Library Sciences
Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums – FY12 Guidelines
Application Deadline: February 1, 2012
(Projects must begin August 1, September 1, or October 1, 2012.)
Website: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/sparks_ignition_grants_guidelines.aspx
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 45.312
What are Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums?
The Sparks Grants are a special funding opportunity within the IMLS National Leadership
Grants program. These small grants encourage libraries, museums, and archives to test and
evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide. Sparks
Grants support the deployment, testing, and evaluation of promising and groundbreaking new
tools, products, services, or organizational practices. You may propose activities or approaches
that involve risk, as long as the risk is balanced by significant potential for improvement.
Eligible institutions of all sizes and types are encouraged to apply.
Successful proposals will address problems, challenges, or needs of broad relevance to libraries,
museums, and/or archives. A proposed project should test and evaluate a specific, innovative
response to the identified problem and present a plan to make the findings widely and openly
accessible.
To maximize the public benefit from federal investments in these grants, the Sparks Grants will
fund only projects with the following characteristics:
Broad Potential Impact - You should identify a specific problem or need that is relevant to
many libraries, archives, and/or museums, and propose a testable and measurable solution.
Proposals must demonstrate a thorough understanding of current issues and practices in the
project’s focus area and discuss its potential impact within libraries, archives, and/or museums.
Proposed innovations should be widely adoptable or adaptable.
Significant Innovation—The proposed solution to the identified problem must offer strong
potential for non-incremental, significant advancement in the operation of libraries, archives,
and/or museums. You must explain how the proposed activity differs from current practices or
exploits an unexplored opportunity, and the potential benefit to be gained by this innovation.
The Sparks Grants are designed to foster broad sharing of information about project findings.
Successful proposals are expected to include communication plans that exploit multiple media
and technologies to share project information with targeted audiences.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Research Opportunities for Undergraduates (REU)
Research Opportunities for Undergraduates
Proposal Deadline: Full Proposal Deadline Date: June 1, 2012 Deadline for REU Site proposals
requiring access to Antarctica. All other REU Site proposals must be submitted to the August
REU deadline. First Friday in June, Annually Thereafter Full Proposal Deadline Date: August
22, 2012 Deadline for REU Site proposals except for those requiring access to Antarctica Fourth
Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter
Website: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09598/nsf09598.htm
Synopsis of Program:
The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research
participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National
Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research
programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation
features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent
proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU
Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department, or on interdisciplinary or
multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an
international dimension are welcome. A partnership with the Department of Defense supports
REU Sites in DoD-relevant research areas. (2) REU Supplements may be requested for ongoing
NSF-funded research projects or may be included as a component of proposals for new or
renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements.
Undergraduate student participants in either Sites or Supplements must be citizens or permanent
residents of the United States or its possessions.
Students may not apply to NSF to participate in REU activities. Students apply directly to REU
Sites and should consult the directory of active REU Sites on the Web at http://www.nsf.gov/
crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm.
Proposal Deadline: Full Proposal Deadline Date: June 1, 2012 Deadline for REU Site proposals
requiring access to Antarctica. All other REU Site proposals must be submitted to the August
REU deadline. First Friday in June, Annually Thereafter Full Proposal Deadline Date: August
22, 2012 Deadline for REU Site proposals except for those requiring access to Antarctica Fourth
Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter
Website: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09598/nsf09598.htm
Synopsis of Program:
The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research
participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National
Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research
programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation
features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent
proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU
Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department, or on interdisciplinary or
multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an
international dimension are welcome. A partnership with the Department of Defense supports
REU Sites in DoD-relevant research areas. (2) REU Supplements may be requested for ongoing
NSF-funded research projects or may be included as a component of proposals for new or
renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements.
Undergraduate student participants in either Sites or Supplements must be citizens or permanent
residents of the United States or its possessions.
Students may not apply to NSF to participate in REU activities. Students apply directly to REU
Sites and should consult the directory of active REU Sites on the Web at http://www.nsf.gov/
crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm.
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