Big Data: The Jefferson Trust “Developing Students for Leadership in Data-intensive Research and Innovation” Award
The Jefferson Trust recently awarded the University of Virginia funding for student-based collaborations intended to promote new interdisciplinary interactions as a part of President Sullivan’s Big Data Initiative. Cross-disciplinary, collaborative experience will expose the students to the diversity of the big data landscape that characterizes UVa, promote new interactions among faculty members, and allow the students to inform curricular needs in Big Data. The Office of the Vice President for Research will administer this program as part of this emerging university-wide Presidential Initiative in Big Data.
Purpose: These awards are intended to:
- Catalyze new interdisciplinary student-driven research collaborations that generate, use, or analyze complex data sets.
- Nucleate a network of graduate and undergraduates to share experiences in complex data oriented projects.
- Suggest courses and curricula for students engaged in complex data and for more general student literacy.
- Recommend new degrees, majors, minors, or certificates.
The program will provide $20,000 for the stipend of each graduate student and $5,000 for summer salary or work-study stipend for each undergraduate student* for the fiscal year 2013-2014.
Eligibility and Application Requirements: The award is for faculty members and graduate students at the dissertation stage of their research (e.g., beyond year 2 in most disciplines) at the University of Virginia. Prior to application, a graduate student and his/her advisor will need to identify a graduate student-advisor pair in an area outside their present research and propose a project that is cross-disciplinary, innovative, and in the general area of big data. The following are representative examples of possible collaborations: humanities and engineering, personalized medicine and law, genomics and business, and social sciences and systems engineering. The proceedings and participants of the Big Data Summit this past spring may help in identifying potential collaborators.
Proposal package: A project title, a 2-page, single-spaced research plan that includes the project novelty and how it will change the students’ research goals, the graduate students’ and supervisors’ 2-page biosketches, UVa transcripts for each graduate student, a half-page personal statement from each student on how the project will enhance his/her research and career objectives, a statement from the advisor about why this student is appropriate for the project including his/her qualifications for the research and evidence for his/her collaborative spirit, and the source of support for this project (that is, how it will be supported).
Evaluation Criteria: The VPR Internal Review Committee, along with faculty members with data analysis, acquisition and modeling expertise, will review proposals for quality, interdisciplinary spirit, innovation, likelihood of success, and potential impact.
Dates: Proposals must be submitted to Meg Harris (meg@virginia.edu), in the Office of the Vice President for Research, by 1 March 2013. Awards will be announced by 1 April 2013. Contact Rick Horwitz (Horwitz@virginia.edu), Phil Trella (Trella@virginia.edu), or Jeffrey Plank (jplank@virginia.edu) with any questions.
*Undergraduate Student Support: Successful applicants can request support for one undergraduate student per project. The request should include: A 1-page nomination letter from the advisor; the undergraduate student’s CV (1 page); and a half page summary of the undergraduate’s role on the proposed project.
Emeritus Small Research/Travel Grants
Small grants are available to emeritus faculty to support research- and conference travel-related expenditures. A letter of request for such funding, outlining the purpose of the request, the dates involved (if request is travel-related) and a summary of expenses should be e-mailed to Mollie Iseli at mjm8k@virginia.edu at the Office of the Vice President for Research to the Attention of Chair, Small Grants Committee.
Interim Lab
Support for worthy research previously funded by outside grants, the renewal of which is expected in the near future.
Matching Funds
Some grant proposals may require a statement of university matching funds. Researchers should submit a letter requesting a matching fund to the Vice President for Research. If the grant is approved, then these funds are available upon receipt of award.
Microbiome in Normal and Pathobiology
To promote new research directions and collaborations in the biosciences, the Office of the Vice President for Research has met with a large number of faculty groups and individuals and identified the microbiome as an emerging field with a significant potential impact on research at UVa. The microbiome is the collective of microorganisms that reside on and within us. While the importance of the microbiome is becoming increasingly clear, its composition and function are not well understood due to its complexity and diversity. Many faculty members have relayed observations on how the microbiome influences homeostasis and disease in their domains of interest.
To stimulate thinking, promote new research directions, and prepare UVa for RFAs in the area (e.g., Gut-Microbiome-Brain Interactions and Mental Health (R21/R33) RFA-MH-14-080), we are issuing an RFP on the microbiome with the intention of nucleating new research activities in this area. We anticipate up to 3 awards of $50K to support a new collaboration and research direction that addresses the role of the microbiome in normal or pathobiology. The goal is to nucleate a project and provide preliminary data to move it forward. The Office of the Vice President for Research will administer this program as part of its effort to nucleate new and interdisciplinary activities in the Biosciences.
Eligibility and Application Requirements: The grant is for full time faculty members at the University of Virginia.
Proposal package: A project title, a 2-page, single-spaced research plan that describes the project novelty, the nature of the new collaboration, and the features that differentiate the project from ongoing research, a 2-page biosketch for each PI (with other support), and a budget with justification. PDF format, please.
Evaluation Criteria: The VPR will appoint an ad hoc review committee to evaluate the proposals for quality, novelty, collaboration, and the likelihood of success and potential impact.
Dates: Proposals must be submitted to Meg Harris (meg@virginia.edu), in the Office of the Vice President for Research by 4:00PM on April 20, 2013. Awards will be announced by May 20. Contact Rick Horwitz (Horwitz@virginia.edu) or Jeffrey Plank (jplank@virginia.edu) with any questions.
Research Support for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
In collaboration with the College of Arts & Sciences, the VPR also provides funding for the biannual research support grants in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences through a competitive grant program. Funding may be requested for up to $3,000 for any activity or expense associated with a scholarly or research project.
Funding may be requested for up to $3,000 for any activity or expense associated with a scholarly or research project. These may include (but are not limited to):
Priority is given to proposals that request support for:
- Activities related to scholarly and research activities, including field research and visits to archives and special collections.
- Preparation of novel databases for scholarly studies.
- Preparation of primary scholarship or creative work for publication, exhibition, or performance (books, artworks, musical compositions and performance); typically these subventions depend on a contract with a publisher, a commission, or a contracted exhibition or venue.
All full-time, regular faculty members (tenure-track and general faculty) are eligible to apply for this support, but preference will be given to individuals who do not have access to other forms of research support through their departments, the Dean's Office, the Office of the Vice President for Research or other sources of funding. Preference will also be given to faculty in continuing positions in the College.
For additional information, contact Cristina Della Coletta at cd4y@virginia.edu, Associate Dean for Humanities and the Arts.
Small Grants/Travel Grants
Funds for supplies, editing, travel to libraries, and other small requests for faculty in the humanities and social sciences departments in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Summer Stipends
The President of the University and the Dean of Arts & Sciences annually allocates funds for faculty awards to support full-time summer research in the social sciences and the humanities (including original creative works in the fine arts). In addition, we are allowed two (2) nominees for the summer stipend program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Faculty members who receive a U.Va. summer stipend will be expected to devote at least four consecutive weeks of the summer of the award to the project outlined in their application. (Summer here is defined as June 1 until the beginning of classes in the Fall.) They may, however, receive salary for summer teaching or summer administrative duties, provided that this salaried work occupies no more than eight consecutive weeks during the summer of the award. Alternatively, summer award recipients may accept research funds up to $10,000 from other sources for summer projects, provided that this additionally funded research occupies no more than eight consecutive weeks during the summer of the award.
Faculty members may receive summer support for no more than two consecutive years and regain eligibility after a summer without support.
45 U.Va. awards were given in 2011 including support for full, non-chaired professors. Deadlines typically are in early fall.
- 2012 Summer Stipend Memo (pdf | doc)
- 2012 Summer Stipend Request for Proposal (pdf | doc)
- 2012 Summer Stipend Application (pdf | doc)
For additional information, contact Cristina Della Coletta at cd4y@virginia.edu, Associate Dean for Humanities and the Arts.
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