Research News Roundup - September 2024

This month’s newsletter highlights news from federal agencies, awards for graduate students, new faculty highlight stories, exciting workshops, new funding opportunities, news from the Leatherby Libraries, our office hours, and coming soon a monthly meet and greet with our Vice President for Research and Graduate Education.

If you have any questions related to grants, compliance, industry partnerships, or graduate education, join the monthly office hours – see below for time and Zoom links.

Meet and Greet the VPR Martina Nieswandt

Have you always wondered what the Office of Research & Graduate Education (OORGE) does? Are you questioning how best to get your research, scholarship, and creative activities to the next level and wonder how the OORGE can help in addition to the support you get in your college/school? Starting in October you can get answers to such questions and many others from Martina on the second Wednesday of each month between 11:30 am and 1 PM at the Atheneum. Come and join her on October 9^th for the first Meet and Greet!

Unlock Your Research Potential with Nature Masterclasses

Are you looking to elevate your research skills and advance your career? Look no further than Nature Masterclasses! Expert-led online courses are designed to provide researchers at all levels with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in the competitive world of research and scholarship. Sign up today using your Chapman credential.

Why Sign-Up for and Take Nature Masterclasses?

Comprehensive courses: Courses cover a wide range of topics, including scientific writing, data analysis, and research collaboration.
Flexible Learning: Access courses anytime, anywhere, and learn at your own pace.
Practical Skills: Gain hands-on experience and practical skills that you can apply directly to your research projects.

Semiannual IACUC Program Review

The IACUC will be holding its next semiannual program review and facility inspection on November 15. Please ensure that all records related to research are current and available for review upon request. Animal use areas must be free of expired materials/supplies, supplies are properly labeled (i.e., at minimum: name of lab, name of materials/supplies and expiration date [if the material does not expire, please indicate with “material does not expire”]), certifications of equipment are current, and all materials are nonporous, impervious to moisture and sanitizable.

Nominations for Graduate Student Awards Due Soon

The Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) in collaboration with ProQuest supports four awards for outstanding graduate students for regional/national recognition. As a member of WAGS, we can submit one nomination for each award. Our goal is to have one nominee in every category!

The deadline for submitting your program nominee is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Submit all required elements to GradEd@chapman.edu as one continuous PDF document.

Principal Investigators - Claim or Update Your PIVOT Profile

As we kick off the new school year, it’s the perfect time to claim or update your Pivot RP profile. Keeping your profile current ensures you stay connected with the latest funding opportunities and collaborations. By adding keywords from your specific discipline, you’ll receive customized emails tailored to your research interests. Don’t miss out—log in today and make sure your information is up-to-date!

Changes to DMS Cost Requirements in NIH Research Proposals

Now that we’ve had time to evaluate the new DMS Policy requirements, and in response to feedback we’ve received from PIs like you, we are happy to announce that we have revised the DMS Cost requirement to allow for more flexibility. To sum up the changes:

OOR & GE will no longer require a specific minimum DMS Cost amount. Rather, PIs should think carefully about what they will need to comply with their DMS Plan and budget accordingly.
DMS Cost budgets should still not be $0 except in extremely rare cases which must be well justified.
PIs are responsible for covering the costs associated with complying with their DMS Plan (if the project budget is insufficient, PIs will need to use a discretionary source such as their IDC account, startup funds, etc.).

New National Institute of Health Decision Matrix

This Decision Matrix further clarifies NIH's processes for handling allegations of foreign interference.

DOD Releases List of Foreign Institutions Engaging in Problematic Activities

The Department of Defense announced publication of the Fiscal Year 2023 update to the list of foreign institutions engaging in problematic activity and reaffirmed the FY22 list of foreign talent programs that pose a threat to national security, as required by Section 1286 of the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act.

Bureau of Industry and Security Compliance Note

The Bureau of Industry and Security has published Trends in Voluntary Self-Disclosures Related to Academia to Inform Improvements to Export Compliance Plans

New FY25 Policy on Sex as a Biological Variable in Research

The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) published a policy to ensure females and males are appropriately included in the design of CDMRP-funded research.

Kudos to Chapman Faculty Award Recipients

Please join us in congratulating the following faculty who have received a new award in 2024. Keep up the amazing work!

Andrew Jordan for "SoCal Quantum Foundation Hub: Knowledge and Agency in Quantum Physics" from The John Templeton Foundation for $2,429,740.00
Rosalee Hellberg for "SURFFS-UP: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Food Science for Underrepresented Populations" from The U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture for $520,450.00
Armen Gulian for "Exploration of room-temperature superconductivity in the oxy-pyromorphite family" from The Office of Naval Research for $149,146.00
Christopher Bader for "Advancing Religion Data Resources and Translational Research at the Association of Religion Data Archives" from Lilly Endowment Inc. (Through a subaward from Indiana University) for $1,102,481.00
Christopher Bader for "Using the ARDA to Strengthen Religion Research Community" from The Templeton Religion Trust (Through a subaward from Indiana University) for $281,329.00

Cayuse Human Ethics Workshop

Join the IRB on Sept. 13, 2024, from 1-2 pm to learn the basics of using Cayuse-Human Ethics in submitting human subject protocols RSVP for further details (e.g., Zoom link and location on the Orange campus). Please feel free to forward the RSVP link to colleagues and any other interested individuals.

The Evolving Landscape of Human Research with AI - Putting Ethics into Practice

Join an exciting panel of speakers for a virtual workshop on September 19th from 9:45am-4:15pm EDT to explore challenges in ethics, governance, and public trust in human research involving AI. Watch the event from the Office for Human Research Protection’s website. No registration required.

Advancing Research Participation for LGBTQI+ Individuals

This webinar on October 2nd from 12-2pm EDT jointly sponsored by the Office for Human Research Protection and the Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) at NIH, supports the goal of promoting diversity, inclusivity, and appropriate representation in biomedical and socio-behavioral research to improve health for everyone. This webinar focuses on advancing this endeavor for LGBTQI+ individuals. More information can be found on the U.S Department of Health and Human Services website.

New Funding Opportunities

NEW! NAEd/Spencer National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, Sponsor deadline: November 7, 2024
NSF Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12), Sponsor deadline : November 13, 2024
NSF Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Individual Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (STEMEdIPRF), Sponsor deadline: December 3, 2024

National Science Foundations Career-Life Balance Initiative

NSF recognizes that primary dependent care responsibilities and other family considerations pose unique challenges to PIs and CoPIs and therefore established the Career-Life Balance (CLB) initiative in 2012 and which is still in effect for supplemental funding requests and under-utilized!

CLB supplements to existing research awards may be requested for the following purposes:

To support additional personnel (e.g., a technician or research assistant) to sustain research when the PI, co-PI, or other member of the Senior Personnel is on family leave for primary dependent care responsibilities and other direct family considerations; and
To support additional personnel (e.g., a technician or research assistant) to sustain research while a postdoctoral researcher or graduate student being supported by NSF on the award is on family leave for primary dependent care responsibilities and other direct family considerations.

Questions about the submission of a Career Life Balance supplement should be addressed to the cognizant NSF program officer for the underlying award

Leatherby Libraries Celebrates 20 Years of Supporting the Academic Experience

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Leatherby Libraries in 2004. For the past two decades, the library has been a cutting-edge hub for learning and research, providing valuable contributions to the Chapman University community.

AI: The Next Chapter Display

In honor of the Leatherby Libraries’ 20th Anniversary, we are excited to present AI: The Next Chapter, a year-long display that dives into the transformative impact of AI across various fields. Featuring a curated selection of physical books, e-books, and online articles, this display invites viewers to explore the rich AI resources available through the Leatherby Libraries.

Connect to Knowledge: Drama Online Introduces its 3rd National Theatre Collection

The Leatherby Libraries is pleased to now offer access to Collection 3 of Drama Online: National Theatre Collections 1-3. This database contains videos and images of contemporary plays from National Theatre Live Broadcasts

We are here for you! Join us in our office hours to get answers to your questions; discuss trends and news from funding agencies and federal guidelines; get tips about proposal development for grants, IRB and IACUC protocols; or to find out what’s all the talk about inventions, patents, and industry partnerships.

SPS Pre Award & Non-Financial Post Award: The first Tuesday of every month from 11:00-12:00pm. Zoom Link.

SPS Post Award: The last Tuesday of every month from 9:30-10:30am. Zoom Link

IRB: The first Tuesday of every month from 9:00-10:00am. Zoom Link.

IACUC/COI/Export/Import: The fourth Tuesday of every month from 9:00-10:00pm. Zoom Link.

Industry Alliance and Commercialization: The third Thursday of every month from 3:00-4:00pm. Zoom Link.

Graduate Education: The last Thursday of every month from 10:00-11:00am. Zoom Link.

For a full schedule including quarterly and semester specific dates for additional departments and for Zoom information visit our events page.

To be entered into the next monthly drawing, attend one of our virtual office hours.

Contact our office for inquiries using our Jira ticketing system.