Newsletter for the SoC Research Community, Spring 2023
Welcome to the inaugural newsletter for the School of Communication’s Office of Research! We are thrilled to now offer a space that highlights useful research-related updates that will support your research and creative work in the School of Communication. We also invite you to check out our newly designed SoC Office of Research website, which offers up-to-date announcements highlighting new funding opportunities in both the arts and humanities and basic and social sciences, along with many other useful resources and new services. Welcome!
In this newsletter:
New Guidance for International Collaborations
Do you have a collaborative project with an international colleague, or are you thinking about initiating one? If so, please find guidance about adhering to new federal requirements that protect against improper foreign interference. If you have an international collaboration, please contact our office so that we can help provide resources to support your work.
Under the CHIPs and Science Act and other federal regulations, associations with foreign collaborators must be disclosed to evaluate potential “malign” foreign talent programs. The law notes that China, the Russian Federation, North Korea, and Iran are specific entities of concern. The government is finalizing the definition of a malign foreign talent program to create a universal understanding, but this article from NSF provides a good summary. Please be in touch with our office early on for all planned foreign collaborations so that we may help to navigate compliance and legal requirements. You can also contact Amy Weber (amy.weber@northwestern.edu), senior director for export controls and international compliance, with any questions.
New NIH Data Sharing Requirements
Just a reminder that the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing went into effect January 25, 2023 (NOT-OD-23-053) and applies to all new submissions, with NSF and other agencies soon to follow. We’ve compiled some resources on our website to help guide investigators in meeting these requirements, including workshops, 1-1 consultations, templates, and more. You may also visit NIH to learn more about its data management and sharing requirements. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like help or have any questions about developing a data sharing and management plan.
Note: The Galter librarians offer helpful courses related to new data sharing policies and many other relevant topics.
NU Transition from InfoEd to CERES
Due to increased research revenue (up 32% from FY18-22, now approaching $1B), Northwestern has enhanced its infrastructure to better support the research community by switching from InfoEd to CERES (Central Electronic Research System) as of April 24, 2023. The Office of Research is working to make this transition as smooth as possible, and our own Marysia Galent has been serving a critical role as a “change agent” to facilitate SoC’s transition to this new software, collaborating closely with the VP’s Office for Research and the CERES team. We don’t anticipate any delays or problems but do appreciate your patience as this new system is rolled out.
WHY IS THIS RELEVANT TO YOU?
- CERES provides improved project structure and system navigation—multiple transactions over a project’s lifecycle can be seen in one place.
- From their landing dashboard, researchers can quickly find the information they need, identify critical and time-sensitive items requiring action, or resume tasks already started.
- Faculty can easily view the automatically updated workflow status in the project workspace.
Faculty Spotlight
The SoC Office of Research holds a “Faculty Spotlight” each quarter to offer a dedicated space for faculty to share their research projects with representatives from Corporate Engagement, Foundation Relations and Development, and the SoC Research Team. The objective is to allow those offices to become familiarized with SoC faculty research so they can be on the lookout for possible external funding sources. We are proud to report that in the 2021-22 academic year, Spotlight meetings resulted in over 30 connections between private funding organizations and SoC faculty.
We extend a warm invitation to SoC faculty to present about their work at an upcoming Spotlight. It involves a ten- to fifteen-minute Zoom presentation by a faculty member about their research, after which the members of the Spotlight team ask questions and brainstorm funding sources. An individualized plan with Foundation Relations and Corporate Sponsor representatives serves as part of the follow-up. Please consider sharing your work at an upcoming Spotlight!
CommConnections
The SoC symposium series was established to cross disciplines and create partnerships within the school.
Health, Hope, and Empowerment in Communication
Thursday, May 11 from 3-4:30 p.m.
Hardin Hall in Rebecca Crown Center, 633 Clark Street
Or attend remotely via Zoom webinar
Reception to follow
With an introduction from Dean E. Patrick Johnson and a
discussion moderated by Associate Professor Marcela A. Fuentes
Presenters
Bonnie Martin-Harris
Alice Gabrielle Twight Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Moya Bailey
Associate Professor of Communication Studies
Liz Son
Associate Professor of Theatre
Area Head, Theatre History/Literature/Criticism/Theory
Foundation Relations: Connecting Faculty with New Funding Opportunities
Chloe Taft Kang is the liaison to the School of Communication from Northwestern’s Office of Foundation Relations. She meets with faculty to learn more about their projects and funding needs, helps identify private foundation funding opportunities, and advises on and edits foundation grant proposals. Chloe received her PhD in American Studies from Yale University and particularly enjoys engaging with the breadth of interests and expertise at SoC. You can contact Chloe at chloe.kang@northwestern.edu.
Learn more about Foundation Relations
Upcoming Funding Opportunities
Below is a sampling of some upcoming funding opportunities.
Capita Foundation Auditory Research Grant (LOI due 6/1/23) – Thinking outside the box is most welcome, and priority is often given to projects with promising clinical applications. ($20k/yr up to 2 yrs).
Joyce Foundation: Advancing Racial Equity and Economic Mobility in the Great Lakes (Due 6/7/23, LOI, estimated)– Invests in public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region. (Recent range: $15K-$1M).
Spencer Foundation: Racial Equity Research Grants (Due 5/16/23) – This foundation supports education research projects that will contribute to understanding and ameliorating racial inequality in education.
Please bookmark the ”Announcements” section on our website, which, while not exhaustive, is updated regularly with new funding opportunities from various sources.
Note: Check out our regular updates from the Vice President’s Office for Research that include upcoming solicitations from federal funding agencies and other regular funding newsletters from NU units. Please contact us at soc-research@northwestern.edu if you’re not receiving those emails so we can help you get on these helpful listservs!
Reminders
Strategic outlook for single IRB protocols:
In accordance with HHS regulations, proposals outlining multi-site studies will require a single IRB of record, which carries a fee determined by the project scope.
Plan Ahead: Northwestern’s Institutional Review Board Office now requires 5 weeks (25 workdays) before the funding proposal deadline for evaluation.
Meet SoC's Office of Research Team
We are happy to share that we’re growing! Please help us welcome the newest member of our team, Hernsa (Nsa) Druinaud, senior research administrator, who recently joined us April 17th, 2023 from the University of Chicago. In addition, Anuradha (Annie) Rajurkar joined our team last fall as program coordinator for SoC’s Graduate Studies and Research Offices. To learn more, visit our About Us page.
It’s never too early…
If you are planning a new proposal, please reach out to the SoC Office of Research as soon as possible. We are here to assist at each stage in the process & look forward to working with you!
~The SoC Research Administration Team
*Have suggestions? We’d love to hear them! Please let our team know at soc-research@northwestern.edu