OARS funding Engineering

Founded in 1996, the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research supports public early detection screening for ovarian cancer, produces nationally and internationally attended research symposia, and provides funding for innovative ovarian cancer research and scholar grants to up-and-coming investigators. The center is accepting applications for pilot study projects in ovarian cancer research. Through the center's Pilot Study Program, approximately ten one-year grants of $75,000 will be awarded to support investigator-initiated projects in all areas of ovarian cancer research. Projects designed to analyze data from already funded clinical trials also will be considered. Priority will be given to proposals that are innovative, multi-disciplinary, and likely to lead to the submission of grant applications for independently funded investigations. Investigators at all levels are encouraged to apply.

Founded in 1972, the Tourette Association of America has emerged as the premier national nonprofit organization working to make life better for all people affected by Tourette and tic disorders. The association advances its work by raising public awareness and fostering social acceptance; working to advance scientific understanding, treatment options, and care; educating professionals to better serve the needs of children, adults, and families challenged by Tourette and tic disorders; advocating for public policies and services that promote positive school, work, and social environments; providing help, hope, and a supportive community across the nation; and empowering its community to deal with the complexities of this spectrum of disorders. To that end, grants of up to $150,000 over two years will be awarded for basic and clinical studies related to any aspect of Tourette syndrome. To be eligible, investigators are required to have an advanced degree such as a PhD, MD, or equivalent or be an allied professional with an advanced degree in a related field. Investigators from nonprofit and for-profit organizations are eligible to apply. Pre-proposals must be received no later than November 1, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by February 15, 2018.

The Epilepsy Foundation has announced its seventh annual epilepsy "Shark Tank" competition for the most innovative ideas in epilepsy and seizure treatment and care. Selected finalists will receive international recognition and compete for grants totaling $150,000 to support the development and commercialization of important new products, technologies, or therapeutic concepts. As many as six finalists will be selected to present at the 2018 Epilepsy Pipeline Conference (San Francisco, February 22-23, 2018). Each presenter will have five minutes to present the concept, followed by five minutes of questioning. The event will feature live voting among audience members and a panel of judges (Sharks) representative of industry, advocacy, investors, and the research and medical communities. The winning project(s) deemed to be the most innovative will be announced at the conclusion of the competition. To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate an ability to move the proposed plan to completion, showing how the prize can accelerate any step along the path to market. Inventors who submitted ideas in previous Shark Tank competitions are encouraged to re-submit their ideas if substantial progress has been made.

The Home Depot Foundation is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations using volunteers to address the physical needs of their communities. Through its Community Impact Grants program, the foundation will award grants of up to $5,000 (in the form of Home Depot gift cards that can be used to purchase tools, materials, and services) for projects aimed at repairing, modifying, weatherizing, or otherwise improving low-income and/or transitional housing or community facilities. Priority will be given to programs that use volunteers to serve veterans with home-improvement needs. Only IRS-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and tax-exempt public service agencies (e.g., police/fire departments) in the United States are eligible to apply. In addition, grants must support work completed by community volunteers in the U.S., and projects must be completed within six months following notification that the grant has been awarded.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Department of the Environment, is accepting proposals for its Watershed Assistance - Two-Year Milestone Support grant program, the purpose of which is to promote local engagement inn the state's Watershed Implementation Plan. Through grants of up to $75,000, the program supports design assistance, watershed planning, and programmatic development associated with protection and restoration programs and projects that lead to improved water quality in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Maryland portion of the Youghiogheny watershed, and the Maryland Coastal Bays. Projects can include but are not limited to using designs, plans, or project proposals to craft future proposals to the Maryland Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund; developing deliverables that assist implementation of Watershed Implementation Plan Phase II strategies; or crafting proposals for implementation funding through programs at the Chesapeake Bay Trust or other sources of support. Local government agencies and nonprofit organizations working on water-quality projects are encouraged to apply.

The American Association for Cancer Research is accepting applications for its AACR NextGen Grants for Transformative Cancer Research program. The annual program is designed to stimulate highly innovative research from young investigators. Three-year grants of up to $450,000 will be awarded in support of creative, paradigm-shifting cancer research that might not be funded through conventional channels. The funds are intended to support expenses related to the research project, which may include salary and benefits of the grant recipient, postdoctoral or clinical research fellows, graduate students (including tuition costs), and research assistants; research/laboratory supplies and equipment; travel applicable to the research project; publication charges for manuscripts that pertain directly to the funded project; and other research expenses and indirect costs. Research projects must represent a highly innovative approach to a major contemporary challenge in cancer research. The research, which can be in any area of basic, translational or clinical science, must have the potential to lead to groundbreaking discoveries in the field and transform our understanding of the tumorigenesis process and/or ability to treat, detect, or prevent cancer. To be eligible, applicants must have a doctoral degree in a related field and not currently be a candidate for a further doctoral degree. In addition, at the start of the grant term on July 1, 2018, applicants must hold a tenure-eligible appointment at the level of assistant professor; have held this appointment for no more than three years; and work at an academic, medical, or research institution anywhere in the world. AACR membership is required.

The Mind, Machine and Motor Nexus (M3X) program supports fundamental research at the intersection of mind, machine and motor. A distinguishing characteristic of the program is an integrated treatment of human intent, perception, and behavior in interaction with embodied and intelligent engineered systems and as mediated by motor manipulation. M3X projects should advance the holistic analysis of cognition and of embodiment as present in both human and machine elements. This work will encompass not only how mind interacts with motor function in the manipulation of machines, but also how, in turn, machine response and function may shape and influence both mind and motor function.

The Operations Engineering (OE) program supports fundamental research on advanced analytical methods for improving operations in complex decision-driven environments. Analytical methods include, but are not limited to, deterministic and stochastic modeling, optimization, decision and risk analysis, data science, and simulation. Methodological research is highly encouraged but must be motivated by problems that have potential for high impact in engineering applications. Application domains of particular interest to the program arise in commercial enterprises (e.g., production/manufacturing systems and distribution of goods, delivery of services), the public sector/government (e.g., public safety and security), and public/private partnerships (e.g., health care, environment and energy). The program also welcomes operations research in new and emerging domains and addressing systemic societal or technological problems. The OE program particularly values cross-disciplinary proposals that leverage application-specific expertise with strong quantitative analysis in a decision-making context. Proposals for methodological research that are not strongly motivated by high-potential engineering applications are not appropriate for this program.

The National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center (NTNFC) was established on October 1, 2006, within the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). NTNFC was tasked with two core missions: to provide national-level integration, centralized planning, and stewardship for the National Technical Nuclear Forensics (NTNF) community; and to lead the U.S. Government (USG) in establishing a robust and enduring pre-detonation radiological/nuclear materials forensics capability. A top priority of DNDO/NTNFC's stewardship mission is to lead USG efforts in addressing the enduring challenge of sustaining a preeminent Nuclear Forensics (NF) workforce. The National Nuclear Forensics Expertise Development Program (NNFEDP) works to build a nuclear forensics workforce of recognized technical experts and leaders through fostering scholastic and research collaboration between and among academia, the national and defense laboratories, and the National Technical Nuclear Forensics (NTNF) Interagency. The implementation of the NNFEDP supports the Department of Homeland Security's ongoing priority to prevent "Nuclear Terrorism Using an Improvised Nuclear Device" as outlined in the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review and fulfills the requirements outlined in the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act (Pub. L. No. 111-140) signed by President Obama on February 16, 2010. In order to accomplish this mandate, the following initiative has been implemented: The Nuclear Forensics Research Award (NFRA) supports the establishment of a team of faculty, students, and technical staff at the national or defense laboratories to conduct research in the field of nuclear forensics.

With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and industry to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels. The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways; and other activities. The program invites research proposals that advance the knowledge base related to technician education. It is expected that projects be faculty driven and that courses and programs are credit bearing although materials developed may also be used for incumbent worker education.

The aim of this Special Notice under the BAA is to address the current limitations of conventional packaging and support the recent advancements in silicon carbide (SiC) power device technology for military and commercial applications. Wide bandgap power semiconductors, such as SiC, have emerged with properties that allow them to far surpass the performance of conventional silicon (Si) power technology and make them prime candidates for next-generation high-power switching devices for military, as well as commercial, applications. SiC power devices have demonstrated greater than twice the power density of Si power devices and at greater efficiency. Traditional power packaging approaches are now the limiting factor in fully realizing the performance benefits offered by SiC power device technology. Conventional power packaging has a number of opportunities for improvement including, but not limited to, parasitic inductance, heat removal capability, reliability (wirebonds, DBC, large area contacts), transient thermal mitigation, planar packaging, and standard subtractive manufacturing. Solutions are sought for the development of holistic, multiphysics approaches to power module development that address electrical, thermal and thermomechanical issues in a coupled manner to realize the full performance of SiC semiconductor devices. SiC is being explored and/or implemented for low voltage (600 V to 3.3 kV), medium voltage (3.3 kV - 10 kV), and high voltage (10 kV - 24 kV) military and/or commercial applications.

roposals are solicited that show a path for increased current density (at high-efficiency), die size, switching frequency, and blocking voltage (>10 kV) for both low- and high-duty-cycle switches. SiC is an emerging power semiconductor material that has electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties that allow it to far surpass the performance of conventional silicon (Si) power technology, and makes it the prime candidate for next-generation high-voltage switching devices for military, as well as commercial, applications. SiC power devices have been demonstrated to provide greater than twice the power density of Si power devices and at greater efficiency. This program, which endeavors to advance the United States' capability to provide SiC high-voltage high-power semiconductor switches and to identify limitations that must be overcome, builds on the success of previous high-voltage high-power SiC device programs supported by ARL, including HEPS and HVPT, which advanced the previous state-of-the-art and demonstrated performance and robustness at 10-kV and above. Technology limitations/gaps identified by this program may in turn be the focus of more sustained development efforts in the future. Solutions are sought for the development of SiC HV (> 10 kV) semiconductor power switches and diodes.

Our goal is to develop and enable advanced, physics-based GaN models unified with compact models, and the associated processes for extracting parameters that accurately capture device phenomenology at the nanoscale level yet allow fast simulation convergence at the design level across RF, analog, and digital domains. Such advanced physics-based GaN models coupled to PDKs are expected to enable accurate trade-off decisions between performance and reliability at the design stage, resulting in higher fidelity modeling results and fewer design-build-test iterations. The expected value to the Air Force is that fewer design iterations should lead to dramatic component and system cost reductions while maintaining high reliability and quality assurance for next generation AF and DoD systems. The accompanying value to industry is that system designers will be able to capture costs associated with performance normalized for time-to-failure with the goal of ultimately achieving Hi-Rel parts at commercial consumer prices.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award (YFA) program aims to identify and engage rising stars in junior faculty positions in academia and equivalent positions at non-profit research institutions and expose them to Department of Defense (DoD) and National Security challenges and needs. In particular, this YFA will provide high-impact funding to elite researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research directions in the context of enabling transformative DoD capabilities. The long-term goal of the program is to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers in the research community who will focus a significant portion of their future careers on DoD and National Security issues. DARPA is particularly interested in identifying outstanding researchers who have previously not been performers on DARPA programs, but the program is open to all qualified applicants with innovative research ideas.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to allow for investigator initiated research that will further the understanding of potential risk factors for ALS, while supporting the National ALS Registry's mission.

The primary objectives of the STATEMAP component of the NCGMP are to establish the geologic framework of areas determined to be vital to the economic, social, or scientific welfare of individual States. The State Geologist shall determine mapping priorities in consultation with a multi-representational State Mapping Advisory Committee. These priorities shall be based on: a) state requirements for geologic-map information in areas of multiple-issue need or areas of compelling single-issue need, and b) State requirements for geologic-map information in areas where mapping is required to solve critical earth-science problems.

The overall goal of the Three Dimensional Monolithic System-on-a-Chip (3DSoC) program is to develop 3D monolithic technology that will enable > 50X improvement in SOC digital performance at power. 3DSOC aims to drive research in process, design tools, and new compute architectures for future designs while utilizing U.S. fabrication capabilities. The goal of the Foundations Required for Novel Compute (FRANC) program is to define the foundations required for assessing and establishing the proof of principle for beyond von Neumann compute architectures. FRANC will seek to demonstrate prototypes that quantify the benefits of such new computing architectures.

DARPA is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of physical design of electronic circuits and systems. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. The Design thrust of the Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI): Page 3 Investments will address today's System-On-Chip (SoC) design complexity and cost barriers, creating the environment needed for the next wave of US semiconductor innovation. Programs within this thrust will develop the algorithms and software required to realize a unified layout generator that will enable fully automated "no human in the loop" physical design of SoCs, system-in-packages (SiPs), and printed circuit boards (PCBs) in 24 hours. In parallel, programs will create the building blocks, validation methodologies, and infrastructure required for a scalable open source hardware ecosystem, bringing best practices in software to hardware design.

NHGRI invites applications for research developing comparative approaches that can be used to understand genome structure and function and the relationship between genomic features and phenotypes. This program supports studies that enable the use of a diverse array of species to advance our ability to understand basic biological processes related to human health and disease, as well as studies that develop novel analytical tools and resources for the comparative genomics research community.

The purpose of this NOFO is to:Support government of SA in ensuring provision of high-quality, high-volume, cost-efficient VMMC services to males aged 15-34 through implementation of innovative demand creation strategies;Ensure that VMMC services are integrated and implemented as a package of comprehensive HIV prevention;To coordinate the forecasting, procurement, QA, distribution and storage of VMMC surgical kits and commodities; andSupport the transition of direct VMMC service delivery to the NDoH facilities according to guidance provided by PEPFAR in SA.