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Health and Human Services Department

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to OMB. Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development (EWD) focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) requests applications for the AFRI s Education and Workforce Development program areas to support:1. professional development opportunities for K-14 educational professionals;2. non-formal education that cultivates food and agricultural interest in youth;3. workforce training at community, junior, and technical colleges;4. training of undergraduate students in research and extension; 5. fellowships for predoctoral candidates;6. fellowships for postdoctoral scholars; and7. education and workforce development workshop grants.

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA)

ADECA partners with the Appalachian Regional Commission to provide grants for economic development, workforce training, infrastructure, and community capacity building in Alabama's 37 Appalachian counties.

Alabama Department of Commerce

Administers the AIDT workforce training program, Industrial Development Grant Fund, and various tax incentives for Alabama businesses.

Alabama Department of Commerce

The Alabama Department of Commerce supports small business growth through grants for business expansion, workforce training, technology adoption, and market development initiatives across the state.

Veterans Employment and Training Service

The U.S. Department of Labor s (DOL) Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) supports local Stand Down events that assist veterans experiencing homelessness by providing a wide range of employment, social, and health services.Stand Down is a military term referring to an opportunity to achieve a brief respite from combat. Troops assemble in a base camp to receive new clothing, hot food, support services, and a relative degree of safety before returning to combat action. A DOL VETS-funded Stand Down event serves a similar purpose; however, it is intended for veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. The critical services provided at these events are often the catalyst that enables those individuals to reenter the workforce. VETS awards these noncompetitive grants on a first-come, first-served basis to support one-day or multi-day events at up to $7,000 or $10,000, respectively. They are collaborative events coordinated between VA, DOL, other federal, state, and local government agencies and community-based organizations providing services and supplies to veterans experiencing and at risk of homelessness. In the event of a federal disaster declaration, VETS will accept applications up to $50,000 to conduct Stand Down events in the impacted areas.VETS awards Stand Down grants subject to the availability of federal funding. All costs incurred by the award recipient prior to the period of performance start date identified in the Notice of Award issued by the Department are incurred at the recipient s own expense.

National Energy Technology Laboratory

<p>Annual Recurring University Training and ResearchThe purpose of this funding opportunity is to solicit and award research and development grants to educate and train the next generation of engineers and scientists; to support novel, early-stage research at U.S. colleges and universities; to increase research and development opportunities for underrepresented and structurally marginalized communities; and to ensure that students are equipped with cutting-edge, translatable skillsets that allow them to contribute to the U.S. workforce and greater economy over the course of a longstanding and enduring career.</p>

National Energy Technology Laboratory

Annual Recurring University Training and ResearchThe purpose of this funding opportunity is to solicit and award research and development grants to educate and train the next generation of engineers and scientists; to support novel, early-stage research at U.S. colleges and universities; to increase research and development opportunities for underrepresented and structurally marginalized communities; and to ensure that students are equipped with cutting-edge, translatable skillsets that allow them to contribute to the U.S. workforce and greater economy over the course of a longstanding and enduring career.

NIGMS - National Institute of General Medical Sciences

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Since the first NARCH program more than 20 years ago, ANTHC has increased its capacity to conduct research and supports research in many ways, including a Research Services Department, the Board Subcommittee HRRC overseeing research review and approval, and the Research Consultation Committee providing input throughout the research design, conduct, and dissemination. Despite significant gains in research capacity and infrastructure the need for advancing tribal research priorities that are reflective of identified health research needs remains, especially as AN people continue to experience challenges to health and wellbeing. At the same time, there is an increasing demand for growing a strong and skilled research workforce from tribally recognized tribes as well as non-tribal members who are educated and trained in tribally-driven research. ANTHC is committed to being a NARCH Center of excellence that offers meaningful and intentional career development, enhancement and mentorship opportunities in conjunction with research projects that engage and partner with tribes and communities statewide through relationships that have been established over many years or newly formed collaborations. The research projects in this overall NARCH focus on the impact of a micronutrient on mental health, improving access to physical therapy through telemedicine and developing a culturally-grounded stress coping intervention to improve urogenital health outcomes. ANTHC developed the overall NARCH center to address tribal health concerns as well as gaps in research capacity, specifically training and career enhancement, incorporating indigenous ways of knowing with western research methods, mentoring networks, and continuing to do this important work in partnerships with tribal and tribal-serving organizations. The proposed NARCH Center leverages ANTHC’s strengths with the unique research needs and landscape of Alaska and expands existing partnerships to continue improving research, career development and capacity building efforts. Thus, the overall goal is continue advancing Alaska Native health research priorities through two Career Enhancement Projects (CEPs) and three Research Projects (RPs) in pursuit of ANTHC’s vision that Alaska Native people are the healthiest people in the world. To achieve this goal, we propose the following overall specific aims: 1. Increase career enhancement opportunities in health research for Alaska Native tribes and tribal members as well as those working with and for tribes or tribal serving organizations. 2. Conduct tribally-driven health research focused on addressing health outcomes in priority areas to improve the health of Alaska Native people overall.

Arizona Department of Economic Security

ADES administers Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants to workforce development boards and service providers to deliver employment and training services to job seekers and employers in Arizona.

NIDDK - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

There is a decline in medical graduates choosing pediatric residency programs (National Resident Matching Program 2024 report) and a persistent and growing workforce crisis within Pediatric Nephrology. We are compelled to increase our efforts to mentor Pediatric Nephrology Fellows and recruit more pediatric residents into our field through improving the development and satisfaction of pediatric nephrology fellow trainees throughout their training. The Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium (PNRC) Board created the PNRC Pediatric Nephrology Fellows Initiative in Spring 2024, led by Dr. Myda Khalid. American Society Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) enthusiastically endorsed this work as it aligns with the goals of ASPN and the ASPN’s Workforce Committee. With the Spring 2026 Workshop, we aim to improve the development of trainees by offering an ASPN-PNRC Pediatric Nephrology (First-Year Fellows) Workshop. It will focus on clinical research skills development, career development and research and career mentorship. Following the workshop, the Fellows are invited to attend the PNRC meeting. The Consortium represents more than 95 pediatric nephrology sites across the United States and Canada. In this meeting, the Fellows will engage in the collaborative exchange of ideas and the formation of multi-centered research studies alongside their mentors and pediatric nephrologists. Finally, the Fellows then attend the 2026 Miami Pediatric Nephrology Seminar. The Miami Seminar gathers a diverse range of healthcare providers including adult and pediatric nephrologists, urologists, scientists and other allied health providers. The seminar offers a series of multidisciplinary discussions and features a Pediatric Nephrology Young Investigator’s showcase in which trainees are invited to present research work in oral presentation or poster format. This sequence of meetings gives the trainees many opportunities to establish relationships with mentors, to interact with faculty and participants to stimulate them in areas of research development and foster their interest in pediatric nephrology as an enduring career choice.

Department of Labor

AWARD PURPOSE STRIVE GAINING REAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKFORCE (GROW) - STRIVE GROW WILL IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES FOR 414 YOUNG ADULTS BY PROVIDING THE FOUNDATIONAL, OCCUPATIONAL AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING, MENTORING, EDUCATION, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND SERVICES AND SUPPORTS THEY NEED TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE OR RETURN TO EDUCATION. ACTIVITIES PERFORMED STRIVE GROW IS AN INNOVATIVE, COMPREHENSIVE YOUNG ADULT REENTRY PROGRAM THAT WILL IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES FOR 414 YOUTH BY PROVIDING—IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROVIDERS, EMPLOYERS, AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM—OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING, EDUCATION, CASE MANAGEMENT, MENTORING, AND THE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS THEY NEED TO ENTER AND REMAIN IN THE WORKFORCE. STRIVE GROW WILL SERVE JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUNG ADULTS AND YOUNG ADULTS IMPACTED BY COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, PREPARING THEM TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR LOCAL LABOR MARKETS WITH THE SKILLS REQUIRED BY EMPLOYERS. STRIVE IS COMMITTED TO A POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK, INCLUDING MENTORING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT THE NECESSARY MOTIVATION AND DISCIPLINE REQUIRED FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF LONG-TERM GOALS. STRIVE RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE AND INCORPORATES IT INTO ALL ITS PROGRAMS. STRIVE'S COHORT APPROACH FOSTERS SUSTAINED CONNECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT IN COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES WITH POSITIVE PEER GROUPS. STRIVE WILL WORK WITH CREDIBLE MESSENGER MENTORING MOVEMENT TO TRAIN STAFF, IDENTIFY CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, AND SUPPORT THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PARTNER'S PROGRAMMING. SINCE PARTICIPANTS MEET AND INTERACT WITH SEVERAL STAFF, MANY OF WHOM HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF INCARCERATION OR COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, STRIVE ENSURES THAT CREDIBLE MESSENGERS REACH ALL PARTICIPANTS. COLLABORATION BETWEEN STRIVE, SUBGRANTEES, AND LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDER PARTNERS MEANS STAFF SHARE INFORMATION AND BEST TECHNIQUES FOR ENGAGING AND SERVING YOUNG ADULTS. PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN SUB-GRANTEES AND EMPLOYERS WILL ENSURE ALL PARTICIPANTS HAVE A POST-PROGRAM PLACEMENT; POST-PLACEMENT FOLLOW-UP SUPPORTS THE PROGRAM'S SUSTAINED IMPACT. DELIVERABLES AT LEAST 60% OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ENTER OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS STRAINING OR EDUCATION WILL ATTAIN A CREDENTIAL; 70% OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ENTER OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING OR EDUCATION WILL DEMONSTRATE MEASURABLE SKILLS GAINS; AT LEAST 70% OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE PLACED IN A JOB WILL STILL BE EMPLOYED THE SECOND QUARTER AFTER EXIT; AT LEAST 60% WILL BE EMPLOYED THE FOURTH QUARTER AFTER EXIT. MEDIAN EARNINGS WILL BE $5750. NO MORE THAN 5% OF PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ARRESTED FOR VIOLENT CRIMES COMMITTED AFTER PROGRAM ENTRY; THE PROGRAM WILL LIMIT RECIDIVISM TO NO MORE THAN 10% OF PARTICIPANTS. INTENDED BENEFICIARY JUSTICE- AND VIOLENCE-IMPACTED YOUNG ADULTS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND RESIDENTS OF THE HIGH-POVERTY, HIGH-CRIME TARGET AREAS IN ATLANTA, BRIDGEPORT, AND CHICAGO. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES ALL SUBGRANTEES WILL IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM MODEL, COORDINATE PROGRAM OPERATIONS WITH THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND JUSTICE SYSTEM PARTNERS AND ENSURE THAT THE PARTNERS WILL SUPPORT AND DELIVER PROGRAM COMPONENTS AND COLLABORATE WITH OTHER PARTNERS AS INDICATED IN THE GRANT PROPOSAL. SUBGRANTEES WILL FURTHER ENSURE THAT EDUCATION AND OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING PROVIDED ARE IN LOCALLY IN-DEMAND INDUSTRIES BY MAINTAINING REGULAR CONTACT WITH EMPLOYER PARTNERS AND IN CONSULTATION WITH STATE OR LOCAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARDS; PARTICIPATE IN A DOL EVALUATION IF UNDERTAKEN AS SPECIFIED IN FOA-ETA-22-03; SUBMIT REGULAR AND TIMELY REPORTS AND UPDATES, INCLUDING ALL REQUIRED PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT DATA AND FISCAL DOCUMENTS, TO STRIVE TO ASSIST IN GRANT MANAGEMENT AND SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM EXECUTION AND ADHERE TO ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS; USE ALL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TOOLS AS MANDATED BY THE PROPOSAL; AND PROVIDE SERVICES TARGETED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE HIGH-POVERTY, HIGH-CRIME TARGET AREA(S) AS IDENTIFIED IN THE PROPOSAL.

Department of Labor

AWARD PURPOSE THE PURPOSE OF BOOST GO IS TO PREPARE YOUNG ADULTS FOR EMPLOYMENT THROUGH EDUCATION AND TRAINING, PAID WORK EXPERIENCES, MENTORSHIP, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WITH DELIVERY OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES INTERVENTIONS. ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BOOST GO WILL SUPPORT JUSTICE INVOLVED YOUNG ADULTS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION BY 1. HELPING YOUNG ADULTS TO INCREASE THEIR CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO PREVENT AND AVOID VIOLENCE. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SKY RANCH BEHAVIORAL SERVICES TO PROVIDE VIOLENCE PREVENTION, MENTORING, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THROUGH DELIVERY OF EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS OF AGGRESSION REPLACEMENT TRAINING® ART) AND MENTORS IN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (MVP) CURRICULUM DESIGNED BY UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CENTER FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION (CVP). PARTNERS WILL COLLABORATE TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN MULTICULTURAL MENTORS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE. 2. PREPARING YOUNG ADULTS FOR THE WORLD OF WORK BY HELPING YOUNG ADULTS IDENTIFY CAREER INTERESTS, ATTAIN RELEVANT SKILLS, AND GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE. BOOST GO WILL ENSURE PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE COMPREHENSIVE EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER SERVICES UTILIZING STEP ON UP® CAREER READINESS AND GROWTH FOCUSED CASE MANAGEMENT (GFCM), RESULTING IN A CUSTOMIZED INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (IDP). PARTICIPANTS WILL GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE IN EMPLOYMENT, APPRENTICESHIP, INTERNSHIP; AND/OR ON-THE-JOB TRAINING WITH HIGH PRIORITY EMPLOYER PARTNERS HIGH DEMAND CAREERS, BASED ON CURRENT LABOR MARKET INFORMATION (LMI) AND IOWA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO INCLUDE CHILDCARE, CONSTRUCTION, FOOD/MEAT PROCESSING, HEALTH CARE, MAINTENANCE/ SAFETY, COMMERCIAL TRUCKING, WAREHOUSE LOGISTICS/OPERATIONS, AND WELDING. WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO ADDRESS HOUSING, MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION, CHILDCARE, LEGAL SERVICES, WILL BE CUSTOMIZED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL. DELIVERABLES OUTCOMES WILL EXCEED ALL REQUIRED PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES TO INCLUDE A 73% EMPLOYMENT RATE- SECOND QUARTER AFTER EXIT, 65% EMPLOYMENT RATE- FOURTH QUARTER AFTER EXIT, 6,000 MEDIAN EARNINGS, 60% CREDENTIAL ATTAINMENT, 73% MEASURABLE SKILL GAIN, LESS THAN 3% ARRESTS FOR VIOLENT CRIMES, AND LESS THAN AN 8% RECIDIVISM RATE. INTENDED BENEFICIARY BOOST GO WILL REACH AND SERVE 180 YOUNG ADULTS 18-24 YEARS OLD MOST IMPACTED BY POVERTY AND CRIME, WITH PRIORITY ON REACHING MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN THE CENSUS TRACTS. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES N/A

Department of Labor

AWARD PURPOSE TO PREPARE JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, 18 TO 24 YEARS, FOR THE WORLD OF WORK WITH PAID WORK EXPERIENCES, PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL SKILLED TRAINING IN IN-DEMAND INDUSTRIES SUCH AS CONSTRUCTION, AND HEALTH, AND PROVIDE MENTORSHIP, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL STRENGTHEN THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT AND POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES. ACTIVITIES PERFORMED THE PROGRAM COMPONENTS ARE OCCUPATIONAL SKILLED TRAINING, PAID WORK EXPERIENCE, EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER SERVICES, LEADERSHIP TRAINING, MENTORSHIP, EDUCATION, SUPPORTIVE SERVICE, AND FOLLOW-UP. OCCUPATIONAL SKILLED TRAINING WILL CONSIST OF ON-SITE CONSTRUCTION TRAINING, CONSTRUCTION THEORY FOR THE OBTAINMENT OF CERTIFICATIONS. THE ON-SITE TRAINING WILL OCCUR AT GJA, AND EMPLOYER PARTNERS WORK SITES. PARTICIPANTS WILL ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENROLL IN THE ADVANCED OCCUPATIONAL SKILLED CERTIFICATE PROGRAM AT CCAC. THE CERTIFICATE SKILLED TRAINING AT CCAC IS WELDING, PLUMBING, AND FACILITIES MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY. FOR HEALTH, PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE CNA TRAINING FROM CCAC. THE TRAINING IS 24 DAYS WHERE THEY EARN A CNA CERTIFICATION. EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER SERVICES SUCH AS JOB PREPARATION, CAREER EXPLORATION, WORK READINESS, ALLOWS PARTICIPANTS TO EXPLORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC WORKFORCE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS FACED BY YOUTH OFFENDERS TO PREPARE THEM FOR JOBS. LEADERSHIP TRAINING WILL BE PROMOTED IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM AND CAPTURES THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE THAT PARTICIPANTS ARE OUR FUTURE LEADERS. MENTORSHIP WILL BE PROVIDED; SERVICE OF MENTORS IS THE BACKBONE OF THE PROGRAM TO YOUTH. THEY CAN HELP YOUTH AS THEY GO THROUGH CHALLENGING LIFE TRANSITIONS, INCLUDING DEALING WITH STRESSFUL CHANGES AT HOME, RE-ENTRY FROM THE SYSTEM, OR TO ADULTHOOD. THE STRUCTURE OF THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM IS ONE YEAR DURATION, ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING, AND SCREENING, TRAINING, AND ON-GOING SUPPORT OF MENTORS. SELECTION OF MENTORS WILL CONSIST OF CARING ADULTS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LIVE INCARCERATION AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE EXPERIENCES. PARTICIPANTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE HIGH SCHOOL/GED PREPARATION. THEY WILL ALSO RECEIVE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION INFORMATION FROM CCAC. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION IS A STRONG FEATURE THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM SO THAT PARTICIPANTS CAN MASTER SUCCESS WHILE THEY ARE IN COLLEGE. GROWTH FOCUSED CASE MANAGEMENT, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, FOLLOW-UP, AND RETENTION WILL BE PROVIDED TO HELP YOUTH MASTER SUCCESS IN COMPLETING THE PROGRAM AND MAINTAINING EMPLOYMENT OR ADVANCE TRAINING. DELIVERABLES 70% EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT RATE FOR SECOND QUARTER AFTER EXIT; 60% EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT RATE FOURTH QUARTER AFTER EXIT; $5,750 MEDIAN EARNINGS SECOND QUARTER AFTER EXIT; 50% CREDENTIAL ATTAINMENT; 70% MEASURABLE SKILL GAINS. INTENDED BENEFICIARY YOUTH, THE COMMUNITIES, PARENTS, SCHOOLS, ETC. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES N/A

Bank of America Foundation

Supports community development, affordable housing, workforce training, and economic mobility in underserved communities.

NHGRI - National Human Genome Research Institute

Bioconductor is one of the most widely used open-source platforms in biomedical data science. Its rigorously reviewed ecosystem of more than two thousand interoperable software, annotation, and data packages supports analyses in single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, bulk RNA-seq, epigenomics, proteomics, microbiome research, metabolomics, and image-based assays. Bioconductor tools appear in more than ninety thousand publications and form a core component of the computational infrastructure through which NIH-funded investigators develop, disseminate, and apply reproducible analytical methods across a broad range of technologies and diseases. Since 2001, the Bioconductor Conference (BioC) has served as the primary venue for scientific exchange, developer training, and community building. The meeting provides introductory workshops for new users, hands-on workshops for applied researchers, and collaboration opportunities for method developers whose software underpins modern genomics. Despite its impact, the conference is entirely self-funded. However, due to the rapid expansion of the user community, by necessity the focus of the original meeting has shifted qualitatively towards new user engagement and introductory instruction. This has proportionally reduced capacity for covering relatively advanced topics such as structured developer mentoring, high-quality instructional material development, or in-person scientific exchange around emerging technologies that require coordinated methodological innovation. Hence, this R13 proposal seeks to expand the scope of BioC so that it can serve the full community spectrum from experienced developers to new users more effectively and sustainably. Dedicated support will strengthen collaboration among scientists developing new analytical approaches, enhance mentoring and professional development for early-career researchers, and broaden participation by providing travel and registration assistance for trainees and investigators from under-resourced institutions. Funding will also support the development and dissemination of pedagogically robust, openly available workshop materials that promote reproducible analysis across rapidly evolving data types. By integrating methodological innovation, open-source software development, hands-on training, and community engagement, the Bioconductor Conference advances NHGRI and ODSS priorities in rigorous and reproducible research, open science, workforce development, data standards, and cloud-enabled biomedical computation. Expanded support will ensure that the conference continues to accelerate the translation of statistical methods into reliable tools and sustains the skilled, diverse developer community required for the next generation of genomic and multi-scale biomedical research.

NIGMS - National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Project Summary Community colleges can play a significant role in diversifying the biomedical workforce in the United States. Over 40% of all undergraduate students are enrolled at community colleges with 56% of them reporting as first-generation students and almost half indicating they are from racially marginalized backgrounds. However, community college students are less likely to persist in STEM majors, transfer to baccalaureate institutions, and earn postsecondary STEM credentials. This trend is more pronounced among students from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM (e.g., female, first-generation, Black, Latine and Indigenous students). One way to combat this unfortunate pattern is to take a systemic approach and focus on creating more motivationally- supportive learning environments for students. This project aims to do this by leveraging the power of utility- value interventions at two levels of the community college system: the student and the instructor. Utility-value interventions are grounded in Expectancy-Value-Cost theory, which suggests that students persist in academic tasks when they expect to succeed, find value in the tasks (i.e., identify utility-value), and perceive minimal costs associated with them. These interventions typically focus on helping students see the relevance of their coursework through reflective writing activities and have proven to be particularly effective for supporting the motivation and achievement of students from historically underserved backgrounds. The instructor version of these interventions is designed to train educators in practices that highlight the real-world applications of course topics, thereby making science education more relevant and engaging for students. Combining these interventions across the student and instructor levels is expected to have a synergistic effect. That is, the project team hypothesizes that by targeting both students' perceptions of value (i.e., implementing a student- focused utility-value intervention) and the instructional environment (i.e., implementing an instructor-focused utility-value intervention), students will experience a significant boost in motivation and academic performance. The study will employ a 2 (student level intervention vs. control) by 2 (faculty level intervention vs. control) factorial design across 13 community colleges within the Tennessee Board of Regents system. This design will allow for the examination of each intervention's individual effects and their combined impact on outcomes. The longitudinal nature of the study will track students' academic progress from their initial enrollment at community college through graduation and transfer to 4-year institutions, thereby providing insights into the sustainability of intervention effects. This research fills a critical gap by focusing on the understudied population of community college students and seeks to create scalable, sustainable interventions that can be adopted across various educational settings. Findings are expected to inform educational practices and policies aimed at supporting more equitable outcomes in STEM education and a more diverse biomedical research workforce.

NCATS - National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

The Boston University (BU) CTSI hub sits at the nexus of a research-intensive university, New England’s largest essential hospital system, and the Veterans Health Administration’s most prominent research system. Established in 2008, the hub is comprised of BU, partner Boston Medical Center Health System (with its 3 hospitals and 13 affiliated Community Health Centers) and collaborator the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System (with its 3 campuses and 7 affiliated health clinics). Key community stakeholders new to our application include the Boston Public Health Commission, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and Veteran advisory groups affiliated with the Center for Health Optimization & Implementation Research at VA Boston. We are uniquely poised in this outstanding environment to catalyze translational science to speed the discoveries that improve health across populations. The BU CTSI has a legacy of delivering effective programs that improve the quality of health care and bring new treatments to patients from across the economic spectrum. In this next funding period, the BU CTSI will directly target and overcome translational science roadblocks to substantively advance translational science via an innovative thematic approach “Science without Walls”. We will leverage our hub’s unique strengths in regenerative medicine, data science, and implementation science as well as our ownership of nationally renowned longitudinal datasets. We will accelerate health-related technologies, methodologies, novel data science and other programs that expand scientific boundaries to improve health. We will train our research workforce to embody the characteristics of a translational scientist, and will continue to build trust and enhance collaborations with existing and new communities. The BU CTSI Strategic Goals are to: GOAL 1. Disrupt the translational research pipeline and processes with creative approaches to overcome translational barriers with the goal of speeding research that improves health and promotes well-being. GOAL 2. Develop the clinical translational research workforce of the future through novel training programs for our research community with a focus on research professional staff and community members. GOAL 3. Employ rigorous evaluation and CQI methods to assess the impact of BU CTSI programs on individual scientists and mentors, health system infrastructure and care delivery, while disseminating innovative improvement tools and approaches to other hubs and beyond. The BU CTSI’s mission is to improve health and well-being of all populations, by advancing innovative translational science that disrupts the barriers that impede the transition from bench to bedside. Ensuring that our new programs are sustainable, generalizable, efficient, and shared across the CTSA Program and beyond is core to all activities.

NIGMS - National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Abstract Western Washington University (WWU) seeks BRE-SPAD funding to strengthen its research infrastructure and expand faculty and student engagement in biomedical research. As a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution (PUI) with a strong commitment to liberal arts education, WWU has seen steady growth in research activities in the past several years. Research expenditures have almost doubled in less than a decade from $8.5 million in 2014 to $15.9 million in 2023. Yet, WWU’s biological, biomedical, and health sciences R&D expenditures were only $864,000, representing just 5% of total institutional R&D expenditures. WWU will use BRE-SPAD funding to address several institutional challenges, including high teaching loads, lack of key research equipment, limited pre- and post-award administrative support, no central system for recruiting students into undergraduate research opportunities, and a lack of dedicated research development programming. The proposed SPAD initiative at WWU will enhance research capacity through the following specific aims: 1) Improve sponsored programs administration capacity by hiring a new research administrator, training all pre- and post-award staff on NIH proposal submission and award management best practices, and learning from an external evaluation process to improve overall research administration and research development services. 2) Enhance WWU’s research environment by establishing the Viking Biomedical Research Institute (VBR), hiring a program manager, purchasing key biomedical research equipment and supplies, training biomedical faculty in effective NIH research design and proposal writing, incentivizing faculty to develop new course- based undergraduate research experiences (CURES), and creating a centralized mentoring hub for students interested in pursuing biomedical research. and 3) Launch a pilot research project funding program by offering pilot awards, providing faculty release time to focus on research activities, providing resources for undergraduate student participation in the research projects, and enabling faculty to collect data and conduct preliminary analyses that will make subsequent NIH proposals more competitive. By achieving these aims, WWU expects to catalyze a significant increase in the number of faculty – and faculty from a wider range of disciplines – who submit NIH proposals, growth in biomedical research expenditures, increased student participation in biomedical research, an increase in the number of students who graduate with biomedical and health-related degrees and qualifications to enter the regional biomedical workforce, and the establishment of a sustainable and robust biomedical research enterprise.

National Institutes of Health

The purpose of this forecast is to inform the research community that the NIH Common Fund, along with its partner NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices, is planning to issue a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to support the continuation of the Bridge2AI program. Stage 1 of the Bridge2AI program produced unique, large-scale, valuable, and open resource, AI-ready datasets and best practices that the scientific community can adopt. The second stage of the program will foster advances on two fronts: 1) Leverage the AI-ready datasets from Stage 1 to yield products that can address biomedical and behavioral research grand challenges, accelerate the discovery of new biological theories and rules, and advance understanding of biological and behavioral mechanisms of health and disease; 2) Create networks of multidisciplinary researchers to advance the science of AI science by developing necessary metrics and a framework to for trustworthy, reproducible and explainable AI-enabled biomedical and behavioral research.This forecast is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.This NOFO will utilize the U24 activity code. The NOFO will support a research initiative that will create a network of multidisciplinary Centers to advance the science of AI science. Centers will work across the evolving landscape of AI science to create a framework for trustworthy, reproducible and explainable AI-enabled biomedical and behavioral research. Center activities will include evaluation of AI models and products built through other initiatives in the program and other sources, convening expert panels and round tables, supporting pilot research activities, multidisciplinary cross-training and dissemination activities to help grow the nascent field of biomedical and behavioral research AI science. The Network of Centers will produce best practices for AI methods and trustworthy AI model building principles, frameworks to enable the evaluation of AI models and methods for reproducibility, replicability and transparency, guiding principles for agentic autonomous labs of the future, and multidisciplinary training to strengthen the American biomedical and behavioral research AI workforce. This initiative will support 3-5 Centers, and is one of twoInitiatives under the Bridge2AI program, the other of which will be supported by a research contract.

National Institutes of Health

<p>The purpose of this forecast is to inform the research community that the NIH Common Fund, along with its partner NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices, is planning to issue a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to support the continuation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://commonfund.nih.gov/bridge2ai">Bridge2AI</a> program. Stage 1 of the Bridge2AI program produced unique, large-scale, valuable, and open resource, AI-ready datasets and best practices that the scientific community can adopt. The second stage of the program will foster advances on two fronts: 1) Leverage the AI-ready datasets from Stage 1 to yield products that can address biomedical and behavioral research grand challenges, accelerate the discovery of new biological theories and rules, and advance understanding of biological and behavioral mechanisms of health and disease; 2) Create networks of multidisciplinary researchers to advance the science of AI science by developing necessary metrics and a framework to for trustworthy, reproducible and explainable AI-enabled biomedical and behavioral research.</p><p>This forecast is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.</p><p>This NOFO will utilize the U24 activity code.&nbsp;</p><p>The NOFO will support a research initiative that will create a network of multidisciplinary Centers to advance the science of AI science. Centers will work across the evolving landscape of AI science to create a framework for trustworthy, reproducible and explainable AI-enabled biomedical and behavioral research. Center activities will include evaluation of AI models and products built through other initiatives in the program and other sources, convening expert panels and round tables, supporting pilot research activities, multidisciplinary cross-training and dissemination activities to help grow the nascent field of biomedical and behavioral research AI science. The Network of Centers will produce best practices for AI methods and trustworthy AI model building principles, frameworks to enable the evaluation of AI models and methods for reproducibility, replicability and transparency, guiding principles for agentic autonomous labs of the future, and multidisciplinary training to strengthen the American biomedical and behavioral research AI workforce. This initiative will support 3-5 Centers, and is one of twoInitiatives under the Bridge2AI program, the other of which will be supported by a research contract.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

ABSTRACT Activity-dependent variation in synaptic AMPA receptor (AMPAR) content, referred to as ‘synaptic plasticity’, is a mechanism whereby information is stored in neural networks that give rise to higher order cognitive skills such as learning and memory. During long-term potentiation (LTP), a widely studied form of synaptic plasticity, extrasynaptic AMPARs are recruited from nearby reserve pools, including perisynaptic regions on the cell surface and intracellular compartments, and subsequent anchored with the postsynaptic density (PSD). AMPARs are associated with a diverse suite of transmembrane auxiliary proteins that regulate trafficking and biophysical properties. A large body of evidence spanning decades of investigation has established mechanisms by which AMPARs are anchored within the PSD. In contrast, the molecular mechanisms that maintain AMPARs as reserve pools of extrasynaptic receptors are largely unknown. Given that recruitment of reserve pools of extrasynaptic AMPARs underlies the rapid strengthening of synapses that occurs during LTP, the molecular mechanisms that establish such reserve pools are critical to our understanding of synaptic plasticity and represent a major gap in our knowledge. In the hippocampus, the predominant AMPAR auxiliary factors are transmembrane AMPA receptor regulatory protein gamma 8 (TARP8), cornichon-2 (CNIH-2), and synapse differentiation induced gene 4 (SynDIG4; SD4), also known as Prrt1 (Proline-rich transmembrane protein 1). Previously, we found that extrasynaptic GluA1-AMPAR reserve pools are reduced in SD4 knockout (KO) hippocampal neurons compared to wild-type (WT). SD4 preferentially associates with affinity-purified GluA1-AMPARs over AMPAR complexes without GluA1. Furthermore, acute hippocampal slices from SD4 KO mice do not undergo GluA1-dependent tetanus- induced LTP, while GluA1-independent theta-burst stimulation LTP (TBS-LTP) remains unimpaired. Analyses of native hippocampal GluA1-AMPARs showed that SD4 is positioned at the interface of GluA1 and CNIH-2, consistent with SD4’s putative role in GluA1-AMPAR trafficking and localization. We hypothesize that SD4 establishes reserve pools of GluA1-AMPARs at perisynaptic sites that are targeted to synapses during LTP. In this application we propose a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to investigate SD4-dependent regulation of GluA1-containing AMPARs with molecular, cellular, and electrophysiological methods. In Aim 1 we test the prediction that SD4 interaction with GluA1-AMPARs is required for synaptic plasticity. In Aim 2 we test the prediction that SD4 promotes TARP8-dependent synaptic targeting of GluA1-AMPARs during LTP. Completion of these studies will address a major gap in our understanding of the mechanisms by which AMPAR complexes are maintained in reserve pools outside of the PSD in hippocampal neurons and address the role played by SD4 in synaptic targeting of GluA1-AMPARs during plasticity. Through these studies to understand mechanisms by which AMPAR complexes are maintained in reserve pools for plasticity, we will simultaneously diversify the neuroscience workforce by training and mentoring individuals from diverse backgrounds in the proposed research project (Aim 3). We hypothesize that SD4 establishes reserve pools of GluA1-AMPARs at perisynaptic sites that are targeted to synapses during LTP. We further hypothesize that by providing structured mentoring and training for undergraduate students from marginalized backgrounds in the proposed research, we expect to broaden participation, promote retention, and diversity the neuroscience workforce. The experiments and activities proposed in the three aims test predictions of these hypotheses.

U.S. National Science Foundation

The Broadening Participation in Engineering (BPE) Program is a Directorate-wide activity to support the development of a diverse and well-prepared workforce of engineering graduates, particularly those with advanced degrees. A central theme of the program's activities is enhancing the ability of early career faculty members, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to succeed in their careers as researchers and educators. The Broadening Participation in Engineering Program supports projects to engage and develop diverse teams that can offer unique perspectives and insights to challenges in engineering research and education. By seeing problems in different ways, a diverse workforce can encourage innovation and scientific breakthroughs. Throughout this Program Description, the term underrepresented groups will refer to and include the following: women, persons with disabilities, and ethnic/racial groups which are in the minority in engineering, specifically African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders. The Engineering Directorate recognizes that broadening participation is a systemic issue, with a need for wide-ranging and comprehensive interventions at all levels of the educational system. While there is a general need to diversify pathways that lead to engineering careers, the BPE program currently supports engineering faculty, particularly early career faculty, in integrating broadening participation and diversity with their scholarly activities, including education, research and innovation. Given that engineering addresses human needs, the US population is becoming much more diverse, and engineering practice increasingly turns to customers in designing innovations, it is critical that the faculty of the future are able to draw from diverse perspectives in their engineering research and educational activities.In alignment with the goals of the Engineering Directorate (ENG) and with other programs in the Engineering Education and Centers Division, the BPE Program is interested in areas related to:Understanding how a diverse engineering student body, professional workforce, and faculty impact engineering innovation and productivity.The underlying issues affecting the differential participation rates in engineering, particularly those that can be addressed by engineering faculty members. The experiences and interactions that enhance or inhibit underrepresented groups' persistence to degree and career interest in the professoriate.BPE award activities should be informed by the body of knowledge that surrounds these (and other) important research questions; and in turn add to that knowledge base. The Broadening Participation in Engineering program has three synergistic elements: Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering (BRIGE) is designed to promote the development of early career faculty who will become champions for diversity and broadening participation throughout their careers, and who can serve as change agents on their campuses. BRIGE awards will enable early career faculty to integrate effective diversity strategies in their engineering research, education, and innovation activities, thus making them more competitive for promotion and tenure or receiving additional NSF funding such as CAREER awards. Proposals from women, persons with disabilities, and members of groups underrepresented in engineering as well as faculty from Minority Serving Institutions are especially encouraged. BRIGE proposals may only be submitted through the BRIGE solicitation.Establishing Mentoring and Networking Opportunities for early career engineering faculty members that allow targeted faculty to engage with, learn from, and network with diverse individuals and groups in ways that will demonstrably enhance their long term career success. The program is particularly interested in creating opportunities for early career faculty from groups typically under-represented in engineering departments. Funds will be utilized primarily to seed new networking and mentoring opportunities rather than fund ongoing efforts; thus all projects are expected to develop a plan for sustainability independent of further NSF support. Broadening Participation Research supports up to 3-year research projects that seek to create and study new models and innovations related to the participation and success of groups underrepresented in engineering graduate education, postdoctoral training, and academic engineering careers. The program accepts a range of project scales from small, exploratory projects to larger scale investigations with a broad, systemic scope; project budgets should match the project scope. Small-scale, exploratory projects that contribute to the knowledge base of diversifying faculty in engineering-for example exploring matriculation into graduate programs, reward structures for faculty, or ways to broaden participation from specific groups-are strongly encouraged.

U.S. National Science Foundation

Build and Broaden (B2) supports fundamental research and research capacity across disciplines at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and encourages research collaborations with scholars at MSIs. Growing the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce is a national priority. National forecasts of the impending shortage of workers with science and engineering skills and essential research workers underscore a need to expand opportunities to participate in STEM research (President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2012). MSIs make considerable contributions to educating and training science leaders for U.S. economic growth and competitiveness. Yet NSF has received comparatively few grant submissions from, or involving, scholars at MSIs. Targeted outreach activities reveal that MSIs have varying degrees of familiarity with funding opportunities within NSF and particularly within the Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences Directorate. As a result, NSF is limited in its ability to support research and training opportunities in the SBE sciences at these institutions. With its emphasis on broadening participation , Build and Broaden is designed to address this problem. SBE offers Build and Broaden in order to increase proposal submissions, advance research collaborations and networks involving MSI scholars, and support research activities in the SBE sciences at MSIs. Proposals that outline research projects in the SBE sciences that increase students' pursuit of graduate training, enhance PI productivity build research capacity, or cultivate partnerships are especially encouraged to apply. Proposals are invited from single principal investigators based at MSIs and from multiple co-investigators from groups of MSIs. Principal investigators who are not affiliated with MSIs may submit proposals, but must collaborate with PIs, co-PIs, or senior personnel from MSIs and describe how their project will foster research partnerships or capacity-building with at least one MSI as a primary goal of the proposed work. Proposals may address any scientific and cross-disciplinary areas supported by SBE. These areas include anthropology, archaeology, cognitive neuroscience, decision science, ecological research, economics, geography, linguistics, law and science, organizational behavior, political science, public policy, security and preparedness, psychology, and sociology. To find research areas supported by SBE please visit the SBE programs page or visit the NSF funding and awards page.