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The goal of this interagency funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support the development of multiscale models to accelerate biological, biomedical, behavioral, environmental and clinical research. The NIH, ARO, DOE, FDA, NASA, NSF, and ONR recognize that in order to efficiently and effectively address the challenges of understanding multiscale biological and behavioral systems, researchers will need predictive, computational models that encompass multiple biological and behavioral scales.  This FOA supports the development of non-standard modeling methods and experimental approaches to facilitate multiscale modeling, and active participation in community-driven activities through the Multiscale Modeling (MSM) Consortium, www.imagwiki.org.

Rare, Conservation International, National Geographic, The Nature Conservancy, The United Nations Development Programme, and the World Wildlife Fund have teamed up to launch The Solution Search Contest: Climate Change Needs Behavior Change. This contest is designed to reward successful strategies for helping consumers reduce their carbon footprint through behavior change. The contest is open to all organizations worldwide who have a proven solution in working with people to adopt climate-friendly behaviors. The focus is on sustainable solutions that could be replicated by other communities and can continue into the future. Two grand prizes of $25,000 will be awarded, in addition to a prize of $5,000 given to the best entry received by June 1, 2018. Finalists will also receive support to attend a capacity building workshop and the awards ceremony in Washington, DC. Visit the Solution Search contest page to submit an entry by August 7, 2018, or email info@solutionsearch.org with any questions.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages exploratory and developmental grant applications to lay the foundation for innovative and collaborative basic research on the role of epigenetics in social, behavioral, environmental and biological relationships, throughout the life-span and across generations. Research plans that are responsive to this FOA will use existing bio-psycho-social and environmental data from human cohorts or animal studies that have biospecimens available for epigenetic profiling. The one year exploratory/developmental awards are expected to generate preliminary data for comprehensive basic research applications to study interactions between epigenetics and social/behavioral/biological/environmental factors in both normal function and pathophysiology throughout life and across generations. The results may ultimately inform research to develop clinical decision/diagnostic tools and prevention/treatment strategies.   

The goal of the Particulate and Multiphase Processes (PMP) program is to support fundamental research on physico-chemical phenomena that govern particulate and multiphase systems, including flow of suspensions, drops and bubbles, granular and granular-fluid flows, behavior of micro- and nanostructured fluids, and self-assembly/directed-assembly processes that involve particulates.  The program encourages transformative research to improve our basic understanding of particulate and multiphase processes with emphasis on research that demonstrates how particle-scale phenomena affect the behavior and dynamics of larger-scale systems.  Although proposed research should focus on fundamentals, a clear vision is required that anticipates how results could benefit important applications in advanced manufacturing, energy harvesting, transport in biological systems, biotechnology, or environmental sustainability.  Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged, especially those that involve a combination of experiment with theory or modeling.  Proposals whose main focus is on the synthesis of particles are not encouraged.

The goal of the Particulate and Multiphase Processes (PMP) program is to support fundamental research on physico-chemical phenomena that govern particulate and multiphase systems, including flow of suspensions, drops and bubbles, granular and granular-fluid flows, behavior of micro- and nanostructured fluids, and self-assembly/directed-assembly processes that involve particulates.  The program encourages transformative research to improve our basic understanding of particulate and multiphase processes with emphasis on research that demonstrates how particle-scale phenomena affect the behavior and dynamics of larger-scale systems.  Although proposed research should focus on fundamentals, a clear vision is required that anticipates how results could benefit important applications in advanced manufacturing, energy harvesting, transport in biological systems, biotechnology, or environmental sustainability.  Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged, especially those that involve a combination of experiment with theory or modeling.  Proposals whose main focus is on the synthesis of particles are not encouraged.

The Civil Infrastructure Systems (CIS) program supports research leading to the engineering of infrastructure systems for resilience and sustainability without excluding other key performance issues. Areas of interest include intra- and inter-physical, information and behavioral dependencies of infrastructure systems, infrastructure management, construction engineering, and transportation systems. Special emphasis is on the design, construction, operation, and improvement of infrastructure networks with a focus on systems engineering and design, performance management, risk analysis, life-cycle analysis, modeling and simulation, behavioral and social considerations not excluding other methodological areas or the integration of methods.This program does not encourage research proposals primarily focused on structural engineering, materials or sensors that support infrastructure system design, extreme event modeling, hydrological engineering, and climate modeling, since they do not fall within the scope of the CIS program. Researchers focused in these areas are encouraged to contact the Infrastructure Management and Extreme Events (IMEE), Geotechnical Engineering (GTE), Hazard Mitigation and Structural Engineering (HSME), Structural Materials and Mechanics (SMM), or the Sensors and Sensing Systems (SSS) program within CMMI. Additionally, researchers may consider contacting the Hydrologic Sciences program in the Earth Sciences Division (EAR) or the Physical and Dynamic Meteorology (PDM) program in the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Division (AGS) of the Directorate for Geosciences.

The goals of the Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Processes and Systems (RIPS) solicitation are (1) to foster an interdisciplinary research community that discovers new knowledge for the design and operation of infrastructures as processes and services  (2) to enhance the understanding and design of interdependent critical infrastructure systems (ICIs) and processes that provide essential goods and services despite disruptions and failures from any cause, natural, technological, or malicious, and (3) to create the knowledge for innovation in ICIs to advance society with new goods and services. The objectives of this solicitation are: Create theoretical frameworks and multidisciplinary computational models of interdependent infrastructure systems, processes and services, capable of analytical prediction of complex behaviors, in response to system and policy changes. Synthesize new approaches to increase resilience, interoperations, performance, and readiness in ICIs. Understand organizational, social, psychological, legal, political and economic obstacles to improving ICI's, and identifying strategies for overcoming those obstacles. The RIPS solicitation seeks proposals with transformative ideas that will ensure ICIs services are effective, efficient, dependable, adaptable, resilient, safe, and secure.  Successful proposals are expected to study multiple infrastructures focusing on them as interdependent systems that deliver services, enabling a new interdisciplinary paradigm in infrastructure research.  Proposals that do not broadly integrate across the cyber-physical, engineering and social, behavioral and economic (SBE) sciences may be returned without review. 

Determination of Delta Smelt spawning behavior and microhabitat. Laboratory experiments will be performed to investigate the spawning behavior and microhabitat of Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing research that will contribute to an improved ability to understand and anticipate the public health and environmental impacts and behavioral drivers of significant changes in energy production and consumption in the United States, particularly those changes associated with advancing toward the deep decarbonization necessary to achieve national and international climate change mitigation objectives and avoid the most significant health, environmental, and economic impacts of climate change. The proposed research is intended to contribute to the development of new insights and predictive tools related to the multimedia, life-cycle impacts of the decarbonization of electricity generation; the electrification of end uses; the adoption of low-carbon emitting, renewable fuels; and the adoption of energy efficiency measures. The proposed research is also intended to contribute to an improved understanding of the drivers of individual, firm (i.e. business), and community decisions that affect energy consumption patterns, including decisions about the adoption of new technologies and energy efficiency measures.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Alaska Science Center (ASC) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to support an evaluation of how changes to foraging behavior may be influencing contaminant exposure of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea. Specifically, the objective is to use adipose tissue samples to estimate polar bear diets and quantify exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation of polar bears has experienced sea ice loss leading to an increasing trend of polar bears spending time on land during summer and possibly increased divergent foraging strategies with differential exposure to contaminants. A characterization of dietary influence on exposure may reveal whether changing behavior has the potential to mediate declines in polar bear health.

This FOA encourages applications that develop, strengthen, and evaluate transdisciplinary approaches, methods, and investigative teams in basic behavioral, social, and/or biobehavioral research to generate fundamental knowledge of the reciprocal linkages between sleep and stress. Stress can result in sleep disruption due to both psychological as well as physiological changes. Sleep disruption can result in physiological changes; however, individuals may not recognize or identify impairment due to sleep disruption. This initiative supports the development of research teams to understand how basic individual, social, biological, and environmental factors interact in a dynamic relationship between sleep patterns and psychosocial stress to influence health, wellness, disease, and/or treatment adherence.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications that seek to apply one or more innovative methodologies in communication research across the cancer control continuum, from prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, to end of life. Applications to this FOA should utilize one or more of the following analytic approaches, methods, and data sources, including but not limited to social media data mining, Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, online social network analysis, crowdsourcing research tools (e.g., mTurk), online search data, Ecological Momentary Assessment, neuroscience and biobehavioral approaches to communication, and geographic information systems. Studies should assess outcomes related to cancer prevention and control (e.g., knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, perceived risk, decision making in screening and treatment, information inequalities, social support, shared decision making, persuasion, caregiving, behavioral intentions, preventive behaviors, and policy support, among others). Also listed under R21

The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is offering a cooperative agreement to complete studies on the movements of low trophic level feeding elasmobranchs, such as Manta birostis.The purpose of this study is to understand movements, site fidelity and behavioral ecology of understudied highly migratory species, such as M. birostris, and the associated risk of interaction with BOEM permitted activities.Innovative methods will be used including, but not limited to: autonomous sensor platforms and improved animal bourne telemetry techniques which can relay data from neighboring animals, and/or which leverage the target species as mobile oceanographic platforms.Under the Use of Cooperative Agreements authority (43 U.S.C. §1457b), to enter into cooperative agreements with a state or political subdivision (including any agency thereof), or any not-for-profit organization.The general goals of this project is to understand movement drivers and site residency and fidelity of M. birostis, as it relates to sand shoals, particularly in the Canaveral Shoals, Florida Atlantic Coast region.Specifically, the objectives of this study are to understand the movement ecology of M. birostis in the US OCS and the impact fine scale behavior has on the risk of interaction with marine mineral activities, especially preventative trawling.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program, authorized in the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1951-1958), provides funding to prevent the introduction of marine debris into the marine and coastal environment. Projects awarded through this grant competition will encourage changes in behavior of a target audience (such as students, teachers, industries, or the public) to address a specific marine debris issue, and will actively engage these groups in hands-on personal participation. Successful proposals through this solicitation will be funded through cooperative agreements. Funding of up to $1,500,000 is expected to be available for Marine Debris Prevention grants in FY2018. Typical awards will range from $50,000 - $150,000. Funding for this purpose comes through the NOAA Marine Debris Program as appropriations to the Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service.This solicitation is focused on efforts to prevent marine debris from entering the environment through targeted behavior change. It is not intended for large-scale debris removal projects, deployment of catchment basins, or scientific research.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to stimulate clinical research addressing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and the association of BPSD with unmet physical, social, or environmental needs in persons with dementia.

NOAA's Weather Program Office (WPO; formerly OWAQ, the Office of Weather and Air Quality) is soliciting proposals for weather, air quality, and earth-system modeling and observations research reflecting multiple science objectives spanning time scales from hours to seasons, and from weather and water observations and earth system modeling to social, and behavioral, and economic science. There will be three grant competitions from this notification valued at approximately $7,750,000 as follows: 1) Joint Technology Transfer Initiative (JTTI), 2) Observations, and 3) Social, behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBES).

The National Science Foundation awards Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants in selected areas of the biological sciences. Proposals must fall within the scope of any of the clusters in the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) or the Behavioral Systems Cluster in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS). These grants provide partial support of doctoral dissertation research for improvement beyond the already existing project. Allowed are costs for doctoral candidates to participate in scientific meetings, to conduct research in specialized facilities or field settings, and to expand an existing body of dissertation research.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support innovative research to understand uniquely associated factors (biological, behavioral, sociocultural, and environmental) that contribute to health disparities or health advantages among U.S. immigrant populations.  

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.

The Environmental Chemical Sciences (ECS) Program supports basic research in chemistry that promotes the understanding of natural and anthropogenic chemical processes in our environment.  Projects supported by this program enable fundamentally new avenues of basic research and transformative technologies. The program is particularly interested in studying molecular phenomena on surfaces and interfaces in order to understand the inherently complex and heterogeneous environment.  Projects utilize advanced experimental, modeling and computational approaches, as well as developing new approaches.  Topics include studies of environmental surfaces and interfaces under laboratory conditions, the fundamental properties of water and water solutions important in environmental processes, dissolution, composition, origin and behavior of molecular scale systems under a variety of naturally occurring environmental conditions, chemical reactivity of synthetic nanoparticles and their molecular level interactions with the environment, and application of theoretical models and computational approaches to discover and predict environmental phenomena at the molecular scale.

The Environmental Chemical Sciences (ECS) Program supports basic research in chemistry that promotes the understanding of natural and anthropogenic chemical processes in our environment.  Projects supported by this program enable fundamentally new avenues of basic research and transformative technologies. The program is particularly interested in studying molecular phenomena on surfaces and interfaces in order to understand the inherently complex and heterogeneous environment.  Projects utilize advanced experimental, modeling and computational approaches, as well as developing new approaches.  Topics include studies of environmental surfaces and interfaces under laboratory conditions, the fundamental properties of water and water solutions important in environmental processes, dissolution, composition, origin and behavior of molecular scale systems under a variety of naturally occurring environmental conditions, chemical reactivity of synthetic nanoparticles and their molecular level interactions with the environment, and application of theoretical models and computational approaches to discover and predict environmental phenomena at the molecular scale.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) funding opportunity supports the development of new research activities in categorical program areas. The R21 activity code is intended to encourage exploratory and developmental research projects by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of these projects. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.