10 Big Ideas for Future NSF Investments

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced its 10 big ideas as part of a long-term research agenda that will drive NSF investments over the next few decades.

These ideas will require novel methods and approaches involving researchers from multiple disciplines as well as collaborators from industry, private foundations, other agencies, science academies and societies, and universities. Read more

Obtaining and Managing Multiple Research Grants

By Pasha Antonenko

Obtaining Grants:

  1. Your project has to be truly innovative (solution, framework, context, participants). Your “beautiful” research design will not matter if the reviewers are not excited about the “idea.”
  2. Set up the problem and then explain your solution. Align objectives, methods, and outcomes. Start and finish with why this work is important and innovative.
  3. Use less text and more tables, diagrams, and images. Your text has to be easy to read.
  4. Team, team, team! If I have learned one thing, it’s the importance of a great team.
  5. Obtaining multiple grants in the same funding cycle is NOT a good idea … unless you can rely on the support of a research center and/or experienced project managers.

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IES Awards Nearly $8 Million in Funding for Education Technology

The Institute of Education Science (IES) awarded nearly $8 million for the development and testing of education technology designed to improve teaching and learning. The grants were awarded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Small Business Innovation Research program (ED/IES SBIR), which is administered by IES’s National Center for Education Research (NCER). Read more

Navigating UF’s High-Performance Computing Environment

The UF Informatics Institute (UFII) is hosting an outreach program every Wednesday through the summer term for researchers to learn about the comprehensive computing services available at UF. The program, led by Research Computing Application Specialist Ying Zhang, provides consultation on data management and computation needs as well as the full range of services offered by UFIT. Read more

Proposed 2017-2018 Fringe Benefit Pool Rates

Effective April 26, 2017, all proposals should use the FY18 proposed fringe rates noted below when building budgets, with the understanding that the proposed rates are subject to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services approval. The final approved rates will be charged effective July 1, 2017, regardless of what rate was used at time of proposal submission. Read more

NSF Initiates New Pilot Requiring the Use of a Template for Identifying Collaborators and Other Affiliations Information

On April 24, 2017, the National Science Foundation (NSF) initiated a new pilot requiring the use of a template for identifying Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA) information for Principal Investigators (PIs), co-PIs, and other senior project personnel identified on proposals submitted in FastLane. Read more

Deadline Extended: Apply for a Two-Week Summer Workshop on Quasi-Experimental Design and Analysis

The National Center for Education Research (NCER), in conjunction with the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at Northwestern University, is extending the application deadline to May 10, 2017 for a new two-week training workshop on quasi-experimental design and analysis. Read more

NCES Announces the 2017 NCES STATS-DC Data Conference

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) announces the 2017 NCES STATS-DC Data Conference, August 1 – August 3, 2017 at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The theme of this year’s conference is “Educators Run on Data.” The conference is free and open to the public. The deadline to submit a proposal is Friday, May 12, 2017. Read more

IES REL Workshop Guide to Improve Survey Design and Administration

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest has developed a tool researchers can use to improve the design and administration of surveys. Individuals and groups who develop surveys can use these materials to facilitate workshops, guide a survey project, or ensure they are adhering to best practices for designing and conducting surveys. Read more

Awarded Projects for April 2017

Congratulations to Chelsey Simmons and Kent Crippen for their award from the National Science Foundation; Ester de Jong for her award from the Suwannee County School Board; Justin Ortagus, Dennis Kramer, and Isaac McFarlin for their award from the Helios Education Foundation; and Phil Poekert for his awards from the Valley of the Sun United Way and Episcopal Children’s Services.

For more details, see the Awarded Projects table. Read more

Submitted Projects for April 2017

Best wishes to Maria Coady and Kara Dawson for their proposal to the US Department of Education/OELA; Ester de Jong for her proposal to the Suwanee County School Board; Nick Gage for his Subcontract US Department of Education Flow Through to Missouri State University; Phil Poekert and Walter Leite for their Subcontract US Department of Education Flow Through to Clay County Public Schools; Phil Poekert and Holly Lane for their proposal to the Dorchester School District Two; Phil Poekert, Holly Lane, and Shaunte Duggins for their proposal to the Berkeley County School District; Phil Poekert and Holly Lane for their proposal to the Dorchester School District Four; and Phil Poekert for his proposals to the Charleston County School District, Child Care Associates, Valley of the Sun United Way, and Children First Professional Development Center.

For more details, see the Submitted Projects table. Read more