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his announcement explicitly encourages projects that improve the capacity of education systems and communities to create impactful STEM educational experiences for students and workers. Submissions are encouraged to consider including active learning approaches and incorporating 21st century skill development. Projects must aim to increase student and worker engagement in STEM and enhance people with needed Naval STEM capabilities. ONR encourages applications to utilize current STEM educational research for informing project design and advancing our understanding of how and why people choose STEM careers and opportunities of naval relevance. While this announcement is relevant for any stage of the STEM educational system, funding efforts will be targeted primarily toward projects addressing the below communities or any combination of these communities: * Secondary education communities; * Post-Secondary communities; * Informal science communities; * Current naval STEM workforce communities. Project scope may range in size and complexity. Projects that are already established with prior funding sources or have established stakeholders are especially encouraged to consider the following scope areas: * Develop and implement exploratory pilot projects that seek to create new educational experiences within educational and training communities. * Develop larger cohesive STEM education and training activities that strengthen the capacity of regional communities and stakeholders to improve STEM education and training.

This FOA encourages Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions and organizations proposing research aimed at characterizing animal stem cells and improving existing, and creating new, animal models for human disease conditions.The intent of this initiative is to facilitate the use of stem cell-based therapies for regenerative medicine. The initiative focuses on the following areas: 1) comparative analysis of animal and human stem cells to provide information for selection of the most predictive and informative model systems; 2) development of new technologies for stem cell characterization and transplantation; and 3) improvement of animal disease models for stem cell-based therapeutic applications.

This FOA encourages Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions and organizations proposing research aimed at characterizing animal stem cells and improving existing, and creating new, animal models for human disease conditions.The intent of this initiative is to facilitate the use of stem cell-based therapies for regenerative medicine. The initiative focuses on the following areas: 1) comparative analysis of animal and human stem cells to provide information for selection of the most predictive and informative model systems; 2) development of new technologies for stem cell characterization and transplantation; and 3) improvement of animal disease models for stem cell-based therapeutic applications.

The NSF Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) in collaboration with AAAS will offer an Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) webinar focusing on opportunities for funding in the IUSE: EHR program, specifically associated with the Institutional and Community Transformation (ICT) track of the IUSE program. An audio archive and slides will be posted after the webinar at https://aaas-iuse.org. The IUSE: EHR program "seeks to promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for all undergraduates." The program supports proposals interested in improving undergraduate education, developing faculty expertise, preparing K-12 teachers, and providing all undergraduate students with STEM competencies and a basic understanding of STEM concepts and principles. All projects must contribute to the body of knowledge about what works in undergraduate STEM education and the conditions that lead to improved STEM teaching and learning. The ICT track seeks to fund innovative work on systemic change that may be measured at the departmental, institutional, or multi-institutional level, or across communities of STEM educators and/or educational researchers. ICT projects are expected to include one or more theories of change to guide the proposed work and this webinar will provide information about expectations for Identifying and incorporating these theories of change.

Recognizing disciplinary differences and priorities, NSF's investment in research and development in undergraduate STEM education encompasses a range of approaches. These approaches include: experiential learning, assessment/metrics of learning and practice, scholarships, foundational education research, professional development/institutional change, formal and informal learning environments, and undergraduate disciplinary research. Both individually and integrated in a range of combinations, these approaches can lead to outcomes including: developing the STEM and STEM-related workforce, advancing science, broadening participation in STEM, educating a STEM-literate populace, improving K-12 STEM education, encouraging life-long learning, and building capacity in higher education.

The NSF Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) in collaboration with AAAS will offer an Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) webinar focusing on opportunities for funding in the IUSE: EHR program, specifically associated with expectations of the new IUSE solicitation, NSF 19-601. An audio archive and slides will be posted after the webinar at https://aaas-iuse.org. The IUSE: EHR program "seeks to promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for all undergraduates." The program supports proposals interested in improving undergraduate education, developing faculty expertise, preparing K-12 teachers, and providing all undergraduate students with STEM competencies and a basic understanding of STEM concepts and principles. All projects must contribute to the body of knowledge about what works in undergraduate STEM education and the conditions that lead to improved STEM teaching and learning. 

As computing has become an integral part of the practice of modern science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the STEM + Computing Partnerships program seeks to address the urgent need to prepare students from the early grades through high school in the essential skills, competencies, and dispositions needed to succeed in a computationally-dependent world. Thus, STEM+C advances the integration of computational thinking and computing activities in early childhood education through high school (pre-K-12) to provide a strong and developmental foundation in computing and computational thinking through the integration of computing in STEM teaching and learning, and/or the applied integration of STEM content in pre-K-12 computer science education.

July 16 | 3:00-4:30pm ET The IUSE: EHR program seeks to promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for all undergraduates. The program supports proposals interested in improving undergraduate education, developing faculty expertise, preparing K-12 teachers, and providing all undergraduate students with STEM competencies and a basic understanding of STEM concepts and principles. All projects must contribute to the body of knowledge about what works in undergraduate STEM education and the conditions that lead to improved STEM teaching and learning.

This Limited Competition Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications from the Program Directors/Principal Investigators of the nine current Research Centers (RCs) of the Intestinal Stem Cell Consortium (ISCC) to submit collaborative projects to characterize the minimal, required niche factors that support intestinal stem cells in health and disease, using an integrated, multidisciplinary team science approach. The nine current RCs have been collaborating for the past 4 years, answering major questions in stem cell biology of the intestinal epithelium and also accelerating research by making information and resources available to the research community. In addition, the RCs have established effective and proficient collaborations with other RCs within the ISCC. The primary objective of this FOA is to continue advancing the understanding of intestinal epithelial stem cell biology with the ultimate goal of developing novel therapies targeting intestinal stem cells and supportive niche to regenerate and rebuild the human intestine.

This FOA encourages Resource-Related Research Project Grant (R24) applications from institutions and organizations proposing research aimed at characterizing animal stem cells and improving existing and creating new animal models for human disease conditions. The intent of this initiative is to facilitate the use of stem cell-based therapies for regenerative medicine. The initiative focuses on the following areas: 1) comparative analysis of animal and human stem cells to provide information for selection of the most predictive and informative model systems; 2) development of new technologies for stem cell characterization and transplantation; and 3) improvement of animal disease models for stem cell-based therapeutic applications.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to provide opportunities for eligible small business concerns (SBCs) to submit STTR grant applications to develop interactive digital media science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) resources that address student career choice and health and medicine topics for: (1) pre-kindergarten to grade 12 (P-12) students and pre- and in-service teachers ("Teachers") or (2) Informal science education (ISE), i.e., outside the classroom, audiences. Interactive digital media (IDM) are defined as products and services on digital computer-based systems which respond to the user's actions by presenting content such as text, moving image, animation, video, audio, and video games. There is a large body of evidence that IDM technology has the potential to support learning in a variety of contexts from primary and secondary schools, to universities, adult education and workplace training. IDM is widely used to train, educate, and encourage behavioral changes in a virtual world format where progressive learning, feedback on success and user control are combined into an interactive and engaging experience. It is anticipated that this STTR FOA will facilitate the translation of new or existing health and medicine-based, P-12 STEM curricula and museum exhibits into educational Interactive Digital Media STEM (IDM STEM) resources that will provide a hands-on, inquiry-based and learning-by-doing experience for students, teachers and the community.

The grand challenge of broadening participation in STEM is to transform the STEM enterprise at all levels in order to fully engage the nation's talent for the ultimate improvement of the STEM enterprise. As a comprehensive national initiative, NSF INCLUDES aims to address the various complex equity and inclusion-related challenges and opportunities that characterize the nation's cultural and linguistic diversity, with a specific emphasis on the aforementioned groups. The goal is to achieve impact at the national level. Viewing inclusion as an asset and opportunity for social innovation, NSF is particularly interested in using approaches to scaling and growth, such as collective impact, networked improvement communities, and strategic partnerships. The objective is to develop networks that involve representative organizations and consortia from different sectors that are committed to a common agenda that comprehensively solves a specific STEM-inclusion problem. The long-term goal of NSF INCLUDES is to support innovative models, networks, partnerships, technical capabilities and research that will enable the U.S. science and engineering workforce to thrive by ensuring that traditionally underrepresented and underserved groups are represented in percentages comparable to their representation in the U.S. population.

Stem cell technology holds the promise of providing a nearly limitless source of safe, immune-matched cells for clinical use. One of the first areas where this promise can be realized is through cell products that lack a nucleus and thus face fewer regulatory hurdles, such as red blood cells and platelets. Considerable progress has been made but scientific questions remain and improved tools to enhance the production are required if translation to clinical use is to be achieved. To this end, this FOA will support research addressing remaining scientific questions to enable and accelerate the use of stem cell-derived blood products as therapeutics. While production of sufficient numbers of cells such as platelets and red cells has been demonstrated using cellular engineering methods, basic research questions related to cell differentiation and maturation remain, which if elucidated, may allow for the development of new ways to efficiently produce clinically-useful stem cell-derived platelets or red blood cells. In addition to this FOA, two companion FOAs (RFA-HL-15-029 and RFA-HL-15-030) will support small business research to develop improved techniques and tools to enhance the production of clinically-relevant, functional stem cell-derived red blood cells or platelets in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

NSF INCLUDES (Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) is a comprehensive national initiative designed to enhance U.S. leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) discoveries and innovations by focusing on broadening participation in these fields at scale. The vision of NSF INCLUDES is to catalyze the STEM enterprise to collaboratively work for inclusive change, which will result in a STEM workforce that reflects the population of the Nation. The initiative is developing a National Network composed of NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilots, NSF INCLUDES Alliances, an NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub, NSF-funded broadening participation projects, other relevant NSF-funded projects, scholars engaged in broadening participation research, and other organizations that support the development of talent from all sectors of society to build an inclusive STEM workforce.

Miami faculty should notify Associate Provost Jim Oris of their interest in the following RFP. ---------- CGS invites doctoral-granting member institutions to apply to participate in Understanding PhD Career Pathways for Program Improvement, a multi-institution effort to collect and use data on PhD career pathways, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Science Foundation (NSF #1661272). This is an important opportunity to deepen your institution's understanding of the career goals and outcomes of its PhDs; communicate your support for the career diversity of PhDs; make evidence-based interventions that support the success of PhDs and the recruitment of future students; and access anonymized benchmarking data compiled from other project partners.   Awards: Option 1: Humanities Only. Provides awards of $30,000 each to support implementation of surveys of humanities PhD students and alumni over a period of twenty-four months. Supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; 15 awards available. Please indicate in your proposal why a humanities-only project aligns with your institutional mission.   Option 2: STEM Only. Provides awards of $50,000 to each to support implementation of surveys of STEM PhD students and alumni over a period of thirty-six months. Supported by the National Science Foundation; 15 awards available. Please indicate in your proposal why a STEM-only project aligns with your institutional mission.   Option 3: Combined Proposal. If an institution meets the eligibility requirements for both the Humanities and STEM awards, CGS strongly encourages the submission of a combined proposal. Institutions selected to participate in this category will receive a total award amount of $80,000.

The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. NSF especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, veterans, and undergraduate seniors to apply.

The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. NSF especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, veterans, and undergraduate seniors to apply.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage applications from the scientific community to support outstanding research in the area of spermatogenic stem cell (SSC) biology.The overarching goal is to increase the chances that couples may have biological offspring without using conventional assisted reproductive modalities (i.e., IVF, ICSI).A focal point of the initiative is on the development of new techniques to culture and expand these cells over an extended period of time.Another area of study includes methods to eliminate malignant cells from SSC cultures following chemotherapy/radiation treatment. Also, spermatogenic stem cells from human adults could have a major impact on drug development and toxicity testing as animal-based systems do not sufficiently mirror the situation in humans.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage applications from the scientific community to support outstanding research in the area of spermatogenic stem cell (SSC) biology.The overarching goal is to increase the chances that couples may have biological offspring without using conventional assisted reproductive modalities (i.e., IVF, ICSI).A focal point of the initiative is on the development of new techniques to culture and expand these cells over an extended period of time.Another area of study includes methods to eliminate malignant cells from SSC cultures following chemotherapy/radiation treatment. Also, spermatogenic stem cells from human adults could have a major impact on drug development and toxicity testing as animal-based systems do not sufficiently mirror the situation in humans.

Ethical and Responsible Research (ER2) funds research projects that identify (1) factors that are effective in the formation of ethical STEM researchers and (2) approaches to developing those factors in all STEM fields that NSF supports. ER2 solicits proposals for research that explores the following: "What constitutes responsible conduct for research (RCR), and which cultural and institutional contexts promote ethical STEM research and practice and why?" Do certain labs have a "culture of academic integrity?" What practices contribute to the establishment and maintenance of ethical cultures and how can these practices be transferred, extended to, and integrated into other research and learning settings?" Factors one might consider include: honor codes, professional ethics codes and licensing requirements, an ethic of service and/or service learning, life-long learning requirements, curricula or memberships in organizations (e.g. Engineers without Borders) that stress responsible conduct for research, institutions that serve under-represented groups, institutions where academic and research integrity are cultivated at multiple levels, institutions that cultivate ethics across the curriculum, or programs that promote group work, or do not grade. Successful proposals typically have a comparative dimension, either between or within institutional settings that differ along these or among other factors, and they specify plans for developing interventions that promote the effectiveness of identified factors.

A primary focus of these programs is on the use of in vitro methods and assays using lower organisms to screen thousands of chemicals for toxicity in order to identify mechanisms of compound-induced biological activity, characterize toxicity pathways, facilitate cross-species extrapolation, and provide input to models for low-dose extrapolation.  Data generated by these methods will be used to prioritize compounds for more extensive toxicological evaluation and to develop predictive models for biological response in humans. Current approaches are limited in terms of incorporating genetic variability in toxicity testing and in assessing the effects of chemicals in multiple normal tissue and cell types, relying on immortalized cell lines or primary cell lines derived from tissues. Thus, there is a need for novel, medium- to high-throughput assays (at least a 96-well format) to evaluate the effects of chemical compounds on the differentiation of pluripotent or multi-potent stem cells as well as the effects of chemical exposures on differentiated cell types representative of various in vivo tissues. Approaches can include the use of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, approved human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines, or ES or iPS cells derived from genetically characterized mouse strains. Assays should be able to measure the effects of toxicants on the differentiation process and/or on the differentiated cells themselves; cell types of high priority include but are not limited to cardiomyocytes, neural cells, hepatocytes, endothelial cells, lung (airway or alveolar) cells, and hormonally-responsive tissues such as reproductive tissues or breast epithelial cells.

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The NRT program seeks proposals that ensure that graduate students in research-based master's and doctoral degree programs develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. The NRT program includes two tracks: the Traineeship Track and the Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Track.