NSF Completes Updates to FastLane and Research.gov

On January 26, 2015, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released updates to FastLane and Research.gov.

A revised version of the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 15-1) was issued on November 20, 2014, which incorporates the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), as well as other policy updates. FastLane and Research.gov have been updated to support the revised PAPPG.

Updates to FastLane

The following changes have been made to FastLane:

  • Budget Form Update: The budget form has been updated so that the “Residual Funds” line (Line K) is not editable for all programs except Small Business as such “Residual Funds” has been renamed to “Small Business Fee.”
  • Budget Justification Upload: The budget justification can no longer be entered as text. Awardees are required to upload a budget justification for each organization added to the budget via an upload screen.
  • Cost Sharing Notifications Requirement: The requirement that only awards with cost sharing of $500,000 or more must submit a cost sharing certificate has been modified to support the revised policy which specifies that cost sharing notifications must be submitted by all awardees with awards that include cost sharing.
  • New Funding Mechanism: The FastLane proposal cover sheet has been updated to include the new funding mechanism type, Ideas Lab. Ideas Lab is designed to support the development and implementation of creative and innovative project ideas. These projects are typically high-risk/high-impact as they represent new and unproven ideas, approaches, and/or technologies.

FastLane Automated Compliance Checks

Beginning January 26, 2015, FastLane will run an additional 24 automated checks on proposals to ensure they comply with requirements outlined in the PAPPG, Chapter II.C.2of the Grants Proposal Guide (GPG). Detailed below, these checks validate a proposal for compliance with page count, proposal sections per type of funding mechanism and budget-related rules for proposals submitted in response to the GPG, Program Announcements, and Program Descriptions.

  • Page Count: Page count rules are enforced on the following proposal sections:
    • Project Description: 15-page limit [exceptions: 8-page limit for Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), and 5-page limit for Rapid Response Research (RAPID)]
    • Budget Justification: 3-page limit for the proposing institution and a separate, 3-page limit for each sub-recipient organization
    • Mentoring Plan: 1-page limit
    • Data Management Plan: 2-page limit
  • Budget: Budget-related checks focus primarily on proposal duration and requested amount. For example, the system enforces a maximum requested amount of $200,000 for a RAPID proposal and $300,000 for an EAGER proposal.
  • Proposal Section: Proposal sections are enforced by their funding mechanism for Program Announcement, Program Description, and other GPG-type funding opportunities.

The checks detailed above are triggered when the “Check Proposal,” “Forward to SPO,” or “Submit Proposal” functions are selected by a proposer or proposing organization. Depending on the rule being checked, a warning or error message displays when a proposal is found to be non-compliant. If an error message appears, the organization will not be able to submit the proposal until it is compliant. For a detailed list of all compliance checks, see Automated Proposal Compliance Checks for Full Proposals Effective January 26, 2015 on the NSF Automated Compliance Checking of NSF Proposals webpage.

Updates to Research.gov

NSF has completed another round of user enhancements to Research.gov based on feedback received from the community and recommendations from usability experts. These changes will begin to prepare the research community for the Research.gov/FastLane integration while improving the awardee experience.

The following enhancements have been implemented:

  • Updated Branding: The logo, header, footer, and background have been updated for consistency with current NSF branding.
  • Improved Look and Feel: Page widths and font size have been modified in project reports and the Award Cash Management $ervice (ACM$) in order to optimize layout and ease of reading for each visitor’s screen resolution.
  • Streamlined Navigation: The site has been streamlined by removing the left navigation bar and adding top-level navigation across Research.gov.
  • Simplified Login: Login options have been consolidated onto one page in order to simplify the process.
  • Expanded Help: The Research.gov Live Help service has been expanded to now include support for logging in and changing a password.
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NVivo Webinar for Your Department, Research Team, or Class

NVivo is offering a complimentary webinar demonstration of its software for your department, research team, or class.

NVivo is software that helps you organize, capture, manage, explore, and understand your unstructured qualitative and mixed-methods data (e.g., interviews, survey responses, website data, images, videos and social media posts), enabling you to uncover new insight and easily share your findings, individually or as part of a team.

The live webinar provides an overview of what NVivo can do, including how to complete the following:

  • Set up a project
  • Import your text data
  • Organize your content
  • Begin the coding process to assist in identifying possible themes, topics, and trends

To schedule a complimentary demonstration, contact Judith Eastbrook, Business Development Manager, QSR International, at (617) 607-5117 or j.eastbrook@qsrinternational.com.

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Awarded Projects for January 2015

College of Education
Awarded Projects
January 2015
Principal Investigator: Mary McLean (AZCEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: University of Washington (Subcontract: National Institutes of Health Flow Through)
Project Title: Head Start National Center for Quality Teaching and Learning
Project Period: 9/15/2014 – 9/14/2015
Award Amount: $237,251
Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Bondy (STL)
Co-PI: Ester de Jong (STL), Suzanne Colvin (STL)
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: Advancing the Development of Preservice Teachers (ADePT)
Project Period: 8/15/2014 – 7/31/2017
Award Amount: $2,718,695
Principal Investigator: Christy Gabbard (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: Catherine Atria (P.K. Yonge)
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: District Instructional Leadership and Faculty Development Grant
Project Period: 7/1/2014 – 6/30/2015
Award Amount: $7,908

 

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Submitted Projects for January 2015

College of Education
Submitted Projects
January 2015
Principal Investigator:  Linda Behar-Horenstein (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: Virginia Dodd (Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science)
Funding Agency: UF Office of Research
Proposal Title: Enhancing Social Responsibility and Social Accountability Among Prospective Dentists via Community Engagement
Requested Amount: $99,987
Principal Investigator: Sylvia Boynton (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Co-PI: Philip Poekert (Lastinger Center for Learning)
Funding Agency: Alachua County Schools
Proposal Title: Reaching All Readers: A K-5 Series of Reading Modules, Part 2 – Spring 2015
Requested Amount: $12,000
Principal Investigator: Kara Dawson (STL)
Co-PI: Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko (STL), Albert Ritzhaupt (STL), Carole Beal (STL), Linda Lombardino (SESPECS), Andreas Keil (Department of Psychology)
Funding Agency: UF Office of Research
Proposal Title: Converging Behavioral and Psychophysical Measures: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Multimedia Learning Conditions with Dyslexic Learners
Requested Amount: $94,458
Principal Investigator: Dennis Kramer (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: Kshitij Khare (Department of Statistics)
Funding Agency: UF Office of Research
Proposal Title: E-Success (Supporting Undergraduate Course and Co-curricular Exploration through Strategic Supports): The Integration of Mobile App Technology and Modern Regression Techniques to Improve Student Retention and Matriculation Within Florida Community Colleges
Requested Amount: $98,130
Principal Investigator: Brian Reichow (AZCEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: Patricia Snyder (AZCEECS/SESPECS), Maureen Conroy (AZCEECS/SESPECS)
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health
Proposal Title: Adaptation and Evaluation of World Health Organization Caregiver Skills Training Program for Caregivers of Children with Developmental Disorders in Turkey
Requested Amount: $333,950

 

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COE Accomplishments in 2014

Happy New Year

Welcome Back!

We want to congratulate the COE faculty for their accomplishments in 2014 and look forward to continued success in 2015. We are constantly on the lookout for opportunities for external funding to share. Contact us—we are here to help! Listed below are some noteworthy statistics from the 2013-2014 fiscal year:

  • COE faculty members in all schools and centers submitted 70 proposals, requesting $32.2 million. Proposals were submitted to 41 different agencies including:
    • One proposal to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
    • Two to the U.S. Department of Justice (US DOJ)
    • Eight to the U.S. Department of Education (US DOE), including one to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
    • Six for IES subcontracts
    • Ten to the National Science Foundation (NSF)
    • Seven to the Florida Department of Education (FL DOE)
    • Two to the Spencer Foundation
  • Research funding per faculty member totaled over $389,653. Of the 191 eligible COE faculty members, 56 (29.3%) submitted proposals for external funding as principal investigator (PI) or Co-PI.
  • COE PIs and Co-PIs received funding for 30 new proposals totaling over $8 million. These new awards included two contracts from the NSF.
  • Of the total dollar amount of newly funded awards, 7% was funded by federal agencies or organizations.
  • The total number of newly funded awards increased by 36.4% as compared to the previous fiscal year.
  • COE schools and centers have 71 currently funded projects totaling over $74.4 million.
  • Of the total dollar amount of currently funded projects, 72% were funded by federal agencies or organizations.
  • The COE experienced a 6.0% increase in the total number of currently funded projects as compared to the previous fiscal year.

View the complete 2013-2014 OER Annual Report.

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NSF Updates Policies and Procedures Guide

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued an updated version of its Proposal and Awards Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), effective December 26, 2014. The PAPPG is NSF’s implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance.

Please see Significant Changes and Clarifications to the PAPPG for a summary of the revisions.

For guidance on proposals submitted or due, and awards made before December 26, 2014, continue to reference the PAPPG dated February 2014.

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Qualtrics Training Series

The UF Center for Digital Health and Wellness is hosting a Qualtrics Training Series. The series consists of four 2.5 hour classes held in the Florida Gym, Room 250 on January 8, 15, 22, and 29. Please bring a laptop as these are highly interactive courses and participation is recommended. Seating is limited.

Click on the links below for more information or to register.

Getting Started: January 8, 2015 – 1:00pm – 3:30pm
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/qualtrics-getting-started-tickets-14779809809

Moving On: January 15, 2015 – 1:00pm – 3:30pm
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/qualtrics-moving-on-tickets-14779833881

Advanced: January 22, 2015 – 1:00pm – 3:30pm
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/qualtrics-advanced-tickets-14779865977

Mobile & Offline: January 29, 2015 – 1:00pm – 3:00pm
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/qualtrics-mobile-offline-tickets-14779884031

Qualtrics is a robust, sophisticated service for creating and delivering web-based surveys. With over 100 question types available and the ability to create interactive questions and engage survey-takers with rich media, it becomes possible to increase response rates. Users can also pull questions from professionally designed surveys as well as create their own library of questions, surveys, messages, and media.

Survey data can be analyzed as it is collected and researchers can pre-create reports with graphs, charts, and tables that populate in real time. Likewise, data can be exported into SPSS, Excel, or a variety of other formats for additional analysis. Furthermore, Qualtrics reports can be exported to PowerPoint, Word, or as a PDF file to use in presentations, reports, and research writing.

Please contact Rebeccah Mercado at rebeccahmercado@ufl.edu for further information.

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Save the Date: Research Event in March

Faculty and doctoral students are cordially invited to attend:

OER Professorship Symposium
with Stephen Smith, Fien Professor; Pat Snyder, Lawrence Professor; and Ester de Jong, B.O. Smith Professor

Monday, March 16, 2015
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Terrace Room

Bring your brown bag lunch. Refreshments and cookies will be served.

RSVP to Rosie Connolly by Friday, March 13: rconnolly@coe.ufl.edu

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Awarded Projects for December 2014

College of Education
Awarded Projects
December 2014
Principal Investigator: Lisa Clemons (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: Postsecondary Education Readiness Assessments
Project Period: 10/10/2014 – 6/30/2015
Award Amount: $403.26
Principal Investigator: Christy Gabbard (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: Julie Henderson (P.K. Yonge)
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: Professional Development for Digital Learning
Project Period: 10/1/2014 – 6/30/2015
Award Amount: $75,000

 

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Submitted Projects for December 2014

College of Education
Submitted Projects
December 2014
Principal Investigator: Carole Beal (STL)
Co-PI: Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko (STL), Jose Principe (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: EXP: Collaborative Research: Exploring the Use of Data from the Brain for the Study of Learning
Requested Amount: $273,565
Principal Investigator: Maureen Conroy (AZCEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: Patricia Snyder (AZCEECS/SESPECS), Brian Reichow (AZCEECS/SESPECS), Mary McLean (AZCEECS/SESPECS)
Funding Agency: US Department of Education/OSEP
Proposal Title: Preparing Leaders in Early Childhood Studies and Implementation Science – Project PLECS-IS
Requested Amount: $995,218
Principal Investigator: Lynda Hayes (P.K. Yonge)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Proposal Title: Performance Adjustments to School Districts
Requested Amount: $51,292
Principal Investigator: Holly Lane (SESPECS)
Co-PI: Nicholas Gage (SESPECS)
Funding Agency: US Department of Education/OSEP
Proposal Title: Project TIER: Teaching, Intervention, and Efficacy Research
Requested Amount: $1,250,000
Principal Investigator: Ivan Mutis (Rinker School of Construction Management)
Co-PI: Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko (STL)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: EXP: Cyber-Drone: Empowering Learning through Real Time Visualization Environment using Unmanned Aerial Systems
Requested Amount: $26,822
Principal Investigator: Stephen Smith (SESPECS)
Co-PI: Nancy Corbett (SESPECS)
Funding Agency: US Department of Education/OSEP
Proposal Title: Preparing Personnel to Serve School-Aged Children with Persistent and Severe Behavior Problems (EBD Prep)
Requested Amount: $989,420
Principal Investigator: Stephen Smith (SESPECS)
Co-PI: Ann Daunic (SESPECS)
Funding Agency: Clemson University (Subcontract – NSF Flow Through)
Proposal Title: Simulated Affective Social Role Playing for Peer Mediation and Conflict Resolution Education
Requested Amount: $94,380
Principal Investigator: Patricia Snyder (AZCEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: Mary McLean (AZCEECS/SESPECS)
Funding Agency: Johns Hopkins University (Subcontract – Maryland State Department of Education Flow Through)
Proposal Title: Expansion of Learning Progressions from Birth to 36 months for the Early Learning Assessment
Requested Amount: $114,983.38
Principal Investigator: David Therriault (SHDOSE)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Omninox Corp (Subcontract – NSF Flow Through)
Proposal Title: A.L.I.C.E. (Adaptive Learning through Innovative Coursework and Experimentation)
Requested Amount: $33,554

 

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Qualtrics and SPSS Research Training Series

The UF Center for Digital Health and Wellness is hosting a Qualtrics and SPSS Training Series to be held in January and February, respectively. Please contact Rebeccah Mercado at rebeccahmercado@ufl.edu by December 8 with your date and time preferences. If you contact her after December 8, she will do her best to accommodate your schedule. Seating is limited.

Each series will consist of four 2.5 hour classes taught by Dr. Jose Lugo-Silva in the Florida Gym, Room 250. Please bring a laptop as these are highly interactive courses and participation is recommended.

Qualtrics is a robust, sophisticated service for creating and delivering web-based surveys. With over 100 question types available and the ability to create interactive questions and engage survey-takers with rich media, it becomes possible to increase response rates. Users can also pull questions from professionally designed surveys as well as create their own library of questions, surveys, messages, and media.

Quantitative survey data can be analyzed as it is collected and researchers can pre-create reports with graphs, charts, and tables that populate in real time. Likewise, data can be exported into SPSS, Excel, or a variety of other formats for additional analysis. Furthermore, Qualtrics reports can be exported to PowerPoint, Word, or as a PDF file to use in presentations, reports, and research writing.

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USDOE Proposes New Regulations to Strengthen Teacher Preparation

The US Department of Education has announced proposed regulations to help ensure teacher training programs are effectively preparing educators.

Among the new regulations are changes to the eligibility requirements for TEACH Grants. The USDOE currently allocates about $100 million each year in TEACH Grants awarded to aspiring teachers who agree to teach at high-need schools after graduation.

Under the new rules, states would be required to evaluate teacher preparation programs to determine several factors, including how well graduates perform as measured by student learning outcomes. Based on these results, the USDOE would award TEACH Grants only to graduates attending programs deemed effective. Furthermore, states would be required to provide technical assistance to any programs rated as low-performing.

For more information on the proposed regulations, please see the USDOE website Improving Teacher Preparation and the press release U.S. Department of Education Proposes Plan to Strengthen Teacher Preparation.

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Happy Holidays from Your OER Team!

Happy Holidays

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Awarded Projects for November 2014

College of Education
Awarded Projects
November 2014
Principal Investigator: Diana Joyce Beaulieu (SESPECS)
Co-PI: Lynda Hayes (P.K. Yonge)
Funding Agency: Neuronet Learning, LLC
Project Title: Neuronet Learning: Interactive Learning for 4-5 Year Olds & Kindergarten Students
Project Period: 11/1/2014 – 6/30/2015
Award Amount: $2,000
Principal Investigator: Maureen Conroy (CEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Virginia Commonwealth University (Subcontract–IES flow through)
Project Title: Development and Validation of Treatment Integrity Measures of Classroom-Based Instructional Interventions in Early Childhood Settings
Project Period: 9/1/2014 – 8/31/2018
Award Amount: $179,506

 

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Submitted Projects for November 2014

College of Education
Submitted Projects
November 2014
Principal Investigator: Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko (STL)
Co-PI: Bruce MacFadden (Florida Museum of Natural History), Aaron Wood (Florida Museum of Natural History), Corey Toler-Franklin (Computer & Information Science & Engineering)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Proposal Title: STRATEGIES: iDigFossils: Engaging K-12 Students in Integrated STEM via 3D Digitization, Printing and Exploration of Fossils
Requested Amount: $1,194,054
Principal Investigator: Thomas Dana (Dean’s Area)
Co-PI: Daniel McCoy (Dean’s Area)
Funding Agency: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Proposal Title: Adaptive Learning Networks in Secondary & Post-secondary Virtual Educational Environments
Requested Amount: $142,656
Principal Investigator: Mary McLean (CEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: US Department of Education/OSEP
Proposal Title: Preparation and Retention of Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Personnel: Preparing for Evidence-Based Practice in High Need Early Childhood Settings (Project Prepare)
Requested Amount: $1,232,603

 

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