June 2025
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Outbreak tracker from Pandemic Center at Brown informs action on infectious disease
The user-friendly weekly Tracking Report from researchers at the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health provides valuable information about the spread of infectious diseases like measles, influenza and COVID-19 to physicians, public health leaders and the public.
MESSAGE FROM THE VPR
Advancing Research: A DoR Summer Update
As summer arrives, I would like to highlight some key events and resources to support your research in the coming months. These include two foundation funding workshops, curated funding opportunities via Pivot, primers on Department of Defense (DoD) funding, and guidance on diversifying funding portfolios—a crucial step given the current landscape.
Learn more about these valuable resources provided by RSD, CFR, and BTI, along with other available offerings.
Cheers,
Greg Hirth, Vice President for Research
PRIORITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Department of Defense (DoD) funding Primers
RSD developed two primers for Department of Defense (DoD) funding. One is specifically designed for faculty who have traditionally worked with NIH but are now exploring DoD funding opportunities. The other provides a general overview of working with DoD. The RSD team (orsd@brown.edu ) is available to answer any questions you may have.
Division of Research Pop-up Office Hours, June 18, 11am - 12:30pm
The Vice President for Research will hold office hours to assist faculty in addressing some of their most pressing questions. The first of this series will address NIH's recent announcement prohibiting foreign subawards under parent awards. Register here for this session or to be notified of future office hours.
Foundation Funding Workshop at the Center for Global Health Equity: Opening the Black Box of Foundation Funding, June 26, 12 - 1:30pm
CFR and RSD will cover the key differences between applying for foundation funding and writing federal proposals, provide specific resources to help you identify foundation opportunities, and demonstrate Brown's new grant-finding platform, Pivot. For information, contact Alison Buckser, CFR director. Register here.
Foundation Funding Workshop for Faculty in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, CoPsy, Computer Science, and Data Science, July 9, 11am - 12pm
The Dean of the Faculty and CFR will host a one-hour Zoom workshop focused on foundation fundraising. Staff from CFR and RSD will discuss resources for identifying private funding opportunities, building relationships with funders, and making a winning case for foundation support. Faculty will share experiences partnering with foundation funders. For information, contact David Loerke, CFR director. Register here.
DoR UNITS & SERVICES
BROWN TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS
Theromics awarded MassVentures START Award
Brown Startup Theromics (Ed Walsh) was recently awarded a $200,000 Stage II START Award from MassVentures. The program assists startups with commercializing their SBIR-awarded technologies.
BTI attending BIO International Convention
BTI will represent Brown research at the 2025 Biotechnology Industry Organization International Convention, held in Boston from June 16-19. BTI will showcase several life science inventions from Brown. To learn more, contact tech-innovations@brown.edu.
NSF I-Corps info session
For Brown Researchers interested in commercializing new technology, an NSF I-Corps information session will be held in ERC 125 on June 12 from 12 -1pm. Pizza will be served. Register here.
RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Huron funding proposals: Creating an SF424 (Application for Federal Assistance) form
Visit RAIS’ guidance on steps for creating an SF424.
RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
Eva Erickson: Ph.D. Candidate and Survivor 48 Runner-Up
Erickson, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in engineering and fluid and thermal science, gave a look inside her research and talked about her experience on “Survivor.” Watch the new video on Instagram, or the extended version on YouTube.
RESEARCH INTEGRITY
New General License for Syria
Due to recent federal directives around Syrian sanctions, more activities are now allowed. However, the rules remain complex and require clear documentation, so Export Control review is still required to ensure compliance. Contact ExportControl@brown.edu to discuss.
Embargoed countries reminder
Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine remain comprehensively embargoed. If you are considering engagement, remotely or in person, with individuals located in these countries, you must get prior approval from Export Control (ExportControl@Brown.edu).
Meeting dates & submission deadlines
RESEARCH STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT
McAllister & Quinn: Federal Funding Outlook
Join the Research Strategy and Development team on July 14 at 12pm for a presentation with McAllister & Quinn on federal funding trends that impact Brown. The webinar will offer insight into this Administration's funding priorities and new federal funding opportunities that may interest Brown. For more information and to register, check out Events@Brown or sign up here.
SPONSORED PROJECTS
FY25 Year End Schedule
FYE25 is right around the corner! Please refer to the Controller's Year End Schedule for important deadlines.
FEDERAL & AGENCY UPDATES
NIH
NIH Prohibition on Foreign Subawards
NIH has recently announced that foreign subawards are no longer permitted in proposal applications. They will also be revising existing awards to remove or renegotiate existing foreign subawards.
NSF
New June 2025 required annual MFTRP certification in Research.gov
The National Science Foundation has announced a new mandatory certification effective June 7, 2025. All NSF-funded PIs and Co-PIs will be prompted to log into Research.gov to complete an annual certification that they are not party to a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program. Details are available in the announcement FAQs.
Sharing stories of research and discovery at Brown University.
