Nevada System Sponsored Programs and EPSCoR

Nevada Undergraduate Research Symposium

epscorspo — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:12:04 +0000

The Undergraduate Research Symposium was held in Reno, Nevada on April 18-19, 2012 and showcased may talented young scientists in diverse research areas. This year, the symposium was held at the Joe Crowley Student Union at the University of Nevada, Reno. The event featured presentation by undergraduate students and a poster session. We thank all of the students, faculty, and staff that participated this year to make this event a success.

To download a copy of the program, please click here.

NASA Remote Sensing for Air Quality Applications Project

epscorspo — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:13:34 +0000

The goal of the NASA Applied Remote Sensing Education and Training (ARSET) air quality project is to increase the utility of NASA earth science and model data for policy makers, regulatory agencies, and other applied science professionals in the area of air quality applications. Project courses are a combination of lectures (webinars) and computer hands-on activities (workshops) that teach professionals how to access, interpret, and apply NASA aerosol and trace gas data at regional and global scales with an emphasis on case studies. Courses are designed at a level appropriate for professionals new to remote sensing.

Webinars and Workshops run May 9th, 2012 through June 6th, 2012.

http://epscorspo.nevada.edu/nasa/workshop/index.html

Nevada Stem Pipeline

epscorspo — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:17:31 +0000

The Nevada STEM Pipeline is a user-friendly web portal that provides information on various science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs throughout Nevada. There are excellent ongoing programs designed to prepare and encourage all students in Nevada to pursue STEM fields and many other additional resources available for teachers, parents, and the community.

To view all programs or to post a program, Visit: http://nvstempipeline.org/

The Nevada Stem Pipeline is designed, operated and maintained by the Nevada System of Higher Education System Sponsored Programs Office and Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) through the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium Request for Proposals

epscorspo — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:42:28 +0000

Visit the solicitations page to review five new call for proposals by Nevada Space Grant

http://epscorspo.nevada.edu/nshe-programs/nevada-nasa-space-grant-consortium/space-grant-funding-opportunities/

Western Tri-State Consortium Call for Proposals – Innovation Working Groups

epscorspo — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:43:52 +0000

The Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico NSF EPSCoR-‐funded programs have formed a consortium of EPSCoR states with similar research agendas related to climate change and water resources, and cyberinfrastructure. The Western Tri-‐State Consortium significantly increases opportunities for scientific collaboration and enhances each state’s ability to secure competitive funding and tackle complex climate change research and cyberinfrastructure agendas. In keeping with the Consortium mission, Innovation Working Group (IWG) funds are being made available to support collaborative, trans-‐disciplinary work by the three member states. The Western Tri-‐State Consortium IWG program is managed by a three-‐state team of Project Directors and EPSCoR staff.

IWGs provide a venue for engaging scientists and educators, along with key nationally and internationally recognized experts, to address the grand challenges that can transform science and education. This program supports working group activities that are modeled after those hosted by the highly successful NSF-‐supported National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). Direct involvement in an EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII)-‐funded project is NOT a prerequisite for participation in this program. A strategic final objective of the IWGs is the submission of proposals that target NSF cross-‐cutting programs and/or the publication of synthesis papers in peer reviewed journals.

Click here to access the 2012 Innovation Working Groups Solicitation

Community and State College Faculty Fellowship Program

epscorspo — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:09:55 +0000

Summer 2012 -

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) received a Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Award from the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program for the Stimulation of Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) for Climate Change research in Nevada. This award creates a statewide interdisciplinary program focused on understanding the effects of regional climate change on ecosystems, improving communication between researchers and policy makers, and better educating the public on climate change in Nevada. The program has six areas of interest: Climate Modeling; Ecological Change; Water Resources; Education; Cyberinfrastructure; and Policy, Decision Making and Outreach. The project encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including (but not limited to) Biology, Civil Engineering, Climatology, Computer Science, Ecology, Education, Environmental Studies, Geography, Hydrology, Journalism, Natural Resources, and Political Science. The goal is for interdisciplinary science teams to build capacity in climate change research to measure environmental changes, develop climate models, translate climate-change science for decision makers, create computer systems to make climate data more accessible, and develop new ways to teach about climate change. For more information on Nevada’s NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Program, visit http://epscorspo.nevada.edu/nsf/climate1

Click here for solicitation application and deadline

Nevada Undergraduate Research Symposium

epscorspo — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:35:19 +0000

This year’s Nevada Undergraduate Research Symposium will be held on April 18^th & 19^th2012 in the Joe Crowley Student Union at UNR. I’ve attached the registration form each student will need to fill out. Please note, we need your forms returned by Monday March 19^th, 2012.

Download Registration Form (.doc)

2012 NSTec UNLV Technical Symposium for Collaborative Research

epscorspo — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:49:55 +0000

The purpose of this symposium is to explore the possibility for collaborations that match requirements from NSTec operations with capabilities at UNLV. Everyone is invited to attend. Please RSVP, however, so we can get an idea of how much food we will need. This is just a reminder for some of you, but for others, this is an original invitation.

The format is designed to give a flavor of requirements from NSTec and some of the newer capabilities available at UNLV. There is a lot of time allocated to breaks and lunch so conversations can have all the time they need to develop.

Thanks to Eric Machorro, Mike Mohar, and Howard Bender for contributing a substantial amount of advice and help to prepare for this event. If anyone has any comments or suggestion regarding how to improve the collaborative atmosphere between NSTec and UNLV, or to improve the effectiveness of this forum, please let me know.

Also, RSVP to me, either by phone or e-mail. You are welcome to just drop in, but if you do not RSVP, I will not have enough food and snacks.

Please consider attending at least some part of this important event. This is an open invitation, so do not hesitate to encourage anyone else who would be interested in attending to RSVP. Thanks.

Steve Curtis
UNLV
Harry Reid Center
Sustainable and Clean Energy Programs
National Security Technologies Group
(702) 219-6463
(702) 895-2936
Steve.curtis@unlv.edu

Symposium Flyer

2012 NASA EPSCoR Solicitation

epscorspo — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:36:53 +0000

2012 NASA EPSCoR Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) solicitation is now available.

The objective of the NASA EPSCoR Awards is to:

Contribute to and promote the development of research infrastructure in NASA EPSCoR States in areas of strategic importance to the NASA mission; (Space Science, Mission to Planet Earth, Human Exploration and Development of Space, Aeronautics, and Space Technology.)

Improve the capabilities of the NASA EPSCoR States to gain support directly from NASA and other sources outside the NASA EPSCoR program;

Contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science, and technology capabilities, higher education, and economic development of the State by utilizing Nevada’s unique resources and assets while developing and expanding regional interests in Climate Change, Systems Engineering, Astrophysics, Planetary Geology, and Astrobiology, and

Work in close coordination with the NASA Space Grant program to improve the environment for science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education in the State.

http://epscorspo.nevada.edu/nasa/solicitations.html

Advancing Science Education – C4D Learning Lab

epscorspo — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:41:58 +0000

The Learning Lab funded for Green Valley High School (GVHS) transforms science classrooms by providing full, wireless access to cyberlearning materials that have been developed under the NV NSF EPSCoR project, Climate Change Cyberlearning Curriculum Development (C4D). The wireless affordance of the learning lab allows the project staff to test the full potential of the cyberlearning materials at scale, in a blended instructional model. Students use the computer models to predict the impact of climate change on food webs, to research and analyze metadata associated with alternative fuel sources and carbon emissions, and to consider the impact of policy decisions in Nevada. Creating a blended learning environment with the cyberlearning tools provides a strong motivator for students on task implementation and achievement.Since 2010, the C4D materials have been piloted and field studied at GVHS in Henderson, NV for the Clark County School District (CCSD). GVHS has a 41% minority student population and 8% with documented disabilities. Four science teachers (including one special education teacher) and approximately 500 students from GVHS are participating in the research and development of C4D materials.

Science teacher Cindy Kern has been at the forefront of the development of the C4D lab. She stated, “C4D has impacted my classroom on many levels. As a practitioner, I have had the opportunity to build climate change curriculum in a collaborative effort with university professors, scientists, fellow doctoral students and teachers. The experience has helped me to better understand teaching strategies and implementation, student learning, and the content associated with climate change education. Cyberlearning is a powerful tool for students who bring native use computer skills to the classroom. C4D’s donation of 10 MacBooks and a MacLearning lab has provided the opportunity for student engagement in a blended learning environment, rich with the developed curriculum as well as opportunity to work with data available on the climate change portal. On a daily basis, 240 students are using the MacBooks as a tool in their science education. Finally, the Moodle learning management system has provided students with a teacher developed cyberenvironment where they can exchange their science ideas with peers, build WIKIs, and review classroom materials. The overwhelming show of support C4D has provided secondary science students has contributed to student learning!”

For more information on this project, visit the Climate Change Learning Portal webpage at: http://climatechange.education.unlv.edu/