1. April 12: Copies of letters of intent go to Bill Mischo. Bill Mischo and Susan Harum will review the letters of intent and contact PI's regarding potential resource issues, and about their intent to go forward with proposals. If there is more than one large proposal in any one category, Susan H. will contact LSTA program manager and determine whether we need to limit submissions per category.

2. Apr. 12-April 23: PI's develop proposals, working with Bill Mischo or Susan Harum for RFP questions and Kathie Veach for budget questions. PI's must make appointments to meet with Kathie to work on budget questions.

3. April 23: Final narrative and budget, with completed application forms are due to Bill Mischo and Kathie Veach. PI's may be contacted for follow-up review after that date, and need to make themselves available for consultation and to sign the final transmittal sheet and any other required forms prior to grant submission. The LBO will handle delivery of the proposals to the Illinois State library and will determine when and how they are to be delivered by the May 11 deadline.

Monday, April 2, 2007: The Letter of Intent
May 11, 2007: Full application

Categories:

*THE EMERGING GRANT WRITER
*SAFETY
*DIGITAL IMAGING
*LIBRARIES: INNOVATE, CREATE, COLLABORATE (LINCC)
*DEMONSTRATION OF PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES
*DEVELOPING A STATEWIDE TECHNOLOGY TOOLKIT

Dates to keep in mind for UIUC participants:

December 1, 2006: Intent to apply due to CARLI
December 2006: Mandatory attendance by one member of each group at proposal writing
workshop (at Illini Center in Chicago OR Heartland Community College in
Bloomington/Normal)
February 16, 2007: UIUC Library grants staff must receive completed proposals for review
March 14, 2007: Proposals due to CARLI office
June 30, 2008: All funds must be expended
August 31, 2008: Summary report due to CARLI office
June 30, 2009: Final reports including evaluation/assessment due to CARLI

If you have questions, please let me know. General questions about the Program may be directed to Elizabeth Clarage by either e-mail clarage@uillinois.edu or support@carli.illinois.edu or by phone at (815) 753-9168.

CARLI has revamped its collections program for 2008 a bit and it is now called the Collections Enhancement Awards Program. The Program will continue to be funded at $250,000, the level established for the fiscal year 2007 Program. In addition to procedures you may be familiar with from previous years, there is now a required statement of intent due on December 1; one member of each proposed project must attend a proposal writing workshop in December 2006; each participating institution must have its library director sign an acknowledgement form; a required long term assessment/evaluation of the project must be described and completed; and each proposal should address the theme of "Access and Collections that Keep Pace with Curriculum and Technology."

The webform is available at: https://webtools.uiuc.edu/formBuilder/OrganizationSecure?id=8942726. Please keep the following in mind:

* the entire application must be filled in at one sitting,
* it may "time-out" after a lengthy period of inactivity,
* you may log in multiple times to submit multiple applications,
* we recommend that you have prepared text and figures at-the-ready before you begin filling out this form.
* The form has not been successfully saved until you have clicked on the "SUBMIT FORM" button at the end of the application.
* when you submit your application to the online form, you will automatically receive a copy for your record.

You are, of course, free to submit supplemental materials. Please send those to me in 246 Main Library. The evaluation committee will them review the applications, respond with any questions that we may have, and hope to have everything ready for you to go by the beginning of the calendar year.

If you have any questions about application ideas, please contact feel free to contact one of the selection committee members. For problems with the application form, please contact Jennifer Teper.

Deadline: February 1, 2007
Grant Amount: $50,000–$1,000,000
Grant Period: Up to three years

Program Overview
National Leadership Grants enable libraries and museums to help people gain the knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, and resources that enhance their engagement in community, work, family, and society. Projects should enable libraries and museums to address current problems in creative ways, develop and test innovative solutions, and expand the boundaries within which cultural heritage institutions operate. The results of these projects will help equip tomorrow’s libraries and museums to better meet the needs of a Nation of Learners. Successful proposals will show evidence that they will have national impact and generate results—new tools, research, models, services, practices, or alliances—that can be widely adapted or replicated to extend the benefit of federal support. Proposals will reflect an understanding of current issues and needs, showing the potential for far-reaching impact throughout the museum and/or library community. Projects will provide creative solutions to issues of national importance and provide leadership for other organizations.

Categories
Advancing Learning Communities supports new opportunities for libraries and museums to engage with other organizations to meet the educational, economic, and social needs of learners of all ages. Projects will support learning throughout the lifetime, whether that learning takes place in communities, in schools, or in the workplace. A learning society requires a new vision, in which learning is seen as a community-wide responsibility, supported by both formal and informal educational entities. The Institute will support programs based on current research in cognitive science; learning and literacy partnerships among early, adult, and community learning providers; development of innovative learning technologies using library and museum content; and exploration of new ways to integrate digital and physical services and programs.

Building Digital Resources supports the creation, use, preservation, and presentation of significant digital resources, as well as the development of tools to manage digital assets. The Institute will support projects that preserve and enhance access to valuable library and museum resources; support the development of tools to help libraries and museums manage and share digital assets; address the challenges of preserving and archiving digital media; and enhance interoperability, integration, and seamless access to digital assets, particularly projects that are of statewide, regional, thematic, or national scope.

Research and Demonstration supports basic and applied research and demonstration projects to test potential solutions to problems in a real-world environment. The Institute will support research to improve the effectiveness of library and museum services and their impacts on users; enhance understanding of learning within and across different age groups; fulfill users’ needs and expectations; investigate or develop systems of knowledge organization, such as taxonomies and ontologies; enhance information discovery; investigate knowledge integration, data curation, or interoperability; create innovative methods of preservation of digital or analog library materials; integrate physical and digital experiences; and develop new methodologies, standards, or practices.

Partnerships
The Institute particularly encourages projects that meet community needs through innovative collaborations between museums and libraries and with other organizations as appropriate. Partnerships between libraries and museums are particularly encouraged under this program.

Eligibility
All types of libraries, except federal and for-profit libraries, may apply. Eligible libraries include public, school, academic, special, private (notfor- profit), archives, library agencies, library consortia, and library associations. Research libraries and archives that give the public access to services and materials suitable for scholarly research not otherwise available and that are not part of a university or college also are eligible. Digital libraries that make library materials publicly available and provide services including selection, organization, description, reference, and preservation under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian are eligible to apply. Institutions of higher education, including public and not-for-profit universities and colleges, also are eligible. An academic unit, such as a graduate school of library and information science, may apply as part of an institution of higher education. Library applicants may apply individually or as partners.

Museums that fulfill the Eligibility Criteria for Museums may apply. Private notfor- profit museum services organizations or associations that engage in activities designed to advance the well-being of museums and the museum profession also may apply. In addition, institutions of higher education, including public and not-for-profit universities, are eligible.

Applicants may prepare and submit multiple proposals in a given fiscal year. However, the same proposal may not be submitted under more than one category. Applying to one grant program does not preclude applying to another. See Program Guidelines for specific eligibility criteria.

Deadline: March 1, 2007

Program Overview
Curently, details of the FY2007 Community Collaboration Grant program have not been finalized. Pending availability of funding, the next application deadline will be March 1, 2007. Check back for information and updates on this program.

The Partnership for a Nation of Learners is a leadership initiative of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, formed in 2004. It encourages libraries, museums and public broadcasters to work collaboratively to address local needs, increase civic engagement and improve the quality of life in communities across the country. The initiative includes a competitive grant program, professional development activities, and online resources, available at www.partnershipforlearners.org.

Eligibility
All types of libraries, except federal and forprofit libraries, may apply. Eligible libraries include public, school, academic, special, private (not-for-profit), archives, library agencies, library consortia, and library associations. In addition, research libraries and archives that give the public access to services and materials suitable for scholarly research not otherwise available and that are not part of a university or college are eligible. Digital libraries that make library materials publicly available and provide services including selection, organization, description, reference, and preservation under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian are eligible to apply. Institutions of higher education, including public and not-for-profit universities and colleges, also are eligible. An academic unit, such as a graduate school of library and information science, may apply as part of an institution of higher education. Library applicants may apply individually or as partners.

Deadline: December 15, 2006
Grant Amount: $50,000–$1,000,000

Program Overview
The program supports projects to develop faculty and library leaders, to recruit and educate the next generation of librarians, to conduct research, to attract high school and college students to consider careers in libraries, to build institutional capacity in graduate schools of library and information science, and to assist in the professional development of librarians and library staff. Categories of funding are as follows:

Doctoral Programs
• Develop faculty to educate the next generation of library professionals. In particular, increase the number of students enrolled in doctoral programs that will prepare faculty to teach master’s students who will work in school, public, and academic libraries.
• Develop the next generation of library leaders. In particular, increase the number of students enrolled in doctoral programs that will prepare them to assume positions as library managers and administrators.

Master’s Level Programs
• Educate the next generation of librarians. In particular, increase the number of students enrolled in nationally accredited graduate library programs preparing for careers of service in libraries.

Research
• Support the early career development of new faculty members who are likely to become leaders in library and information science by supporting innovative research by untenured, tenure-track faculty. See Program Guidelines for specific eligibility criteria. Proposed research should be in the investigator’s own field of inquiry and need not relate to library education or librarianship as a career. For more information on the early career development program, contact Stephanie Clark at sclark@imls.gov and see Special Conditions of Eligibility for Institutions of Higher Education in the program guidelines. See also Frequently Asked Questions About the IMLS Early Careers Development Program.
• Provide the library community with information needed to support successful recruitment and education of the next generation of librarians. In particular, through funded research, establish baseline data on professional demographics and job availability, and evaluate current programs in library education for their capacity to meet the identified needs.
• Conduct research and establish ongoing research capacity in the field of library and information science, particularly the evaluation of library and information services, assessment of the value and use of public libraries and their services by the public, and assessment of the public value and use of the Internet.

Pre-Professional Programs
• Recruit future professionals in library and information science. In particular, attract promising junior high, high school of college students to consider careers in library and information science through statewide or regional pilot projects employing recruitment strategies that are cost-effective and measurable.
• Introduce high school or college students to potential careers in library and information science by employing them to assist with library disaster recovery or service operations in areas that have suffered major disasters. Participation of at least one library, as the applicant or as an official partner, in a location certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a major disaster area in 2005 or 2006, is required.

Programs to Build Institutional Capacity
• Develop or enhance curricula within graduate schools of library and information science. In particular:

• Develop or enhance courses or programs of study for library, museum, and archives professionals in the creation, management, preservation, presentation, and use of digital assets.
• Develop or enhance courses or programs of study related to the development of critical thinking skills, such as organization leadership and research methods.
• Broaden the library and information science curriculum by incorporating perspectives from other disciplines and fields of scholarship, such as public policy, ethics, American studies, urban planning, mass communication, and instructional design.

• Develop projects or programs in data curation as training programs for graduate students in library and information science. Data curation includes the authentication, archiving, management, preservation, retrieval and representation of high-quality digital data for use and re-use over time. No limitations on topic or data format are imposed. Successful proposals will involve collaborations with existing data repositories of sufficient scale and complexity to provide a rich testbed for education and investigation. Collaborations with repositories or programs within the same institution as the applicant are permitted. One or more awards may be made.

Continuing Education
• Develop or enhance programs of continuing education and training in library and information science for librarians and library staff.
• Develop or enhance programs to enable librarians and library staff to improve services to audiences with special needs such as youth at risk, seniors, and those with language, physical or other barriers to service.
• Develop or enhance programs to promote collaboration between educators and librarians employed in educational institutions.
• Provide internships in conservation practice in libraries that have suffered disaster-related collections damage. Participation of at least one library, as the applicant or as an official partner, in a location certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a major disaster area in 2005 or 2006, is required.

Eligibility
All types of libraries, except federal and for profit libraries, may apply. Eligible libraries include public, school, academic, special, private (not-for-profit), archives, library agencies, library consortia, and library associations. In addition, research libraries that give the public access to services and materials suitable for scholarly research not otherwise available to the public and that are not part of a university or college are eligible. Institutions of higher education, including public and not-for-profit universities and colleges, also are eligible. Graduate schools of library and information science may apply as part of an institution of higher education. See Program Guidelines for specific eligibility criteria.

Special Conditions of Eligibility for Institutions of Higher Education
In addition to all eligible applicants listed above, institutions of higher education as noted under Categories 1, 2, 4, and 5 are eligible to apply with these special conditions:

Doctoral Programs
• All graduate schools of library and information science offering programs of study at the doctoral level are eligible to apply for funding of doctoral-level scholarships and fellowships, either individually or in a partnership.

Master’s Programs
• Graduate schools of library and information science or school library media certification programs are eligible to apply for funds to educate students at the master’s level if they apply in a partnership that includes one or more eligible library entities. Any of the eligible applicants in the partnership may serve as the lead applicant.

Research
• For early career development projects, see Frequently Asked Questions about the IMLS Early Career Development Program.
• For all other research projects, all eligible library entities may apply, either individually or in a partnership.

Programs to Build Institutional Capacity
• All graduate schools of library and information science are eligible to apply for funding to build institutional capacity, either individually or in a partnership.

Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants is the first new program under the NEH’s new Digital Humanities Initiative. The name "Start-Up Grant" is deliberately evocative of the technology start-up--a company like an Apple Computer or a Google that took a brilliant idea and, with a small amount of seed money, was able to grow it into a new way of doing business. NEH's Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants will encourage scholars with bright new ideas and provide the funds to get their projects off the ground. Some projects will be practical, others completely blue sky. Some will fail while others will succeed wildly and develop into important projects. But all will incorporate new ways of studying the humanities.

The cross-divisional nature of the Start-Up Grants is a key. Applicants don't need to be concerned with determining exactly which NEH division or program is best suited for their projects. Their job is to be innovative and the NEH's job is to provide the funding they need to be successful. NEH staff will work with potential applicants in the pre-application stages to help them craft their submissions.

NEH Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants are offered for the planning or initial stages of digital humanities initiatives in all areas of NEH concern: research, publication, preservation, access, teacher training, and dissemination in informal or formal educational settings. The maximum award is $30,000. Applications should describe the concept or problem that is being addressed, the plan of work, the experience of the project team as it relates to the plan, and the intended outcomes of both the grant and the larger project that the grant will initiate.

Application guidelines for this program are available at:

http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/digitalhumanitiesstartup.html

General information about the NEH’s Digital Humanities Initiative is available at:

http://www.neh.gov/grants/digitalhumanities.html

Questions? Please contact: dhi@neh.gov

The Vice Chancellor for Research Office is extremely pleased to release the Call for Pre-Proposals for the Critical Initiatives in Research and Scholarship (CIRS) Program, which
was established to stimulate continued innovation and outstandingscholarship at UIUC. The preceding Critical Research Initiatives (CRI) program has been expanded this year to help catalyze and engage all areas of the campus in pursuing large-scale problems of broad scope. To that end, we are pleased to announce a special call for pre-proposals that is described
below. In addition, the program staff has expanded the CIRS program information on the CIRS website to facilitate proposal preparation and the application process.

During the last eleven years, the CRI program has been an outstanding catalyst for discovery and has resulted in several high-profile programs for the campus. The CIRS program seeks to support innovation in research and scholarship by supporting interaction between and among disciplines that are not traditionally affiliated. The program provides support for broad multidisciplinary research themes that will position the campus to become a national or international leader in emerging areas of inquiry or scholarship. A key review criterion is that projects have the potential for transformative impact on the University. In addition, projects
should leverage existing campus strengths and distinguish UIUC from peer institutions.

Program Goals
* Stimulate creation of multidisciplinary programs or projects
* Expedite exploration of innovative ideas that will lead to new research paradigms
* Initiate bold new programs in the humanities, arts and social sciences
* Fund high risk projects that have the potential for significant rewards

CIRS is not intended to provide interim support to ongoing research or scholarly activities.

Special Call for Pre-proposals: The Behavioral and Social Dimensions of Major Societal Issues. As recognition that large scale societal issues, often global in their scope, have a profound impact not only upon individuals but also upon the larger societies, cultural milieus, and communities of which they are a part, a portion of this year's CIRS budget will be directed toward funding pre-proposals submitted under a special call addressing Behavioral and Social Dimensions of Major Societal Issues. Issues related to aging, poverty, family cohesion, personal relationships, ethnicity and inter-group relations, obesity, physical disabilities, substance abuse, mental health, the effects of new communications technologies and systems, and personal and community change associated with immigration or the impact of globalization on employment are but some of the complex, multi-dimensional challenges faced by modern societies that lend themselves well to goal-directed research carried out by teams involving social and behavioral scientists. Singly andtogether these and other major societal issues (e.g., escalating energy consumption, lack of access to technology by persons in rural or low income areas, environmental impact and change, increasing economic disparity, response to disasters) present opportunities to explore the interplay of individual, social, and cultural dimensions as critical aspects of these concerns and the interventions addressing them.

This special call is intended to stimulate increased collaboration among UIUC social and behavioral scientists across distinct, complementary areas of expertise as well as increasing their presence as integral to research teams that include faculty from other areas of campus addressing aspects of critical societal issues. Full and planning pre-proposals may be
submitted to The Behavioral and Social Dimensions of Major Societal Issues. In general, planning pre-proposals are well suited to fund projects where team building activities may occupy a significant portion of the project's first year or in situations where the team must conduct preliminary research or build connections with a population of interest before fully developing a proposed research program. Full pre-proposals are the appropriate mechanism for funding already established teams with one or two new members or projects where relationships with populations of interest already exist.

Please visit the CIRS website for information on how to apply:

Deadlines:
07/01/2006
10/01/2006
11/01/2006
02/01/2007
03/01/2007
06/01/2007
07/01/2007
10/01/2007
11/01/2007

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) awards small grants for the preparation of book-length manuscripts and other scholarly works of value to U.S. health professionals, public health officials, biomedical researchers, and historians of the health sciences. Grants are awarded for major critical reviews, state-of-the-art summaries, historical studies, and other useful organizations of knowledge in clinical medicine, public health, biomedical research, and the informatics/information sciences relating to them. The scholarly work may be prepared for publication in print or non-print media, or both. Scholars in biomedical fields face competing demands for their time, including requirements for clinical care services, grant-related research and administrative duties. Scholarly work draws upon original sources that may reside in archives, databases, libraries or human experts around the world, in many different languages and formats. The work of scholarship - discovery, thoughtful analysis, synthesis and lucid presentation of findings from such materials--requires protected time and support for incidental costs, including materials, staff assistance, and travel. The NLM Grant for Scholarly Works in Biomedicine and Health is intended to help defray such expenses. NLM Grants for Scholarly Works can be used to support several types of scholarly projects: Historical Works--scholarly works in the history or philosophy of medicine, public health and the life sciences, the development of medical research and health services, bioethics, and studies on the interrelationship of medicine and society; and scholarly works in the history or philosophy of health informatics, health information sciences, biomedical communications and health sciences librarianship. Critical Reviews--analytical and comprehensive critical reviews which identify the present status of research and practice in various health-related fields, addressing advances which have been made, problems requiring examination, and emerging trends; and scientifically significant and important symposium or conference proceedings related to U.S. priorities in health care, public health, and biomedical research. Research Aids--selected secondary tools in the health sciences, such as biomedical guides, atlases, handbooks, dictionaries, indices, catalogs, directories, and other unique reference materials; and English-language translations of important foreign-language classics or primary materials in the history of medicine. NLM Grants for Scholarly Works are designed to support scholarly work on a manuscript, video or electronic resource that will, ultimately, be published by a commercial or academic press or similar print or electronic dissemination service that assures quality and availability of the product. Self-publishing by the author will not normally be considered an appropriate dissemination vehicle. NLM Grants for Scholarly Works in Biomedicine and Health do not support the following types of projects: production of textbooks, curriculum materials or online learning modules; production of works intended for lay audiences; initial reporting of original scientific research findings, including the initial publication of dissertation research; development of coding systems, ontologies or vocabularies for computational use publication of proceedings of annual meetings; production of journals, reprints, other serials, or other costs of publishing such as author page charges; operation of established databases; mass digitization of existing archives or print materials; work judged to have significant commercial viability; or projects of local interest only, or works for which access is restricted to a select group. This grant is not meant to support conferences.

Deadline: October 13, 2006

The goal of this Program Announcement is to increase scientific understanding of the nature of health literacy and its relationship to healthy behaviors, illness prevention and treatment, chronic disease management, health disparities, risk assessment of environmental factors, and health outcomes including mental and oral health. Increased scientific knowledge of interventions that can strengthen health literacy and improve the positive health impacts of communications between healthcare and public health professionals (including dentists, healthcare delivery organizations, and public health entities), and consumer or patient audiences that vary in health literacy, is needed. Such knowledge will help enable healthcare and public health systems serve individuals and populations more effectively, and employ strategies that reduce health disparities in the population. Healthy People 2010 defines health literacy as the "degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). Many factors affect individuals' ability to comprehend, and in turn use or act on, health information and communication. Proficiency in reading, writing, listening, interpreting, oral communication, and visual analysis is necessary as the modern health system typically relies on a variety of interpersonal, textual, and electronic media to present health information. Individuals and families both must be able to: communicate with health professionals; understand the health information in mass communication; understand how to use health-related print, audiovisual, graphical and electronic materials; understand basic health concepts (e.g., many health problems can be prevented or minimized) and vocabulary
(e.g., about the body, diseases, medical treatments, etc.); and connect this health-related knowledge to health decision-making and action-taking. Access to and understanding of health information and services is a reciprocal process among health professionals, communication professionals and patients. For instance, these professionals must use science-based strategies and tactics, develop resources and materials, and understand communication interactions between providers and patients. Research on health literacy should assist NIH in its mission of communicating scientifically-based health information to the public and to the health care providers and related professionals who serve the public.

1. April 19: Copies of letters of intent go to Beth Sandore. Beth Sandore and Susan Harum will review the letters of intent and contact PI's regarding potential resource issues, and about their intent to go forward with proposals. If there is more than one large proposal in any one category, Susan H. will contact LSTA program manager and determine whether we need to limit submissions per category.

2. Apr. 19-May 1: PI's develop proposals, working with Beth Sandore or Susan Harum for RFP questions and Rod Allen for budget questions. PI's must make appointments to meet with Rod to work on budget questions.

3. May 1: Final narrative and budget, with completed application forms are due to Beth Sandore and Rod Allen. PI's may be contacted for follow-up review after that date, and need to make themselves available for consultation and to sign the final transmittal sheet and any other required forms prior to grant submission. The LBO will handle delivery of the proposals to the Illinois State library and will determine when and how they are to be delivered by the May 19 deadline.

In the FY05 A-133 audit, the University will again be cited for not including proper acknowledgements in publications. To help avoid future audit findings, Principal Investigators of sponsored research projects, or individuals who are responsible for the administration and oversight of sponsored research projects, should ensure the appropriate acknowledgements and disclaimers are included in all publications generated as the result of sponsored research funding.

The Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) policy on publications states the following publishing requirements for acknowledgements and disclaimers:

Acknowledgement

The award recipient is expected to publish or otherwise make publicly available the results of the work conducted under the award. An acknowledgement of the awarding agency support must appear in the publication of any material, whether copyrighted or not, based on or developed under this project, as follows:

"This material is based upon work supported by the [name of the awarding agency(ies)] under Award No. [recipient should enter the awarding agency(ies) award number (s)]."

Disclaimer

For all materials, except scientific articles or papers published in scientific journals, the disclaimer should appear as follows:

"Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the [name (s) of awarding agency(ies)]."

Contact

If you have additional questions about the publications policy for sponsored research projects, contact: Grants and Contracts Post-Award at 217-333-2186 or obfsgcopostawarduiuc@uillinois.edu

Applicants for the 2006 PNL Community Collaboration Grant may participate in one of two technical assistance audioconference calls scheduled for:

January 9, 2006 2:00-3:00 PM ET and
February 8, 2006 2:00-3:00 PM ET.

The phone number for the calls is (866) 814-8482. No registration is required. Participants will asked for the conference name, which is "Partnership for a Nation of Learners."

Professional Development Webcasts

Following up on the videoconference, CPB and IMLS will sponsor a series of five, monthly one-hour professional development webcasts designed to help local museums, libraries and public broadcasters develop their long-term partnering capacity. Attendance is limited, and registration is required for these events.

January 19, 2006 1:00-2:00 PM, ET
PNL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBCAST ONE "GETTING STARTED WITH COMMUNITY COLLABORATION"

This first webcast will explore the genesis of collaboration, the benefits of partnering and the identification of each organization?s most valuable assets. Through practitioner presentations, discussion and question and answers, participants will broaden their understanding of a collaborative project?s initial phase.

February 7, 2006 2:00-3:00 PM, ET
PNL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBCAST TWO "RECOGNIZING THE NEED"
March 9, 2006 2:00-3:00 PM, ET
PNL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBCAST THREE "GATHERING THE TALENT"
April 12, 2006 2:00-3:00 PM, ET
PNL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBCAST FOUR "DESIGNING FOR IMPACT"
May 11, 2006 2:00-3:00 PM, ET
PNL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBCAST FIVE "MANAGING FOR SUCCESS"
For more information, and to register, visit www.partnershipforlearners.org

NETA Presentations

Public broadcasters who are attending the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) conference later this month can find two PNL-related sessions. On Thursday, January 26 at 4:15 pm you can hear Terry Dugas of Nebraska Educational Television describe his PNL-funded "Saving Nebraska's Treasures" project in the "Show Us Your Best" session. On Saturday, January 28 at 9:15 pm, join Marsha Semmel (IMLS) and Alison White (CPB) and others for a session entitled "Insider's Guide to Writing a Great Grant Proposal."

Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for grants that support exchanges and build relationships between U.S. non-profit organizations and civil society groups in Africa, East Asia, Eurasia, Europe, the Near East, North Africa, South Asia and the Western Hemisphere. U.S. public and non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals that support the goals of The Professional Exchanges Program.

Projects should promote mutual understanding and partnerships between key professional groups in the United States and counterpart groups in other countries through multi-phased exchanges taking place over one to three years. Proposals should further transformational democracy which seeks to encourage and support the development of more democratic societies and institutions, with a view toward creating a more stable world. To the fullest extent possible, programs should be two-way exchanges supporting roughly equal numbers of participants from the U.S. and foreign countries.

Proposed projects should promote the transformation of institutional and individual understanding, foster dialogue, share expertise and develop capacity in one of five thematic areas: 1) Responsible Governance; 2) Developing Professional Standards in Media; 3) Creating Economic Growth to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democracy; 4) Dialogue on Intellectual Property or Municipal Governance as a Device for Bridging Conflict; and 5) Integration of Marginalized Populations, Particularly Youth, in Western Europe. Through these people-to-people exchanges, the Bureau seeks to break down stereotypes that divide peoples, to promote good governance, to contribute to conflict prevention and management, and to build respect for cultural expression and identity in a world that is experiencing rapid globalization. Projects should be structured to allow American professionals and their international counterparts in target countries to develop a common dialogue for dealing with shared challenges and concerns. Projects should include current or potential leaders who will effect positive change in their communities. Exchange participants might include community leaders, elected and professional government officials, religious leaders, educators, and proponents of democratic ideals and institutions, including for example, the media and judiciary, or others who influence the way in which different communities approach these issues. The Bureau is especially interested in engaging socially and economically diverse groups that may not have had extensive contact with counterpart institutions in the United States. The Bureau encourages the submission of proposals that engage these audiences in countries with significant Muslim populations, or that engage educators or groups that influence youth in innovative ways.

Application Deadline: February 9, 2006

Estimated Total Program Funding: $5,800,000.00
Award Ceiling: $250,000.00
Award Floor: $30,000.00

Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification) are eligible to apply.