2024 GRC Virtual Funding Summit

Speaker

• Charles L. Welch, President and CEO, American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)

This session will help us understand the federal funding outlook for FY 24 and beyond.

Speaker

• John Patrick Walsh, Director of Federal Relations and Policy Analysis, AASCU

This session will address emerging issues associated with extramural research at NIH.

Speaker

• Michael Lauer, Deputy Director for Extramural Research, NIH

Spencer Foundation Update

Looking for education research funding beyond the U.S. Department of Education? Since 1971, the Spencer Foundation has been a leading funder of innovative education research. The Foundation funds innovative research to improve and transform education systems while also supporting education research training and practice. This session will cover a wide range of grant programs offered by the Spencer Foundation.

Speaker

• Rhoda Freelon, Senior Program Officer, Spencer Foundation

Navigating National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Research Opportunities

NASA’s Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) within their Science Mission Directorate offers a myriad of programs for college and universities. New will discuss priorities within ROSES and how applicants can look to NASA as a viable federal funding source.

Speaker

• Michael New, Deputy Associate Administrator for Research, NASA

Expanding Research Opportunities: FFAR’s Funding Model Opens Doors for University Researchers

Discover why Congress created FFAR to build public-private partnerships that fund pioneering food and agriculture research and invest in the future scientific workforce (students and early/midcareer faculty). Learn about FFAR’s new research strategy and upcoming opportunities, the types of university projects already funded by FFAR and how university researchers can successfully engage with FFAR.

Speakers

• Magda Galindo, Director of Grants Management, FFAR
• LaKisha Odom, Scientific Program Director, FFAR

Mellon Foundation’s Higher Learning Humanities Programs

Attendees will hear about funding opportunities from Mellon Foundation’s Higher Learning grants program, which provides support to colleges and universities for a range of humanities activities: projects that create equitable broader access to the humanities among all postsecondary students; fellowships and curriculum development; and broadening demographic representation among humanities faculty and leadership positions.

Speakers

• Camilla Somers, Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Planning, Higher Learning, Mellon Foundation
• Kurtis Tanaka, Senior Program Associate, Higher Learning, Mellon Foundation

With the goal of increasing college retention and graduation rates, U.S. Department of Education (ED)’s popular TRIO program, Student Support Services (SSS), awards funds to institutions of higher education to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements, and to motivate students toward the successful completion of their postsecondary education. ED’s TRIO Programs division director, James Davis, will provide an overview of the SSS program and answer questions from the audience. Tim Birchard, program director of Fort Lewis College’s awarded SSS program will provide insight from his experience running a successful SSS project.

Speakers

• James Davis, Division Director, ED
• Tim Birchard, Program Director, STEM3 Student Success Center, Fort Lewis College (CO)

This session will cover new developments at NSF—programs, policies, and system modernization efforts.

Speaker

• Jeremy Leffler, Outreach Specialist, Policy Office, NSF

Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Support for Graduate Students

ED representatives will share the latest information on the GAANN program, which awards funds to colleges and universities to provide much-needed fellowships that assist graduate students in fields designated as areas of national need.

Speakers

• Rebecca Ell, Program Lead, GAANN, ED
• ReShone Moore, Director, Graduate & Special Focus Programs Division, ED

Minerva Research Initiative Panel Discussion

Minerva programs help improve U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)’s basic understanding of the social, cultural, behavioral, and political forces that shape regions of the world. The panel will discuss how colleges and universities can access Minerva’s social science funding through DoD’s various military research offices.

Speakers

• David Montgomery, Director, Social Science, DoD
• Greg Ruark, Army Research Office, DoD
• Laura Steckman, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, DoD

Energy-related Opportunities Through American Chemical Society (ACS)

Through the Petroleum Research Fund,  ACS supports researchers at Ph.D.-granting institutions in chemistry, earth sciences, chemical and petroleum engineering, and other related fields. Director Schlatterer will discuss how researchers at all levels, including undergraduates, can find success with energy-related grant programs.

Speaker

• Joerg Schlatterer, Director, Office of Research Grants, ACS

Arts Funding with the NEA

This session will highlight funding available to colleges and universities from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), with a special focus on the NEA’s Design & Creative Placemaking disciplines as well as funding available to research the societal and economic impact of arts projects.

Speakers

• Benjamin Stone, Design & Creative Placemaking Director, NEA
• Melissa Menzer, Senior Program Analyst, Office of Research & Analysis, NEA

Humanities Education Funding at NEH

This session will highlight humanities funding available through NEH, with a particular focus on NEH’s Division of Education Programs, which supports projects that strengthen humanities instruction and study at postsecondary and K-12 institutions, faculty development, and curriculum design pairing the humanities with other fields.  

Speakers

• Rebecca Boggs, Senior Program Officer, Division of Education, NEH

Social Science Research Capacity Building for Minority-serving Institutions (MSIs)

NSF developed Build and Broaden to increase proposal submissions, advance research collaborations and networks involving MSI scholars, and support research activities in the SBE sciences at MSIs. Dr. Pumar will provide insight on how MSIs can use this program to increase NSF funding.

Speakers

• Emily Kazyak, Professor of Sociology and Women’s & Gender Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Enrique Pumar, Immediate Past Program Director, NSF
• K Scherrer, Professor of Social Work, Metropolitan State University of Denver (CO)

Two fairly new programs–STrengthening Research Opportunities for NIH Grants (STRONG) and Instrumentation Grant Program for Resource-Limited Institutions (RLI-S10) are among the NIH programs designed for campuses with limited NIH funding. Program officers Gershenson and Davani will discuss two of these programs and provide guidance on how to develop successful proposals.

Speakers

• Behrous Davani Chief of the Diversity Training Group, National Cancer Institute, NIH
• Anne Gershenson, Program Director, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH

This session will review major elements of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant, how educational institutions can get free electric vehicle charging stations 100% paid for by the federal government, and the reasons why CFI grants can help underserved communities plug in, be well, and prosper.

Speakers:

• Kelvin Boston, CEO, Moneywise Energy Solutions
• Mark Campbell, CoFounder and COO, Merakisis, LLC

Predominately undergraduate institutions (PUIs) face several significant challenges that stand as barriers to increasing research and sponsored program activity. While research administrators at PUIs are very familiar with these barriers, few examples exist that demonstrate how to advance a campus culture in a way that increases research and scholarly activity leading to a designation as an “Emerging Research Institution.”  This session will identify and discuss those strategies that can contribute to a culture change.

Speaker

• Carl A. Fox, Chief Research Administration Officer, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater