December 09, 2011

Immersive Learning Program: January 30

Immersive learning, the heart of a Ball State education, melds content, skills, societal need, and your interests into an intense, transformative experience. Immersive learning pulls together interdisciplinary student teams that solve problems for community partners. The result is a final product that enhances the community with a lasting impact. Students have created business plans, Web sites, documentaries, content and applications for emerging media, publications, and much more.

In order to enhance your unit’s immersive learning opportunities, the Immersive Learning Advisory Committee has created new procedures that they hope will allow for increased funding.
  1. Grants for New Projects: The application procedure remains the same as other calls. Proposals are due to the Office of the Provost by 5:00 p.m. January 30, 2012.
  2. Grants for Previously Funded or Continuing Projects: Focuses on the success of a previously funded immersive learning project and how it has evolved. The client and/or the product may be different, but the applicant(s), nature of the project, and learning objectives are the same as a previously funded project. Proposals are due to the Provost's office by 5:00 p.m. January 30, 2012.
  3. Travel Grants: Travel that is a part of the project (either Item 1 or 2 above) should be included in the application. Faculty members who are presenting immersive learning research or projects at professional meetings may seek travel funding directly from the Office of the Provost. Requests for travel funding and the application procedure should be directed to Jackie Buckrop. Proof of invitation will be required. These funds are not limited to faculty members who have been previously funded by this initiative. All faculty members who are presenting immersive learning research or immersive projects are welcome to apply. 
If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Jackie Buckrop.

More information about Immersive Learning at Ball State University can be found on the Provost website.

December 05, 2011

Financial Conflict of Interest webinar follow up

On November 30th NIH held a Financial Conflict of Interest webinar that described what changed since the regulation was revised and how the changes affect you.  NIH provides information for both administrators and investigators, with a Q and A session at the end.

All institutions applying for or receiving NIH funding must implement the new regulation by August 24, 2012. So if you are a current grantee or hope to be one in the future, SPO suggests you tune in! A recording of the event and the slides are located here.  

December 01, 2011

Webinar: NIH AREA: Goals, Changes, and Tips - December 6th

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a new program announcement for the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA; R15), the agency’s tailor-made mechanism for supporting excellent, smaller-scale research projects at colleges and universities that receive comparatively little NIH funding. Applications are due by February 25, June 25, and October 25 annually.

 The AREA program director, Erica Brown, will conduct an informative AREA overview, touching on the goals of the program, changes to the PA, and tips for writing a competitive proposal.

This informative webinar will be hosted by the Sponsored Programs Office on Tuesday, December 6th, 2:00pm - 3:30pm. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Augusta Wray by Monday, December 5th.

November 30, 2011

From GRC: NIH Revises AREA Solicitation

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a new program announcement (PA) for the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA), the agency’s tailor-made mechanism for supporting excellent, smaller-scale research projects at colleges and universities that receive comparatively little NIH funding. Applications are due by February 25, June 25, and October 25 annually.

The most significant revisions to the PA involve the ways proposals will be reviewed, a shift that bodes well for most GRC members. AREA program director Erika Brown reports that the new PA will more explicitly drive “reviewers to focus on the goals of the program and the unique constraints of the applicants.” The following changes and clarifications are included in the new PA:

  • More focus on inclusion of students in meritorious research. Applications should include plans to expose undergraduate or graduate students to hands-on research (but should not include training plans); 
  • All program directors and principle investigators involved with the proposed project must have a primary faculty appointment at an AREA-eligible institution; 
  • The total budget for all years of the proposed project must be requested in Budget Period 1. Do not complete Budget Periods 2 or 3. They are not required and will not be accepted with the application; 
  • There is more emphasis on the opportunities for AREA awardees to apply for administrative supplements to support and recruit high school, undergraduate, and graduate students from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in behavioral and biomedical sciences; and 
  • Reviewers will be asked to provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to make an important scientific contribution to the research fields involved, to provide research opportunities to students, and to strengthen the research environment of the institution. 

“It’ll be interesting to see how things improve with the new review criteria next year,” says Brown. She will lead a December 6, 2011 web conference for GRC members preparing to apply for AREA awards.

Stay tuned for details on the December 6th webinar. The Sponsored Programs Office will host in our conference room. Contact Augusta Wray for more information.

Links
Grants Resource Center

November 17, 2011

Future Research in the Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences

From the National Science Foundation:

The Directorate for the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences of the National Science Foundation (NSF/SBE) seeks to frame innovative research for the year 2020 and beyond that enhances fundamental knowledge and benefits society in many ways. As a first step in engaging its community, NSF/SBE invited individuals and groups to contribute white papers in which we asked authors to outline pivotal questions that are both foundational and transformative – foundational because they reflect deep issues that engage fundamental assumptions behind disciplinary research traditions and transformative because they seek to leverage current findings to unlock new cycles of research.

The report, Rebuilding the Mosaic (October 2011), compiled out of 252 unique white papers submitted by experts in the field, sets forth major ideas, cross-cutting themes, and implications for the directorate’s programs.

Read the Report here.

IAC: Individual Artist Program Workshops

Indiana Arts Commission staff will travel around Indiana in November & December to explain the Individual Artist Program grant, online application, and panel process. All workshops are FREE. Please note, additional workshops will be added as information becomes available.

Terre Haute 
Date: Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (EDT)

Fort Wayne 
Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (EST)

Valparaiso 
Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Time: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. (CST)

Lafayette 
Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (EST)

For RSVP and location details, as well as subsequent updates, please visit the IAC: Workshops page.

For more information on the IAP, visit our previous post:
Indiana Arts Commission: Individual Artist Program now open

November 08, 2011

Ball State Research + BeneFacta Day

The Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) is pleased to publish the annual online “magazine,” Ball State Research. The publication features scholarly and creative activity of representative faculty members who have been funded by external sponsors. We welcome your feedback about the e-publication in the comments of this post or on our Facebook page!

 The release of Ball State Research comes just in time for BeneFacta Day! Please join us as we celebrate the "good works" of Ball State researchers and creative scholars. Hosted by SPO, the celebration will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, November 9, 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall (AR 217) of the David Owsley Museum of Art.

BeneFacta Day 
Wednesday, November 9 
4:30-6:30 p.m. 
David Owsley Museum of Art
Recital Hall, AR 217

Related Links

November 01, 2011

Pivot's YouTube Channel

In August, we posted about the new and exciting COS Pivot. Since then, Ref-Works (Pivot's parent company) has been hard at work implementing changes and updates. One of the newest additions is that of a YouTube channel!

You may be asking yourself why this is so exciting. Would you like to know how to quickly do a simple funding search in Pivot?



Check out this and other tutorials for yourself at ProQuestPivot's YouTube Channel!

Related
Introducing: COS Pivot
COS Pivot website

Indiana Arts Commission: Individual Artist Program now open


The Indiana Arts Commission: Individual Artist Program (IAP) for 2013 is now open and accepting applications.

The IAP was created in 1999 to provide support to artists in all disciplines for career development projects. The program cycle runs from July 1 to June 30 and offers flexibility to respond to artists' needs and goals. Applicants must plan a project, or phase of a project, which can be realized within the requested budget and completed within the proposed timeline. Applicants may request a maximum of $2,000.

Applicants must:
  • Be at least 18 years old 
  • Reside in Indiana for one year preceding the application date 
  • Remain an Indiana resident during the grant period 

The IAC cannot provide funding if the artist: 
  • Is enrolled in a degree-granting program 
  • Received an IAC grant in the prior Fiscal Year
  • Is part of a collaboration for which another artist is applying for IAC support in the same year
Deadline is February 2, 2012.

Guidelines can be found at the IAC website or by clicking here.


Related Posts
From IAC ArtsEye: The Individual Artist Program Grant from a Past Recipient's Point of View

October 28, 2011

Cohen Peace Fellowship Program: February 1

The call to submit proposals for the 2012 Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Fellowship. The Fellowship provides support to conduct basic or applied research on topics related to peace.

For the 2011-12 academic year, Ball State faculty members AND graduate students are eligible to apply!

For faculty members, funds may be used for salary, supplies, expenses, and/or travel. Preference will be given to tenure track faculty members at Ball State University.

For graduate students, funds may be used for assistantship stipend, supplies, expenses, and/or travel and may also include tuition remission during the academic time period of the fellowship.

Completed applications and all required materials are due to the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) by 5:00 PM on February 1, 2012. SPO will route the University Clearance Sheet and forward the completed applications to the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. The Cohen Proposal Evaluation Committee will then review the proposals.

For more information on how to apply for the fellowship, visit the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies website.

October 25, 2011

EPA P3 Competition Open!

EPA's P3 – People, Prosperity, and the Planet—Program is a unique college competition for designing solutions for a sustainable future. P3 offers students quality hands-on experience that brings their classroom learning to life. The EPA considers projects that address challenges from a wide range of categories: agriculture, built environment, materials and chemicals, energy, and water.

The P3 Award competition is a two-phase team contest. In the first phase, interdisciplinary student teams compete for $15,000 grants. Recipients use the money to research and develop their design projects during the academic year.

In the spring, all teams submit their reports and proposals, and then bring their projects to Washington, DC for judging by a panel of experts convened by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Judging takes place at the annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall.

Scores from the reports, proposals and the presentations on the Mall are combined into a final overall score for each P3 team. Based on these scores, the AAAS judges recommend to EPA which teams should receive the EPA P3 Award and the opportunity for Phase II funding - a $90,000 grant for real world application.

Applications will be accepted through Dec. 22, 2011.

For more information and guidelines, please visit the P3 website or contact your SPO Proposal Manager

October 19, 2011

Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute Opportunities


The new Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute — an independent, nonprofit, non-governmental institute funded by the Affordable Care Act of 2010 — is committed to a rigorous, stakeholder-driven process that emphasizes patient engagement.

There are two ways to become involved immediately:

Apply for PCORI Pilot Project Grants, which have a threefold purpose:

  • First, to assist PCORI with ongoing development of national research priorities for patient-centered outcomes research. Applicants will be expected to establish the significance of the proposed research and build a case for why it should be considered a guiding question for research agenda setting strategies that can be used in future comparative effectiveness research. 
  • Second, the program will support the collection of preliminary data that can be used to advance the field of patient-centered outcomes research. 
  • And third, PCORI seeks methodologies that can be used to advance patient-centered outcomes research and identify gaps where methodological research needs further development.
Letters of intent are required by November 1, 2011 and invited proposals are due by December 1, 2011.

Become a reviewer for the PCORI Pilot Project Grant Program. PCORI executive director Joe Selby says “the program is looking for patients, scientists, and other stakeholders who are not usually represented in scientific review groups to serve as reviewers of the pilot projects grants applications.” The institute is particularly interested in individuals who have interest in or experience with one or more of the eight areas of interest outlined in the pilot projects grants program announcement. Reviewer applications are due by October 26, 2011.

Contact your department or unit's Proposal Manager for more information.

October 18, 2011

Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry now accepting Fellowship applications

The Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry enables faculty and students to
  • Explore the connections among the arts, humanities, sciences and technology 
  • Create a product to illustrate their collaborative research and interdisciplinary study, and 
  • Present their product to the community in a public forum. 
Each year, four Ball State University faculty members are selected (through an open competition) to teach an interdisciplinary seminar to fifteen students—similar to a capstone experience for majors or an honors colloquium.

All applications are due Friday, January 20, 2012 at the Virginia Ball Center (at Kitselman) by 4:00 p.m.

 Click here to download an application (PDF) to apply for a fellowship.

View the 2011-2012 Academic Year Press Release to read about the upcoming seminars.

The VBC will host a Forum for potential fellowship applicants on Tuesday, October 25th, from 4:00-5:30 p.m. at Kitselman. Director Joe Trimmer, and former and current Fellows will be available to answer questions. Joe is currently scheduling individual conferences with faculty who wish to plan, draft, and revise applications.

Application forms for 2012-2013 Fellowships are available. Please see your Dean or Department Chair about these forms, call Donna Ferguson 287-0117 to request a copy or print a copy of the form from the Center's website at http://www.bsu.edu/vbc (see Documents.) 

October 13, 2011

All new... SPO Facebook!

The Sponsored Programs Office is pleased to unveil our all new Facebook page! "LIKE" the Sponsored Programs Office at Ball State University page to stay up to date with news, proposal development articles, workshop information, tips and tricks to finding funding, office news, and so much more!

What are you waiting for? 


Need more SPO social media? Follow us on Twitter!

@BSU_SPO

October 11, 2011

From {Centered}: Proposal rejected? Don't despair.

Even experienced grantseekers get turned down more often than they'd like. But how you handle those disappointments will affect how successful you are in the long run. Rebecca Shawver offers good advice on dealing with grant rejection in "It's Time to Remember that 'No' Doesn't Always Mean 'Never'" (CharityChannel, August 17, 2011). It's crucial, says Shawver, to speak with the funder after your request has been denied to learn the reasons for their decision. Different reasons require different remedies. For instance:

The funder liked your project, but they didn't have enough money.

  • Begin planning earlier next time.
  • Find out whether collaborating with other groups might increase your chances of success in the future.
  • Adopt any recommendations the grantmaker may make in your post-rejection conversation.

The funder doesn't know you very well.

  • Meet with them personally.
  • Invite them to visit your offices and program sites.

You didn't demonstrate community support in your request.

  • Before reapplying gather more letters of support and go after more matching funds and in-kind support.

Your program--or your description of it--needs to be better developed.

  • Refine your proposal to include components that describe your program more effectively.
  • Make sure your program reflects the latest trends and incorporates the best practices in the field.

The funder's "No" really did mean "Never."

  • Look to other sources of funding, there are other fish in the sea!  

Article from The Grantsmanship Center {Centered} October 2011 issue.

October 07, 2011

From IAC ArtsEye: The Individual Artist Program Grant from a Past Recipient's Point of View

In light of the Individual Artist Program (IAP) grant opening on November 1st, we thought it'd be a good idea to catch up with one of our past IAP recipients. This month, we're speaking with Daren Pitts Redman, a fiber artist from Brown County and a FY11 IAP grant recipient in crafts.

Daren used her grant to create a body of work using fabric manipulated with the arashi shibori technique. The fabric was then used to create a 3D interactive art installation at Wonderlab in Bloomington, Indiana. Viewers are able to touch and reshape the installation to create their own artistic composition.

Indiana Arts Commission (IAC): Tell us a little bit about your work as an artist.

Daren Pitts Redman (DPR): I hand dye cottons in solid colors and by using the traditional Japanese tie and die technique, shibori. I use my photographs as inspiration for abstract quilted wall hangings.

IAC: Why did you apply for a grant in FY2011?

DPR: This is a way to challenge myself to create a new body of work. It gets finished and viewed by the public. The process allows me to design and create my art while coordinating an exhibit with curators and gallery directors that might not be possible without the IAP grant.

IAC: You have received more than one IAP grant, what made you apply often?

DPR: I enjoyed the process and creative time so much when I made the 3 large quilts series based on what I saw at the Eiteljorg Museum. Two summers ago, I took a 3D textile class through the Split Rock Arts Program at the University of Minnesota and wanted to use my new skills to make an installation. This was a way for me to present an exhibit in my community.


September 26, 2011

New Jr. Faculty Workshop Incentive Program

Grant Writing Essentials is a five-part workshop series led by Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) Program Manager Stanley Geidel. In order to increase the number of Junior Faculty Members educated in grant writing and to further increase the number of quality external grant submissions, SPO is pleased to offer an incentive to Junior Faculty Members who attend these workshops.

Junior Faculty members who attend Parts 1 - 4 of the Grant Writing Essentials workshops are eligible to receive $250 in their Researcher Incentive Account (RIA) for extramural expenses. Further, an additional $250 will be made available to Junior Faculty members who submit an external grant proposal within 18 months of attending the series.

Eligibility
  • Junior Faculty members in their first, second, or third year of receiving a new appointment (tenure‐track or full‐time contract).
  • Those faculty moving from contract to tenure‐track status are considered eligible as junior faculty, again, in their first three years of receiving a tenure‐track position.
Workshop Schedule
All workshops are held from 12:00-1:00 pm in BL 215 (Bracken Library)
  1. Developing a Fundable Idea - Focuses on how to transform ideas for grant proposals into fundable propositions.
    October 6, 2011 or January 12, 2012
  2. Writing the Proposal Narrative - Detailed guidance for developing proposal content as well as how to present the grant narrative for maximum effectiveness.
    October 20, 2011 or January 26, 2012
  3. Project Evaluation - SPO has teamed up with SSRC to offer attendees the information and resources they need to develop a strong evaluation plan for their grant project.
    November 3, 2011 or February 9, 2012
  4. Budget Development - This workshop outlines a straight-forward approach on how to construct a grant budget.
    November 17, 2011 or February 23, 2012
Application Process
There is no formal proposal required for this incentive. Instead, please do the following:
  • Register for Parts 1 - 4 of the Grant Writing Essentials workshop sessions online at the Learning and Development website
  • Sign the attendance sheet during each workshop session.
  • Upon completion of the 4 workshops, submit a Workshop Incentive Application detailing dates attended and targeted external grant submission to aspire@bsu.edu
Additional program information can be found at the Essentials Incentive Program page.

September 20, 2011

Teaching Students to Search with ‘Google Search Education Evangelism’

From The Chronicle of Higher Education - Prof. Hacker Blog:

On Wednesday I asked an open thread discussion question–How do we measure (and improve) students’ digital skills?–that resulted in a pretty good conversation about various approaches different people take.

I think it becomes clear in any such conversation that we’re really talking about at least two different sets of skills: information literacy (how to find, evaluate, and use information), and digital proficiency (how to use various software applications, how to problem solve, how to adapt to unfamiliar environments).

With regard to information literacy, it’s often a challenge (in my experience) not only to get students to search using something other than Google; it’s also difficult to teach them how to use Google effectively. And in this way my students seem similar to the students in the ERIAL study discussed by the Inside Higher Ed article I referenced in Wednesday’s post: “They were basically clueless about the logic underlying how the search engine organizes and displays its results. Consequently, the students did not know how to build a search that would return good sources.”

Well, thanks to a recent Tweet by Micah Vandergraft, I now know of a site designed to address search skills: Google’s “Search Education Evangelism” site. While the name may be a bit strange (or maybe that’s just me), the content of the site looks to be quite useful, including
  • Lesson plans, from basic to advanced,
  • Slide decks, available for use by instructors, and
  • Recorded webinars, available for download.
Original article and more from Prof. Hacker can be found by clicking here.

September 13, 2011

From GRC GrantWeek: New AREA Program Director Shares News, Advice

Erika Brown, the dynamic new director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program, met with attendees at the GRC 2011 External Funding Conference on August 23, 2011.

Historically, the AREA program has been overseen by an NIH-designated coordinator, with leadership turning over every couple of years. With the establishment of the program director position, NIH has acknowledged the importance of AREA in the agency’s overall research portfolio. Backing NIH’s goal to broaden its applicant pool, AREA, or R15, awards support small-scale biomedical and behavioral research projects conducted by faculty and students at colleges and universities that have not been major recipients of NIH grant funds.

Brown intends to rewrite the AREA program announcement to include a game-changing new feature. Currently, all types of NIH grant proposals, including AREA requests, are reviewed together in regular study sections. With the new program announcement, NIH will begin clustering AREA grant proposals separately within study section reviews.

The success rate for AREA proposals is less than one in five under the existing review system. Brown provides this advice for developing more competitive, error-free proposals:
  • Describe the special institutional characteristics that make the request appropriate for the AREA program, and provide a profile of current and former students, focusing on the number who go on to advanced degrees (this should be submitted in the “Facilities and Other Resources” section of the application).
  • Describe how the project will expose students to research, and how the NIH support will strengthen the research environment on your campus.
  • Include the total budget in budget period one. Unlike most NIH grants, AREA funding for all years, the entire grant term, is awarded up-front at the project start date.
  • Use a modular budget if your total budget is $250,000 or less. If larger budget is proposed, use the R&R Detailed Budget form.
  • Find an NIH institute or center that could support your area of research, make contact in advance, and then include a cover letter with the application to suggest an appropriate institute and up to three appropriate study sections.
The next AREA deadline is set for October 25, 2011. Annual deadlines include February 25, June 25, and October 25. Full guidelines can be found: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-070.html

September 01, 2011

Invitation to submit proposals: Provost Immersive Learning Initiative 2012-2013

The Provost Immersive Learning Grant can be used to fund an entire immersive learning project, equipment, some travel, as well as buyouts to ensure you have time to commit to the project.

Please click here for guidelines.

All copies are due to the Provost's Office by 5:00p.m., Monday, October 3, 2011.

The proposals are judged on your expertise, time commitment, budget requests, etc., as well as the seven criteria of immersive learning:
  • carry academic credit
  • engage participants in an active learning process that is student-driven but guided by a faculty mentor
  • produce a tangible outcome or product
  • involve at least one team of students, often working on a project that is interdisciplinary in nature
  • include community partners and create an impact on the larger community as well as on the student participants
  • focus on student learning outcomes
  • help students define a career path or make connections to a profession or industry
Open Information Sessions
Two open Forums have been scheduled:
  1. Tuesday, September 13, 4:00p.m. Student Center Rm. 305
  2. Wednesday, September 21, 4:00p.m. Student Center Rm. 305
See some of the projects that have been funded.

Invitation to Submit Proposals: Discovery 2012-2013

The Discovery group invites the submission of project proposals for funding in 2012. Discovery funds projects that further the mission of the university as expressed in the 2007 – 2012 Strategic Plan.  Group members are interested in projects that significantly impact Ball State students, offer immersive learning opportunities, and have potential for other external funding in the future.

Proposals must be turned into the Sponsored Programs Office by October 3, 2011.

Please click here for guidelines.

About Discovery
Discovery is a women’s collaborative philanthropic group established to support projects and programs at Ball State University. Discovery members are interested in projects that significantly impact Ball State students, offer immersive learning opportunities, and have potential for other external funding in the future.

For more information about the Discovery awards, visit the Discovery Awards 2011 page.

August 30, 2011

Researchers Face Tighter Conflict of Interest Rules

From Grants Resource Center (GRC):

On August 25, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule that amends the 1995 Public Health Service (PHS) regulations on applicant responsibilities for promoting research objectivity. The new ruling establishes standards to ensure that the design, conduct, and reporting of research funded under PHS grants and cooperative agreements will be free from bias resulting from investigator financial conflicts of interest (FCOI). Institutions have until August 24, 2012 to be in full compliance with the new requirements.

The reasons for the amendments are twofold. First, the growing complexity of biomedical and behavioral research and the increased interaction among the government, research institutions, and the private sector, especially drug companies, suggest that a more rigorous approach to investigator disclosure, institutional management of financial conflicts, and federal oversight is required. Second, the promises of translational research, the challenges of technology transfer, and intense expectations at all levels of government that universities function as engines of socio-economic development generate new pressures on institutions and their faculty members to expand their relationships and deepen their engagement with industry.

The amended regulations include a number of changes with which PHS applicants must comply:

  • Designating institutional officials to solicit and review disclosures of significant financial interests (SFI) from each investigator participating in the PHS-funded research. Each investigator planning to participate in the PHS-funded research must disclose to the institution's designated official the investigator's SFIs (and those of the investigator's spouse and dependent children) no later than the time of application for PHS-funded research;
  • Lowering the SFI threshold from $10,000 to $5,000 for payments, equity interests, and any equity interest in non-publicly traded entities;
  • Excluding income from seminars, lectures, teaching, or service on advisory or review panels;
  • Expanding investigator disclosure requirements to include SFIs that are related to an investigator's institutional responsibilities, with institutions responsible for determining whether a disclosed SFI relates to the research for which PHS funding is sought and constitutes a FCOI.
  • Requiring that institutions maintain an up-to-date, written, enforced policy on FCOIs that is available via a publicly accessible website;
  • Requiring FCOI training for each investigator on any PHS-funded grant or contract prior to engaging in research, and at least every four years thereafter;
  • Requiring PHS-funded awardee institutions to take reasonable steps to ensure that any subrecipient investigator complies with the institutional policy;
  • Expanding the scope of the regulations to include Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I applications; and
  • Requiring each investigator who is participating in the PHS-funded research to submit an updated disclosure of SFIs at least annually.
GRC will continue to follow this issue and SPO will post updates as they appear. Additional details are available online.

August 24, 2011

Call for Proposals: Cohen Peace Fellowship

This is a call to submit proposals for the Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Fellowship. The Fellowship provides support to conduct basic or applied research on topics related to peace.

For the 2011-12 academic year, Ball State faculty members AND graduate students are eligible to apply.

For faculty members, funds may be used for salary, supplies, expenses, and/or travel. Preference will be given to tenure track faculty members at Ball State University.

For graduate students, funds may be used for assistantship stipend, supplies, expenses, and/or travel and may also include tuition remission during the academic time period of the fellowship.

Completed applications and all required materials are due to the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) by 5:00 PM on September 19, 2011. SPO will route the University Clearance Sheet and forward the completed applications to the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. The Cohen Proposal Evaluation Committee will then review the proposals.

For more information on how to apply for the fellowship, visit the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies website or contact CPCS directly, 285-1622 [email].

August 23, 2011

EPA Fellowships - Undergraduate Environmental Study

Fall 2012 EPA Greater Research Opportunities (GRO)
Fellowships for Undergraduate Environmental Study

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships program, is offering Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) undergraduate fellowships for bachelor level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline for receipt of applications is December 12, 2011 4:00 PM ET for receipt of paper applications, and December 12, 2011, at 11:59:59 PM ET for submittal of electronic applications to Grants.gov. Subject to availability of funding, and other applicable considerations, the Agency plans to award approximately 40 new fellowships by July 30, 2012.

Eligible students will receive support for their junior and senior years of undergraduate study and for an internship at an EPA facility during the summer of their junior year. The fellowship provides up to $19,700 per academic year of support and $9,500 of support for a three-month summer internship.

URL: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2012/2012_gro_undergrad.html

Deadline: 12/12/2011

August 18, 2011

WIPB Offering Student Grants for Video Productions

For the third year, WIPB-TV is offering grants of up to $10,000 to student teams to support the creation of original local video for Broadcast (television show or promotional videos) and Online (website/interactive) delivery.

Students are asked to describe in 500 words or less how their team will collaborate with other students to develop their local video project. Teams may include two or more Ball State University students from any academic discipline. Students may be undergraduate or graduate and must be enrolled as full-time status. All work must be completed by April 2012.

Past grant recipients include Sculpting the Wind: Alexa King and the Making of the Barbaro Memorial Statue, winner of multiple awards including four Emmy nominations. Information about this documentary can be found at facebook.com/SculptingtheWind.

To apply for a grant, interested students should download the WIPB Grant Initiative Call for Proposals (pdf) available at wipb.org and submit their proposal by Friday, September 23, 2011. No late applications will be accepted.

For questions or more information about the Grant Initiative, visit the wipb website or use the Online Contact Form.

A PBS affiliate, WIPB-TV is licensed to Ball State University, and serves more than 1.5 million people in east and central Indiana and western Ohio. WIPB multicasts three channels: WIPB-HD 49.1, WIPB CREATE 49.2 and WIPB Radar 49.3 broadcast on cable, over the air and Dish Network. Station information is available at wipb.org.

August 17, 2011

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Stipends

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Stipends program supports research that contributes to the scholarship, the public's understanding, or the advancement of teaching of the humanities. Projects may be completed during the award period or may be part of a longer-term undertaking. Recipients' work often results in articles, books, databases, or other scholarly tools.

An outright award of $6,000 is provided for two consecutive months of full-time research and writing. In accordance with NEH guidelines, Ball State may nominate two faculty proposals.

Ball State internal application deadline is September 2, 2011.
Deadline for final submission to the NEH is September 29, 2011.

Click here for full guidelines.

Materials to submit for the September 2 internal review:
  • Click to access the Ball State NEH Summer Stipend Internal Application Coversheet (This form is in lieu of ATTACHMENT 1: Supplemental Information for Individuals Form, submitted at the final round)
  • A single copy of the application, including
    1. 3-page (single-spaced) narrative
    2. 2-page (single-spaced) resumé
    3. 1-page (single-spaced) bibliography
    4. 1-page appendix (graphical materials or edition/translation sample, if applicable)
  • You do not need to include reference letters at this time.
  • You do not need to have processed a Ball State clearance sheet.
Please submit your completed internal application to Justin Miller by September 2, 2011.
Proposals will be submitted electronically through grants.gov.

Questions about this program may be directed to Justin Miller.

August 16, 2011

The case of fraud, forgery, and false statements: 5 lessons for grantseekers

Reposted from The Grantsmanship Center's August 2011 newsletter {Centered}

Mail Fraud. Guilty. Document Forgery. Guilty. Making False Statements. Guilty.

In June 2011 a California jury returned its verdict in the case of grant proposal writer Jean Cross, an independent contractor. The charges involved a 2007 grant proposal submitted by a community coalition for funding under the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant program.

After the $35 million grant was approved for funding, one of the key partners, the Desert Sands Unified School District, found that the proposal that had been submitted was "materially different" from the copy they had received from the applicant organization, that memos of understanding had been altered, and that district signatures had been forged. The school district blew the whistle, withdrew from the collaboration, and called for an investigation. The grant was returned to the funding source. Ultimately the proposal writer was charged with fraud, forgery, and making false statements.

While this situation was extraordinary, it's worth looking at, since it highlights at least five crucial lessons for grantseekers.

The proposal writer had approached the coalition about submitting a proposal about ten days before the deadline, according to testimony by the head of the coalition.
  • Lesson #1: Plan. One of the core principles for people who practice sound grantsmanship is planning. Even a relatively simple proposal requires thoughtful planning. In this case, the proposed programming involved a multitude of schools and community organizations. How can solid program planning be accomplished with so many collaborators in just ten days?
Community surveys and meeting results to determine student and family needs were reported in the proposal but could not be verified. Cross acknowledged she "might have copied and pasted" into the proposal information she had collected from other school districts while working on previous grant proposals.

August 08, 2011

Save the Date!: October 13 & 14

Creating Vibrant Communities through the Arts
October 13 - 14th - Monon Community Center, Carmel, Indiana

Looking to advance your arts initiative at a community level? Want to infuse innovation and growth through the arts in your community? Don't miss this exciting learning opportunity for civic leaders, educators, business leaders, arts organization leaders and local elected officials, brought to you by Ball State University Building Better Communities and the Indiana Arts Commission!

This two-day colloquium will feature educational tracks on creating artist live-work communities, establishing cultural districts, and developing community arts education centers. Featuring sessions like "Creating Art Communities" presented by Steve Doolittle of the Paducah Riverfront Development Authority in Kentucky and "Establishing a Cultural District" presented by Andy Vick of the Allegany Arts Council in Maryland, national and local experts will share best practices while providing guidance, insights, and new ideas. Community teams are encouraged to attend this excellent educational and networking opportunity.

Registration: $75 per person or $175 for three people from the same community. Includes evening reception on October 13 and lunch and refreshments on October 14.

Click here for additional information. This web page will be updated with information periodically. (Click on the red exclamation point icon at the top of the page to subscribe to page updates.)

Sponsored Programs Office Annual Report 10-11 Now Available

Each year the Sponsored Programs Office produces an annual report, detailing grant awards and submissions over the last year. Some of the topics covered in the annual report include:
  • Initiatives and Accomplishments of the Office
  • Research Recognition
  • College Funding Profiles
  • Proposals Funded (Internal & External)
  • Proposals Submitted
  • ASPiRE Internal Grants activity
  • Results of Intellectual Property commercialization
  • Activity of Research Integrity committees
The report is accessible through the Sponsored Programs Office website or by clicking here.

PLEASE NOTE COLLEGE AND DEPARTMENT TOTALS: Funded awards, for which there is Co-PI participation, are referenced in both PI and Co-PI departments. However, official college and departmental totals include only the lead investigator.

August 05, 2011

BBC Fellows recruiting undergrad and graduate students for projects

Building Better Communities (BBC) is currently recruiting students for fall 2011 immersive learning projects. BBC Fellows, Emerging Media Fellows and Health Fellows projects allow you to work with an interdisciplinary team to help address a specific challenge for an Indiana business or organization. If selected for a project team, you will gain valuable technical skills, network with potential future employers, and attend professional development training at no cost to you. Selected students are also eligible to apply for a Fellows Leadership Award. Students with leadership experience or special skills in emerging media may apply for this award, which involves a $1,000 scholarship to assist with tuition. Most Fellows projects are available for 3-credit hours, and the program is open to all undergraduate and graduate students.

Now accepting applications for the following projects:

FALL SEMESTER 2011
  • Camp Adventure Enviromental Learning Center
  • Charter Schools: Patterns of Innovation - A New Architecture for a New Education
  • Hillcroft Services: Awareness through Marketing
  • Indiana Youth Institute: Positive Youth Development through Sport
  • Old Stories Made New - The Life of George Rogers Clark
  • Parkview Hospital: Planting Healthy Seeds
  • Sustainability Report for Ball State University—Global Reporting Initiative
  • Tuhey Pool - A Plan for the Future
  • Visit Indiana
SPRING 2012
  • Sustainability Report for Minnetrista Cultural Center
For more information about the projects listed above or to apply online, click here. Check the website often for updates and new projects!


Previously
BBC Fellows Now Recruiting for Fall

August 02, 2011

STEM Education Data and Trends

Compared to other states, how well are students in my state prepared in science and math?
What are my or my child's career opportunities in science and engineering fields?
How much are states spending on their schools?

The STEM Education Data and Trends web tool allows you to explore the answers to these and other questions, by providing easy access to data on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and related careers. The interactive tool is organized chronologically from preschool to a career in a STEM field. It lets users select a specific question to retrieve easy-to-understand text and to link to further data and discussion in the National Science Board's biennial Science and Engineering Indicators report.

Go to:
STEM Education Data and Trends Web Tool
STEM Education Data and Trends [Text Only Version]
Science and Engineering Indicators: 2010

August 01, 2011

FY 2010 Report on the NSF Merit Review Process

This FY 2010 Report on the NSF Merit Review Process responds to a National Science Board (NSB) policy endorsed in 1977 and amended in 1984, requesting that the NSF Director submit an annual report on the NSF merit review process. Longitudinal data are given to provide a long-term perspective. In most cases, the data provided are for only eight years due to space constraints; however, additional historical data are available through the electronic version of the report that is posted on the NSB website (http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/).

The Foundation continues to exceed its "time to decision" goal of informing at least 70 percent of Principal Investigators (PIs) of funding decisions within six months of receipt of the proposal. The National Science Board conducted a review of the NSF merit review process and concluded that the NSF merit review process is fair and effective. It "remains an international 'gold standard' for review of science and engineering research proposals."

Click here to read the full 2010 report.

Related Links
Archive of Merit Review Reports
Merit Review Process

July 19, 2011

NSF Reports on Research Funding

From Grants Resource Center GrantWeek:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released reports on the flow of federal research funding into colleges and universities in 2009 and the status of graduate students and postdoctoral scientists in research fields in 2008.

The Academic Research and Development (R&D) Expenditure Survey findings demonstrate an increase in the overall number of U.S. academic institutions that grant degrees in science and engineering fields and spent at least $150,000 in separately budgeted science and engineering R&D funding, from 690 in FY 08 to 711 in FY 09.

The amount of federal and non-federal funds supporting R&D flowing into and out of these institutions has steadily increased since FY 04. With the exception of mathematical sciences, funding devoted specifically to major science and engineering fields has continued to rise since FY 08. The report provides a detailed breakdown of funding by agency and expenditures by university, field of study, student demographic, geographic division, and state.

June 30, 2011

Deadline Nears for IAC's Technical Assistance Grant Application

From the Indiana Arts Commission: Arts:92:

Organizations interested in applying for the IAC's Technical Assistance Program (TAP) grants have until July 18, 2011 to complete the application process.

This is a two-year grant program which provides up to $5,000 each year to assist organizations in providing services to their constituents that would help strengthen them as community arts providers.

The TAP grants provide resources to eligible organizations with appropriate, realistic strategies for developing individual and

organizational skills that would strengthen the capacity to meet at least one of three core objectives: build stronger arts organizations; develop stronger communities through arts partnerships; or advance the role of the arts in public and private education and personal development.

Organizations are strongly encouraged to review the program guidelines by clicking here.

Applications must be submitted through the Indiana Cultural Grants Online no later than 4:30 p.m. (EDT) July 18, 2011.

June 28, 2011

"Redesigning Cancer": Hospital gowns with style and function in mind

The Family and Consumer Science Department donated several new and improved hospital gowns to the Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital Cancer Center in a ceremony on Sunday afternoon at the Ball State Museum of Art. The immersive learning project, titled "Redesigning Cancer," used a $17,000 grant to create 200 prototypes — 40 gowns for each of the five designs.

The design students interviewed patients in the oncology unit, getting their input on what the patients would like to see in a hospital gown and finding ways to incorporate the patients' medical needs, such as easy accessibility for nurses to IVs and tubing, with their desires for modesty and style.

As part of the immersive learning experience, the students are responsible for every aspect of the project, including ordering the hundreds of yards of material necessary for the gowns. Overseeing the "Redesigning Cancer" project are instructors Valerie Birk and Trenton Bush of the Family and Consumer Science Department.

Read more at TheStarPress.com, the BSU Daily News, and the BSU NewsCenter

June 22, 2011

BBC Fellows now recruiting for Fall projects

Building Better Communities (BBC) is currently recruiting students for fall 2011 immersive learning projects. BBC Fellows, Emerging Media Fellows and Health Fellows projects allow you to work with an interdisciplinary team to help address a specific challenge for an Indiana business or organization. If selected for a project team, you will gain valuable technical skills, network with potential future employers, and attend professional development training at no cost to you. Selected students are also eligible to apply for a Fellows Leadership Award. Students with leadership experience or special skills in emerging media may apply for this award, which involves a $1,000 scholarship to assist with tuition.

We are now accepting applications for the following projects:

FALL SEMESTER 2011

  • CASA - Volunteer Training and Recruitment Strategies for Court Appointed Special Advocates
  • Charter Schools: Patterns of Innovation - A New Architecture for a New Education
  • Hillcroft Services: Awareness through Marketing
  • Indiana Youth Institute: Positive Youth Development through Sport
  • Old Stories Made New - The Life of George Rogers Clark
  • Parkview Hospital: Planting Healthy Seeds

For more information about the projects listed above or to apply online, click here. Most Fellows projects are available for 3-credit hours, and the program is open to all undergraduate and graduate students.

June 06, 2011

Cohen Peace Fellowship Program: September 19

The Center for Peace and Conflict Studies is pleased to announce a call to submit proposals for the Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Fellowship. The Fellowship provides support to conduct basic or applied research on topics related to peace.

For the 2011-12 academic year, Ball State faculty members AND graduate students are eligible to apply.

For faculty members, funds may be used for salary, supplies, expenses, and/or travel. Preference will be given to tenure track faculty members at Ball State University.

For graduate students, funds may be used for assistantship stipend, supplies, expenses, and/or travel and may also include tuition remission during the academic time period of the fellowship.

Completed applications and all required materials are due to the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) by 5:00 PM on September 19, 2011. SPO will route the University Clearance Sheet and forward the completed applications to the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. The Cohen Proposal Evaluation Committee will then review the proposals.

For more information on how to apply for the fellowship, visit the Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Fellowship website  or contact the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies.

May 31, 2011

From TheChronicle.com: The Buck Starts Here

By Karen M. Markin


Scientific expertise alone won't get you a research grant. In addition to having a good idea for your research, you must find an agency that needs what you will discover if you pursue your idea. Then you must establish your ability to carry it out on budget and on schedule, so the agency will trust you with thousands of dollars.

Submitting a winning proposal to the right agency can involve trial and error. If you're up against the tenure clock, you will want to avoid as many missteps as possible. Here are a few tips for the first timer on how to maximize success in preparing a document that is as different from a dissertation as a car commercial is from the owner's manual.
  • Check out your target funder's recent awards. The first step is to narrow down your list of possible grant agencies to the most promising prospects. The best way to do this is to see what they have supported in the past.
  • Speak with a program officer. Although requests for proposals posted on the grantmaker's Web site describes grant-program requirements, talk to a program officer to ensure that your specific project fits the funder's needs.
  • When preparing your proposal, follow the grantmaker's guidelines. If the program announcement says to limit the narrative to 15 pages, limit it to 15 pages. This may seem obvious but is frequently ignored.
  • Be particular about the little things. Pay attention to proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  • Have a colleague read the proposal before you send it off. A second pair of eyes can be very helpful at spotting sections that need improvement. Choose an educated person who is not an expert in your field. Have the reader focus on overall organization and clarity.
  • Don't wait until the last minute to prepare and submit your application. Murphy's law usually prevails at proposal submission time: computers crash and copiers jam.
  • Don't assume that reviewers will be experts in your specialty or issue. Avoid jargon. Your reviewers will be educated people with expertise in your discipline, broadly defined. But they won't necessarily be familiar with the latest developments in your particular niche.
  • Don't give short shift to the budget and its justification. This is the first part of the proposal that some reviewers read. An experienced reviewer can get a clear idea of what you plan to do from those components.
  • Don't give up if you're rejected. Rejection is part of the process. Most everyone who submits grant proposals has been turned down at some point. See it as part of a larger process of grant-writing.
  • Don't forget to obtain copies of your grant reviewer's comments. To revise and resubmit, it is essential that you know why your proposal was turned down the first time. Sometimes reviewers' comments are not sent to you automatically and you need to request them. Do it.
To read the full article, visit The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Karen M. Markin is director of research development at the University of Rhode Island's research office.
This article is copyrighted by Karen M. Markin and first appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education Volume 51, Issue 25, Page C1.

May 25, 2011

Common Mistakes Made by Grant Applicants




Professionals at foundations and consultancies say they see grant seekers making the same mistakes over and over again, including not tailoring their application to the grant, not contacting the grant maker, and over-promising on results.

Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy

May 17, 2011

BSU's Virginia Ball Center announces its 2011-12 immersive learning courses

Immersive learning, the heart of a Ball State education, melds content, skills, societal need, and student interests into a transformative experience. IL brings interdisciplinary student teams together to solve problems for community partners. The result is a final product that enhances the community with a lasting impact.

At Ball State's Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry, four Ball State University faculty members are chosen each year to teach interdisciplinary seminars to 15 students. The students are chosen by application or audition. Leading the seminars for the coming academic year:
Seminars for the 2011-12 academic year will examine the correlation between art and philosophy, vernacular memorials, the intersections of gaming and learning, and the presence of home ownership embedded in children's culture.

For more information about the seminars, please visit the Ball State news release by clicking here.

For more information about the Virginia B. Ball Center, visit their website at www.bsu.edu/vbc.

May 13, 2011

ASPiRE Summer Support

Looking for support for your summer research / creative endeavors? The ASPiRE Internal Grant Program has several deadlines remaining for the following competitions:

Ad-Hoc Program
A supplemental program (limited to $250) to support costs associated with research or creative endeavors.
Upcoming Deadlines: May 16; June 15, 2011
Guidelines: http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/SPO/ASPiRE/FacultyPrograms/AdditionalPrograms.aspx

ENHANCE Program
The purpose of the ENHANCE Program is to provide support for faculty members involved in early investigations, the results of which will serve as the basis for a federal grant proposal. The funds will support Supplies, Equipment, Expenses, and Travel (S.E.E.T.) in costs (up to $3,000) to acquire preliminary research or other information that will directly impact the development of the proposal, enhance the feasibility of the request, and result in a stronger proposal submission.
Upcoming Deadlines: May 16; June 15, 2011
Guidelines: http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/SPO/IncentivePrograms/ENHANCE.aspx

Reprint/Publication Support Program
Provides support for expenses associated with publication, reprints, and page charges.
Upcoming Deadlines: May 16; June 15, 2011
Guidelines: http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/SPO/ASPiRE/FacultyPrograms/AdditionalPrograms.aspx

Travel Support Program
Provides assistance in securing external funding for research or sponsored projects. Travel is primarily for face-to-face meetings with program officers of funding agencies or foundations.
Upcoming Deadlines: May 16; June 15, 2011
Guidelines: http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/SPO/ASPiRE/FacultyPrograms/AdditionalPrograms.aspx

International Travel Program
Program funds are awarded to tenured and tenure-track faculty members to facilitate international academic or creative activity
Upcoming Deadline: June 15, 2011
(For travel dates occurring July 1, 2011 - August 14, 2011)
Guidelines: http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/SPO/ASPiRE/FacultyPrograms/InternationalTravel.aspx

For questions regarding the ASPiRE Program, please contact the ASPiRE Program Manager, or email aspire@bsu.edu.

Funding Opportunities: Learning in Formal and Informal Science

The Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings
DRL invests in projects to enhance STEM learning for people of all ages in both formal and informal learning settings. Its mission includes promoting innovative and transformative research and development, and evaluation of learning and teaching in all STEM disciplines. New and emerging areas of STEM must play prominent roles in efforts to improve STEM education. The integration of cutting-edge STEM content and the engagement of scientists, engineers, and educators from the range of disciplines represented at NSF is encouraged in all DRL initiatives. DRL's role is to be a catalyst for change by advancing theory, method, measurement, development, evaluation, and application in STEM education. The Division seeks to support both development of promising new ideas and large-scale implementation of proven educational innovations.

The Division's programs and activities offer a set of complementary approaches for advancing research, development, and improvement of practice.

  • The Informal Science Education (ISE) program supports innovation in anywhere, anytime, lifelong learning, through investments in research, development, infrastructure and capacity-building for STEM learning outside formal school settings.
  • The Discovery Research K-12 (DR K-12) program enables significant advances in preK-12 and teacher learning of the STEM disciplines through research and development on innovative resources, models, and technologies for use by students, teachers, administrators and policy makers.
  • The Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program invests in projects designed to address the growing demand for professional and information technology workers through the design, implementation, scale-up, and testing of technology-intensive educational experiences for students and teachers, and through related research studies.
  • The Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering (REESE) program advances research at the frontiers of STEM learning, education, and evaluation, in order to provide foundational knowledge for improving STEM teaching and learning at all educational levels and in all settings.
  • The Promoting Research and Innovation for Methodologies in Evaluation (PRIME) program emphasizes innovative approaches for determining the impacts of STEM education projects and programs, and expanding the theoretical foundations for evaluating STEM education and workforce development initiatives.
  • Transforming STEM Learning (TSL) explores the opportunities and challenges implied by radically innovative visions of the future for STEM learning.

Each of these programs and activities is also intended to improve their field's capacity to further STEM learning. They are central to NSF's strategic goals to: Transform the Frontiers, Innovate for Society, and Perform as a Model Organization. These goals emphasize "... the seamless integration of education and research..." and address the connections between NSF programs, societal needs, and the key role of new knowledge and creativity (NSF, 2011).

May 11, 2011

NIH Personal Statement Template

In January 2010, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) revised their biosketch guidelines to include a mandatory personal statement. The NIH guidelines offer this advice in preparing your personal statement.

Personal Statement. Briefly describe why your experience and qualifications make you particularly well-suited for your role (e.g., PD/PI, mentor, participating faculty) in the project that is the subject of the application.”

The personal statements we have critiqued as grant writers and the ones that we have evaluated as grant reviewers have been relatively unimpressive. Either they rehash what is in the proposal narrative or read like last minute, uncogitated copy. Relatedly, the NIH guidelines regarding the personal statement are rather terse.

We recommend writing a three-paragraph personal statement with subheadings as follows.

  • Proposal Goal. This would be a brief, one-two sentence overview of what the proposal is trying to accomplish in big picture terms. Remind the reviewers what your proposal target is before you persuade them that you can reach that target.
  • Relevant Experiences. As you write this paragraph, lift up the different types of experiences you have had, e.g., academic experience, administrative experience, research experience, mentoring experience, research experience.
  • Leadership Qualification. In this section, you describe why your relevant experiences qualify you for your role in the project. For example, if you were to be the Principal Investigator (PI) in a project, you might indicate that your prior experiences form a solid foundation to assume the PI role because you have developed administrative skills essential to manage large scale projects that also require a broad range of people skills. You want to point out that you have the ability to manage, decide, and set priorities. Your past experiences have shown that you accept responsibility and carry out action plans. Your communication skills motivate others to accept responsibility and achieve. Use your relevant experiences to show how those developed skills transfer to essential leadership qualifications.

We recommend the personal statement be at least one-half page long. You can find the NIH biosketch guidelines in their updated (March 25, 2011) SF424 R&R instructions here.

Even if you don’t apply for NIH funding, you should look at the NIH biosketch formatting and consider using it in applications to other sponsors, unless they have specific formatting requirements.

May 10, 2011

From Grants Resource Center: ED Cancellations Confirmed, but Still Not Official

Last week, the GRC learned that the U.S. Department of Education will cancel three competitions of popular grant programs, two of which currently have open solicitations. Because of the prior uncertainty of the FY 11 budget, program officers within ED were advised to take a “business as usual” approach while specific budget cuts were being determined.

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Comprehensive Program--Just two weeks ago, the GRC hosted a web conference featuring program officer Claire Cornell where she acknowledged that the Comprehensive Program may endure some budget cuts. However, she said then that ED was still proceeding with a new competition with a May 23, 2011 deadline. More recently, Sarah Beaton, co-coordinator, acknowledged that an official cancellation notice should appear in the Federal Register soon.

This is an unfortunate turn of events for the Comprehensive Program, as FY 11 may be the last year applicants see this program in its current form. In the FY 12 proposed budget, the Comprehensive Program has been zeroed out (but not proposed for elimination) in favor of a new First in the World competition within FIPSE, which would promote and test innovative strategies for improving college access, postsecondary education quality, and postsecondary completion.

European Union (EU)-U.S. Atlantis Program--The GRC featured this program during the Proposal Development Workshop in February and it still has a deadline set for May 24, 2011. Rumors of budget cuts for this program had been circulating among EU stakeholders a month or so before ED acknowledged it. Additionally, the other international programs formally housed under FIPSE (North American Mobility, U.S.-Russia, and U.S.-Brazil) may also suffer from severe budget cuts.

Emergency Management for Higher Education--This program will not have a competition for new awards in FY 11 and no solicitation has been released. The GRC will follow the future of this program closely as it is not mentioned in the FY 12 proposed budget.

The Sponsored Programs Office will let the campus community know more as we hear it.

May 05, 2011

Uncovering the Past on the Wabash

“It’s great working with the community. They were all very interested in the project that we were doing, and it’s great to see the community come together and get involved in such important work.” - Stefan Woehlke, Graduate Student, Anthropology

It’s 1791 and the U.S. infantry are surrounded by opposing Native American forces near the banks of the Wabash River. Pinned down and outnumbered, soldiers are forced to fall back, surrendering the land to the Native American warriors.

Three years later, American forces are again forced to defend their territory, this time at a fort built near the Wabash. A fierce battle ensues that results in several casualties, but this time the U.S. soldiers are victorious, not only securing the fort, but gaining control of land that would become one of America’s earliest settlements.

Military assaults like the Battle on the Wabash (1791) and the Battle of Fort Recovery (1794) are often forgotten in the annals of history. However, a team of Ball State researchers have embarked on a journey to uncover the remnants of wars more than two centuries old.

Mark Hill
Awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Interior National Park Service, Dr. Mark Hill, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Director of Applied Archaeology Laboratories, and his colleagues, Dr. Colleen Boyd and Dr. Mark Groover of the Department of Anthropology and Ms. Beth McCord formerly of the department, began working together on the development of the American Battlefield Protection Project (ABPP). Based in Ohio, the project’s primary goals are to: (a) pinpoint the exact location of the Battle on the Wabash and the Battle of Fort Recovery and (b) provide Ohio residents with the information needed to protect and preserve the surrounding sites of the battlefields.

With no set boundaries currently delineating the 97 acres of land on which both historical battles took place, extensive background research was first needed to understand the geographic layout of the area. To accomplish this task, student researchers from the department of history and anthropology were recruited to assist the ABPP team. Historic sources, including maps and texts derived from primary and secondary sources, were examined to identify key features and events associated with the two battles. Local historians and collectors were also interviewed to determine the location of previously identified battle-related artifacts. Newspaper articles and town records were reviewed to determine past construction and development activities within the battlefield area.

Additionally, Native American communities were also contacted for any documents and stories passed down orally that were related to the battles. However, acquiring this information can sometimes pose a challenge as history graduate student Eliot Reed points out, “It’s always difficult when you do Native American research. There are very few resources because you are usually using British and American sources.”

Once all the data from the written and oral resources were collected, they were used to help develop the research design. Using geographic information systems (GIS) digital mapping software, students were then able to better identify key battlefield features and terrain. Anthropology graduate student Stefan Woehlke explains: “I combine historical maps with modern maps of the battle area; sort of laying maps on top of one another to get an understanding of the battlefield layout. Some of what I’m trying to do is predict where the Native American Indian’s were and the paths they took when they were surrounding the American military.”

Now that the research phase is complete, students have focused their attention on excavating the battlefield sites for war remnants. Prior to entering the field, a team of approximately 10 students participated in a field school—an archaeological “boot camp”—to equip them with the training and knowledge needed to effectively locate and identify artifacts. “It’s a really good opportunity for students to get the opportunity to learn archeology,” said field school operator Dr. Mark Groover.




In addition to metal detector training, students are taught a number of other advanced techniques such as magnetometer, resistivity, and ground penetrating radar survey methods. “The research and fieldwork is great,” said Jessie Moore, a second year anthropology graduate student who is using this project for her thesis. “I want to be an archeological technician or archeologist, [but] without this I would have no clue how to do basic methodology in the field. A lot of positions out there require you to have that kind of experience.”

A majority of the excavations are being conducted on private property so landowner permission was crucial in beginning excavations. However, even more important was building relationships with the land owners. For this, Dr. Hill credits the assistance of Christine Keller, an archeologist on the team and native of the community being excavated. “Christine is our primary liaison with the community,” explains Hill. “She’s very active in the community and represents us well with the Fort Recovery Historical Society. Having these connections allows us to be more involved and to provide us the opportunity to really be a part of the community, rather than being an outsider.”

In addition, Hill values the partnerships formed with the Archeological Society of Ohio and Fort Recovery Museum that will be providing volunteers during the course of the project. Any artifacts found as a result of the field excavations will be donated to the museum to be on display for the public.

If you would like more information on this project contact Dr. Mark Hill or Christine Keller in the Department of Anthropology.

May 03, 2011

Fulbright Scholar Program Information Session: May 4

Wednesday, May 4
12 noon - 2 p.m.
Room 303 - L.A Pittenger Student Center

The Sponsored Programs Office will present an information session on the Core Fulbright Scholar Program for Ball State University faculty and professional personnel Wednesday, May 4, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. in Room 303 of the L. A. Pittenger Student Center.Please feel free to bring a brown bag lunch. Beverages will be provided.

Former Ball State Fulbrighters, Jay Bagga and John Pichtel, will share their insight and experiences about the Fulbright program; SPO and Contracts and Grants Office staff will sketch out application procedures and award management.

Click here for a PDF of the information session agenda.

Fulbright Application Deadline: August 1, 2011 for the 2012-13 award period.

Information for all Fulbright programs is available at www.cies.org. Flash drives containing guidelines ad application material will be available at the session.

RSVPs and questions about the workshop may be directed to Augusta Wray.

Interested, but not able to attend?
For an individual consultation, please contact Justin Miller.


**Students interested in applying for the Fulbright US Student Program, please contact Dom Caristi.**