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March 1, 2019

Only 6 weeks to the annual State Conference!
Registration now open – see Focus On article below!

The SC EPSCoR Program invites speakers and poster presenters to submit abstracts for presentation at the annual SC EPSCoR State Conference (#SCEP_StateConf2019). This one-day conference is free and open to the public.

Call for PODIUM and POSTER PRESENTATION Abstracts. May be submitted by students (undergrad and grad), postdocs and faculty.

Call for CONFERENCE SESSION Proposals. Sessions are 90 minutes and solicited on any of the Vision 2025 and the NSF Big Ideas topics (a session should be composed of four presentations on the same topic). Session presentations that involve collaboration among institutions are encouraged.

Deadlines

Monday, March 11: Deadline for submitting abstracts via our Portal
Wednesday, March 20: Notification of Authors
Monday, April 1: Electronic copies of the presentations are due

Click here to download PDF of Call for Abstracts and Session Proposals, visit our website or contact April Heyward for more info.

#SCEP_StateConf2019 is just SIX weeks away! We can’t give you all the details, but thought we would give you a sneak preview of what you can look forward to:

Sessions lead by our NSF RII Track-1 MADE in SC Project leaders and participants. These will include information from the four research clusters: Modeling and Computation Core (MCC), Optical, Electrochemical and Magnetic Materials (Thrust 1), Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Materials (Thrust 2) and Interactive Biomaterials (Thrust 3).

Sessions lead by our Stimulus Research Program recipients with topic areas on Vascular research, Food-Energy Water Nexus, High Performance Li-S Batteries and research on Autism.

And more sessions will be added as we receive and accept your Proposals!

As always, the State Conference is free and open to the public. More information will be announced as it comes available in our newsletter, on our website and through our social media (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn). You won't want to miss our first conference in the Upstate!

MADE in SC hosted an All-Faculty Meeting last Friday, February 22 at the UofSC Alumni Center in Columbia. Almost 60 faculty from all over the state attended. The meeting included presentations by the 2018 GEAR Program and GEAR CRP Program recipients, project administrative business updates and review, networking lunch and breakout sessions into the four research clusters.

The meeting was met with very positive feedback: “Just wanted to say thank you on a job well done. I enjoyed hearing what is being done. Very impressive and have made some new contacts to further the work.”

MADE in SC was written by ten South Carolina institutions of higher education. There are currently over 70 faculty involved in the project. Meetings like these are important to bring together faculty who are scattered throughout the state to meet as a whole unit and exchange ideas in person, in addition to the individual cluster meetings held on a regular basis via various communications methods throughout the year.

Photo album from the meeting is available here.

Focus On...

Q: I heard that the State Conference won’t be in Columbia this year. WHERE IS IT BEING HELD AND WHEN?
A: This year’s State Conference is being held in Greenville, SC at the Greenville Marriott Hotel (One Parkway East, Greenville, SC 29615) on Frday, April 12.

Q: Is LODGING available at the State Conference location?
A: Unfortunately, due to other events in the area, we do not have a block of rooms available for general conference attendees at this time. We have been informed that this will be a very busy weekend in the area and, therefore, we highly recommend, if you need an overnight stay, to find one as soon a possible. We also suggest that you call the hotel where you are interested in staying, and not just look online for availability.

Q: When will REGISTRATION open?
A: NOW! With the sending of this email, we are officially opening registration. As always, the State Conference is free and open to the public. Register now and share with others to do so, as well!

Q: What if I want to POST OR TWEET during the Conference, do you have social media / hashtag?
A: Yes. We love it when our folks share their experience with the world! Post/tweet on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn using #SCEP_StateConf2019.

For more info, see our website and follow our social and newsletters.

News, Opportunities and Deadlines

Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track faculty in Computer Science positions available at USC Beaufort. Faculty will be members of our state’s NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 project, Materials Assembly and Design Excellence in South Carolina (MADE in SC). Click here to apply for position(s)!

FROM SCAS/SCJAS: Judges are needed to help evaluate nearly 400 Oral and Poster presentations at the 92nd Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Academy of Science (SCAS) and Junior Academy of Science (SCJAS) at Francis Marion U on Sat, March 30. Over 60 judges are needed for the 80+ undergrad presentations and the 280 HS oral research presentations. Judging starts at 8:30 am and will finish no later than 12:30 pm. A small travel stipend is provided for those traveling over 100 miles round-trip. Interested? Contact John Kaup or click here to enter your contact info and we will contact you with a proposed session to judge.Thank you for considering this request to engage with these exceptional students from throughout South Carolina!

SOUTH CAROLINA OPPORTUNITIES

SC Academy of Science now accepting apps for the Four-Year Undergrad Excellence in Teaching Award. There can be more than one app per institution. Deadline is March 1. For more info: Pearl Fernandes, (803) 730-0882.

The Clemson student chapters of Materials Research Society and Optical Society of America are organizing the 14th Annual Poster Competition for both undergrad and graduate students on March 14, 5 to 9 pm, Clemson University. Students from SC colleges and universities working on materials, and optical systems and devices are invited participate. Cash prizes offered for top posters. Abstract deadline is 5 pm on March 1. Click here to download flier with more info.

FY20-FY21 RFP now available. Should propose innovative natural and social science research to both understand and directly address priority issues, problems, and opportunities related to the use, management and conservation of marine and coastal resources by the citizens of the state and region. Concept letters due by March 18, 5 pm EDT

Please share with SC high school science teachers: Winthrop is hosting a Materials Science Workshop for High School Science Teachers, June 17-21 and June 24-28. This two-week summer workshop will cover selected topics from the physics and chemistry content areas of the SC academic standards in high school science. For those who live more than 60 miles from Winthrop, room and board accommodations will be provided free of charge. Click here for more info.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

FOR PUIs: The yeast ORFan network (funded through the NSF-RCN program) provides faculty with resources for research activities for courses, investigating the function of unknown genes in yeast, using bioinformatics modules and wet lab protocols. The 2019 Yeast ORFan Summer Workshop will be held June 17-21 at Austin College, in Sherman, TX. All travel, lodging and food expenses are covered by network grant funds from NSF. Review of applications begins March 1. Learn more

Rachel’s Network Catalyst Award will recognize up to five women of color making an environmental impact in communities across the country with prizes of $10,000 per winner, as well as networking and mentorship opportunities throughout the year. All kinds of professional and advocacy backgrounds are encouraged to apply, but priority will be given to women at the midpoint of their career. Due by April 15. Click here to learn more or to apply.

New iBiology Course, "Let's Experiment: A Guide for Scientists Working at the Bench," Covers Research Skills, Critical Thinking, and Responsible Conduct. From iBiology, new course is aimed at senior level undergrad, grad students, and postdocs: By the end of the FREE 6-week course, participants will have a detailed understanding of experimental design and execution.

Now accepting abstracts for the scientific program of the 2019 BMES Annual Meeting, October 16-19 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA. Submissions open Feb 21; deadline is May 1. Registration opens June 12. Learn more

NSF EPSCoR RII Track 4: EPSCoR Research Fellows: Provides opportunities for non-tenured investigators to further develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. Full proposal due March 12.

NSF Harnessing the Data Revolution: Transdisciplinary Research in Principles of Data Science Phase I. Aims to bring together electrical engineering, math, statistics, and theoretical computer science to develop the theoretical foundations of data science through integrated research and training activities. Phase I supports development of small collaborative Institutes. LOI due March 25.

NSF Scholarships in STEM Program (S-STEM): Provides awards to Institutions of Higher Ed to fund scholarships and to advance the adaptation, implementation, and study of effective evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that support recruitment, retention, transfer (if appropriate), student success, academic/career pathways, and graduation in STEM. Encourages collaborations among different types of partners: different types of institutions; collaborations of STEM faculty and institutional, educational, and social science researchers; and institutions of higher ed and local business/industry, if appropriate. Webinars on Feb 27, 4 pm and Feb 28, 11 am. Full proposal due March 27.

NSF Improving Undergrad STEM Ed: Computing in Undergrad Ed: Supports teams of Institutions of Higher Education in re-envisioning the role of computing in interdisciplinary collaboration within their institutions. Encourages partnering to integrate the study of ethics into curricula, both within core CS courses and across the relevant interdisciplinary areas. Full proposal due May 9.

June 17-18: Academic Leadership and Career Development Workshop. This two-day workshop incorporates career skills and grant writing sessions. For all faculty and students.

Oct 28-30: 26th National NSF EPSCoR Conference. This year, in our own backyard at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Will be open to all to attend. Let’s fill the hall with SC people!

Have you registered?
Looking for collaborators?
• Research Expertise
Profiles Database (faculty)
• Student Research
Interests Profiles Database
(students)

Funding Opportunities:
• SC EPSCoR
• DOE
• NASA
• NIH
• NSF
• USDA
• More on our Calendar!

Only 6 weeks to the annual State Conference! Registration now open – see Focus On article below!

Focus On...

News, Opportunities and Deadlines

Only 6 weeks to the annual State Conference!
Registration now open – see Focus On article below!