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The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is pleased to offer a limited number of conference grants. These grants will be used to subsidize the cost of attendance for individuals to attend either CUR Dialogues 2015: Climbing the Ladder to Funding Success: Diverse Sources, Diverse Pathways or Undergraduate Research Programs: Building, Enhancing, Sustaining. Nominees are asked to provide contact and demographic information, a statement of expenses, a statement describing financial need, and a statement on expected outcomes from attending the conference. Historically under-represented groups and first-time attendees will be given priority. The review committee will work to ensure awardees represent a diverse subset of the applicants, specifically across discipline/CUR Division and geographic location. Awardees will receive the conference grant as a rebate after their confirmed participation in the conference, and the submission of reimbursement paperwork.

The GTE program supports fundamental research on geotechnical engineering aspects of civil infrastructure, such as site characterization, foundations, earth retaining systems, underground construction, excavations, tunneling, and drilling. Also included in the program scope is research on geoenvironmental engineering; geotechnical engineering aspects of geothermal energy; life-cycle analysis of geostructures; geotechnical earthquake engineering that does not involve the use of George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) facilities; scour and erosion; and geohazards such as tsunamis, landslides, mudslides and debris flows. The program does not support research related to natural resource exploration or recovery. Emphasis is on issues of sustainability and resilience of civil infrastructure. Cross-disciplinary and international collaborations are encouraged.

While geothermal power is an attractive potential source for sustainable energy production, the high heat temperature requirements (typically >150?C) of most geothermal capture systems constrain geographic distribution and economic viability of geothermal energy production. Advancement of strategic material or mineral recovery aims to address this limitation. By partnering with geothermal and mineral industry stakeholders to develop additional revenue streams from brines, the economic viability of geothermal projects will increase while also allowing for increased geographic diversity of this clean, round-the-clock energy source. Rare earths and strategic minerals are essential for modern industry, especially clean-energy technologies, but are subject to supply risk in the face of ever-increasing demand. As an example, consumer uses of lithium batteries have soared over the last decade, powering everything from electric cars to tablets to cell phones. Global demand for lithium carbonate is expected to exceed 250,000 tons by 2017?a 60% increase over current usage. As demand grows in this burgeoning market, a reliable supply of critical materials for advanced manufacturing technologies is a growing concern. This program aims to help alleviate this type of supply bottleneck. The Energy Department seeks up to ten 1-2 year feasibility and/or applied R&D projects that will lead to commercialized technologies. Geothermal mining of rare earth and near-critical metals are the focus of this research, with the intent to effectively lower the cost of geothermal energy production while diversifying and stabilizing the supply of critical materials for domestic industries.

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national and regional partnership working to provide observations, data, and new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment. NOAA is requesting proposals for coordinated regional efforts that further the IOOS in two topic areas, 1) sustaining and enhancing comprehensive regional observing systems and 2) verification and validation of observing technologies for studying and monitoring coastal and ocean environments. NOAA invites applicants to submit proposals for one or both of these topic areas, described in detail below, and requests applicants submit separate applications for each topic area. For single topic proposals, clearly identify the topic area and present all required information such that merit reviewers can associate proposal elements (project description, partners, budgets) with the specific topic area. NOAA anticipates making multiple awards, subject to the availability of funds, in amounts ranging from $1,000,000 to $4,000,000 per year, for up to five years.

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national and regional partnership working to provide observations, data, and new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment. NOAA is requesting proposals for coordinated regional efforts that further the IOOS in two topic areas, 1) sustaining and enhancing comprehensive regional observing systems and 2) verification and validation of observing technologies for studying and monitoring coastal and ocean environments. NOAA invites applicants to submit proposals for one or both of these topic areas, described in detail below, and requests applicants submit separate applications for each topic area. For single topic proposals, clearly identify the topic area and present all required information such that merit reviewers can associate proposal elements (project description, partners, budgets) with the specific topic area. NOAA anticipates making multiple awards, subject to the availability of funds, in amounts ranging from $1,000,000 to $4,000,000 per year, for up to five years.

Participating Scientists may propose any investigation that addresses the goals of the Mars Exploration Program, although emphasis will be placed on investigations addressing one or more of the MSL science objectives listed here: · Characterization of geological features contributing to deciphering geological history and the processes that have formed or modified bedrock and regolith, with emphasis on the role of water; · Determination of the mineralogy and chemical composition (including an inventory of elements such as C, H, N, O, P, S, etc. known to be building blocks for life) of surface and near surface materials; · Determination of energy sources that could be used to sustain biological processes; · Characterization of organic compounds and potential biomarkers in representative bedrock and regolith; · Determination of the stable isotopic and noble gas composition of the present-day atmosphere and of ancient H2O and CO2 preserved in hydrated minerals; · Identification of potential biosignatures (chemical, textural, isotopic) in rocks and regolith; · Characterization of the broad spectrum of surface radiation, including galactic cosmic radiation, solar particle events, and secondary neutrons; · Characterization of the local environment, including basic meteorology, the state and cycling of water and CO2, and the near-surface distribution of hydrogen; · Identification and quantitative assessment of "taphonomic windows" for organic carbon (subset of habitable environments also capable of preserving organic compounds through exposure age dating and refined models for primary facies distributions and diagenesis); and · Exploration and characterization of major environmental transitions recorded in the geology of the foothills of Mount Sharp and adjacent plains.

PFI has five broad goals, as set forth by the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2017 ("the Act", S.3084 - 114th Congress; Sec. 602. Translational Research Grants): (1) identifying and supporting NSF-sponsored research and technologies that have the potential for accelerated commercialization; (2) supporting prior or current NSF-sponsored investigators, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations that partner with an institution of higher education in undertaking proof-of-concept work, including the development of technology prototypes that are derived from NSF-sponsored research and have potential market value; (3) promoting sustainable partnerships between NSF-funded institutions, industry, and other organizations within academia and the private sector with the purpose of accelerating the transfer of technology; (4) developing multi-disciplinary innovation ecosystems which involve and are responsive to the specific needs of academia and industry; (5) providing professional development, mentoring, and advice in entrepreneurship, project management, and technology and business development to innovators.

The mission of the BLM is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The overlying objective of the proposed project is to improve watershed health (i.e., structure and function) within the Upper Gila River Watershed upstream of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation dam and New Mexico border. Healthy watersheds provide economic and ecological benefits to local communities through flood attenuation, erosion control, and improved water quality and increased quantity.

With generous support from the Cleveland Zoological Society, the Asia Seed Grants Program provides funds to support field conservation and research projects in Asia. Annual awards ranging from $1000 to $3500 will be made to conservation and research initiatives involving wildlife and their habitats, and educational or cultural activities that involve or impact wildlife and their habitats. Ideal projects have clear and direct conservation impact, positively affect local people and create opportunities for capacity building in country. Projects focusing on the following areas of special interest to the Zoo are strongly encouraged to apply: · Wildlife protection · Human wildlife conflict mitigation · Development and promotion of sustainable environmental practices · Habitat protection and restoration · Capacity-building, education/training, community-based conservation and development · Conservation biology, ecology and natural history studies · Species/taxa based projects that focus on species within the Zoo's collection will be given priority.

The Fellowship Program expects to award two new Ph.D. Fellowships each year to students who are interested in careers related to the development and implementation of quantitative methods for assessing the economics of the conservation and management of living marine resources. Fellows will work on thesis problems of public interest and relevance to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under the guidance of NMFS mentors at participating NMFS Science Centers or Offices. The NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowship in Marine Resource Economics meets NOAA's Healthy Oceans goal of "Marine fisheries, habitats, biodiversity sustained with healthy and productive ecosystems." The expected annual award per Fellow will be $46,000 (Federal plus matching funds), which is funded jointly by NOAA Fisheries and Sea Grant.

The IMEE program supports fundamental, multidisciplinary research on the impact of hazards and disasters upon civil infrastructure and society. The program is focused upon research on the mitigation of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from multi-hazard disasters. Community and societal resilience and sustainability are important topics within the research portfolio of IMEE. The program is deeply multidisciplinary, integrating multiple perspectives, methods and results from diverse areas in engineering, social and natural sciences, and computing. Among these are civil, mechanical, transportation and system engineering; sociology, cognitive science and psychology, economics, geography, political science and urban planning; geology, biology and meteorology; and applied computing. Methodological innovations that span multiple, diverse disciplines are strongly encouraged.

The Geotechnical Engineering and Materials Program (GEM) supports fundamental research in soil and rock mechanics and dynamics in support of physical civil infrastructure systems. Also supported is research on improvement of the engineering properties of geologic materials for infrastructure use by mechanical, biological, thermal, chemical, and electrical processes. The Program supports the traditional areas of foundation engineering, earth structures, underground construction, tunneling, geoenvironmental engineering, and site characterization, as well as the emerging area of bio-geo engineering, for civil engineering applications, with emphasis on sustainable geosystems. Research related to the geotechnical engineering aspects of geothermal energy and geothermal heat pump systems is also supported. The GEM program encourages knowledge dissemination and technology transfer activities that can lead to broader societal benefit and implementation for provision of physical civil infrastructure. The Program also encourages research that explores and builds upon advanced computing techniques and tools to enable major advances in Geotechnical Engineering.

n accordance with 10 USC §2192, Improvement of education in technical fields: general authority regarding education in science, mathematics, and engineering, the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) K-16 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and outreach is seeking to strategically implant a vehicle to identify and support stronger guidelines for conducting K-16 education and outreach programs. The Department of Defense seeks to diversify its portfolio of support and increase focus on efforts that support the Force of the Future, and align with the Federal and DoD STEM strategies. Enhancing the permeability of ideas into DoD's workforce, especially the STEM workforce, through alliances with academia, industry and various non-traditional partners in STEM should deliver far-reaching sustainable and scalable programs and partnerships. While aligning with the DoD STEM mission, "to attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the education continuum to enrich our current and future DoD workforce to meet defense technological challenges," the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) should collaboratively work with the Government to provide a cohesive strategy to meet the vision, roles, and goals outlined in the DoD STEM Strategic Plan

Scientific research into complex coastal systems and the interplay with coastal hazards is vital for predicting, responding to and mitigating threats in these regions. Understanding the risks associated with coastal hazards requires a holistic Earth Systems approach that integrates improved understanding of and, where possible, predictions about natural, social, and technological processes with efforts to increase the resilience of coastal systems. The Coastlines and People program supports diverse, innovative, multi-institution awards that are focused on critically important coastlines and people research that is integrated with broadening participation goals. The objective of this solicitation is to support Coastal Research Hubs, structured using a convergent science approach, at the nexus between coastal sustainability, human dimensions, and coastal processes to transform understanding of interactions among natural, human-built, and social systems in coastal, populated environments.

(1) biodiversity valuation, ecosystem functions, ecosystem services, requisite socio-economic transformations, and the sustainable consumption and production of natural resources; (2) biodiversity indicators, scenario planning and prediction, risk analysis, identification of tipping points and/or feedbacks between socio-economic, biodiversity, and ecosystem dynamics

The Fellowship Program expects to award at least three new Ph.D. Fellowships in 2018 to students who are interested in careers related to marine ecosystem and population dynamics, with a focus on modeling and managing systems of living marine resources. The emphasis will be on the development and implementation of quantitative methods for assessing marine ecosystems, for assessing the status of fish, invertebrate, and other targeted species stocks and for assessing the status of marine mammals, seabirds, and other protected species. Fellows will work on thesis problems of public interest and relevance to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under the guidance of NMFS mentors at participating NMFS Science Centers or Offices. The NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowship in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics meets NOAA's Healthy Oceans goal of "Marine fisheries, habitats, biodiversity sustained with healthy and productive ecosystems".

The mission of the NOAA Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) research portfolio is to inform improvements in planning and preparedness in diverse socio-economic regions and sectors throughout the U.S. and abroad via the integration of knowledge and information about extreme weather and climate. Our research advances the nation's understanding of climate-related risks and vulnerabilities across sectors and regions - within and beyond our borders - and the development of tools to foster more informed decision making. These efforts support NOAA's vision to create and sustain enhanced resilience in ecosystems, communities, and economies. The overall objectives of the CSI portfolio are the following: 1. Support innovative, applicable, and transferable approaches for decision making, especially for risk characterization in the context of a variable and changing climate; 2. Establishment of a network of regionally scoped, long-term efforts to inform climate risk management and decision making; and 3. Promotion of the transfer of climate knowledge, tools, products, and services within NOAA, across the federal government, nationally, and internationally.

In the last century, the study of biology has slowly fragmented into subdisciplines, creating a dynamic tension between unifying principles and increasingly reductionist pursuits. The aim of this solicitation is to bring researchers together around the common goal of understanding how the processes that sustain life and enable biological innovation operate and interact within and across different scales of organization, from molecules to cells, tissues to organisms, species, ecosystems, biomes and the entire Earth. The Biology Integration Institutes (BII) program supports collaborative teams of researchers investigating questions that span multiple disciplines within and beyond biology.

The OFRN Round 5 Sustaining Ohio's Aeronautical Readiness and Innovation in the Next Generation (SOARING) Opportunity Announcement is focused on expanding Ohio's research and development capabilities across the state's academic institutions and business in support of Ohio-based federal partner needs, which ultimately promotes Ohio's economic growth.  OFRN Round 5 Areas of Interest (AOIs) include topics in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Artificial Intelligence, Human Factors, Data Analytics, Space Commercialization, Quantum Communications and Advanced Power Systems.  This announcement seeks to leverage Ohio's unique research capabilities and its federal partner's expertise to accelerate technology development and innovation by increasing collaboration across government, academic, and industry organizations. 

The RISA program supports the development of knowledge, expertise, and abilities of decision-makers to plan and prepare for climate variability and change. Through regionally-focused and interdisciplinary research and engagement teams, RISA builds and expands the Nation's capacity to adapt and become resilient to extreme weather events and climate change. RISA teams accomplish this through co-developed applied research and partnerships with public and private communities. A central tenet of the RISA program is that learning about climate adaptation and resilience is facilitated by and sustained across a wide range of experts, practitioners, and the public. As such, the RISA program supports a network of people, prioritizing wide participation in learning by doing, learning through adapting, and managing risk with uncertain information. Early decades of the program focused on understanding the use of climate information at regional scales (e.g., through experimental seasonal outlooks), improving predictions and scenarios, building capacity for drought early warning, and advancing the science of climate impact assessments. More recently, emphasis has shifted to address the growing urgency to advance approaches that tackle the complex societal issues surrounding adaptation planning, implementation, and building community resilience. To do so, RISA continues to prioritize collaborative approaches that incorporate multiple knowledge sources and integrate social, physical, and natural science, resulting in long-term support of and increased capacity for communities.