NSF NEWS

Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.

• Smart surgical implant coatings provide early failure warning while preventing infection (Newly developed "smart" coatings for surgical orthopedic implants can monitor strain on the devices to provide early warning of implant failures while…)
• CRISPR and single-cell sequencing pinpoint causal genetic variants for traits and diseases (A major challenge in human genetics is understanding which parts of the genome drive specific traits or contribute to disease risk. This challenge is…)
• Study forecasts future nitrogen loads under various drainage and crop rotation scenarios (Midwestern agriculture causes an oxygen-starved hypoxic zone, and challenges coastal economies by contributing most of the nitrogen in the Gulf of…)
• Indo-Pacific corals more resilient to climate change than Atlantic corals (In the face of global warming and other environmental changes, corals in the Atlantic Ocean have declined precipitously in recent years, while corals…)
• Highly dexterous robot hand can operate in the dark — just like humans (Think about what you do with your hands when you're home at night pushing buttons on your TV's remote control, or at a restaurant using all kinds of…)
• A healthy but depleted herd: Predators decrease prey disease levels and population size (Nature documentaries will tell you that lions, cheetahs, wolves and other top predators target the weakest or slowest animals and that this culling…)
• Hidden ice melt in Himalayan glaciers (A new study reveals that the mass loss of lake-terminating glaciers in the Great Himalayas has been significantly underestimated due to the inability…)
• Elephant seals drift off to sleep while diving far below the ocean surface (For the first time, scientists have recorded brain activity in a free-ranging, wild marine mammal, revealing the sleep habits of elephant seals during…)
• Genomes from 240 mammalian species reveal what makes the human genome unique (Over the past 100 million years, mammals have adapted to nearly every environment on Earth. Scientists with the Zoonomia Project are cataloging the…)

Overview: The Frances Baldwin Mulnix Endowed Fund was established by the Baldwin Foundation in 1995 as a discretionary fund from which annual income is used to assist programs or activities at MSU that have limited funding and for which a modest amount of extra support would have a significant impact.  The Fund is managed by the Office of the Vice President for University Advancement. 

This year, an RFP process will be used to identify the programs or activities to receive funding.  The fund currently has $20,459 available to distribute in FY24.  These funds will be awarded through the RFP process described below. Funds may be awarded to one or more programs depending on the applications received and review of the same.

RFP Process: Each college and unit may submit one proposal for funding.  Proposals must address the criteria listed below. Requests must only be for programs and/or activities.  Funding will not be awarded for scholarship support, capital projects or personnel.  Funds will be provided on a one-time basis for use in fiscal year 2024.  Please use the attached form for your proposal.  Please Note: Projects that received funding through this process in FY23 are not eligible for funding this cycle.

Deadline: College and unit Senior Directors and Directors of Development should submit proposals, as approved by their Dean or Director, by email to Larry Wallach, Associate Director for Foundation Relations (wallach@msu.edu) by COB on Friday, July 28, 2023.  

Review & Selection: A UA review committee will review proposals and make a funding recommendation to the Vice President of UA.  Applicants will be notified of the decision in August.

Criteria: The program or activity for which funds are requested must:

1. Have limited funding
2. Demonstrate that the amount of funding available through this RFP would have a significant impact on the program or activity
3. Be important to the work of the college or unit

Questions: Please contact Larry Wallach at: wallach@msu.edu.

... Learn more Here.

DoE: University Training and Research for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, National Energy Technology Laboratory

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to solicit and award research and development grants to educate and train the next generation of engineers and scientists by supporting novel, early-stage research at U.S. colleges and universities.

The University Training and Research (UTR) Program has the following primary mission objectives:

1. educate and train the next generation of engineers and scientists to help develop and contribute to a highly-skilled, inclusive, and competitive U.S. workforce and economy;
2. support novel, early-stage research at U.S. colleges and universities that advances the FECM mission of delivering integrated solutions related to fossil energy and carbon management and enable transformation to a sustainable, net-zero greenhouse gas future;
3. increase research and development opportunities for underrepresented and structurally marginalized communities within the U.S. and tap into the innovative and diverse thinking of student researchers at minority serving institutions of higher learning; and,
4. ensure that students are being equipped with cutting-edge, translatable skillsets that will allow them to contribute to the U.S. workforce and greater economy over the course of a longstanding and enduring career.

Award size: up to $1.5M
Deadline: August 7, 2023

... Learn more Here.

Attention: Faculty, Academic Staff, and Graduate Students

• Friday, July 7, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Zoom
• Friday, August 4, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Zoom

Attention: Faculty, Academic Staff, and Graduate Students

Description: Would scheduling regular, specific times to write about your outreach or engagement work be helpful? If so, please join us each month for three hours of dedicated time to advance your scholarship. Past participants have written journal articles, grant proposals, book chapters, theses or dissertations, curricula, pieces for public audiences, and community engagement portfolios.

Participants should plan to write for the full three hours. We start the write-in by sharing writing goals for the day and wrap up with accomplishments and next steps.

Write-Ins are free, but registration is required.

... Learn more Here.