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The mission of the Simons Foundation is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences. To that end, the foundation is inviting applications for the 2015 Simons Fellows Programs in both mathematics and theoretical physics. Through the two programs, the foundation will award grants of up to $100,000 to university faculty for a research leave from classroom teaching and administrative obligations of up to a semester in order to help boost their creativity and/or provide intellectual stimulation. The goal of the program is to make it easier to take such leaves, or to extend sabbatical leaves by an extra half year.

In 2013, a new NSF-funded petascale computing system, Blue Waters, was deployed at the University of Illinois. The goal of this project and system is to open up new possibilities in science and engineering by providing computational capability that makes it possible for investigators to tackle much larger and more complex research challenges across a wide spectrum of domains. The purpose of this solicitation is to invite research groups to submit requests for allocations of resources on the Blue Waters system. Proposers must show a compelling science or engineering challenge that will require petascale computing resources. Proposers must also be prepared to demonstrate that they have a science or engineering research problem that requires and can effectively exploit the petascale computing capabilities offered by Blue Waters. Proposals from or including junior researchers are encouraged, as one of the goals of this solicitation is to build a community capable of using petascale computing.

Announced in June 2013 by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and former UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and formally launched in October 2013 by Rt Hon. David Willetts MP, the Global Innovation Initiative is a higher education partnership grant opportunity established between the United States and the United Kingdom aimed at strengthening multilateral research collaborations between universities in the U.S., UK, and other selected countries. The Global Innovation Initiative will award grants to university consortia focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related issues of global significance that foster cutting-edge multinational research and strengthen institutional international partnerships

Grants of up to $200,000 for up to three years will be awarded to support research in the life sciences that breaks new conceptual or theoretical ground and relates closely to experiment by introducing new and experimentally testable concepts or by developing models that can explain data and motivate new classes of experiments. Priority will be given to projects that involve both new theoretical approaches and a direct interaction with biological experiment. A broad range of research areas will be considered, ranging from cellular-level issues of organization, regulation, signaling, and dynamics through morphogenesis to the properties of organisms and ecology, as well as neuroscience and evolution.

Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) is an NSF-wide program that supports international activities across all NSF supported disciplines. The primary goal of PIRE is to support high quality projects in which advances in research and education could not occur without international collaboration. PIRE seeks to catalyze a higher level of international engagement in the U.S. science and engineering community. International partnerships are essential to addressing critical science and engineering problems. In the global context, U.S. researchers and educators must be able to operate effectively in teams with partners from different national environments and cultural backgrounds. PIRE promotes excellence in science and engineering through international collaboration and facilitates development of a diverse, globally-engaged, U.S. science and engineering workforce.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) application period is now open!  NSF is soliciting applications for the GRFP until the posted deadlines in late October and early November 2014.  Since 1952, GRFP has provided Fellowships to individuals selected early in their graduate careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering. Three years of support is provided by the program for graduate study in science or engineering and leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree.  The NSF expects to award 2,000 Graduate Research Fellowships under this program solicitation pending availability of funds. 

The Ohio State Chapter of Sigma Xi solicits applications from graduate and undergraduate students for Grants-in-Aid of Research Successful applicants will receive:                      ·            A cash award of up to $300 for Undergraduate student proposals                      ·            A cash award of up to $500 for Graduate student proposals                      ·            Nomination for Associate Membership in Sigma Xi

The Science of Science & Innovation Policy (SciSIP) program supports research designed to advance the scientific basis of science and innovation policy. Research funded by the program thus develops, improves and expands models, analytical tools, data and metrics that can be applied in the science policy decision making process.

The following programs have due dates that fall between October 1 - 25, 2013, and these dates are being revised due to the Federal  government shutdown. These revised dates apply whether the proposal is being submitted via the NSF FastLane System or  Grants.gov. Due to compressed proposal deadlines resulting from the shutdown, proposers are advised that they may experience a  delay when contacting IT Help Central with technical support questions. Frequently asked questions regarding these date changes  are available on the Resumption of Operations page on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/postshutdown.jsp. 

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program stimulates technological innovation in the private sector by strengthening the role of small business concerns in meeting Federal research and development needs, increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results, and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses. The topics, listed below, are detailed on the SBIR/STTR topics homepage: Educational Technologies and Applications (EA) Information and Communication Technologies (IC) Semiconductors (S) and Photonic (PH) Devices and Materials Electronic Hardware, Robotics and Wireless Technologies (EW) Advanced Manufacturing and Nanotechnology (MN) Advanced Materials and Instrumentation (MI) Chemical and Environmental Technologies (CT) Biological Technologies (BT) Smart Health (SH) and Biomedical (BM) Technologies

Nanomanufacturing is the production of useful nano-scale materials, structures, devices and systems in an economically viable manner. The NSF Nanomanufacturing Program supports fundamental research in novel methods and techniques for batch and continuous processes, top-down (addition/subtraction) and bottom-up (directed self-assembly) processes leading to the formation of complex heterogeneous nanosystems. The program supports basic research in nanostructure and process design principles, integration across length-scales, and system-level integration. The Program leverages advances in the understanding of nano-scale phenomena and processes (physical, chemical, electrical, thermal, mechanical and biological), nanomaterials discovery, novel nanostructure architectures, and new nanodevice and nanosystem concepts. It seeks to address quality, efficiency, scalability, reliability, safety and affordability issues that are relevant to manufacturing. To address these issues, the Program encourages research on processes and production systems based on computation, modeling and simulation, use of process metrology, sensing, monitoring, and control, and assessment of product (nanomaterial, nanostructure, nanodevice or nanosystem) quality and performance.The Program seeks to explore transformative approaches to nanomanufacturing, including but not limited to: micro-reactor and micro-fluidics enabled nanosynthesis, bio-inspired nanomanufacturing, manufacturing by nanomachines, additive nanomanufacturing, hierarchical nanostructure assembly, continuous high-rate nanofabrication such as roll-to-roll processing or massively-parallel large-area processing, and modular manufacturing platforms for nanosystems. The Program encourages the fabrication of nanomaterials by design, three-dimensional nanostructures, multi-layer nanodevices, and multi-material and multi-functional nanosystems. Also of interest is the manufacture of dynamic nanosystems such as nanomotors, nanorobots, and nanom

The third joint transnational call of the ERA-NET SIINN is open for the submission of innovative transnational research proposals focused on manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) in the four topics listed below: Exposure assessment Toxicity mechanisms Effects of MNMs on human health Environmental impacts of MNMs Please read carefully the following call documents:

The L'Oréal USA For Women in Science fellowship program is a national awards program that annually recognizes and rewards five U.S.-based women researchers at the beginning of their scientific careers. Recipients receive up to $60,000 each that they must put towards their postdoctoral research. The program's partner, AAAS, manages the peer-review process. Launched in 2003 as the U.S. Fellowships component of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Fellowship program, the program aim to: Raise awareness of the contribution of women to the sciences Identify exceptional female researchers in the U.S. to serve as role models for younger generations An inter-disciplinary panel of scientists reviews all applications submitted. The top candidates chosen by the review panel are then forwarded for final selection to a distinguished Jury of career scientists and former North American L'ORÉAL-UNESCO For Women in Science Laureates. The Jury seeks candidates with exceptional academic records and intellectual merit, clearly articulated research proposals with the potential for scientific advancement and outstanding letters of recommendation from advisers. New to the program this year, applicants will also be evaluated in part on their commitment to supporting women and girls in science.

The goal of the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is to prepare graduate students for science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) careers critically important to the DOE Office of Science mission, by providing graduate thesis research opportunities at DOE laboratories.  The SCGSR program provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to pursue part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE laboratory in areas that address scientific challenges central to the Office of Science mission. The research opportunity is expected to advance the graduate students' overall doctoral thesis while providing access to the expertise, resources, and capabilities available at the DOE laboratories.

In emerging areas of technology at the interface between fields such as the engineering of biology and cellular biomanufacturing, including the field of synthetic biology, there is an even greater need for collaborative precompetitive research that will ensure the success of these nascent technology areas. In particular, research that contributes to the establishment of standards for production; provides tools for the assessment of quality, robustness and stability of the process and product; and develops metrics that will facilitate risk assessment associated with a regulatory framework, will be essential for the eventual commercialization of products from the engineering of biology.

This solicitation aims at introducing nanoscale science, engineering, and technology through a variety of interdisciplinary approaches into undergraduate engineering education. The focus of the FY 2014 competition is on nanoscale engineering education with relevance to devices and systems and/or on the societal, ethical, economic and/or environmental issues relevant to nanotechnology.

The Environmental Health and Safety of Nanotechnology (Nano EHS) program provides support to examine and mitigate the environmental effects of nanotechnologies.  Fundamental research is sought to understand, evaluate, and lessen the impact of nanotechnology on the environment and biological systems.  The program emphasizes engineering principles underlying the environmental health and safety impacts of nanotechnology.  Innovative methods related to clean nanomaterials production processes, waste reduction, recycling, and industrial ecology of nanotechnology are also of interest.  

The Communications, Circuits, and Sensing-Systems (CCSS) program is intended to spur visionary systems-oriented activities in collaborative, multidisciplinary, and integrative research. CCSS supports systems research in hardware, signal processing techniques, and architectures to enable the next generation of cyber-physical systems (CPS) that leverage computation, communication, and algorithms integrated with physical domains. CCSS offers new challenges at all levels of systems integration to address future societal needs. CCSS supports innovative research and integrated educational activities in micro- and nano-systems, communications systems, and cyber-physical systems. The goal is to design, develop, and implement new complex and hybrid systems at all scales, including nano, micro, and macro, that lead to innovative engineering principles and solutions for a variety of application domains including, but not limited to, healthcare, medicine, environmental monitoring, communications, disaster mitigation, homeland security, transportation, manufacturing, energy, and smart buildings. CCSS also supports integration technologies at both intra-and inter-chip levels, new and advanced radio frequency (RF), millimeter wave and optical wireless and hybrid communications systems architectures, and sensing and imaging at terahertz (THz) frequencies.

The Energy, Power, and Adaptive Systems (EPAS) program invests in the design and analysis of intelligent and adaptive engineering networks, including sensing, imaging, controls, and computational technologies for a variety of application domains. EPAS places emphasis on electric power networks and grids, including generation, transmission and integration of renewable, sustainable and distributed energy systems; high power electronics and drives; and understanding of associated regulatory and economic structures. Topics of interest include alternate energy sources, the Smart Grid, and interdependencies of critical infrastructure in power and communications. The program also places emphasis on energy scavenging and alternative energy technologies, including solar cells, ocean waves, wind, and low-head hydro. In addition, the program supports innovative test beds, and laboratory and curriculum development to integrate research and education.  EPAS invests in adaptive dynamic programming, brain-like networked architectures performing real-time learning, neuromorphic engineering, telerobotics, and systems theory. The program supports distributed control of multi-agent systems with embedded computation for sensor and adaptive networks. EPAS provides additional emphasis on emerging areas, such as quantum systems engineering, quantum and molecular modeling and simulation of devices and systems.

Biophotonics applies photonics technology to the fields of medicine, biology and biotechnology.  Basic research and innovation in photonics that is very fundamental in science and engineering is needed to lay the foundation for new technologies beyond those that are mature and ready for application in medical diagnostics and therapies.  Advances are needed in nanophotonics, optogenetics, contrast and targeting agents, ultra-thin probes, wide field imaging, and rapid biomarker screening.  Low cost and minimally invasive medical diagnostics and therapies are key goals. Examples of topics are: Macromolecule Markers - Innovative methods for labeling of macromolecules, new compositions of matter/methods of fabrication of multi-color probes such as might be used for marking and detection of specific pathological cells and push the envelope of optical sensing to the limits of detection, resolution, and identification Low Coherence Sensing at the Nanoscale - Low coherence enhanced backscattering (LEBS), n-dimensional elastic light scattering, and angle-resolved low coherence interferometry for early cancer detection (dysplasia) Neurophotonics - Studies of photon activation of neurons at the interface of nanomaterials attached to cells.  Development and application of biocompatible photonic tools such as parallel interfaces and interconnects for communicating and control of neural networks Micro- and Nano-photonic - Development and application of nanoparticle fluorescent quantum-dots; sensitive, multiplexed, high-throughput characterization of macromolecular properties of cells; nanomaterials and nanodevices for biomedicine Optogenetics - Employing light-activated channels and enzymes for manipulation of neural activity with temporal precision.