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DEAR COLLEAGUES

Welcome to the November edition of the ORI Newsletter. Have you ever wondered about getting funding from the Department of Energy (DOE)? On Monday, Nov. 15, at noon, ORI is offering a Discovery Acceleration workshop on understanding the DOE and how to write proposals for DOE funding Â鶹´«Ã½. This newsletter contains more information on the workshop.

This month we are introducing a new section in the newsletter highlighting WMU researchers. In the November issue, we will highlight Dr. Bridget Weller, professor of social work and director of the College of Health and Human Services Office of Research. Please take time to learn about one of our colleagues and her impactful research.

As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, I am interested in learning about your work. If you would like to talk to me, please arrange either a virtual or in-person meeting with me regarding your research.

Regards,

Steven M. Carr, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation

Meet our Researchers

Dr. Bridget E. Weller has dedicated her career to improving mental health outcomes for Black and multiracial adolescents and young adults. Her substantive expertise has three intersecting areas that address racial and ethnic inequities: descriptive epidemiology, risk and protective factors, and intervention research. Although she has led several qualitative research projects, her primary expertise is in advanced statistical procedures. Most of her research support has been from the National Institute of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In addition to collaborating on interprofessional teams, findings from her research have implications for various professions, such as social work, clinical mental health counseling and psychiatry. Including Â鶹´«Ã½s in the research process is central to the facilitation of Dr. Weller’s research agenda. For instance, she has published with 10 Â鶹´«Ã½s on topics related to equity promotion.

VPRI search update announced 
The Search Advisory Committee (SAC) for the Vice President for Research and Innovation held its organizational meeting on Nov. 4. A website was developed to provide transparency on the status of the search and offer online Â鶹´«Ã½ to provide the SAC guidance during this critical leadership search. In conjunction with the advice and counsel of search consultants at Greenwood Asher and Associates, the SAC has launched the first phase of input from campus and community stakeholders, which will continue the week of Nov. 15. Refer to the website for dates, times and WebEx links.

Discovery Acceleration workshop scheduled
A Discovery Acceleration workshop for the Department of Energy is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 15, at noon. This DOE workshop provides a discussion of how mission agencies are different from basic research agencies—such as NSF and NIH—and how DOE is organized and the differences between different parts of DOE, such as comparing EERE to the Office of Science. In addition, participants will learn how to identify and analyze funding Â鶹´«Ã½, as well as receive a high-level review of how to write proposals to DOE. This workshop is led by Lucy Deckard of Academic Research Funding Strategies, LLC. 

Undergraduate Research Excellence Award application process open
Applications for the Undergraduate Research Excellence Award are being accepted, and the deadline is Thursday, Nov. 18. Goals of the award include providing undergraduate Â鶹´«Ã½s with an opportunity to have a mentored research or creative scholarship-related experience under the mentorship of one of WMU’s tenured faculty, tenure track faculty or staff. Visit our website for more information.

Technology Development Fund applications accepted
The Office of Research and Innovation is now accepting applications for the Technology Development Fund (TDF) for awards of up to $25,000. Western has made funds available to help discoveries make the transition from invention to commercialization. The funds from this program are intended to be used to bridge the gap that often exists between research-stage technologies and technologies that are closer to being licensed by a corporation, as well as those that may be ready for private investment as part of a start-up company. Commercial-ready technologies often require a working prototype, or they require a more developed prototype that has been validated for a greater number of conditions or difference endpoints than earlier versions. related to the TDF application.

Cayuse and Human Subjects Research is live
Just a quick reminder that Cayuse has gone live. We’ve had several IRB workshops. If you weren’t able to attend, please view the video recording. View information to get better acquainted with all of the research modules.  Additional guidance will continue to be added.

Support for Faculty Scholars Award proposals due Dec. 1
The competition for the Support for Faculty Scholars Award is now open in InfoReady. Proposals are due Wednesday, Dec. 1. Find more information on this internal funding opportunity.

GrantForward resource available
A reminder that an excellent resource for funding searches to support research and creative scholarship, GrantForward, is available. If you already have an account and filters applied, we encourage you to map out your proposal timeline. Share promising funding Â鶹´«Ã½ with your research officer. They’ll be happy to help you with a successful submission.

Applications for Libraries' Open Textbook grants due Dec. 10
The University Libraries will award up to 10 $1,000 grants to help WMU faculty and instructors adopt open textbooks and educational resources for their courses. Applicants must be teaching a course in spring, summer or fall 2022 to be considered for the grant. View complete requirements and apply by Friday, Dec. 10.

MASAL open call for abstracts
The Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters (MASAL) invites faculty and graduate Â鶹´«Ã½s to submit an abstract in the sciences, humanities and social sciences for the March 2022 conference. Please consider sharing this information with eligible Â鶹´«Ã½s. .

Spring Convocation set
Mark your calendars for the second annual Virtual Spring Convocation scheduled for Friday, April 15. As the date gets closer, more information will be available along with a link to attend.

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