1. Stimulus Bill Information for University Research Community
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill) that is expected to be enacted into law provides unprecedented opportunities for the advancement of research and education. To assist the University research community with the preparation and submission of proposals offered by the Stimulus Bill, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is offering the following:
- A Web site (http://www.research.umn.edu/stimulus.html) as a resource for the most up-to-date information. The site will provide researchers and administrators the most recent information on expected appropriations by agency, specific areas of emphasis, and more detailed application information.
- A listserv to provide breaking information and answers to questions about the Stimulus Bill. It will include links to agency priorities as well as details about proposal preparation. To subscribe to the listserv, send an e-mail to listserv@lists.umn.edu.
- Alerts to faculty on funding opportunities that may align with their expertise or research interests. Faculty can choose to add or remove themselves from e-mail listings.
- Special guidance for Stimulus proposal preparation. This will include developing and sharing information and “boilerplate” language that can be used for common selection criteria. Information on interpreting proposal solicitations, special training sessions and computer labs to assist departmental staff, and a Helpdesk for proposal development or submission questions, will be made available.
- Assistance in internal coordination or other special issues arising from Stimulus Bill. Some proposals, such as those involving construction or renovations, may be funded through other non-research parts of the Stimulus Bill. OVPR will help direct such applications to the correct University offices for assistance and processing.
We will share additional information as plans are further developed and implemented. In the meantime, if there is any other information that you feel would be helpful to include on the Stimulus Web site or if you have additional suggestions as to how we might be of assistance, please send an e-mail to stimulus-res-info@umn.edu.
For further information, visit a news announcement about the Stimulus Bill at http://www.research.umn.edu/infocenter/stimulus.html.
2. RNO Survey Results and Next Steps
Research News Online conducted a reader survey at the end of 2008 to understand how the Office of the Vice President for Research can more effectively communicate with members of the research community.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey. We received a significant response rate and gained important insights into our readers’ preferences and information needs. Research News Online will soon be substantially revamped to incorporate that feedback, including:
- Articles categorized by topic
- A reader comment feature
- Improved coverage of issues for all disciplines and fields
- Additional subscription options, such as RSS feeds
- More practicable content, such as instructional articles on how to get a grant
- A new design for improved usability
If you have any questions or would like to provide additional feedback, please write to resnews@umn.edu.
3. New Fringe Benefit Rates for Fiscal Year 2010
The University of Minnesota has reached an agreement on the FY10 fringe benefit rates with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), our cognizant federal agency. The future rates and the current rates are shown below:
FY10 Rates
Academic:
32.3%
Civil Service: 37.0%
Graduate Assistant: 25.0%
Police: 40.2%
FY09 Rates
Academic: 30.4%
Civil Service: 32.7%
Graduate Assistant: 21.9%
Police: 34.7%
The FY10 fringe benefit rates will be effective on July 1, 2009. They should be used in sponsored proposal budgets for work that will be conducted on or after July 1, 2009. PIs and their staff are encouraged to use the new rates in their proposals immediately if the project will extend into the next fiscal year. All proposals submitted to SPA on or after April 1, 2009 are expected to incorporate the new rates. EGMS has been updated to reflect the new rates.
4. Research Workshops at the U Libraries
Free workshops at the U Libraries help students, faculty, and staff with the various challenges they face doing research at the University. For a list of workshops and registration information, visit http://www.lib.umn.edu/registration/. Two workshops are highlighted below.
Grant Funding: Search Tools and Resources
A workshop to learn how to use SPIN, Community of Science and the Foundation Directory to search for grant opportunities. Set up e-mail updates on specific subjects and discover how to find internal U of M funding sources. Job aids from the workshop include:
Grant Funding for Graduate Students
Find out more about funding opportunities available to graduate students. Learn how to use IRIS, SPIN, and Community of Science and the Foundation Directory to search for grant opportunities. Setting up e-mail updates on specific subjects will also be covered, as well as how to find internal U of M funding sources.
5.
Office for Human Research Protections Quality Improvement Activities
The Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) has posted a new set of FAQs on quality improvement activities representing OHRP’s current thinking on this topic. OHRP’s FAQs should be viewed as recommendations unless specific regulatory requirements are cited.
The FAQs are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/qualityfaq.html.
6. Controlled Substance Training
The Office of Regulatory Affairs is offering controlled substance training for anyone new to using controlled substances for research. The training session is scheduled on March 4, 2009 at 10:15 - 11:15 a.m. For full details and to pre-register, go to https://onestop2.umn.edu/training/courseDetail.jsp?course=RA0001.
For more information, contact Cathy Marquardt marqu005@umn.edu or 612.625.9624.
7. Electronic Grants Training
New training dates for April, May, and June have been added to the training Web page at http://www.ospa.umn.edu/GrantGov/Schedules%20and%20Calendars/trainingschedule
.html#schedule.
8.
Funding Opportunities and Program Announcements
- The Academic Health Center (AHC) Faculty Seed Grant Program is requesting applications for seed grants to fund faculty research. One Seed Grant for Alzheimer’s or other neurodegenerative diseases will be funded by the Harold Soine Alzheimer’s Research Fund. The maximum award per project is $25,000. Seed grants are designed to support new initiatives in a faculty member's research. The purpose of these grants is to provide support for faculty who want to initiate a substantially new direction in their research or to help develop innovative projects that will allow faculty to expand into new research areas. For details, visit http://www.ahc.umn.edu/research/funding/seedgrants/home.html.
Application Deadline:
April 3, 2009
- 2009 Technology in the Works Competition
The National Center for Technology Innovation seeks proposals for collaborative research of innovative and emerging assistive technologies that provide greater access for students with disabilities. Up to five awards of $15,000 will be made in 2009. The collaboration team must secure matching funds from at least one of the parties involved in the study. NCTI is committed to fostering new talent in the field of learning and assistive technology. For details, visit http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/funding/tech-in-the-works/2009-tech-in-the-works/.
Letters of Intent Due: March 23, 2009
Proposals Due: April 6, 2009
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