| Reaching a Broader Audience: Tips for Writing Op-Eds |
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The op-ed is a unique bully pulpit for transforming the results of sophisticated research into a medium that appeals to a mass audience. By driving the debate on key issues, faculty and administrators can increase the visibility of their research and enhance their reputation as subject experts through strong op-ed writing. While getting an op-ed placed in a national or international publication can be a challenge, the exposure can be worth the effort and can generate opportunities for publication at the regional or local level as well.
The UMass Amherst College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Public Engagement Project sponsored a recent panel discussion designed to demystify op-ed writing. Comprising campus faculty who have successfully written op-ed pieces and campus News Office staff, the panel shared their experiences with the op-ed process and tools for engaging media outlets. Click here for the "how-tos" and to learn more.
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Publishing Your Work Online |
As a researcher and scholar, what is it that you need to know about publishing your work online? The Research Area, in partnership with the Du Bois Library, Center for Teaching, Graduate School, and Outreach, sponsored the third annual Digital Quadrangle workshop on March 28 th "Engaging the Web for Scholarship, Pedagogy, and Publication". The event explored the benefits of publishing research and scholarly works online, as well as related issues such as intellectual property and author's rights. (A podcast of the keynote, "The Googlization of Everything", given by Siva Vaidhyanathan, is available on the site).
At the center of the discussion was UMass Amherst's open access ScholarWorks database, a digital repository for the research and scholarly output of the campus community. By providing a searchable full-text archive of scholarly materials produced by UMass Amherst faculty and students, ScholarWorks is an essential component in the evolving structure of academic communication. The site includes conference proceedings, such as the recent "Landscapes of Violence: Conflict and Trauma through Time" conference. It also provides publication opportunities for dissertations, papers, and e-journals, such as the digital journal being developed out of the Landscapes of Violence conference. The site also gives information on author's rights in relation to online publishing. To learn more about ScholarWorks, contact Scholarly Communication & Special Initiatives Librarian Marilyn Billings (413-545-6891).
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| Massachusetts Proposes "Green Jobs" Plan |
On March 18, House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi announced a new five-year initiative directing $10 million per year at building the local alternative-energy sector in order to create new jobs and revenue opportunities in the state's clean energy industry.
The initial proposal would establish a new "Massachusetts Clean Energy Center" and authorize funds for seed grant programs to startups, fellowships to give experienced Massachusetts entrepreneurs the energy training needed to enter the sector and support to coordinate workforce development efforts at Massachusetts colleges and universities.
The region's clean energy cluster ranks as the 10th largest sector in the region and is growing at a rate of more than 20% per year according to a study by the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC). State officials called the initiative a key element in making the region a national leader in clean tech. According to NECEC, the plan could create as many as 21 new clean energy companies and attract $500 million in venture capital, yielding 13,000 new jobs and $51 million in new annual income taxes. The University of Massachusetts has been a leader in alternative energy research and education since the 1970's. Access the University System Clean Energy Report and the UMass Amherst Advanced Energy Portal to learn more.
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| Funding Opportunities & Upcoming Deadlines |
Fulbright Senior Specialists Program
Deadline: Ongoing
Estimated Award Size: Varies
The Fulbright Senior Specialists Program is designed to provide U.S. and Canadian faculty and professionals with opportunities to collaborate on curriculum and faculty development, institutional planning, and a variety of other activities. Short-term grants of two to six weeks are available to provide leading U.S. scholars and professionals with opportunities to collaborate with their Canadian counterparts. More information is available online.
Chemistry Sciences New Faculty Award
Deadline: April 18
Estimated Award Size: $50,000
The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation supports the scholarly activities of new faculty with an award designed to help initiate their independent research programs. The New Faculty Award provides an unrestricted research grant before the new faculty members formally begin their first tenure-track appointment, and is based on institutional nomination. More information is available online. UMass Amherst Department Chairs interested in submitting a candidate must contact Beverly Strakose (413-545-5283).
William T. Grant Scholars Program
Deadline: April 25
Estimated Award Size: $350,000 over five years
The William T. Grant Scholars Program supports promising early career researchers from diverse disciplines such as sociology, education, psychology, and other social sciences and humanities. The award facilitates the professional development of early career scholars who have some demonstrated success in conducting high quality research and are seeking to further develop their skills and research program. Studies from these Scholars contribute to theory and policy/practice for improving the everyday settings of youth. Candidates are nominated by a supporting institution and must submit five-year research plans that demonstrate creativity, intellectual rigor, and a commitment to continued professional development; are grounded in theory and sound research methods; and provide evidence for appropriate mentoring from senior investigators. More information is available online. UMass Amherst deans interested in submitting a candidate must contact Beverly Strakose (413-545-5283).
HHMI Biology/Medicine Early Career Grants
Intent to Apply Deadline: April 30, 2008
Application Deadline: June 10, 2008
Estimated Award Size: Varies
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) seeks applications from scientists in all areas of basic biological and biomedical research, and in areas of chemistry, physics, computer science, and engineering directly related to biology or medicine. The Early Career Scientist Program provides an HHMI appointment in the form of full salary support as well as research funding and equipment. HHMI also provides a research budget for salary support of personnel and supplies. More information is available on the program website.UMass Amherst researchers intending to apply are encouraged to contact Susan Worgaftik (413-577-2956) for support. MRI-MRS Pilot Research Grants
Deadline: May 1, 2008
Estimated Award Size: Up to $15,000
These grants, offered through the UMass Amherst Office of Research, seed pilot projects focused on MRI and MRS techniques using the state-of-the-art human bioimaging facility operated by Cooley Dickinson Hospital at the University Drive Health Center. Successful proposals will describe a project designed to generate preliminary data that will increase competitiveness for more comprehensive extramural funding. More information is available online.
Grand Challenges Explorations Health Grants
Preliminary Deadline: May 15, 2008
Estimated Award Size: $100,000 initial award, up to $1 million further support
The Gates Foundation is accepting grant proposals for the first round of Grand Challenges Explorations, a new initiative to help scientists pursue innovative ideas for solving major health problems. This round will consider proposals in four topic areas: 1.) Creating new ways to protect against infectious diseases; 2.) Creating drugs or delivery systems that limit the emergence of resistance; 3.) Creating new ways to prevent or cure HIV infection; 4.) Exploring the basis for latency in TB. Full descriptions of the initial topic areas and application instructions are available at the program's website. UMass Amherst researchers intending to apply are encouraged to contact Susan Worgaftik (413-577-2956) for support.
Improving Delivery of Medicine to the Brain Initiative
Preproposal Deadline: May 15, 2008
Application Deadline: July 15, 2008
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has launched a new funding program, Improving Delivery of Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics to the Brain. This initiative aims to stimulate research addressing two major challenges to the development of transformative treatments for Parkinson's disease. The first is the need for non-invasive drug delivery technologies allowing therapeutics to cross the blood-brain barrier. The second is the need to more precisely understand how molecules move inside the central nervous system in order to target treatments to specific regions of the brain. Complete information about the program and application procedures are available on the foundation's website. Faculty members planning to apply for this opportunity, should contact Susan Worgaftik (413-547-2956) for assistance.
SRC Cross-disciplinary Semiconductor Research Grant
Deadline: May 16, 2008
Estimated Award Size: $40,000
Semiconductor Research Corporation seeks new concepts for micro-systems that can be embedded within integrated circuit chips to provide functional diversification. Proposed embedded micro-systems should offer a pathway to fabrication that is integrable with conventional CMOS processing. The larger goal of projects should be to comprehend additional integrated circuit functionalities that could offer new capabilities beyond the current application space. Awardees will have the opportunity to apply for follow-on funding. More information is available online.
Related Service Special Education Research Grants
Deadline: June 26, 2008
Estimated Award Size: Varies
The Related Services Special Education Research Grants Program contributes to the improvement of physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, adaptive, and academic outcomes of infants, toddlers, young children, and students who receive special education and related services by identifying and developing related services, practices, programs and delivery systems for children with disabilities and determining their efficacy; and developing and validating assessment tools and procedures that can be used to evaluate physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, adaptive, and academic outcomes of children with disabilities who receive special education and related services. Application information is available online.
Awwa Fund Announces Multiple RFPs for Drinking Water Projects
Deadline: Varies
Estimated Award Size: Varies
The Awwa Research Foundation seeks proposals for 15 solicited projects that enable water utilities, public health agencies, and other professionals to provide safe, available, and affordable drinking water to the public. Each project has specific deadlines, award amounts, and other instructions available online. Detailed guidelines for preparing Awwa solicited proposals are also posted online.
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| Announcements |
Research Welcomes New Staff Welcome to Michelle Wonsey, (545-2706) who this month has joined the Research Area staff as administrative support person. Michelle brings a background working in hospitality as well as travel and tourism management. She will be supporting the work of RL&D and CVIP in her new position. Welcome also to OGCA's new Proposal Development Administrator Helen Bishop (545-2962); Helen comes to UMass Amherst after having worked for two years as Funding & Donor Relations Manager for "Save the Children" in Uganda.
UMass Amherst Students Win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
The National Science Foundation has awarded predoctoral research fellowships to five UMass Amherst PhD students: Jane Stout (Social Psychology), Karl Schultz (Computer Science), Justin Henningsen (Biological Sciences), Rachel Shorey (Computer Science), and Dawn Ericksen (Chemical Engineering). Each year thousands of first- and second-year doctoral students in science, math, and social science apply, but only a small percentage is selected; the total award pool this year was 913 students. The award includes a $30,000 stipend plus tuition and fees for three years for each awardee.
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| Events |
April 9: Public lecture by Douglas Comer, Vice President of Research Collaboration, Cisco Systems and Distinguished University Professor of Computer Science, Purdue University, "Lessons Learned from the Internet Project". This eclectic talk presents a series of lessons drawn from the Internet experience that may help us beter understand how to proceed with new research. 4:00pm, Computer Science Building 151. Refreshments 3:45. Sponsored by the Department of Computer Science and UMass Amherst Office of Research. Contact Jean Joyce for more information.
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).
April 15: UMass Amherst Science, Technology, and Society Initiative, with the IGERT Program in Nanotechnology Innovation, hosts a talk on "Nanoethics: Ethical and Social Implications of Nanotechnology" by James Moor, Professor of Philosophy at Dartmouth College; 5pm in the Habsrouck Laboratory. More information is available online.
April 16: The Environmental Institute's Spring 2008 Lecture Series presents Professor Pedro J. Alvarez, Chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Rice University, on "Environmental Implications and Applications of Nanotechnology"; at 3:30pm in the Cape Cod Lounge of the UMass Amherst Student Union. For more information visit TEI's website.
April 17: OGCA Brown Bag Lunch: Export Control regulations are federal laws that prohibit the unlicensed export of certain technologies or information for reasons of national security or protections of trade. Room 104 Research Administration Building from 12pm-1pm; open to the entire campus community. OGCA will provide beverages. For more information or to register, contact Kimberley Broderick (413-545-0698).
April 23 - 27: The UMass Amherst Renaissance Center Theatre Company presents Shakespeare's dark comedy Measure for Measure at the Massachusetts Center for Renaissance Studies, 650 East Pleasant Street in Amherst; 7:30pm Wednesday through Saturday, 2pm Sunday. $10 ($5 students & seniors); group rates available. The company includes professional and community actors from across the region and the Five Colleges; directed by Matteo Pangallo (Research ACCESS assistant editor). Contact the Renaissance Center (413-577-3600) for tickets or more information.
April 28: OGCA Brown Bag Lunch on Funding from Industry. Discussion about industrial funding procedures for proposal preparation, award acceptance, and standard University boilerplate sponsored research agreement. Potential discussion points include contract terms that impact the academic department's grant administration; awards without proposals; unrestricted grants; service agreements. Questions and comments are welcome. Room 104 Research Administration Building from 12pm-1pm; open to the entire campus community. OGCA will provide beverages. For more information or to register, contact Kimberley Broderick (413-545-0698).
April 29: Professor Lou-Ping Zhang, Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering and Executive Director of the Coastal and Ocean Management Institute at Xiamen University, Xiamen, China will give a talk on "Education and Research of Environmental and Marine Science and Management at Xiamen University in China"; 4pm, Room 803 Campus Center.
April 30: The Environmental Institute's Spring 2008 Lecture Series presents John A. Stankovic, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Virginia, on "Wireless Sensor Networks: Global Scale Environmental Monitoring from Arctic to Zebras"; at 3:30pm in the Cape Cod Lounge of the UMass Amherst Student Union. For more information visit TEI's website.
May 5: The Environmental Institute's Spring 2008 Lecture Series presents Dr. James K. Fredrickson, Laboratory Fellow in Biological Sciences at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, on "Biotechnological Solutions for Bioenergy, Climate Change, and Remediation"; at 3:30pm in the Cape Cod Lounge of the UMass Amherst Student Union. For more information visit TEI's website.
May 8: OGCA Brown Bag Lunch on Award Close-Out. Room 104 in the Research Administration Building from 12pm-1pm; Open to the entire campus community. OGCA will provide beverages. For more information or to register, contact Kimberley Broderick (413-545-0698).
May 9: UMass Department of Environmental Health and Safety hosts the joint New England and New York area Biological Safety Symposium. Presenters include Kathryn Harris (NIH, Office of Biotechnology Activities) on "NIH Guidelines: emerging issues and common IBC deficiencies", and Caryl Griffin (Elizabeth Griffin Research Foundation) on "Safer Together: Building a Multidisciplinary Biological Safety Network". Contact Maureen O'Leary by April 11 to register or for more information.
May 13 - 15: The Spring 2008 Polymer Event at UMass Amherst will feature a lecture series on "Polymers in Energy" (May 13), a symposium on "Polymers in Biomedical Applications" (May 14), and a workshop on "Ionic Liquids: Opportunities in Polymers" (May 15). For more information contact the Center for UMass/Industry Research on Polymers (413-545-2236).
May 15: OGCA Brown Bag Lunch on Effort Reporting. Room 104 in the Research Administration Building from 12pm-1pm; Open to the entire campus community. OGCA will provide beverages. For more information or to register, contact Kimberley Broderick (413-545-0698).
May 16: School of Public Health & Health Sciences Faculty Mentoring Symposium is an opportunity for early-career faculty in SPHHS to learn about collaborative opportunities with senior faculty in the areas of aging, obesity, and women's health. Campus Center room 1001. Poster session begins at 11:00am; lunch "table-top" sessions on specific topics at 12:00pm. Contact Lisa Chasan-Taber (413-545-1664) for more information or to register to present a poster. Go to Top |
| New Faculty |
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The Research Area looks forward to working with the over 60 new faculty this year from schools and departments across campus. This month Research ACCESS welcomes new faculty from the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Click here for a listing of these faculty and their research interests.
Sofiya Alhassan, Kinesiology
Maria Bulzacchelli, Rongheng Lin, Paolo Ricci, and Rosa Rodriguez-Monguio, Public Health
Jacquie Kurland, Communications Disorders
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March Grants & Contracts Snapshot |
Dominique Alfandari
Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Title: Mechanism of Xenopus Cranial Neural Crest Cell Migration
Total Award: $325,604
Eric L. Bittman
Biology
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Title: Suprachiasmatic Control of Peripheral Circadian Rhythms
Total Award: $292,159
Kathleen M. Carroll
UMass Extension
Sponsor: Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, Inc.
Title: Development of Best Management Manuals for Livestock, Small Fruit, Orchards, and Nursery Production
Total Award: $59,986
David R. Evans
Educational Policy, Research, and Administration
Sponsor: Academy for Educational Development
Title: USAID/Afghanistan Higher Education Project - HEP RFA No. 306-05-026
Total Award: $1,200,000
Donald L. Fisher
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Sponsor: Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs
Title: User-Paced Vs. System-Paced Voice User Interfaces
Total Award: $49,919
Joseph I. Goldstein
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Title: Shock and Thermal History of Metallic Phases in Meteorites
Total Award: $185,000
Robert B. Hallock
Physics
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Title: Helium Films: Localization and Transitions
Total Award: $125,000
Joseph Hamill
Kinesiology
Sponsor: Acushnet Company
Title: Footwear Biomechanics - Unrestricted Grant
Total Award: $30,000
Alejandro P. Heuck
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Sponsor: American Lung Association
Title: Identifying New Methods to Block Bacteria from Injecting Toxins into Lung Cells
Total Award: $40,000
Michael J. Knapp
Chemistry
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Title: Molecular Mechanisms of Hypoxia Sensing by the HIF-Hydroxylases
Total Award: $203,853
Csaba Andras Moritz
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Title: Exploring Design Approaches and Fault Tolerance in Nano Streaming Processors
Total Award: $100,000
Rebecca Ready
Psychology
Sponsor: Rutgers University
Title: Complexity and Differentiation of Affect: Effects of Age, Cognition, and Stress
Total Award: $15,000
Robert L. Wick
Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences
Sponsor: Cornell University
Title: Regional Center for National Plant Diagnostic Network
Total Award: $35,000
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