MISSISSIPPIEXPERIMENTALPROGRAMTOSTIMULATECOMPETITIVERESEARCH (MSEPSCoR)

MODELINGANDSIMULATIONOFCOMPLEXSYSTEMS SEEDRESEARCHGRANTPROGRAM

2014

Deadline:April11,2014

BACKGROUND

The2009-2014MississippiEPSCoRawardfromtheNationalScienceFoundation(NSF)promotesresearchin

ModelingandSimulationofComplexSystems.Thethreeresearchfocusareaswithinthisgrantarecomputational chemistry(CompChem),computationalbiology(CompBio)andbiosystemssimulation(BioSim).Thegrant providessupportforup tosixseedgrantsperyearforinnovativeresearchinorbetweenthethreefocusareas. The researchprogramswithineachfocusareaare:

•ModelingandSimulationofNanoscaleChemistry(CompChem)

•ModelingofBiologicalSystems(CompBio)

•Multi-ScaleSimulationFrameworkforBiologicalSystems(BioSim) MoreinformationontheMSEPSCoRcanbefoundat

SEEDRESEARCHGRANTOBJECTIVES

TheMSEPSCoRSeedResearchGrantsaredesignedtostrengthencompetitivenessinthefocusareasof computationalchemistry,computationalbiology,andbiosystemssimulationin thepartneringinstitutionsasdefinedinthefundedproposal.ThepartneringinstitutionsareJacksonStateUniversity,MississippiState University,theUniversityofMississippi(includingtheUniversityofMississippiMedicalCenter),andthe UniversityofSouthernMississippi.Theseedresearchgrantsaretargetedforresearchthatbuildsonthe foundationofexistingresearchfocusareas,thatextendsthebreadthofresearchinthethreeresearchareas,andthatestablishesbridgesbetweenthefocusareas.Theintentistopromotea strongerinterdisciplinaryresearchnetworkin MississippiandtomakeMississippiresearchersmorenationallycompetitiveinresearchineachofthe threefocusareasandinresearchthatcutsacrossfocusareas.Theproposalsmustbefornewunfundedresearchoracontinuationofapreviouslyfundedseedgrant.

Thegrantsaretargetedtolessexperiencedinvestigatorsinitiatingresearchinoneoftheseareasortoexperienced facultychangingfieldsand/orinitiatingaprojectinanewareathatwillstrengthenresearchinmodelingand simulationofcomplexsystems.Althoughthebudgetcanremainentirelyatasingleinstitution,grantspromoting multi-universitycollaborationsandresearchthatinvolvesmorethanonefocusareawillbea priority.Preference willbegiventoprojectsthatintegrateresearchacrossinstitutionsandacrossthefocusareasofcomputational chemistry,computationalbiology,andbiosystemssimulation.

Allresearchmustbetightlyintegratedwithcoregoalsofthecurrentproject.Applicantsareencouragedtoread thedescriptionofthe2009-2015projectandStrategicPlanat: proposalstoensurethattheproposedprojectisconsistentwiththeobjectivesoftheaward.Applicantsarealso encouragedtocontacttheScienceCoordinatortodiscusstheproposedresearchpriortosubmission(seecontact informationbelow).

Theseseedresearchgrantsareintendedtostimulatenewresearchleadingtograntproposalsubmissionsinthe nearfutureandtotherapidgrowthoftheresearchnetworktargetedby theEPSCoRproposal.Innovative,high- risk-high-rewardprojectsareparticularlyencouraged.Theyarenotintendedforadditionalsupportfor establishedresearch.

ELIGIBILITY

Facultymembersatanyofthefourpartneringinstitutionsareeligibletoapply.FacultymembersatotherMississippiinstitutionsofhigherlearningcanalsoapplyforseedgrantsiftheirresearchistightlyintegratedwith theMSEPSCoRresearchatoneofthepartneringinstitutions.Theproposedresearchmustbeintegratedwiththe goalsoftheprojectasdescribedat fundinginapreviousyearareeligibletoapplyforacontinuation.Proposalsforcontinuinggrantswillcompete withnewgrantproposalsandwillbeevaluatedbasedonresultsfromthefirstyearofresearchandpublications andproposalsgeneratedduringthefirstyearinadditionto thecriteriausedtoevaluateotherproposals.

FUNDINGAMOUNT

Fundingforeachproposalisforoneyearandwillnotexceed$36,000perresearcherincludingFacilitiesand Administration(FA)pendingavailabilityoffundsfromNSF.ProposersshouldusetheappropriateFA ratefortheirinstitutionandFA mustbeincludedinthe$36,000.Linkedproposalsfromtwoor moreofthe partneringinstitutionsareallowed.Inlinkedproposals,asingleproposalissubmitted,butseparatebudgetsaresubmittedforeachinstitution.Linkedproposalswillbereviewedbasedonthescientificmeritofthesinglesubmittedproposaland mustrepresenta single,integratedresearcheffort.EachresearchercanonlybeaPIorco- PIon oneproposaland maybelistedasunfundedcollaboratoronuptotwoadditionalproposals.

COSTSHARINGREQUIREMENT

NSFEPSCoRfundingrequirescostsharingof20%oftotalNSFcosts.Thecostsharemust meetNSFcost sharerequirementsandcannotincludeanyfederalfunds.Costsharewillbetheresponsibilityoftheresearcher’s homeinstitution.

REPORTINGREQUIREMENTS

Granteesarerequiredtosubmitafinalreport(1-3pages)within2monthsoftheendofthegrantperiod.The reportshoulddetailtheactivities,publications,extramuralgrantapplication(s),and/orextramuralgrantawardsarisingfromsupport.Includenames,degreesanddemographicinformationforanypersonnelsupportedbythe award.Areminderwillbesent1 monthbeforethereportisdue.

FORMATOFPROPOSAL

Applicationsshouldbepreparedwiththefollowingspecifications:

PageSize:8½x11inches,Spacing:Single,Font:TimesNewRomanorArial,12 point,Margins:1”.

1.CoverPage

a.ProposalTitle

b. PrincipalInvestigatorandCo-Investigator(s)(Fullname,Title,PrimaryAffiliation,PhoneNumbers,Fax

Number,E-mailAddress)

c.TypeofProposal:RegularorLinked

2.Abstract(Maximumof200words)

3.Proposal(Maximumof5 pages—longerproposalsWILLNOTbereviewed)

a.Overview,objectivesandsignificance(~0.5page)

b. Backgroundandreviewofrelevantliterature(~0.5page).

c.Researchplan—includeadescriptionofthenatureoftheproposedworkanda publicationplan(~2pages). d. Expectedresults(~0.5page)

e.Potentialforgeneratingcompetitivefunding(~0.5page)

f.DescribethenatureofproposedcollaborationwithongoingEPSCoRresearchactivities.(~0.5page)

g. DistinguishbetweencurrentEPSCoRfundingandtheproposedseedgrant(Onlyforinvestigatorsalready receivingsupportthroughEPSCoR).(~0.25pages)

4.Budget

AllbudgetsaretobesubmittedinNSFformat.Budgetsmayincludefacultysalaries,postdoctoralsalaries, graduateandundergraduatestudentsalaries,fees,andtuition,supplies,contractual,equipmentandtravel.ThebudgetsmustincludeappropriatefringesonallpersonnelsalaryandmustincludeF&A. Nosubcontractsareallowed.

5.Appendices

a.Literaturecited

b. Budgetincludingcostshare(NSFformat,1 page). c.Budgetjustification(1page)

d. Curriculumvitaeofallinvestigators(NSFbiosketchformat,2 pagesmaximumforeachinvestigator)

e.Statementagreeingtoprovideafinalreportandtopresenttheresearchresultsat theMississippiEPSCoR AnnualMeeting.

f.Uptothreesuggestedreviewers(optional)

PROPOSALREVIEW

Proposalswillbereviewedby internaland/orexternalreviewersforscientificmerit,relevancetoMSEPSCoR’s aims,multi-disciplinarycollaboration,justificationofbudget,potentialforrapidsuccessincludingsubsequent submissionsoffullproposalstoexternalagencies,andtrainingopportunitiesforgraduatestudentsespeciallythosefromunderrepresentedgroups.ThereviewerswillprovidescientificreviewwithoutfundingrecommendationsandtheMississippiEPSCoRSteeringCommitteewillmakethefinalfundingdecisions.

SUBMISSIONPROCEDURE,DEADLINEANDNOTIFICATIONOFAWARD

ProposalsshouldbecontainedinasinglePDFfileandsentasanemailattachmentto:

Dr.KeithWalters

ScienceCoordinator

ModelingandSimulationofComplexSystems

MississippiNSFEPSCoRProgram

MississippiStateUniversity Email: Tel:662-325-8231

Deadline:April11,2014

Notification:May15,2014

StartDateforProposals:June1,2014

ProposersarestronglyencouragedtocontacttheMississippiEPSCoRScienceCoordinatorortheLeadInvestigatorineachresearchareaforadditionalinformation:

ComputationalBiologyLeadInvestigator

Dr.ByronWilliams

DepartmentofComputerScienceandEngineering

MississippiStateUniversity Email: Tel.:662-325-2079

BiosystemsSimulationLeadInvestigator

Dr.KeishaB. Walters

DaveC.SwalmSchoolofChemicalEngineering

MississippiStateUniversity Email: Tel.:662-325-7203

ComputationalChemistryLeadInvestigator

Dr.GregTschumper

DepartmentofChemistryandBiochemistry

UniversityofMississippi Email: Tel:662-915-5331