Program offers funds to strengthen teaching and research careers

The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation’s Teacher-Scholar Awards Program was established to strengthen the teaching and research careers of talented young faculty in the chemical sciences by providing discretionary funding to faculty at early stages in their careers.

Criteria for selection included a commitment to education and an independent body of scholarship that signals the promise of continuing outstanding contributions to both research and teaching.

This program is judged primarily on individual research attainment and promise, but evidence of excellence in teaching is also expected.

Letters of intent must be submitted to the Office of Research no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, 2007. Letters of intent should be limited to a one-page summary of the nominee’s strengths, achievements and research as well as a two-page biosketch of the nominee.

• External Proposal Deadlines: Jan. 9, 2008
• Amount: $75,000

For more information, visit the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Web site.

Applications encouraged for awards to advance clinical and translational science

NIH invites applications for Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) that will enable applicants to innovate and to transform their own environment to develop and advance clinical and translational science as a distinct discipline.

Because MU is limited to one application for this program, letters of intent must be submitted to the Office of Research no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, 2007. Letters of intent should be limited to a three-page overview of the proposed project.

• External Proposal Deadline: Letter of intent (not required) due Oct. 9, 2007. Full proposal due Nov. 7, 2007.
• Amount: Up to $6 million annually for 5 years

For more information visit the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Web site.

Advancement of women in science and engineering focus of NSF program

The National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program strives to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce.

Creative strategies to realize this goal are sought from men and women. Members of underrepresented minority groups and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. Proposals that address the participation and advancement of women from underrepresented minority groups are encouraged.

In 2008, this program will support the following types of ADVANCE projects:

• Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, and Dissemination (PAID) Awards (not a limited submission – NSF deadline is 1/17/08)
• Institutional Transformation (IT) Awards
• Institutional Transformation Planning Grants (IT-Start)

MU is limited to either one IT proposal or one IT-Start proposal for this program. Letters of intent must be submitted to the Office of Research no later than 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, 2007.

• NSF Deadline: Dec. 6, 2007
• Amounts: IT-Start: Up to $200,000 for a total period of 2 years. IT: Amount unspecified
• URL for more information, visit the National Science Foundation site.

New NSF Center will focus on environmental implications of nanotechnology

The National Science Foundation is requesting proposals to create a national Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEIN). The Center will address interactions of naturally derived, incidental, and engineered nanoparticles and nanostructured materials, devices and systems (herein called "nanomaterials") with the living world. For the purpose of this solicitation, nanomaterials have at least one dimension with a length of approximately 1 to 100 nm.

Essential elements of this Center will include understanding the interactions of nanomaterials with organisms, cellular constituents, metabolic networks and living tissues, understanding environmental exposure and bioaccumulation and their effects on living systems, and determining the biological impacts of nanomaterials dispersed in the environment. The Center may also include the development of methods and instrumentation for the detection and characterization of nanomaterials. A multidisciplinary research approach involving the biological, chemical, physical, computational, mathematical, social and behavioral sciences will be needed to understand the fundamental processes associated with the interaction of nanomaterials with the environment and living systems. This Center is expected to interact with other Nanotechnology Science and Engineering Centers as appropriate.

Because MU is limited to one application for this program, letters of intent must be submitted to the Office of Research, no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, 2007. Letters of intent should be limited to three pages and should provide brief summaries of the following:

• Major research goals for understanding the bioaccumulation of nanomaterials and their effects on living systems; understanding the interactions of nanomaterials with cellular constituents, metabolic networks and living tissues; and determining the biological impacts of nanomaterials dispersed in the environment;
• Plans for student participation in the Center’s interdisciplinary research;
• Plans for collaboration with industry, government laboratories and agencies, non-governmental organizations, users of research outcomes, and/or Nanotechnology Science and Engineering Centers.
  
  
• External Proposal Deadline: Required Preliminary
• Proposal Deadline: Dec. 10, 2007
• Full Proposal Deadline: March 17, 2008
• Amount: up to $5,000,000/year for five years.  One award will be given.