PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF)

The PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF) program has two goals: 1) Support research in the Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE), and 2) Increase the community of researchers conducting PFE research. PIs are expected to have little or no experience conducting social science or education research. PFE: RIEF is not intended for established researchers in engineering education or other social science fields to initiate new projects. Those researchers should consider the Research in the Formation of Engineers program (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/rfe-research-formation-engineers). The NSF Engineering (ENG) Directorate has launched a multi-year initiative, the Professional Formation of Engineers, to create and support an innovative and inclusive engineering profession for the 21st Century. Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) refers to the formal and informal education and value systems by which people become engineers. It also includes the ethical responsibility of practicing engineers to sustain and grow the profession. The engineering profession must be responsive to national priorities, grand challenges, and dynamic workforce needs; it must be equally open and accessible to all Americans. Engineering faculty possess both deep technical expertise in their engineering discipline and the primary responsibility for the process of professional formation of future engineers. As such, engineering faculty are in a unique position to help address critical challenges in engineering formation. The Professional Formation of Engineers: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF) program enables engineering faculty who are renowned for teaching, mentoring, or leading educational reform efforts on their campus to develop expertise in conducting engineering education research. Funding Opportunity Number: 20-558. Assistance Listing: 47.041. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: Starting at $200K per award.

High-Risk, High-Reward Immunology Innovation (ExCITe NOSI) is sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI)/National Institutes of Health (NIH). The ExCITe initiative funds exploratory projects in early discovery immunology. It is ideal for researchers investigating underexplored mechanisms of immune regulation, metastasis, or immune evasion. This would be relevant for innovative approaches in ablation immunotherapy combinations.

Catalyst Pilot Research Award (CPRIT) is sponsored by Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). This award provides funding to initiate innovative cancer research projects or to sustain previously funded innovative lines of investigation. It is intended to generate foundational data for future peer-reviewed applications and to offer gap funding for outstanding projects or new research directions. All areas of cancer research are encouraged, with projects expected to yield significant new insights into etiology, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer.

Transition to Independence Grants is sponsored by KidneyCure, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Foundation. These grants are awarded to advance the independent careers of young investigators in biomedical research, specifically within seven years of their initial faculty appointment. The program aims to equip recipients to be competitive for an NIH R01 grant or equivalent.