| Campus Initiates Support for Research Experiences for Undergraduates |
|
Opportunities for undergraduates at UMass Amherst to experience graduate and professional level research work during the summer months are rapidly expanding as departments, institutes, and centers across campus are recognizing the benefits of such opportunities - both for the campus and the students. In order to streamline the formation process for new Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs), and to provide advice and advocacy for existing REUs, the campus is launching a formal administrative support system for these programs. [Read More]
|
| Funding Opportunities |
|
Hood Foundation Child Health Research Grants
Deadline: March 25
Estimated Award Size: $150,000 ($75,000 per year over 2 years)
The Charles H. Hood Foundation has issued a request for proposals for its Child Health Research Grants.Proposed projects must have direct relevance to diminishing pediatric diseases. More information is available online. UMass Amherst researchers intending to apply should contact Susan Worgaftik (413-577-2956) for assistance.
UMass Amherst Research Leadership in Action
Deadline: May 1, 2008
Estimated Award Size: Up to $25,000
This program supports research leadership through funding highly visible events that have a profound, positive impact on the campus and its scholarly endeavors. Grants support results-oriented events that bring together researchers, scholars, and funders from other academic institutions, industry, government, and the public. Events must enhance the faculty's ability to develop sponsored activities, build tangible ties with external funding sources that expand collaborative opportunities and the knowledge base of the discipline, and raise the campus' profile as an institution driving the directions of scholarly activity on a national and international level. For more information, see the Research Leadership in Action website or contact RLA Program Administrator Karen Hayes (413-545-9586).
MRI-MRS Pilot Research Grants
Next Deadline: May 1, 2008
Estimated Award Size: Up to $15,000 The Office of Research has budgeted $60,000- $80,000 in each of the next three years to be used as seed money to fund several UMass faculty-led, pilot research projects per year focused on magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Successful pilot projects (maximum $15,000) will describe a project designed to generate preliminary data for an existing federal or national-level funding initiative. For more information, an application and instructions please go to the Pilot Grant website.
Mathematics & Science Partnership Education Grant
Deadline: May 5, 2008
Estimated Award Size: Up to $250,000 for up to 3 years
The Massachusetts Mathematics & Science Partnership Program (MMSP) has issued a request for proposals to support projects that improve student achievement in science, technology/engineering, and mathematics through intensive, high-quality professional development activities that focus on deepening teachers' content knowledge and improving standards-based practices. Priority will be given to partnerships that focus on middle school STEM, integrate professional development offerings with school or district STEM improvement initiatives, and include inquiry-based learning experiences that help teachers master content. An information session will be held on April 8 at the Hoagland-Pincus Conference Center in Shrewsbury, MA. To register, visit the DOE Conferences website; for more information about the grant, contact Statewide Science Assistance Specialist Lisa Tyrrell (781-338-3514).
NCIIA Grants
The National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) seeks applicants for the following two funding opportunities. More information, including application materials, may be found online.
"Course and Program Grants"
Deadline: May 9, 2008
Estimated Award Size: $2,000 - $50,000
These grants are to improve existing curricular programs or build new programs in invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Course and Program grants support creative pedagogy that brings real-life applications into the classroom setting and beyond.
"Advanced E-Team Grants"
Deadline: May 9, 2008
Estimated Award Size: $1,000 - $20,000
These grants support commercial outcomes by moving innovative products and technologies from the idea stage to prototype and helping collegiate innovators secure IP. Successful proposals will demonstrate an idea's technical feasibility, commercialization potential, and social value.
Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund
Deadline: May 9, 2008
Estimated Award Size: Up to $500,000
Microsoft's HealthVault Be Well Fund provides targeted funding to colleges, universities, and health institutions for the research and development of online tools that improve health. Proposals are encouraged for applications in primary prevention, secondary prevention, acute care, juvenile disease management, women's health management, and community and social health. Proposals must use the Microsoft HealthVault platform, a free Web-based IT platform designed for health data management. More information is available online. Additional corporate funding opportunities may be found on the Corporate Funding page of the UMass Research area website.
Go to Top | | |
| Announcements |
UMass
Releases Clean Energy Report
The UMass
Clean Energy Working Group has released Clean
Energy for the Commonwealth, Powered by the University of Massachusetts.
The report establishes the context for the University's role in the
Commonwealth's clean energy industries and initiatives, spotlights a number of
current UMass clean energy research and teaching programs and activities, and
makes recommendations for future action. The report is available in print, by
contacting RL&D Associate Director Loren
Walker (413-577-3725), or online
(PDF).
Women
in Science Summer Internship Program
Deadline: March 31
The Association
for Women in Science (AWIS) Summer Internship Program welcomes applications for
the 2008 summer session. The AWIS Internship Program is one of the premiere
opportunities for young women in the fields of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics. In recent years, the program has focused on
attracting outstanding female undergraduates who are members of groups
currently under-represented in the STEM disciplines: individuals of
African American, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander
descent. For more information, see the Program announcement (PDF)
or visit the internship
page of the AWIS website.
UMass
Included in State's Life Sciences Plan
A
10-year, $1-billion plan to support the state's life sciences industry, including
$200 million for the University system, was unveiled February 14 by House
Speaker Salvatore DiMasi. The plan includes $95 million for a life sciences
research center at the Amherst
campus. In
addition, the proposal creates a $40 million Mello Small Business Grant
program, named in honor of Medical
School researcher Dr. Craig
Mello. Another $30 million is intended for graduate-level scholarships. The full
text of the bill (House, No. 4539) is available online
(PDF).
New
Reports on the Creative Economy
The New
England Foundation for the Arts has released a report, The
Creative Economy: A New Definition (PDF), in which Massachusetts is shown to have a competitive
advantage in both cultural workers and enterprise employment. The Commonwealth
also fares strongly in a new Creative
Industries report issued by Americans for the Arts.
Spring
2008 "Passport UMass" Newsletter Available
The
latest edition of the Passport UMass
newsletter, produced by the UMass International
Relations Advisory Council, is now available online. The newsletter
features important news, events, and profiles related to the international
activities of UMass faculty, staff, researchers, and students.
Spring 2008 Environmental Lecture
Series
The
Environmental Institute announces the Spring 2008 Environmental
Lecture Series: Emerging Technologies and the Environment. Series speakers will address the
challenges and environmental applications of a range of emerging technologies
including nanotechnology, wireless sensor networks, and genome science. The
lectures, which are free and open to the public, take place at 3:30pm in the
Cape Cod Lounge, Student Union Building UMass Amherst. For dates and speakers, visit the TEI website. Co-sponsored
by the Vice Provost for Research, Graduate School, and Colleges of
Natural Resources and the Environment, Natural Sciences and Mathematics,
Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Public Health and Health Sciences.
Temporary student position
available with Clean Energy group
A renewable energy
assessment group is looking for a resourceful, self-directed individual to
conduct analysis of various business, economic, and technology data. The ideal
candidate will be working toward an undergraduate or graduate degree in
business, economics, or engineering and have knowledge of database research
methods, as well as strong analytical and problem solving skills, and the
ability to conduct disciplined evaluation of online sources. A strong interest
in clean/ renewable energy technology is preferred. Work will include
conducting online/library searches for information, formulation of databases
for analysis, and summary of results. Contact Zvi Rozen of Grayhead Associates for information
or to apply.
Go to Top |
| CVIP News |
|
CVIP Patents Filed
Congratulations to the following UMass Amherst researchers, for whom CVIP filed patent applications for inventions in 2007.
E. Bryan Coughlin (Polymer Science) for "Cross-Linked Polycyclooctene"
Mark Tuominen and Andrei Ursache (Physics), and Thomas Russell (Polymer Science) for "Nanofabrication"
Thomas Russell and Mark Tuominen for "Nanocylinder Arrays"
L. Semprevivo (Veterinary and Animal Sciences) for "Lipoglycan Compositions and Methods of Treating Parasitic Infections"
S. Cumberledge (Biochemical and Molecular Biology) for "Secreted Frizzled Related Protein, SFRP, Fragments and Methods of Use Thereof"
Micah Adler (Computer Science) for "Probabilistic Packet Marking"
Israel Koren, C. Mani Krishna, and Csaba Andras Moritz (Electrical and Computer Engineering) for "Reducing Processor Energy Consumption Using Compile-Time Information"
Wayne Burleson (Electrical and Computer Engineering) for "Circuit for Differential Current Sensing with Reduced Static Power"
Joseph Jerry (Veterinary and Animal Sciences) for "Cloning Pigs Using Donor cells or Nuclei from Differentiated Cells (Somatic or Germ Cells) and Production of Pluripotent Porcine Cells by Nuclear Transplantation"
Thomas Boyle (Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences) for "Cactaceae Plant Name 'Harmony'" and "Cactaceae Plant Named 'Elsie'"
CVIP Technology Development Award Winners
Two UMass Amherst researchers are among the winners of the 2007 CVIP Technology Development Awards. The CVIP Technology Development Fund was established by CVIP in the President's Office in 2004 to provide UMass researchers with supplemental funding to advance previously disclosed University technologies toward commercialization. The grant is intended to move technologies to the proof of concept stage or to allow the investigator to take other critical steps to make the technology attractive for licensing or other forms of commercialization. The UMass Amherst faculty who received Awards this year are Kevin Fu (Computer Science) for "Zero-Power Telemetry for Implantable Medical Devices" and George W. Huber (Chemical Engineering) for "Green Gasoline from Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass".
"TechCast at UMass" Features Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute
CVIP has released the latest episode of "TechCast at UMass" - a podcast series featuring the breakthrough discoveries of UMass Amherst researchers and showcasing partnerships that create new commercial ventures. The current episode highlights the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, a partnership between UMass Amherst and the Baystate Medical Center. PVLSI Science Director and UMass Professor of Biology Dr. Larry Schwartz and PVLSI Executive Director Dr. Paul Friedmann discuss the Institute and its newest addition, the Center of Excellence in Apoptosis Research. |
Research Trends
|
FY08
Federal Budget May Impact NSF Cost Sharing Requirements
In a recent report,
the National Science Board recommends that the National Science Foundation
resume requiring universities to share more of the costs of sponsored projects
as a condition of receiving certain kinds of industry-oriented research
centers. More on the report, and reaction to it, may be found in the Chronicle
of Higher Education. This renewed emphasis on cost sharing may stem from
the recent passage of the FY08 federal budget bill, which provides the NSF with
$364 million less than it had requested. The FY08 budget for the DOE's Office
of Science was likewise funded below its requested amount. The American
Institute of Physics provides more
information on the ramifications of the FY08 budget.
|
| Events |
March 13: Invention to Venture and Ignite Clean Energy (ICE) will hold a "bootcamp" introduction to the process and practice of technology entrepreneurship. Speakers will discuss topics such as idea validation, sales & marketing, intellectual property, and venture funding. To register, or for more details, visit the Bootcamp website or contact Kimberly Onsager (617-253-2971). March 17: Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Chief of Staff Melissa Walsh and Mass Tech Collaborative staff director Beth Nicklas will hold a briefing on the MLSC's matching grants program at 1:00pm at the UMass Amherst Conte National Center for Polymer Research.
March 24: The Mass Tech Transfer Center co-sponsors the fourth Early-Stage Life Sciences Technology Conference to be held from 1:00pm to 7:00pm at Harvard Medical School. This year's conference includes a special session on the role foundations are playing in supporting life sciences technology transfer. For information on registration, or to submit a proposal for presentation, visit the Conference website or contact Julia Goldberg.
March 27: The UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences presents the tenth annual SPHHS Research Day, featuring a student poster session, keynote speaker Dr. Harold W. Kohl III (University of Texas) on "Physical Activity and Public Health: The Future is Now", and presentation of Research Day Awards. Student poster session and featured seminar are open to the campus community as well as adjunct faculty, alumni, and the community at large. For more information, contact Pauline Hollister (413-545-2526).
March 28: 2008 INFORMS Speakers Series - Professor Eitan Bachmat (Ben Gurion University) will speak on "Airplane Boarding and Space-Time Geometry" at 11:00am in Isenberg Room 112. April 8: The Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center and UMass Extension host the 5th Annual Conference on Water Resources, "Integrating Water Resources Management for a Secure Water Future", at the UMass Amherst Lincoln Campus Center. Keynote speaker EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Ira Leighton will address developments in stormwater policy and remediation. The Conference will feature tracks focused on water resources management and planning, stormwater management, climate change and water resources, and research to address impaired water resources. More information is available online.
April 10 - 11: The UMass 2008 Instructional Technology Conference, "The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Making IT Matter", will be held at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough, MA. Workshops will be held on April 10; the main conference on April 11 includes poster sessions, concurrent panels, and keynote speaker Chris Dede, Professor of Learning Technologies at Harvard University. More information, including online registration, is available from the conference website. Questions may be addressed to UMass Associate Vice President Mark Schlesinger (617-287-7102). Go to Top |
| New Faculty |
This month Research ACCESS welcomes the following new faculty from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Click here for a full listing of these faculty and their research interests.
Julio Navarro, Astronomy
James Chambers and Nathan Schnarr, Chemistry
Matthais Bernet, Geosciences
Michael Lavine, Math & Stats
Laura Cadonati, Jennifer Ross, Christian Santangelo, and Egor Babaev, Physics Gregory Grason, Polymer Science & Engineering
Go to Top |
|
February Grants & Contracts Snapshot |
Each month ACCESS includes a selection of grants and contracts awarded to faculty from across campus to provide a sense of what's going on in research at UMass Amherst. These listings reflect only a small fraction of the total sponsored activity for any given month. Since this is just a snapshot in time and grant/contract terms vary, actual award totals may be higher than the amounts listed.
Lawrence L. Ambs
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Sponsor: National Grid Inc.
Title: MAEEP MA Energy Efficiency Partnership Industry Support
Total Award: $75,000
Daniel L. Blanchard
Center for Educational Software Development
Sponsor: Internet2
Title: Internet2 Network Security Collaboration
Total Award: $29,038
Edward J. Calabrese
Public Health
Sponsor: Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Title: Chemical/Radiation Hormesis Database, Evaluation of Hormetic Mechanisms & Their Biomedical and Risk Assessment Implications
Total Award: $299,371
John F. Donoghue
Physics
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Title: Elementary Particle, Nuclei and Relativity
Total Award: $320,000
Neal R. Erickson
Astronomy
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Title: A Redshift Search for the Large Millimeter Telescope
Total Award: $231,922
Brian Kane
Natural Resources Conservation
Sponsor: MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
Title: DCR Urban & Community Forestry Performance Tracking System
Total Award: $25,000
Dragoljub Beka Kosanovic
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Sponsor: US Department of Energy
Title: Industrial Assessment Center Program
Total Award: $40,000
Andrew McCallum
Computer Science
Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
Title: Situation Understanding Bot Through Language and Enivronment
Total Award: $113,949
Andreas Muschinski
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sponsor: Army Research Office
Title: Supplement to Investigation of Turbulence and Intermittency in the Convective Boundary Layer, Using a 915 MHz Volume Wind Profiler
Total Award: $62,325
Kathleen G. Rubin
Office of the Dean of the School of Engineering
Sponsor: The National GEM Consortium
Title: Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science
Total Award: $10,000
Paul R. Sievert
Natural Resources Conservation
Sponsor: MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Title: Distribution and Abundance of Four-toed Salamanders: A Multi-scale Model of Habitat Preference
Total Award: $10,000
| |
