Recovery Act Opportunities in Mid-Michigan

http://tinyurl.com/lsnvke

Below you will find a few Recovery Act competitive grant opportunities that we have selected because of their potential fit in our communities.

Do you have questions about a particular grant? Can you share a story about how the Recovery Act is impacting your community? Are you looking for feedback on a concept for a grant? Then please click here and join the Mid Michigan Innovation Team's Recovery Act Discussion Forum and share your thoughts with others in the region. We have created this forum for Recovery Act 101 Session attendees and others in the region to join in conversation about how we can make the most of the Recovery Act in Mid Michigan.

If you are interested in partnering with an agency in Mid Michigan or would like assistance in developing a concept or collaborative partnership in order to compete for Recovery Act funds, please contact Melodee Hagensen at mhagensen@skilledwork.org

Sincerely,

MMIT
Mid Michigan Innovation Team



Funding Opportunities

Community Development

Facility Investment Program
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services- Health Resources & Services Administration
Purpose: For existing Health Center Program grantees under the Facility Investment Program (FIP) initiative to address significant and pressing capital improvement needs in health centers, including construction and renovation. Health center grantees requesting FIP grants must demonstrate how their proposal will lead to improvements in access to health services for underserved populations and create health center and construction-related jobs. FIP grants are one-time awards, and there will be no ongoing support of FIP grant activities after the end of the 2-year project/budget period.
Due: 8/06/2009

Pathways out of Poverty Grants
Agency: Department of Labor-Employment and Training Administration
Purpose: For projects that provide training and placement services to provide pathways out of poverty and into employment within specific industries.
Due: 9/29/09

Economic Development

Small Business Innovation Research Program - Phase I
Agency: USDA - Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CREES)
Purpose: To provide an opportunity for US-owned, for-profit small business firms to submit innovative, applied, research and development projects that address important problems facing American agriculture and have the potential to lead to significant public benefit if the research is successful. Research proposals are accepted in any of the following topic areas: 1) Forests and Related Resources; 2) Plant Production and Protection - Biology; 3) Animal Production and Protection; 4) Air, Water, and Soils; 5) Food Science and Nutrition; 6) Rural Development; 7) Aquaculture; 8) Biofuels and Biobased Products; 9) Marketing and Trade; 10) Animal Manure Management; 11) Small and Mid-Size Farms; and 12) Plant Production and Protection - Engineering. The SBIR program exists in three phases. The purpose of Phase I is to prove the scientific or technical feasibility of the proposed research and development effort. Phase I projects typically are for 8 months. Phase II is the principal research and development effort and often involves moving the project from the laboratory to the field or the development of prototypes. Phase II projects typically are for 24 months. Phase III is the commercialization phase and there is no SBIR support provided for this phase. This SBIR program funding opportunity is for Phase I applications.
Due: 9/03/2009

Rural Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans (B&I)
Agency: USDA
Purpose: To improve, develop, or finance business, industry, and employment and improve the economic and environmental climate in rural communities by bolstering the existing private credit structure through the guarantee of quality loans which will provide lasting community benefits.
Due: Available until funds are depleted or until a date to be published in Fiscal Year 2010, whichever occurs earlier.

Rural Enterprise Grants (RBEG)
Agency: USDA
Purpose: To improve rural development through grants for projects including: Acquisition or development of land; easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion and renovation of buildings, plants, machinery, equipment, access streets and roads, parking areas, and utilities; pollution control and abatement; capitalization of revolving loan funds including funds that will make loans for start ups and working capital; training and technical assistance; distance learning for adult job training and advancement; rural transportation improvement; and project planning.
Due: Available until funds are depleted or until a date to be published in Fiscal Year 2010, whichever occurs earlier.

Education and Research

Early Career Research Program
Agency: Department of Energy-Office of Science
Purpose: For support under the Early Career Research Program in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR);Biological and Environmental Research (BER); Basic Energy Sciences (BES),Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); High Energy Physics (HEP), and Nuclear Physics(NP). The purpose of this program is to support the development of individual research programs of outstanding scientists early in their careers and to stimulate research careers in the areas supported by the DOE Office of Science.
Due: Letter of Intent due by 8/03/2009 at 4:30pm EDT. Application due 9/01/2009

Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA)
Agency: National Institutes of Health
Purpose: To stimulate research in educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the Nation's research scientists, but that have not been major recipients of NIH support. These AREA grants create opportunities for scientists and institutions otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH programs, to contribute to the Nation's biomedical and behavioral research effort. AREA grants are intended to support small-scale health-related research projects proposed by faculty members of eligible, domestic institutions.
Due: Opens 8/24/2009; Applications due 9/24/2009

Energy and Environment

Smart Grid Investment Grant Program
Agency: Department of Energy
Purpose: The federal funds for this program have been divided into two categories: 1. Smaller projects in which the federal share would be in the range of 300,000 Dollars US to 20,000,000 Dollars US. 2. Larger projects in which the federal cost share would be in the range of 20,000,000 Dollars US to 200,000,000 Dollars US.
Due: 8/06/2009

Smart Grid Demonstrations
Agency: Department of Energy-National Energy Technology Laboratory
Purpose: projects will include regionally unique demonstrations to verify smart grid technology viability, quantify smart grid costs and benefits, and validate new smart grid business models, at a scale that can be readily adapted and replicated around the country. The goal of this FOA is to demonstrate technologies in regions across the States, Districts, and Territories of the United States of America that embody essential and salient characteristics of each region and present a suite of use cases for national implementation and replication. From these use cases, the goal is to collect and provide the optimal amount of information necessary for customers, distributors, and generators to change their behavior in a way that reduces system demands and costs, increases energy efficiency, optimally allocates and matches demand and resources to meet that demand, and increases the reliability of the grid. The social benefits of a smart grid are reduced emissions, lower costs, increased reliability, greater security and flexibility to accommodate new energy technologies, including renewable, intermittent and distributed sources.
Due: 8/06/2009

Geologic Sequestration Training and Research
Agency: Department of Energy-National Energy Technology Laboratory
Purpose: sought to provide training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students that will provide the human capital and skills required for implementing and deploying carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies. Training can be accomplished through fundamental research in the CCS technology area. Fundamental research is needed to advance science in: simulation and risk assessment; monitoring, verification, and accounting; geological related analytical tools; methods to interpret geophysical models; well completion and integrity for long-term CO2 storage; and CO2 capture.
Due: 8/11/2009

Advanced Energy Efficient Building Technologies
Agency: Department of Energy-National Energy Technology Laboratory
Purpose: Six broad Areas of Interest. Each Area of Interest includes several specific Technical Subtopics:
• Area of Interest 1-Advanced Building Control Strategies, Communications and Information Technologies for Net-Zero Energy Buildings
• Area of Interest 2-Analysis, Design and Technical Tools
• Area of Interest 3-Building Envelope and Windows
• Area of Interest 4-Residential and Commercial HVAC and Crosscutting Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Research
• Area of Interest 5-Water Heating, Residential and Commercial Appliances and MELs
• Area of Interest 6-Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC)
Due: 8/18/2009

Solid State Lighting U.S. Manufacturing-Round 1
Agency: Department of Energy-National Energy Technology Laboratory
Purpose: To achieve cost reduction of solid-state lighting for general illumination through improvements in manufacturing equipment, processes, or techniques. It is anticipated that success will lead to a more rapid adoption/installation of high-quality SSL products resulting in a significant reduction of energy use and a corresponding reduction of environmental pollutants. A secondary objective is to maintain, in the case of light emitting diodes (LEDs), or establish, in the case of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), the manufacturing and technology base within the US.
Due: 8/24/2009 at 3pm EDT