Physical Sciences & Engineering

The DEVCOM Army Research Lab seeks unclassified research proposals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) under Broad Agency Announcement (FOA) W911NF-23-S-0001-0002 (hereafter referred to as the DEVCOM ARL BAA”) to establish an Army HBCU/MI Early Career Program (ECP) which embodies the high priority placed by the government on maintaining the leadership position of the United States in science by producing outstanding scientists and engineers and nurturing their continued development. Each award will support basic research contributing to Army modernization needs conducted by outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their careers at HBCU/MI institutions. ECP awards are funded by the Army to support early career scientists and engineers who show exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research. This targeted opportunity is open to U.S. citizens, U.S. Nationals, or Lawful Permanent Residents of the U.S. who have held a tenure- track position at a covered educational institution for fewer than five years at the time applications are due in response to this special notice. Faculty at an institution of higher education which does not designate a faculty appointment as "tenure track" are eligible if that fact is so indicated in the proposal, and the supporting letter from the institute states that the faculty member submitting the proposal will be considered for a permanent appointment, or it is demonstrated that the faculty member is within five years of receiving his or her first competitively awarded federal research funding (as principal investigator), excluding funds secured during graduate school or postdoctoral training/fellowship and funds secured for training, fellowship, education, or career development. The objective of the ECP Award is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering; enhance development of outstanding early career investigators; and increase opportunities for early career investigators to pursue research in areas relevant to the Army. Proposals that do not meet these criteria for the Principal Investigator (PI) will be considered ineligible and not reviewed or considered for funding.



The eleven DEVCOM ARL competencies are:

 Biological and Biotechnology Sciences

 Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences

 Energy Sciences

 Humans in Complex Systems

 Mechanical Sciences

 Military Information Sciences

 Network, Cyber, and Computational Sciences

 Photonics, Electronics, and Quantum Sciences

 Sciences of Extreme Materials

 Terminal Effects

 Weapons Sciences

DEVCOM ARL plans to award up to eight (8) new HBCU/MI ECP grants at a total cost of $990,000 each over a duration of 5 years, with funding profile of $110,000 in year one, $165,000 in year two, $220,000 in year three, $330,000 in year four, and $165,000 in year five. Note this is more funding and longer duration than the typical ECP award specified in the DEVCOM ARL BAA.

The goals of the Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship (RTF) program in astrophysics are to provide early-career researchers the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to lead astrophysics flight instrument development projects, including suborbital investigations, in preparation to become Principal Investigators (PIs) of future NASA astrophysics missions; to develop innovative technologies for space astrophysics that have the potential to enable major scientific breakthroughs; and to foster new talents by putting early career instrument builders on a trajectory towards long-term positions. NASA is committed to supporting deserving early career researchers by selecting several Roman Technology Fellows every year. This program is not linked to the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (formerly WFIRST).

This program consists of two components with two different submission procedures. The first component is the one-page application from an early career individual to be named a Roman Technology Fellow (RTF), see Section 2. The second component is the subsequent submission of a proposal for up to $500K in Fellowship Funds by a previously selected RTF once that individual obtains a permanent or permanent-track position, in order to start a laboratory or develop a research group at the Fellow’s institution (see Section 3). Please see Section 2.1 for the definition of an early career position, and Section 4.1 for the definition of a permanent or permanent track position.

The purpose of the RUNX1 Early Career Investigator Grant is to promote the establishment of a new generation of translational and clinical researchers interested in tackling inherited hematologic malignancy predisposition disorders with a focus on RUNX1-familial platelet disorder. We believe that providing capital to early career investigators not only injects funding into where it is needed most, but also cultivates a new cohort of investigators who will be invested in an area of research that historically has had limited attention.

Brain Research Foundation invites eligible US institutions to nominate one faculty member (Assistant or Associate Professor) to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the BRF Seed Grant Program.

Brain Research Foundation’s Annual Seed Grant Program was initiated in 1981. The purpose of our program is to provide start-up monies for new research projects in the field of neuroscience that will likely lead to extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other outside funding sources.

The objective of the BRF Seed Grant Program is to support new and innovative projects, especially those of junior faculty, who are working in new research directions. BRF Seed Grant awards are not intended to supplement existing grants.

Each total grant is limited to $80,000 (direct costs) for a two year grant period. The first grant payment of $40,000 will be made upon completion of the Seed Grant Acceptance Form (June 2024). The final payment of $40,000 will be made contingent upon receipt of a preliminary progress and financial report (June 2025). Funds must be utilized within the grant period.

Areas of Interest
1.) Funding is to be directed at pilot research projects that are both innovative and will likely lead to successful grant applications to NIH and other public and private funding entities.

2.) Assistant Professor – Junior faculty with a new research project that will generate pilot data that will lead to RO1 funding or a comparable outside grant will be first priority.

• Must provide abstract and specific aims for current grants and indicate if there is any overlap.

The Start-Up Grant Program is meant to help newly appointed researchers who are beginning their independent research careers and may not yet have initial results to substantiate their application. Grants are for two years, in order to enable the grantees to submit a standard application to the next competition in their area of research. It is implemented within the framework of the regular BSF Research Grants program, i.e., it must exhibit scientific excellence, have a strong element of cooperation between Israeli and American scientists, and fall within the areas of research supported in that year by the BSF. In addition, at least one of the principal investigators should have attained his/her Ph.D., M.D. degree or equivalent, no more than ten years prior to submitting his/her proposal. To allay any doubts, we use the terms ‘Senior PI’ and ‘Junior PI’, referring to the established scientist and the one in the first stages of his/her independent career.

Start-Up proposals are submitted in the same manner as applications for the BSF Research Grant Program, and undergo the standard BSF evaluation process.

Start-Up Grant applications compete for funding together with the standard BSF Research Grant applications. The BSF has no special funds set aside for these grants. Nevertheless, Start-Up applications traditionally have a higher rate of success as compared with standard applications.

At the time the application is submitted, the junior PI may be no more than 10 years since the completion of his Ph.D/M.D studies (earliest of the two).
A typical start-up application is by a junior PI together with a senior one. The senior PI on a start-up application cannot be funded.
Only up to two junior PIs may apply together for a start-up grant, one Israeli and one American, and they can apply with or without an unfunded senior scientist.
A junior PI on a start-up grant may not simultaneously submit another grant application to the BSF, or currently hold another grant from the BSF, other than NSF-BSF grants. A senior PI on a start-up application may submit a second application in the same round.
A start-up application can be awarded only once.

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience (MEFN), an independent charitable organization established by The McKnight Foundation, was inspired by William L. McKnight’s personal interest in memory and its diseases. When Mr. McKnight (1887-1979) created the McKnight Foundation, he set aside part of his legacy to bring hope to those suffering from brain injury or disease and cognitive impairment. His descendants honor his commitment to neuroscience, and recognize that to continue the high level of excellence of the program the MEFN needs to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in its award programs. To this end, the MEFN is expanding the number of annual Scholars awards from six to ten. The program will advance equity and drive innovation through inclusive excellence, recognizing that progress in neuroscience will be enhanced by the inclusion of new and diverse perspectives and voices.

The McKnight Scholar Awards are given to exceptional young scientists who are in the early stages of establishing an independent laboratory and research career. The intent of the program is to foster the commitment by these scientists to research careers that will have an important impact on the study of the brain. The program seeks to support scientists committed to mentoring neuroscientists from underrepresented groups at all levels of training. Applicants for the McKnight Scholar Award must demonstrate their ability to solve significant problems in neuroscience, which may include the translation of basic research to clinical practice. They should demonstrate a commitment to an equitable and inclusive lab environment.