Hoy, 8 de enero de 2008, terminan mis funciones como decana
asociada de investigación del Colegio de Artes y Ciencias. Gracias a
todos y todas por la oportunidad brindada de ser parte del esfuerzo que
realizamos día a día para avanzar en nuestras tareas como docentes
e investigadores.  Les deseo muchos éxitos en este nuevo
año 2008!

Astrid J. Cruz Pol
Catedrática
Departamento de Química, RUM

 

CREST - Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology  
RISE - HBCU Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering

 

 

Synopsis of Program:

The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and
Technology (CREST) program makes resources available to enhance the
research capabilities of minority-serving institutions through the
establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and
research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge, enhancements
of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded
presence of students historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines.
Awards are offered as new centers, supplements to existing centers,
proposals for the CREST Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (HBCU-RISE)
initiative, or supplements to CREST/HBCU-RISE-eligible awardees for
diversity collaboration in projects co-funded with NSF’s Small Business
Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR)
programs, which are administered by NSF’s Directorate for Engineering.

Letter of Intent (required) due date:  February 05, 2008

Full proposal due date:  April 08, 2008

Only one CREST center proposal may be submitted per
eligible institution. An institution may have only one active CREST
award, irrespective of focus area. Centers that have completed two
prior, consecutive 5-year CREST Cooperative Agreements may not
recompete in the CREST centers competition. New research teams from
former awardee institutions may submit proposals in disciplinary areas
that are completely different from those of the previous award(s). Only
one HBCU-RISE proposal may be submitted per eligible institution. An
institution may have only one active HBCU-RISE award.

For full guidelines and description click here.

 

 

TO ALL PR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY:

NASA has released the announcement of the 2008 NASA EPSCoR Competition.
(Announcement No. NNH08ZNE001C, see attachment)

According to the Announcement:

"Each eligible Jurisdiction can submit up to 2 proposals. The maximum funding
request per proposal is $750,000. This amount is to be expended over a three-year period.
All NASA EPSCoR monies must be matched 1:1 with non-federal monies.
In-kind matches are allowable. Notice of Intent Due: January 29, 2008.
Proposals Due: March 14, 2008"

"Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal is expected to establish research activities
that will make significant contributions to the strategic research and technology development
priorities of one or more of the Mission Directorates and contribute to the overall research
infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, higher education, and economic
development of the jurisdiction."

"Cooperative Agreements will be awarded to the institution of the NASA EPSCoR/Space
Grant Director. The NASA EPSCoR Director must therefore serve as the Principal
Investigator for and manage the jurisdiction’s NASA EPSCoR project"

In response to this Announcement:

The PR NASA EPSCoR Office is opening a PR-wide competition in order to
choose one or two PRE-PROPOSALS using the criteria established in the
NASA EPSCoR Announcement.
Researchers interested in competing must send a PRE-PROPOSAL by
Thursday, January 24, 2008, following the guidelines attached.

The PI(s) of the winning PRE-PROPOSAL(S) will be informed on
January 28, 2008 and will be invited to develop the corresponding full
proposal(s) according to the guidelines provided in the Announcement. 
The official notice(s) of intent will be submitted to NASA by the PR NASA
EPSCoR Director on January 29, 2008 through the NSPIRES system.

The proposal(s) will be submitted to NASA through the PR NASA EPSCoR
Office using the NSPIRES system on or before March 14, 2008.

 

Important Documents:

2008 PR NASA-EPSCoR Pre-proposals Guidelines

NASA-EPSCoR 2008 Announcement

 

 

 

 PARA ACCEDER LAS GUÍAS COMPLETAS PARA LA PREPARACIÓN DE PROPUESTAS PULSE AQUÍ.

Interdisciplinary Training for Undergraduates in Biological and Mathematical Sciences (UBM)

Proposals Deadline: February 21, 2008

The goal of the Undergraduate Biology and
Mathematics (UBM) activity is to enhance undergraduate education and
training at the intersection of the biological and mathematical
sciences and to better prepare undergraduate biology or mathematics
students to pursue graduate study and careers in fields that integrate
the mathematical and biological sciences. The core of the activity
is jointly-conducted long-term research experiences for
interdisciplinary balanced teams of at least two undergraduates
from departments in the biological and mathematical sciences.
Projects should focus on research at the intersection of the
mathematical and biological sciences. Projects should provide students
exposure…(access link above to continue reading)

 

Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE)

Proposals Deadline: March 3, 2008

The COSEE Network, which consists of
eleven coordinated COSEE Centers, fosters the integration of ocean
research into high-quality educational materials, enables ocean
researchers to gain a better understanding of educational organizations
and pedagogy, provides educators with an enhanced capacity to
understand and deliver high-quality educational programs in the ocean
sciences, and provides material to the public that promotes a deeper
understanding of the ocean and its influence on each person’s quality
of life and our national prosperity. 

The Division of Ocean Sciences solicits proposals to
operate a Central Coordinating Office  for the COSEE
Network.  The Central Coordinating Office organizes national
oversight of the COSEE effort, enhances communication …(access link
above to continue reading)

Microbial Genome Sequencing Program FY 2008

Proposals Deadline: February 19, 2008

As a collaborative, interagency effort, the National
Science Foundation (NSF), and the Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture invite research proposals (i) to support high-throughput
sequencing of the genomes of microorganisms (including viruses,
bacteria, archaea, fungi, oomycetes, protists and agriculturally
important nematodes) and (ii) to develop and implement strategies,
tools and technologies to make currently available genome sequences
more valuable to the user community. The availability of genome
sequences provides the foundation for understanding how microorganisms
function and live, and how they interact with their environments and
with other organisms. The sequences are expected to be available to and
used by a community of investigators to……(access link above to
continue reading)

 

 

 

 

Due date: December 3, 2007, 4:30 PM.

To download complete guidelines please click here. 

 

El próximo jueves, 8 de noviembre, a las 10:30 AM, se inaugurará el
programa de reciclaje del RUM. Las actividades incluyen una marcha que
comenzará en el vestíbulo del Edificio Stefani y terminará en el Centro
de Estudiantes.

 

Invita:

El Movimiento Ambientalista Colegial (MAC), Campus
Verde, Salud, Seguridad y Protección Ambiental y
La Agencia Ambiental

 

 

El programa Desarrollando Científicos e Ingenieros Globales de
la Fundación Nacional de las Ciencias (NSF)  ofrece la oportunidad
a estudiantes sub-graduados y graduados de ciencias e ingeniería, de
realizar una pasantía de investigación en universidades
internacionales. Este programa tiene dos componentes: Experiencia de Investigación Internacional para Estudiantes (IRES por sus siglas en inglés); Proyectos para el Enriquecimiento de la Disertación Doctoral (DDEP por sus siglas en inglés).

El primer componente de este programa (IRES)
brinda la oportunidad a estudiantes graduados y sub-graduados de
realizar investigación en el extranjero con colaboradores del
exterior. Las fechas para someter estas propuestas son cada 15 de
septiembre y 15 de febrero, anualmente, para actividades que han de
comenzar al menos seis meses luego de esas fechas.

El segundo componente (DDEP) tiene como objetivo el
proveer la oportunidad a un estudiante doctoral de realizar una
investigación en el exterior que enriquezca y amplíe la investigación
de su disertación doctoral. Las propuestas para este programa son
sometidas por el consejero de tesis del estudiante y pueden ser
sometidas en cualquier momento.

El criterio de mérito revisado de NSF aplica a estos programas.

Para acceder las guías completas a estos programa Pulse Aquí.

 

 

El día jueves,11 de octubre de 2007, se llevará a cabo el Primer Simposio de Arqueología del Recinto Universitario de Mayaguez.  El mismo se celebrará en
el Anfiteatro de Enfermería desde las 8:00 AM hasta las 4:00PM.

 

   A continuación la agenda del simposio.

 

 

PROGRAM FOR MOLECULAR ARCHAEOLOGY, SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING APPLIED TO THE STUDY OF THE PAST

First Scientific Meeting

October 11, 2007

Nursery Amphitheatre

University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

8:00 am Registration

8:30 am Welcoming Remarks

Arql. Juan J. Ortiz Aguilú (Chairman)

Dr. Jorge Iván Vélez Arocho, Chancellor

8:45 am First Session: Interdisciplinary research and remote sensing in studies of the past

Maya archaeology: getting the big picture

Dr. Edward Kurjack (Western Illinois University)

Albarradas (traditional detention ponds) in coastal Ecuador:
interdisciplinary research on local knowledge in water harvesting and
biodiversity

Dr. Jorge Marcos (Centre for Archaeological and Anthropological Studies, Guayaquil, Ecuador)

Fishes and coral reefs: coastal and marine ecosystems, species and the cultural history of past societies

Dr. Manuel Valdés Pizzini (Social Sciences, UPR-M)

Remote sensing in studies of the past

Profa. Linda Vélez (Civil Engineering, UPR-M)

Deciphering human impacts on ancient landscapes: from foragers to farmers in tropical America

Dr. Anthony J. Ranere (Temple University)

An overview of research in remote sensing signal and image processing research at LARSIP

Dr. Shawn D. Hunt (Electrical and Computer Engineering, UPR-M)

10:00 am Press Conference

11:00 am Second Session: Ecological impacts and other signs of human arrival

The study of the past as a scientific necessity: from environment to epidemics

Prof. Juan J. Ortiz Aguilú (PAMCIAEP, UPR-M)

Prehistoric human arrival, faunal extinction, and ecological transformation in Puerto Rico: a comparison to the global record

Dr. David Burney (National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii)

Mutual benefits between plant ecology and studies of Puerto Rico’s past

Dr. Jesús D. Chinea (Biology, UPR-M)

11:45 am Third Session: Water, sediments, and subsurface-based data

Other applications of radar in subsurface strata determination

Dr. Hamed Parsiani (Electrical and Computer Engineering, UPR-M)

A Hydro-geological Approach to study the Past

Pedro Díaz, Fernándo Gómez, Heriberto Torres, Jesús Rodríguez (US Geological Survey, Puerto Rico Office)

The use of sediments and paleontology in the analysis of the geological history of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean

Dr. Hernán Santos (Geology, UPR-M)

12:30 pm Lunch

2:00 pm Fourth Session: Biological and chemical archaeology

Insights into the avifauna of Puerto Rico from an archaeological

perspective

Dr. Edgar Maíz (Archaeologist)

The ancient ethnobotany of the Caribbean

Dr. Lee Newsom (Penn State University)

Insights to the origin of Puerto Rican cassava germplasm

Prof. Ana María Correa (Biology, UPR-M)

DNA in archaeology: modern and ancient sample technology

Dr. Juan C. Martínez Cruzado (Biology, UPR-M)

Elemental analysis of the Puerto Rican pre-Hispanic ceramic
pottery and clay sources to identify its provenance and provide
insights on trade and migration routes

Dr. Félix Román (Chemistry, UPR-M)

3:15 pm Intermission

3:25 pm Concluding Remarks

Dr. Edward Kurjack (Synthesis of First Session)

Dr. Jorge Marcos (Synthesis of Fourth Session)

Prof. Ismael Pagán Trinidad (Synthesis of Second and Third

Sessions and Final Remarks)

3:45 pm Informal Group Meeting: Perspectives of the PROGRAM FOR MOLECULAR ARCHAEOLOGY, SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING APPLIED TO THE STUDIES OF THE PAST

El Consejo de directores de la Fundación Nacional de
las Ciencias (NSF, por sus siglas en inglés) revisó y
aprobó recientemente un cambio en el criterio de evaluación del Mérito Intelectual de las propuestas sometidas a esa agencia para considerar hasta qué grado la propuesta incluye o explora conceptos potencialmente transformativos. El nuevo criterio revisado lee como sigue:

 

What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?

How important is the proposed activity to advancing
knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different
fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to
conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the
quality of prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity
suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?

A partir del 1ro de octubre de 2007 las guías para la
preparación de propuestas de NSF, así como las nuevas
oportunidades de subvención de esa agencia, incluirán el criterio de
Mérito Intelectual revisado. Todas las propuestas recibidas en esa
agencia en o después del 5 de enero de 2008 serán revisadas utilizando
el criterio revisado. La revisión de este criterio surge tras la
decisión de la agencia de apoyar la investigación transformativa, la cual han definido como sigue:

The term "transformative research" is being used to
describe a range of endeavors which promise extraordinary outcomes,
such as: revolutionizing entire disciplines; creating entirely new
fields; or disrupting accepted theories and perspectives — in other
words, those endeavors which have the potential to change the way we
address challenges in science, engineering, and innovation.

Pueden acceder a más información sobre este asunto en:

Important Notice No. 130: Transformative Research

Full text of NSF merit criteria