Focus on Research

From the Dean:

This month’s issue provides information about external funding to support undergraduate research. The National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health have programs to support undergraduates conducting research under faculty supervision in the fields of science, technology, and public health. Faculty interested in pursuing funding for undergraduate researchers are encouraged to seek the assistance of the CLAHS Undergraduate Research Institute, directed by Dr. Diana Ridgwell, and the VT Office of Undergraduate Research, directed by Dr. Tomalei Vess.

CLAHS Faculty Research Funding:

The Office of the Dean offers a variety of funding opportunities intended to aid faculty with research activities and creative work.
- Niles Research Grants support a range of research expenses, including purchase of   equipment, release time from teaching, research assistance, research trips, publication   subventions, and summer research salary.
- Dean’s Faculty Fellowships for Research provide a more substantial investment in faculty     research.
- Grant-Writing Incentive Grants support faculty research that leads to new proposals for   external grants, with particular emphasis on funding release time from teaching, graduate   research assistants, and mentoring.
 - Humanities Summer Stipends support two months of research on topics in the humanities;   this competition also determines the Virginia Tech nominees to the NEH Summer Stipend   Competition.
- Humanities Symposium awards support collaborative planning for a major conference that   addresses both scholarly and public audiences.

These funds are available to tenured and tenure-track faculty in CLAHS.

To assist faculty in preparing applications, three information sessions are scheduled prior to the deadline: February 15, 4 pm, Wallace 406; February 17, 12 pm, Major Williams 527; and February 21, 2 pm, War Memorial220F. Questions about Faculty Research Funding can be directed to Associate Dean Tom Ewing (etewing@vt.edu; 231-3212). The Call for Proposals is available from the Faculty Research page on the CLAHS website: http://www.clahs.vt.edu/faculty_research.html. Deadline: March 1, 2012 at 5 pm.

Research Support for Undergraduates:

The NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. Projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or projects specifically designed for the program. Deadline: June 1, 2012. More information

The NIH Summer Research Experience Program is designed to provide a high quality research experience for high school and college students and for science teachers during the summer academic break.  The NIH expects that such programs will: help attract young students to careers in science; provide opportunities for college students to gain valuable research experience to help prepare them for graduate school; and enhance the skills of science teachers and enable them to more effectively communicate the nature of the scientific process to their students. Summer Research Programs that expand and complement existing summer educational and training programs are encouraged. Deadline: August 1, 2012. More information

Fellowship Information Sessions:

Public Policy Fellowships at Kluge Center Library of Congress and Wilson Center for Public Policy,
February 13,
4 pm, Major Williams 529.

Faculty are invited to participate in a mentoring group for those preparing NEH Applications. Please contact Tom Ewing in the Dean’s Office.

 Foundation Funding for Research Projects

An Information Session for Faculty and Graduate Students
Presented by VT Corporate and Foundation Relations
April 4, 3:30-5:00 pm, GLC Room B

Featured Grants

Digitizing Historical Records. National Archives and Records Administration and National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Deadline: April 2, 2012. More information
Effects of Adolescent Binge Drinking on Brain Development, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Deadline: February 5, 2012. More information
Research on Gender in Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation Directorate for Education & Human Resources, Deadline: February 8, 2012. More information.

National Science Foundation CREATIV (Creative Research Awards for Transformative Interdisciplinary Ventures): a pilot grant mechanism under the Integrated NSF Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE) initiative, to support bold interdisciplinary projects in all NSF-supported areas of science, engineering, and education research. Only internal merit review is required; proposals must be interdisciplinary and potentially transformative; requests up to $1 million for 5 years. Rolling deadline. More information
NSF Smart Health and Wellbeing (SHB) Program seeks to address fundamental technical and scientific issues that would support much needed transformation of healthcare from reactive and hospital-centered to preventive, proactive, evidence-based, person-centered and focused on wellbeing rather than disease. Deadline February 6, 2012. More information
HHS / CDC Research Grants for Preventing Violence and Violence Related Injury, deadline February 16, 2012 (letter of intent), March 16, 2012 (application), more information

My Research

David Cline (faculty website)

My research is about 20th century American social change movements. While each project I take on is specific in scope – pre- Roe v. Wade illegal abortion and birth control networks, major social shifts in the mainline seminaries and churches during the civil rights movement, the integration of the U.S. military and its effects on civilian life – they are united in their concern with community-based, local movements contributing to national social change. Currently, I am working on two book-length projects: one is a study of the Student Interracial Ministry, a seminary-based civil rights organization active throughout the country from 1960 to 1968, and the other is an edited collection of oral histories with African American veterans of the Korean War. In this latter project, I am especially interested in the effects of military integration on the larger society and on the role that returning veterans played in civil rights organizing. Both projects dovetail with my public history work, in which I use community-based history projects, often with oral histories at their center, to illuminate national historic trends.  I am very excited to have my Public History students at Virginia Tech engaging in similar work, and last semester and currently they are collaborating with the Town of Blacksburg and the Blacksburg History Museum, the Montgomery County Court House, the Blacksburg Farmers Market, and Mountain Lake Hotel and Conservancy.

Upcoming FDI Workshops

Finding Funding

February 9, 2012,1:00-3:00

Finding Funding (online)

March 29, 2012, 10:00-11:30

Institue for Society, Culture, and Environment

Karen A. Roberto, Director

Reminder – applications for the Fall 2012 ISCE Senior Fellowship are due on February 15, 2012. This program is designed to support tenured faculty in the social sciences, humanities, and arts who are pursuing an innovative research agenda that has strong potential for significant future support from government agencies, corporations, industrial consortia, or private foundations. The program will provide funds for one semester for course release, research development and training activities, and office space (NCR only) to develop new expertise in a research area or further develop an existing area of research. Visit the ISCE homepage for more information and application guidelines, or contact the ISCE director, Karen A. Roberto