Defense Threat Reduction Agency webinar

The Chemical and Biological Technologies Department of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency 
is presenting a webinar for STEM faculty and students.

Tuesday, 9 September 2014 at 1pm EDT

Meet DTRA Science & Technology Managers

Learn how to search for employment, internships, and grant opportunities

Click here to register

NIH encouraging Individual Development Plans for grad students and postdocs

Starting October 1, 2014, "annual progress reports... must include a section to describe how individual development plans are used to identify and promote the career goals of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers associated with the award." At least initially, you will not need to include any specific plan in your progress report, but rather state whether or not you are using an individual development plan to help provide a structured training experience for the grad students and postdocs on your award. As the NIH is allowing institutions to decide whether to implement this encouraged practice and the management of such, Fordham's Office of Research and Office of Sponsored Programs are currently exploring options for the best approach to this. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, for more information on the Individual Development Plans, you may want to review:
The original notice NOT-OD-13-093;
The revised notice NOT-OD-14-113

NSF's Biology Directorate offers tips on "Broadening Participation"

Along with the NSF's very familiar mandate of "Broader Impacts" is the lesser-trumpeted "Broadening Participation" -- but it may be just as important to your Biological Sciences Directorate proposal. See this publication for more information on what they mean by this, and how to incorporate it into your next proposal.

NSF seeks reviewers for their fellowship program

The NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program, now in its 62nd year, needs reviewers. Interested? Please see their 'Dear Colleague' letter on the subject.

Foundations -- Back at Full Funding Levels?

Philanthropy News Digest looks at whether foundations were actually hurting from the recession in the first place, and what the future holds for foundation funding.
Have Foundations Recovered from the Great Recession?

Thoughts from a First Time NSF Applicant

Philip Guo is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Rochester, and he applied for his first sole-PI NSF grant this past winter. He doesn't know the results of his submission yet, but has a lot of thoughts about the writing/submission process to share with other first-timers:
http://pgbovine.net/NSF-grant-proposal-first-time.htm

NIH to Roll out New Biosketch Format

Already in the pilot testing phase, the new biosketch format will take effect across NIH in FY2016. The goal of the new, longer format is to emphasize accomplishments instead of just publications. You can read more about it and the reasons for its implementation here at Dr. Sally Rockey's "Rock Talk" blog.