Open

Institutionally Coordinated

• Submit a pre-proposal for the Shared Instrumentation Grant Program on Arizona Cultivate
• Submit a pre-proposal for the High-End Instrumentation Grant Program on Arizona Cultivate

ORIP's S10 Instrumentation Grant Programs support purchases of state-of-the-art commercially available instruments to enhance research of NIH-funded investigators. Instruments that are awarded are typically too expensive to be obtained by an individual investigator with a research project grant. Every instrument awarded by an S10 grant is to be used on a shared basis, which makes the programs cost-efficient and beneficial to thousands of investigators in hundreds of institutions nationwide.

To be eligible for an S10 award, an institution must identify three or more principal investigators with active NIH research awards who demonstrate a substantial need for the requested instrument. Matching funds are not required. Types of instruments supported by S10 funding include, but are not limited to, X-ray diffraction systems, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometers, DNA and protein sequencers, biosensors, electron and confocal microscopes, cell-analyzers, and biomedical imagers.

Active RFPs are: 

• Basic Instrumentation Grant Program (BIG) – University of Arizona is not eligible 
• Shared Instrumentation Grant Program (SIG) – The SIG Program funds grant awards in the $50,000 to $600,000 range.
• High-End Instrumentation Grant Program (HEI) – The HEI Program funds grant awards in the $600,001 to $2,000,000 range.

There is no restriction on the number of applications an institution can submit to the SIG and/or High-End HEI Grant Programs. However, institutional internal coordination is required for concurrent SIG or HEI applications to verify each proposal is requesting different types of equipment.

Request Ticket // Tickets: 3 // Tickets Available: 2

T. Bheemasetti (Civil Arch Engr and Mechanics) 

Executive Summary
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency, established by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, tasked with licensing, and regulating the Nation’s civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear material to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment.

The program provides funding to support research and development (R&D) for nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials. University R&D activities provide an opportunity to complement current, ongoing NRC-led research. More specifically, the program shall be used to provide financial assistance for R&D projects relevant to the programmatic mission of the NRC referenced above, with an emphasis on providing federal financial assistance with respect to research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of new and advanced nuclear technologies. Social science research will be considered under this announcement (for example, projects that would foster the development of innovative community engagement strategies, including incorporation of principles of equity and environmental justice).

The NRC invites R&D projects that complement its current research portfolio and that help the NRC prepare for upcoming challenges. A summary of NRC research activities can be found at NRC Research Activities in the FY22-24 Research Prospectus. The NRC seeks projects that provide a variety of direct and indirect, near- and long-term outcomes. These outcomes include:
 

• Identification and closure of potentially important technical gaps ahead of
  regulatory needs,
• Heightened awareness and knowledge of key advanced technology
  developments being pursued outside of NRC, and
• Improved foundational knowledge on key topics of future regulatory interest.
   

Number of Applications

An institution may submit no more than three (3) applications in response to this
announcement.
 

Although the Primary Investigator (PI)s prepare the grant application and are responsible for conducting and supervising the research, the actual applicant is the educational institution. The same PIs may not be on more than one application. A PI may not be a Co-PI on another application in response to this announcement.
 

An application in response to this announcement may include more than one Co-PI. However, an individual can only be proposed as a Co-PI within one (1) application in response to this announcement.

Limit: 3* // Tickets Available: 2

* Limit one ticket per category: 
 - Research Grant: Limit: 1 // Available: 0 
K. Huntoon (Neurosurgery)
- Scholar (CDA): Limit: 1 // Available: 1
- International Scholar Limit: 1 // Available: 1

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation works hard to be sure that every dollar makes the biggest impact possible in childhood cancer research. The Foundation is proud to have received the National Cancer Institute Peer Review Funder designation for selection of grants. The Foundation has held several Research Priorities Summits with many of the country’s leading pediatric oncology researchers participating to advise the staff and board of directors on funding priorities.
The St. Baldrick’s team and scientific advisors meet regularly to be sure St. Baldrick’s
funds make the greatest impact on pediatric cancer research.

Current funding priorities are divided into four categories:

• New discovery research
• Translational research and early phase clinical trials
• Phase III clinical trials & infrastructure support of participating institutions
  (primarily the fall grant cycle)
• Education of new pediatric oncology researchers
   

In addition to research to understand the biology of childhood cancers and discover
leads to more effective treatments, topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Adolescents & young adults
• Survivorship, outcomes, and quality of life
• Supportive care
• Epidemiology and pediatric cancer predispositions
•  Precision medicine
• Alternative & complementary therapies

Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 0

J. Schaibley (Physics) 
I. Djordjevic (Electrical & Computer Engineering)

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 2

Limitations on the number of proposals per organization do not apply to the Letters of Intent.

Lead organizations are limited to submit no more than two (2) Challenge Institute Preliminary Proposals. Lead organizations are limited to submit no more than two (2) invited Challenge Institute Full Proposals. Multi-institutional Challenge Institute proposals must be submitted as a single proposal by a single lead organization; separately submitted collaborative proposals are not permitted.

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

     February 07, 2025

Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

     March 07, 2025

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

     September 17, 2025

Synopsis of Program:

Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes are large-scale interdisciplinary research projects motivated by major challenges at the frontiers of quantum information science and technology (QIST). Institutes are expected to catalyze breakthroughs on important problems underpinning QIST, for example in the focus areas of quantum computation, quantum communication, quantum simulation and/or quantum sensing. Successful institutes will coordinate a variety of approaches to specific scientific, technological, and educational goals in these fields, including multiple institutions and building upon multiple disciplines, as motivated by the science and engineering challenges. In so doing, Institutes will nurture a culture of discovery, provide education, training, and workforce development opportunities in the context of cutting-edge research, and demonstrate value-added from synergistic coordination within the institute and with the broader community. Partnerships, infrastructure, industry engagement, outreach, international collaboration, and new applications for QIST should be fostered by Institutes in support of their research, education, and coordination goals.

The QLCI program can support awards to continue existing Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes or to establish and operate new Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes. In either case, proposers should follow the same guidance for Challenge Institute proposal preparation described in this solicitation. While this is a crosscutting program, proposals responding to this solicitation must be submitted to the Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI) in the Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). They will subsequently be managed by a cross-disciplinary team of NSF Program Directors.

The QLCI program enables NSF multidisciplinary centers for quantum research and education as called for in the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act1 and an NQI Advisory Committee report, Renewing the National Quantum Initiative: Recommendations for Sustaining American Leadership in Quantum Information Science2.In alignment with the NQI Act, Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes shall pursue research at the frontiers of quantum information science, engineering, and technology, and explore solutions to important challenges for the development, application, commercialization, and pioneering use of quantum technologies. QLCI Institutes shall also lead education, training, and workforce development activities as may be needed for sustained leadership in QIST and related topics. Coordination both within each Institute and with new partners and the broader ecosystem should also serve to galvanize the community and catalyze the research and education activities in ways that go beyond what smaller projects could accomplish in isolation.

Request Ticket // Tickets: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

The Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program supports the research and teaching careers of talented early career faculty in the chemical sciences. The Award, which requires an institutional nomination, is based on an independent body of scholarship attained in the early years of their appointment, and a demonstrated commitment to education, signaling the promise of continuing outstanding contributions to both research and teaching.
 

• Eligibility:
  • From academic institutions in the States, Districts, and Territories of the United States of America that grant a bachelor’s or higher degree in the chemical sciences, including chemistry, biochemistry, materials chemistry, and chemical engineering.
  • Hold a full-time tenure-track academic appointment focused on the chemical sciences.
  • From Ph.D. granting departments in which scholarly research is a principal activity and undergraduate education is an important component.
  • Are within the first six years of their independent academic careers at the time of submission of the nomination. Experience has shown that awardees tend to be close to the end of their eligibility window, but all eligible candidates are welcome to apply.

Limit: 1 // Available: 0

R. Shroff (Medicine)

Only one application per institution (normally identified by having a unique UEI or NIH IPF number) is allowed.

The NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) was established for the conduct of large-scale, national, oncology treatment and advanced imaging clinical trials in an era of precision medicine.

Recent advances in deciphering the cancer genome, along with the emergence of successful targeted agents, immunotherapies, and cellular therapies, have fundamentally changed our approach to cancer treatment and have introduced new challenges to performing clinical trials. Due to the low incidence of certain molecular abnormalities, the development of targeted therapies often requires an infrastructure for the conduct of clinical trials that can screen large numbers of patients with the same or different cancer type to identify those patients whose tumors contain the distinct molecular targets of the therapies being tested. Immunotherapeutic approaches also present a similar challenge in that not all tumor types respond to this approach, and selecting the cancer types most likely to respond is critical for success.

The NCTN's integrated and collaborative network infrastructure has allowed the Program to meet the challenges of evaluating emerging therapies within its broad investigator base drawn from NCI-designated Cancer Centers, the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), Minority/Underserved NCORPs, and other academic and community hospitals and private practitioners across the U.S. and internationally. The primary focus of the NCTN is the conduct of multi-center, late-phase, clinical treatment trials (i.e., randomized phase 2 and phase 3 trials) and investigation of new advanced imaging techniques; however, appropriate preliminary studies needed for development of potential definitive trials, especially umbrella/basket trials and rare tumor trials oriented to discovery, are also conducted when an extensive, national patient catchment area is required. With its state-of-the-art clinical trials infrastructure, the NCTN can implement and completes trials rapidly. The NCTN has streamlined trial registration, data management, and tumor banking processes. It has a Cancer Trials Support Unit (CTSU) to provide online access to all necessary study materials and a Central Institutional Review Board (CIRB) to make ethics review easier and less redundant across the country. The NCTN also has appeal for industry partners such as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies that collaborate on NCTN trials, including precision medicine trials harnessing next generation DNA and RNA sequencing methods to inform treatment choices. NCTN's resources are ideal for screening large numbers of patients to identify patients whose tumors exhibit the molecular features that may be responsive to new, targeted treatments and/or immunotherapy approaches. In addition, biospecimens collected from patients on NCTN trials are available to help determine the underlying biological reasons for response and resistance to therapy.

The NCTN also promotes the evaluation of multi-modality treatments, including surgery and radiotherapy in combination with novel agents, and has a commitment to the conduct of trials in special populations (e.g., children, adolescents, young adults, and underserved populations) as well as in rare tumor types. This focus allows the NCTN Program to complement, rather than duplicate, research conducted by the private sector. Annual accrual to NCTN trials has remained in the 17,500 to 22,000 patient range in mostly large phase 2 and phase 3 trials, but with a larger number of patients screened on study to determine whether they might benefit from the therapy under evaluation.

Each of the key components of the NCTN Program is described briefly below.

• Network Group Operations Centers: The Operations Centers provide scientific leadership for developing and implementing multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional trials in a range of diseases and special populations with specific scientific strategy and goals. The Operations Centers' scientific goals may include strategic innovation in advanced technology for specific research areas (e.g., advanced imaging methods/agents, radiotherapy) and the testing of innovative concepts and tools in prospective, multi-institutional clinical trials. Operations Centers are responsible for trial operations including timely protocol development and management, compliance with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) regulatory and patient protection requirements, audits, training, quality assurance, and site support. The Operations Centers are expected to be closely integrated with their corresponding Statistics and Data Management Center in all aspects of trial operations through jointly developed policies and procedures for clinical trial development and conduct. The Operations Centers are also responsible for Network Group administration, including financial management, monitoring of member institution/site performance, coordination of biospecimen collection from patients on clinical trials, and adherence to all applicable NIH/NCI policies and regulations. Network Group Operations Centers may also provide trial operations for NCI Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (NCI/DCTD, approved, multi-center phase 2 and phase 3 trials originating outside the Network Groups in special situations.
• Network Group Statistics and Data Management Centers: These Centers are responsible for providing the statistical expertise required to ensure effective scientific design and conduct of clinical trials as well as leadership in innovation in statistical methodology. These Centers are also responsible for data management, data analysis, and statistical analysis for NCTN trials led by their affiliated Network Group Operations Center as well as for translational and other ancillary studies associated with the trials.
• Network Group Integrated Translational Science Centers - These awards provide support for leadership and expertise to facilitate incorporating translational science into Network Group clinical trials.
• Network Lead Academic Participating Sites: These academic institutions/sites provide scientific leadership in development and conduct of clinical trials in association with one or more adult U.S. Network Groups as well as substantial accrual to clinical trials conducted across the entire NCTN.
• Network Radiotherapy and Imaging Core Services Center: This institution/organization provides scientific and technical expertise for incorporation of appropriate, integrated quality assurance/control and image data management for applicable clinical trials conducted by the NCTN that require specialized quality assurance/control or imaging data management and/or assessment for radiotherapy and imaging interventions. In addition, the Center may also provide similar services for other approved NCI-supported clinical trials network programs (e.g., NCI/DCTD/CTEP early phase clinical trial network program and the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention (NCI/DCP) NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP).
• Canadian Collaborating Clinical Trials Network: This Canadian organization is a non-profit clinical trials organization capable of being a full partner with the U.S. Network in the conduct of large-scale, multi-site clinical trials that have relevance for U.S. cancer patient populations. Incorporation of a Canadian Clinical Trials Network as a collaborating partner brings an additional advantage as U.S. Network Groups are anticipated to have Canadian member sites. A Canadian network can help reduce duplicative regulatory staff at U.S. NCTN Group Operations Centers.

Interactions with Other NCI-supported Programs. In addition to the six key components of the NCTN that are described above that are directly funded by the NCTN Program, other NCI grant and contract-supported Programs and their awardees as well as NCI Advisory Committees have important supporting roles in carrying out the research objectives of the NCTN Program. Thus, the NCTN awardees are expected to interact as appropriate with such entities/programs as the NCI Clinical Trials Tumor Banks, the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) and Minority/Underserved NCORPs, the NCI Cancer Trials Support Unit, the pediatric and adult NCI Central Institutional Review Boards, and NCI Advisory and Scientific Committees, including the NCI Scientific Steering Committees.

Main Research Objectives and Requirements of this NOFO

The Network Lead Academic Participating Site application must address the following 2 required functional components related to clinical treatment trials and advanced imaging trials for adult cancer patients only:

Clinical Trial Program - This functional component encompasses the LAPS scientific leadership in helping to develop and conduct clinical trials in association with one or more Network Groups, including the LAPS support of NCTN initiatives and mentorship of junior investigators.

Site Accrual Program This functional component provides robust accrual to NCTN trials across the Network, including accrual to rare cancers and accrual from special populations (e.g., minority and underserved communities, adolescents and young adults), as well as timely activation of trials and good clinical trial stewardship.

Limit: 1 // Available: 0 

M. Glaubach (Cooperative Extension)

Reinvestment Fund, in its capacity as National Fund Manager for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative at USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service, requests applications for America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative Food Access and Retail Expansion Fund (HFFI FARE Fund) for the 2024-2025 funding cycle.  

Over the next five years, the HFFI FARE Fund will provide $60 million in loans, grants and technical assistance to food retail and food retail supply chain projects. For the 2024-2025 funding cycle, at least $9,000,000 is available for implementation grants, at least $1,500,000 is available for technical assistance, and at least $16,000,000 is available for loans. The purpose of HFFI is to support food supply chain resiliency, improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas, create and preserve quality jobs, and revitalize low-income communities by providing financial and technical assistance, either directly or through other partners and intermediaries, to eligible fresh, healthy food retailers and enterprises to overcome the higher costs and initial barriers to entry in underserved areas. Eligible applicants for grants and technical assistance include for-profit, nonprofit, and cooperatively owned businesses, institutions of higher education, state and local governments and tribal governments. Eligible applicants for loans include for-profit, nonprofit, and cooperatively owned businesses, and institutions of higher education. Applicants may include food retailers or non-retail food enterprises.  Grants and loans will be available to eligible organizations in eligible underserved areas to implement a project that is designed to improve access to fresh, healthy food through food retail. 

This notice identifies the objectives for the HFFI FARE Fund, deadline dates, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application requirements and associated instructions needed to apply for an HFFI FARE Fund grant, loan, or technical assistance. 

The HFFI Food Access and Retail Expansion (FARE) Fund will only accept one Funding Inquiry per entity in a 12-month period. If there are multiple entities involved in a project, they can each submit a Funding Inquiry. However, each project will only be able to apply for each type of assistance (loan, grant, TA) once in a 12-month period, regardless of how many entities are involved. For example, If Entity A and Entity B are working on Project Grocery, each can submit a Funding Inquiry on behalf of the project. But they need to decide which entity will apply for which type of funding. Therefore, Entity A could apply for a loan and Entity B could apply for TA and a grant, but they cannot both apply for a grant for Project Grocery within a 12-month period.

Limit: 20*// Available: 2

Advanced Product Manufacturing- RFI: Limit: 5 // Available: 0
H. Budinoff (Systems and Industrial Engineering) 
P. Deymier (Materials Science & Engineering)
P. Lucas (Materials Science & Engineering)
M. Shafae (Systems and Industrial Engineering) 
A. Wessman (Materials Science & Engineering)
Advanced Weapon System Capabilities - RFI: Limit 5 // Available: 0
V. Yurkiv (Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering)
B. Parent (Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering)
B. Potter (Materials Science & Engineering)
B. Revil Baudard (Materials Science & Engineering)
O. Cazacu  (Materials Science & Engineering)
Collaborative Autonomy - RFI: Limit 5// Available: 1
J. Thanga (Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering)
H. Rastgoftar (Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering)
B. Liu (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
E. Lee (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
High Assurance Networks (HAN)- RFI: Limit 5 // Available: 1
M. Krunz (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
B. Bash (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
J. Thanga (Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering)
E. Lee (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

RTX University Research is looking for novel ideas and innovative concepts that are aligned with the specific technology needs stated below. In your application, please provide a 700-word description of the proposed research or technology:

• Clearly outline the relevance of your proposed project to the specific technology needs.
• Articulate how it will advance the field of research.
• Explain how deliverables and outcomes would lead to a continued and deeper research partnership with RTX businesses.
• Discuss opportunities for future collaborations with institutions, organizations or experts.
• Discuss follow-on funding opportunities and specific funding agencies who would have interest in the technology, and the outcomes that will be necessary to stimulate that interest.

Please provide a statement of work (SOW) that breaks down the proposed project into tasks

• Explain in brief terms how you would secure and allocate resources, including facility, equipment, personnel (must include graduate or undergraduate students or both), and any other funding sources that would complement the RTX funding
• Discuss in brief terms how you would address any risks, including potential delays.
• In bullet point format, clearly define tasks and their associated milestones, schedule, and deliverables.

Please provide budget details to include all expected costs to be covered by the RTX funding.

AZ State Parks Recreational Trails Program for Safety and Environment Education

Limit: 1// Available:0

E. Gornish (School of Natural Resource and the Environment)