Research

 Limit: 1 // R. Schomer (School of Plant Sciences)

Institutions may submit one nominee to the New Innovator Award program.

*Deadline note: This selection process is running with an anticipated deadline. We will inform all applicants of relevant updates in the guidelines, submission deadlines, and eligibility as soon as more information becomes available.

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR)  New Innovator Program,  will allow investigators to explore new avenues of inquiry that arise during their research. Therefore, FFAR is interested in the program of research to be explored and its impact as opposed to a list of very specific aims. The review process emphasizes the individual’s creativity, the innovativeness of the research approaches, and the potential of the program; collaborations are encouraged. While this award is made to an outstanding early career investigator, applicants should include information regarding any essential collaborators and include letters of support from those collaborators. Each applicant can receive from FFAR up to $150,000 per year for a maximum of three years totaling $450,000 investment.

Research programs should fall within one of FFAR’s Challenge Areas

• Advanced Animal Systems
• Health-Agriculture Nexus
• Next Generation Crops
• Soil Health
• Sustainable Water Management
• Urban Food Systems
•  Climate change  

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The foundation will consider more than one application per institution per year, but only one application per laboratory/mentor per year.

The Lalor Foundation postdoctoral fellowship program supports promising new researchers in establishing scientific and teaching careers. The program’s mission is to support these researchers early in their work so that they can become independently funded in the field of mammalian reproductive biology as related to the regulation of fertility. The Lalor Foundation will award fellows $55,000 per year to cover a fellowship stipend, fringes, and institutional overhead. Other expenses are not allowed. Institutional overhead may not exceed 10 percent of the total fellowship award. Renewal for one additional year is possible; please refer to specific renewal information under Application Instructions. 

 Limit: 4 //

M. Verhougstraete (Community, Environment & Policy)
J. Schroeder (Molecular and Cellular Biology)
H. Cai (Neuroscience)
J. Bibb (Translational Neurosciences)
 

The mission of The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation is to advance knowledge in the life sciences by sponsoring scientific research that will benefit mankind. The foundation’s grants program seeks to support basic science, ideally with potential translational applications. Immunology, microbiome, genomics, structural biology, cellular physiology, neuroscience, etc., are some noteworthy examples of current research support. 

For many years the Foundation has enjoyed special recognition in the research community for supporting “basic” scientific research, realizing that true transformative breakthroughs usually occur after a thorough understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying natural phenomena. More recently, and with the advent of newer investigative methodologies, technology, and tools, the Foundation now embraces innovative translational research proposals.

The grant duration must be three years. The budget should be reasonable based on the aims of the project. Indirect costs may not exceed 10%. Preliminary Budgets are required during the LOI phase. A detailed budget justification is not required until the proposal phase.  The Foundation’s grant award is not intended to be utilized for purchasing capital equipment (“bricks-and-mortar”) for the lab and is intended only to support the actual investigation. The Foundation assumes and expects that capital equipment must be provided by the research institution or university.
 

Application Guidance:

• Grant budgets cannot exceed $600-750K 
• The Foundation primarily supports basic science, ideally with potential translational applications.
• Immunology, microbiome, genomics, structural biology, cellular physiology, neuroscience, etc., are some noteworthy examples of current research support.
• Covid-19-related research projects (aims or sub-aims) will not be considered for support.
• Medical imaging technology-related projects and/or electrical engineering technology development projects will not be considered for support.
• Plant Biology Research, Oceanography, Space Exploration. and Global warming-related research will not be considered for support.
• As technology continues to advance, it is apparent that investigations in the area of basic science and translational research may become more and more reliant on collaborative, interdisciplinary projects. It is important to note that any interdisciplinary project proposals may require additional information regarding the collaborator(s)’ achievements and relevant expertise.
• Feedback for declined LOI Requests will not be provided; LOIs or Formal Proposals that have been declined should not be resubmitted at a later date for consideration.
• Renewal applications for the same or related research will not be accorded priority consideration. It is strongly advised that any re-application for grant renewal consider a new direction based on prior research or emphasize some new potential translational aspects and not merely an extension of previously funded research.
• Requests for funding previously federally supported research and/or applications pending federal approval will not be accorded priority consideration.
• Requests for support of clinical trials or drug discovery will not be approved. The Foundation will not support projects which we consider pre-clinical drug development.

No Applicants  // Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 2 

Applicant institutions are limited to no more than two pre-applications or applications as the lead institution for each PI at the applicant institution.

The DOE SC program in Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) hereby announces its interest in receiving applications to carry out experimental research in magnetic fusion energy sciences on long-pulse overseas stellarator facilities, namely, Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X – Germany) and the Large Helical Device (LHD – Japan). The research should be related to the planning, execution, and analysis of experiments concerning the topical areas described below. The FES Burning Plasma Science: Long Pulse portfolio supports U.S. researchers who work in collaboration with foreign scientists to explore critical science and technology issues at the frontiers of magnetic fusion research. These collaborations take advantage of the unique capabilities of the most advanced overseas research facilities.

Submit ticket request  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

NIFA requests applications for the ARME for fiscal year (FY) 2024 to provide resources for four regional risk management education centers for the purpose of developing and delivering agricultural risk managementeducation materials. In addition, this program will provide one grant for a Risk Management Education Electronic Support Center to provide associated support to the regional centers.

The primary goals and objectives of the ARME program are to 1) provide U.S. agricultural producers and their families, as appropriate, with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed risk management decisions that enhance profitability of their operations, and 2) deliver risk management education to agricultural producers underserved by the Federal crop insurance program. 

No Applicants  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The APECx program aims to create a toolkit to enable accurate chimeric and broadly efficacious vaccine Ag discovery through predictive modeling, high-throughput functional experimentation, and protein engineering. To fundamentally transform the vaccine research and development (R&D) sector, APECx will develop an innovative viral Ag prediction pipeline for broad efficacy by combining expedited experimental protein structure and function determination with high-throughput Ag screening. This will be enhanced with structural and functional prediction and protein modeling algorithms. Product developers will contribute to modeling tool evaluation from the start of the program to ensure discoveries satisfy the translational requirements. The combined effort of all the teams will create a toolkit that will enable the U.S. to achieve genus-level vaccine goals and prevent multiple viral diseases, including those responsible for cancer, acute disease, and chronic illness across the country and the world. 

Limit: 1 // P. C. Ellsworth (Entomology/ Maricopa Agricultural Center)

Duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed.

NIFA requests applications for the Crop Protection and Pest Management (CPPM) program for fiscal year (FY) 2024 to address critical state, regional and national integrated pest management (IPM) needs to ensure food security and respond effectively to other major societal pest management challenges. The CPPM program supports projects that address these challenges with IPM approaches developed by coordinated state, regional, and national research, and extension efforts. The impact of these research and extension efforts will be increased by the establishment of communication networks and stakeholder participation in setting priorities. In FY 2024, NIFA will only accept competitive applications for funding in the Applied Research and Development Program (ARDP) and the Extension Implementation Program (EIP) areas of CPPM. NIFA will fund current Regional Coordination Program (RCP) area projects through continuation applications.

The purpose of the Crop Protection and Pest Management program is to address high priority issues related to pests and their management using IPM approaches at the state, regional and national levels. The CPPM program supports projects that will ensure food security and respond effectively to other major societal pest management challenges with comprehensive IPM approaches that are economically viable, ecologically prudent, and safe for human health. The CPPM program addresses IPM challenges for emerging issues and existing priority pest concerns that can be addressed more effectively with new and emerging technologies. The outcomes of the CPPM program are effective, affordable, and environmentally sound IPM practices and strategies needed to maintain agricultural productivity and healthy communities. ​

No applicants  // Limit: 4* // Tickets Available: 4


*An entity may submit only one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA.

The Critical Materials Accelerator aims to validate and prototype technologies and processes that address critical materials challenges by developing alternatives, diversifying and expanding supply, increasing manufacturing and material efficiency, and establishing a circular economy. The Accelerator intends to speed up the adoption of innovation while promoting safe, sustainable, economic, and environmentally just solutions to meet current and future critical materials supply chain needs​.

This FOA solicits proposals that advance innovation to realize the Department’s critical minerals and materials vision of a reliable, resilient, affordable, diverse, sustainable, and secure domestic supply chains for the clean energy economy. Projects funded under this FOA will de-risk innovation and mature technology development in partnership with industry to reduce demand through alternative materials or technologies, extend the lifetime of critical materials, and advance secure and sustainable critical materials manufacturing technologies. Each topic area of the FOA addresses priority technologies and supply chain gaps identified by the Critical Materials Collaborative.

Topic Areas:

• Topic 1 – Use of Magnets with Reduced Critical Materials Content 
  • Topic 1a – Critical Material Lean/Free Magnets for Clean Energy Technologies: Projects will validate alternative magnet compositions that reduce or eliminate the use of critical materials by at least 25 wt.% 
  • Topic 1b – Motors and Drivetrains using Critical Material Lean/Free Magnets: Projects will prototype electric machines or drivetrains that use magnets that reduce or eliminate the use of critical materials by at least 25 wt.% 
• Topic 2 – Improved Unit Operations of Processing and Manufacturing of Critical Materials: Projects will make improvements to unit operations and/or processes to separate, refine/process critical materials for clean energy technologies that rely on critical materials.  
• Topic 3 – Critical Material Recovery from Scrap and Post-Consumer Products: Selectees will develop and validate approaches to recycle or recover critical materials from post-consumer products, including but not limited to, design for recycling and reuse and de-risking critical material recovery from waste and manufacturing scrap.  
• Topic 4 – Reduced Critical Material Demand for Clean Energy Technologies: Selectees will develop and validate materials, technologies, or processes that reduce or eliminate the use of critical materials for clean energy technologies. 

No Applicants // Limit: 3 // Tickets Available: 3 

This NOFO announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to develop projects for hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) reclamation and innovative destruction technologies. Section 60109 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided the EPA with $15 million for competitive grants for “reclaim and innovative destruction technologies” consistent with subsections (a) through (i) and subsection (k) of section 103 division S of Public Law 116-260 (42 U.S.C. 7675) (also known as the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act). Enacted in 2020, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act authorizes the EPA to address climate-damaging greenhouse gases (GHGs) called HFCs by: phasing down their production and consumption, maximizing reclamation and minimizing releases from equipment, and facilitating the transition to next-generation technologies through sector-based restrictions on HFCs. HFCs are potent GHGs commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, as well as foams and many other applications. A global phasedown of HFCs is expected to avoid up to 0.5°C of global warming by 2100. There are hundreds of possible HFC compounds. The 18 HFCs listed as regulated substances by the AIM Act are some of the most commonly used HFCs and have high impacts as measured by the quantity emitted multiplied by their respective global warming potentials (GWPs). For more information on the AIM Act and its implementing regulations, please visit https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction.

Areas of Interest

The objectives of the HFC Reclaim and Innovative Destruction Grants, as described under Assistance Listing 66.047, are to support and contribute to addressing HFCs under the AIM Act by funding the following three project areas (listed order below does not indicate preference):
(1) Reclaim Technologies – pilot projects for new/better technologies to increase the reclamation of HFCs by expanding access to reclamation and improving the reclamation process;
(2) Reclaim Market Dynamics – programs or pilot projects for innovative strategies that address market dynamics to increase HFC reclamation by lowering barriers; or
(3) Innovative Destruction Technologies – pilot projects for innovative technologies or innovative deployment of technologies to destroy unusable and/or unwanted HFCs

 Limit: 2 // J.  Green (Environmental Science), L. Ikner (Environmental Science)

*Deadline note: Due to the competitive nature of this funding program, this selection process is running with an anticipated deadline.
We will inform all applicants of relevant updates in the guidelines, submission deadlines, and eligibility as soon as more information becomes available.

The Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering Program invests in future leaders who can take risks, explore new frontiers in their fields of study, and follow uncharted paths that may lead to groundbreaking discoveries.

The Foundation established the Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering to allow the nation's most promising early career professors to pursue their science and engineering research with few funding restrictions and limited paperwork requirements.

Competitive Proposals Will explain clearly in the nomination letter(s) why the investigator is creative, innovative and promising. The proposed research program has breakthrough potential and reflects that promise and a sense of adventure and creativity. Proposals should put the work and its significance in context of the larger field. And differentiates projects should be accessible to a group of very successful scientists from a diverse set of fields (i.e. stay away from field-specific jargon). Projects must have high impact referees that can emphasize the significance and impact of the “big idea” and how the fellowship will significantly impact the nominee’s career.

Eligibility:

• Candidates must be faculty members who are eligible to serve as principal investigators engaged in research in the natural and physical sciences or engineering and must be within the first three years of their faculty careers.
• Disciplines that will be considered include biology, chemistry, bio-medical engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, astronomy, computer science, earth science, ocean science, and all branches of engineering. Candidates engaged in research in the social sciences will not be considered.
• Candidates must be faculty members in the first three years of their faculty careers, that is, whose initial appointment began no earlier than May 31, 2021, and no later than May 31, 2024.