Research Notes

Research information from the Office of the Vice President for Research for Brown faculty, grant-related staff, and students

Environmental Studies 0110 is both an introductory course on environmental change in the 21st century and a hands-on lab where students engage with how local communities and the natural environment intersect. Through real-world projects, students are able to explore contemporary climate issues. Read the recent news story.

Nominations open for
Brown Research Achievement Awards

Brown recognizes outstanding research and scholarship through annual Research Achievement Awards. Early Career Awards and Mid-Career Research Achievement Awards will be given in 2024. Nominations (via UFunds) are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2024. 

Research Strategy and Development

Proposal development assistance: Quad charts and white papers to mission-driven agencies
ORSD is offering limited opportunities to work with an external consultant company to develop and refine quad charts and white papers for mission-driven agencies (DoD, DoE, NASA, ARPA). Interested? Please register here no later than Feb. 29, 2024.

December is distinction month
What are the honorific awards of distinction in your field? Which are the ones you would like to aim for? Contact Susan Weiner to set up a brainstorming session.

Resource: Engaged Scholarship and Broader Impacts
Are you developing a proposal that requires a broader impact component, or looking to incorporate outreach and engaged scholarship activities into your research? See these resources from the Engaged Scholarship and Broader Impacts Working Group.

Research Development and Grant Writing Newsletter
This newsletter offers strategies on how to compete successfully for research funding and highlights new funding opportunities. Catch up on past issues.

Sponsored Projects

Winter Break proposal deadlines
Timelines for routing proposals due before and immediately after Winter Break can be found on OSP’s Announcements Page.

*New* NASA proposal checklist
To help facilitate proposals to NASA, we’ve created a new PI Checklist for NASA Proposals. This checklist incorporates and summarizes guidance from multiple NASA guides, and can be used by both PIs and admins when developing a proposal.

Common forms released for Biosketch and current & pending (other) support
As a first step towards harmonizing the disclosure requirements across agencies, NSF has released Common Forms for Biosketch and Current & Pending documents. 

University information for federal proposals and awards
The Unique Entity ID (UEI) is the official identifier for doing business with the U.S. Government. Brown’s UEI is E3FDXZ6TBHW3. Other important University data and details can be found on OSP’s Institutional Facts & Reference Documents page.

Technology Innovations

BBII pre-proposals due December 15
Brown Biomedical Innovations to Impact (BBII) has launched a new proposal cycle. Interested applicants should review the full information on the BBII website. Pre-proposal applications should be submitted by email by Dec. 15.

PLM awarded patent
Eric M. Darling, Nicholas R. Labriola, and Edith Mathiowitz (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) received a patent for methods that use inverse emulsification to fabricate hyper-compliant polymer particles for use in regenerative medicine, drug delivery and assays, and other applications.

Center on the Biology of Aging awarded patent
John M. Sedivy and Marco De Cecco, Center on the Biology of Aging, received a patent for therapeutic compounds consisting of at least one transcriptase inhibitor (islatravir, censavudine, or elvucitabine) that prevent, delay, or reverse age-associated inflammation.

Chemistry and Medicine awarded patent
Jerome R. Robinson (Chemistry) and Xiang Dong (Medicine) received a patent for catalyst systems that facilitate the ring-opening polymerization of (rac)-β-Butyrolactone (rac-BBL) for the production of sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based materials and for the stereospecific synthesis of aliphatic polyesters.

Research Administration Information Systems

We’re hiring! Join the RAIS Team!
RAIS is hiring a Research Services Business Analyst.

We are a fun-loving, hard-working, supportive team of people working behind the scenes and at the forefront of research-related system implementations, systems support and reporting at Brown. Take a look at who we are and what we do.  

RAIS team members come from many backgrounds spanning the fields of research administration, research compliance, other universities, and private industry. If you have a background in grants, compliance, or reporting and have a desire to take your experience to the systems side of sponsored projects, we invite you to consider our newest available position.

The position can be found by searching for REQ190621 in Workday's Job Hub.

Research Integrity

BEARCORE registration open for January 2024
The BEARCORE Responsible Conduct of Research training course is open for registration. Participants will be required to meet in person January 18 and 19. This course fulfills NIH and NSF RCR training requirements.

Traveling abroad over Winter Break?
Register your travel through TravelSafe prior to departure for help adhering to Brown's travel policies and complying with federal export control regulations. Review our international travel website and contact the Export Control Team with questions.

IRB tip: Human Subjects Research application guidance
Need assistance completing the Human Subjects Research application? Use the linked guidance for help and examples. Visit the HRPP's Guidance & Policies page for more guidance documents.

New to Brown research?
Are you an investigator or research staff new to human subjects research at Brown? Schedule an onboarding session to learn about the HRPP/IRB website, forms, processes, and policies.

Meeting dates & submission deadlines

Research Communications

Highlight your research achievements on @BrownUResearch social media
Promote your research or award and share your accomplishments with a broader audience. Fill out the Brown Research/Award Submission form and we'll follow up with social media posts on Instagram, Twitter/X, and threads. 

Request photo/video coverage
To request research-related photo or video coverage (faculty or student researchers, events, field or lab work, classroom activities, presentations, etc.) please fill out the Research Related Photo/Video Coverage Request form.