Conference for Researchers on Funding and Career Opportunities in Europe, December 12-13, San Francisco

The European Commission is offering a Destination Europe conference on December 12-13, 2013, at the InterContinental San Francisco Hotel. The conference will provide information on funding and career opportunities in Europe for researchers from anywhere in the world, including the U.S., as well as offering insight into European research initiatives. The conference is free but registration is required by December 1, 2013.

Major European funding mechanisms (such as the European Research Council and the Marie Curie Fellowship program) and individual European nations’ research programs will be discussed. In addition to plenary sessions, which will present the major European funding opportunities for individual researchers, there will be six thematic breakout sessions focusing on the following specific research topics:

• Health and Biosciences
• Geophysics and Ocean Science
• Social Sciences and Humanities
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Physics and Materials
• Environment and Climate Change

Who should attend:

• Researchers, of any nationality, who are considering their next career move in Europe
• International officers of universities / research organizations
• Anyone interested in learning about European research and innovation opportunities

NSF Issues New Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide

The National Science Foundation has published a new version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), (NSF 14-1), effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after February 24, 2014. In the interim, the guidelines contained in the current PAPPG (NSF 13-1) continue to apply.

The PAPPG consists of the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) and the Award & Administration Guide (AAG). A summary of the changes is provided for both the GPG and the AAG. Significant changes include:

• Addition to the certification regarding Conflict of Interest regarding the appropriate disclosure process;
• Reiteration that indirect costs are not allowed on participant support costs;
• Small-scale pilot of a new environmental impacts process with a few programs, prior to NSF-wide implementation; and
• Updated process for program income reporting.

NSF and USAID Offer International Travel Allowances for NSF Graduate Research Fellows

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) - Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) program provides NSF Graduate Fellows an international travel allowance to engage in research collaborations with investigators in partner countries located outside the United States. GROW offers research opportunities of 3-12 months in duration in the following partner countries: Australia, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.

This year, GROW is offering an additional track to provide opportunities to NSF Graduate Fellows to conduct research in developing countries. This track, developed through a partnership between NSF and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), includes the following developing countries: Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Senegal and South Africa. These opportunities are part of an online catalog that is available to students.

NSF Graduate Fellows may submit GROW travel requests through the GRFP FastLane module by January 8, 2014.