College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Jan. 19, 2015 – No. 883
Top Stories
Nation’s Premier Site for Water Quality Science Drives Progress
A farm outside Gilmore City is home to ISU’s Agriculture Drainage Research and Demonstration Site, a facility that has been working to further ISU’s water conservation efforts since 1990. Using science-based research results from Gilmore City and many other locations, ISU scientists led the science assessment team that ensured that research-proven practices were at the heart of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
Teaching and Students
Open Forum Scheduled for Assistant Dean for Student Services Candidates
CALS faculty and staff are invited to participate in two open forums for candidates for the assistant dean for student services position. Mike Retallick, agricultural education and studies, will present Feb. 1, 1:10 to 2 p.m. in 142 Curtiss. Howard Tyler, animal science, will present Feb. 2, 12:10 to 1 p.m. in 142 Curtiss. The candidates will make comments on their vision for student services for student success followed by a question and answer session.
Extension and Outreach
Beginning Farmer Center Seminar Jan. 29 to Feature Play about Land Transition
The Beginning Farmer Center seminar on Jan. 29 will feature a play about land transition. "Map of My Kingdom," presented by Iowa Public Radio, is a one-act play that addresses questions about land ownership and inheritance. The drama was written by Mary Swander, ISU distinguished professor emerita in English and the 2009 Poet Laureate for the State of Iowa. The play will be held at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center and is open to the public at no cost.
El Nino Years Usually Produce Better-than-Average Crops
Elwynn Taylor, agronomy, says Midwestern farmers usually fare well during years that El Nino weather patterns affect the growing season, resulting in above-trend yields for corn and soybeans roughly 70 percent of the time.
Around the College
Cooper Participates in National Roundtable on Agriculture Diversity and Inclusion
Employment opportunities for college graduates with expertise in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or the environment are expected to fill just 61 percent of the expected annual openings between 2015 and 2020. To address this issue, Archer Daniels Midland Company presented an Agriculture Diversity and Inclusion Roundtable on Jan. 11-12 in Washington, D.C. Theressa Cooper, CALS Assistant Dean for Diversity, participated in the event, designed to create a cross-functional council to partner, share best practices and seek areas of collaboration with the greater goal of growing a diverse pipeline of talent for the U.S. agricultural industry. The council will continue to meet two to four times a year.
Share Bragging Points, Events and News on Curtiss Hall Digital Displays
The digital displays in Curtiss Hall are a great way to share college related events and news. Information can include images, graphics and short videos without audio. The displays are located in the rotunda on ground floor and in Harl Commons. Please send information you would like to share with students, staff and faculty to Barb McBreen at barbmc@iatstate.edu, 4-0707.
Calendar
Jan. 20: Early Registration Deadline for Soil Health Conference
ISU Extension and Outreach, CALS and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service are hosting a Soil Health Conference on Feb. 2-3, 2016, at the Scheman Building. The goal of the conference is to increase awareness and understanding of soil health as pivotal to sustainable agriculture and environmental quality in Iowa and the Midwest. Early registration is open through Jan. 20.
Jan. 27-28: Iowa Pork Congress
The Iowa Pork Congress will be held Jan. 27-28 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. Iowa Pork Industry Center and ISU faculty and staff will be available in booth 1127. Matt Helmers and Dan Anderson, agricultural and biosystems engineering, also will be presenting seminars.
Funding Opportunities
NIH Parallel Funding Initiative for Collaboration with Brazil
NIH has issued a notice of Parallel Funding for Collaborative Research between Investigators in the United States and the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The NIH and Sao Paulo Research Foundation intend to jointly support successful R01 applications that fall within research areas of mutual interest. Applications can be made through the Research Project Grant (Parent R01). Proposal deadlines are Feb. 5 and June 5.
Bailey Research Career Development Award Program
Established as an estate gift from Carl A. and Grace A. Bailey, the Bailey Research Career Development Award is intended to foster research that is innovative, increases knowledge and has practical applications. Any full-time tenured associate professor or professor may apply. One award of $50,000 per year for two or three years will be made. Interested individuals should email their application to Joe Colletti (colletti@iatate.edu) by March 7.
CERES Trust 2015 Graduate Student Research Grant Program
The Ceres Trust, a privately-administered Midwest-based charitable trust, focuses on the support and promotion of organic and sustainable agriculture. Up to 10 one-year grants of up to $10,000 each will be awarded to support organic research by full-time graduate students enrolled at accredited colleges and universities in the North Central region. Applications are due by March 15.
U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security Program
The U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security graduate research grant program supports exceptional graduate students who are interested in developing a component of their graduate research in a developing country setting and in collaboration with a mentor from an International Agricultural Research Center or a qualifying National Agricultural Research System unit. U.S. citizenship is required, and applicants must be enrolled in an accredited U.S. graduate program at the time of application. Applications are due Apr. 11.
Workshop: Managing Your Award
The Office of the VPR will present the workshop, “Managing Your Award,” to help PIs manage their funding. A panel will provide an overview of awards, including types of award requirements and terms, changes that require approval, and federal regulations for grants and cooperative agreements. Panelists will also provide information and answer questions about building a research team, purchasing from external sources, submitting reports and monitoring accounts. Registration is requested.
Cayuse 424 Training Webinars
The Cayuse 424 product support team has scheduled a series of training webinars in January. The webinars are sent to everyone who registers, which allows access at a later date for individuals who cannot participate at the stated times.
Funding Information, Opportunities and Deadline Reminders
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu. Additional information is posted at CALS Pre-Award Resources.
Jan. 29 (notice of intent): NASA ROSES Carbon Monitoring System: Continuing Prototype Product Development, Research and Scoping.
Feb. 5, June 5: NIH Education and Health: New Frontiers. More: (R01), (R03), (R21)
Feb. 12: NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00).
Feb. 26, July 14: USFWS Standard Grants; $75,000 to $1 million, 1:1 match required.
Feb. 29 (expression of interest): USAID/Government of Norway/Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Grand Challenges Canada/UKAID/Korea International Cooperation Agency - Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development; $250,000 to $2 million.
Mar. 21 (compulsory registration): Human Frontier Science Program 2017 Research Grants – Young Investigators’ Grants and Program Grants; $1.35 million over three years for international interdisciplinary teams.
Mar. 28: NSF STEM + Computing Partnerships; $250,000 to $2.5 million.
Apr. 1: The Gloeckner Foundation Grants; floriculture and related fields.
Apr. 4: NSF Data Infrastructure Building Blocks; $500,000 to $4 million.
April 5: NIH Development of Novel and Emerging Technologies to Support Zebrafish Models for Biomedical Research (R41/R42); application must be submitted by a small business, PI may be employed by partnering research institution.
Apr. 27 (letter of intent): NIH USDA Food Specific Molecular Profiles and Biomarkers of Food and Nutrient Intake, and Dietary Exposure (R01).
June 1 (concept papers): The Gerber Foundation Pediatric Research Grant; $350,000.
Communications Kiosk
Communication Center Serves Graduate Students, Postdocs
The ISU Graduate College has established a new Center for Communication Excellence for graduate students and postdocs. The center offers written and oral communication support. Services include individual consultation with disciplinary, interdisciplinary and English writing consultants who assist with theses, dissertations, journal articles, research proposals and conference papers; graduate peer review groups; and seminars and workshops.
Infograzing
New Year, New Cyber Threats
Staying ahead of cybercriminals is a never-ending job. Iowa State’s IT security professionals are always watchful for vulnerabilities or cyberattacks, but scammers know that the easiest way to score is to entice people to give up their own information or credentials voluntarily. Attacks tend to spike around critical times, like the beginning of the semester or tax season. ISU Information Technology Services released information on how to stay safe.
Marginalia
CALS Animal Geneticists Featured in U-tube “Scifie”
Four CALS women animal geneticists are featured in a parody written to the song “but first let me take a selfie” by the Chainsmokers. The video shows “scifies” (a play on the word “selfie”) of female plant and animal breeders from around the world emphasizing the important role women play in this field – both historically and at the current time. Also, it emphasizes the passion these women have for science, their careers and their family lives. The video was shown to 2,000 scientists at the opening session of the international Plant and Animal Genome meeting on Jan. 10 in San Diego. Included from CALS are Sue Lamont, animal science; Melissa Herrmann and Kaylee Rowland, graduate students in animal science; and Hongyan Sun, who graduated from Lamont’s lab with a Ph.D. in animal breeding and genetics in December 2015.
World Dairy Expo Celebrates 50 Years with New Book
The international World Dairy Expo celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. A limited edition commemorative book, “We Need a Show,” was unveiled at the 2015 World Dairy Expo and gives insight into how the show began, the struggles and success over the years and a look at the future.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is published by email every Monday. The deadline for submitting content is 12 p.m. on Friday.