Weekly Newsletter

October 19, 2020

Dear colleagues-

Over the last week it was nice to see long lines on campus connected to folks voting rather than waiting for COVID-19 testing!

This week we can congratulate several affiliates for their on-campus achievements, such as Linda Prokopy being named the new department chair of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Songlin Fei as the winner of Purdue’s 2020 Ag Research Award, as well as others for recent awards for projects and appearing in the news based on their expertise in areas ranging from water safety to climate change.

A few upcoming events in the EJ world are also highlighted below, including our first in a year-long series of four EJ Films, Hija de la Laguna on 10/28, and our 3rd Lunch and Learn with Laura Zanotti on 11/11 (wow! Post-election day!).

If you missed the research expo, you can still check out the posters and videos here.

Also, 10/31 is our Purdue deadline for getting a flu shot…

As always, we encourage you to read and share our second issue of Earth Today with your undergraduates this week. This month's focus is on Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

Upcoming Events

Environmental Justice Film Series

Wednesday, October 28 | 6:00 PM Eastern

All are welcome to join the first event of the 2020-2021 Environmental Justice Film Series, featuring the film Hija de la Laguna (Daughter of the Lake). There will be a post-screening discussion with the film's director, Ernesto (Tito) Cabellos.

The Series is Co-Sponsored by the Center for the Environment, Native American Educational and Cultural Center, The Department of Spanish and Portuguese/School of Languages and Cultures, Department of Anthropology, The Arequipa Nexus Institute JEDI Postdoctoral Working Group, & The Division of Student Life.

Register for the screening here.

Building on the Center for the Environment’s year-long program of conversations about intersections between environmental and social justice, Dr. Laura Zanotti, Center Associate Director and Professor in Anthropology, will highlight frameworks of environmental justice and ways they have been mobilized at both sites of global environmental governance and in national contexts to support Indigenous Peoples' rights. Reflecting on collaborative partnerships with Mebêngôkre-Kayapó Peoples, she will detail current threats facing Indigenous Peoples rights in Brazil and pursuits for justice. All are welcome to attend. Register here.

Affiliates in the News

Congratulations to FNR professor and Center affiliate Linda Prokopy, who was recently named as the new department head for Purdue Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

Read more about the appointment here.

We hope you'll take a moment and check out this piece by Purdue Ag on Center affiliate, professor and Dean's Chair of Remote Sensing Songlin Fei. The article explores Songlin's past and upbringing, and how it has led to and influenced his current research career. Songlin was also recently named as the winner of Purdue's 2020 Agricultural Research Award.

Center affiliate and assistant professor of ABE Mohit Verma was recently awarded a grant from the Center for Produce Safety to further his efforts in developing a rapid test to help producers quickly track the sources of food contamination.

Read more here.

Boiling Point: Climate change is wreaking havoc on the power grid in ways you never knew
Los Angeles Times | October 15, 2020

This recent article on the different ways that climate change is affecting the current power infrastructure in the United States features input from C4E affiliate and EEE/IE assistant professor Roshi Nateghi on how rapid urbanization is a contributing factor to the problem. Read the article here.

After Wildfires Stop Burning, a Danger in the Drinking Water
New York Times | October 2, 2020

Amisha Shah, faculty affiliate and Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering recently offered her expertise in this article on the drinking water safety issues that can arise from wildfires.

2021 Water New Year

October 1st marked the beginning of the 2021 Water New Year. Remember to keep an eye on our 2021 Water Year webpage all month long for podcasts, posts, videos and a state-wide webinar on the state of Indiana waters and faculty water research throughout the state.

Funding Opportunities & Workshops

COVID-19 Funding Opportunities – This list is updated frequently.

FY21 RFP Indiana Water Resources Research Center Small Grants Program
The Indiana Water Resources Research Center has released the FY21 RFP for our small grants program. These proposals include single PI projects not exceeding $25,000. The full RFP is available here. Be careful to read all requirements in the RFP in order to be eligible for funding.

Please note the following deadlines:

5PM Eastern Monday, November 9, 2020 – Project title and information for four reviewers
5PM Eastern Monday, November 16, 2020 – completed proposal

NSF Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet) (Design Track – $250K over two years or Implementation Track – $2M over 3-5 years)
The goals of the AccelNet program are to accelerate the process of scientific discovery and prepare the next generation of U.S. researchers for multiteam international collaborations. The program seeks to foster high-impact science and engineering by providing opportunities to cooperatively identify and coordinate efforts to address knowledge gaps and research needs. Deadline: January 4

EPA National Priorities: Evaluation of Pollutants in Biosolids ($1.5M over 3 years)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking applications proposing research that will provide the best available science needed to support states, municipalities, and utilities in determining potential risk from pollutants found in biosolids and developing standards and policies for biosolids management. Each applicant must contribute a minimum non-federal cost share/match of 25% of the federal funds awarded. Informational Webinar for Applicants (click link to register): 2:00-3:00PM on October 27; Application deadline: January 5

NIH New Cohorts for Environmental Exposures and Cancer Risk (CEECR; UG3/UH3)
Through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites applications to support innovative scientific research in new prospective cohorts that addresses knowledge gaps in cancer etiology and carcinogenesis process with a focus on environmental exposures. Applicants are encouraged to use validated and reproducible innovative techniques to measure environmental exposures relevant to the proposed scientific research questions. In this FOA, environmental exposures refer to physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and related behavioral factors. Deadline: January 29

For your graduate students: NSF Dear Colleague Letter: Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity
NSF will consider supplemental funding requests for up to an additional six months of graduate student support on active NSF grants. The PI/co-PI of an active NSF award may request supplemental funding for one or more graduate students to gain knowledge, skills and experiences that will augment their preparation for a successful long-term career through an internship in a non-academic setting. Deadline: On-going with a target date of April 15 for each Fiscal Year.

NSF Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks Webinar (SRS RN)
2:30-3:30PM on October 27th

NSF Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Sustainable Regional Systems (SRS)

NSF Dear Colleague Letter: Request for Information on Future Topics for the NSF Convergence Accelerator
Responses due by November 9

NSF Virtual Grants Conference
Save the dates: November 16 and November 30
This event is designed to give new faculty, researchers and administrators key insights into a wide range of current issues at NSF. NSF staff will be providing up-to-date information about the proposal and award process, specific funding opportunities and answering attendee questions. Registration will be free of charge and opens on Thursday, October 29 at 12 p.m. EST. Each conference session will have its own Zoom registration page. Please sign up only for sessions that you are able to attend.

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