Social, Political and Economic Inequality (SPEI)

Overview:

The Russell Sage Foundation’s (RSF) program on Social, Political, and Economic Inequality supports original research on the factors that contribute to social, political, and economic inequalities in the U.S., and the extent to which those inequalities affect social, political, psychological, and economic outcomes, including educational and labor market opportunities and consequences, social and economic mobility within and across generations, and civic participation and representation.

We seek innovative investigator-initiated research that will expand our understanding of social, political, and economic inequalities and the mechanisms by which these inequalities influence the lives of individuals, families, communities, and the country. We welcome projects that explore the relevance of socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, gender, geographic, immigration or other statuses for the distribution of social, political, and economic outcomes within and across different status groups.

RSF prioritizes analyses that make use of newly available data or demonstrate novel uses of existing data. We support original data collection when a project is focused on important program priorities and conducts surveys, survey experiments, field experiments or qualitative studies. RSF encourages methodological variety and inter-disciplinary collaboration. Proposed projects must have well-developed conceptual frameworks and rigorous research designs. Analytical models must be well-specified and research methods must be appropriate.

RSF priorities do not include analyses of health or mental health outcomes or health behaviors as these are priorities for other funders. For the same reason, RSF seldom supports studies focused on educational processes or curricular issues. RSF does however, support research that examines the causes and consequences of inequalities in student achievement or educational attainment.

The kinds of questions that are of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Economic Wellbeing, Equality of Opportunity, and Intergenerational Mobility
• Inequality and Policymaking
• Political Institutions and the Democratic Process
• Climate Change and Natural Disasters
• Neighborhoods and Communities
• Crime, Criminal Justice & the Legal System
• Psychological and Cultural Changes
• Educational Achievement and Attainment

Solicitation limitations:

All applicants (both PIs and Co-PIs) must have a doctorate. In rare circumstances, RSF may consider applications from scholars who do not hold a doctorate but can demonstrate a strong career background that establishes their ability to conduct high-level, peer-reviewed scholarly research.

Other information:

Funding can be used for research assistance, data acquisition, data analysis, and investigator time for conducting research and writing up results for publication. Trustee Grants are capped at $200,000, including 15% indirect costs, over a two-year period. Presidential Awards are capped at $50,000 (no indirect costs) over a two-year period. However, when research projects have special needs for gathering data (e.g., qualitative research or survey experiments), gaining access to proprietary or restricted-use data, or when the proposal budget includes salary support for multiple assistant professor PIs, applicants may request up to $75,000 (no indirect costs).

A brief letter of inquiry (LOI; four-page maximum excluding references) must precede a full proposal to determine whether the proposed project is in line with the Foundation's program priorities and available funds.

Future of Work

Overview:

The Russell Sage Foundation’s program on the Future of Work supports innovative research on the causes and consequences of changes in the quality of jobs for low- and moderately paid workers and their families in the U.S. We seek investigator-initiated research proposals that will broaden our understanding of the role of changes in employer practices, the nature of the labor market and public policies on employment, earnings, and job quality. We are especially interested in proposals that address questions about the interplay of market and non-market forces in shaping the wellbeing of workers.

RSF prioritizes analyses that make use of newly available data or demonstrate novel uses of existing data. We support original data collection when a project is focused on important program priorities, projects that conduct survey or field experiments and qualitative studies. RSF encourages methodological variety and inter-disciplinary collaboration. Proposed projects must have well-developed conceptual frameworks and rigorous research designs. Analytical models must be well-specified and research methods must be appropriate.

RSF priorities do not include analyses of health or mental health outcomes or health behaviors as these are priorities for other funders. For the same reason, RSF seldom supports studies focused on educational processes or curricular issues but does prioritize analyses of inequalities in student achievement or educational attainment.

The kinds of topics and questions of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Emerging Technologies and the Future of Work and Workers
• “The Big Shift”? Changes in Labor Force Participation and Increased Turnover During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Labor Market Power and Institutions
• Workforce Development, Training, and the 21st Century American Workplace
• Changes in Employer Practices and Alternative Work Arrangements
• Changing Economies, Changing Families and Policy Responses

Solicitation limitations:

All applicants (both PIs and Co-PIs) must have a doctorate. In rare circumstances, RSF may consider applications from scholars who do not hold a doctorate but can demonstrate a strong career background that establishes their ability to conduct high-level, peer-reviewed scholarly research. Students may not be applicants.

Other information:

A brief letter of inquiry (LOI; four-page maximum excluding references) must precede a full proposal to determine whether the proposed project is in line with the Foundation's program priorities and available funds. 

Funding can be used for research assistance, data acquisition, data analysis, and investigator time for conducting research and writing up results. Trustee Grants are capped at $200,000, including 15% indirect costs, over a two-year period. Presidential Awards are capped at $50,000 (no indirect costs) over a two-year period. However, when research projects have special needs for gathering data (e.g., qualitative research or survey experiments), gaining access to proprietary or restricted-use data, or when the proposal budget includes salary support for multiple assistant professor PIs, applicants may request up to $75,000 (no indirect costs).

Community Impact Grants

Overview:

The APS Foundation supports programs that enhance academic achievement in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Since 1981, the Foundation has invested more than $44 million in projects throughout Arizona that help prepare students to compete in a 21st century economy.

A workforce proficient in STEM skills is critical to attracting and retaining high-quality businesses and industries to the state. The APS Foundation targets projects that help educators increase content knowledge in STEM subjects as well as the ability to transfer this knowledge effectively to students.

Organizations must be registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity in good financial and public standing. Programs should demonstrate their ability to improve educational outcomes, increase access and/or offer an innovative approach to learning.

Solicitation limitations:

ASU may submit only one (1) application to the sponsoring organization. After the posted internal deadline, this opportunity will be first come, first served. If you would like to apply, please submit an application in InfoReady as soon as possible—and alert Ashley O’Brion (ASUF) of your intent.

Other information:

All grantees will have specific reporting requirements and must submit a final evaluation before they can be considered for additional funding. The APS Foundation accepts grant requests during two cycles each year.

All applications are required to be a onetime all-inclusive annual request for an organization and we respectfully ask that requests seeking event sponsorship be submitted at least 90 days prior to the event date. We are committed to reviewing all grant requests within 60 days of submission. Please note all notifications about your grant will come from [email protected]. Please add this email address to your safe sender list to receive communications.

AWS Education Equity Initiave

Overview:

Since launching in 2006, Amazon Web Services has been providing world-leading cloud technologies that help any organization and any individual build solutions to transform industries, communities, and lives for the better.
As part of Amazon, we strive to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. We work backwards from our customers’ problems to provide them with cloud infrastructure that meets their needs, so they can reinvent continuously and push through barriers of what people thought was possible.
The AWS Education Equity Initiative expands access to future skills education for underserved learners globally. Amazon is committing up to $100 million in AWS credits and technical expertise to support socially-minded organizations develop innovative digital learning solutions that utilize cloud and AI technologies.
By future skills education, we refer to skills, knowledge and behaviors that help learners gain access to, and maintain jobs in today's increasingly tech-driven world. We welcome organizations' definitions of future skills education and you are able to share this as part of the application.
AWS will evaluate applications based on:
•    Succinct articulation of challenge(s) being faced by underrepresented and underserved learners in accessing future skills learning opportunities
•    Comprehensiveness of how proposed learning solution addresses challenge(s) outlined
•    Focus of learning solution on underserved and underrepresented communities and learners
•    Focus on skills, knowledge, and behaviors helping learners access and maintain jobs in an increasingly technology-driven world
•    Succinctly defined milestones along with timeline
•    Clearly defined impact metrics
•    Detailing and applicability of AWS services within the project scope
•    Viability of proposed sustainability plan
•    Cloud building capacity
 

Other information:

Award Information: Selected organizations will receive AWS credits to build and scale learning solutions and targeted technical advising from AWS Solutions Architects. 

Research on Innovative Technologies for Enhanced Learning (RITEL)

Overview:

The purpose of the Research on Innovative Technologies for Enhanced Learning (RITEL) program is to support early-stage research in emerging technologies for teaching and learning that respond to pressing needs in authentic (real-world) educational environments. RITEL supports future-oriented exploratory and synergistic research in emerging technologies (including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and immersive or augmenting technologies) for teaching and learning. The program accepts proposals that focus on learning, teaching, or a combination of both. The scope of the program is broad and includes teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and in foundational areas that enable STEM (e.g., self-regulation, literacy, communication, collaboration, creativity, and socio-emotional skills). RITEL supports research in all learning contexts (e.g., formal, informal, workplace) and for all learner populations. RITEL has a special interest in diverse learner/educator populations and in developing new educational technologies that are cost-effective for budget-limited school districts, colleges and universities. 

Research in this program should be informed by the convergence (synthesis) of multiple disciplines: e.g., learning sciences; discipline-based education research; computer and information science and engineering; design; and cognitive, behavioral, and social sciences. RITEL is unique in its requirement that projects must advance research in both learning (and/or teaching) and technology.

RITEL is an exploratory research program that serves as an incubator to support cutting-edge research in advanced learning and teaching 4 technologies. Research should be theory-driven and apply human-centered design methods to explore proof-of-concept or feasibility of innovative learning technologies in support of new learning and/or teaching experiences. Emerging and innovative technologies have the potential to reshape teaching and learning processes, which in turn can influence new technology designs. RITEL encourages projects that explore new ideas and involve risk.

RITEL is unique in its requirement that projects must advance fundamental research in both learning (and/or teaching) and technology.

Projects that broaden participation, expand STEM pathways, ensure educational equity, or otherwise promote diversity, inclusion, and access in STEM education and careers are strongly encouraged. RITEL encourages proposals from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).

All projects must be framed in terms of a pressing need in an authentic educational environment. The research should address a meaningful and practical teaching and/or learning problem identified by educators and/or other stakeholders who have expertise in the specific context.

This program supports a broad range of projects across: 
-Content areas: STEM and other foundational areas supported by NSF that enable STEM learning and teaching (e.g., self-regulation, literacy, communication, collaboration, creativity, curiosity, and social skills). 
-Populations and contexts: learners, teachers, mentors, educators, and other workers in formal (e.g., K12, higher education) or informal settings; and individual, collective, and collaborative learning and teaching across the lifespan.

The primary goal should be investigating a new technology in the context of advancing teaching and/or learning. RITEL will not fund projects that are primarily about development of a technology.

All projects must have clear research objectives that integrate teaching and/or learning and technology research to advance the respective fields (e.g., learning sciences, discipline-based education research, computer and information sciences, engineering, and/or social, cognitive, and behavioral sciences) as described below:

Teaching and/or learning research 
-For teaching, this includes researching new teaching processes and approaches (e.g., andragogy and pedagogy). 
-For learning, this includes researching new learning processes, principles, and theories (e.g., cognitive, behavioral, affective, socio-cultural, social, epistemological, problem-based, project-based, developmental, and other perspectives).

Technology research 
-Examples of emerging technology research include (but are not limited to): AI-driven technologies; virtual, immersive, embodied, interactive, or augmented environments; multimodal modeling/sensing of cognitive or affective states; language and speech processing; learning analytics and dashboards; and robotics. 
-The technology research must advance fields involving computer science, information science, and/or engineering. 
-It is insufficient to simply implement or test an existing technology, even if innovative. Incremental advances in existing technologies or deployment/implementation of existing technologies in novel learning contexts will not be funded through this program.

Solicitation limitations:

 An individual may participate as PI, co-PI, or other Senior Personnel in no more than one (1) proposal in response to this solicitation for each submission date. In the event that an individual exceeds the limit, the first proposal received (based on the date and time stamp of proposal submission) will be accepted and the remainder will be returned without review. No exceptions will be made.

Other information:

Each project will be funded for a duration of 3 years and up to $900,000.

Equitable Transformation in STEM Education (ETSE)

Overview:

The HSI program is guided by student-centered frameworks that build an intentional and supportive environment for students and reinforce cultural and mindset shifts that support the success of all students at HSIs. Proposals should discuss project designs that are based on data-informed decision-making processes to operationalize an institution’s student-centered approach. This competition is designed to leverage existing institutional strengths for advancing efforts toward student-centered environments. Proposals to ETSE should impact the STEM learning landscape, result in equitable undergraduate STEM degree attainment for all students, and position students for successful transition and retention into the STEM workforce or graduate education.

Institutional Transformation Track (ITT). Proposals to the Institutional Transformation track should articulate a vision for unifying academic equity research, practice, and policy to strengthen an institutional understanding of student learning outcomes from the context of the diverse community it serves. All institution types are encouraged to apply, especially PUIs (including community colleges). Proposals are encouraged to consider moving efforts from enrollment driven strategies to student-centered principles. These projects seek to support the planning and implementation of institutional research infrastructure efforts which results in institutional-wide efforts toward broadening participation in STEM while engaging students in STEM undergraduate best practices to effectively guide students toward careers in STEM and/or graduate programs.

Project Descriptions for successful proposals to the Institutional Transformation Track (ITT) are strongly encouraged to:

• Discuss the proposal’s alignment with the institutional strategic plan to improve the enrollment, retention, and graduation of STEM associates and baccalaureate degrees.
• Discuss how the proposed ITT project will leverage and/or complement existing programs and initiatives to help the institution move towards a more student-centered undergraduate STEM ecosystem.
• Articulate the creation of institution-wide strategies to transform their policies or practices to foster inclusive STEM learning environments that promote equitable student learning and engagement in all STEM disciplines at the proposing HSI.
• Comprise a multidisciplinary team with the expertise and experience needed to implement the proposed project. The PI team may have members from other institutions or non-profit organizations to augment the team's expertise, which should be explained in the project description and management plan.

Solicitation limitations:

Other information:

Award Information: Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.

Estimated Number of Awards: 11 to 17

Anticipated Funding Amount: $20,000,000 (The number of new awards is subject to the availability of funds.)

This Program anticipates making:
•    3-6 Departmental/Division Transformation Track (DDTT)
o    Award Size: Up to $1,000,000
o    Award Length: For up to five-year-long projects
•    2-3 Institutional Transformation Track (ITT)
o    Award Size: Up to $3,000,000
o    Award Length: For five-year-long projects
•    5-7 Emerging Faculty Research Tracks (EFRT)
o    Award Size: Up to $200,000
o    Award Length: For up to three-year-long projects
•    1 HSI Program Resource Hubs (Hubs)
o    Award Size: Up to $3,000,000
o    Award Length: For up to five-year-long projects

Due Dates: Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization’s local time):  September 11, 2024 and August 27, 2025 (and the last Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter)

The NSF website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding opportunities. Use of this website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged.

2025 National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program

Overview:

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master's and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas, through a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. Proposals are requested that address any interdisciplinary or convergent research theme of national priority, as described in section II.D below.

The NRT program addresses workforce development, emphasizing broad participation, and institutional capacity building needs in graduate education. The program encourages proposals that involve strategic collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, informal science centers, and academic partners. 

A. Focus and Goals
The NRT Program is dedicated to shaping and supporting highly effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas through the use of comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. The goals of the program are to:

• Catalyze and advance cutting-edge interdisciplinary or convergent research in high priority areas;
• Increase the capacity of U.S. graduate programs to produce diverse cohorts of interdisciplinary STEM professionals with technical and transferable professional skills for a range of research and research-related careers within and outside academia; and
• Develop innovative approaches and knowledge that will promote transformative improvements in graduate education.

Creation of sustainable programmatic capacity at institutions is an expected outcome. Consequently, all proposals should describe mechanisms to
institutionalize effective training elements after award expiration and provide appropriate documentation of institutional support for such efforts (see Full Proposal
Content, section 8).

B. NRT Traineeship and Trainees
NRT traineeships are dedicated to the comprehensive development of graduate students as versatile STEM professionals for a range of research and research related careers within and outside academia. Accordingly, proposals should focus on and demonstrate strong commitment to technical and professional training of STEM graduate students that emphasizes research training and extends beyond into other aspects of students’ professional development. Specifically, NRT projects are expected to develop trainees’ technical skills broadly, including facility and/or familiarity with the techniques, languages, and cultures of fields integral to the interdisciplinary or convergent research theme; foster the development of transferable professional skills; and provide trainees with mentoring and vocational counseling from professionals who have the backgrounds, experience, and skills to advise trainees on how to prepare for a variety of STEM career pathways. NRT is intended to benefit a population of STEM graduate students beyond those who receive an NRT stipend. An NRT trainee is thus defined as a STEM graduate student, irrespective of funding source, who is accepted into an institution’s NRT program and completes the required NRT elements (e.g., courses, workshops, projects, and other training activities specific to the NRT experience) set by the program. To further maximize the number of students benefiting from NRT activities, proposers are expected to make available (within the capacity and budget limitations of the award) NRT program elements to other STEM graduate students who are not NRT trainees.

NRT trainees must be master’s and/or doctoral STEM students in a research-based degree program that requires a thesis or dissertation. If an NRT proposal from an institution includes both master’s and doctoral students, the proposal should identify any differences in NRT program requirements, as well as mechanisms to foster the development of a collective NRT graduate student community. NRT stipends and support for customary costs of education (tuition and required fees) are limited to U.S. citizens, nationals and permanent residents. However, international students can participate as non-stipend-supported NRT trainees or as non-trainees.

C. Key Features of NRT Projects
NRT projects demonstrate comprehensive approaches to graduate training and should include the following key features that are central to the NRT Program:

• Development of innovative and potentially transformative interdisciplinary approaches to STEM graduate education;
• Extension of NRT program elements to non-stipend-supported NRT trainees and to non-trainees to benefit a larger population of STEM graduate students across an institution;
• Dissemination of insights gained and results from NRT training approaches;
• Facilitation and advancement of novel, potentially transformative interdisciplinary or convergent research in areas of high priority to the nation;
• Comprehensive training of STEM graduate students, including the development of technical and professional skills for both research and research-related careers within and outside academia;
• Incorporation of evidence-based strategies to broaden participation of students from diverse backgrounds; and
• Implementation of robust program assessment and evaluation that is central to the traineeship and routinely informs and improves practice.

D. Priority Research Areas
The NRT Program accepts proposals in any interdisciplinary or convergent research theme of national importance, and encourages specific priority research areas that change periodically. All interdisciplinary or convergent research themes should align with NSF or other national STEM research priority areas and have high potential to develop novel, innovative practices in graduate education. Proposers should describe the importance of the NRT project’s thematic focus to the nation and the particular need to train students for a variety of careers in that thematic area.

For FY2021 and FY2022, proposals are encouraged in the research areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) and the six research areas in NSF's 10 Big Ideas. The NSF research Big Ideas are Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR), The Future of Work at the Human- Technology Frontier (FW-HTF), Navigating the New Arctic (NNA), Windows on the Universe: The Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (WoU), The Quantum
Leap: Leading the Next Quantum Revolution (QL), and Understanding the Rules of Life: Predicting Phenotype (URoL). The FY2021 Budget Request to
Congress includes an additional $15 million to include a special focus on artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence engineering.

All proposals, regardless of research area, must clearly describe an overarching interdisciplinary or convergent research focus and outline how the research
theme will foster high-return, interdisciplinary synergies. Proposals should also describe how the training and research elements will be integrated and justify the need for bold and innovative approaches to train graduate students in the thematic area. In keeping with the broader goals of the NRT program, proposals should demonstrate significant impact on the design and testing of new curricula and career-focused training approaches specific to the research focus area.

Proposals should also discuss the project's potential to have impact beyond the institution, including the possible broad adoption of approaches, curricula, and
instructional material within the relevant disciplines.

E. Program Tracks
Proposals may be submitted under two tracks (i.e., Track 1 and Track 2).
Track 1 proposals may request a total budget (up to five years in duration) up to $3 million for projects with a focus on STEM graduate students in research-based PhD and/or master’s degree programs. All Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members and that award a research-based master’s degree and/or a doctoral degree in STEM disciplines supported by the National Science Foundation are eligible to apply to Track 1.

Track 2 proposals may request a total budget (up to five years in duration) of up to $2 million. Eligibility to apply to Track 2 is limited to non-R1 Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members, that award a research-based master’s degree and/or a research-based doctoral degree in STEM disciplines supported by the National Science Foundation. Such institutions include Master’s Colleges and Universities that award fewer than 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees per year, Doctoral/Professional Universities (D/PU ) that award fewer than 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees per year, and Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity (R2, as defined in the Carnegie classification of higher education institutions). Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity (R1) are not eligible for Track 2 consideration.

Other requirements for Track 1 and Track 2 are identical.

Solicitation limitations:

ASU may submit only two (2) applications to the sponsoring organization. 

An eligible IHE may participate in only two (2) proposals per NRT competition as lead or collaborative non-lead. All Track 1 and/or Track 2 NRT proposals will be counted toward this total limit of two proposals per institution.

An individual may serve as Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI on only one (1) proposal submitted to the NRT program per annual competition. Proposals that exceed the PI/co-PI eligibility limit (beyond the first submission based on timestamp), will be returned without review regardless of the individual's role (PI or co-PI) in the returned proposal.

Other information:

Estimated Number of Awards: 8 to 20

NRT Track 1 Awards (14-16 awards each year) are expected to be up to five (5) years in duration with a total budget up to$3,000,000.

NRT Track 2 Awards (4-6 awards each year) are expected to be up to five (5) years in duration with a total budget up to$2,000,000.

NRT Track 2 Planning Grants (3-4 awards per year), are expected to be up to $100,000 per year (including indirect costs)and for up to two years in duration.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $53,000,000

U.S. Embassy to the United Kingdom Annual Program Statement

Overview:

The US Embassy to the United Kingdom’s Public Diplomacy Section, PDS, is pleased to announce the launch of its annual Public Diplomacy grants program. The Annual Program Statement outlines the Embassy’s funding priorities, strategic themes of focus, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding for Fiscal Year 2025, which runs from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. 

We will only accept applications with budgets within the range of USD 10000 minimum to USD 100000 maximum. 

All programs must promote at least one US Embassy priority program area and include a US element or connection. Democracy and Shared Values Global Challenges Climate Change, Science, and Technology Programs can include US experts, organizations, or institutions in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of US policies and perspectives. 

Examples of grants program projects include, but are not limited to:

• Academic and professional lectures, seminars, and speaker programs.
• Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, and exhibitions. 
• Professional and academic exchanges and projects. 
• Professional development workshops and training.

All proposed programs must include a public-facing element, targeting audiences across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, with special consideration for youth audiences aged 18 to 35 and regions outside of London.

Priority Program Areas
Democracy and Shared Values:  Activities that promote the U.S.-UK bilateral relationship and build people-to-people ties.

Special attention will be given to projects that commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence; promote our shared values between the U.S. and the UK, including our commitment to democracy and human rights, women’s empowerment, and equity and inclusion to support underserved communities.

Global Challenges:  Activities that build public support for the U.S.-UK alliance and U.S. foreign policy priorities related to shared national security challenges; and/or address transnational challenges such as mis- and disinformation from hostile actors; and/or projects that promote peaceful dialogue and counter radicalization, and equity and social justice.

Special attention will be given to projects focused on countering mis/disinformation; bolstering support for Ukraine; raising awareness around PRC interventionist activities; and promoting peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland.

Climate Change, Science, and Technology:  Activities that build awareness, action and cooperation on global priorities including climate/environment, sustainability, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, STEAM, and/or improve the connections between U.S. and UK businesses.  Special attention will be given to projects that:

Advance collaboration on the safe and responsible use of AI; promote climate-smart policies and infrastructure to support green growth and transatlantic security; and support women and girls in developing STEAM skills.

Participants and Audience Reach:

All applicants for awards must specify the program’s target audience (noting any emphasis on diverse audiences) and estimate the expected audience reach through direct contact and, if possible, through indirect contact (via social media or traditional media).  Proposals must include evaluation measures for analysis of impact.

Solicitation limitations:

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization.  If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding. 

Other information:

Length of Performance Period: 1 to 12 months

Number of Awards Anticipated: 3 to 30 awards (dependent on amounts and availability of funding)

Award Amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $100,000.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less.

Cost Sharing or Matching: When cost-sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost-sharing as stipulated in its proposal.  PDS encourages, but does not mandate, that applicants include cost-sharing elements from additional sources in support of their proposals.

NDEP STEM Open NFO

Overview:

The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) seeks innovative applications on mechanisms to implement and research the effectiveness of STEM education, outreach, and/or workforce initiative programs, here onto referred as STEM activities. 
In response to this NFO, the Department intends to release amendments and solicitations, such as Industry Days, Opportunity Days, etc., detailing funding opportunities through award(s) in STEM activities. 

These activities include, but are not limited to: 
(1) STEM Education and Outreach 
(2) Support for STEM Education at Two-Year Institutions/Community Colleges (2YI/CCs)
(3) Manufacturing Engineering Education Program 
(4) Education and Workforce Development aligned to the DoD Critical Technology Areas 
(5) Enhanced Civics Education 
(6) STEM Scholarship Programs 
(7) Strategic Partnerships 
(8) Program Evaluations and Assessments 
(9) Data Analytics and Visualizations 
(10) Activities aligned to the DoD STEM Strategic Plan
(11) Other NDEP Congressional Initiatives and Programs

This NFO competition is implemented in two stages: 
(1) Applicants must submit a white paper by the designated deadline specified in the NFO amendment or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcement. 
(2) Based on assessment of the white paper, selected applicants will be invited to submit an application by the designated deadline.
White papers that fail to address the areas listed in the Program Description of the NFO amendment or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcement will not be evaluated and will not receive an invitation to submit a full technical application.

Solicitation limitations:

Per 2 CFR § 200.216, funds may not be used to procure telecommunications equipment or video surveillance services or equipment produced by 

• Huawei Technologies Company 
• ZTE Corporation Hytera Communications Corporation
• Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company
• Dahua Technology Company
• Any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities 

Resultant grants will not allow reimbursement of pre-Federal award costs. The DoD will only fund salary, fringe benefits and indirect costs on awards under the announcement. Funds from an award may not be used to attain fee or profit.  

Other information:

Mandatory White Paper Due: March 5, 2025  

In response to this NFO, applicants may be asked for a mandatory white paper submission, emailed to [email protected]. Use of the white paper is intended to determine which efforts are of merit preparatory to submission of a full application as described in Section IV. Applicants will be selected from the white paper submissions to be invited by the Government via email to submit a full application on Grants.gov for evaluation and possible award consideration. White papers that fail to address the areas listed in the Program Description of the NFO amendment or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcement will not be evaluated and will not receive an invitation to submit a full technical application.

The submission of a white paper is dependent on the NFO amendment or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcement. In addition to the submission requirements outlined in Section IV, all responses should address items in the specific NFO amendment or Industry Day/Opportunity Day announcement.

The white paper should be emailed to [email protected] with the subject line, “NFO White Paper Submission.”

For all personnel proposed as key personnel applicants must submit an SF424 Research and Related (R&R) 4040-001 Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form.

All awards are expected to be in place by 8 February 2028.

Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) Organizational Research Education Award to Promote Diversity (UE5 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Overview:

The NIH Research Education Program (UE5) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The over-arching goal of the MOSAIC UE5 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, for example those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research.

To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on Courses for Skills Development and Mentoring Activities. Applications are encouraged from organizations of biomedical researchers (e.g., scientific societies) with a membership of scientists conducting research within the mission of NIH, experience serving as a centralized entity to enhance scientific communication and networking among scientists conducting research, an established record of providing professional development and networking activities for the next generation of biomedical researchers, and a demonstrated commitment to enhancing the diversity of the biomedical research workforce.

The program provides support for well-designed courses for skills development and mentoring activities to prepare MOSAIC K99/R00 grantees to transition into, succeed, and advance in independent faculty careers at research-intensive institutions.
 

Solicitation limitations:

ASU may submit only one (1) application to the sponsoring organization. The Limited Submissions internal application can be found here: InfoReady.

Other information:

A broad portfolio – in terms of scientific areas, approaches, regions, organizations, and individual investigator experiences – is integral to NIH’s ability to fulfill its mission. Advances in biomedical research depend upon a workforce composed of people trained in multiple disciplines and from a range of backgrounds who can provide the breadth of creativity, and individual interests, perspectives and experiences needed to identify and address important and complex scientific problems, engage with increasingly diverse patient populations, and effectively serve as mentors to trainees from increasingly diverse backgrounds who are pursuing biomedical research careers. Research shows that teams with members from different backgrounds that utilize their members' unique experiences and perspectives better capitalize on innovative ideas and outperform homogeneous teams.

There are many benefits that flow from an NIH-supported scientific workforce that leverages the talents of rigorous researchers from all backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented groups: fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of research, enhancing public trust, and increasing the likelihood that health disparities and the needs of underserved populations are addressed in biomedical research.
Expanding the population of academic investigators from nationally underrepresented backgrounds in the biomedical research workforce has remained an elusive goal.