Cal Poly Humboldt Office of Research Newsletter - Summer 2024

Summer ‘24 Newsletter

Phone: 707-826-4189 Fax: 707-826-4783 research.humboldt.edu

In this Issue: SPF Moves To Adv. Division Upcoming Deadlines and Events Good News Page The Institutional Review Board is looking for New Members!

Mark Your Calendars For Our Upcoming Events!

Where to Find the Funding: Grant Info Sessions Join SPF for our first-ever virtual Grant Info Sessions! Fast paced 50minute sessions tailored to individual colleges will explore SPF services, resources for finding funding, and individual grant opportunities.

Attendees will have a chance to network with colleagues around research themes and stay online for an extra 20 minutes for a postsession Q&A. Register at the links below!

CAHSS Session: Tues., Oct. 1, 12-12:50pm | RSVP by 12pm, Sept. 30 CPS Session: Wed., Oct. 2, 12-12:50pm | RSVP by 12pm, Oct. 1 CNRS Session: Thurs., Oct. 3, 12-12:50pm | RSVP by 12pm, Oct. 2

Student Hiring Hospitality Policy Updates In Honor & Appreciation

13th Annual PI Research Celebration Join us at the Historic Eagle House in Eureka for an evening of food, drinks, and TED-style talks honoring Principal Investigators (PIs), their staff, student researchers, and friends of Research!

Date & Time: Oct. 16 4:30-8pm; RSVP here by Friday Oct. 11.

Sponsored Programs Foundation Transitions to Division of University Advancement The Office of Research & Sponsored Programs Foundation (SPF) is excited to announce its integration into the Division of University Advancement. This strategic move aims to foster greater collaboration and growth opportunities for our faculty & staff research and philanthropic initiatives.

Importantly, there will be no change in existing personnel at SPF, and faculty will continue to contact their current support personnel. The office location will remain unchanged, maintaining the convenience and consistency our faculty and staff rely on.

Despite this organizational shift, the research and philanthropic foundations will remain as two separate entities with distinct boards. The makeup of the SPF Board will not change, ensuring continuity in governance. SPF will maintain a dotted line connection to the Division of Academic Affairs and will continue to participate in current meetings with faculty, deans, and strategic working groups, contributing to the mission of academic affairs.

“I believe this transition underscores our commitment to improving visibility and advocacy for research at Cal Poly Humboldt” says Kacie Flynn, Executive Director, SPF. “The infrastructure shift will enhance support for our research enterprise through stronger collaboration with University Advancement.

This alignment aims to create more opportunities for

growth by synchronizing research and donor activities, enhancing partnerships, and better supporting our cross divisional initiatives. We’re excited and optimistic for what this can do for our research community.”

“...this transition underscores our commitment to improving visibility and advocacy for research at Cal Poly Humboldt.”

Moreover, this integration will strengthen our governmental affairs and advocacy efforts by working closely with the Advancement Initiatives team led by Connie Stewart, increasing faculty interactions with external stakeholders including government agencies, industry partners, and philanthropic organizations. Maintaining a strong connection to Academic Affairs will also help bridge the two divisions, fostering collaboration and reducing barriers to shared funding goals, paving the way for sustainable growth and success.

If you have any questions related to this change, contact Kacie Flynn at kacie.flynn@humboldt.edu. As always, we appreciate your continued support and willingness to grow with us into this next chapter.

Check out our interactive map!

If there are any projects that you’d like to see added, you can leave suggestions here.

Upcoming Funding Deadlines!

There are numerous opportunities for research funding & awards available on Engagement Hub. Take advantage of them before their deadlines pass:

Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities Program (RSCA) AY 24-25 Supports research, scholarly, and creative activity. Projects may include support for activities such a research study; writing scholarly papers, textbooks, or monographs; travel to archives or professional conferences; development of pilot studies; recitals, performances, or exhibitions; etc. All members of Unit 3 (Faculty, Librarians, Coaches, and Counselors) are eligible.

The Team Review Program is designed to facilitate review and direct feedback on your grant proposal from an expert (or experts) in your field. For more info, click here.

Deadline: September 19th

Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) AY 24-25 ARI funds are available to all tenured, tenure-track faculty, or research associates engaging in agricultural research, including forestry and aquaculture. Projects must be focused on applied research with strong industry collaboration, and a goal to positively impact California agriculture, natural resources and food systems.

Deadline: November 14th

Where to Find Updates to Tax and Health Benefits on SPF Grants Every year there are changes to our tax and health benefit rates. Although taxes went down a bit again this year, insurance rates for benefitted employees went up and new options have been added. Current rates are included on our updated version of the Internal Budget Template which can be found on the SPF Forms Library.

Do you have travel claims, reimbursements, advances, etc., and you’re unsure how to complete the forms?

SPF offers Drop-In Zoom Hours every weekday from 2:00-3:00pm.

If you can’t make these hours, or the daily office hours, contact our Front Office at (707) 826-4189 or hsuf@humboldt.edu

GOOD NEWS Congratulations to Lily Olmo, our 2024 Student GRFP recipient!

Lily Olmo received the very prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Award! Lily applied for a place to work with a consultant, paid through an SPF funded program, dedicated to help Cal Poly Humboldt students submit winning proposals to the GRFP. Lily started as a master’s student at Cal Poly Humboldt, Department of Fisheries Biology in the Fall of 2023 studying the role of fish in the trophic chain of two settlement ponds in the Arcata Marsh, California, under the supervision of Dr. Jose Marin Jarrin.

Congratulations Lily!

If you have a promising student that would like to go on to do graduate work in an NSF funded field, contact us for more information about this program.

Amazing 44% success rate with the National Science Foundation last year!

In the 2023 fiscal year, we saw a steep increase of 44% with 8 out of 18 grants funded for a total of $2.81 million. Our overall average is a solid 23%. Check out NSF by the Numbers here.

Big news from the CSU! The most recent audited sponsored programs expenditure report shows that the CSU system has gone from $708 million to $812 million in total research expenditures.

This is a big jump of $104M in one year and the largest jump ever for the CSU!

Team Review Program Success Story!

Dr. Allison Bronson (Biological Sciences) received a prestigious NSF grant upon her first submission thanks, in part, to utilizing our Team Review Program. This program pays for an expert of your choice to review a close-to-complete narrative prior to submission. Learn more here. Dr. Bronson’s grant will study the inner ear structures of sharks using CT scanning and MRI. This work will evaluate whether ear shape differs between shark species living in different habitats, potentially developing a predictive model for inferring the ecology of extinct fishes.

If you have any questions/feedback regarding any of these updates, please feel free to give us a call!

(707) 826-4189

Don't miss any of our upcoming events! Be sure to sign up for Research portal announcements by clicking this link.

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is looking for New Members!

Who is eligible?

Cal Poly Humboldt IRB is accepting nominations and applications for faculty, staff, and community members. If you have an interest in social science and behavioral research and would like to be involved with protecting the safety and welfare of individuals who participate in human subjects research, this volunteer opportunity may be for you!

What is the role of an IRB Member?

Stay up-to-date on opportunities for funding via Engagement Hub! We regularly post opportunities for research funding & awards through our Engagement Hub portal - make sure you’re visiting often to stay in the loop!

An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee of research experts and members of the community who review proposed research protocols to ensure that the rights of human subjects are protected and that risk of harm to subjects is minimized. IRB members ensure compliance with Cal Poly Humboldt’s policies and procedures, federal regulations, and state and local laws relative to the review of human subjects research studies.

To become an IRB Member, we ask: Members to make a five-year commitment to serving on the Board.

Members to attend monthly (hybrid) meetings during the Fall and Spring semesters.

The IRB typically meets as needed between 3:00-5:00pm on the 3 rd Friday of the month (see current schedule online).

Members to participate in an initial training process, including CITI online training.

Members to participate in the review of IRB applications in a timely manner.

We’re happy to answer your questions about becoming an IRB member. For more information, contact the IRB at irb@humboldt.edu.

Hiring a Student? Read This!

During the summer, the days are long and the weather is nice. You have a moment to catch your breath and relax before diving into a few projects with your student employees. As a friendly reminder, all students must be hired to your project before they can do any work.

Let’s breakdown why this is so important: Labor Laws – SPF must comply with all state and federal labor and employment laws. This means all student workers should have all of their hiring forms completed and approved before starting work.

Safety – Once a student has been hired on the project, they are covered by our insurance and are eligible for workers' compensation. But not before.

Budget Accuracy – Did you budget for hourly wages?

Hiring your student in Kronos prior to their start is a good reminder to double check your budget and look at your spending.

Timesheets – Remember, all new hire paperwork should be started at least two weeks prior to students submitting their first timesheet. SPF cannot pay students for work done in past pay periods!

Good Record Keeping - Students may only enter their time against an active, open project. Once the period of performance is over, no further expenses (including student wages) will be reimbursed. For this reason, it is very important to know that we’ve hired students to the current (and correct!) project number.

What about my non-student employees? The information in this article applies to all SPF grant and trust employees (not just students). Please contact your Post Award Grant Analyst with questions or updates. For Kronos-specific questions, you can email hsuf@humboldt.edu or call our SPF Front Office at (707) 826-4189.

Last Call to Add/Modify Fall 2024 Release Time Faculty release time (aka salaries reimbursed or buyout) is an approved workload assignment that releases faculty members from a portion of their regular assignment, in order to engage in research, scholarship, or creative activities. The ‘Request for Release Time Form’ is typically completed at the time of the grant proposal, as a part of the Institutional Routing process.

There may be instances when agreed upon release time needs to be revised and even added after the

grant has been awarded. In these instances, it is critically important that the PI contact their SPF PostAward Grant Analyst as soon as possible to complete a new Request for Release Time Form and a PostAward Modification. Both forms must be completed before the first day of classes (Monday, August 26, 2024). SPF cannot reimburse your department for release time that has not been confirmed before the first day of each semester.

IN HONOR & APPRECIATION We are sad to share that we’ve lost two of our active researchers, both of whom worked with SPF for many years. Marisol and Frank made a profound impact in their respective fields as well as in the lives of many students, friends, and colleagues.

They are, and will continue to be, missed.

Marisol Cortes-Rincon Dr. Marisol Cortes-Rincon spent 14 years heading Humboldt’s archaeology program. To name a few of her many accomplishments, she envisioned and oversaw the development of the Geospatial Archaeology Research Lab and the on-campus simulated archaeological site, served as both director and co-director of the Cultural Resources Facility, and, driven by her passion for fieldwork and Maya archaeology, directed an archaeology field program as part of the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project. Her research in Belize focused on the settlement patterns between three large ancient Maya centers. She addressed a variety of interpretive issues including sociopolitical organization, demography, subsistence, environmental management, economic structure, and warfare studies. Many students, faculty, and staff had the unforgettable opportunity to join Marisol by participating in the Belize Archaeology Field School. Her work in the Programme for Belize was pioneering in many ways—for her research of communities of all different sizes and for her position as a female archaeologist unafraid to take on any challenge.

Frank Shaughnessy Dr. Frank Shaughnessy began his career at Cal Poly Humboldt in 1996. He was an accomplished scholar and scientist. His main research interest focused on the population and community ecology of marine algae and seagrasses. He was a founding member of the Coastal Ecosystems Institute of Northern California (CEINC), and for many years, he served as the North Coast's Principal Investigator of the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS). This year’s Humboldt Bay Symposium was dedicated to Frank for all his contributions to estuarine and marine ecology in Humboldt Bay and the North Coast at large.

One of Frank’s proudest accomplishments was collaborating on the design of the Cal Poly Humboldt Place-Based Learning Communities (PBLCs). A primary goal of the PBLCs is to foster a sense of belonging for first-time STEM students and the confidence to engage in the research activities of their discipline and for students to learn the relationship of scientific inquiry to environmental, cultural, and civic issues. With the help of Frank’s scientific expertise in addition to his talent for creating accessible educational materials, the University launched its first PBLC, Klamath Connection.

Featured Funding Opportunities NSF | Racial Equity in STEM Education (EHR Racial Equity)

Brady Educational Foundation | Research Projects

Supports projects focused on advancing racial equity in STEM education and workforce development that are led or co-developed by individuals and communities most impacted by the inequities caused by systemic racism.

Proposals may request up to $5M for a duration of up to 5 years.

Supports research that will inform how to address disparities in educational opportunities associated with race, ethnicity, and/or family income. There are two application stages - select submissions will be invited for stage 2 applications.

Stage 1 Application Deadline: Dec. 1, 2024

Application Deadline: October 8, 2024

NEH | Spotlight on Humanities in Higher Education Supports the exploration and development of small projects that would benefit underserved populations through the teaching and study of the humanities. This program offers two levels of funding (Exploration: up to $25,000; Development: up to $60,000).

Application Deadline: October 1, 2024.

NEH | Collaborative Research Supports research in a single field of study or interdisciplinary work with collaboration by teams of two or more scholars. The program includes four project categories: Planning International Collaboration, Convening, Manuscript Preparation, and Scholarly Digital Projects. Awards up to $250,000.

RSF | Social, Political, and Economic Inequality Supports research on the causes and consequences of social, political, and economic inequalities in the U.S, and the extent to which those inequalities affect social, political, psychological, and economic outcomes. A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required to in order to be considered for full proposal.

LOI Deadline: October 29, 2024

NIFA | Education and Workforce Development Supports professional development, workforce training, and non-formal education opportunities in the food and agricultural sciences. Awards range $22,000-$750,000.

Application Deadline: December 5, 2024

Application Deadline: November 20, 2024.

Hearst Foundation | Education Grants

California Coastal Commission | WHALE TAIL

Funds higher education programs, college access and college success programming, professional development for educators, STEM education projects, and programs educating the next generation of health professionals. Minimum award is 100k.

Supports experiential education and stewardship of the coast and its watersheds.

Grant projects can engage youth or adults, and may include: youth education programs, climate change education and stewardship, shoreline cleanup and enhancement programs. Awards up to $50,000.

Applications accepted on rolling basis.

Next cycle opens in Sept. - deadline TBD

The Office of Research wants to welcome back all of our amazing PIs and friends of research!

1 Harpst Street, SBS 427 Phone: 707-826-4189 Fax: 707-826-4783 https://research.humboldt.edu/

CAL POLY HUMBOLDT SPONSORED PROGRAMS FOUNDATION