March 26, 2020
COVID-19: Federal Funding Update
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued Important Notice No 146 to the Community Regarding COVID-19. NSF has also issued additional guidance on NSF’s implementation of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum (M-20-17), entitled, Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations. NSF has implemented flexibilities authorized by OMB from specific administrative, financial management and audit requirements contained in 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards without compromising accountability requirements.

COVID-19 Federal Funding Opportunities. Several federal agencies are providing funding opportunities to address COVID-19. A list of what's currently available is compiled by Van Scoyoc Companies of Washington, DC. 
Pandemics: A Historical Perspective

"Disease and illnesses have plagued humanity since the earliest days, our mortal flaw. However, it was not until the marked shift to agrarian communities that the scale and spread of these diseases increased dramatically.

Widespread trade created new opportunities for human and animal interactions that sped up such epidemics. Malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, influenza, smallpox, and others first appeared during these early years.

The more civilized humans became – with larger cities, more exotic trade routes, and increased contact with different populations of people, animals, and ecosystems – the more likely pandemics would occur." (Source: World Economic Forum)

Resources about pandemics are abundant. Here are two links that provide historical perspectives on COVID-19:

Lessons from Past Outbreaks Could Help Fight the Coronavirus Pandemic, By Sara Goudarzi published in Scientific American (March 23, 2020).

A visual history of pandemics by Nicolas LePan published on weforum.org in collaboration with visualcapitalist.com (March 15, 2020).

Focus On:

April Heyward, MRA, Program Manager

Education, Outreach and Diversity

The NSF EPSCoR Education, Outreach, and Diversity (EOD) Advisory Committee hosted the “Collaborations, Professional Development, and Mentor Programs: Broadening Participation within EPSCoR Jurisdictions” webinar on Friday, March 13, 2020. April Heyward, SC EPSCoR Program Manager, was one of the four presenters. The webinar presented to the EPSCoR community focused on best practices, programming, and initiatives employed in four EPSCoR jurisdictions. The four presenters were:

  1. Jarvon Stout – Virgin Islands EPSCoR – Presented “Moving the Needle: Influencing STEM Identity Among URM Students in the US Virgin Islands
  2. April Heyward – South Carolina EPSCoR – Presented “Professional Development for STEM Undergraduate and Graduate Students
  3. Barb Bruno – Hawaii EPSCOR – Presented “Individualized Professional Development for Graduate Students and Postdocs
  4. Veronica Sosa-Gonzalez – Vermont EPSCoR – Presented “Mentor Training to Diversify the STEM Workforce
April serves as the Program Manager of the SC EPSCoR Program. She is a Doctoral Student in the Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) Program in the Department of Political Science at Valdosta State University. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Benedict College and a Master of Research Administration (MRA) from the University of Central Florida (UCF). April is a Riley Institute Diversity Fellow. Her research interests include Data Science, Electronic Government, Machine Learning Algorithms, Public Administration, and Public Policy. She is programmer and employs Data Science and Machine Learning in R for her research.
  

News, Opportunities and Deadlines

The South Carolina Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Program enables teachers to engage in a six-week immersive research experience at an institution in their local area. RET represents a full-time commitment (35-40 hours/week) and provides financial support ($3,000 each) to participants, as well as a supplies budget (up to $500) to translate summer experiences into deliverables during the participant’s academic year instruction. The Program is currently seeking faculty to mentor a teacher(s) from their local area during Summer 2020. For additional information or for any questions, please contact RET Coordinator Dr. John Kaup by email or call (864) 294-3773.


SC Sea Grant Coastal Outreach Internship

Omnibus Proposal Grants
Program Development Grants

Questions? Contact Susannah Sheldon, SC Sea Grant Research and Fellowships Manager, (843) 953-2078, Email

NSF EPSCoR Track-4 Proposals Due on May 12 by 5 p.m.
Looking for collaborators?
Faculty:  Research Expertise Profiles 
Students:  Student Research Interests
  Profiles

More available on our online calendar

Check the SC NASA EPSCoR website for news and opportunities for students and faculty.

Check the SC Space Grant Consortium website for news and opportunities for students and faculty.

Questions? Contact Tara Scozzaro, SC Space Grant and SC NASA EPSCoR Program Manager, (843) 953-5463, Email

Funding Opportunities
• SC EPSCoR

DEPSCoR (DoD EPSCoR)
• DOE  
• NASA 
• NIH 
• NSF
• USDA
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Question? Input? Contact email SC EPSCoR.