The Centers for Disease Control (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and National Center for Environmental Health) and National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research) has issued a request for applications (RFA) for the support of studies in two specific areas related to the built environment and obesity:

1. Understanding the role of the built environment in causing/exacerbating obesity and related co-morbidities; and
2. developing, implementing, and evaluating prevention/intervention strategies that influence parameters of the built environment in order to reduce the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and co-morbidities.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program supports efforts to increase the participation and achievement of persons with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. Awards will be made under three program tracks:

1. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program supports efforts to increase the participation and achievement of persons with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. Awards will be made under three program tracks:
   1. Further institutionalize products and other educational materials that promote accessibility to STEM disciplines and career experiences by students with disabilities;
   2. Enhance the STEM learning experience for students with disabilities; and
   3. Disseminate information about model programs, exceptional products, successful research methods, and proven educational practices to a broad national audience.
   Under this track, NSF anticipates making six to seven standard grants of up to $100,000 for one year's duration. If appropriate, proposers may submit DEI proposals of up to $100,000 and 1 year's duration for the conduct of pilot studies and information exchange with the intent of submitting a stronger proposal to the Regional Alliances for Persons with Disabilities in STEM Education (RAD, described more fully below) track in a later competition. Such proposals are distinct from the preliminary proposals required for the RAD track.
2. Focused Research Initiatives (RDE-FRI) - the goals of these awards are to:
   1. Encourage research and development of specific but utilitarian assistive technologies that will help persons with disabilities pursue careers in STEM;
   2. Build tools for students with disabilities that can quickly be developed and effectively deployed in the educational environment; and
   3. Add value to the education of persons with disabilities in STEM.
   Proposals submitted under this track are evaluated on their potential for solving specific problems in a short period of time (up to three years) with a limited budget (up to $300,000) and the immediate educational impact of applying this research. NSF anticipates making three to four continuing grants under this program track.
3. Regional Alliances for Persons with Disabilities in STEM Education (RDE-RAD) - RAD projects emphasize broader implementation of elements that have proven successful under prior NSF or other support. These Regional Alliances are conceived as networks established by universities and colleges with linkages throughout academe and in partnership with industry, government, and national research laboratories. Academic partnerships should include two- and four-year institutions as well as pre-college educational entities. NSF will fund one cooperative agreement of up to $3,000,000 and up to five years' duration under this track.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services invites investigator-initiated grant applications for research directed at increasing the knowledge base in the area of the economic aspects of cancer prevention, screening, and care. The goal of this program announcement (PA) is to generate new economic knowledge that will promote the optimal design of cancer prevention and control trial studies and interventions and will facilitate the formulation of effective health care policy related to cancer prevention and control. Examples of topics that would be considered relevant to meeting the goals of this PA include (but are not limited to):

• The economic burden to the individual cancer patient, family, and society resulting from cancer and cancer treatment, including time costs, reduced employment opportunities, and reduced access to health and life insurance.
• Economic factors at the individual, community, and health system levels that affect access to and outcomes following the use of cancer-related prevention, screening, diagnostic, and treatment services.
• The cost sand organizational structures of delivering cancer prevention, screening, and treatment services in relation to various health care delivery settings and health care market structure conditions.
• Cost-utility, cost-effectiveness, or cost-benefit of specific cancer prevention and screening trials and cancer prevention and control interventions.
• The interactions of cost, cost-effectiveness, and other factors in decision-making processes related to the provision and delivery of cancer prevention, screening,
• The roles of economic factors and financial incentives in determining the levels of participation by patients, physicians, and health care delivery systems in cancer prevention, screening, and treatment clinical trials.
• The identification, development, and validation of data resources needed to support relevant and generalizable economic evaluation studies related to cancer prevention, screening, and treatment.
• Methodological studies on the measurement, evaluation, and presentation of data on cost and cost-utility/effectiveness/benefit in relation to cancer-specific issues.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), through its Summer Stipends program, supports individuals pursuing advanced research that contributes to scholarly knowledge or to the public's understanding of the humanities. Applicants may be faculty or staff members of colleges and universities or independent scholars or writers. Faculty members teaching full-time at colleges and universities must be nominated by their institutions in order to apply for a Summer Stipend.

Summer Stipends awards provide $5,000 for two consecutive months of full-time research and writing. Recipients must work full-time on their projects for these two months, and may hold other research grants during this time. Individuals who have held a major fellowship or research grant or its equivalent within the last three academic years prior to the deadline of October 1, 2004 are ineligible.

Each college and university in the United States may nominate two faculty members. Of the two, at least one should be a junior scholar (holding the rank of instructor or assistant professor or at a comparably early stage of his or her career). The other may be a junior or senior scholar (holding the rank of associate professor or professor). The College of Graduate Education and Research will coordinate a nominating committee, in consultation with college deans in eligible disciplines, to review nomination materials and choose Towson University's two nominees. As NEH's submission deadline is October 1, 2004, faculty members wishing to be considered should submit to the Office of University Research Services, by September 17, 2004, a one-page summary of the project the Summer Stipend would fund. Interested faculty members may wish to consult the NEH guidelines at the URL listed below for a description of what is expected in full application narratives; the summary submitted to the nominating committee should very briefly address the nine points listed on page 7 of the guidelines.

Please note, the following individuals may apply directly to NEH, online, without a nomination:

• independent scholars not affiliated with a college or university;
• nonfaculty college and university staff members who will not be teaching during the academic year preceding the award tenure;
• adjunct faculty, part-time faculty, and applicants with academic appointments that terminate by the summer of the award tenure.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers program (ITEST) is designed to increase the opportunities for students and teachers to learn about, experience, and use information technologies within the context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including Information Technology (IT) courses. Supported projects are intended to provide opportunities for both school-age children and for teachers to build the skills and knowledge needed to advance their study, and to function and contribute in a technologically rich society.

ITEST has two components:

1. Youth-based projects, with strong emphases on career and educational paths The goal of ITEST youth-based programming is to provide middle and high school students, particularly those from disadvantaged urban and rural communities, access to year-round IT enrichment experiences and opportunities to explore related education and career paths. Projects should create high-quality learning strategies and curriculum models for use in after school, weekend, and/or summer settings. Youth-based projects should include hands-on, inquiry-based activities with a strong emphasis on non-traditional approaches to learning. Cooperative learning and socially relevant problem solving are alternatives to consider. Successful ITEST proposals for youth-based projects would include all of the following:
   • Intensive, year-round enrichment experiences that emphasize IT or IT-intensive STEM subject areas for middle and high school students (grades 7-12). Projects should offer a minimum of 120 contact hours per year, with summers being used for participation in research institutes, externships, or other field-based experiences.
   • The creation of a student-based model tailored to meet the needs of informal learners. Proposals may include the development of new materials or the modification of existing instructional materials for use in informal settings.
   • A focus on IT or on IT-intensive STEM subject areas. Proposals should include a description of how the content will be aligned with appropriate national or state standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, computer information systems, cryptography, robotics, astronomy, biotechnology, Web site design, computer-aided instruction, and human-computer interface design.
   • Evidence of public/private partnerships to enhance resources and exposure to careers in science and technology. Collaborations and partnerships between informal science education organizations, business/industry, community organizations, community colleges, and universities are encouraged to enhance the overall project scope and/or ability to serve participants effectively. Such partnerships should provide participants with opportunities to work directly with IT and STEM professionals and to see examples of workplace applications.
Project duration for youth-based project is expected to be three years. The funding level is up to $300,000 annually.
2. Comprehensive Projects for Students and Teachers The goal of the Comprehensive Projects for Students and Teachers component is to provide intensive teacher professional development in IT concepts, skills, and applications; pedagogical strategies that promote student investigation and inquiry; and awareness of IT career and educational paths for students. The inclusion of guidance counselors to assist with the development and dissemination of IT-related career materials is encouraged. This component will create opportunities for teachers to put into practice what they have learned via summer laboratory experiences with students in grades 7-12. Additionally, projects should provide visible and transferable models of the effective use of IT by teachers in classrooms. Successful ITEST proposals for teacher projects should include the following:
• A minimum of 120 contact hours per participant, which must include substantial summer activities as well as school year activities.
• A description of the fundamental components (concepts and skills), as well as the intellectual capabilities, that the project intends to enable in participants.
• A clear description of the end goals (what participants will know or be able to do as a result of the project) within the broader goals of the program (more people competent in IT and pursuing careers that include IT components). The strategies used, such as workshops, supporting materials, collaborations, etc. should be logically tied to the program goals.
• Pedagogical strategies that promote inclusion so all participants will learn to apply information technology to solve problems across disciplines.
• A summer youth component (minimum one week) where the participating teachers must pilot new ideas and strategies.
• An evaluation that measures how well the goals were met and provides opportunity for appropriate assessment and adjustment as the project progresses
Project duration for Comprehensive Projects for Students and Teachers is expected to be three years at a funding level of up to $400,000 annually.

An individual may serve as Principal Investigator (PI) for no more than one proposal per round of competition.

Proposals for the development of IT classroom materials for students or teachers, or for professional development of IT teachers in support of technical careers are within the scope of the Advanced Technological Education program and should be submitted to that program rather than to ITEST.

URL: http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04611

Go To Top