Announcements

Upcoming opportunities, insights, and programming from the Research Development Office are highlighted in the biweekly RD Newsletter and presented here in an expanded form. Check this Announcements page and our @UMDResearch X (Twitter) account for regular updates. Sign up for the newsletter below or view past RD Newsletters at the bottom of this page.

Programming

NIH Strategy Consult Office Hours

NIH Strategy Consult Office Hours will focus on discussing the fit and timing of your next NIH proposal - including selecting the right mechanism, IC, and study section, and charting next steps to achieve your submission goals.

To request a consultation meeting, please complete the request form online. Three days prior to your strategy session, you’ll be asked to submit xyz.
For any questions or concerns, please contact Michelle Smith

CAREER Info Session and Panel

The UMD Research Development Office will be hosting an information session on the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program on Feb 1 at 10am via Zoom. This session is geared for assistant professors (or equivalent) across all Colleges/Departments engaged in research supported by NSF.

During the session we will:

Provide an overview of the NSF CAREER program, eligibility, and application process
Discuss distinctive features of CAREERs and how to position yourself
Hear from recent CAREER recipients about their experience and the impact of the CAREER on their research trajectory
Hear from a former NSF Division Director about what reviewers are looking for and how to prepare the most competitive application
Answer your questions

More about the CAREER program

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

Proposers must meet all of the following eligibility requirements as of the annual deadline:

Hold a doctoral degree in a field supported by NSF
Be engaged in research in an area of science, engineering, or education supported by NSF
Hold at least a 50% tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) position as an assistant professor (or equivalent title)
Be untenured
Have not previously received a CAREER award. (Prior or concurrent Federal support for other types of awards for non-duplicative research does not preclude eligibility.)

Awards range from from $400k - $1M for 5-year projects
Deadline is July 26, 2025

On The Horizon

The UMD Research Development Office, RD Capture Director, and Strategic Intelligence Analyst support our faculty by providing pre-competition intelligence with recommended actions and support.

Did You Know

Proactively engaging with new government program managers can significantly enhance your research visibility and funding opportunities. By presenting your technologies using a quad chart, you can effectively communicate your innovations and their potential impact. Schedule a time with Patrick M. Mendez, UMD’s Research Development Capture Director, to discuss your technology and identify potential federal customers who might align with your research interests. Let's collaborate to bring your research to the forefront!

Funding Opportunity Capture

DARPA: New and Upcoming Programs

NEW: Artificial Intelligence Quantified (AIQ)
- Aims to develop technologies to assess and understand AI capabilities for guaranteed performance.
NEW:Scalable Analog Neural-networks (ScAN)
- Aims to develop scalable, robust, and power-efficient analog neural network architectures and circuits interfacing directly with conventional sensors.
Upcoming: Enhancing Quantum Sensor Technologies with Rydberg Atoms (EQSTRA)
- Aims to advance the performance, capabilities, and application landscape of Rydberg-vapor technologies for quantum-enhanced electrometry, imaging, communications, and other applications to Quantum Information Science (QIS).
Upcoming: Switch
- Aims to test the hypothesis that biomanufacturing platforms can be engineered to enable run-time reprogramming of cellular metabolism to toggle between different chemical synthesis operations.
Upcoming:Broad-Spectrum Antagonists for Editors (B-SAFE)
- Aims to develop platform capabilities and tools for discovery, optimization, and validation of broad-spectrum inhibitors for gene editing technologies.

ARPA-H: Current Open Opportunities

Lymphatic Imaging, Genomics, and pHenotyping Technologies (LIGHT) Seeks comprehensive diagnostic solutions across three technical areas: diagnosis and monitoring through biomarker discovery; imaging technologies; and prevention, prediction, and diagnostic confirmation through genetics, epigenetics, and models of lymphatic dysfunction.
Universal PatchinG and Remediation for Autonomous DEfense (UPGRADE): Seeks an autonomous cyber-threat solution that enables proactive, scalable, and synchronized security updates.

Requests for Information (RFIs): Upcoming programs and RFIs offer guidance to the federal government on specific areas of interest. While they may not represent immediate funding opportunities, RFIs provide a framework for influencing policy decisions and shaping future funding calls. Please see below for current RFIs:

NIH: Effects of Racism on Brain and Behavioral Health(June 14)
AI in Transportation (June 7)
NOAA: Draft Prospectus of the Sixth National Climate Assessment (June 7)

Nominations: This is a curated list of opportunities to serve on federal and other research-related boards and committees. Participation provides opportunities for expertise recognition and to influence policy decisions.

USPTONominations for Patent Public Advisory Committee (July 5)

For questions on Opportunity Capture, RFIs or Nominations, please contact Patrick M. Mendez