Inside this Issue
- Check out the recap of the 2024 D.C. Days program from Melissa Burant, D.C. Days Coordinator.
- New NSF Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs Certification Requirements.
- The Federal ban on ByteDance (TikTok) has been extended to all federal contracts.
- Beginning July 1, 2024, late payroll accounting adjustments will not be processed.
Funding Opportunties
As funding opportunities are announced we will compile a full list on our website. The web page will be updated periodically as new opportunities are discovered.
- Early Career Development Program
The CAREER Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the NSF's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.
Deadline: July 24, 2024 -
Cliff Family Foundation
Through the program, the foundation will award general support grants as well as funding for specific projects in the three focus areas: strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and safeguard our environment and natural resources.
Deadline: August 1, 2024
View All Funding Opportunities
D.C. Days Program 2024 Recap
Melissa Burant, Grants and Contracts Specialist, Senior, Pre-Award
Since 2013, the CFAES Office for Research and Graduate Education, Grant Development Support Unit has been organizing the D.C. Days program. This initiative offers faculty researchers an invaluable opportunity to enhance their competitiveness by engaging directly with federal program officers and funding agencies in Washington D.C. During these visits, researchers can determine if their basic research concepts align with the sponsor’s mission, seek advice on project design and appropriate funding tracks, and gain a deeper understanding of the peer review process.
This year, 11 faculty researchers and two administrative staff from CFAES attended the D.C. Days trip from May 6-9. The event kicked off with a group networking dinner the night before the first agency visit, allowing participants to connect and discuss expectations. Agency visits began the next morning with presentations from the Foundation for Food & Agricultural Research (FFAR), the OSU Office of Government Affairs, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The group then traveled by metro to the National Science Foundation's (NSF) campus, where they spent the afternoon hearing about various NSF programs and had the valuable opportunity to meet one-on-one with Program Directors. Day two began bright and early at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to learn more about their specific funding opportunities, such as the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and the AFRI program. The group was also fortunate to meet NIFA Director, Dr. Manjit Misra, and had the opportunity to ask questions and hear from him directly (see photograph). USDA is consistently one of the top funders of land-grant institutions. After the sponsor visits, participants could schedule additional meetings with program officers to further maximize their time on the hill.
If you are interested in joining the next trip, the 2025 Request for Applications will be posted on our website in the fall.
Spotlight
NSF by the Numbers
NSF Unveils Dashboard with Information on Institutions it Supports: A new tool called "NSF by the Numbers" allows institutions to explore their funding rate, proposals evaluated and obligations by fiscal year.
From the NCURA e-Xtra Volume XI, No. 18 - 5/6/2024
Understanding NIFA’s Funding Opportunities
New to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) funding opportunities? Or maybe you’ve been a NIFA grant recipient before. Either way, NIFA has online resources available for potential applicants to our programs.
From the USDA NIFA Update on 4/10/2024
In the News
Join the 6/12 briefing on the upcoming NSF MRI program cycle
In anticipation of the next NSF Major Research Infrastructure (MRI) submission cycle in November, ERIK’s Research Development team will host an opportunity briefing on June 12 at noon for interested faculty. The NSF MRI program will fund up to $4 million with three tracks for acquisition or development of a research instrument. Prior MRI awardees will participate in a panel discussion about what it takes to be successful. The discussion will also include important information about the July 1 internal deadline for teams intending to submit to this program.
From the Office of Knowledge Enterprise News on 5/9/2024
Research Development & Grant Writing News
We invite you to access the current issue of Research Development and Grant Writing News. The Enterprise for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge | Research Development Office provides access to this subscription-based newsletter for the entire campus community.
- CHIPS and Science Act in FY2025 Budget Requests –The latest information on FY 2025 budget requests.
- Understanding Agency-Required Diversity Plans (NIH PEDP and DOE PIER)
- EPAs FY 2025 Research Budget Priorities – the latest information on FY 2025 budget requests for the EPA.
- You Got Funding! Now Think About Supplements - Winning an NSF or NIH grant opens the door to more funding in the form of supplements. We discuss these opportunities (reprinted from the 4/21 issue).
Federal ban on ByteDance (TikTok) extended to all federal contracts
Faculty, staff and students who have any ByteDance application, including TikTok, installed on a device that is used in any federal contract work must delete the app on that device. The ban covers all government, university and personally-owned equipment – such as computers, tablets and phones – that store, access or transmit federal contract information or data. FAR clauses are only applicable to federal contracts – federal grants and cooperative agreements are not impacted by this amendment.
From the OSU Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge
New NSF Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs Certification Requirements
New certification must be provided separately for each individual designated as senior/key personnel on an NSF proposal.
As of May 20, 2024, the National Science Foundation (NSF) requires certification that an individual is not part of a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) before submitting a proposal. This certification must be provided separately for each individual who is designated as senior or key personnel on the proposal. The Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), who is responsible for submitting proposals, must also certify that all senior personnel associated with the proposal are aware of and have complied with their certification. The Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support documents also require the individual to certify that the information provided is accurate, current, and complete.
Malign foreign talent recruitment programs are any foreign-state-sponsored attempts to unlawfully or unethically acquire U.S. scientific-funded research or technology. These programs target academics, engineers, researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs through foreign government-funded or run recruitment programs.
From the U.S. National Science Foundation
Subaward Issues with Roll-Forward Encumbrances
As a part of fiscal year-end activities, subaward supplier contract encumbrances will be closed out for FY24 and re-opened in FY25. An encumbrance will not roll-forward into FY25 if a subaward supplier contract has an "Amendment in Process" status. This issue was confirmed in testing. As a result, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is providing the guidance listed below for subaward supplier contract amendments.
- 6/14 - Last day to create new supplier contracts in FY24.
- 6/25 - Last day to approve any in-flight subaward supplier contract amendments by close of business.
- 6/26 - OSP will cancel any remaining in-flight subaward supplier contract amendments to allow encumbrance to roll-forward.
- 7/1 - Any cancelled subaward supplier contract amendments can start to be resubmitted.
The Subaward Supplier Contract Initiator in the department can resubmit any cancelled amendments. Please work with your Sponsored Program Officer (SPO) and Principal Investigator (PI) if you have any in-flight supplier contract subaward amendments before June 25. The goal is to avoid having these amendments cancelled before fiscal year-end. This post is available via NewsLink online.
From the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation NewsLink on 5/20/2024
Late payroll accounting adjustments will not be processed after July 1
Beginning July 1, 2024, payroll accounting adjustments (PAAs) will no longer be processed for past certification periods. This means that:
- Once certified, effort will be considered final.
- Salary cost transfers must either be processed prior to issuance of effort certification documents or corrected during the certification process. For example, researchers must correct effort for: September-December by the end of January; January-May by the end of June; and June-August by the end of September. If effort for a past period isn’t certified, it is an unallowable cost.
Effort is heavily scrutinized by sponsors and auditors as it makes up the highest percentage of charges to sponsored projects. Retroactive corrections to effort charges after certification is often an indication of poor award management. Penalties for violations or findings of weak institutional controls can be significant.
PAAs submitted after certification and PAAs adjusting effort that occurred before the most recent certification period will be denied and uncertified effort will be billed back to the investigator’s department, consistent with processes for all unallowable expenditures.
Other effort reporting practices to avoid:
- Overly precise requests, such as changing an appointment by 17.346% for one month in the past. Such precision is not required since in signing an effort report, the signer is acknowledging that the payroll distribution ‘reasonably’ reflects the activities for which the employee was compensated during the reporting period.
- Moving effort from one sponsored award to another because the second was not yet in place. Instead, PIs should either request a preliminary project when the effort begins or charge effort to department funds. Otherwise, there is incorrect billing to the first award for those costs. Please visit the Research website for details as well as an overview of effort reporting and other practices to avoid.
Please visit the Research website for details as well as an overview of effort reporting and other practices to avoid.
From the OSU Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge News on 5/15/2024
Upcoming NIFA webinars
6/6/24 | 2:00 PM EDT, Introduction to Small Business Funding at the USDA
Join the USDA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) experts to learn more about these funding opportunities for U.S. entrepreneurs and innovators.
6/12/24 | 2:00 PM EDT, Technical Assistance Webinar: AFRI Animal Systems
We will discuss RFA due dates, program priorities, eligibility, application details, etc. This webinar will also allow you to meet the NIFA staff that run each program area.
6/25/24 | 6:00 PM EDT, Live FAQ: Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Ag Systems
This program area is designed to rapidly identify and implement strategies to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after extreme weather events.
6/27/24 | 2:00 PM EDT, Learn How to Write a Strong USDA SBIR/STTR Application
Join the USDA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) experts to learn about the application process so that you can write a strong USDA SBIR/STTR Application.
From USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Daily Digest Bulletin 5/29/2024
Recent Awards
- Feng Qu – Plant Path, Leah McHale – HCS, $824,286: Developing perfect molecular markers and new germplasm for rapid incorporation of resistance to soilborne pathogens of soybean, SmithBucklin
- Cara Lawson, Joy Rumble – ACEL, $98,684: Creating curriculum to instill a research skillset in agricultural communication undergraduate students, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Hannah Scott, Tom Worley – OSU South Centers, $195,448: Improving the economy of Ohio and West Virginia through cooperative development, USDA Rural Development
- Lisa Barlage – OSU Extension, $2,000: Cooking matters 2024, United Way of Ross County
- Doug Jackson-Smith – SENR, $1,447,234: From the ground up: Using on-farm research and collaboration to accelerate adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices in the Midwest, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Enrico Bonello – Plant Path, $196,000: Early detection and accurate diagnosis of invasive forest pests with spectral imaging and DNA barcoding, USDA Forest Service
- Brian Roe – AEDE, $260,461, Food loss & waste consumer education campaign pilot, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Jim Ippolito – SENR, $88,929, Investigating naturally revegetated chat-contaminated soils-assisted revegetation, USDA Agricultural Research Service
- Ben Enger – Animal Science, $650,000, Mammary gland blood vessels: Unrealized potential to improve mammary growth and milk production efficiency, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Reed Johnson, Ashley Leach – ENT, $75,300, Examining the effects of pesticides on bee diversity and abundance in key Ohio crops using audio analysis techniques, One Hive Foundation