Announcements
Workshop Opportunity: Building Bridges to Use-Inspired Research and Science-Informed Practices
You are invited to participate in a workshop series that aims to build stronger connections among academic, private, and government partners to translate basic science research into solutions that benefit society. The workshop series is called “Building Bridges to Use-Inspired Research and Science-Informed Practices” and will consist of two synchronous online events called MicroLabs (April 14 and May 12), followed by an in-person three-day workshop in Boise, Idaho (June 26-28).
View PDF flyer here
Who is this workshop targeting? Anyone in any organization at any career stage who is interested in building stronger connections among academic, private, and government partners to translate basic science research into solutions that benefit society.
What will participants do? Participants of the workshop will co-create the structures and processes that guide how diverse organizations collaboratively support and value use-inspired science. NSF defines use-inspired research as research and training that is intentionally co-designed by teams of scientists and engineers, practitioners, and users to address the nation's environmental, societal, and economic challenges and grow a diverse and versatile STEM workforce. The vision of the workshop is to support researchers across career stages who want to take advantage of new funding and partnership opportunities within and associated with the new Technology, Innovation, and Partnership Directorate at NSF and to support government and private organizations who want their science needs to be more broadly understood and incorporated into research priorities.
Events:
We invite you to register for the free interactive Pre-Workshop MicroLab Series and apply for the In-Person Workshop. Because the events are designed to build off of each other, we ideally ask you to try to be available for both of the Pre-Workshop MicroLabs. The in-person event will include an application where diverse participants representing all three STEM communities (academic, private, government) will be selected. We will provide travel support for all in-person participants.
Each MicroLab is an interactive, online event designed to facilitate stimulating discussions in smaller, more intimate virtual breakout groups. During the two Pre-Workshop MicroLabs, you will hear from NSF directors and individuals working in diverse use-inspired careers (non-profit, industry, government). Panels will facilitate active discussions that answer questions, share knowledge, and generate ideas to help build stronger connections among academic, private, and government STEM communities.
Dates & Times:
- Pre-Workshop MicroLab Series: April 14, 2023 and May 12, 2023 - 12:00p to 2:00p MDT (Register Here)
- In-Person Workshop: June 26 - 28, 2023 - 9:00a to 5:00p MDT (Application opens 04/14/23)
The end goals of this virtual and in-person workshop series are to:
- Engage academic, private, and governmental communities in building awareness of the reciprocal benefits of strong partnerships that leverage and inspire innovations in basic and applied science
- Identify shared interests, community needs, and barriers to functional partnerships
- Transfer knowledge of successful strategies from existing use-inspired science activities
- Develop recommendations for new structures and processes that will accelerate the translation of research to innovations that benefit society
- Enhance and expand inclusive and experiential training opportunities to prepare a globally competitive, STEM-adaptable workforce
The workshop outcomes are not meant to replace basic science investments, but rather leverage and expand successful use-inspired activities and change how academic and non-academic organizations support and value collaborative activities that accelerate innovation, prepare a workforce for diverse careers, and benefit society.
Please share this workshop invitation broadly with your academic, private, and governmental partners.
To learn more, please visit our website.
Co-organizers:
- Jennifer S. Forbey (Professor of Biological Sciences, Boise State University)
- Michael G. Muszynski (Associate Professor of Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa)
If you have questions or need additional information regarding registration, please contact: ryan.hammer@knowinnovation.com.
Check out NSF's new resource, the Education and Training Application (ETAP)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has a new website – the Education and Training Application (ETAP) - designed to help people find and apply to education and training opportunities to strengthen their academic career. Principal Investigators of NSF Awards can customize NSF’s ETAP application to provide opportunities for applicants to participate in. NSF ETAP opens doors to valuable opportunities, including:
- Active field research experiences
- Hands-on learning and mentorship
- Summer programs and teaching assistantships
- Internships and career experience
- Scholarships and fellowships
Learn more at etap.nsf.gov
Boise State hydrologist lauded for research excellence
A Boise State University hydrologist is the recipient of the 2022 Jean’ne M. Shreeve National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Excellence Award. James McNamara, a professor in Boise State’s Department of Geosciences, received the award during October’s 2022 Idaho NSF EPSCoR meeting in Boise.
The award recognizes the accomplishments of faculty members at Boise State University, Idaho State University, University of Idaho and other state institutions of higher education who have been active participants in the NSF EPSCoR program. McNamara’s significant body of published works in hydrology and contributions to Boise State programming, facilities, and students over the course of his 25-year career with the institution were key factors in his selection.
FY22 DEPSCoR funding opportunities available now
Two FY22 Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) funding opportunity announcements are now available on grants.gov. DEPSCoR is a capacity building program that is designed to strengthen the research infrastructure at institutions of higher education in underutilized States/Territories.
Quantum DNA research receives $5M grant from DOE
Boise State's Quantum DNA (qDNA) Research Group received a $5M grant from the Department of Energy Basic Energy Science's (BES) EPSCOR as part of a broader announcement of funded energy-related research projects.
Composed of five research teams that span multiple departments and colleges at Boise State, and involving almost 30 faculty, professional staff and students, the qDNA Research Group is pioneering the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as a programmable, self-assembling architecture that organizes light-absorbing dye molecules to achieve quantum entanglement.
University of Idaho scientists working to develop COVID-19 cure
MOSCOW, Idaho - Scientists at the University of Idaho are currently working to identify a cure for COVID-19.
According to U of I, the Department of Biological Sciences team expects to finish preliminary tests within a year. Researchers will also develop a pipeline for identifying drugs that can block viruses from infecting human cells.
The project was funded through a $100,000 National Science Foundation EPSCoR grant issues to U of I physics professor Marty Ytreberg.
“Funding agencies are giving leeway to researchers with existing grants to shuttle resources toward the COVID pandemic,” Ytreberg said. “We decided this was a good investment, because it has the potential to lead to a therapeutic and fits within the theme of the grant.”
Click on link to view full article.
New Visiting Tribal Scholars Program at UI Aims to Create a New Generation of Scientists
A new Visiting Tribal Scholars Program at the University of Idaho will connect Native American students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) with Indigenous scientific methodology providing high impact mentorship that will pave a way for native student success.
The aim of the program is to increase completion rates for Native American students by providing culturally responsive support in the form of mentoring to Indigenous students, Indigenizing curricula in the affiliated programs, and by providing direct linkages to regional tribes to engage in research or projects of mutual interest to the scholar and college. The intention is that visiting scholars might also model the value of STEM training for Indigenous students in regional communities to increase enrollment.
The Program, which receives partial seed support for visiting scholars from the Idaho Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), funded by the National Science Foundation, will implement activities aligned with Idaho EPSCoR's current research initiative, the GEM3 program.
Visiting scholars shall be recognized for their professional contributions in a natural resources or environmental science field and will be appointed to a term of up to two years, starting fall 2020.
For more information and application details, please view the full flyer.
Idaho EPSCoR Statement: Guidance and Restrictions during COVID-19 emergency.
During this COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, which is likely to extend for some time in Idaho and the U.S., I want to assure all GEM3 personnel that we will work with you to accommodate changes to your personal, work, and study arrangements as is necessary. The health and wellbeing of you, your family, your friends, and colleagues are paramount and are the first priority at this time. Any GEM3 project needs, deadlines, or work will necessarily become a secondary priority.
For all GEM3 project work please refer to and observe the COVID-19 guidance and restrictions issued by your institution. Guidance from each of Idaho’s public research universities can be found at these respective links: University of Idaho, Boise State University, and Idaho State University. These links will include guidance on social distancing, restrictions on travel, and restrictions on in-person classes, meetings, and gatherings. ...
Please click on attachment to continue reading.
Idaho Diversity Network Regional Mentoring Conference, April 27
Due to COVID-19 concerns and current U of I safety policies, we will be canceling the upcoming Idaho Diversity Network Regional Mentoring Conference, originally scheduled for April 27, 2020. In the near future, however, we plan to provide online mentor training opportunities that will incorporate mentoring strategies for diverse populations from across the state. We encourage you to participate in our future online mentor training opportunities which will be posted to IdahoDiversity.org within the next month so please stay tuned. Thank you!
See flyer for current online material
The Idaho Diversity Network will be holding a 1-day conference on Monday, April 27th, 2020 which will focus on providing professional development for faculty and students on effective strategies for mentoring students from under-represented groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and related fields.
Topics will include discussion on importance of establishing a culture of mentorship, understanding implicit bias, and the science behind effective mentoring strategies. We will also discuss mentoring structures and hear from faculty, administrators, and students from the region regarding current mentoring practices and strategies for success.
Deadline to register is Friday, April 17th, 2020.
See the flyer for more information.
[EVENT CANCELLED] NSF Program Officer to host online seminar to discuss EPSCoR Funding Opportunities, March 23
Due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions, NSF Program Officer, Dr. Timothy VanReken is unable to travel to Moscow for the planned March 23 visit. The scheduled virtual platform for his presentation on NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1, Track-2, and Track-4 programs as well as new cross-cutting initiatives has been canceled, but we hope to offer this seminar sometime next academic year. Please note that we are in the process of finalizing virtual one-on-one meetings with Dr. VanReken for those that have registered.
Please contact RFD (ored-rfdteam@uidaho.edu) if you have any questions regarding this event update.