Due to a limit on the number of submissions that Wayne State University may make, the Office of the Vice President for Research is requesting that faculty interested in the following programs submit to an internal competition:

National Science Foundation
Leadership-Class System Acquisition: Creating a Petascale Computing Environment for Science and Engineering
Internal Deadline: September 1, 2006

NSF’s goal for high performance computing (HPC) in the period 2006-2011 is to enable petascale science and engineering through the deployment and support of a world-class HPC environment comprising the most capable combination of HPC assets available to the academic community. The petascale HPC environment will enable investigations of computationally challenging problems that require computing systems capable of delivering sustained performance approaching 1015 floating point operations per second (petaflops) on real applications, that consume large amounts of memory, and/or that work with very large data sets. Among other things, researchers will be able to perform simulations that are intrinsically multi-scale or that involve the simultaneous interaction of multiple processes.

A preliminary proposal is due to the NSF by September 18, 2006, with a full proposal due on February 2, 2007.

Only one (1) proposal, either new or continuing, may be submitted by any U.S. academic institution as the lead institution for the program. Because of this limitation, interested applicants are asked to submit the following :

· A brief description (no more than 3-4 pages) of the proposed research, including a bottom-line budget;
· A clear declaration of the proposed P.I. for the research and associated WSU personnel (including phone number and email address); and
· The signature of the appropriate department chair.

Applications should be sent to:

OVPR
Room 6405.3
5057 Woodward

National Science Foundation
Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)
Internal Deadline: October 2, 2006

The National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program assists in the acquisition or development of major research instrumentation by U.S. institutions that is, in general, too costly for support through other NSF programs.

Wayne State University may submit up to three applications for the program in any given year; two of the proposals may be for instrument acquisition or development, while the third is solely for instrument development. Because of the restriction, SPA must conduct an internal competition in order not to exceed the number of applications the University may submit.

Investigators interested in competing in this year’s MRI program submit the following materials:

- A two-page summary of the instruments to be developed or acquired, and their role in the University’s research, research training, and integrated research/education activities. Please indicate in the first paragraph of your summary whether your proposal is for instrument acquisition or for instrument development.

- Sign-offs from the appropriate department chairs

These materials should be submitted to OVPR, 5057 Woodward, Room 6405.3, no later than noon of October 2, 2006. The selection of Wayne State University’s nominees will be made shortly thereafter. Applicants will submit a full proposal and application only if they are chosen by the internal committee.

National Science Foundation
Active Nanostructures & Nanosystems (ANN)
Internal Deadline: September 18, 2006

The National Science Foundation’s Acitve Nanostructures and Nanosystems (ANN) announcement supports collaborative research and education in the area of active nanostructures, nanosystems, and on the long-term societal change associated with these innovations. Active nanostructures change or evolve their structure, property, or function during their operation. The goal of this program is to support fundamental research and catalyze synergistic science and engineering research and education in several emerging areas of nanoscale science and engineering, including:

- Active nanostructures;
- Nanosystems with improved functionality and new architectures;
- Hierarchical nanomanufacturing; and
- Long-term societal and educational implications of scientific and technological advances on the nanoscale.

This solicitation provides support for Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Teams (NIRT) and Nanoscale Exploratory Research (NER).

Wayne State University may submit up to two applications for the NIRT and two applications for the NER program in any given year. Because of the restriction, SPA must conduct an internal competition in order not to exceed the number of applications the University may submit.

Investigators interested in competing in this year’s ANN program submit the following materials:

- A short summary (2-5 pages) of the research to be under under the auspices of the program. Please indicate in the first paragraph of your summary whether your proposal is for the NER or the NIRT program.

- A copy of the PI’s CV.

- Complete contact information, including office phone numbers and email.

- Sign-offs from the appropriate department chairs.

These materials should be submitted to OVPR, 5057 Woodward, Room 6405.3, no later than noon of September 18, 2006. The selection of Wayne State University’s nominees will be made shortly thereafter. Applicants will submit a full proposal and application only if they are chosen to proceed.

National Science Foundation
Partnerships for International Research and Education
Internal Deadline: September 11, 2006

Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) seeks to catalyze a cultural change in U.S. institutions by establishing innovative models for international collaborative research and education. The program will enable U.S. institutions to establish collaborative relationships with international groups or institutions in order to engender new knowledge and discoveries at the frontier and to promote the development of a globally-engaged, U.S. scientific and engineering workforce. International partnerships are, and will be, increasingly indispensable in addressing many critical science and engineering problems. As science and engineering discoveries result more and more from international collaboration, U.S. researchers and educators must be able to operate effectively in teams comprised of partners from different nations and cultural backgrounds. The program supports forward-looking research whose successful outcome results from all partners – U.S. and foreign – providing unique contributions to the research endeavor. It is also intended to facilitate greater student preparation for and participation in international research collaboration, and to contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-engaged, U.S. science and engineering workforce.

A preliminary proposal is due to the NSF by October 30, 2006, with a full proposal due on February 28, 2007 (if invited by the agency).

Only three preliminary proposals may be submitted by any U.S. academic institution as the lead institution for the program. Because of this limitation, interested applicants are asked to submit the following :

· A brief description (no more than 3-4 pages) of the proposed research, including a bottom-line budget;
· Contact information for the P.I. (including phone number and email address);
· A copy of the P.I.’s CV; and
· An endorsement from the appropriate department chair.

Applications should be sent to:

OVPR
Room 6405.3
5057 Woodward

All proposals must be submitted by noon of September 11, 2006.

The Pew Charitable Trusts
Pew Scholars Program in Biomedical Sciences
Internal Deadline: September 18, 2006

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences is designed to support young investigators of outstanding promise in the basic and clinical sciences relevant to the advancement of human health. The funding of the awards is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The award is intended to provide assured support, during their earlier years, for junior members of the faculty as they establish their laboratories. It is hoped that the assurance provided through the Program will encourage successful applicants to be more venturesome in their research and future applications for support than would otherwise be likely.

The Program is open to individuals with a doctorate in medicine, other health related professions or biomedical sciences. As of November 1, 2006, candidates must hold full time appointments at the rank of assistant professor or independent researcher on the faculty of the sponsoring institution. On July 1, 2007, they must not have been in such an appointment for more than three years, whether or not such appointments were on a tenure track. This time may have been spent at more than one institution. Time spent in clinical internships, residencies, or in work toward board certification does not count as part of this three year limit.

Candidates should, on basis of performance during education and training, have outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will demonstrate particularly creative and innovative approaches. Risk-taking is encouraged. An evaluation of earlier performance from those under whose auspices previous training was obtained, along with any concrete evidence concerning that performance that may be available, plus a description of the work the applicant proposes to undertake, will be the major elements upon which selection of the successful candidates will be based.

Only one nomination may be submitted by any U.S. academic institution for the program. Because of this limitation, interested candidates are asked to submit the following :

· Contact information for the P.I. (including phone number and email address);
· A copy of the P.I.’s CV; and
· A detailed endorsement from the appropriate department chair.

Applications should be sent to:

OVPR
Room 6405.3
5057 Woodward

All proposals must be submitted by noon of September 18, 2006.