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The Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture announces its annual call for papers for the Charles Hughes Fellowship and the John Spiegel Fellowship in Cultural Psychiatry. The Charles Hughes Fellowship is an annual award presented to a graduate student who has an interest in and commitment to cultural psychiatry and mental health. The John Spiegel Fellowship is an annual award presented to a resident in clinical training who is dedicated to improving clinical care through culturally-informed practice.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is intended to address the problem of misidentified cell lines. Many advances in biomedical science have arisen from studies of cultured cell lines, which are widely used for basic research on cell function, as models for disease, and for drug screening.  In most of this research, correct identification of the cell lines used is necessary to replicate experiments.  In addition, in a majority of the projects the cell lines used were chosen because they are predicated to recapitulate biologically important features of the tissue and/or tumor of origin, for example, driver mutations, expression patterns, and functional correlates of the differentiated state of the original tissue. Cell line origins are documented by chain of custody (a continuous chronological record documenting their source, transfer, analysis, and disposition).  However, cell lines in culture are prone to contamination by foreign cells, which may rapidly displace the original cells.  The identity of cultured cells should be routinely verified, but a majority of laboratories do not monitor the identity of their cell lines, and many cell lines are misidentified.  Analyses of cells submitted to major repositories such as the ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) and the DSMZ (Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen) have found that 15-40% of cell lines submitted by investigators are misidentified, i.e., they have a tissue or species of origin that differs from the one reported.  Similar frequencies of misidentification have been reported by research laboratories that have examined cell line collections.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications for research centers to investigate toxic effects of chemical substances in three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models, hereafter referred to as 'organotypic culture models' (OCMs). OCMs are tissue culture models that mimic in vivo tissue architecture through interactions of heterotypic cell types (e.g., epithelium-stroma) and extracellular matrices (ECM). They can be established from isolated cells or from tissue fragments harvested in vivo, and will bridge the gap between conventional monolayer cell cultures and whole-animal systems. EPA is interested in the potential application of OCMs that mimic complex cell arrangements and physiologies, scalable from mid to higher throughput screening (HTS), and high-content screening (HCS) approaches. This solicitation seeks the formation of research centers that will guide the development and evaluation of OCMs that will accelerate translational research in predictive toxicology. Three dimensional tissue models may, for example, utilize animal cells combined with mechanical scaffolds or microfluidics devices. Under this solicitation, the successful applicant will lead a Center to craft OCMs that can recapitulate critical features of in vivo cellular organization and communication, cell-matrix interplay, morphogenetic processes and differentiation, physiology and chemical metabolism. 

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.

Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is the most widely used growth supplement for cell culture because it cost-effectively supports the survival and growth of many cell lines. Although serum is an effective growth promotor, it is highly variable in its composition, activity, and physiological effects on cells. This variability introduces inconsistencies into cell culture research. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will support STTR projects to develop novel, reliable, and cost-effective tools that will make it easier for researchers to standardize or replace serum in cell culture. Also listed under R43/44

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.

The U.S. Embassy Vientiane Public Diplomacy Section announces an open competition for organizations to submit project proposals for funding under the U.S. Embassy's 2018 Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) solicits proposals for projects that further the U.S. Mission's public diplomacy goals of strengthening people-to-people ties between Laos and the United States, expanding educational opportunities for Lao people to better engage with the United States and ASEAN, and building and strengthening local partners through the specific objectives listed below. Proposals for projects must focus on one of the priority areas specified below. Applicants should pay close attention to the Public Diplomacy Section's goals, priority program objectives, and target audiences when developing their proposals. Funding Opportunities include: Public Diplomacy Goals Education Inclusiveness and support issues related to: women, disabled persons, LGBT rights, ethnic minorities, other marginalized and stigmatized groups such as victims of human trafficking, underprivileged youth, or religious minorities. Promoting fundamental American values: promoting freedom of expression, press, association, and religion through public dialogue and events, cultural performances, the arts. Rule of Law Health and wellness Youth Women's empowerment Alumni Volunteering Entrepreneurship Environment Cultural Preservation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites investigators at U.S. organizations to submit proposals to conduct research about the Arctic. Arctic research includes field and modeling studies, data analysis, and synthesis about the arctic region.The goal of the NSF Section for Arctic Sciences, Division of Polar Programs (PLR),??is to gain a better understanding of the Arctic's physical, biological, geological, chemical, social and cultural processes; the interactions of oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric, biological, social, cultural, and economic systems; and the connections that define the Arctic. The Arctic Sciences and other NSF programs support projects that contribute to the development of the next generation of researchers and scientific literacy for all ages through education, outreach, and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Program representatives from polar and other non-polar NSF programs that support arctic research coordinate across NSF, including joint review and funding of arctic proposals and mutual support of special projects with high logistical costs.

The goal of the NSF Section for Arctic Sciences, Division of Polar Programs (PLR), is to gain a better understanding of the Arctic's physical, biological, geological, chemical, social and cultural processes; the interactions of oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric, biological, social, cultural, and economic systems; and the connections that define the Arctic. The Arctic Sciences and other NSF programs support projects that contribute to the development of the next generation of researchers and scientific literacy for all ages through education, outreach, and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Program representatives from polar and other non-polar NSF programs that support arctic research coordinate across NSF, including joint review and funding of arctic proposals and mutual support of special projects with high logistical costs.

The goal of the NSF Section for Arctic Sciences, Division of Polar Programs (PLR), is to gain a better understanding of the Arctic's physical, biological, geological, chemical, social and cultural processes; the interactions of oceanic, terrestrial, atmospheric, biological, social, cultural, and economic systems; and the connections that define the Arctic. The Arctic Sciences and other NSF programs support projects that contribute to the development of the next generation of researchers and scientific literacy for all ages through education, outreach, and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Program representatives from polar and other non-polar NSF programs that support arctic research coordinate across NSF, including joint review and funding of arctic proposals and mutual support of special projects with high logistical costs.

This FOA aims to increase testing of populations most affected by chronic hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C; and training of health care providers. Part A is Networking & Capacity Building and Part B is Professional Education & Training. Part A strategies & activities should focus on leading and growing an existing national coalition that is geographically diverse, is in at least different 10 states; and whose members are actively involved in viral hepatitis. The aim is to share strategies, materials, and lessons learned among coalition members; provide technical assistance to conduct culturally competent educational outreach; build the capacity to test the target populations for chronic viral hepatitis; and engage members in implementing CDC’s national viral hepatitis educational campaign(s).Outcomes for Part A are: increased number and capacity of coalition members to deliver culturally competent educational outreach to target population; increased numbers of individuals tested for chronic viral hepatitis; and increased exposure to CDC’s national education campaign. Part B activities are: developing free, accurate, up-to-date, CE-accredited comprehensive web-based, on-demand hepatitis materials, resources and trainings for health care professionals. The outcomes for part B are increasing the knowledge and skills of health care professionals, including the ability to screen, diagnose, medically manage, and provide care to people with chronic viral hepatitis.

This is a Task Agreement under a Youth Master Cooperative Agreement P15AC00031. The Recipient with recruit 2 interns. The purpose of this project is to provide youth hands-on experience in natural and cultural restoration and toenhance the scientific communities knowledge adding to the study/ monitoring of bats. This is in regards to the White Nose Syndrome (WNS),a deadly disease that affects North American bats. The work done by the interns will help the management and provide for public awareness. The primary goal is to continue with a landscape project involving 22 acres that was started in 2017.The objectives are to re-seed with native grasses and forbs. This project incorporates these public purposes: The information, products and/or services identified or developed by this project will be shared through a variety of strategies to increase public awareness, knowledge and support for historic preservation and stewardship of the nation's cultural and historical heritage. The principal purpose of the project is to support the Government's objective to provide opportunities for youth to learn about the environment by spending time working on projects in National Parks. The NPS receives the indirect benefit of completing conservation projects.

The Biological Anthropology Program supports multifaceted research to advance scientific knowledge of human biology and ecology, including understanding of our evolutionary history and mechanisms that have shaped human and nonhuman primate biological diversity. Supported research focuses on living and fossil forms of both human and nonhuman primates, addressing time scales ranging from the short-term to evolutionary, encompassing multiple levels of analysis (e.g., molecular, organismal, population, ecosystem), conducted in field, laboratory, captive, and computationalresearch environments, and often incorporating interactions between human biology and culture.

Areas of inquiry that promote understanding of the evolution, biology, and adaptability of our diverse species include, but are not limited to:genetic/epigenetic/genomic variation and relationship to phenotype;ecology and socioecology; functional anatomy and skeletal biology; andpaleoanthropology and primate paleontology. Multidisciplinary research that integrates biological anthropology with related anthropological fields, such as archaeology, cultural anthropology, and forensic anthropology, also may receive support through the Program. The Program contributes to the integration of education and basic research through support of dissertation projects conducted by doctoral students enrolled in U.S. universities. This solicitation specifically addresses the preparation and evaluation of proposals for such Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement (DDRI) Grants. Dissertation research projects in all of the subareas of biological anthropology are eligible for support through these grants. These awards are intended to enhance and improve the conduct of dissertation research by doctoral students who are pursuing research in biological anthropology that enhances basic scientific knowledge.

The "3-D Retina Organoid'' Challenge (the "Challenge''), is an ideation Challenge in which the National Eye Institute (NEI; http://www.nei.nih.gov/), part of the National Institutes of Health (http://www.nih.gov(link is external)), is asking for ideas to maximize the physiological relevance of 3-D human retina culture systems. Currently, retina culture models do not capture the complexity of the human retina. The goal of the Challenge is to transform innovative ideas into concrete concepts to develop new in vitro 3-D human retina models that recapitulate the organization and function of the human retina. NEI intends to follow this challenge with a follow-on but distinct Reduction to Practice Challenge, which will aim to invoke scientific and technological development of the model system. Technological breakthroughs in this arena could allow researchers and physicians to better understand, diagnose, and treat retinal diseases.

The NSF ADVANCE program provides grants to enhance the systemic factors that support equity and inclusion and to mitigate the systemic factors that create inequities in the academic profession and workplaces. Systemic (or organizational) inequities may exist in areas such as policy and practice as well as in organizational culture and climate. For example, practices in academic departments that result in the inequitable allocation of service or teaching assignments may impede research productivity, delay advancement, and create a culture of differential treatment and rewards. Similarly, policies and procedures that do not mitigate implicit bias in hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions could lead to women and racial and ethnic minorities being evaluated less favorably, perpetuating historical under-participation in STEM academic careers and contributing to an academic climate that is not inclusive. All NSF ADVANCE proposals are expected to use intersectional approaches in the design of systemic change strategies in recognition that gender, race and ethnicity do not exist in isolation from each other and from other categories of social identity. The solicitation includes four funding tracks: Institutional Transformation (IT), Adaptation, Partnership, and Catalyst, in support of the NSF ADVANCE program goal to broaden the implementation of systemic strategies that promote equity for STEM faculty in academic workplaces and the academic profession.

The Science of Learning program supports potentially transformative basic research to advance the science of learning. The goals of the SL Program are to develop basic theoretical insights and fundamental knowledge about learning principles, processes and constraints. Projects that are integrative and/or interdisciplinary may be especially valuable in moving basic understanding of learning forward but research with a single discipline or methodology is also appropriate if it addresses basic scientific questions in learning.   The possibility of developing connections between proposed research and specific scientific, technological, educational, and workforce challenges will be considered as valuable broader impacts, but are not necessarily central to the intellectual merit of proposed research. The program will support  research addressing learning in a wide range of domains at one or more levels of analysis including: molecular/cellular mechanisms; brain systems; cognitive affective, and behavioral processes; and social/cultural influences. The program supports a variety of methods including: experiments, field studies, surveys, secondary-data analyses, and modeling.

The Science of Learning program supports potentially transformative basic research to advance the science of learning. The goals of the SL Program are to develop basic theoretical insights and fundamental knowledge about learning principles, processes and constraints. Projects that are integrative and/or interdisciplinary may be especially valuable in moving basic understanding of learning forward but research with a single discipline or methodology is also appropriate if it addresses basic scientific questions in learning.   The possibility of developing connections between proposed research and specific scientific, technological, educational, and workforce challenges will be considered as valuable broader impacts, but are not necessarily central to the intellectual merit of proposed research. The program will support  research addressing learning in a wide range of domains at one or more levels of analysis including: molecular/cellular mechanisms; brain systems; cognitive affective, and behavioral processes; and social/cultural influences. The program supports a variety of methods including: experiments, field studies, surveys, secondary-data analyses, and modeling.

The Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, and socio-ecological principles and processes that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases. The central theme of submitted projects must be quantitative or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics. The intent is discovery of principles of infectious disease transmission and testing mathematical or computational models that elucidate infectious disease systems. Projects should be broad, interdisciplinary efforts that go beyond the scope of typical studies. They should focus on the determinants and interactions of transmission among humans, non-human animals, and/or plants. This includes, for example, the spread of pathogens; the influence of environmental factors such as climate; the population dynamics and genetics of reservoir species or hosts; the cultural, social, behavioral, and economic dimensions of disease transmission. Research may be on zoonotic, environmentally-borne, vector-borne, or enteric diseases of either terrestrial or freshwater systems and organisms, including diseases of animals and plants, at any scale from specific pathogens to inclusive environmental systems. Proposals for research on disease systems of public health concern to developing countries are strongly encouraged, as are disease systems of concern in agricultural systems. Investigators are encouraged to develop the appropriate multidisciplinary team, including for example, modelers, bioinformaticians, genomics researchers, social scientists, economists, epidemiologists, entomologists, parasitologists, microbiologists, bacteriologists, virologists, pathologists or veterinarians, with the goal of integrating knowledge across disciplines to enhance our ability to predict and control infectious diseases.

The Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, and socio-ecological principles and processes that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases. The central theme of submitted projects must be quantitative or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics. The intent is discovery of principles of infectious disease transmission and testing mathematical or computational models that elucidate infectious disease systems. Projects should be broad, interdisciplinary efforts that go beyond the scope of typical studies. They should focus on the determinants and interactions of transmission among humans, non-human animals, and/or plants. This includes, for example, the spread of pathogens; the influence of environmental factors such as climate; the population dynamics and genetics of reservoir species or hosts; the cultural, social, behavioral, and economic dimensions of disease transmission. Research may be on zoonotic, environmentally-borne, vector-borne, or enteric diseases of either terrestrial or freshwater systems and organisms, including diseases of animals and plants, at any scale from specific pathogens to inclusive environmental systems. Proposals for research on disease systems of public health concern to developing countries are strongly encouraged, as are disease systems of concern in agricultural systems. Investigators are encouraged to develop the appropriate multidisciplinary team, including for example, modelers, bioinformaticians, genomics researchers, social scientists, economists, epidemiologists, entomologists, parasitologists, microbiologists, bacteriologists, virologists, pathologists or veterinarians, with the goal of integrating knowledge across disciplines to enhance our ability to predict and control infectious diseases.

This year, as part of our impact initiative, we will be asking applicants to consider impact from the onset. SFPRF defines impact as the demonstrable contribution that family planning research makes to society. This includes impact on clinical practice, public policy, health services, programs, or culture. Research projects should have the potential to exert influence through policies or practices that enhance family planning, including contraception and abortion. When addressing impact, consider who could potentially benefit from your work, as well as ways to increase the chances that those potential benefits will reach the target audience.

This year, as part of our impact initiative, we will be asking applicants to consider impact from the onset. SFPRF defines impact as the demonstrable contribution that family planning research makes to society. This includes impact on clinical practice, public policy, health services, programs, or culture. Research projects should have the potential to exert influence through policies or practices that enhance family planning, including contraception and abortion. When addressing impact, consider who could potentially benefit from your work, as well as ways to increase the chances that those potential benefits will reach the target audience.

EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), in coordination with the EPA Regional Offices, announces the availability of approximately $506,000 for FY13 to further, through research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations, or studies, the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches to reduce pesticide risk in production agriculture settings in the United States. IPM is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks.

The Linguistics Program supports basic science in the domain of human language, encompassing investigations of the grammatical properties of individual human languages, and of natural language in general. Research areas include syntax, semantics, morphology, phonetics, and phonology. The program encourages projects that are interdisciplinary in methodological or theoretical perspective, and that address questions that cross disciplinary boundaries, such as (but not limited to): What are the psychological processes involved in the production, perception, and comprehension of language? What are the computational properties of language and/or the language processor that make fluent production, incremental comprehension or rapid learning possible? How do the acoustic and physiological properties of speech inform our theories of language and/or language processing? What role does human neurobiology play in shaping the various components of our linguistic capacities? How does language develop in children? What social and cultural factors underlie language variation and change?