Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science and Mathematics (PRISM)

The goal of the program in Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science and Mathematics is to strengthen the nation's scientific competitiveness by increasing the numbers of well-prepared, successful U.S. undergraduate majors and minors in science and mathematics. The program will fund innovative, potentially transformational partnerships between the mathematical sciences and other science disciplines that widen the cross section of the mathematical sciences to which freshman and sophomore students are exposed and that provide these students increased opportunities for research experiences involving the mathematical sciences.

Amount: $100,000 - $600,000 (for 3 to 5 years)

Date due: March 8, 2010

This program is predicated on the idea that early engagement with a broad spectrum of subject material within a STEM discipline leads to increased interest and persistence in scientific majors. Consequently, proposed activities should include the following three elements that address early engagement with science and mathematics: proactive recruitment, early research experiences, and mentoring and professional development.

For more information, click here.

North Pacific Research Board grants

The North Pacific Research Board (NPRB) was created by Congress to recommend marine research activities for funding to conduct research activities on or relating to the fisheries or marine ecosystems in the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean (including any lesser related bodies of water).

Amount: Varies depending upon topic

Date due: December 4, 2009

Topics include marine mammals, fish, other aquatic life, eco-systems and oil spill recovery. Please consult the 2010 RFP and the NPRB Science Plan for further details on this year's research priorities.

For more information, click here.

Mazamas Graduate Student Research Grants

The Mazamas are dedicated to the exploration and preservation of mountain environments in the Pacific Northwest. Mazamas activities include gathering and disseminating scientific information concerning the natural features of mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes. Investigations of geologic features, biotic communities, and human endeavors pertaining to the enjoyment and safety of outdoor recreation are all relevant research topics.

Amount: $1,500

Date due: Applications for 2010 Graduate Student Research Grants must be received by January 29, 2010 for Graduate Students with a Last Name starting with A thru M; for Graduate Students with a Last Name starting with N thru Z applications must be received by February 5, 2010.

The Mazamas Graduate Student Research Grants are intended to help graduate students cover travel, per diem, supplies, and other costs of conducting master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation research.

For more information, click here.

Mazamas Research Grant

The Mazamas are dedicated to the exploration and preservation of mountain environments in the Pacific Northwest. Mazamas activities include gathering and disseminating scientific information concerning the natural features of mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes. Investigations of geologic features, biotic communities, and human endeavors pertaining to the enjoyment and safety of outdoor recreation are all relevant research topics.

Amount: $3,500

Date due: January 22, 2010

Most successful applicants are graduate students or experienced scientists performing field studies in the Pacific Northwest. Applicants need not be Mazamas members.

For more information, click here.

Environmental Education Grants

The EPA solicits grants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers, and citizens. This grant program provides financial support for innovative projects that design, demonstrate, or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques as described in this notice.

Amount: $15,000 - $25,000

Date due: December 15, 2009

For more information, click here.

USGS National Map Orthoimagery

The U. S. Geological Survey seeks to award funds for the collection and processing of high resolution elevation data and orthoimagery. Many organizations including state and local governments, private and non-profit firms, as well as many Federal government agencies use these data to support their applications and requirements planning, infrastructure improvements, resource assessments and scientific studies.

Amount: $500,000

Date due: December 1, 2009

The data collected under this announcement will become available to the public through The National Map. Priorities for the program include collecting elevation data over those coastal areas of United States most susceptible to storm and hurricane flooding, earthquake damage, and coastal erosion and also increasing coverage and availability of leaf-off high resolution orthoimagery.

For more information, click here

FAQ from NSF regarding Science Master's Program

NSF has released an extensive FAQ related to the Science Master's Program Request for Proposals (RFP).  The primary goal of this RFP is to develop new master degree programs in science areas.


To read the FAQ, click here.

Science Master's Program (NSF)

The Science Master's Program prepares graduate students for careers in business, industry, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies by providing them not only with a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, but also with research experiences, internship experiences, and the skills to succeed in those careers. The program is intended to catalyze the creation of institution-based efforts that can be sustained without additional federal funding. This program is also intended to encourage diversity in student participation so as to contribute to a broadly inclusive, well-trained science and engineering workforce.

Amount: $700,000 (across 3 years)

Date due: November 20, 2009

Proposals submitted to the Science Master's Program should describe a STEM based Master's graduate education curriculum broadened with education that provides additional skills, such as through specially tailored courses in business and management, that prepare students to work in business, industry, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations. The fields and training activities should be in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics where there is high or emerging (anticipated) need. Proposals must demonstrate that the proposed programs meet the needs of the intended workplace and that careful market research and collaboration have led to the proposed model.

For more information, click here.

Fish & Wildlife Service Small Grants Program

The U.S. Small Grants Program is a competitive, matching grants program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States that further the goals of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

Amount: $75,000

Date due: October 29, 2009

These projects must involve long-term protection, restoration, enhancement and/or establishment of wetlands and associated uplands habitats for the benefit of all wetlands-associated migratory birds. A 1:1 match is required. Research funding is ineligible.

For more information, click here.

Lewis & Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobioogy

The American Philosophical Society and the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) have partnered to promote the continued exploration of the world around us through a program of research grants in support of astrobiological field studies. The Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology is open to field studies in any area of interest to astrobiology. Applications will be reviewed by a committee that includes members of the NAI, the APS, and the wider science community as needed. Recipients will be designated as Lewis and Clark Field Scholars in Astrobiology.

Amount: $5,000

Date Due: February 1, 2010

Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth and in the universe. It encompasses research in, among others, the fields of astronomy, chemistry, evolutionary biology, field and population biology, geology, microbiology, molecular biology, oceanography, paleontology, and planetary science. Astrobiology includes investigations of the geologic and fossil record to understand the conditions of the early Earth when life arose. Its scope also includes research of contemporary locations on Earth that might be similar to early earth and to environments elsewhere in our Solar System (such as on Mars, Europa, and Titan), which may be, or have been in the past, suitable for life. Astrobiology is also about understanding the characteristics of life, which requires investigations into extreme natural environments on Earth and, eventually, elsewhere.

For more information, click here.

7th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of the P3 Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Awards program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of economic prosperity, protection of the planet, and improved quality of life for its people-- people, prosperity, and the planet – the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability.

Amount: $10,000

Due date: January 4, 2010

Public and private institutions of higher education located in the U.S. are eligible to apply to be the recipient of a grant to support teams of undergraduate and/or graduate students. The students on the teams supported by the institution receiving the grant must be enrolled in the college, university, or post-secondary educational institution they will be representing at the time the proposal is submitted. Institutions are allowed to submit more than one application where each application represents a unique design concept and student team. For the purposes of grant administration, the team's faculty advisor will be designated the Principal Investigator throughout the P3 grant award and competition process. In addition to the Principal Investigator, each team selected for award will also be asked to provide contact information for a student lead.

For more information, click here.

Small Business Technology Transfer Program (NSF)

NSF announces the availability of funding for the Small Business Technology Transfer Program in which small business and universities collaborate to stimulate technological innovation in the private sector by strengthening the role of small business concerns in meeting Federal research and development needs.

Amount: $140,000

Due: November 17, 2009

The Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) requires researchers at universities to play a significant intellectual role in the conduct of each STTR project. These university-based researchers, by joining forces with a small company, can spin-off their commercially promising ideas while they remain primarily employed at the research institution. The primary employment of the Principal Investigator (PI) must be with the small business concern at the time of the award. A PI must spend a minimum of two calendar months on an STTR Phase I project.

For more information, click here.

Research Grant Program (Canada)

The Government of Canada announces the Research Grant Program that promotes research that contributes to a better knowledge and understanding of Canada, its relationship with the United States, and its international affairs. The grant is designed to assist individual scholars, or a team of scholars, in writing an article-length manuscript of publishable quality and reporting their findings in a scholarly publication and at scholarly conferences, thus contributing to the development of expertise on Canada in the United States. Efforts to integrate the research findings into the applicant's teaching load are welcome.

Amount: $15,000

Due: November 2, 2009

Topics that are highly relevant to Canada-U.S. relations include smart and secure borders; North American economic competitiveness; regulatory cooperation; Canada-U.S. trade and investment partnership; energy security and sustainability; environmental sustainability; emergency planning and management; Canada-U.S. security and defense cooperation; Canada in Afghanistan; global health policy; and changing demographics in North America. Projects that include collaboration with researchers at Canadian institutions are strongly encouraged.

For more information, click here.

Role of Human-Animal Interaction in Child Health & Development

The purpose of this grant is to build an empirical research base on how children perceive, relate to and think about animals; how pets in the home impact children's social and emotional development and health (e.g. allergies, the immune system, asthma, mitigation of obesity); and whether and under what conditions therapeutic uses of animals is safe and effective.

Amount: $50,000 (R03 -- Small Research Grant Awards); $500,000 (R01 -- Large Grant Awards)

Due: November 19, 2009

Projects should be theoretically based and seek to answer questions that address key developmental, health and safety issues regarding the interactions of children and youth with animals in the home or therapeutic settings. Research to identify biobehavioral markers also is encouraged. Such work could not only inform the field about traits that make particular animals more suitable for interaction with individuals in certain settings, but could also be useful in identifying animal models of gene-behavior associations in humans. Physiologic measures (e.g. neuroendocrines, genetic, heart rate, neuroimaging), as well as direct or observational measures of behavioral, cognitive, psychosocial, and/or psychoeducational outcomes are encouraged.

For more information on the R03 competition, click here. For more information on the R01 competition, click here.

Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

The National Science Foundation aims to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States and to reinforce its diversity by offering approximately 1,654 graduate fellowships in this competition pending availability of funds. The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are in the early stages of their graduate study.

Amount: Graduate Research Fellowship, $30,000; Tuition allowance, $10,500.

Due: November 2, 2009

NSF Fellows are expected to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. These individuals will be crucial to maintaining and advancing the nation’s technological infrastructure and national security as well as contributing to the economic well being of society at large. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program is designed to provide opportunities for advanced education that prepares students for a broad range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary careers through its strategic investments in intellectual capital.

Applicable disciplines include chemistry, computer and information science, economics, engineering, geosciences, life sciences, mathematics, physics, psychology, and the social sciences.

For more information, click here.

NASA K-12 STEM & Teacher Professional Development

NASA is seeking proposals that focus on secondary education and incorporate innovative approaches for development and delivery of instructional materials, create experiences that capture the interest of learners, and actively involve participants in NASA science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) content applications.

Amount: $750,000 - $1.5m over two years

Due: September 25, 2009

Proposals initiating professional development opportunities for in-service educators. This funding category supports sustained secondary education level in-service teacher professional development, with emphasis on reaching high school level educators. Proposals should utilize NASA content to enhance teacher content knowledge and confidence in teaching STEM. Proposals should articulate, in reasonable detail, how teachers will apply knowledge gained through participation in the proposed activity to the classroom. Proposers should also identify where and how NASA-unique content will be integrated into teaching activities. Proposals for in-service professional development should involve schools, school districts, state departments of education, or other academic institutions, where appropriate.

For more information, click here.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU Sites must have a well-defined common focus that enables a cohort experience for students. These projects may be based in a single discipline or academic department, or on interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme.

Amount: Varies

Due: October 22, 2009

REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department, or on interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an international dimension are welcome. A partnership with the Department of Defense supports REU Sites in DoD-relevant research areas.

For more information, click here.

NOAA Coastal & Marine Habitat Restoration

Through this solicitation, NOAA seeks to openly compete funding available for multi-year national and regional habitat restoration Partnerships. Partnerships will result in implementation of a wide-range of individual habitat restoration projects, from locally-driven, grass-roots projects that emphasize stewardship and hands-on restoration, to mid-scale, watershed level projects that yield significant ecological and socio-economic benefits.

Amount: $250,000 - $5 million

Due: September 30, 2009

NOAA envisions working jointly on such Partnerships through its Community-based Restoration Program (CRP) to identify, evaluate, fund, and administer projects that offer this range of ecological, socio- economic and stewardship benefits to coastal watershed communities.

For more information, click here.

Impact of Climate Change on Extreme Floods in the Western United States

The Bureau of Reclamation announces the availability of funding to explore questions relating to extreme floods and climate change.

Amount: $200,000

Due: August 10, 2009

Does the paleoflood chronology in the western U.S. indicate increased frequency and magnitude during specific, long-term climate shifts, and do those floods correlate well with the long-term, streamflow record? To develop the chronology, this study will: (1) conduct paleoflood field studies, (2) utilize two geochronology techniques for validating age constraints of paleofloods, and (3) run hydraulic models to estimate the discharge of individual paleofloods. By combining these three methodologies, a robust paleoflood chronology can be developed that will reveal critical information about theoretical questions about extreme hydrologic responses to climate change. Further work will focus on implications for flood hydroclimatology and flood frequency analyses. Results from this study will be disseminated widely to various state and federal agencies, non-profit groups and floodplain managers.

For more information, click here.

Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP)

The SciSIP program underwrites fundamental research that creates new explanatory models, analytic tools and datasets designed to inform the nation’s public and private sectors about the processes through which investments in science and engineering (S&E) research are transformed into social and economic outcomes.

Amount: $50,000 - $400,000 across 3 years

Due: December 16, 2009

The FY 2009 competition includes three emphasis areas: Analytical Tools, Model Building, and Data Development and Augmentation. The emergent body of research will develop and utilize techniques for retrospective and prospective analyses. In addition, research will provide insight into factors that propagate new ideas at levels from the molecular functioning of the human brain to the organizational, state, national and international levels as well as advances the analysis and visualization of datasets describing complex social relationships and networks.

In addition to these three emphasis areas, the FY 2009 competition particularly encourages the submission of proposals that demonstrate the viability of collecting and analyzing data on knowledge generation and innovation in organizations. In addition to providing innovative and scientifically based ways of describing and analyzing knowledge generation and innovation in organizations, these demonstration projects should address three specific aspects of the data collection approach:

• scalability and sustainability;
• protection of the confidentiality of respondents in computerized, widely accessible databases; and
• evaluation and assessment of the project's progress towards its scientific goals

For more information, click here.

Enduring Questions: Pilot Course Grant

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announces the availability of the Enduring Questions grant program supports a faculty member’s development of a new course that will foster intellectual community through the study of an enduring question. This course will encourage undergraduate students and a teacher to grapple with a fundamental question addressed by the humanities, and to join together in a deep and sustained program of reading in order to encounter influential thinkers over the centuries and into the present day.

Amount: $25,000

Due: September 15, 2009

An Enduring Questions grant supports the development of a new undergraduate humanities course that must be taught at least twice during the grant period. The grant supports the work of a faculty member in designing, preparing, and assessing the course. It may also be used for ancillary activities that enhance faculty-student intellectual community, such as visits to museums and artistic or cultural events. An Enduring Questions course may be taught by a faculty member from any department or discipline in the humanities or by a faculty member outside the humanities (e.g., astronomy, biology, economics, law, mathematics, medicine, psychology), so long as humanities sources are central to the course.

For more information, click here.

NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology & Mathematics (S-STEM)

The National Science Foundation announces a request for proposals (RFP) from universities interested in providing scholarships for academically talented, financially needy students, enabling them to enter the workforce following completion of an associate, baccalaureate or graduate-level degree in science, technology or mathematics. Grantee institutions are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, reporting demographic information, and managing the S-STEM project at the institution.

Amount: $600,000 to be spread across 5 years

Due date: 09/14/09 (notice of intent due 08/11/09)

According to NSF, "The S-STEM program emphasizes the importance of recruiting students to science and engineering disciplines, mentoring and supporting students through degree completion, and partnering with employers to facilitate student career placement in the STEM workforce. Participating institutions are expected to support the goals of the S-STEM program including:

• Improved educational opportunities for students;
• Increased retention of students to degree achievement;
• Improved student support programs at institutions of higher education;
• Increased numbers of well-educated and skilled employees in technical areas of national need.

Students to be awarded scholarships must demonstrate academic talent and financial need. In addition, they must be US citizens, permanent residents, nationals, or refugees.

For more information click here.