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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NSF Implements Proposal Compliance Checks in FastLane Effective April 24, 2015

On April 24, 2015, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released updates to FastLane that may impact the way you work. Proposals submitted in response to program solicitations in FastLane will now undergo a series of automated proposal compliance validation checks to ensure they comply with requirements outlined in the PAPPG (Chapter II.C.2 of the Grants Proposal Guide).

These checks automatically validate a proposal for compliance against proposal sections per type of funding mechanism. For example, an error message will appear if a project description or budget are not provided in proposals submitted in response to a program solicitation. Checks are triggered when proposers select the “Check Proposal,” “Forward to SPO,” or “Submit Proposal” functions. Depending on the rule being checked, a warning or error message will display when a proposal is found to be noncompliant. If an error message appears, the proposal cannot be submitted until it is compliant.

To view a detailed list of all compliance checks, click here.

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

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New NCES Blog Contains Short Entries on a Variety of Topics

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has announced the debut of its new blog site. Through this new blog, NCES looks forward to spreading the word about the important and interesting data that it collects and analyzes. The blog will provide a forum for news about the latest developments in NCES surveys, exciting new research opportunities, commonly misunderstood education measures, important new findings, and innovative data tools. In addition to including a wide range of topics, the blogs will cover the full range of NCES survey areas such as

  • Early childhood education
  • Elementary and secondary education
  • Student performance on assessments
  • Postsecondary education
  • Adult education and literacy
  • International education comparisons

This blog will allow NCES to share information in an informal and engaging way and contribute to an even stronger communication network.

To read the new blog, please visit http://nces.ed.gov/blogs/nces/

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New REL Guide Offers Assistance with Monitoring the Implementation of Educator Evaluation Systems

The implementation of new educator evaluation systems is an important issue for states and districts. The IES Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Central has developed a new guide providing a three-step process for state departments of education to monitor district implementation of state- or district-developed educator evaluation systems:

1. Develop state guidelines for educator evaluation systems.
2. Develop data-collection methods for both policy and practice data.
3. Determine adherence criteria and review data against the criteria.

For each step of the process, the guide provides sample tools developed by REL Central and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Districts can use the process and tools to self-monitor implementation and guide further development of their educator evaluation systems.

For more information, see the IES Regional Educational Laboratory Program webpage or download the guide here: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/central/pdf/REL_2015069.pdf

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Submitted Projects for April 2015

College of Education
Submitted Projects
April 2015
Principal Investigator: Richard Lind, Jr. (Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering)
Co-PI: Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko (STL)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: EI: Enhancing Elementary Education by Infusing Integrated Engineering-Biology Concepts into Classrooms through a Computing-Oriented Approach
Requested Amount: $183,902
Principal Investigator: Michael Bowie (Dean’s Area)
Co-PI: Nancy Waldron (Dean’s Area)
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: College Reach-Out Program (CROP)
Requested Amount: $113,951.12
Principal Investigator: Christy Gabbard (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Digital Learning Support
Requested Amount: $229,106
Principal Investigator: Joseph Gagnon (SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: William T. Grant Foundation
Proposal Title: Linking Education/Special Education and Juvenile Justice Research and Policy: Supporting Youth At-Risk and Involved with Juvenile Corrections
Requested Amount: $159,975
Principal Investigator: Dennis Kramer (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: Christopher Loschiavo (Student Affairs), Jen Shaw (Student Affairs), Darren Baxley (University Police Department)
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Justice
Proposal Title: Evaluating Mobile App Reporting and Victim-Centered, Trauma Informed Training on Sexual Assault Reporting, Investigation, and Adjudication at the University of Florida
Requested Amount: $330,285
Principal Investigator: John Kranzler (SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers
Proposal Title: APPIC Competency Assessment Project: University of Florida School Psychology Program
Requested Amount: $5,000
Principal Investigator: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: National Math and Science Initiative
Proposal Title: STEM Professional Learning System (STEM PLuS) Project
Requested Amount: $5,082,643
Principal Investigator: Albert Ritzhaupt (STL)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: Track 2: CS10K: Math Science Teachers Enact Technological-Pedagogical-Content Knowledge in the Design and Development of Educational Software
Requested Amount: $879,688

 

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COE Shows Growth in Funded Research

The Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) notified the college that the COE increased its total awarded research funding 102% over the previous year—from $8,111,495 in FY2014 to $16,366,828 in FY2015.

We are encouraged and excited about the efforts of COE faculty to develop new collaborations and pursue new sources of funding. Among the new collaborations are the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, College of Medicine; Florida Museum of Natural History; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering; and Rinker School of Construction Management, College of Design, Construction, and Planning. Some of the new sources of funding include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Procter & Gamble, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Congratulations to COE faculty members in all schools and centers for their diligence and productivity in making this another successful fiscal year for the COE.

The OER continues to provide strategic support to COE faculty in their pursuit of funding opportunities, and together we can continue to build COE’s impressive track record for obtaining competitive grants.

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UFIRST Proposal System Is Now Live

The University of Florida Integrated Research Support Tool (UFIRST) is now live!  You can log into the new system directly at https://grants.research.ufl.edu or through the link in myUFL under Grants>Proposals. All proposals and agreements related to sponsored programs at the university must now be submitted through UFIRST.

Here are a few key reminders:

  • Complete training if you have not already done so.  If you require administrator-level access to the new system, please be sure you have completed the new RSH280 course as well as RSH220 Effort Fundamentals, RSH230 Effort Management, and RSH260 Cost Principles.
  • Open labs are available for hands-on assistance.  Click here for times and locations.
  • Instruction guides to support you are available here.  If you hit a roadblock in entering or routing your proposal, check these first.  If they don’t answer your questions, call or email the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) at 352-392-9267 or ufirst@research.ufl.edu.
  • Included in these guides are one to assist PI’s with certifying/signing their records and one to assist department, division, and college approvers with approving in UFIRST.

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or thoughts throughout this process, please email DSP at ufirst@research.ufl.edu.

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DSP Issues New Form: Award Administration Request Form (AARF)

With the launch of UFIRST the DSP-1 form has been retired from service, effective Monday, March 23rd. The DSP-1 form allowed for paper routing of approvals and was also used to collect internal UF approvals on several award administration actions. Replacing the DSP-1 form will be the Award Administration Request Form (AARF).

The AARF is used to collect the UF internal approvals on several award related actions, noted below:

  • Change of PI
  • Change in key personnel
  • Establishment of an internal subproject
  • PI changing departments and moving awards

The AARF form is available for use and can be found at DSP’s Forms webpage.

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UF Office of Research Updates Funding Opportunities Database

The UF Division of Research Program Development in the Office of Research is pleased to announce the release of a new funding opportunities database (OppMan) for the UF community. This database will continue to serve as the central UF information source on limited submission opportunities and other key research-related announcements.  The database update occurred on March 11, 2015.

Links to the old page will redirect to the new page. You may need to login with your Gatorlink credentials (using the login link at the top right of the screen) to see the funding opportunities on the new page. Once you have done so, you can search or update your subscription. Please also update any bookmarks you may have to the Funding Opportunities page.

The changes introduced will allow

  • new funding opportunities to be published more promptly, and made available throughout the week.
  • subscribers to manage their individual subscriptions by the following:
    • Selecting the categories that are specific to their research interests.
    • Customizing the frequency of email alerts.
  • advanced searching and sorting functions.

All current subscribers to the Friday Funding Opportunities emails have been migrated to the new email notification system.  All current subscribers will, by default, continue to receive a once-weekly Friday email summary of new funding opportunities posted to the database that week.  Emails will be sent to the subscriber’s email address on file in the UF directory.

If the Office of Research was unable to locate your email address or UFID, you will receive an email in the coming weeks requesting that you sign in with your Gatorlink credentials and re-subscribe.

Beginning Friday, March 20, subscribers should log in to the new database, using their Gatorlink credentials, and manage their own subscriptions. A link to the subscriptions page will be included in the weekly email you receive.  At that time, subscribers can choose specific categories of funding opportunities to be included in their email notifications, as well as change the desired frequency of their email alerts.

To see a basic guide for using the new database and managing your subscription, please click here.

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