MavOps Focused Funding Opportunities for UNO College of IS&T
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MavOps

Focused Funding Opportunities and Informational Updates

for The College of Information Science &Technology

Fall 2025 issue #5 (corrected)

JSYK: Just So You Know!

The BLUE Titles throughout MavOps are links to program pages or RFPs

Example: CLICK HERE for the CIST Funding Opportunities Page

The CIST Funding Opportunities page is linked through the College website's Research tab and is managed by the Office of Proposal Development. It currently lists previous MavOps. It will also list a repository of Continuous or Annual common RFPs for CIST faculty.

 

Internal Application Process for FY27 NU Collaboration Initiative

Nebraska Research Initiative (NRI) Internal Grant Program FY 2027 RFA

Deadline: January 14, 2026

Budget Deadline: December 12, 2025

 

Budget Request Submission
Email Deanna Marcelino at deannamarcelino@unomaha.edu by December 12, 2025 to request budget development assistance.

 

NuRamp Application
Enter budget details and upload a budget justification (PDF) in the NuRamp online application.

 

Key Dates
ORCA closed: Dec 24, 2025 – Jan 2, 2026.
Submit application in NuRamp by Jan 14, 2026.
Routing signatures completed by Jan 23, 2026.

 

ORCA Contacts for Questions
Sara A. Myers, Ph.D. – Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity
Deanna Marcelino – Project Manager, ORCA

ORCA Open Writing Sessions AT PKI 269

Monday, December 1, 2025 11:00am to 12:30pm CST

Federal Funding Opportunities

USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)

AFRI – Foundational & Applied Science (FAS)

Proposal deadlines: vary by topic; most on December 4, 11, or 18, 2025

AFRI–FAS supports research, education, and extension projects across six major food/ag priority areas. CIST-aligned topics include data science/AI for ag systems (DSFAS), cyber-physical systems/IoT and engineering for precision crop & water management, nanotechnology for sensors, and modeling/analytics supporting bioenergy, water, and supply chains.

 

Focus Areas Aligned to CIST

  • CS: AI/ML, data science, robotics, sensing, CPS/IoT, modeling & simulation for food/ag, water, or environmental systems.
  • ISQA: Decision-support, optimization, analytics for ag supply chains, risk, markets, and resource management.
  • Si2: Cybersecurity of ag/food CPS, informatics/data platforms for ag, and tech innovation in rural/ag communities.

Award summary:

  • Program-level range: ~$10,000–$10,000,000
  • Most up to 5 years (exact caps vary by program)

NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 23-50

Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Transportation Data

Proposal deadlines: December 19, 2025

This NCHRP project will fund a research team to develop a practical guide for state DOTs on how to use AI (including ML and GenAI/RAG) to detect, correct, and prevent transportation data quality issues. The work includes developing and testing AI methods on real transportation datasets and producing actionable guidance for DOT data management and governance.

 

Focus Areas Aligned to CIST

  • AI/ML and GenAI/RAG for data quality assessment, rule discovery, anomaly detection, and automated correction.
  • Data management, governance, and analytics for large, heterogeneous transportation/business data systems.
  • Human-in-the-loop workflows and performance metrics (accuracy, precision/recall, efficiency) for AI-driven data quality tools.CS: AI/ML, data science, robotics, sensing, CPS/IoT, modeling & simulation for food/ag, water, or environmental systems.

Award summary:

  • Total funds: $450,000 (fixed-price research contract; one project will be selected)
  • Project duration: 24 months (shorter if feasible)

DHHS/NIH ARPA-H -- three calls (Collaborations/Teams expected)

Autonomous Interventions and Robotics (AIR)

Deadlines: Solution Summaries: January 26, 2026; Full Proposals: March 30, 2026

AIR aims to develop autonomous robotic systems that can perform life-saving interventions (starting with stroke thrombectomy) and tiny “microbot” platforms for less invasive procedures, expanding access to advanced surgical care.

 

Focus Areas Aligned to CIST

  • Robotics and autonomous systems, real-time control, computer vision, and AI/ML for surgical planning or guidance.
  • Cyber-physical systems, safety-critical software, HCI for clinical interfaces, and secure networking of robotic systems.

Genetic Medicines and Individualized Manufacturing forEveryone (GIVE)

Deadlines: Solution Summaries: January 26, 2026; Full Proposals: March 30, 2026

GIVE seeks to build a distributed, automated biomanufacturing network for RNA-based genetic medicines, with plug-and-play manufacturing units and integrated quality-control platforms to enable personalized and individualized therapies across many sites.

 

Focus Areas Aligned to CIST

  • Automation software, AI/ML and optimization for process control and quality prediction in biomanufacturing.
  • Cyber-physical manufacturing systems, digital twins, secure cloud/edge architectures, and health/biomedical informatics platforms.

Making Obstetrics Care Smart (MOCS)

Deadlines: Solution Summaries: December 19, 2025; Full Proposals: February 27, 2026

MOCS aims to make U.S. childbirth dramatically safer by developing new diagnostics, noninvasive wireless sensors, and AI/ML-backed tools to monitor fetal oxygen status and guide decision-making during labor and delivery.

 

Focus Areas Aligned to CIST

  • Sensing systems, AI/ML models, risk scoring, and decision-support for real-time clinical monitoring.
  • HCI, UX, and data platforms for obstetrics teams; secure, privacy-preserving data systems for maternal/fetal monitoring..

Award summary:

  • Multiple awards; OT agreements with varying budgets and periods of performance (details in solicitation)

Internal/NU Funding Opportunities (reminders)

UNO ORCA

Proposal deadline: Rolling while funds available. Submissions opened September 15, 2025

Fund for Undergraduate Scholarly Experience (FUSE)

The FUSE grant supports faculty-mentored undergraduate student research and creative activity.

Eligibility: Undergraduate students who pay their tuition through UNO and will graduate in May 2026 or later.

Award Summary

Up to $2,500 per student.

 

Graduate Research and Creative Activity

The GRACA grant supports faculty-mentored graduate student research and creative activity.

Eligibility: Graduate students who pay their tuition through UNO and will graduate in May 2026 or later.

Award Summary

Up to $5,000 per student.

Please send any leads you think should be included in MavOps!

Kelly L. Hughes

Proposal Development Manager

PKI 222

402.554.3383

kellyhughes@nebraska.edu

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