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title: "MavOps Spring 2026 Issue #03"
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MavOps Focused Funding Opportunities for UNO College of IS&T ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­    ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

| View in browser MavOps Focused Funding Opportunities and Informational Updates for The College of Information Science &Technology Spring 2026 issue #3 JSYK: Just So You Know! FY 2027 Administration R&D Budget Priorities and Cross-Cutting Actions   September 23, 2025   Click the link above to read the Memorandum released in September by the Executive Office of the President outlining R&D priorities. 18th Annual Research and Creative Activity Fair (RCAF)   SAVE THE DATE! March 27, 2026   Click the link above to learn about RCAF and sign up as a: Judge Moderator Faculty Advisor Student Participant Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program For PhD Students/Graduates Virtual Info Session! March 3, 2026 (registration required) The Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program offers scientists and engineers from a wide variety of disciplines unique opportunities to conduct research in a range of topics relevant to the Intelligence Community. The research is conducted by postdocs, while in partnership with a research advisor and collaborating with an advisor from the Intelligence Community.   Postdoc Eligibility Details: U.S. citizenship required Ph.D. in a relevant field must be completed before beginning the appointment and within five years of the appointment start date. Proposal must be associated with an accredited U.S. university, college or U.S. government laboratory. Deadline: March 31, 2026   ORCA Open Writing Sessions Join a session for time to dedicate to writing your current proposal! Click on the link above to sign up for the session(s) you plan to attend. Thursday, February 26 12:30 to 2:00 P.M. \| 306 MBSC   Tuesday, March 10 8:30 to 10:00 A.M. \| 306 MBSC   Tuesday, March 31 8:30 to 10:00 A.M. \| 306 MBSC   Thursday, April 23 12:30 to 2:00 P.M. \| 306 MBSC   Monday, April 27 12:00 to 1:30 P.M. \| 306 MBSC Internal/NU Funding Opportunities UNeMed Entry deadline: March 6, 2026 “Back-o-the-Napkin” Contest UNeMed has kicked off their Back-of-the-Napkin contest. Eligible entries will be limited to medical devices and innovations related to artificial intelligence programs or systems, software tools and applications, and research tools and judged by UNeMed’s internal Science and Technology Advisory Committee (STAC). Submissions will be evaluated for their novelty, market potential and possible intellectual property protection.   Selected entries will be awarded additional development and financial support, which may include prototyping, feasibility testing, other developmental guidance and support as deemed most appropriate by STAC.   Click the link above for complete information. Foundation/Corporate Funding Opportunities RRF Foundation for aging   #BIO&HEALTH-INFO #HCC #AI&ACS #CYBRSEC   RRF Research Grants   Deadlines (3 cycles per year) LOI: Feb 1, May 1, Nov 1; Proposal: invited   RRF funds research that seeks to identify interventions, policies and practices to improve the well-being of older adults and/or their caregivers. Preference is given to projects aimed at generating practical knowledge and guidance that can be used by advocates, policy-makers, providers, and the aging network. Of particular interest are: Interventional trials; translational studies; and health services and policy research Projects that build on the investigator’s past studies Proposals that include robust dissemination plans, if appropriate, to assure that findings reach audiences positioned to act on them   Focus Areas Aligned to CIST Data-driven evaluation of interventions/programs for older adults (applied analytics; outcomes, equity, implementation) Health informatics/consumer health informatics tools supporting aging, caregiving workflows, or access to services Human-centered computing for older adults/caregivers (usability, accessibility, adoption, reducing burden) Privacy/security and safe data sharing for multi-partner aging services ecosystems (when relevant) Award Summary Typical award range cited by institutional sponsor pages: ~$44,000–$260,000 over two years (amount varies by scope/budget). Indirect costs: Up to 10% of requested direct expenses may be allocated to indirect costs. Federal Funding Opportunities (Time Sensitive) USDA NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)   Deadlines A9201: LOI Feb 26, 2026; Application Mar 26, 2026 A9231: LOI Feb 26, 2026: Application: Apr 23, 2026   AFRI Strengthening Agricultural Systems   NIFA’s SAS program supports large-scale, fully integrated projects that combine research, education, and extension to strengthen U.S. food and agricultural systems, with explicit attention to producer benefit, long-term impact, and systems/transdisciplinary approaches.   #AI&ACS #HCC #CYBRSEC #BIO&HEALTH-INFO Track A9201: Strengthening Agricultural Systems (SAS): Focus Areas Aligned to CIST AI/ML for optimization Cyber-physical systems/IoT sensing for smart/precision ag monitoring Secure data-sharing, privacy, and cybersecurity for connected ag infrastructure and farm/food data ecosystems Human-centered tools for producers/extension (usable dashboards, explainable AI, adoption & usability evaluation) Nutrition/health informatics approaches that connect food systems data to diet-related chronic disease outcomes ------------------------------------------------------------   #COMPEDU #AI&ACS #HCC (#3DI&SIM, for immersive/VR learning environments) Track A9231: AI for K–12 food/ag sciences: Focus Areas Aligned to CIST Computing/AI education R&D for K–12 AI learning technologies and human-centered educational tools Responsible/transparent AI for learning contexts Immersive/interactive simulations for K–12 ag/food learning   Award Summary Project duration: up to 60 months A9201 expected awards: 10–12; $2.5M–$10M per award A9231 expected awards: 6; $1M–$2M per award Cost share/match: Matching required if commodity-specific (see NOFO details) DARPA (Defense Sciences Office)   #AI&ACS #HCC #CYBRSEC   CLARA Disruption Opportunity   Deadlines: Abstract (recommended) March 2, 2026; Proposal April 10, 2026   DARPA is seeking innovative basic or applied research to create high-assurance “AI systems of systems” by developing a theory-driven architectural foundation for hierarchical composition of Machine Learning (ML) and Automated Reasoning/Knowledge Representation & Reasoning (AR/KR&R) subsystems. Emphasis is on verifiability and strong explainability grounded in automated logical proofs and reusable logic “building blocks,” with solutions that remain computationally scalable (and not just incremental improvements).   Two Technical Areas: TA1 (primary): Develop new high-assurance ML/AR approaches—tightly coupling AR + ML, with theory/algorithms, open-source implementations, scalability, and rapid adaptation to new data (including human-editable knowledge updates). TA2: Build a software composition/integration library (APIs, interfaces, common data formats, end-to-end explanatioed TA1 tools; TA2 emphasizes integration expertise and interoperability across diverse performer software stacks. Focus Areas Aligned to CIST Trustworthy AI Knowledge representation & automated reasoning Explainable/interpretable AI Neuro-symbolic AI Scalable AI systems engineering Award Summary Mechanism: DARPA Other Transaction (OT) – Prototype Total funding: up to $2.0M across both phases Period: up to 24 months (Phase 1 base 15 months + Phase 2 option 9 months) Rolling or Recurring Federal Funding Opportunities NSF 25-543 #ALLCOLLABS Computing Research (Future CoRe) Proposal Target Dates (no hard deadline): February 05, 2026, First Thursday in February, annually; Second Thursday in September, annually Future CoRe is the main umbrella for CISE “core” research. It covers algorithms, systems, networks, AI, HCI, data/ML, cyber-physical systems, and foundations of emerging technologies—essentially the full IS&T research spectrum. NSF 25-515 #CYBRSEC Security, Privacy, and Trust in Cyberspace (SaTC 2.0) Proposal Target Dates (no hard deadline): Jan 26, 2026, Last Monday in January, annually;  Last Monday in September, annually Flagship program for cybersecurity, privacy, resilience, and “trust in cyberspace,” spanning computing, AI, social/behavioral, mathematics, and education. Ideal for work in security, usable privacy, trustworthy AI, and socio-technical security.  NSF 24-561  #AI&ACS #3DI&SIM #BIO&HEALTH-INF Foundations for Digital Twins as Catalyzers of Biomedical Technological Innovation (FDT-BioTech) Proposal Deadlines: May 4, 2026, First Monday in May, annually  Foundational methods for biomedical/healthcare digital twins and synthetic data/synthetic humans, emphasizing interdisciplinary mathematical and engineering foundations. NSF 22-586 #ALLCOLLABS Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Proposal Deadline: Fourth Wednesday in July, annually Early-career faculty submit CAREER proposals to a disciplinary program (e.g., a Future CoRe subprogram like SHF or HCC, or SaTC 2.0).   CAREER proposals are evaluated within those core programs but under the CAREER expectations (integrated research and education plan, career development trajectory). 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 The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement. University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182, United States, 402.554.2800 Manage preferences |
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