DER Weekly Newsletter, October 22nd, 2020


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October 22, 2020

		DER Funding Database

		Weekly In Progress Report

Engineering Research Reactivation SharePoint

The Engineering Research Reactivation all-inclusive SharePoint page has helpful reopening resources, important processes, and documents that need to be completed and approved to "return to research". Please request access if prompted.

Important Announcement:

Where is my "LABORATORY PLAN FOR A SAFE RETURN" in the approval process?

You can see what step of the approval process your plan is on by looking under the “Engineering Research Reactivation” folders on the SharePoint site.

If the plan has been approved by the Department Chair, you can see if it has been sent to VPRI by clicking on “EGR ADR Review” > “At VPRI for Review”. If the plan is in the “At VPRI for Review” folder then it is currently being reviewed by VPRI.
To check to see if your plan has been completely approved by all required departments (DC, EGR Dean's Office, and VPRI), you can click on the “VPRI Final Approved Plans” folder. If your plan is in the “VPRI Final Approved Plans” folder then you approved to return to research. Monique Blackmer (monique@msu.edu) will reach out to you.

SharePoint Page

		Joyce Foundation Environmental Grant Program
		The Joyce Foundation is addressing two of the region’s critical long-term environmental challenges: climate change and protecting the Great Lakes. *Re: Climate Change-- Joyce will continue to advance public policies that address climate change, but for the first time include clean energy strategies specifically designed to remedy energy-related economic and equity issues facing the next generation in our region. Click HERE to learn more. Re: The Great Lakes*--We will continue to pursue efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes, while adding add a new area of focus to help ensure that everyone in our region has access to safe, clean, affordable drinking water. Click HERE to learn more.

		Smart Farming Innovations for Small-Scale Producers RFP
		This RFP seeks Smart Farming solutions that leverage digital technology innovations that have the potential to drive positive impact for small-scale producer (SSP) entrepreneurs delivered through bundled farmer services and enabled by scalable digital and data platforms. Solutions should address one or more challenges faced by small-scale crop and livestock producers in one or more areas of agricultural advisory, farm management decision support, input supply, finance, insurance, market access and linkages. Solutions should use human-centered design to elucidate the barriers that prevent SSPs from improving productivity, profitability and income – then propose Smart Farming solutions that can help elevate small-scale production entrepreneurs. Click HERE to learn more.

		Moisture barriers for packaging dry goods
		PepsiCo is seeking barrier materials and coatings for bio-based films that achieve the high moisture barrier requirements for packaging dry foods without sacrificing biodegradability. The barrier material should be able to be co-extruded with our core resins to form a skin layer that can anchor metal films or other functional coatings. Coatings that are applied as primer layers or top coats over metal are also acceptable. Possible partnerships include, but are not limited to, sponsored research, supplier agreement, consulting engagement or licensing. Click HERE to learn more.

		DER Seminar Submissions
		DER is currently working on scheduling the fall DER Seminar Series. If you have an idea for a seminar please share that by email to Robert Nelsen at rnelsen@msu.edu, or Max Gates at gatesmax@msu.edu.

DER's Proposal Volume

The chart above shows DER's Proposal Volume from 2016 to 2021 as of (10/22/2020).

Take a closer look

DER Seminars

Miss the Last Seminar? Watch it Here!

The Project Summary is one of the most important parts of every NSF grant proposal. A clear and concise Project SUmmary will make a positive first impression on reviewers and succinctly convey the key points of your project. However, writing a strong Project Summary can be deceptively hard. With only a single page to work with, it can be difficult to decide which information to include and how to best frame that information for impact. During this seminar, Dr. Sara Steenrod (Grant Consultant with OSVPRI) will walk you through best practices for writing a compelling Project Summary for your next NSF proposal.