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News & Updates

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NSF Alan T. Waterman Award​ - Call for Nominations Webinar, July 19, 2021, 4PM EDT.  The Award recognizes outstanding young researchers in any field of science or engineering supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. In addition to a medal, each awardee receives a grant of $1,000,000 over five years for scientific research or advanced study at the institution of the recipient's choice.  Nominations  for this program will be accepted from July 19 - September 20, 2021. Registration and Zoom Link:  https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_-yhMd​-VDQ0G7L8h0ZRWWEQ .
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Simons Foundation Autism Rat Models Consortium- Request for Applications Informational Zoom Webinar, July 26, 2021, 11 AM EDT :  Grants awarded through this request for applications (RFA) are intended to capitalize on the rat as a model system to advance our understanding of the behavioral and circuit neuroscience mechanisms driving autism.  The submission deadline for grants to this program is Tuesday, September 7, 2021, 5:00 p.m. EDT.  Registration Link:  SFARI | Autism Rat Models Consortium RFA: Informational session  .
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NSF Germination Program Webinar:  Germination of Research Questions for Addressing Critical Societal Challenges (solicitation NSF 21-594) in a webinar on Monday, August 2, 2021, starting at 1:00 PM EDT. The webinar will include a briefing on the GERMINATION program and key solicitation requirements followed by a question and answer session. Letters of Intent for this program are due at NSF on August 27, 2021.  Advance registration is required for this Zoom webinar. Register at https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_7-SIyqBARluh94Vz8hPtWQ .  ​

NSF ADVANCE Program - Recorded Proposal Development Webinars​:  The NSF ADVANCE program office recorded proposal preparation webinars for the Adaptation, Partnership, and Catalyst tracks of the NSF ADVANCE solicitation 20-554.  The NSF ADVANCE program's goal is to broaden the implementation of evidence-based systemic change strategies that promote equity for STEM faculty in academic workplaces and the academic profession. The next deadline for both the  Adaptation and Partnership components of this program is August 2, 2021 for letters of intent and November 3, 2021, for full proposals.  Information on how to access the pre-recorded webinars and accompanying informational slides is available at the following link:  https://www.nsf.gov/events/event_summ.jspcntn_id=297681&org=NSF .  
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Patient Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI):  Cycle 3 2021 Phased Large Awards for Comparative Effectiveness Research (PLACER) -- Applicant Town Hall -- September 10, 2021, 11:30 am EDT. This town hall will provide an overview and information applicants may need to submit a responsive application to the Cycle 3 2021 -- Phased Large Awards for Comparative Effectiveness Research (PLACER) PCORI Funding Announcement.  This grant program has a  Letter of Intent deadline of October 5, 2021.  Registration Link:  Cycle 3 2021 Phased ​​​Large Awards for Compara​tive Effectiveness Research (PLACER) -- Applicant Town Hall | PCORI .
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Patient Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI):  Cycle 3 Healthy Aging: Optimizing Physical and Mental Functioning Across the Aging Continuum Applicant Town Hall, September 13, 2021, 12:00 pm EDT.  This town hall will provide an overview and information applicants may need to submit a responsive application to the Cycle 3 2021 PCORI Funding Announcement - Healthy Aging: Optimizing Physical and Mental Functioning Across the Aging Continuum.  Letters of Intent for the funding opportunity are due October 5, 2021 at 5pm ET .  Registration Link:  Cycle 3 2021 -- Healthy Aging: Optimizing Physical and Mental Functioning Across the Aging Continuum Applicant Town Hall | PCORI .


​NIH Regional Seminars on Program Funding and Grants Administration will be virtual this Fall.  Meeting is slated for November 1-4, 2021.  The seminars, hosted by the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER), are intended to help demystify the application and review process, clarify Federal regulations and policies, and highlight current areas of special interest or concern.  Registration information for  the seminar's virtual meetings will be posted on the following site when available:  https://grants.nih.gov/news/contact-in-person/seminars.htm .​

NIH is hosting a Pre-application Webinar for RFA-MD-21-004, Understanding and Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) on  May 26, 2021, 1:00-2:30 PM Eastern Time (ET).  Preregistration for the webinar is required; information on the Pre-application Webinar registration is available at is available at  NOT-MD-21-018.​


NSF is providing information on the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program solicitation NSF 20-525 at webinars on Friday, May 14, and Thursday, May 20, 2021, starting at 1:00 pm Eastern time each day.  

NIH has issued a  Revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (Rev. April 2021) for Fiscal Year 2021  (NOT-OD-21-107 ).  This revision is applicable to  all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget periods beginning on or after October 1, 2020. 

NIH Reminder: NIH  now requires use of FORMS-F application forms for proposal  submission (NOT-OD-21-104) . Remaining FORMS-E application form packages closed as of April 19, 2021.
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Spring 2021 NSF Virtual Grants Conference, to be held during the week of June 7-11, 2021.  Registration Opens  May 5th.

NIH Requires Changes to the Biographical Sketch and Other Support Format for Due Dates on or after May 25, 2021 (  NOT-OD-21-073)  
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Godage Receives NSF Career Award

Isuru S. Godage, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the College of Computing and Digital Media has received an National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development award , totaling $529,999. With this funding, Dr. Godage will introduce a novel systematic approach to combining simple soft robotic modules into sophisticated cyber-physical systems, capable of performing complex manipulation and locomotion tasks. 


NIH has updated its guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements FY 2021.  Updated information is available in in NOT-OD-21-057.

NSF Robotics Program Webinar for CAREER Principal Investigators                                                        The Foundational Research in Robotics program is holding a webinar for prospective CAREER principal investigators on April 26, 2021, starting at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. Please register in advance and submit your questions at: https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_Js6oOXw9Rweqvk5u4b47_g  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing details for joining the webinar.

In order to continue the synergy started at Innovation Day 2021, the Office of Research Services is hosting monthly Lunch & Learn sessions. These sessions will enable faculty to network with others across Colleges, share their research, and foster innovative partnerships.


University Research Website                                                                                                                                                      On March 3, the University unveiled the new University Research Website which provides a snapshot of the research, creative activities, and innovation of the faculty and staff at DePaul. The website was the effort of many months of work, with contributors from across the university. Highlights from the website include Featured Research, Progress through Partnerships, and Research in Practice. 


DePaul University joins Illinois Science and Technology Coalition                                                                     DePaul University solidified its partnership with the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) by becoming an official member in 2020. ISTC strengthens the state's innovation economy through data collection, policy advocacy, and impactful programs. Their affiliated Institute provides STEM-education programs that connect classrooms with companies to better prepare the next generation of problem-solvers.


Research & Innovation Leadership Fellows Program Announced

ORS Announces Fall Trainings Programs

ORS Guidance on COVID-19

FY 2020 NIH Salary Cap

The Office of Personnel Management has released new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 5, 2020, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $197,300. See

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-065.html for additional information.

NIH Announcements

On January 22, 2020, NIH released NOT-OD-20-058, "Additional Guidance on the NIH Policy on the Use of a Single Institutional Review Board for Multi-Site Research." This guidance document outlines the two allowable exceptions to the single IRB review requirement, which became effective under the revised regulations on January 20, 2020. The NIH guidance reiterates OHRP guidance released on November 22, 2019.  Additional Information is available at the below links: 

OHRP Guidance:  https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/single-irb-requirement/114b-exception1/index.html

NIH NOT-OD-20-058: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-058.html


Upcoming Change in Federal-wide Unique Entity Identifier Requirements
Currently when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements, all applicant organizations must have a DUNS number as the Universal Identifier. The General Services Administration (GSA) recently announced that DUNS will be replaced by a new Government-owned unique entity identifier in all systems, including Grants.gov and eRA Commons. The new government unique identifier will be incorporated into the SAM registration process, eliminating the need for applicants to seek external identifiers in order to register. See https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-19-098.html for additional information.

Sample Grant Applications, Summary Statements, and More
If you are new to writing grant applications, sometimes seeing how someone else has presented their idea can help as you are developing your own application. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) makes available examples of funded R01, R03, R15, R21, SBIR/STTR, K, and F applications, summary statements, sharing plans, leadership plans, and more. Check out NIAID’s resources at: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/sample-applications. Remember these sample resources followed the NIH guidelines in effect at time they were submitted, your planned application may contain more recently updated guidelines.

Redesigned eRA Website Provides New Resources
A newly revamped eRA website that serves as an informational gateway to applicants, grantees and reviewers was launched April 30. The site provides new and updated ‘how-to’ information on navigating eRA systems like eRA Commons, ASSIST, IAR, xTrain and xTRACT; intuitive navigation; and improved accessibility. The below linked video provides additional information. Video Link: https://era.nih.gov/files/New-eRA-Website/index.html

The National Institutes of Health has established stipend levels for fiscal year (FY) 2019 Kirschstein‐NRSA awards for undergraduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral trainees and fellows. Information is available at:  https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-19-036.html.

The National Institutes of Health has announced upcoming changes to the NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program. NIH is making these changes to focus AREA support on grants to undergraduate‐focused institutions that do not receive substantial funding from NIH, rather than all institutions with less than $6 million of NIH support. The current AREA Parent Announcement, PA‐18‐504, will expire after the January 7, 2019, AIDS due date and will not be reissued. Future funding opportunity announcements (FOA) for the AREA program will focus on supporting grants to undergraduate‐focused institutions. NIH will continue to provide R15 research  enhancement opportunities for health professional and graduate schools under separate announcements. A complete copy of the NIH announcement on the AREA program is more fully detailed at:  https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-19-015.html


NIH Policy for Review and Resubmission of New Investigator R01 Applications has been updated for R01 applications submitted for due dates on or after January 25, 2019; additional information is available at:https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-19-053.html .


NIH Invites Comments on the NIDA Strategic Plan for Research at the Intersection of HIV/AIDS and Substance Use, Misuse and Addiction; responses must be received by January 25, 2019. Additional information is available at:https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DA-19-015.html.

The National Science Foundation has released an updated Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The new PAPPG will be effective for proposals submitted or due, and awards made, on or after June 1, 2020.  The PAPPG details NSF's proposal preparation and submission guidelines, and provides guidance on managing and monitoring the award and administration of grants and cooperative agreements made by the Foundation.  The full text of the revised PAPPG, as well as a summary of Significant Changes to the document are available at the below links.  NSF will also offer a webinar on PAPPG updates on Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 2:00 PM EST.  There is no cost to participate, however advanced registration is required.

Link to PAPPG:  https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappg20_1/index.jsp?org=NSF

Link To Significant Changes:    https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappg20_1/sigchanges.jsp

Webinar Registration Link:  https://nsfgrantsconferences.com/pappg-webinar-20/ .
 

The National Science Foundation has released an updated CAREER Award Program Announcement.  The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is an NSF agency-wide solicitation designed to support early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.  A single July 27, 2020 deadline will be used this year by all NSF Directorates for this initiative.   For additional Information on this solicitation, see:    https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20525/nsf20525.pdf .