Posted by: thindes57 | 09.01.10

PA: Technology Commercialization Initiative Grants

Funding Source: The Technology Collaborative
Funding Type: Grant
Total Available: $1.2 Million
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 10.15.10 (draft proposal)
Eligibility: For-profits, Institutions of Higher Education

Description:
Through a competitive selection process, The Technology Collaborative (TTC) intends to award funding for one or more projects that address key engineering design challenges, show a high degree of innovation and, most importantly, identify a clear path to commercialization with the potential to significantly impact technology related companies in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Proposals are solicited from:
  • start-up companies,
  • established companies, and
  • university researchers/groups
in Pennsylvania for technology commercialization projects that advance the state of the industry in digital and analog electronics and robotic technologies, primarily through the design and early prototyping of embedded system and hardware product concepts for the digital multimedia, digital networking, service robotic, and cybersecurity markets. Collaborative projects between these groups are strongly encouraged.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.23.10

Transforming STEM Learning (TSL) Grants

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: $10 Million
Award Ceiling: $2 Million
Deadline: 03.11.11
Eligibility: See solicitation

Description:
TSL combines interests and resources of separate programs in the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) to explore the opportunities and challenges implied by innovative visions of the future for STEM learning.  The TSL program invites interdisciplinary teams of STEM content specialists, experts in relevant technologies, STEM formal and informal education specialists, researchers with expertise in the learning sciences, and specialists in education research and evaluation methods to submit proposals for research projects that (1) Study efficacy of existing prototypes for innovations like virtual schools, special STEM schools, and educational programs that combine opportunities of formal and informal learning resources in their communities; or (2) Design and conduct exploratory development of new potentially transformative models for STEM learning environments.  The cross-cutting proposals will draw from work in the four primary DRL programs: Discovery Research K-12 (DR K-12), Informal Science Education (ISE), Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering (REESE), and Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST).  However, proposals submitted in response to this solicitation must have a scope that extends well beyond any of those programs individually.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.23.10

Grants for Social-Computational Systems

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: $10 Million
Award Ceiling: $750,000
Deadline: 11.23.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
The Social-Computational Systems (SoCS) program seeks to reveal new understanding about the properties that systems of people and computers together possess, and to develop theoretical and practical understandings of the purposeful design of systems to facilitate socially intelligent computing. By better characterizing, understanding, and eventually designing for desired behaviors arising from computationally mediated groups of people at all scales, new forms of knowledge creation, new models of computation, new forms of culture, and new types of interaction will result. Further, the investigation of such systems and their emergent behaviors and desired properties will inform the design of future systems.The SoCS program will support research in socially intelligent computing arising from human-computer partnerships that range in scale from a single person and computer to an Internet-scale array of machines and people. The program seeks to create new knowledge about the capabilities these partnerships can demonstrate – new affordances and new emergent behaviors, as well as unanticipated consequences and fundamental limits. The program furthermore seeks to build models informed by disciplines ranging from computational complexity theory to behavioral sciences that will enable a scientific understanding of fundamental limits for such systems. The program seeks to foster new ideas that support even greater capabilities for socially intelligent computing, such as the design and development of systems reflecting explicit knowledge about people’s cognitive and social abilities, new models of collective, social, and participatory computing, and new algorithms that leverage the specific abilities of massive numbers of human participants.The SoCS program seeks to capitalize upon the collaborative knowledge and research methods of investigators in the computational and human sciences, recognizing that researchers in computer science and related disciplines often focus on the limits and capabilities of computation in isolation from the people that use computation, while researchers in the social sciences often focus on the use of technology or the capabilities of people with limited impact on how such knowledge can influence the design of new technologies. Proposals that reflect collaborative efforts spanning computational and human centered approaches and perspectives are specifically encouraged.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.23.10

RFI: Advanced Hydropower Technology Development and Deployment

Funding Source: Department of Energy
Funding Type: Discretionary, RFI
Total Available: None
Award Ceiling: None
Deadline: 09.17.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
This is a Request for Information (RFI) not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). No funding is available with this RFI. Department of Energy and the Bureau of Reclamation are requesting input from the public on new, advanced hydropower technologies that are ready for demonstration and testing, or that are worthy of additional research and development investments. The term “advanced technology” means products that are not already widely available commercially and that offer substantial energy and environmental benefits to renewable energy portfolios in the U.S.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.23.10

Grant Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: $7.2 Million
Award Ceiling: $2 Million
Deadline: 10.01.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
The Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) supports research and education in the Earth, Ocean, Atmospheric, and Geospace Sciences. The Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG) Program is designed to address the fact that certain groups are underrepresented in the geosciences relative to their proportions in the general population. The primary goal of the OEDG Program is to increase participation in the geosciences by African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans (American Indians and Alaskan Natives), Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesians or Micronesians), and persons with disabilities. A secondary goal of the program is to increase the perceived relevance of the geosciences among broad and diverse segments of the population. The OEDG Program supports activities that will increase the number of members of underrepresented groups who:Are involved in formal pre-college geoscience education programs;Pursue and earn associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in the geosciences;Enter geoscience careers; andParticipate in informal geoscience education programs.The OEDG Program offers three funding Tracks: OEDG Planning Grants; Track 1: Proof-of-Concept Projects; and Track 2: Full-Scale Projects.OEDG Planning Grants – This Track supports planning workshops, conferences, symposia and related short-term activities that facilitate either: 1) development of new strategic plans to implement systemic, community-wide programs to broaden participation in the geosciences; or, 2) development of new partnerships or collaborations between multiple institutions seeking to establish sustainable projects that address the goals of the OEDG program.Track 1: Proof-of-Concept Projects – This Track supports short-term activities. Track 1 projects include activities that will occur only one time, as well as those that are intended as the testing phase of an anticipated long-term Full-Scale Project.Track 2: Full-Scale Projects – This Track supports longer-term activities that will identify and promote pathways to geoscience careers among members of underrepresented groups. It is expected that Track 2 proposals will establish programs that are sustainable without additional OEDG funding. Prior Track 1 OEDG funding is not a pre-requisite for submitting a Track 2 proposal.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.13.10

Grants for Control Systems

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: N/A
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 10.01.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
The CS program supports innovative research on control theory and control technology driven by real life applications. The program accepts proposals on transformative research in established topic areas such as model-based control. However, the program emphasis is on paradigm-shifting ideas for control strategies that may be inspired by nature, unconventional applications, and the combined role of feedback and uncertainty in systems that incorporate large numbers of sensors and actuators. New sensor and actuator concepts that integrate feedback and signal processing to achieve a sensing or actuation objective are also funded.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.13.10

Grants for Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: $12 Million
Award Ceiling: $4 Million
Deadline: 11.08.10
Eligibility: Institutions of Higher Education, Nonprofits

Description:
This program enables large-scale group efforts that involve broad segments of the scientific community. Projects supported by this program must involve the mathematical sciences in a significant way and have the scope to justify the funding, duration, and infrastructure of an institute. The goals of the program include advancing research in the mathematical sciences, increasing the impact of the mathematical sciences in other disciplines, and expanding the talent base engaged in mathematical research in the United States.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.13.10

ADVANCE Grants: Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Cooperative Agreement
Total Available: $12.2 Million
Award Ceiling: $4 Million
Deadline: 11.08.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
The goal of the ADVANCE program is to develop systemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce. ADVANCE focuses on ensuring that women faculty with earned STEM degrees consider academia as a viable and attractive career option. This program does not support projects to increase or retain the number of women entering into or persisting in STEM doctoral degree programs. Thus, efforts to impact the STEM pipeline are not considered appropriate for the ADVANCE Program. Creative strategies to realize the ADVANCE program goal are sought from women and men. Members of underrepresented minority groups and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. Proposals that address the participation and advancement of academic STEM women from underrepresented minority groups and women with disabilities are particularly encouraged. Further, given the increasing emphasis on international collaborations in many STEM disciplines, and the importance of international recognition to career advancement, proposal components that systemically enhance and provide access to international collaborations are encouraged.Proposals from community colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, minority-serving institutions (e.g. Tribal Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges and Universities), women’s colleges, and institutions primarily serving persons with disabilities are encouraged. In 2011-2012, this program will support the following types of ADVANCE Projects:Institutional Transformation (IT)Institutional Transformation awards are expected to include innovative systemic organizational approaches to transform institutions of higher education in ways that will increase the participation and advancement of women in STEM academic careers. These awards support comprehensive programs for institution-wide change. IT projects must include a 5-page research component designed to study the effectiveness of the proposed innovations in order to contribute to the knowledge base informing academic institutional transformation. Previous or current funding from ADVANCE is not a prerequisite for submitting an IT proposal. Any institution meeting the minimum eligibility may apply for an IT award. Proposals for IT awards from community colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, minority-serving institutions (e.g. Tribal Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions), women’s colleges, and institutions primarily serving persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged. It is anticipated that there may be significant differences in the issues facing faculty in these institutions, compared to faculty in other types of institutions that will warrant development of unique strategies and/or adaptation of proven strategies in a unique way to achieve ADVANCE Program goals.Institutional Transformation Catalyst (IT-Catalyst)IT-Catalyst awards are designed to support historically resource-challenged institutions in efforts to conduct institutional self-assessment activities, such as data collection and analysis and policy review, in order to identify specific issues in the recruitment, retention and promotion of women faculty in STEM academics within an institution of higher education. This type of work is fundamental for institutions that plan to undertake institutional transformation. The institution’s need for external resources to undertake institutional self assessment and policy review will specifically be evaluated using additional ADVANCE merit review criteria. Thus, institutions applying for IT-Catalyst awards are expected to demonstrate institutional need within the proposal. As such, institutions that are particularly encouraged to apply for the ADVANCE IT-Catalyst award include: primarily undergraduate institutions; institutions that have historically received lesser amounts of NSF research funding; minority serving institutions (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions); women’s colleges; institutions primarily serving persons with disabilities; and institutions that have a Carnegie classification of master’s colleges and universities, baccalaureate colleges, associate colleges or tribal colleges. Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, and Dissemination (PAID)Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, and Dissemination awards may focus on one institution or organization, or they may be a partnership between several institutions and/or organizations. PAID projects can focus on all STEM disciplines, several disciplines, or only one discipline, including the social and behavioral sciences. Projects may have an international, national, regional or local scope. Previous or current funding from ADVANCE is not a prerequisite for submitting a PAID proposal (see additional ADVANCE merit review criteria).

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.13.10

Grants for Health Center New Access Points

Funding Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: $250 Million
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 11.17.10
Eligibility: Virtually Unrestricted

Description:
The purpose of the New Access Points opportunity is to establish health service delivery sites to improve the health of the Nation’s underserved communities and vulnerable populations by assuring access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.13.10

Grant Assistance to High Energy Cost Rural Communities

Funding Source: USDA
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: $15.5 Million
Award Ceiling: $5 Million
Deadline: 09.08.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted, with eligibility requirements

Description:
USDA’s Rural Utilities Service High Energy Cost Grant Program offers financial assistance to provide or improve energy generation, transmission, and distribution facilities serving rural communities with home energy costs exceeding 275 percent of the national average. Applications must meet eligibility requirements for applicants, project activities, beneficiary communities to qualify under this program Applicants must demonstrate that the grant project target community qualifies as an extremely high energy cost community under one or more eligibility benchmarks. These extremely high energy cost benchmarks are set at 275 percent of average per unit costs for home energy or average annual household expenditures by fuel or for total energy and are derived from U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration surveys. Eligibility benchmarks for 2010 are as follows: Electricity: $0.264 per kilowatt hour, or $3,010 (average total household costs) per year; Natural gas; $30.30 per thousand cubic feet, or $1,988per year; Fuel oil: $5.54 per gallon, or $3,921 per year; LPG/propane: $5.10 per gallon, or $2,255 per year; Total household energy: $51.62 per million Btus, or $4,860per year. Eligible purposes include the acquisition, construction, installation, repair, replacement, or improvement of energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities in high energy cost communities. On-grid and off-grid renewable energy projects, and implementation of energy efficiency, and energy conservation projects are eligible. An activity that meets the objectives of providing or improving energy service, or reducing the costs of energy services to eligible communities is an acceptable grant purpose. Examples of eligible project activities include the acquisition, construction, installation, replacement, repair, or improvement of: (1) Electric generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, equipment, and materials, including associated and supporting activities, land or right of way acquisition, engineering or professional expenses, and permitting costs;(2) Natural gas distribution or storage facilities and associated equipment;(3) Petroleum product storage and handling facilities;(4) Renewable energy facilities and equipment for power generation, or water, space, or process heating (renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass technologies); and(5) Backup or emergency power generation or energy storage equipment, included distributed generation installed on consumer premises. Grant funds may not be used for: payment of utility bills, fuel purchases, routine maintenance or other routine operating costs, or for the purchase of any equipment, structures, or real estate not directly associated with provision of community energy services, or for the preparation of the grant application. All timely and complete applications will be reviewed, scored, and ranked by an Agency rating panel according to the published evaluation criteria in the NOFA. Priority consideration is given to communities experiencing economic hardship and to rural communities based on population. Grant awards will be selected competitively based on rank order, and panel recommendations. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.13.10

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Grant Program (EEREP)

Funding Source: United States Agency for International Development
Funding Type: Discretionary, Cooperative Agreement
Total Available: $5 Million
Award Ceiling: $2.5 Million
Deadline: 09.10.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for Assistance Agreements for its Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program (EEREP). USAID anticipates awarding two EEREP Leader with Associate Cooperative Agreements, each of 5 years duration. The LWAs will be under two themes: Increasing Energy Efficiency, which will focus on increasing energy efficiency to reduce GHG emissions in developing country economies and Increasing Adoption of Renewable Energy, which seeks to assist developing countries with promoting and establishing an expanded supply of renewable energy systems.Subject to the availability of funds, approximately $2,500,000 will be available for each EEREP LWA Leader Award. Associate Awards totaling approximately $5,000,000 are expected for each Leader Award but actual activity funding will depend on field demand.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.06.10

Grants for Structural Materials and Mechanics

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: N/A
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 10.01.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
The SMM program supports fundamental research on the behavior of civil infrastructure materials and the mechanics of structural components in the built environment. Of particular interest is research on structural components consisting of natural and synthetic materials, their response to mechanical, hydrothermal, and time-dependent loads, and their impact on life-cycle performance and sustainable development of the civil infrastructure.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.06.10

Grants for Operations Research

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: N/A
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 10.01.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
The OR program supports fundamental research leading to the creation of innovative mathematical models, analysis, and algorithms for optimal or near optimal decision-making, applicable to the design and operation of manufacturing, service, and other complex systems. In addition to the traditional areas of Operations Research which includes discrete and continuous optimization as well as stochastic modeling and analysis, new research thrusts include simulation optimization and self-optimizing systems that can observe, learn, and adapt to changing environments.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.06.10

Grants for Solid State and Materials Chemistry

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: N/A
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 10.31.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
This multidisciplinary program supports basic research in solid state and materials chemistry comprising the elucidation of the atomic and molecular basis for material development and properties in the solid state from the nanoscale to the bulk. General areas of interest include but are not limited to innovative approaches to design, synthesis, bulk crystal and/or film growth, and characterization of novel organic, inorganic, and hybrid materials, as well as liquid crystal materials and multi-component material systems exhibiting new phenomena and/or providing new scientific insights into structure/composition/property relationships in the solid state. Relevant topics include original material design principles, new approaches to assembly or crystalline material growth, characterization of new material phenomena or superior behavior, investigations of surface and interfacial effects on material system structures and properties, and unraveling the relationships between structure/composition (e.g. self- or program-assembled materials, crystalline material growth, and nanostructured material systems) and properties (e.g. charge, ionic, thermal or spin transport, exciton diffusion, chemical reactivity and selectivity, etc.). Development of new organic solid state materials, environmentally-safe and sustainable materials, and fundamental studies of novel material and material systems for efficient energy harvesting, conversion and storage are encouraged. The SSMC program works closely with other programs within the Division of Materials Research (DMR) and in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and Engineering (ENG) directorates to accommodate the multidisciplinary nature of proposal submissions.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 08.06.10

Grants for Nano and Bio Mechanics

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary, Grant
Total Available: N/A
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 10.01.10
Eligibility: Unrestricted

Description:
The NBM program supports fundamental research in biomechanics and nanomechanics. Research on biomechanics focuses on the mechanical properties and behavior of biological materials and structures, including cells, tissue, muscles, bones, and prosthetic implants. Research on nanomechanics focuses on the unique properties of nano-scale particles and microstructural features and their effects on the macroscopic mechanics and properties of materials, surfaces, and structures that contain them.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 07.16.10

Long Range Funding Opportunity Announcement for STEM

Funding Source: Office of Naval Research
Funding Type: Discretionary,Grant
Total Available: N/A
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 09.30.11
Eligibility: Institutions of Higher Education, Local Governments, Nonprofits

Description:
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) seeks proposals as provided under the authority set forth in subdivision (1) of subsection 2192 (b) of title 10 in support of education programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The ONR mission of STEM is to: foster an interest in, knowledge of, and study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics nationwide to ensure an educated and well-prepared workforce, which meets the naval and national competitive needs. In support of this mission, the following five goals have been identified:

  • Inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. [Grades K-10]
  • Engage students in STEM-related hands-on learning activities using Navy content. [Grades 3-12]
  • Educate students to be well-prepared for employment in STEM disciplines in the Navy or in supporting academic institutions or the Naval contractor community. [Higher Education]
  • Employ, retain and develop Naval STEM professionals. [Higher Education, Professional Development, Faculty]
  • Collaborate across Naval STEM programs to maximize benefits to participants and the Navy.

The purpose of this announcement is to receive proposals in support of the Office of Naval Research’s mission of scientific outreach and education in working to develop the next generation of scientists capable of providing support to the continued development of critical technologies in support of the Department of Defense. The objective of these activities will be to: 1. Establish and ensure successful, sustainable, and affordable long-term Navy wide programs targeted at elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher learning. 2. Establish and maintain a pipeline of students, particularly women and members of minority groups, who will apply for and participate in Navy education and outreach programs. 3. Increase the number of domestic students (particularly students from under-represented groups) completing STEM degrees through enhancing student interest and attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 4. Strengthen peer, family, and school support for such interests. 5. Ensure long-term inclusiveness of women and minorities in science and technology programs. 6. Increase the number of students taking college-prep science and mathematics courses. 7. Demonstrate appropriate curricular connections with the applicable state and national standards of learning for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Additional activities supported may include providing financial assistance to organizations supporting STEM activities, providing funding and support for national competitions by arranging for DoD personnel to participate as judges and presenters, providing support for STEM education and outreach conferences and supporting teacher STEM education and training initiatives. Stipends for teachers undertaking professional training in connection with these activities may be supported as well as funding for the acquisition of materials and resources needed to launch, implement, assess, and improve the program. Additionally, evaluations of existing Navy/DoD program efforts and strategies to maximize marketing program opportunities to affected populations may be supported. ONR encourages the project results to be published in appropriate academic journals at the end of the period of performance.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 07.16.10

Defense University Research Instrumentation Grant Program (DURIP)

Funding Source: Office of Naval Research
Funding Type: Discretionary,Grant
Total Available: N/A
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 09.14.10
Eligibility: Institutions of Higher Education

Description:
The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the Fiscal Year 2011 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP), a part of the University Research Initiative (URI). DURIP is designed to improve the capabilities of U.S. institutions of higher education (hereafter referred to as “universities”) to conduct research and to educate scientists and engineers in areas important to national defense, by providing funds for the acquisition of research equipment. This announcement seeks proposals to purchase instrumentation in support of research in areas of interest to the DoD, including areas of research supported by the administering agencies.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 07.16.10

Grants for Interface between Computer Science and Economics & Social Sciences

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary,Grant
Total Available: $11.5 Million
Award Ceiling: N/A
Deadline: 10.05.10
Eligibility: Institutions of Higher Education

Description:
The histories and intellectual approaches of social and economic science and computer science have been strongly influenced by the crosscurrents among them. Worst-case computational complexity analysis, so prevalent in computer science, is a form of game-theoretic analysis – perhaps not surprising considering that one of the founders of game theory, John von Neumann, was also a pioneering figure in computer science. Game theory is widely used in social and economic science. Social and economic scientists use concepts that are linked to computer science. For example, decision scientists and economists consider the bounded rationality of individuals making economic decisions; one aspect of bounded rationality is that economic agents may be limited by their "computational" resources, for example in evaluating complicated strategic situations. The ubiquity of socio-technical networks has led to new, more intimate ties between these two fields. New kinds of interactions and transactions have been enabled by such networks. Key features of these new transactions include: parties who do not know or trust each other: parties represented by software agents · real-time adaptation, decision making, and chain reactions by agents Designing decision mechanisms that can govern these increasingly important types of transactions in ways that meet criteria such as fairness, revenue maximization, or efficent resource use is a challenge that requires the expertise of both social and economic scientists and computer scientists. Internet traffic (as also physical traffic on our road networks), email, the use of network bandwidth, the allocation of computing resources to competing processes, etc., may be managed using economic and social choice mechanisms to achieve better utilization and reduction of the nuisance and harm caused by intruders and spammers. Good incentive mechanisms are also needed to mediate the interactions among infrastructure providers, service providers, and clients for computing and communication infrastructure. Mechanisms are also important in driving multi-agent software systems towards socially desirable goals. These questions may require a new understanding of simultaneous collaboration and competition among economic agents.Computational thinking has the potential to change the types of questions considered by social and economic scientists. For example, Nash (and other) equilibria lie at the heart of theories about the behavior of economic agents. Computational thinking can help characterize the range and robustness of possible equilibria and markets for which the computation of equilibria is intractable. Theories of strategic learning by computational agents, studied both in economics and computer science, can shed light on the dynamics of how agents arrive at equilibria. Theories of the spread of contagion or gossip in networks can help explain and contain the chain reactions that can arise. Social/behavioral/economic and computer scientists can jointly study the dynamic functioning and evolution of social and economic networks with mutual benefit to both fields of study. Some important examples of such systems are recommender systems, voting systems, and reputation management systems.This program seeks innovative research at this interdisciplinary boundary, including both projects that use computational thinking for economic and social decision problems and/or ideas from economics and other social sciences for computing and communication systems and multi-agents systems. Computational economics research involving simulation and modeling of economic systems is not appropriate for this program.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 07.16.10

Partnerships for Innovation Grants

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary,Grant
Total Available: $7 Million
Award Ceiling: $600,000
Deadline: 09.30.15
Eligibility: Institutions of Higher Education, Small Businesses

Description:
One of the general goals of the Partnerships for Innovation Program (PFI) is to stimulate the transformation of knowledge created by the research and education enterprise into innovations that create new wealth; build strong local, regional, and national economies; and improve the national well-being. Aligned with this goal, the PFI competition for FY 2011 funds will provide support for innovation capacity building to sustained, dynamic interactive knowledge-enhancing partnership groups composed of academic researchers and small business (as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA)) practitioners focused on intense exploration, re-definition, and creation of novel platforms for translating research and moving it towards impact. The basic organizational core of each proposed knowledge-enhancing partnership group must be composed of an academic lead institution and, at a minimum, two small businesses. These newly created partnership groups will provide small group process models for innovation, their hallmark being a collaboration in which research and its translation paths are shaped and expanded from both the research and the business perspectives. While the center-piece of this group is academe and small business, large businesses and non-profits may participate in this core knowledge-enhancement partnership unit, which in turn may be embedded in the broader network of a PFI partnership.The purpose of these knowledge-enhancing partnership groups is to develop researchers more agile in adapting their research for use in new applications and to increase the potential viability of existing small businesses to leverage this capacity. In particular, these interactive relationships will increase the researchers’ effectiveness to respond to and anticipate the constraints imposed by the operational limitations on translation of the research. They will improve the business practitioners’ capability to develop products that will have potentially strong market demand in the future. The ideal project would consist of exploration, re-definition, and creation of a novel platform, that is, one that can be applied to many markets and problems/opportunities (multi-product or process platforms). Some examples of platforms include the following: laser-based technologies that have multiple applications in product verticals; software algorithms that can be customized in different applications to provide multiple functionalities; nano-structured materials that may have multiple applications, environmental remediation technologies; re-manufacturing technologies–a more sustainable approach than conventional manufacturing involving a process of returning used products to at least original performance–that can be applied to diverse industries; energy conservation or storage technologies; innovation through design or education in innovation with widespread impact; and personalized medicine/genetic testing. Partnerships that support areas pertaining to energy, sustainability, or education of next generation entrepreneurs are particularly desirable. Some examples of the kinds of activities that could be engaged in by the knowledge-enhancing partner companies working with academe are feasibility research, alpha-prototype development, design, and product conceptualization.This competition will support 9 to 11 promising partnerships between academic researchers and small business practitioners that engage in the important process of dynamic knowledge enhancement to build capacity to generate and sustain innovation. Partnerships may also include other academic institutions, other private sector organizations (such as large businesses and not-for-profit organizations) and state/local/federal government.

GSP: WU

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Posted by: thindes57 | 07.16.10

Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry

Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Funding Type: Discretionary,Grant
Total Available: $5 Million
Award Ceiling: $100,000
Deadline: 09.30.15
Eligibility: Institutions of Higher Education

Description:
Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) promotes university-industry partnerships by making project funds or fellowships/traineeships available to support an eclectic mix of industry-university linkages. Special interest is focused on affording the opportunity for: Faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students to conduct research and gain experience in an industrial setting; Industrial scientists and engineers to bring industry’s perspective and integrative skills to academe; and Interdisciplinary university-industry teams to conduct research projects. This solicitation targets high-risk/high-gain research with a focus on fundamental research, new approaches to solving generic problems, development of innovative collaborative industry-university educational programs, and direct transfer of new knowledge between academe and industry. GOALI seeks to fund transformative research that lies beyond that which industry would normally fund.

GSP: WU

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