OARS funding Environmental Sustainability

The National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity for research investigating the challenges involved with international data discovery and sharing specific to invasive species and of existing automated visualizations which operate in a spatial context. This research should generally contribute to the improvement of ecological modeling tools and their user interfaces.

Reclamation will work with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) to expend Basin States Program Salinity Funds for cost effective measures and associated works to reduce salinity from saline springs, leaking wells, irrigation sources, industrial sources, erosion of public and private land, or other sources; studies, planning, and administration of salinity control activities.

The Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD), Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) of the Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in collaboration with the Amazonas Research Foundation and the S?o Paulo Research Foundation of Brazil, hereby announces its interest in collaborative grant research applications in support of the upcoming GreenOceanAmazon2014 experiment (GOAmazon2014).

Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) provide eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. All proposals submitted under this RFP must be for projects that build or refine state/tribal/local government wetland programs. Implementation of wetland protection programs is not an eligible project under this announcement.

This program is to correct the water supply that provides water flow to the Key Pittman refugium population of Pahranagat roundtail chub.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications for a National Research Center that will: identify, develop, demonstrate and facilitate widespread acceptance and applicability of novel and innovative technologies and approaches to measure or treat groups of microbiological or chemical contaminants, or their precursors; apply novel new information technology systems; and improve the sustainability of small drinking water systems.

The goal of the National Integrated Water Quality Program (NIWQP) is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of surface water and groundwater resources through research, education, and extension activities. Projects funded through this program will work to solve water resource problems by advancing and disseminating the knowledge base available to agricultural, rural, and urbanizing communities. Funded projects should lead to science-based decision making and management practices that improve the quality of the Nations surface water and groundwater resources in agricultural, rural, and urbanizing watersheds.

With this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DOE is accepting new applications for projects proposing to demonstrate and deploy hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in Topics 1-3, and for research and development of hydrogen meters in Topic 4.  Only applications that are responsive to one of these topics will be accepted, and only one topic may be addressed per application.  Applicants may submit more than one application, provided that the multiple applications are clearly for separate and distinct projects.  For Topics 1-3, the primary objective of each proposed project must be to demonstrate and deploy hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in real-world environments.  Research and Development (R&D) of these technologies is not the focus of this effort and will not be funded through this announcement, except to the extent that some vehicle systems integration (for Topic 1) and engineering development (for Topics 2 and 3) may be acceptable.  For Topic 4, R&D is acceptable.

Monitoring both estuarine water quality and seagrass condition at three parks within the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network.

With this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DOE is accepting new applications for projects proposing to demonstrate and deploy hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in Topics 1-3, and for research and development of hydrogen meters in Topic 4. Only applications that are responsive to one of these topics will be accepted, and only one topic may be addressed per application. Applicants may submit more than one application, provided that the multiple applications are clearly for separate and distinct projects. For Topics 1-3, the primary objective of each proposed project must be to demonstrate and deploy hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in real-world environments. Research and Development (R and D) of these technologies is not the focus of this effort and will not be funded through this announcement, except to the extent that some vehicle systems integration (for Topic 1) and engineering development (for Topics 2 and 3) may be acceptable. For Topic 4, R and D is acceptable.

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 Dear Colleague Letter is to advise you about funding opportunities at the National Science Foundation for the research community to propose research projects or workshops that will gather data on the implementation and impacts of recent science policy initiatives including, but not limited to those noted earlier.  Especially encouraged are proposals that will: Develop new, or improve existing, analytical frameworks for evaluating the impacts of federal science policy initiatives; Explore different agencies' approaches to the implementation of particular policies to examine how variations in approach affect the achievement of intended policy outcomes; Collect case-study or quantitative data that facilitate identification of best practices in science and innovation policy implementation.

CAREER: The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Such activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from junior faculty members at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.

Research!America is pleased to announce an exciting new program to introduce and engage early-career scientists in research advocacy and science policy. The 2013 Research!America Advocacy Academy is a unique opportunity for postdoctoral fellows in the health and biomedical sciences to learn about how to best incorporate advocacy and effective communications into their role as a scientist. The 2013 class of up to 12 Research!America advocates will participate in a two-day Washington, DC, program from September 11-12, 2013. Participants will learn about the federal budget and appropriations process, tools for effective science communication and outreach as well as how to engage with elected representatives on scientific and research issues. The program includes visiting Capitol Hill to meet with policy makers and congressional staff members, providing participants with a first-hand experience advocating for health research. Rounding out this unique Washington experience, participants will attend Research!America's National Health Research Forum where top leaders in government, industry, academia and patient organizations engage in moderated conversations on issues of importance to the research ecosystem. Upon completion of the program, participants will become Science Advocates for Research!America. Advocates will remain engaged with Research!America staff, receive ongoing action alerts and learn about ways to involve their home institution's research community in effective science advocacy. All travel expenses (transportation, lodging and meals) will be provided and arranged by Research!America through an educational grant provided by Pfizer. This year's program is limited to 12 exceptional postdoctoral researchers with a dedicated interest in becoming active advocates for science.

The interagency Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) intends to request proposals through one or more formal Funding Opportunity Notice (FON) announcements beginning approximately October 1, 2013 and remaining open through November 22, 2013. The intent of this notice is to provide an early alert to investigators interested in the topics listed below so that investigators can begin considering responsive ideas with potential partners and collaborators.

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to establish an Academic Partnership in Business Management & Environmental Sciences between a U.S. educational institution and the Karakoram International University (KIU) in Gilgit, Pakistan. Accredited U.S. four-year colleges and universities meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to pursue institutional or departmental objectives in partnership with the Karakoram International University. Objectives detailed as priorities for this partnership include: curriculum development, collaborative research, professional development for faculty by U.S. counterparts, and faculty and student exchange. The duration of faculty and student exchanges can be managed according to the time required for the specific task or activity of their exchange. KIU has indicated the primary focus areas should be the environmental sciences programs and the business management programs. In addition, KIU has expressed a desire for assistance with laboratory equipment and training, involving environmental sciences students and faculty in research, and launching a program for encouraging entrepreneurial aptitude among youth and facilitating their transition to become entrepreneurs.

To potentially support the full-scale testing of MHK wave energy devices, the Water Power Program intends to evaluate site locations, designs, and estimated costs for an open water, fully energetic domestic wave test facility. It is expected that a viable grid-connected facility will be capable of testing both scaled prototypes and full-scale (utility-scale) wave energy conversion devices in order to evolve reliable, low cost, renewable energy alternatives to fossil fuel. Prototype testing is essential to mature existing wave technologies, validate performance against analytic models, demonstrate compliance with applicable design standards and thereby mitigate the technical and financial risk of developing and deploying mass-produced wave energy devices, plants, technologies and related products. Construction and operation of a full-scale domestic wave test facility will assist the U.S. industry by identifying design and manufacturing deficiencies early in the development cycle and validate modifications and improvements prior to commercial deployment. Ultimately, this new testing capability will improve the country?s competitiveness in MHK energy technology, encourage domestic manufacturing, job creation, and provide a new technology that utilizes an untapped renewable resource to help achieve the nation?s energy goals. This FOA is intended to identify possible site locations and evaluate the potential to establish a national wave testing facility within U.S. territorial waters. 

Through the LTREB program, the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) and the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) encourage the submission of proposals that generate extended time series of biological and environmental data to address ecological and evolutionary processes and resolve important issues in organismal and environmental biology. Researchers must have collected at least six years of previous data to qualify for funding, and these data must motivate the proposed research. The proposal also must present a cohesive conceptual rationale or framework for ten years of research. Questions or hypotheses outlined in this conceptual framework must guide an initial 5-year proposal as well as a subsequent, abbreviated renewal. Together, these will constitute a decadal research plan appropriate to begin to address critical and novel long-term questions in organismal and environmental biology. As part of the requirements for funding, projects must show how collected data will be shared broadly with the scientific community and the interested public.