Sponsored Research and Programs

With the ongoing federal government shutdown, there may be some impacts to proposals and awards.  The government shutdown does not impact all federal agencies–the following agencies are open and following standard business operations:

• Department of Defense
• Department of Education
• Department of Energy
• Department of Health and Human Services (including the National Institutes of Health)
• Department of Labor
• Department of Veterans Affairs

No impacts to federal proposals or awards from any of these agencies are expected; proposal and award processing will continue accordingly.

The following agencies are considered CLOSED, with only essential staff reporting to work (with most grant and contract staff not considered essential):

• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Department of Interior
• Department of Justice
• Department of State
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Treasury
• Environmental Protection Agency
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• National Endowment for the Arts
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Science Foundation

Impacts on Proposals with Upcoming Deadlines to CLOSED Agencies:

Most agencies continue to solicit proposals via Grants.gov, FastLane, NSPIRES, and other proposal submission systems.  Principal investigators are encouraged to submit proposals in accordance with published deadlines and as application packages remain available.  Technical support, however, will not be available from the federal government, so please plan accordingly in terms of allowing sufficient time to submit proposals in advance of the deadline.  Extensions to submit proposals due to technical errors may not be granted.

Impacts on Proposals Submitted to CLOSED Agencies:

As anticipated, proposals submitted to agencies that are CLOSED will likely require additional time for review.   For projects selected for funding, additional time will be required for audit and review prior to final award issuance.   Sponsors may not be able to honor their originally posted review and decision timelines.

Impacts on Awards from CLOSED Agencies: 

For the most part, work may continue on awards issued by CLOSED agencies.  If you encounter an issue that will require sponsor approval (i.e., rebudgeting funds, purchase of equipment not otherwise budgeted/approved, reduction of effort, etc.), Hope will not be able to obtain approval and we will not be able to complete the request until the government re-opens.

If you receive a stop-work order from a sponsor due to a lapse in appropriations, please contact Ron Fleischmann, Director of Sponsored Research and Programs (fleischmann@hope.edu), as soon as possible.

The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs will continue to monitor the federal budget situation and provide updates if/when they become available.  Specific questions may be directed to Ron Fleischmann, Director of Sponsored Research and Programs (fleischmann@hope.edu).

Anna-Lisa Cox’s book, The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America’s Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality, was recently listed as one of Smithsonian’s Best History Books of 2018!

Anna-Lisa explores the stories of nearly 300 African-American families that migrated to the Northwest Territory in the early 19th century.  In what would later become the present states of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the Northwest Territory was the first territory to ban slavery and establish equal voting rights for all men.  Despite the premise of equality within the Territory, these pioneers soon found themselves the target of racist backlash and conflict.  The book explores the unique time and place to re-conceptualize the image of the American pioneer and explore the challenges they faced during this tumultuous period.

Congratulations on your achievement, Anna-Lisa!

In August, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) instituted new limits for proposal submissions–applicants could only be listed as PI or Co-PI on one proposal per year.

However, feedback from the community indicated that such limits may hinder collaboration as well as limit the number of early career investigators that may receive new awards.  Thus, effective 15 November 2018, BIO has eliminated the proposal submission limits.

Additional details regarding the elimination of the limits may be found on the NSF BIO Directorate blog.  Any references to the proposal limits for PIs/Co-PIs in the Fiscal Year 2019 BIO solicitations are no longer valid.

The Hope College Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Club received a new $250 grant from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) in support of outreach activities designed to connect elementary students to opportunities in science.

The Hope College Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Club will utilize the funds to invest in protein and DNA 3D modeling kits to help students visualize the biochemical principles.  Funds will be used to support a strawberry DNA extraction experiment to the students–introducing them to very basic biochemical principles.

Congratulations to Maria Hledin, Faculty Advisor, and the Club’s Undergraduate Organizers: Prescott Binder (President), Marissa Solorzano (Vice-President), Isaiah Hough (Treasurer), and Mackenna Senti (Activities Coordinator)!  Your ASBMB grant is testament to the importance of the Club’s activities, connecting to the broader community, and educating the next generation of scientists!

The Hope Summer Repertory Theatre (HSRT) received a $15,000 grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) to support the 2019 season!  Funding will support the five show season from May through August 2019, with performances of West Side Story, Shakespeare in Love, truth: the Testimonial of Sojourner Truth, The Old Man and The Old Moon, and Elephant & Piggie.

Each year, HSRT employs approximately 100 professional artists and technicians from around the country and typically engages over 5,000 unique audience members annually.  HSRT audiences represent a diverse cross-section from communities primarily located in Ottawa, Kent, and Allegan counties and offer a great opportunity to share artistic talent with others.

Congratulations on your MCACA award, Anne Bakker and Reagan Chesnut!

The Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) Fall Conference is fast approaching (November 10, 2018) with the deadline for registering occurring very soon (October 22, 2018).  We would like to get a good representation of Hope College for the meeting. There have been faculty who have been funded in the past who have been reluctant to go to this great small conference that is important to MSGC.  It is a great conference for students to make presentations and participate in an interactive professional development opportunity. We are hoping that faculty and students who have been funded last year and this year would be able to attend. Students will have their travel expenses and hotel paid by the University of Michigan; please email Brenda Vyletel, Program Manager (bvyletel@umich.edu), before the conference registration deadline.

In addition, note the proposal deadline for both faculty research projects and student fellowships: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 5:00 pm.

Undergraduate Fellowship awards are going up to $3,000 this fall.  Yet the funds available remain the same, so competition will be stronger.

If you encounter issues or have questions about the MSGC Conference or the grant and fellowship opportunities, please contact Peter Gonthier, MSGC Representative for Hope College (gonthier@hope.edu).

For Fall 2018, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will live stream their New Orleans Grants Conference for those unable to attend in person.  The conference is scheduled for November 8th and 9th from 9 am to 6 pm ET both days.

• New programs and initiatives
• Future directions and strategies to national science policy
• Proposal preparation
• NSF’s merit review process
• Conflict of interest policies

The Council of Independent Colleges has recently released its Humanities Research for the Public Good Grant Request for Proposals.  This program provides funding to support undergraduate research projects that incorporate a public presentation of research findings.

Proposed projects should make use of a significant archival, library, or museum collection held by a college or university, and the applicant must parter with a community-based organization to share the results of the project with the public.

The program is designed to:

• Connect independent colleges and universities with cultural and civic organizations in their local areas for the benefit of both students and the public;
• Make better use of existing campus collections for teaching, undergraduate research, and public engagement;
• Enhance the research, collaboration, and communication skills of students in humanities disciplines;
• Encourage humanities faculty members and the staff members of campus libraries, archives, and museums to apply their expertise to issues of public policy and community concern; and
• Increase public interest in and appreciation of humanities research.

Awards will be made between $10,000 and $20,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year.  Applicants are encouraged to review the full Request for Proposals for additional details.

Proposals are due 14 December 2018.  If interested in an application, please contact Ron Fleischmann, Director of the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs (fleischmann@hope.edu).

Join us on Thursday 29 November 2018 at 3 pm in the Fried/Hemenway Auditorium for a Panel Discussion on National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) fellowships and grants.  (Please note the date change.)

The session is intended to provide an overview of the various programs offered by the NEH, how to construct a competitive application, and how submissions are reviewed by the agency.

The panelists are:

• Natalie Dykstra, Professor of English and two-time NEH fellowship recipient. Natalie received her first NEH Fellowship award in 2005-2006 for her biography of Clover Adams.  Natalie will start work on her second NEH Fellowship, under the Public Scholar Program, in 2019 for her biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner.
• Jeanne Petit, Professor of History and Department Chair, a Summer Stipend award recipient, and a former NEH reviewer. Jeanne received a 2009 Summer Stipend award to support her project titled Catholic Women in Modern America: Gender, Race, Religion and the National Council of Catholic Women, 1918-1929.  Jeanne also reviewed proposals to the United States History program in 2014.
• Ron Fleischmann, Director of Sponsored Research and Programs and Session Moderator, provides training and technical assistance to faculty members applying for NEH grants and fellowships.

What topics will this discussion cover?

• Both Natalie and Jeanne will provide insight into how they approached the development of their applications, key considerations in assembling a competitive proposal, and key lessons learned from the process.
• Jeanne will provide an overview of her experience as a reviewer, what separated great proposals from exceptional, and key lessons learned from the review process.
• Ron will provide a broad overview of NEH grants and fellowships. Additionally, he will provide information to prospective applicants about eligibility and key considerations in developing their submissions.

Will time be provided for audience questions?

Yes!  Please come prepared to ask the panelists anything you want to know about the NEH and its programs.

How are the ‘humanities’ defined for purposes of the NEH?

NEH defines the ‘humanities’ as the study and interpretation of “language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.”

Do I need to RSVP to attend?

Yes, we respectfully request interested attendees RSVP for the event.  The RSVP form will be available through Monday 26 November 2018.

Questions? 

Feel free to contact Ron Fleischmann (fleischmann@hope.edu).

We look forward to seeing you at the event!