The USAFA is seeking unclassified research white papers and proposals (if requested) that do not contain proprietary information. If proprietary information is submitted it is the offerors responsibility to mark the relevant portions of their proposal as specified in USAFA-PASCC-BAA-2016 Amendment 0001. The United States Air Force's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), in partnership with PASCC, invites white papers and proposals (if requested) for studies in many broad areas related to countering the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has requested that USAF INSS/PASCC issue a call for papers soliciting white papers outlining studies or strategic dialogues (also referred to as Track 2 dialogues). WMD are defined as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. With this Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) call for papers, USAF INSS announces to academia, research institutions, and non-profit organizations it is soliciting white paper for studies and strategic dialogues that will help enable the DoD and the USG to ensure nuclear deterrence and to prepare for and combat WMD and improvised threats. The white papers should propose rigorous, innovative projects that: 1. Facilitate critical engagement between U.S. and foreign subject-matter experts (SMEs) on key WMD, CWMD, or nuclear deterrence issues; 2. Address current and emerging challenges facing CCMDs and DoD; or 3. Expand knowledge or develop new concepts relevant to the national security missions and requirements of DoD and the Armed Services.

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. The successful implementation of NSF INCLUDES will result in substantial advances toward a diverse, innovative, and well-prepared STEM workforce to support our Nation's economy and continued U.S. leadership in the global STEM enterprise. It is anticipated that NSF's investment will contribute to new and improved STEM career pathways, policies, opportunities to learn, and practices for equity and inclusion. The initiative will be supported by the NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub (NSF 17-591) that will provide a framework for communication and networking, network assistance and reinforcement, and visibility and expansion for the NSF INCLUDES National Network as a whole.

A well-prepared, innovative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is crucial to the Nation's prosperity and security. Future generations of STEM professionals are a key sector of this workforce, especially in the critical scientific areas described in the Big Ideas for Future NSF Investments. To accelerate progress in these areas, the next generation of STEM professionals will need to master new knowledge and skills, collaborate across disciplines, and shape the future of the human-technology interface in the workplace. As a result, NSF recognizes the need to support development of and research on effective educational approaches that can position the future STEM workforce to make bold advances in these Big Ideas.

The Statistics Program supports research in statistical theory and methods, including research in statistical methods for applications to any domain of science and engineering. The theory forms the base for statistical science. The methods are used for stochastic modeling, and the collection, analysis and interpretation of data. The methods characterize uncertainty in the data and facilitate advancement in science and engineering. The Program encourages proposals ranging from single-investigator projects to interdisciplinary team projects.

With the goal of encouraging research independence immediately upon obtaining one's first academic position after receipt of the PhD, the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) will award grants to initiate the course of one's independent research. Understanding the critical role of establishing that independence early in one's career, it is expected that funds will be used to support untenured faculty or research scientists (or equivalent) in their first three years in a primary academic position after the PhD, but not more than a total of five years after completion of their PhD. One may not yet have received any other grants or contracts in the Principal Investigator (PI) role from any department, agency, or institution of the federal government, including from the CAREER program or any other program, post-PhD, regardless of the size of the grant or contract, with certain exceptions noted below. Serving as co-PI, Senior Personnel, Postdoctoral Fellow, or other Fellow does not count against this eligibility rule. Grants, contracts, or gifts from private companies or foundations; state, local, or tribal governments; or universities do not count against this eligibility rule. It is expected that these funds will allow the new CISE Research Initiation Initiative PI to support one or more graduate students for up to two years

The CDS&E-MSS program accepts proposals that confront and embrace the host of mathematical and statistical challenges presented to the scientific and engineering communities by the ever-expanding role of computational modeling and simulation on the one hand, and the explosion in production of digital and observational data on the other. The goal of the program is to promote the creation and development of the next generation of mathematical and statistical theories and tools that will be essential for addressing such issues. To this end, the program will support fundamental research in mathematics and statistics whose primary emphasis will be on meeting the aforementioned computational and data-related challenges. This program is part of the wider Computational and Data-enabled Science and Engineering (CDS&E) enterprise in NSF that seeks to address this emerging discipline. The research supported by the CDS&E-MSS program will aim to advance mathematics or statistics in a significant way and will address computational or big-data challenges.

The Combinatorics program supports research on discrete structures and includes algebraic, enumerative, existential, extremal, geometric, and probabilistic combinatorics, including graph theory. Conferences Principal Investigators should carefully read the program solicitation "Conferences and Workshops in the Mathematical Sciences" (link below) to obtain important information regarding the substance of proposals for conferences, workshops, summer/winter schools, and similar activities. Conference proposals must be submitted at least six months in advance of the conference, and in the same fiscal year (which begins October 1) if possible.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is issuing a Disruption Opportunity (DO) Special Notice (SN) inviting submissions of innovative basic or applied research concepts in the technical domain of molecular scaffold design. Molecular Scaffold Design Collective (MSDC) will test a new model for materials design that pairs synthesis and formulation experts from different areas, reduces barriers to apply new ideas to a particular application space and explicitly considers formulation as part of molecular scaffold design.

With the goal of encouraging research independence immediately upon obtaining one's first academic position after receipt of the PhD, the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) will award grants to initiate the course of one's independent research. Understanding the critical role of establishing that independence early in one's career, it is expected that funds will be used to support untenured faculty or research scientists (or equivalent) in their first three years in a primary academic position after the PhD, but not more than a total of five years after completion of their PhD. One may not yet have received any other grants or contracts in the Principal Investigator (PI) role from any department, agency, or institution of the federal government, including from the CAREER program or any other program, post-PhD, regardless of the size of the grant or contract, with certain exceptions noted below. Serving as co-PI, Senior Personnel, Postdoctoral Fellow, or other Fellow does not count against this eligibility rule. Grants, contracts, or gifts from private companies or foundations; state, local, or tribal governments; or universities do not count against this eligibility rule.

The Global Engagement Center (GEC), an interagency entity within the U.S. Department of State, invites organizations that can implement programming to counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining United States national security interests to submit applications by April 11, 2018. All submissions or applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria outlined below. GEC expects to make multiple awards with a floor of $200,000 and a ceiling of $500,000 for each, constituting a planned total award volume of approximately $5,000,000. GEC reserves the right to award more or less funding or no funding at all as it deems in the best interest of the government. U.S.-based and foreign non-profit and non-governmental organizations (NGO), public international organizations (PIO), media outlets, for-profit entities, and institutions of higher education are eligible to apply by submitting an application as described in this announcement.

The MURI program supports basic research in science and engineering at U.S. institutions of higher education (hereafter referred to as "universities") that is of potential interest to DoD. The program is focused on multidisciplinary research efforts where more than one traditional discipline interacts to provide rapid advances in scientific areas of interest to the DoD. As defined in the DoD Financial Management Regulation: Basic research is systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind. It includes all scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, environmental, and life sciences related to long term national security needs. It is farsighted high payoff research that provides the basis for technological progress (DoD 7000.14-R, vol. 2B, chap. 5, para. 050201.B). DoD's basic research program invests broadly in many specific fields to ensure that it has early cognizance of new scientific knowledge.

CISE's Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) supports research and education projects that develop new knowledge in three core programs: The Cyber-Human Systems (CHS) program; The Information Integration and Informatics (III) program; and The Robust Intelligence (RI) program. Proposals in the area of computer graphics and visualization may be submitted to any of the three core programs described above.

CISE's Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS) supports research and education projects that develop new knowledge in two core programs: Computer Systems Research (CSR) program; and Networking Technology and Systems (NeTS) program.

NGA welcomes all innovative ideas for path-breaking research that may advance the GEOINT mission. The NGA mission is to provide timely, relevant, and accurate geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of national security objectives. GEOINT is the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. GEOINT consists of imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information. NGA offers a variety of critical GEOINT products in support of U.S. national security objectives and Federal disaster relief, including aeronautical, geodesy, hydrographic, imagery, geospatial and topographical information. The NGA Academic Research Program (NARP) is focused on innovative, far-reaching basic and applied research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics having the potential to advance the GEOINT mission.

NSWC Crane is interested in funding research to inform future science and technology investments via data mapping and information visualization techniques. Specifically, advancements beyond traditional scientometrics are desired for visualizing, understanding, and predicting naval research and development investments that yield transitioned technologies via methods that make sense of the dynamic collaborative network of academia, industry, and government partners.

NSWC Crane is interested in funding research to inform future science and technology investments via data mapping and information visualization techniques. Specifically, advancements beyond traditional scientometrics are desired for visualizing, understanding, and predicting naval research and development investments that yield transitioned technologies via methods that make sense of the dynamic collaborative network of academia, industry, and government partners.

NGA welcomes all innovative ideas for path-breaking research that may advance the GEOINT mission. The NGA mission is to provide timely, relevant, and accurate geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of national security objectives. GEOINT is the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. GEOINT consists of imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information. NGA offers a variety of critical GEOINT products in support of U.S. national security objectives and Federal disaster relief, including aeronautical, geodesy, hydrographic, imagery, geospatial and topographical information. The NGA Academic Research Program (NARP) is focused on innovative, far-reaching basic and applied research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics having the potential to advance the GEOINT mission. The objective of the NARP is to support innovative, high-payoff research that provides the basis for revolutionary progress in areas of science and technology affecting the needs and mission of NGA.

The New Era of University Innovation & Commercialization This panel discussion examines the future of university and business collaboration, with a focus on inclusive innovation. Thursday, April 19, 2018 from 3:30 PM to 4:45 PM (EDT) Oxford, OH

The National Ataxia Foundation is committed to funding the best science relevant to hereditary and sporadic types of ataxia in both basic and translational research.

ULI provides the opportunity for university teams to exercise technical and organizational leadership in proposing unique technical challenges, defining interdisciplinary solutions, establishing peer review mechanisms, and applying innovative teaming strategies to strengthen the research impact. By addressing the most complex challenges associated with ARMD strategic thrusts, universities will accelerate progress toward achievement of high impact outcomes while leveraging their capability to bring together the best and brightest minds across many disciplines. In order to transition their research, Principal Investigators (PIs) are expected to actively explore transition opportunities and pursue follow-on funding from stakeholders and industrial partners during the course of the award.