IES Releases The Condition of Education 2015

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released The Condition of Education 2015 a congressionally mandated report to the country on education in America today. The report presents 42 indicators grouped under four areas: population characteristics, participation in education, elementary and secondary education, and postsecondary education.

The report also underlines some issues of current policy interest: kindergartners’ approaches to learning behaviors and academic outcomes, disparities in educational outcomes among male youth of color, and differences in postsecondary attainment by socioeconomic status.

View or download The Condition of Education 2015 from the IES website.

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IES Offers New Guide for Using State Longitudinal Data Systems

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) offers a new guide for using state longitudinal data systems (SLDS) for applied research. The guide highlights the opportunities and constraints researchers may encounter in using SLDS and offers approaches to addressing some common problems. Checklists are provided to assist potential users through seven steps in considering and using SLDS data.

Download A Guide to Using State Longitudinal Data for Applied Research from the IES website.

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NSF FastLane Notifications and Requests Transition to Research.gov in July

As part of the effort to modernize FastLane, NSF is continuing to transition notifications and requests from FastLane to Research.gov, an effort that began in April 2015. The next step in this transition will be rolled out on July 24, 2015, when 10 notifications and requests will be released in Research.gov and retired from FastLane.

These notifications and requests are required by the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG, NSF 15-1; see the Award and Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II.A.2), and include the following:

  • Long-term Disengagement of the PI (Principal Investigator)/PD (Project Director) or co-PI/co-PD (Over Three Months)
  • Pre-award Costs in Excess of 90 Days
  • Significant Changes in Methods/Procedures
  • Significant Changes/Delays or Events of Unusual Interest
  • Changes in Objectives or Scope
  • Reallocation of Funds Provided for Participant Support Costs
  • Change in Person-Months Devoted to Project
  • Withdrawal of PI/PD or co-PI/co-PD
  • Rearrangements/Alterations in excess of $25,000 (Construction)
  • Conflicts of Interest

As a reminder, the following requests have been available in Research.gov as of April 2015:

  • Salaries of Administrative or Clerical Staff
  • Travel Costs for Dependents
  • Additional categories of participant support costs other than those described in 2 CFR § 200.75 (such as incentives, gifts, souvenirs, t-shirts and/or memorabilia)

All remaining notifications and requests will continue to reside in FastLane and will be migrated in the future. Awardees may view the status of all notifications and requests in both FastLane and Research.gov, regardless of where they were created and submitted.

Notifications and requests communicate changes in the scope, time, staff or budget of an NSF funded project. Depending on the type of change, awardee organizations must notify or request approval from NSF prior to taking action. Notifications and requests can be created and submitted by either the PIs and/or Sponsored Project Offices (SPOs), depending on the type of notification and/or request.  For a full listing of all NSF notifications and requests, please see the Award & Administration Guide (AAG), Exhibit II-1.

If you have any questions, contact the NSF Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188, or ithelpcentral@nsf.gov

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Awarded Projects for June 2015

College of Education
Awarded Projects
June 2015
Principal Investigator: Rose Pringle (STL)
Co-PI: Lynda Hayes (P.K. Yonge), Natalie King (STL)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Project Title: University of Florida Unites Teachers to Reform Education in Science: Preparing a New Generation of Middle Grades Science Teacher Leaders (U-FUTuRES 2.0)
Project Period: 7/1/2015 – 12/31/2015
Award Amount: $50,000
Principal Investigator: Carole Beal (STL)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Arizona (Subcontract – IES Flow Through)
Project Title: Animal Watch VI Suite: A Comprehensive Program to Increase Access to Mathematics for Students with Visual Impairments
Project Period: 3/1/2015 – 12/31/2015
Award Amount: $35,520

 

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Submitted Projects for June 2015

College of Education
Submitted Projects
June 2015
Principal Investigator: Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko (STL)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: EAGER: Collaborative Research: Cyber-Eye: Empowering Learning through Remote Visualizations Using Unmanned Aerial Systems
Requested Amount: $58,145
Principal Investigator: Mary Jo Koroly (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Co-PI: Kent Crippen (STL)
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health
Proposal Title: Collaborating to Advance Teaching and Learning of Science Educators and Students (CATALySES)
Requested Amount: $128,892
Principal Investigator: Nancy Dana (STL)
Co-PI: Michelina MacDonald (P.K. Yonge), Ashley Pennypacker-Hill (P.K. Yonge)
Funding Agency: Spencer Foundation
Proposal Title: Creating More Equitable Classrooms Through Improved Teacher Research Policy and Practice
Requested Amount: $399,541
Principal Investigator: Mary Kristina DePue (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: M. David Miller (SHDOSE)
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health
Proposal Title: Gender, Age, and Drug Differences in Bottoming Out Experiences (BOEs): A Longitudinal Analysis of the Relationship Between BOEs, Risky Decision making, Motivation to Change, and Substance Use
Requested Amount: $656,506
Principal Investigator: Alice Kaye Emery (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Working with the Experts 2015 – 2016
Requested Amount: $240,000
Principal Investigator: Christy Gabbard (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Title II, Part A Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund
Requested Amount: $25,078
Principal Investigator: M. David Miller (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Project SOS, Inc. (Subcontract – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Flow Through)
Proposal Title: Healthy Marriage and Relationship Grant
Requested Amount: $569,868
Principal Investigator: M. David Miller (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Project SOS, Inc. (Subcontract – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Flow Through)
Proposal Title: New Pathways for Fathers and Families
Requested Amount: $223,224
Principal Investigator: Ashley Pennypacker Hill (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Title I Part A
Requested Amount: $142,645
Principal Investigator: Ashley Pennypacker-Hill (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Grants to States, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA)
Requested Amount: $241,268
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Mathematics and Science Partnership – Palm Beach
Requested Amount: $500,000
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: Raquel Diaz (STL)
Funding Agency: Georgia Department of Early Learning
Proposal Title: Georgia DECAL – TA
Requested Amount: $270,435
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Duval County
Proposal Title: Mathematics Science Partnership – Duval County Schools
Requested Amount: $124,922
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Georgia Department of Early Learning
Proposal Title: Georgia DECAL – Coaching
Requested Amount: $15,950
Principal Investigator: Joni Splett (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of South Carolina (Subcontract – U.S. Department of Justice Flow Through)
Proposal Title: Interconnecting PBIS and School Mental Health to Improve School Safety: A Randomized Trial
Requested Amount: $630,338
Principal Investigator: Mary McLean (AZCEECS/SSESPECS)
Co-PI: Patricia Snyder (AZCEECS/SSESPECS)
Funding Agency: University of Washington (Subcontract – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Flow Through)
Proposal Title: National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning
Requested Amount: $1,249,080

 

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Randomized Controlled Trials: IES Resources Available

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) provides educational researchers with a significant source of information to assist with randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Several IES centers publish helpful reports and guides including the following:

The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEERA) provides a report to assist with the statistical theory underlying RCT-YES software. The RCT-YES software package estimates impacts of RCTs for a wide range of designs used in social policy research. See the NCEERA website to view or download the report: Statistical Theory for the RCT-YES Software: Design-Based Causal Inference for RCTs.

NCEERA also offers educational practitioners user-friendly tools to identify and implement practices supported by rigorous evidence. See the NCEERA website to view or download the guide: Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported By Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide.

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) provides a search tool allowing users the ability to search for ongoing and completed education-related studies. See the WWC Registries website to use the search tool: Registry of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The National Center for Education Research (NCER) provides a guide for the design and analysis of partially nested RCTs. See the NCER website to view or download the guide: Partially Nested Randomized Controlled Trials in Education Research: A Guide to Design and Analysis.

 

 

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Awarded Projects for May 2015

College of Education
Awarded Projects
May 2015
Principal Investigator: Christy Gabbard (P. K. Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: RTTT – Professional Development for Digital Learning
Project Period: 4/1/2015 – 6/30/2015
Award Amount: $229,102.55
Principal Investigator: Nicholas A. Gage (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Connecticut (Subcontract – CT Dept. of Education Flow-Through)
Project Title: Evaluation of Connecticut K-3 Early Literature Initiative
Project Period: 7/1/2014 – 6/30/2015
Award Amount: $24,999.00
Principal Investigator: Patricia Snyder (AZCEECS/SSESPECS)
Co-PI: James Algina (AZCEECS/SSESPECS), Mary McLean (AZCEECS/SSESPECS)
Funding Agency: US Department of Education/IES
Project Title: Impact of Professional Development on Preschool Teachers’ Use of Embedded-Instruction Practices: An Efficacy Trial of Tools for Teachers
Project Period: 6/1/2015 – 6/30/2019
Award Amount: $3,498,113.00

 

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Submitted Projects for May 2015

College of Education
Submitted Projects
May 2015
Principal Investigator: Ashley MacSuga-Gage (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of South Florida (Subcontract – FL DOE Flow-Through)
Proposal Title: Florida Positive Behavior Project
Requested Amount: $25,000
Principal Investigator: Joseph Gagnon (SSESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Feminist Review Trust
Proposal Title: Client Satisfaction with Participation in the Mobile Outreach Clinic and Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program
Requested Amount: $23,081
Principal Investigator: Rose Pringle (STL)
Co-PI: Lynda Hayes (P. K. Yonge)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: University of Florida Unites Teachers to Reform Education in Science: Preparing a New Generation of Middle Grades Science Teacher Leaders (U-FUTuRES 2.0)
Requested Amount: $50,000
Principal Investigator: Bruce MacFadden (Florida Museum of Natural History)
Co-PI: Rose Pringle (STL)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: NRT-IGE: STEM Corps K21: A New Hybrid Scientist-Teacher Model for the 21st Century
Requested Amount: $37,299
Principal Investigator: Patricia Snyder (AZCEECS/SSESPECS)
Co-PI: Mary McLean (AZCEECS/SSESPECS)
Funding Agency: California Department of Education
Proposal Title: Embedded Instruction Pilot Grant – California
Requested Amount: $300,048
Principal Investigator: George Michailidis (UF Informatics Institute)
Co-PI: Walter Leite (SHDOSE), Jeffrey Johnson (Anthropology), Zhe Wang (Computer & Information Science & Engineering), Dapeng Wu (Electrical & Computer Engineering)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: NRT-DESE: Network Science Training and Application to Collaborative Research
Requested Amount: $38,522

 

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Summer Grant Proposal Submissions and OER Support

If you are planning any grant proposal submissions this summer and have not already communicated with the Office of Educational Research (OER), please send the specific CFDA number and Goal you are submitting under to Ana Puig as soon as possible.

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has announced two deadline dates this year, depending on the competition: August 6 and August 20. Please see the IES funding announcement article for more details. We want to make sure everyone gets any needed support. As always, the earlier you start working with us the better.

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Summer Preeminence Funding Proposals and OER Support

As Dean Good announced in his April 10, Friday Update, UF hopes to receive up to $20 million in Performance funding and $10 million in additional Preeminence funding. The timeline will likely begin right after the Governor signs the budget this summer. If you have ideas for new and/or expanded Preeminence hiring for the college, the Office of Educational Research (OER) is ready to assist you to identify collaborating partners/colleges and develop a brief draft proposal.

Please contact Ana Puig as soon as possible since we anticipate a busy summer.

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IES Releases FY 2016 Funding Announcements for Education and Special Education Research and Training

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has released the FY 2016 funding announcements for grant competitions in education and special education research and training.

In FY 2016, IES will support the following research programs (announced in the Federal Register on April 15, 2015).

FY 2016 Research Programs

FY 2016 Research Training Programs

The Request for Applications for each competition is available at: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/.

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UF College of Engineering Holds NSF CAREER Workshop

The UF College of Engineering will present an NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Workshop for interested UF faculty on Friday May 22, from 1 pm to 4 pm in the New Engineering Building NEB 100.  The workshop will discuss the program, tips for success from recent UF recipients, and great opportunities for broader impacts through collaboration with existing UF programs.  No registration is necessary.

Refreshments, coffee, etc. will be provided.  For additional information, please contact Dr. Jennifer Curtis. See the college’s News & Events webpage for a map to the event. Visit the NSF CAREER webpage for more information about the program.

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Proposed Fringe Benefit Rates Become Effective July 1, 2015

The FY 2016 proposed fringe benefit rates should be used in all grant and contract proposal budgets for any award expected to occur on or after July 1, 2015. UFIRST and Cayuse 424 proposal budgeting tools have been updated with the FY 2016 proposed fringe rates and will automatically calculate the fringe benefit amount needed for each individual included in the budget.

The employee categories and corresponding FY 2016 proposed benefit rates are as follows:

FY 2016 Proposed Fringe Benefit Rates
Category      Rate
Faculty (9-, 10-, and 12-month) 25.7%
COM Clinical Faculty 17.5%
TEAMS/USPS – Exempt 33.3%
TEAMS/USPS – Hourly 42.9%
House Staff 28.1%
Clinical Post Docs 28.1%
Graduate Assistants 14.9%
Post Docs 14.9%
Other OPS/Temporary Faculty 5.4%
Student OPS/Federal Work Study 2.6%

For more information see the UF Human Resource Services Fringe Benefits Pool webpage or contact DSP at ufproposals@ufl.edu.

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Reminder: NIH Biosketch Requirements for Due Dates On or After May 25, 2015

The modified biosketch format is required for applications submitted to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for due dates on or after May 25, 2015. Biosketch format pages, instructions, samples and FAQs are available on the Biosketches section of the SF424 (R&R) Forms and Applications page.

NIH encourages you to use the Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) system to generate your biosketch in the new format. NIH’s National Library of Medicine/National Center Biotechnology Information (NCBI) has published a number of resources, such as a video tutorial and user guide, to help you use SciENcv.

SciENcv provides you with full control of the content displayed in the SciENcv biosketches.

If you have an NIH eRA Commons, National Science Foundation FastLane, My NCBI/My Bibliography, and/or ORCID account, you can easily populate your SciENcv profiles with information from any or all of these accounts.

  • New Podcasts on the NIH Biosketch and SciENcv

The All About Grants podcast welcomes Dr. Neil Thakur, special assistant to the NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research, and Dr. Bart Trawick, literature database lead at the NIH National Library of Medicine, as guests on its two newest podcasts, “Understanding NIH’s Biosketch Requirements” and “Using SciENcv to Create an NIH Biosketch”. Learn about the modified format for the NIH biosketch, which will be required for NIH applications submitted on or after May 25, 2015, and the origin of the Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae tool, also known as “SciENcv“, help with the creation of biosketches for NIH and NSF applications.

New to the All About Grants podcast? This series, produced by the NIH Office of Extramural Research, is designed for investigators, fellows, students, research administrators, and others just curious about the application and award process. The podcast features NIH staff members who talk about the ins and outs of NIH funding, and provide insights on grant topics from those who live and breathe the information. Listen to more episodes via the All About Grants podcast page, through iTunes, or by using our RSS feed in your podcast app of choice.

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Reminder: NIH Policy on Application Compliance

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has posted a notice to remind applicants that noncompliance can have serious consequences. Some examples of how this policy is applied to NIH applications include but are not limited to the following:

  • Applications containing one or more biosketches that do not conform to the required format may be withdrawn (NOT-OD-15-032).
  • Applications that do not conform to the page limit requirements because inappropriate materials have been included in other parts of the application may be withdrawn (NOT-OD-11-080).
  • Applications submitted as new but containing elements of a resubmission or renewal application are noncompliant with the resubmission policy and may be withdrawn (NOT-OD-15-059).
  • Applications submitted after 5 pm local (applicant organization) time on the application due date may be withdrawn (NOT-OD-15-039).

It is important to remember that these are just examples, and that all requirements specified in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, the Funding Opportunity Announcement, and relevant NIH Guide Notices are to be followed.

If an application is withdrawn because it does not conform to the application preparation and submission instructions, a letter will be placed in the eRA Commons Status page for that application. The PD/PI and the authorized organization representative from the applicant organization will be notified by eRA Commons to access their account and view the explanatory letter.

When in doubt about compliance policy, contact NIH Grants Info or the Division of Receipt and Referral as listed in the full reminder notice NOT-OD-15-095.

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