Finding and Responding to the NSF Call for Proposals – May 12, 2020
Dr. Ellen Carpenter, HSI Program Director at the NSF, discusses the NSF solicitation for the HSI Program. Dr. Carpenter discusses important elements to include in your submission. She also shares strategies for successfully submitting your proposal including various elements of FastLane and Grants.gov. The Q&A session has been omitted from the recording. You can find the link to the transcript below. The HSI STEM Hub recommends viewing this webinar to help you in preparation of your proposal.
Ellen Carpenter, NSF HSI Program Director
Dr. Ellen Carpenter serves as the Program Director for the NSF HSI Program. She has worked at NSF for 4 years. Prior to this, she was a faculty member at UCLA for 20 years, where she chaired the undergraduate neuroscience program. At NSF, she works on a variety of education-related programs, serving as the lead for the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program. She is a founding member of the HSI program.
Preferred method of contact: [email protected].
Websites:
https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505082
Keywords: Funding, student achievement, building capacity, NSF grants
Insights from Recent HSI Awardees – May 19, 2020
Recent NSF HSI Program Awardees, Antonio Garcia and Matthew Cover, discuss strategies for writing a successful proposal for submission to the NSF HSI Program. Drs. Garcia and Cover address topics such as fundable ideas, budget, collaborations, intellectual merit, broader impact, reviewers, and the types of funded projects they engage at their institutions. The NSF HSI STEM Hub recommends viewing this training video before writing your proposal and while reviewing important parts of your proposal during the writing phase, before submission.
Additional Resources
Matthew Cover
Antonio Garcia
Matt Cover, Cal State Stanislaus
Matt Cover is an educator and freshwater ecologist at Cal State Stanislaus, a regional comprehensive university in California’s San Joaquin Valley. He is the PI of an HSI STEM grant (NSF #1832558, awarded August 2018) that funds a faculty learning program for STEM educators called CIENCIA: Collaboration for Inclusive and Engaging Curriculum, Instruction, and Achievement. He is passionate about making STEM education more humane, student-centered, creative, and fun; making graduate study more accessible, especially for minoritized students; and bringing a social justice lens to STEM research and education. He gets joy from exploring creeks and looking for bugs and birds, walking and hiking with his partner and dog, and enjoying coffee, beer, and music.
Websites:
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @matthewrcover
Antonio Garcia, Associate Dean of Academics for the College of Engineering – NMSU
Antonio (“Tony”) García was recently appointed as Associate Dean of Academics for the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University, and brings more than 34 years of experience in academia and industry. He also holds the position of George W. Lucky Professor in Chemical Engineering due to his expertise in bioprocessing and biomedical devices. As a designer, inventor and researcher, he has developed several diagnostic and drug delivery technologies in conjunction with an international team whose mission is to promote the use of personalized care technology to improve global health. Dr. García is also actively involved in education and human resource projects aimed at improving math, science, and engineering education and to meet the demand for a robust technological workforce as the nation’s demographics changes. He was Associate Editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching 2003-2005 and was the project director of a National Science Foundation program (LSAMP) project, established in 1992, to enhance opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in science, math and engineering. After moving to Las Cruces in August 2019, he led a team of NMSU faculty to recently secure a NSF HSI grant (which began in April 2020) on Innovative Partnerships with Industry with the theme of: Enhancing Social Mobility by Combing Adult Learning within an Engineering Curriculum.
E-mail: [email protected]
Keywords: Budget, writing proposals, STEM Majors demographics, engaging Hispanic & Latinx community
Framing Student Success – May 26, 2020
Additional Resources
Alexis Racelis
PDF Presentation
Virginia White
Q&A PDF Document
Alexis Racelis, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
His lab studies ecological interactions in the social, political, and economic contexts in which they occur. In particular, our research is driven by a better understanding of how agriculture, urban development, invasive species and resource management affects certain ecological processes in the light of pressing social and environmental issues, such as climate change, food and water security, sustainable development, and social justice. We use this better understanding to effectively participate in the management of these environmental issues though scholarship, participatory action research, and leadership.
Website: http://www.mahttps://www.utrgv.edu/biology/faculty/edinburg/alexis-
E-mail: [email protected]
Virginia White – Associate Professor -University of California, Riverside
Virginia White attended Wake Forest University where she earned a BS in Biology and Mathematics before attending UC Riverside where she earned a PhD in Botany. After graduating, she began teaching at Riverside City College, first as an adjunct and then tenure track faculty. Virginia is the PI on RCC’s NSF HSI grant: STEM en Familia, where the focus is to create an academic family for our students, most of whom are Latinx.
Website: http://faculty.rcc.edu/white/
E-mail: [email protected]
Keywords: Forming grantwriting teams, planning implementation, engaging Hispanic & Latinx community, student achievement, cultural competence, professional development
Developing Research Questions – June 2, 2020
Additional Resources
Alexis Racelis
PDF Presentation
Sudarshan Kurwadkar
PDF Presentation
Q&A PDF Document
Sudarshan Kurwadkar, California State University-Fullerton
Dr. Sudarshan Kurwadkar is a tenured Associate Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at California State University, Fullerton. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer. He is a recipient of numerous awards, scholarships, and fellowships including, Teaching Excellence Award; Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Activities Award; National Research Council – Research Associate Fellowship, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; Visiting Faculty Fellowship – Department of Energy; Summer Faculty Fellowship– Air Force Institute of Technology; and Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Faculty-Student Partnership – Department of Defense. Students highly regard him for his passionate content delivery, rigor, and substance. Not surprisingly, he has been declared 2019 ASCE Outstanding Faculty Advisor in the State of California. His research interests are in the broadly defined areas of fate and transport of emerging contaminants in the aquatic and terrestrial environment, particularly studying the abiotic fate and transformation of micro-pollutants in the natural environment. His ongoing research involves monitoring the occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products in large-scale wastewater treatment plants, investigating the photodegradation kinetics of pharmaceuticals used in human therapy, and the occurrence and persistence of neonicotinoid insecticides. Besides teaching and research, he enjoys outdoor activities such as swimming, kayaking, biking, fishing, and long-distance traveling. He has driven cross-country from Los Angeles, CA to Kittery, ME, visiting major tourist attractions all along.
Website: http://faculty.rcc.edu/white/
E-mail: [email protected]
Alexis Racelis, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
His lab studies ecological interactions in the social, political, and economic contexts in which they occur. In particular, our research is driven by a better understanding of how agriculture, urban development, invasive species and resource management affects certain ecological processes in the light of pressing social and environmental issues, such as climate change, food and water security, sustainable development, and social justice. We use this better understanding to effectively participate in the management of these environmental issues though scholarship, participatory action research, and leadership.
Website: http://www.mahttps://www.utrgv.edu/biology/faculty/edinburg/alexis-
E-mail: [email protected]
Keywords: Research proposal, writing proposals, engaging Hispanic & Latinx community, cultural competence, faculty development
Key Personnel & Letters of Commitment – June 9, 2020
Additional Resources
Q&A PDF Document
Martha Desmond, New Mexico State University
Dr. Martha Desmond is a Regents Professor at NMSU in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology. She received her BA in Environmental Studies from Wells College and MS and Ph.D. In wildlife ecology from the University of Nebraska where she studied burrowing owl population ecology. She completed an NSF International Postdoctoral Fellowship working with the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua and Texas A&M. Her avian ecology research focuses on birds in grassland and arid land systems as well as urban environments. While working in the border region, she became interested in educational programs for diverse communities. Educational programs that she has developed have mentored thousands of students locally and nationally across natural resource fields, working collaboratively with federal agencies on the development of diverse workforces.
Delia Valles-Rosales, New Mexico State University
Dr. Delia Valles-Rosales is an Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at NMSU, where she received her Ph.D. She is originally from Mexico. Her research uses nature to inspire the development of innovative manufacturing processes, new processes of biomass utilization in the plastic industry, and models and algorithms for system optimization in agriculture, industry, and service areas. Dr. Valles-Rosales has been investigating various biomass resources as fibers to be coupled with polymers for fulfilling the need for new applications. Her research has studied the effect of materials and particle size on the mechanical properties represented by tensile, bending, impact resistance, and water absorption properties. Dr. Valles-Rosales is currently the NMSU Director of the Wheels of Change: A Consortium to Develop Champions in Agriculture in the Areas of Sustainable Energy and Natural Resource Management Program funded by USDA.
Keywords: Forming grantwriting teams, NSF Solicitation, writing proposals, supplementary documentation, proposal preparation
Finding and Responding to Call – June 23, 2020
Erika Camacho, NSF HIS Program Director
Dr. Erika T. Camacho is NSF Program Director for the ADVANCE and HSI programs as well as being co-Lead for the latter. She is an Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics at Arizona State University (ASU). She published the first set of mechanistic models addressing photoreceptor degeneration, providing a new framework through which experimentalists can examine retinal degeneration and mitigate blindness. Her research is at the interface of mathematics and physiology and involves analytical techniques, in silico experiments, computational work, and collaborations with experimentalists. She has been awarded the 2019 AAAS Mentor Award, the 2014 PAESMEM (Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring) from the White House, the 2020 Louise Hay Award for Mathematics Education from the Association for Women in Mathematics, the 2018 American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education Outstanding Latino/a Faculty in Higher Education Research/Teaching (Research Institutions) Award, the 2017 Great Minds in STEM Education Award, the 2012 SACNAS Distinguished Undergraduate Mentoring Award, and the 2011 Hispanic Women’s Corporation National Latina Leadership Award among many other national awards and honors.
Insights from Recent HSI Awardees – June 30, 2020
Additional Resources
Jeffrey Alexander
Liesl Jones
Q&A PDF Document
Jeffrey Alexander, Pueblo Community College
Dr. Jeffrey Alexander is Dean of Arts and Sciences at Pueblo Community College, in Pueblo, Colorado. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver. Prior to joining PCC in 2015, he was Associate Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where he served as Chair and also as Associate Dean. Jeff is a Japan scholar by training, and he has published three books on Japanese industry, including its motor vehicle, brewing, and pharmaceutical trades. At PCC, he supervises five academic Departments across four campuses spanning the southern tier of Colorado. Programs in his Division include Biological & Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Education, English & Communication, Fine Arts & Humanities, and Criminal Justice. He also oversees PCC’s STEM Center, where students participate in NASA Space Grant projects and meet visiting industry experts. Jeff lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and their two unemployed golden retrievers.
LinkedIn username: Jeffrey Alexander
Links to PCC’s recent HSI STEM video campaigns (these are public and may be posted online):
Liesl Jones, Baltimore City Community College
Currently I am the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Baltimore City Community College. I started the position in December of 2019. Since arriving we have submitted a number of grants to do similar projects at BCCC. Previously I was the Dean of STEM at Union County College. As the Dean of STEM I was one of the PI’s on our NSF funded IRAP grant. The grant allowed us to provide students with undergraduate research experiences at the College as opposed to going off site to other institutions. We also developed and published an undergraduate research journal for community college students It is currently going into its third year of publication. I have worked closely with the math faculty to develop a program to eliminate Developmental Math and in the fall of 2019 the College went fully developmental optional. This endeavor was funded from a DOE First in the World grant. Prior to coming to Union County College I was Chair and Professor of Biological Sciences. I ran a research lab that examined schizophrenia. I also ran an NIH sponsored undergraduate research program as well as developed to high school STEM initiatives. I received my Ph.D. I the field of developmental neuroscience from The Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University.
Keywords: Writing proposals, building capacity, forming grantwriting teams, institutional data
Biosketches & Evaluation – July 7, 2020
Martha Desmond, New Mexico State University
Dr. Martha Desmond is a Regents Professor at NMSU in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology. She received her BA in Environmental Studies from Wells College and MS and Ph.D. In wildlife ecology from the University of Nebraska where she studied burrowing owl population ecology. She completed an NSF International Postdoctoral Fellowship working with the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua and Texas A&M. Her avian ecology research focuses on birds in grassland and arid land systems as well as urban environments. While working in the border region, she became interested in educational programs for diverse communities. Educational programs that she has developed have mentored thousands of students locally and nationally across natural resource fields, working collaboratively with federal agencies on the development of diverse workforces.
Delia Valles-Rosales, New Mexico State University
Dr. Delia Valles-Rosales is an Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at NMSU, where she received her Ph.D. She is originally from Mexico. Her research uses nature to inspire the development of innovative manufacturing processes, new processes of biomass utilization in the plastic industry, and models and algorithms for system optimization in agriculture, industry, and service areas. Dr. Valles-Rosales has been investigating various biomass resources as fibers to be coupled with polymers for fulfilling the need for new applications. Her research has studied the effect of materials and particle size on the mechanical properties represented by tensile, bending, impact resistance, and water absorption properties. Dr. Valles-Rosales is currently the NMSU Director of the Wheels of Change: A Consortium to Develop Champions in Agriculture in the Areas of Sustainable Energy and Natural Resource Management Program funded by USDA.
Keywords: Evaluation, biosketches
Developing Budget and Budget Narrative – July 14, 2020
Additional Resources
NMSU Research Administration Services
They provide comprehensive support services to faculty and professional staff for the successful administration of externally-sponsored projects and other scholarly endeavors. These services include a wide range of support of proposal development, electronic application preparation, and award negotiations. Our goal is to deliver our support services in an efficient and professional manner while maintaining full compliance with sponsor and institutional guidelines. The NMSU Research Administration Services office is located in Anderson Hall, 1050 Stewart Street. Please call our office to arrange a visit at (575) 646-1590.
Rita Parra, New Mexico State University
Rita C. Parra is the Director of Pre-Award Administration at New Mexico State University’s Research Administration Services located in Las Cruces. Rita has been in Research Administration for twenty years and has a depth of experience in pre-award, award negotiation and account setup. She considers customer service at the heart of Research Administration and strives to minimize the administrative burden for Principal Investigators.
Hamid Mansouri Rad, New Mexico State University
Dr. Hamid Mansouri Rad is a Senior Proposal Development Specialist at NMSU’s Research Administration Services. Since joining the office in 2007 he has contributed to development of a number of large, interdisciplinary, multi-institution proposals to federal entities such as NSF, DoD, DOE, and USAID. In addition to coordination and comprehensive review of proposals for compliance and responsiveness to requirements and review criteria, Hamid writes non-technical sections of proposals, such as Management Plan, institutional capabilities, and broader impacts. Hamid earned his PhD in Rhetoric from NMSU and his dissertation aimed at developing a theory of argumentation for national intelligence products.
Barbara Gonzales, New Mexico State University
Barbara Gonzales is the Associate Director of Pre-Award Administration in the Research Administration Services department at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Leadership from New Mexico State University. She brings a variety of experience in contracts in both private and public sectors.
Barbara has 15+ years’ experience in Franchising, Customer Service, and Contract negotiations in Government and private industries.
Barbara enjoys bringing together all her experience to NMSU RAS Department to assist colleges/units and Principal Investigators in creating, negotiating and interpreting grants and contracts.
Keywords: Budget preparation, forming grantwriting teams, writing proposals, building capacity
Institutional Capacity – July 21, 2020
Additional Resources
Jeffrey Alexander
PDF Presentation
Liesl Jones
PDF Presentation
Q&A PDF Document
Jeffrey Alexander, Pueblo Community College
Dr. Jeffrey Alexander is Dean of Arts and Sciences at Pueblo Community College, in Pueblo, Colorado. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver. Prior to joining PCC in 2015, he was Associate Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where he served as Chair and also as Associate Dean. Jeff is a Japan scholar by training, and he has published three books on Japanese industry, including its motor vehicle, brewing, and pharmaceutical trades. At PCC, he supervises five academic Departments across four campuses spanning the southern tier of Colorado. Programs in his Division include Biological & Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Education, English & Communication, Fine Arts & Humanities, and Criminal Justice. He also oversees PCC’s STEM Center, where students participate in NASA Space Grant projects and meet visiting industry experts. Jeff lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and their two unemployed golden retrievers.
LinkedIn username: Jeffrey Alexander
Links to PCC’s recent HSI STEM video campaigns (these are public and may be posted online):
Liesl Jones, Baltimore City Community College
Currently I am the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Baltimore City Community College. I started the position in December of 2019. Since arriving we have submitted a number of grants to do similar projects at BCCC. Previously I was the Dean of STEM at Union County College. As the Dean of STEM I was one of the PI’s on our NSF funded IRAP grant. The grant allowed us to provide students with undergraduate research experiences at the College as opposed to going off site to other institutions. We also developed and published an undergraduate research journal for community college students It is currently going into its third year of publication. I have worked closely with the math faculty to develop a program to eliminate Developmental Math and in the fall of 2019 the College went fully developmental optional. This endeavor was funded from a DOE First in the World grant. Prior to coming to Union County College I was Chair and Professor of Biological Sciences. I ran a research lab that examined schizophrenia. I also ran an NIH sponsored undergraduate research program as well as developed to high school STEM initiatives. I received my Ph.D. I the field of developmental neuroscience from The Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University.
Keywords: Building capacity, grant evaluation, institutional commitment, supplementary documentation.
