Greetings Colleagues,   

This time there are a set of funding opportunities from the Russell Sage Foundation and the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In professional development, I have some reminders of workshop/seminars from REDKE (one of which is offered today and tomorrow) as well as invitations from institutional colleagues. 

 

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities 

 

These include events that have been rescheduled as a result of the winter storm. Please register here: 

https://research.utsa.edu/events/  

 

National Institutes of Health (NIH): Overview & R01 Primer March 15 @ 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm CDT and March 16 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am CDT 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH): Overview & R01 Primer that was originally scheduled to take place in December 2020 has been rescheduled to the Office of Research Support’s Spring 2021 calendar.  

 

Panel Discussion: DoD Young Investigator Programs (YIPs) March 19 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am CDT 

This session will begin with a brief introduction and overview of the various DoD Young Investigator Programs (Office of Naval Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and Army Research Office) followed by audience Q&A with past awardees. Moderator: TBD Panel Members: Dr. Kelly Nash, Professor & Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, UTSA Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Sciences Dr. Christopher Combs, Dee Howard Endowed Assistant Professor, UTSA Department of Mechanical Engineering  

 

NSF CAREER Grant Writing Workshop March 24 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm CDT 

The Office of Research, Innovation & Economic Development at the UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE invites you to join the NSF CAREER Grant Writing Workshop with Dr. Georgia-Ann Klutke and Dr. Carole Read.  

 

An Introduction to Grant Program Evaluation April 1 @ 2:00 am - 3:00 pm CDT and April 2 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am CDT 

This session will provide an overview of grant program evaluation, why it’s important and what’s involved in the process. It is intended for Early Career Faculty that are at the beginning stages of developing grant proposals. Presenter:  Dr. Monica Trevino Mendez, Senior Grant Development Coordinator, UTSA College of Sciences  

 

How to Pursue Funding From Mission Agencies (DOE, DoD, NOAA, NASA and other Agencies) April 15 @ 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm CDT and April 16 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am CDT 

Session for faculty researchers on how to approach mission agencies, develop and write white papers, concept papers and quad charts for unsolicited proposals to the agencies that require them. Presenter:  Lucy Deckard, Academic Research Funding Strategies, LLC  

 

From Professor Robert A. Duke, UT Austin     Dear Colleagues:    I’m pleased to announce that the registration portal is now open for the UT System Virtual Conference on Teaching in Texas, 7-9 April 2021, hosted by The University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers. My Academy colleagues and I would like to involve all recipients of the Regents Outstanding Teaching Award, members of campus Academies of Distinguished Teachers, campus Teaching and Learning Centers, and other interested faculty and staff in this landmark event.     Here’s the link for the Registration Page  https://cvent.me/YPbvv0      I ask that you please forward this email to staff and faculty colleagues who may wish to take advantage of this remarkable opportunity to hear from and collaborate with colleagues from across the UT System. Our goal is to provide ample space for participant engagement and interaction, and we’ve organized the conference in a way that employs the best principles of effective online learning and collaboration. Each day will focus on a different theme that is relevant to our creating a positive, productive, and inclusive future for the students, faculty, and staff in the UT System. I’ve pasted summaries of those themes below. We thought it especially important to include student voices in each day’s schedule.    My colleagues and I look forward to seeing all of you (virtually) next month. We’re confident that all participants will enjoy this unique opportunity to take part in shaping a unified vision for the future of higher education in Texas.    See you soon,  Bob      7 APRIL  Improving the Culture of Teaching and Learning on Campus  All members of the university community—students, faculty, and staff—benefit when our collective efforts are organized around the goal of creating and nurturing a culture of successful teaching and learning. Following introductory remarks from Chancellor Milliken, the day’s sessions will focus on identifying meaningful indicators of the teaching culture on individual campuses and developing action plans for making tangible improvements in all aspects of the  Learning Objectives: (1) identify at least three campus indicators that gauge the culture of teaching and learning on your campus; (2) identify at least three realistic campus changes that will improve the culture of teaching and learning on your campus.    8 APRIL  Creating a Culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion  Events over the past year have heightened awareness of the many disparities that exist among various segments in our society. Many structural barriers to equity and inclusion have been brought to light, as have a number of personal and cultural practices that serve to distance or exclude individuals from full participation in the opportunities our universities can provide. The sessions in Day 2 will focus on ways to recognize impediments to creating a welcoming and inclusive learning and working environment and on developing individual and institutional procedures that effectively remove these impediments. Learning Objectives: (1) identify at least three teaching strategies or interventions that you will implement to create a classroom that values and leverages diversity, inclusion, and equity; (2) identify at least three ways you can reduce implicit bias or microagressions in your teaching practice.    9 APRIL  Fostering Compassion, Connection, and Change  Institutions function most effectively only if individuals believe that they are welcome contributors in a collegial community. Meaningful relationships are essential components of personal well-being, and there are numerous structural and individual actions that can facilitate the well-being of students, staff, and faculty. The sessions in Day 3 will focus on identifying tangible approaches to increasing the sense of community and caring on our campuses, both at the institutional level and in terms of the behavior of individuals in the community. Learning Objectives: (1) identify two or three simple but powerful ideas for creating trusting connections, empathetic teamwork, and a renewed passion for learning; (2) identify one measurable change in pedagogy that will enhance engagement with students; (3) identify one or more strategies of self-care to enhance your own well-being and your ability to engage with students compassionately.

 

In addition to the NSF Careers Workshop above, our colleagues at the University of Louisiana Lafayette also graciously invite UTSA faculty to attend the following:    Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences at NSF: An Introduction for Faculty    The Office of Research, Innovation & Economic Development at the UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE invites you to join in an introduction to the National Science Foundation as a funder of social, behavioral, and economic sciences research with Dr. Josh Trapani. Dr. Josh Trapani directs the Science of Science: Discovery, Communication, and Impact program in the Social and Economic Sciences Division at NSF.     A Q & A session with participants will follow the presentation.     Date: Wednesday, April 14th, 2021   Time: 11:00-12:30 pm CST   Location: Virtual Zoom Platform     Register in advance by clicking the link below: https://ullafayette.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qcumgrDMpH9TC-0QdAS8DbnP7g5xuVGT2     After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

 

As this week’s professional development lagniappe, please find attached a 15-year-old yet thought-provoking article from the Journal of Research Administration about academic scholarly writing versus grant writing.  

 

Funding Opportunities 

 

Russell Sage Foundation Social, Political, Economic, and Psychological Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic LOI due May 4, 2021 2 PM ET; Invited Proposal deadline August 11, 2021. 

https://www.russellsage.org/research/funding/covid-19-pandemic 

Specifically, research that assesses the social, political, economic, and psychological causes and consequences of the pandemic, especially its effects on marginalized individuals and groups and on trust in government and other institutions. Our priorities do not include analyses of health outcomes or health behaviors. RSF seldom supports studies focused on outcomes such as educational processes or curricular issues but does prioritize analyses of inequities in educational attainment or student performance. 

 

Russell Sage Foundation/William T. Grant Foundation Improving Education and Reducing Inequality in the United States: Obtaining New Insights from Population-Based Academic Performance Data due April 29, 2021. 

https://www.russellsage.org/funding/improving-education-and-reducing-inequality-united-states 

The funders seek research projects that aim to deepen understanding of educational opportunity and success in the United States by analyzing data on academic achievement from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA) constructed by Sean Reardon and colleagues at The Educational Opportunity Project (EOP) at Stanford University (https://edopportunity.org). Using data on the results of roughly 430 million standardized achievement tests taken by roughly 45 million public school students from 2009 to 2018, Reardon and colleagues have constructed detailed measures of academic performance on a common scale in every public school and every school district in the United States. 

 

US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 

FY 2021 Youth Leadership Programs with Algeria, Iraq, the Philippines, and Russia due May 10, 2021 

https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/fy21_ylps_nofo.pdf 

Youth Leadership Programs provide youth (typically between the ages of 15-17) and adult educators/community leaders (select programs) the opportunity to examine civic education, leadership development, respect for diversity, and community engagement through month long exchanges in the United States.  Participants engage in a variety of activities such as workshops on leadership and service, community site visits related to the program themes and subthemes, interactive training, presentations, visits to high schools, local cultural activities, homestays with American families, and other activities designed to achieve the program’s stated goals. Funding amounts: Youth Leadership Program with Algeria—total $750,000 (FY 21 base year - $250,000); Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program—total $1,200,000 (FY 21 base year - $400,000); Youth Leadership Program with the Philippines—total $750,000 (FY 21 base year - $250,000); and Youth Leadership Program with Russia—total $1,080,000 (FY 21 base year - $360,000) 

 

FY 2021 Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program due May 25, 2021 

https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/open_2021_nofo.pdf 

The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program, offers foreign English teaching professionals and language learners the opportunity for professional development through high-quality virtual programming, including online university-level Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) methodology courses, online English language learning courses, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), webinars, communities of practice, social media, virtual exchanges, and other types of engaging and innovative virtual learning. Funding amount: $8,000,000 over 39 months. 

 

 

From previous funding notifications 

 

US Department of Education OELA Title III National Professional Development program due April 23, 2021  

Federal Register Notice https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/22/2021-03474/applications-for-new-awards-national-professional-development-program  

Application document https://www2.ed.gov/programs/nfdp/2021/npd-application-instructions.pdf  

 

NEH Fellowships due April 14, 2021  

(note: The UTSA reward for successfully obtaining the NEH Fellowship only applies for this category.)  

https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships  

  

NEH-Mellon Fellowships for Digital Publication  Full application due April 28, 2021  

https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/neh-mellon-fellowships-digital-publication  

  

NEH Awards for Faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions  Full application due April 14, 2021  

https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/awards-faculty-hispanic-serving-institutions  

  

NEH Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan due April 28, 2021  

https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships-advanced-social-science-research-japan  

   

NEH Digital Humanities Advancement Grants Optional draft due May 5, 2021; Application due June 24, 2021  

https://www.neh.gov/grants/odh/digital-humanities-advancement-grants  

  

NEH Research and Development due May 22, 2021  

https://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/research-and-development  

  

NEH Collaborative Research Application available October 1, 2021; Application due December 1, 2021  

https://www.neh.gov/grants/research/collaborative-research-grants  

  

Brady Education Foundation Proposals for Program Evaluations There is a two-stage application process—one must request an application; complete it; and be invited to submit a proposal. The stage one deadline is April 1, 2021.  

http://bradyeducationfoundation.org/application-guidelines/  

 

National Science Foundation  

  

Faculty Early Career Development Program  (CAREER) due July 26, 2021  

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund  

Note: on this grant. REDKE offers support in the form of (1) hiring external readers to review your proposal and provide suggestions for improvement or (2) hiring an outside consulting firm to give extended support in managing all steps of the application process. Faculty not in the physical or natural sciences should be aware that research applications in education, the social sciences, and behavioral sciences are eligible as they are covered by NSF’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate and Education and Human Resources Directorate.   

 

More NSF deadlines in the next funding opportunities posting.  

  

--Iwan