The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide $84 million for new observational, modeling, and simulation studies to improve the accuracy of community-scale climate research and inform equitable climate solutions to minimize adverse impacts caused by climate change. Research will focus on three tightly related scientific topics—atmospheric and environmental observations; modeling of climate change and impacts across urban regions; and simulating the climate benefits of deploying climate solutions and technologies in historically underserved communities across the U.S.

“Urban regions are expected to face some of the most adverse effects of climate change, such as extreme heat and flooding,” said Geraldine Richmond, Under Secretary for Science and Innovation. “Establishing Integrated Field Laboratories (IFLs) in urban regions will enable scientists and local communities to work closely together to better understand the factors that contribute to urban climate impacts and to develop equitable adaptation solutions informed by science.”

Supported research will improve scientific understanding of how climate change affects microclimates and micro-environments across all types of urban communities; how biogeochemical cycling and atmospheric composition vary across urban regions; and how equitable solutions may be identified as a means to minimize impacts, especially on the most disadvantaged urban communities. Teams of scientists will combine experimental, observational, modeling, and simulation research to unravel complex process interactions and improve scientists’ ability to understand urban climate change.  

Urban IFLs will require multi-disciplinary teams that bring together the skills and talents of investigators from multiple research institutions. Academic and nonprofit research institutions, national laboratories, other federal agencies, and the private sector are all eligible to apply as Urban IFL team members. The lead organization of each proposed Urban IFL team must be an academic institution or a national laboratory. Locally-based team members and minority serving institutions (MSI) are expected to have significant roles in each Urban IFL.

Funding is to be awarded competitively, on the basis of peer review, and is expected to be in the form of five-year awards. The Department anticipates that $17 million will be available for this program in Fiscal Year 2022, pending availability of funds. 

The DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement, issued by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research within the Department’s Office of Science, can be found here. 

An informational webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 30, at 12:00 PM EDT. Click on the button below to register!

Register Here

Congratulations to all our Winter 2022 Honor Roll students. Keep up the great work, all!

Baumgartner, Trinity
Beeman, Carley
Bissonnette, Nora
Brown, Katrina
Coe, Madeline
Doan, Thuy Duyen
Fitzgerald, Seamus
Hagglund, Lindsey
Jenck, Rachel
Johnson, Jesse
Kenny, Mitchell
Kim, Skylar
Koenigsberg, Seiji
Lee, Seohyun
Lindsay, Taylor
Nelson, Isabella
Neubert, Mckenna
Nguyen, Kelly
Nguyen, Matthew
Nguyen, Vivian
Nieves Lira, Citlali
Noakes, Meredith
Ortiz Ojeda, Damara
Park, Evan
Pogue, Nicholas
Ramos, Gabriel
Roth, Anika
Rummelhart, Casey
Schettini Mejia, Carlo
Tannenholz, Ehman
Tence, Jonathan
Tenoyo, Keenan
VanDerZwan, Nicolaas
Visaya, Samantha
Wang, Jing
Wasserlein, Owen
Wold, Hannah
Wong, Derek
Xue, Bingqing

Spring is in the air, which makes it a great time to do some spring cleaning.  Please encourage your departments to dispose of any unused, broken or obsolete equipment (assets and minor equipment) through Surplus.

For reference, attached are the instructions for filling out the Surplus pick-up request form.  Here are a few reminders for faculty and staff:

• Do not throw equipment away in dumpsters or trash cans
• Do not give away equipment to students or anyone outside of OSU
• Make sure asset tags are attached to capital equipment before sending to Surplus
• Contact Surplus for approval for trade-ins or donations/transfers to outside agencies

Please encourage faculty and staff to contact you when they start working on equipment removal so you are aware of what is going on and can alert Fixed Assets.

Also follow up with anyone that is retiring or leaving OSU so we can keep track of their assets and make sure they are transferred, reassigned or disposed of correctly.

Thank you for your continued support of equipment management!

As a reminder, Thursday, April 7, is the deadline for the 2022 Dreyfus Program for Machine Learning in the Chemical Sciences and Engineering. Now in its third year, this program provides funding for innovative projects in Machine Learning (ML) that relate to the Foundation’s broad objective to advance the chemical sciences and chemical engineering. The Foundation anticipates these projects will contribute fundamental insights and innovation in the field.

The Foundation encourages proposals to significantly stimulate and accelerate the development and use of ML and related aspects of data science in the chemical sciences and engineering. Below are some examples of areas this program may support: 

·    molecular synthesis, including mechanisms, techniques, and applications

·    theory, computation, physical properties of molecules or materials

·    rates and mechanisms of new chemical processes

·    new or improved materials and materials applications

·    postdoctoral support for collaborations that combine chemical science research with ML expertise 

·    collaborative sabbaticals, extended visits, and meetings 

·    education, e.g., new courses, seminar series, MOOCs, …

·    public libraries of chemistry and chemical engineering data for use in ML

Note that proposals are not restricted to the areas described above. Additional details are available on the Foundation website. 

The Outstanding Diversity Advocate Award is awarded to a member of the Oregon State University community who actively promotes and enhances diversity, equity and inclusion. The awardee contributes to and advances the mission of OSU through consistent and sustained efforts to improve opportunities for the diverse communities we serve. The winner is awarded a $1,000 honorarium.  

Eligibility 

Nominees must meet the following eligibility criteria:   

• Current employee of Oregon State University, OSU Foundation & Alumni Association, or INTO OSU who has been cumulatively employed by OSU, OSUF, OSUAA or INTO OSU for a minimum of five years
• Cumulative achievements with a direct and significant impact in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion at Oregon State University over a minimum of five years

  

Award Criteria  

  

Nominations will be evaluated on the evidence of a commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, including going above and beyond the nominee’s position description. Evidence may include the following:  

  

• Actively enhanced the recruitment of diverse students and faculty  
• Engaged in innovative curriculum and program development across communities of difference  
• Advanced diversity, equity and inclusion through academic research and scholarship  
• Developed experiential or immersive learning that expands consciousness and responsibility related to social justice  
• Pursued grants that advance diversity, equity and inclusion  
• Advised individual students or student organizations and created pathways to success  

  

Nomination Process  

  

The nominator shall submit all of the following items, in one PDF, to pamela.johnson@oregonstate.edu. 

  

Please submit items in this order:  

1. Nomination form  
2. A statement from the nominator not exceeding two single-sided pages using 12pt font and 1” margins summarizing why the nominee should be selected for the Outstanding Diversity Advocate Award. Please address the award criteria in the statement.  
3. Two letters of support from community members internal to OSU (e.g. students, faculty, staff, volunteers), or external to OSU (e.g. community organizations, professional organizations). Please be certain the letters of support address the award criteria.   
4. The nominee’s curriculum vitae OR a professional resume highlighting the above criteria.  

  

  

Selection Process  

  

Nominations will be reviewed and selected by the Office of Institutional Diversity Awards Committee. Committee recommendations will be made based on nomination information submitted.  

  

Deadline  

  

Nominations and all nomination materials for the Outstanding Diversity Advocate Award must be received by April 15, 2022.  

  

For further information, please contact the Office of Institutional Diversity, diversity@oregonstate.edu.  

Office of Institutional Diversity (OID)

Oregon State University 

510 Kerr Admin | Corvallis, OR 

541-737-1063 

https://diversity.oregonstate.edu/

Hello!

I hope you’re having a good March so far!

I wanted to share information the launch of the Clean Energy Corps, which is comprised of staff from more than a dozen offices across the Department of Energy—current staff and new hires—who are working together to research, develop, demonstrate, and deploy solutions to climate change.   The Clean Energy Corps is ready to recruit an additional 1,000 staff using special hiring authorities included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

DOE’s current team and these new colleagues will be vital in implementing the Law’s historic infusion of $62 billion in funding and accelerating the nation’s drive to a clean energy future.

To recruit those staff, DOE is launching an applicant portal which will allow interested individuals to submit their information.  The portal will give hiring managers the ability to quickly identify the best and brightest candidates and ensure that we can bring on talent and perspectives from every community in America.  Invited candidates will proceed to a diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA)-informed interview process.

This link leads to the application portal: https://www.energy.gov/CleanEnergyCorps

Please feel free to share with your staff/students. 

Thank you,

CA Verba, Ph.D

Research Geologist

Research and Innovation Center

Department of Energy 

National Energy Technology Laboratory

1450 Queen Ave SW

Albany, OR 97322

541-918-4437

Dear OSU Faculty,

Oregon State University’s 153^rd Commencement is on Saturday, June 11. The OSU Beaver Store is now accepting Faculty regalia rental orders.  To place your order go to https://beavs.osubeaverstore.com/regalia/.  Your order must be placed by April 15, 2022.  Orders placed after that day will incur an expediting fee or may require substitutions.

We are still able to use index numbers for department charges on faculty regalia.

Email Faculty.Regalia@osubeaverstore.com with any questions. 

Thank you

The President’s Commission on the Status of Black Faculty & Staff Affairs at Oregon State University is hosting its inaugural State of Black Affairs Summit.  The purpose of this event is to build support for Black communities across Oregon. Please put May 25^th from 8am-6pm on your calendars, register, and share (forward) this hyperlinked invitation with your department and affiliated organizations.  In addition to a continental breakfast and lunch, this event offers concurrent sessions, prominent speakers, a keynote address, and a chance to network followed by a happy hour.  Our hope is that this will become an annual event to reflect on where we have been and to bring leaders together to strategize on how to better support and center Black lives. Thank you in advance for your support.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate reach out to me directly, or to Terrance Harris (co-chair of PCSBFSA) and/or Bridget Jones (secretary).

The 2022 NSF Early Career Investigator Workshop will be held in-person on June 6-7, 2022 in Alexandria, VA. The workshop is designed to help junior faculty navigate the NSF proposal preparation and submission process, network with program officers from NSF and other federal agencies and get advice on their proposal ideas from established investigators. More details are included below and in the attached flyer. I’m serving as one of the organizers this year along with Christina Li from Purdue. Please encourage your junior colleagues to apply and let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Steven

—

2022 NSF Chemistry Early Career Investigator Workshop

June 6-7, 2022

Alexandria, VA

(Sponsored by NSF CHE-2219774)

The NSF Division of Chemistry Early Career Investigator Workshop will be held in-person on June 6-7, 2022 in Alexandria, VA. The workshop will bring together junior faculty along with established faculty mentors and NSF program officers to discuss strategies for crafting research ideas, planning educational and outreach activities, and assessing and evaluating project goals.

All assistant professors who are eligible to submit an NSF CAREER proposal in FY 2023, including new hires starting in Fall of 2022, are encouraged to apply for the workshop.

Applications are due on April 8, 2022. Please visit www.nsfcareerworkshop.com for more information and application details. 

— 

Steven A. Lopez, Ph.D. (he/his) | Assistant Professor

Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Roux Institute

Northeastern University

Want to teach kids how to use Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math to be inventors and to travel across Oregon this summer?

Oregon State University has an exciting opportunity for you to make a difference in the lives of middle school students all around the state of Oregon! As an Invention Educator* you will connect with our community of STEM and invention partners in a variety of locations across the state and help build youth learners’ entrepreneur, design, invention, and engineering skills. You and your co-mentors will support youth in teamwork, leadership, and communication, as well as help them solve a real-world problem within their community or for a specific user!

*Invention education refers to the “deliberate efforts to teach people how to approach problem finding and problem-solving in ways that reflect the process and practices employed by accomplished inventors”. Invention education is known to be a powerful, engaging, and inclusive educational approach that helps prepare students for a rapidly changing future! Be part of this new, exciting, and growing field!

https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/113688