Research Coordination Networks in Biological Sciences (RCN)
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RCN-UBE Dear Colleague Letter
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We call your attention to an additional mechanism to support collaborations aimed at injecting new ideas and approaches into undergraduate biology curricula. As part of our effort to stimulate positive changes in biology education, we will accept proposals that request support for the initial development of networks that will catalyze positive changes in biology undergraduate education. Details availabe in recently issued RCN-UBE Dear Colleague Letter at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf09057.
CONTACTS
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PROGRAM GUIDELINES
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Solicitation
09-554
As announced on May 21st, proposers must prepare and submit proposals to the National
Science Foundation (NSF) using the NSF FastLane system at
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/.
This approach is being taken to support efficient Grants.gov operations during this busy
workload period and in response to OMB direction guidance issued March 9, 2009. NSF will
continue to post information about available funding opportunities to Grants.gov FIND and
will continue to collaborate with institutions who have invested in system-to-system
submission functionality as their preferred proposal submission method. NSF remains
committed to the long-standing goal of streamlined grants processing and plans to
provide a web services interface for those institutions that want to use their
existing grants management systems to directly submit proposals to NSF.
Please be advised that the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) includes
revised guidelines to implement the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act (ACA)
(Pub. L. No. 110-69, Aug. 9, 2007.) As specified in the ACA, each proposal that requests
funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a description of the mentoring
activities that will be provided for such individuals. Proposals that do not comply
with this requirement will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I:
Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II for further information about the implementation of
this new requirement).
DUE DATES
Full Proposal Target Date: July 5, 2010
First Monday in July, Annually Thereafter
SYNOPSIS
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The goal of this program is to advance a field or create new directions in research or education. Innovative ideas for implementing novel networking strategies are especially encouraged. Groups of investigators will be supported to communicate and coordinate their research, training and educational activities across disciplinary, organizational, institutional, and geographical boundaries. There are two tracks in the RCN program, the research coordination network track (RCN), the original target of the program, and the undergraduate biology education track (RCN-UBE), which was added in 2008. The proposed networking activities should focus on a theme to give coherence to the collaboration. For a research track RCN, the focus could be on a broad research question, a specific group of organisms, or particular technologies or approaches. For an education track RCN, the focus could be on any topic that is likely to lead to improved participation, learning, or assessment in undergraduate biology curricula.
RELATED URLS
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Incubator Proposal Opportunity for Research Coordination Networks - Undergraduate Biology Education: Dear Colleague Letter
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Historical Awards
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THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF
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Additional Funding Opportunities for the DBI Community
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Additional Funding Opportunities for the DEB Community
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Additional Funding Opportunities for the IOS Community
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Additional Funding Opportunities for the MCB Community
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Emerging Frontiers
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Abstracts of Recent Awards Made Through This Program
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