Grants for Exclusive - see details - Science and Technology

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Great Lakes Science Center is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU Partner for research to determine the effects of incubation temperature on survival, growth, morphology, and gene expression of artificially reared cisco (Coregonus artedi) from the Great Lakes. This work is in support of ongoing efforts to develop a cisco hatchery strain that may be used to restore cisco to Lake Huron and other Great Lakes. Hatchery and resource managers are interested in understanding the impacts of the early rearing environment on gene expression and ultimately the adult phenotype in cisco. Working with agency partners will collect cisco gametes from northern Lake Huron and rear them at the Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science. Using these fish, the objectives are to (1) evaluate the effects of three incubation temperature treatments on cisco survival, growth, morphology, and gene expression, (2) identify physiological responses to stress across temperature treatments, and (3) identify genes that vary in expression across temperature treatments that appear to play key roles in cisco survival and morphology.

This grant provides funding to eligible higher education institutions to develop and deliver practical entrepreneurship training and curricula that support diverse entrepreneurs and address regional economic challenges.

Machine Learning and Optimization-Guided Compilers for Heterogeneous Architectures (MOCHA) seeks to build a new generation of compiler technology to realize the full potential performance of heterogenous architectures. MOCHA will develop data-driven methods, Machine Learning, and advanced optimization techniques to rapidly adapt to new hardware components with little human effort and facilitate optimal allocation of computation to heterogeneous components.

The Regional Site Readiness Program’s Planning Grant, funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, offers $100,000 to $500,000 to local governments, economic development organizations, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, and private landowners for planning and due diligence activities aimed at preparing industrial and manufacturing sites for future development across all counties in Illinois.

The FY25 Spring Energy I-Corps Lab Call grant is designed to provide funding for projects at DOE National Laboratories, plants, and sites that aim to train researchers in commercialization skills and assess the market potential of their technologies, with a focus on different stages of commercialization.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, to develop innovative projects that enhance community engagement in the arts, particularly for underserved populations.

This agreement represents an opportunity for research into mitigation strategies for embankment and floodwall overtopping breach. To accomplish this, the following is anticipated:1. Assess factors that may lead to overtopping breach and relevant failure mechanisms for the different embankment and floodwall designs that are common to the USACE inventory. Assess the current state of practice for numerical modeling used for performance predictions of levees and floodwalls with regards to overtopping breach. Collect case histories of overtopping events for use in analytical or numerical assessment of embankment and floodwall performance when overtopping occurs.2. Identify the current state of practice for mitigating overtopping of flood control levees and floodwalls, including USACE and international approaches. Identify potential emerging technologies that could be used to mitigate overtopping breach of flood control embankments and floodwalls.3. Perform laboratory investigations to quantify potential improvement of embankment and floodwall foundation soils during overtopping. Saturated and unsaturated soil mechanics approaches could be explored when appropriate.4. Investigate and develop numerical methodologies to improve current numerical performance predictions. Identify advanced approaches and define when these might improve performance predictions. Identify uncertainty in standard and advanced numerical approaches.5. Perform physical testing to assess different mitigation strategies for overtopping performance of the different mitigation strategies. Provide quantifiable design recommendation based on these tests as well as data for the validation of numerical models.

The City of Greenbelt's Tree Canopy grant program offers one-time, reimbursable grants to homeowners and community organizations for the purchase and planting or replacement of trees. This initiative directly aligns with the City's mission to enhance its iconic tree canopy, addressing issues caused by storm damage, disease, and invasive insects. While not explicitly stating a "foundation mission," the grant's purpose of increasing density and resiliency of the tree canopy reflects a strategic priority for urban environmental health and sustainability within the City of Greenbelt. The primary target beneficiaries of this grant are civic, neighborhood, community, and homeowner organizations, as well as apartment complexes and Greenbelt residential homeowners. The program aims to achieve several impact goals, including mitigating the effects of environmental damage on trees, promoting green infrastructure, and enhancing the overall aesthetic and ecological value of the urban landscape. By supporting the planting and replacement of trees, the grant contributes to a healthier environment for residents and a more robust ecosystem. The program prioritizes projects that contribute to the increase of the City's tree canopy density and resiliency. Funding, provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), can be used for purchasing, installing, staking, and mulching trees. This focus indicates a strategic priority on practical and tangible tree-planting efforts. The grant's theory of change appears to be that by providing financial assistance for tree acquisition and installation, the City can incentivize and empower its residents and organizations to actively participate in strengthening the local tree canopy. Expected outcomes include a significant increase in the number of healthy trees across Greenbelt, particularly in areas affected by damage or disease. Measurable results will likely include the number of trees planted or replaced, the types of trees planted, and the number of participating organizations and homeowners. Applicants are required to provide a written cost estimate for trees with a one-year guarantee, a maintenance and survivability plan, and a project budget, which suggests an emphasis on the long-term success and accountability of the planting initiatives.

The recipient has successfully developed a PAPR for wildland firefighters that provides HEPA-level protection against particulate matters and Class II NFPA 1984:2022 protection against chemical vapor hazards. In-house testing has been conducted by the recipient to address the work identified under the prior NOFO to include realignment of the WFRs carbon bed performance in compliance with NFPA 1984:2022, modification of the battery pack to ensure resistance to heat exposure and flammability, and creation of a compartmented backpack for housing of the WFR. Additionally, the wildland firefighter respirator (WFR) has undergone three operational field assessments occurring in FY22/23. The assessments allowed experienced wildland firefighters to participate in various wildland simulation exercises using the WFR. The evaluators provided substantive feedback to the recipient, which was overwhelmingly positive regarding battery life, airflow, noise level, mounting systems, and communication capability while wearing the WFR. These combined efforts have resulted in respiratory technology compliant with the regulatory standards noted in NFPA 1984 and have successfully achieved both functionality and levels of performance that is unavailable from the PAPRs that are currently sold commercially.

This funding opportunity supports university-led research teams in the U.S. to conduct high-risk, multidisciplinary projects that advance fundamental scientific knowledge in areas critical to national security.

1) Note: A full study proposal and proposed budget are NOT requested at this time3) Brief Description of Anticipated Work: Land Management and Environmental Services for U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii, Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii and U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii, Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii Island, Hawaii.4) Period of Performance: Base period: 12 months from date of Award with Four 12-month Follow-on periods.5) Please send responses or direct questions to:Nicholas A. ApreaGrants SpecialistUSACE, Fort Worth DistrictEmail: [email protected] BonnellProject ManagerUSACE, Fort Worth DistrictEmail: [email protected]) Timeline for Review of Statements of Interest: 30 calendar days from date posted

The US Geological Survey is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research on how hydrology and inundation affect Everglades tree island health and how tree island condition differs geospatially and with vegetation type. The USGS conducts ecological and hydrologic research and monitoring in support of Greater Everglades restoration efforts through South Florida, in conjunction with its Federal, State, and local partners. Research conducted by USGS scientists, and their research partners advance the understanding of Greater Everglades restoration and the potential influence of environmental change on ecosystem restoration. USGS research provides valuable information which contributes to decision-making during restoration. The USGS is offering an opportunity to CESU partners with existing tree island and Everglades vegetation expertise to compile and collect hydrologic and tree island data sets, perform quantitative analyses on how hydrology impacts tree island condition, and develop a set of criteria that can be integrated into ETree, a web application and decision support tool that shows hydrologic indicators at tree island locations in the Greater Everglades.

This grant provides financial support to community coalitions across the U.S. that aim to create quality jobs and promote an inclusive workforce in the clean energy sector.

The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in developing approaches to reintroducing native Guam birds in areas with Brown treesnake (BTS) control. BTS were introduced after World War II to Guam, and over several decades spread across the island decimating the native forest birds. Only two native species of forest birds still exist in the wild, but effort to control BTS for eventual reintroduction of birds is underway. Request documenting bird use around an area of intensive BTS control, the Control Population (CP) on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. In addition to evaluating bird use, will also include developing methods to attract native birds from neighboring areas and developing and trialing technology (artificial nesting and roosting structures) for protecting birds from BTS predation. Work should include periodic bird surveys in and around the CP for a period of one year, construction of nesting and roosting structures to be deployed in the CP and assessing the use of such structures in the first year of deployment.

This funding opportunity supports collaborative research projects among faculty at Indiana University School of Medicine to develop innovative ideas and generate data for larger grant applications.

This solicitation describes an ambitious program to fund international, interdisciplinary collaborative research centers that will apply best practices of broadening participation and community engagement to develop use-inspired bioeconomy research to address one or more global challenges identified by the scientific community. Here, the "used-inspired" nature of the research refers to project outcomes leading to foreseeable benefits to society. This program will prioritize research collaborations that foster team science and community-engaged research, use knowledge-to-action frameworkswhose rationale, conceptualization, and research directions are driven by the potential use of the results as illustrated by Pasteurs Quadrant (see Stokes, Donald E. (1997), "Pasteur;apos;s Quadrant - Basic Science and Technological Innovation," Brooking Institution Press, p.196. ISBN 9780815781776).Proposals should also indicate how research will be co-generated with communities and stakeholders identified in the proposal. The proposed research should maximize the benefits of international, interdisciplinary collaborations, and describe the roles and responsibilities of each national team in achieving the goals of the proposed Global Center. Global Centers projects involving partnership between the U.S. and two or more partner countries are strongly encouraged. Global challenges must be addressed through international collaboration and researchers are encouraged to develop international teams to address research questions that can only be addressed through multilateral efforts. The topic for the 2024 competition of the Global Centers program is Addressing Global Challenges through the Bioeconomy and may include research from any combination of research disciplines supported by NSF. The Bioeconomy is the share of the economy based on products, services, and processes derived from living systems.Research investments to advance the bioeconomy serve to accelerate scientificdiscovery and to enable the harnessing, engineering, and rational modulation ofbiological systemsto create goods and services that contribute to the agriculture,health, security, manufacturing, energy, and environmental sectors of the global economy; or that provide access to unique systems that help us understand the processes and issues that we can use biotechnology to solve. Bioeconomy is built on the foundation of biotechnology and biomanufacturing, and in addition to biological science and engineering includes contributions from fields such as chemistry, materials science, geosciences, mathematics, data sciences, humanities, and the social sciences. The world is facing many serious challenges, including, but not limited to, adapting to or mitigating the effect of climate change, developing clean energy approaches, identifying and advancing sustainable food systems, addressing water insecurity, exploring solutions to emerging infectious diseases, creating resource efficiency, sustaining biodiversity, addressing inequalities in access to biotechnologies, and developing a circular bioeconomy. For example, bio-based materials offer heightened biodegradability and biosafety as compared to reusable plastic materials that shed microplastics during use and washing and affect water security and human health. This Global Centers solicitation in Bioeconomy offers a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary teams of scientists, educators, and practitioners to use knowledge of the bioeconomy to co-develop and execute a research plan for an international center that will address a global challenge facing humanity. The Global Centers program is meant to support multidisciplinary research that can only be achieved through international partnerships uniting complementary areas of expertise, and/or facilitating access to unique expertise or resources of the participating countries. The proposal should explain how the center will maximize the benefits of international collaborations and describe the unique contributions and the roles and responsibilities of each national team in achieving the goals of the proposed Global Center. Successful proposals will describe how the center will tackle a global challenge that can only be addressed through the diversity of knowledge, skills, and resources united in this center. Addressing global challenges requires international engagement and must go beyond production of data to demonstrate how co-generation and co-production of research with stakeholder groups can maximize the chances of research outcomes being taken up by target groups and applied to address the global challenge. Because change requires human involvement, this process, described as the Knowledge to Action framework explicitly recognizes the need to involve appropriate scientific experts and practitioners who study and work with humans in implementing the human action aspect of the framework. Examples of human action include (but are not limited to) studies in human and societal behavior, in policy, economics, psychology, anthropology, or education. Proposals are expected to describe a center that fully integrates human action elements with the knowledge generation portions of the center to produce a holistic, multi-disciplinary center that is greater than the sum of its parts. The center should offer a plan of research in which disciplines are integrated and complement and support each other to produce world class research, train the next generation of workforce, and use best practices to ensure that participant communities and stakeholder groups are involved in all stages of the research process so that outcomes are aligned with their needs and readily adoptable. Within the general theme of Bioeconomy, proposals submitted in the framework of this call must be centered on either or both of the two subtopics: Subtopic 1:Leveraging Biodiversity Across the Tree of Life to Power the Bioeconomy; and Subtopic 2: Biofoundries, using the Design-Build-Test-Learn process in biology. All proposals must integrate both of the two crosscutting themes into the proposed work: Crosscutting Theme A: Public engagement and co-generation of research activities to strengthen the global science and technology enterprise; andCrosscutting Theme B: Workforce Development and Education. See Section II, Program Description for details.

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks to support two (2) American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) Fellows at NIJ. The AAAS STPF Fellow, as mutually agreed, will be assigned responsibilities across NIJs science offices depending on the interests of the science offices and the interests of the Fellows. Regardless of placement, the Fellows will have the opportunity to work across offices. The Fellows will have opportunities to engage in a range of science (including social and behavioral science), technology, engineering, and mathematics research development and evaluation projects.

The CTRA supports studies that will move promising, well-founded preclinical and/or clinical research findings closer to clinical application, including diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment of TSC. Projects supported by this award mechanism may include, but are not limited to: Studies moving from preclinical to clinical research and/or the reverse; or analyzing human anatomical substances and/or data associated with completed clinical trials to understand the mechanism of action, or to improve diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment. Studies advancing clinical trial readiness through development of biomarkers, clinical endpoints, and validation of pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. Pilot clinical trials, where limited clinical testing (e.g., small sample size) of a novel intervention to produce information on diagnostic or therapeutic effectiveness, safety, tolerability, or mechanisms of action. These studies should be aimed at obtaining preliminary data leading to the development of interventions with the potential to improve TSC outcomes. New Studies improving clinical care of TSC encompassing the analysis of existing real-world clinical practice data to develop/improve guidelines for better outcomes in defined areas relevant to the FY24 TSCRP focus areas, include but are not limited to epilepsy surgery, tumor resection, reproductive health, perinatal surveillance and care, etc.Preclinical studies may be appropriate but must include a clinical component. Projects that are strictly animal research will not be considered for CTRA funding and should consider other FY24 TSCRP funding opportunities.

The Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF) Micro-Grant Program, established by the City of La Crosse, aims to empower youth aged 15-24 to address urgent climate challenges within their community. This program directly aligns with the City's Climate Action Plan by activating youth-led initiatives. The foundational mission of this grant is to foster environmental stewardship and action among young residents, contributing to the broader strategic priorities of the City in climate mitigation and adaptation. The primary beneficiaries of this program are young individuals and youth-led groups between the ages of 15-24, residing in or directly benefiting the city of La Crosse. The overarching impact goal is to create a tangible difference in the local environment through youth-driven projects, thereby fostering a generation of climate-conscious leaders and contributing to the city's sustainability objectives. Projects must fit within the strategies of the City’s Climate Action Plan, ensuring alignment with municipal environmental goals. The program prioritizes several key areas. These include youth-led awareness, education, research, and development initiatives, such as climate education programs, hackathons, surveys, and public art campaigns. Additionally, youth-driven climate mitigation and adaptation projects are highly encouraged, encompassing community gardening, tree planting, waste reduction, and climate resilience workshops. Finally, co-governed youth climate action plans, which involve partnerships between city leaders and youth groups to inform policy and decision-making, are also a core focus. Expected outcomes include a more engaged and educated youth population regarding climate issues, the implementation of various local sustainability projects, and a reduction in the city's environmental footprint. Measurable results could involve the number of participants in youth-led initiatives, the amount of waste reduced, the number of trees planted, or the development of new climate-related policies influenced by youth input. The program’s theory of change posits that by providing direct funding and support to youth-led projects, it will catalyze innovative solutions and foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among young people for their local environment, thereby contributing to the long-term sustainability and resilience of La Crosse.

The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in evaluating the efficacy of Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) as a mosquito population suppression control strategy designed to disrupt the avian malaria disease cycle. The CESU partner will develop statistical models that incorporate capture rates of Southern house mosquitoes (Culex quinquefasciatus) and the prevalence of Plasmodium relictum in mosquito samples to characterize the efficacy of the IIT project and disease pressure on Hawaiian forest birds in critical forest bird habitat. Another component of this research will be to develop a high-throughput, next-generation sequencing technique to quantify the prevalence of avian malaria and test whether that approach is comparable to quantitative PCR-based avian malaria assays.