In the News
From NSF, 11/6/21: "NSF Announcement: New Proposal and Submission Types and System Enhancements to Support
the Revised PAPPG (NSF 22-1)"
Effective October 4, 2021, the National Science Foundation (NSF) made a number of system updates for proposals submitted in Research.gov, FastLane, and Grants.gov in accordance with the implementation of the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 22-1). Please see the list of PAPPG (NSF 22-1) significant changes and clarifications for all of the updates.New proposal and submission types were also enabled in the Research.gov Proposal Submission System.
From Science, 10/29/21: "Research spending shrinks in Biden's scaled-down social welfare bill."
Climate research remains a priority even as Biden halves $3.5 trillion plan.
Click here to read the article.
From Science News, 10/28/21: "Scientists should report results with intellectual humility. Here's how."
Psychologists argue in a recent paper that researchers should approach their work with a humble mind-set. That way of thinking, or intellectual humility, could help restore confidence in the social sciences following revelations that original work is often impossible to replicate.
Click here to read the article.
From NIH, 10/18/21: "All About Grants Podcast - To Resubmit or Not"
Two NIH program officers join us in this NIH All About Grants podcast to discuss what should be considered when deciding whether or not to resubmit an application.
Click here to read the article.
From Science, 4/9/21: "Biden's first budget request goes big on science"
President Joe Biden today proposed huge increases for many federal research agencies as part of a $118 billion boost in domestic spending.
Click here to read the article.
From Science, 4/6/21: "Biden, Congress roll out big plans to expand National Science Foundation"
The idea of massively expanding the budget and mission of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help the United States out-innovate China is gaining political momentum in Washington, D.C.
Click here to read the article.
From National Institutes of Health Extramural Nexus, 3/25/21: "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Extramural Scientific Workforce - Outcomes
from an NIH-Led Survey"
One year later, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected our individual lives and communities. We have observed disproportionate effects observed in underserved populations, leaving them vulnerable to higher infection and mortality risk. These effects have led to an increased reliance on biomedical researchers and clinicians to offer public health solutions to this crisis. Within the research workforce, early-career scientists may bear the brunt of pandemic-related mitigation measures at institutions and limitations due to inability to be in the physical workspace.
Click here to read the article.
From National Institutes of Health Extramural Nexus, 3/9/21 (Guest post by Carrie
Wolinetz, NIH Director for Science Policy): "Parenting in a Time of COVID"
Next week marks the one-year anniversary of NIH shifting to maximum telework in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like employers and employees across the country, overnight we needed to adapt our entire enterprise and reinvent our jobs in the virtual workplace. Coincidentally, next week is also when with a deep breath and a big hug, I send my six year old back to school in person, masked up and excited to meet his 1st grade teacher in person for the first time. So it seems like a good time to reflect on what the past year has been like, juggling the demands of serving in the leadership of a government agency square in the middle of COVID response with the needs of two young children during this nationwide experiment in virtual schooling.
Click here to read the article.
From Philanthropy News Digest, 12/11/20: "Foundations moving to address racial equity, study finds"
A majority of foundations report making changes to better support racial equity and communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, a report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy finds.
Click here to read the article.
From National Institutes of Health Extramural Nexus (Open Mike): "NIH Challenges Academia to Share Strategies to Strengthen Gender Diversity"
On behalf of the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers, the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health has launched a new challenge competition to promote the advancement of women in leadership roles in academia. It is called the NIH Prize for Enhancing Faculty Gender Diversity in Biomedical and Behavioral Science. Dr. Janine Clayton, Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health, described the competition as one that will recognize institutions that have successfully and systemically addressed gender diversity and equity issues among faculty members in biomedical and behavioral sciences.
Click here to read the article.
From Inside Higher Ed, 10/20/20: "Women Are Falling Behind"
A new study of enormous scale supports what numerous smaller studies have demonstrated throughout the pandemic: female academics are taking extended lockdowns on the chin, in terms of their comparative scholarly productivity.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Philanthropy News Digest, 10/15/20: "Ford, Mellon foundations announce Disability Futures Fellows"
The Ford Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation have announced the inaugural class of Disability Futures Fellows. Administered by United States Artists, the multidisciplinary award program is aimed at increasing the visibility and elevating the voices of disabled artists and creative practitioners, both individually and collectively. To that end, grants of $50,000 were awarded to twenty fellows whose work contributes to the cultural landscape.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From National Institutes of Health Extramural Nexus (Open Mike): "T-21 Days Left Until the NIH Virtual Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration"
The 2020 NIH Virtual Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration will take place from October 27-30, 2020. Registration is free, and sessions are focused on the NIH grants process, programs and policies and allow for Q&A. The full agenda is here, and if you miss a session, recordings will be available the following day.
Click here to read the article.
From Philanthropy News Digest, 8/25/20: "Quest Diagnostics pledges $100 million to address health disparities"
Quest Diagnostics and the Quest Diagnostics Foundation have announced a $100 million, multiyear initiative to address and reduce health disparities in underserved communities, including those impacted by COVID-19.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Philanthropy News Digest, 8/24/20: "Boston University Center for Antiracist Research receives $10 million"
Boston University has announced a $10 million gift from Twitter and Square co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey in support of its new Center for Antiracist Research.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Philanthropy News Digest, 8/21/20: "Obama Foundation to resume fundraising with a focus on racial justice"
After taking a hiatus from fundraising this spring, the Obama Foundation is positioning itself to become a major philanthropic force in the fight for racial justice, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From The Scientist, 8/20/20: "How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected Field Research"
Unable to travel to international or remote sites, some researchers are losing critical data.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From The National Science Foundation, 8/19/20: "NSF establishes new center to study successful undergraduate STEM education practices at Historically Black Colleges and Universities"
To study and model the successful practices of HBCUs, the U.S. National Science Foundation is establishing the HBCU STEM Undergraduate Success Research Center (STEM-US), with the aim of applying these practices broadly in higher education. Data collected will help explain how the educational advocacy and social support provided by HBCUs consistently produce a greater sense of well-being, higher percentages of STEM graduates and, ultimately, STEM doctorates.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR): "Institutional and Agency Responses to COVID-19 and Additional Resources"
This contains a listing of agency guidance specific to federal award ipmact, institutional guidance, additional resources, and COGR's FAQs and Resources on COVID-19's Impact to federal awards.
Click here to view this information.
From Science, 3/26/20: "Congress pumps up NSF program to fast-track COVID-19 research"
Roxane Silver studies the health effects of traumatic life events. So it was a no-brainer for the social psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, to ask the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund a study of how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic would affect the well-being of Americans.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Philanthropy News Digest, 3/21/20: "Foundations Pledge Flexible Funding in Wake of COVID-19 Crisis"
Over forty foundations have signed a pledge to provide more flexible funding to help their grantees meet emergency needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From STAT, 3/14/20: "Coronavirus pandemic forces some research labs to shut down, with uncertain futures for scientific projects"
Scientists who study coronaviruses or design antiviral therapies are grinding away at their research like never before. But some of their counterparts in other academic laboratories are winding their work down, as the coronavirus pandemic leads to institutional shuttering and people avoiding working in close contact.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/28/20: "Harvard Professor is Charged with Lying about Ties to Chinese University"
A prominent professor at Harvard University was arrested on Tuesday and charged with lying to federal investigators about funding he had received from the Chinese government. The arrest occurred amid escalating academic tensions between the United States and China.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From NSF, 1/24/20: "Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), June 2020"
A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 20-1) has been issued. The new PAPPG will be effective for proposals submitted or due, and awards made, on or after June 1, 2020. NSF plans to conduct a webinar covering these changes on February 6 at 2PM EST. Visit the webinar website to register for this event.
From The Scientist, 1/24/20: "Science Positions Increasingly Abandoned Under Trump"
Scientists have been leaving government posts since President Donald Trump took office in 2017, and those positions, by and large, have not been replaced. This shortage has led to insufficient regulation enforcement, limited data distribution, and a paucity of researchers, according to an analysis of public employee records by The Washington Post.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Philanthropy News Digest, 1/10/20: "Gates Foundation Initiative Focused on Student-Centered Transformation"
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced the launch of a $20 million initiative aimed at helping U.S. colleges and universities scale their efforts to improve student outcomes and eliminate racial and income disparities on campus.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From NSF, 1/7/20: "NSF-supported observatory renamed for astronomer Vera C. Rubin"
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will now be called the NSF Vera C. Rubin Observatory, making it the first national U.S. observatory to be named after a female astronomer. Announced at the 2020 American Astronomical Society winter meeting, the name recognizes the role Rubin played in better understanding dark matter, which will be one of the observatory survey’s four main themes.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Skidmore College, 1/1/20: "Davis UWC Scholars enrich Skidmore with global perspectives"
As a partner institution of the Davis United World College Scholars Program, Skidmore College annually enrolls scholars from throughout the world in support of the UWC philosophy that education can be a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. This academic year, Skidmore enrolled its largest class of Davis UWC Scholars to date, with 16 joining the Class of 2023.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From NIH, 12/12/19: "Revised NIH Grants Policy Statement for FY 2020"
The revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS) has been published, replacing the October 2018 version as a standard term and condition of awards. This revision applies to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget periods beginning on or after October 1, 2019. Access the NIHGPS in HTML or PDF formats, and take a look at the summary of significant changes for this revision.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Nature, 12/6/19: "What the United Kingdom's 'Brexit election' means for science”
Promises to raise research spending and take action on climate change overshadowed by scientists’ fears about leaving the European Union.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From U.S. News and World Report, 12/4/19: "Senate Reaches Bipartisan Agreement to Fund HBCUs”
Senate Republicans and Democrats reached an agreement to permanently fund historically black colleges and universities and other minority serving institutions after a months-long standoff during which federal funding for the schools expired.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From the National Institutes of Health, 12/3/19: "Updated Grant Application Instructions and Forms Coming in Spring 2020”
NIH will require the use of updated application forms and instructions (FORMS-F) for due dates on or after May 25, 2020 (NOT-OD-20-026). A preview of form changes and clarification of how the changes impact research training grant, fellowship, and career development award applications (NOT-OD-20-033) are already available. Additional details will be posted early next year.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Inside Higher Ed, 11/22/19: "A New Kind of 'Big Deal' for Elsevier”
Carnegie Mellon University and Elsevier Thursday announced a new agreement to radically change how the institution pays to read and publish research. Instead of paying separately to access Elsevier’s catalog of paywalled content and publish open-access articles in Elsevier journals, Carnegie Mellon will pay one flat fee for both. The deal means that starting on Jan. 1, 2020, all principal investigators publishing in Elsevier journals will have the option of making their research immediately available to the public, at no additional cost.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Philanthropy News Digest, 10/31/19: "Foundation Funding for Higher Ed Focused on Access, Career Readiness”
The top priority for private foundations that provide support for higher education is access and success for disadvantaged students, a report from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the TIAA Institute finds.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 10/29/19: "College GIving by Foundations Focuses on Helping Low-Income and First-Generation Students”
The three top priorities of private foundations that give to higher education include helping low-income and first-generation students get to college and achieve academic success, supporting career-readiness programs, and backing public institutions, especially community colleges.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Inside Higher Ed, 10/23/19: “Where Research Meets Profit”
Recent allegations of copyright violations against a professor who shared his own work on his website spark debate about ownership and whether peer reviewers should be paid.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Inside Higher Ed, 10/22/19: “U.S. Drops in Ranking of University Research Funding”
The U.S. has dropped its position relative to other countries in university research funding, according to a new report by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), and now holds the 28th spot out of 39 countries, with just 0.2 percent of its gross domestic product dedicated to university research funding.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Nature, 10/15/19: “Thousands of grant peer reviewers share concerns in global survey”
Peer review process helps funders make decisions, but researchers say it is time-consuming and lacks transparency.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From The National Institutes of Health, 10/9/19: "Research topic contributes to persistent gap in NIH research grants to black scientists"
Research topic preference accounts for more than 20% of a persistent funding gap for black scientists applying for National Institutes of Health research project (R01) grants compared to white scientists, according to a new study by NIH scientists.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From the National Science Foundation, 10/8/19: "NSF leads federal partners in accelerating the development of transformational, AI-powered innovation"
The National Science Foundation today announced the creation of a new program that will significantly advance research in AI and accelerate the development of transformational, AI-powered innovation by allowing researchers to focus on larger-scale, longer-term research. The National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes program anticipates approximately $120 million in grants next year to fund planning grants and up to six research institutes in order to advance AI research and create national nexus points for universities, federal agencies, industries and nonprofits.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From Inside Higher Ed, 10/2/19: “The Myth of the STEM Pipeline”
Over the years, I’ve observed that high schools often promote as a badge of honor the percentage of graduates planning to pursue a degree in STEM fields, given the increasing emphasis on the nation’s need for employees with such expertise. Although I applaud a rigorous STEM curriculum, this heralding can perpetuate the myth of the STEM pipeline.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From The National Science Foundation, 9/4/19: “NSF commits $36 million to uncovering Rules of Life that will drive next-generation research”
The National Science Foundation has invested $36 million in the first projects under its Understanding the Rules of Life portfolio. These awards are aimed at accelerating development in two key areas of science and engineering research: building a synthetic cell, and epigenetics.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From The Scientist, 9/4/19: "Universities Grapple with Donor Behavior"
The Jeffrey Epstein scandal has focused attention on funding of higher education institutions by patrons with disgraceful behavior.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From the National Endowment for the Humanities, 8/14/19: “NEH Announces $29 Million for 215 Humanities Projects Nationwide”
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced $29 million in awards for 215 humanities projects across the country. The grants include funding to produce a television series, South by Somewhere (wt), on the foodways, history, and culture of the American South, and for the archaeological analysis of the overseer’s quarters at James Madison’s Montpelier plantation.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
From the Scientist, 6/28/19: “More Scientists Dismissed for Undislosed Foreign Ties, Says NIH”
Researchers who failed to disclose affiliations and funding sources from other countries are under investigation, and some universities are letting them go discreetly and refunding grant money to the agency.
Click here to read the rest of the article.