will soon be posted on NSF’s policy office website. Additionally, all webinar recordings will soon be posted on NSF’s YouTube page.

 

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Updates

Register Now! Fall 2021 NIH Virtual Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration
The Fall 2021 NIH Virtual Seminar will be held Nov. 1-4. This event is designed to demystify the NIH grant application, review, award and post-award processes and policies. The seminar will feature three concurrent sessions designed around grants policies and programs, including case studies and Q&As.

 

Campus Research Approvals

Below are reminders for approvals required during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Face-to-Face Human Participant Research—Human participant research is being conducted in person, but requires the submission and approval of a Return to Face-to-Face Research Plan prior to the conduct of in-person research. With the full return to in-person work at Syracuse University, updates to this process are forthcoming.

Visiting Scholars Requests—Visiting scholars are those who are coming to campus from outside of the Central New York region for the purpose of long-term academic research. 

Approval for Essential International Research Travel—Effective July 19, 2021, the University is allowing non-essential domestic travel for University business purposes without constraint. International travel remains for essential purposes only and travelers must submit an application for approval for international research travel.

 

Office of Research Calendar

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Learn about what is going on in the Office of Research this month.

Full Events Calendar