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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 9, 2008) – USA Volleyball announced the coaching staffs for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team and the U.S. Girls' Youth National Team on April 9 for the upcoming 2008 season.
Paula Weishoff, head women's volleyball coach at Concordia University Irvine, will serve as head coach of the U.S. Women's Junior National Team that will compete at the NORCECA U-20 Continental Championship July 20-28 in Saltillo, Mexico. She will be assisted by UCLA Assistant Coach Kim Jagd and Texas A&M University Assistant Coach John Corbelli.
Jim Stone, former head women's volleyball coach at The Ohio State University, will serve as head coach of the U.S. Girls' Youth National Team that will compete at the NORCECA U-18 Continental Championship July 3-11 in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. He will be assisted by University of West Florida Head Coach Melissa Wolter and TCA Volleyball Club Director and Head Coach Neil Mason.
U.S. Women's Junior National Team Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Paula Weishoff
Assistant Coach: Kim Jagd
Assistant Coach: John Corbelli
U.S. Girls' Youth National Team Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Jim Stone
Assistant Coach: Melissa Wolter
Assistant Coach: Neil Mason
Paula Weishoff Bio
Paula Weishoff was hired as the Concordia University Irvine head women's volleyball coach in 2004 as the sixth coach in the program's 24-year history and quickly turned around the Eagle volleyball program. In her first season the Eagles went 36-4, were ranked as high as fourth in the nation and finished as the runners-up in the NAIA National Championship Tournament.
Following a 20-10 campaign in 2005, the Eagles soared back toward the top of the NAIA the following season. Concordia finished the 2006 season with a record of 31-5, taking second place in both the GSAC and NAIA Region II Tournament before finishing third at the NAIA National Championship. The Eagles finished 30-6 in 2007 and reached the NAIA National Championship semifinal round.
To many, Weishoff is regarded as one of the greatest female athletes in the history of the sport. She lays claim to three NCAA national championships at the University of Southern California, one as a player (1980) and two as a coach (2002 and 2003). Weishoff spent seven years as an assistant at USC with responsibilities that included working as the primary recruiting coordinator, before being promoted to associate head coach in late 2003.
Weishoff has served as the U.S. Women's A2 Team head coach in 2003 and 2007.
Weishoff, a 1998 Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee, was named to USA Volleyball's 1978-2002 All-Era Team and was awarded the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award.
Weishoff, the only two-time U.S. Olympic medalist in women's indoor volleyball, is one of her generation's most dominant middle blockers and servers. She won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics, a bronze in 1992 and played on the 1996 Olympic Team in Atlanta. A member of the U.S. National team from 1981-1996, she earned USA most valuable player honors and was the USOC Female Volleyball Athlete of the Year in 1984. In 1992, she was voted most valuable player of the Olympic Games.
Weishoff played at USC in 1980, leading the Trojans to a 46-4 record and the AIAW national championship. In 1981 she left school to join the USA National Team.
Kim Jagd Bio
Kim Jagd enters her 16th year as a member of the UCLA women's volleyball coaching staff in 2008 and her second season as the Bruins' assistant head coach, a promotion received in June 2007. The Bruins have posted a 350-135 (.722) record over her previous 15 seasons and made the NCAA Tournament 14 times, including the NCAA Championship final match in 1994.
UCLA has recorded nine straight 20-win seasons and over the last five campaigns (2003-07). The Bruins' average NCAA finish (5.40) is second-best in the nation, behind only Nebraska (4.40). UCLA has reached the NCAA Regional Final in four of the last five years, including a trip to the national semifinals in 2006.
Jagd directed the 2003 USA Volleyball Girls' High Performance A2 Camp in Colorado Springs. The camp is USA Volleyball's introductory level of instruction to young players aspiring to achieve Olympic status. In addition, Jagd was chosen as head coach of the High Performance National Team (Select age group) in 2004 and 2005. The National Team competed in USA Volleyball's High Performance Championships in Austin, Texas, in the summer of 2005 and won a gold medal in the Youth National Division.
Jagd has coached four Olympians during her career, including 2000 beach volleyball Olympians Jenny (Johnson) Jordan and Annett (Buckner) Davis along with 2004 Olympians Wiz Bachman (indoor) and Elaine Youngs (beach). All four were coached by Jagd during their UCLA careers, while Youngs was also coached by Jagd during her high school career at El Toro High School.
A member of the Women's Professional Beach Volleyball Tour for three years (1990-92), Jagd recorded several Top 10 finishes in the sand. Since returning to six-player indoor play, she has earned USVBA All-American honors five times (1995, 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2003) and helped lead her team to the division title in 1996, 1998 and 2001.
As a collegiate athlete, Jagd competed for the Bruin volleyball team in 1985 and 1986 after lettering two years at UC Irvine. She graduated from UCLA in 1987 with a degree in history then received elementary and secondary level teaching credentials from UCI in 1989-90.
John Corbelli Bio
John Corbelli and his wife Laurie were hired at Texas A&M University in March 1993. John serves as the associate head coach while Laurie serves as the program's head coach. The Corbellis have led the Aggies to a 327-144 record (.694 winning percentage) in 15 seasons at Texas A&M. Laurie holds the distinction as the winningest coach in the program's history, eclipsing the previous mark on Oct. 18, 2000.
The Corbellis directed the Aggies to within one match of reaching the NCAA National Championship semifinals in both 1999 and 2001, and have led A&M to the NCAA regional semifinals five times. Overall, Corbelli teams have reached the NCAA tournament 13 times in the last 15 years. Aggies have earned a total of 16 All-American awards during the Corbellis' tenure. In addition, A&M volleyball athletes have received 27 all-region/all-district citations and 26 first-team conference awards under the Corbellis' direction. Stacy Sykora, a 2000 and 2004 Olympian, was the Corbelli's first player to earn AVCA All-American honors.
Furthermore, the Aggies have reached the 20-win milestone 11 of 15 seasons with the Corbellis at the helm. Texas A&M has been ranked in the final AVCA Top 25 Poll nine of the past 13 years.
John Corbelli holds 29 years of coaching experience including eight years at San Jose State University (three years head coach, five years as assistant).
In 1982, John Corbelli was named an assistant coach for the U.S. National Women's Volleyball Team. During his tenure, the team - including Laurie - won a silver medal at the 1983 Pan American Games, as well as at the 1984 Olympics.
Born in Denver, Colo., and raised in Hawai'i, John Corbelli earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1979 from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he was a four-year letterwinner for the nationally ranked Gauchos. Upon graduation, John made his collegiate coaching debut at his alma mater, serving as the assistant coach for both the men's and women's volleyball teams. He then moved on to the University of Nebraska in 1981, where he served as an assistant coach for the women's team that won a Big Eight championship.
Corbelli also excelled while playing on the international level and was a member of the U.S. Men's National Team for the 1978-79 seasons. He also competed at the 1979 World University Games.
Jim Stone Bio
Jim Stone served as the women's volleyball head coach at The Ohio State University for 26 years before retiring after the 2007 collegiate season. Over his final 19 years with the Buckeye program, he established Ohio State as an annual Top 25 team. During that period, OSU had an overall record of 394-149 (.726) and a Big Ten Conference mark of 241-135 (.641). He won the Big Ten Conference championship three times, finishing second five times, third four times and fourth three times. The Buckeyes participated in 15 NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the NCAA Championship Semifinals in 1991 and 1994. His 26-year career record with Ohio State is 531-294 (573-257 per NCAA listing).
On the national and international scene, Stone was the head coach for one of the 2007 U.S. Women's National A2 Teams that competed at the USA Volleyball Adult Open Championships. Also last summer, he served as the head coach for the 2007 U.S. Girls' Youth A2 Team at the High Performance Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Stone has been part of U.S. coaching staffs in each of the last three decades. He coached the men's team which represented the South at the 1981 National Sports Festival at Syracuse, N.Y. In 1985, he coached the USA Junior National Team, which toured China and Japan. He served as coach of the East women in the 1986 Olympic Sports Festival. Additionally, he was selected to coach the men's East team at the 1990 Olympic Sports Festival. In the summer of 1993, he was an assistant coach to the United States National "B" team that trained in San Diego and then played in Germany. In July of 1999, Stone was the head coach for the World University Games team that competed in Spain.
During his collegiate career, Stone has coached 60 all-conference players, 15 Olympic Sports Festival participants, 37 all-region selections and 22 All-Americans. Four players have played for the Canadian and two for the United States National teams.
In 2004 Ohio State finished 30-4 overall, improving from a 11-17 mark in 2003. The Buckeyes were 17-3 in the Big Ten finishing tied for second in the league. OSU advanced to the NCAA regional championship match before ending the season. Along the way, Stone was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and the American Volleyball Coaches Association Mideast Region Coach of the Year. OSU's top student-athlete Stacey Gordon was named the AVCA Co-National Player of the Year and the Asics/Volleyball Division I Player of the Year. In addition to Gordon, Marisa Main was named to the AVCA All-America Second Team.
In 1994, the Buckeyes recorded their sixth consecutive 20-win season, finishing with a 29-3 overall record. They won the Big Ten Championship with a 19-1 record. OSU was honored with two AVCA All-Americans in Gabriele Jobst and Laura Davis, with Davis being named the National Player of the Year. The Buckeyes advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second time in four years, losing to Stanford, the eventual national champion.
In 1991, the Buckeyes went undefeated (20-0) in the Big Ten and reached the NCAA Semifinals with three freshman starters. For these accomplishments, Stone was named the 1991 National Coach of the Year by Volleyball Monthly, the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Mideast Region Coach of the Year and was a unanimous choice by both the media and coaches as the Big Ten Coach of the Year. In 1989, he was the AVCA Region Coach of the Year and was the Big Ten Coach of the Year, as his squad won its first Big Ten championship and made its first NCAA appearance.
Prior to Ohio State, Stone coached three years at Wyoming, taking a team that was 2-23 and posting winning records in two of his three years with the Cowboys. He had two 20-win seasons and in the 1981 season earned 18th place in the national polls. He was also named Intermountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for his 20-9 mark in 1981.
In addition to his coaching experience at Wyoming, Stone served as head coach of the 1976 Bowling Green State men's volleyball club team. In 1975, he served as the assistant coach at Kellogg Community College, which won the junior college national championship that year.
During his playing career, Stone was named Ball State's most valuable player in 1975. An All-America selection in 1974, he twice was named to the all-star team of the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). As a player, he participated in the 1974 Canada Cup, and he faced a strong Japanese men's team in a series of matches throughout the United States in 1975. The following year, he faced the People's Republic of China in a similar United States tour.
Melissa Wolter Bio
University of West Florida Head Coach Melissa Wolter has contributed to the rise of Argonaut volleyball. Since arriving in 2003, Wolter has compiled a 99-40 record. In eight career seasons as head coach, Wolter is 135-91.
Wolter guided the West Florida volleyball program to a season full of firsts and plenty of awards. The season ended with the Argos earning the first coach of the year and player of the year in UWF Volleyball history. The team set records for overall wins (32) and conference wins (12), and held a top 25 ranking for most of the season.
Wolter is also active in the decision-making process of NCAA Division II volleyball. This season, Wolter will again serve at the chair of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Advisory Committee. In addition, she is also a member of the NCAA Division II Women's National Volleyball Committee.
During the 2006 season, Wolter led West Florida to a 20-15 record and the Argonauts first NCAA Division II South Central Regional appearance. The 2006 squad, seeded seventh in the regional tournament, pulled off the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament with a 3-0 victory over second-seed Washburn before falling to Central Missouri State in afive-game marathon ending with a final game score of 17-19.
Wolter came to West Florida from NCAA Division II Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, WI. She was the head coach of the Rangers for three years finishing her playing career and serving one year as an assistant coach. Wolter lead the Rangers to their seventh straight Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament in 2002 with a record of 16-11. She also served as the Assistant Director of Marketing for the Wisconsin-Parkside Athletic Department in 2001.
Wolter worked closely with USA Volleyball as a coach for the Youth National A2 Team in summer of 2007. The team competed in the International Junior Division of the USAV High Performance Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Wolter earned the honor of serving as an assistant coach for the USA Youth National Under-18 National Team for two summers. In 2005, Wolter traveled with the team to the FIVB World Championship in China, where the team placed fourth. At the 2004 NORCECA Championship in Puerto Rico, Wolter helped coach the U.S. Girls' Youth National Team to a 4-0 record and a gold medal.
In 2002, Wolter was the chair of the Badger Region High Performance programs, the entry level program for the USA Volleyball pipeline. She has also coached Junior Olympic volleyball with clubs such as Milwaukee Sting, Wisconsin Power and Wisconsin Select.
Wolter also has 13 years experience with volleyball camps around the country. During 2007, she was the lead coach at the USA Volleyball Development A1 Kalamazoo and Austin camps. In previous years she ran the Gulf Coast Region and Arizona Region camps.
Neil Mason Bio
Neil Mason is currently the chief executive officer of Complete Athlete Incorporated, which is the parent company to the TCA Volleyball Clubs, NM Enterprises and the Blueprint of a Champion Goal Setting and Leadership Workshops. As CEO of Complete Athlete Incorporated, Mason's duties include overseeing the growth and expansion of the various companies as well as the day-to-day organizational structure and operations.
Mason, who enters his seventh year as both director and head coach for TCA Volleyball Club, continues his pursuit of excellence both on and off the court. On the court, TCA Volleyball Club has won two USA Volleyball Junior Olympic Girls' Volleyball Championships title in the 17 Open Division in 2004 and 18 Open Division in 2006, along with several national qualifier championships. In 2006, Mason was honored by the United States Olympic Committee as the 2006 Developmental Coach of the Year for the sport of volleyball.
Mason spent his college career playing for the 49ers of Long Beach State as a scholarship athlete. Graduating with a Bachelors degree, Mason was an Academic All American, a President Ambassador, and a member of the Presidential List while at the Beach. Along with his academic successes, Mason was also successful on the court as part of the 1999 Men's team that went on to be runners up in the NCAA national championship that year.
Off the court, Mason is currently growing the TCA brand and expanding the TCA Volleyball Clubs, which are now located in Baltimore, Md.; Austin, Texas; Atlanta, Ga.; and Newport Beach, Calif. As TCA's director, Mason is currently focusing all of his energies and gearing his efforts to utilizing the sport of volleyball as a vehicle and tool to teach life skills across the nation.
Prior to his collegiate career, Mason was most valuable player of the Canadian National Team Challenge Cup. Mason also played internationally for his native Canada. He was a member of the Canadian Junior National Team that competed in the 1995 NORCECA championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Mason gave up his playing career to pursue and fulfill his life vision of working with youth sports and empowering change through positive self belief. Out of this vision, Complete Athlete Incorporated and TCA Volleyball Club were started. Mason, who earnestly believes that "what you believe is what you become" jump started his career and propelled to the top of the club volleyball scene. At TCA, Mason has coached more than 10 All-American Athletes, placed over 85 Athletes in NCAA/NAIA programs, and developed over 40 USAV team members. His coaching methods and ability to motivate and direct players have been keys to these successes.
Outside of TCA, Mason recently spent time coaching the USA Youth and Junior National A2 Team in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the past two summers. He also was the head coach of the Junior National age Holiday Camp at Chula Vista, Calif. His long list of accomplishments has taken him all over the country coaching camps in the states of Hawaii, Michigan, Texas, Georgia, Florida Southern and Northern California and even in Canada. Mason's hard work ethic and triumphs have made him a sought after clinician and motivational speaker to teams, groups and organizations of all types. Mason also serves as a consultant to many volleyball clubs and private sector companies across the country, that seek to utilize the TCA way.
Mason above all is a motivator and passionate leader. Instilling confidence and direction in his players and coaches is his top priority. Mason teaches and lives by a simple motto that "Thoughts are things and there is nothing you cannot achieve if you visualize, apply yourself, and dedicate all your necessary effort."


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Green Mountain Coffee Tasting
This evening Hubz and I headed out to the Green Mountain Coffee Visitor Center at the Waterbury Train Station for a tasting of Green Mountain Coffee's limited edition Spring Revival Blend. We began with a nice reception filled with a variety of yummy looking goodies most of which were unfortunately not vegan.
Aren't all of these desserts beautiful? I wish that they had been vegan but at least they were nice to look at. Among the beautiful desserts and other savory dishes we found one we could eat, a mushroom bruschetta- it was amazing!
After the reception it was time to get ready for the tasting which you could view live on UStream. We sipped some water and waited around at the nicely decorated tasting tables.
Wasn't Hubz looking pretty sharp in his new(ish) shirt?
Hubby and I both really enjoyed this coffee and the Hubz isn't event a coffee drinker! Here is the UStream Video and you can hear my muffled comments which were kindly repeated by our hosts.
We were sent home with a few goodie bags that included a sample of the Spring Revival Coffee to try at home. I also received one bag that had K-Cups for the office. Inside the bags there was this awesome fair trade coffee sticker as well as information about the coffee and World Fair Trade Day (May 8, 2010).
Also included were step by step cards on how to do your own tasting at home as well as information on everyday brewing.
Since Green Mountain Coffee was kind enough to send me home with an extra bag of goodies I thought who better than to give it to but one of my readers? So if you would like a chance to win a Green Mountain Coffee bag of goodies which includes a bag of ground Limited Edition Spring Revival, a fair trade coffee sticker, coffee tasting cards and a few informational pieces keep on reading to see how you can enter.
To enter: (Please enter by noon onMay 8th, 2010 – World Fair Trade Day)- GIVEAWAY CLOSED! – THE WINNER IS ENTRY #11: ANGIE BISHOP
There are a number of ways to enter however for each to qualify you MUST leave a SEPARATE comment for each individual entry.
1. Visit the Green Mountain Coffee Site and let me know of something new you learned or a coffee that interest you.
2. Follow Green Mountain Coffee on twitter
3. Become a fan of Green Mountain Coffee on Facebook
4. Follow me on Twitter.
5. Become a fan of Cook.Vegan.Lover. on Facebook.
6. Tweet about this giveaway "I want to win Fair Trade Ltd. Ed. Spring Revival @GreenMntCoffee on @cookveganlover http://wp.me/pFVWo-J0"
7. Blog about this giveaway.

subset: commoncrawl


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There are those days when nothing seems to go right. Then, there are days when every single little detail falls into place, when the universe conspires to help you get everything right; it was one of those days. In my last post I wore I a navy blue pencil skirt that I picked up from a small, independently-owned shop that had just opened by my work in Downtown Oakland. I mentioned wanting to make more mindful purchasing decisions. I'm not looking for a revolution but I believe that paying just a little more attention will present opportunities for me to make the small changes necessary to live more closely to my heart, while looking fabulous the whole time, of course.
Let's see exactly what happened on that fateful day. I happened to be in the dressing room of Show & Tell when I overheard the owner talk about their store's philosophy to another customer. I loved what I heard, that they support local designers and fair trade practices with a focus on being paperless and sustainable; I wanted to help them thrive. It didn't hurt that their clothes were really cute and the owners really nice. That stuck with me all day until I came up with the idea of taking pictures of different outfits in their store to promote them on The House in the Clouds. Nothing fancy, just me, my tripod and the overhead fluorescent lights. I approached them with the idea, they seemed happy and pleasantly surprised. I had the green light.
That same afternoon, I was directing a photo shoot at work and was telling the photographer of my plan. He offered to do an entire fashion shoot on location for us for the same reasons I wanted to do it: for support and for fun. I let the the shop owners Alyah and Nichole know, this suddenly went up a few notches and we were all totally thrilled. The very next Sunday, or as I like to refer to it, on the coldest day of the year so far, four of us walked around Downtown Oakland and had a blast taking pictures while curious onlookers checked out the scene.
The following is the result of our collective enthusiasm. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, stop by the shop sometime and check out what they have. It goes without saying the clothes are adorable and flattering.
{ info: }
Show & Tell is owned by Alyah Baker and Nichole Payton and is located at 500 12th Street in the Oakland City Center Plaza. All clothes shown are from their store; jewelry, tights and shoes are my own. Check out their facebook page for updates. These fantastic photos were taken by Ron Essex in beautiful Downtown Oakland, California.


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Chen Medical increases carrying capacity by 30 percent using TomTom to plan routes
Chen Medical has been providing primary care medical services to residents of southern Florida for more than 25 years. The company has eight offices, more than 30 board certified physicians, and a team of more than 300 health care providers working with patients of all ages. The company also uses the latest technologies to provide the highest standards of care. From E Med Rec - its proprietary digital medical records system - to a range of the latest tablets, smartphones, and laptops, Chen Medical has embraced technology to improve service and clinical outcomes.
Planning for a typical day begins 48 hours in advance, when Garneff and his team begin to route patient pick-ups, assigning each driver more than 20 patient transports. The day before the actual pick-up, Garneff takes the schedules for each of the 12 trucks, and uses the TomTom PRO 7150 to calculate the fastest routes to help drivers save time spent on the road. The PRO 7150 features traffic updates that help drivers avoid traffic delays and TomTom IQ Routes, which evaluates routes based on actual traffic speeds rather than posted speed limits. It also is able to recommend the fastest route for any particular time of day.
"The ability to get our drivers to patients more efficiently and to follow an open route has allowed us to increase our carrying capacity about 30 percent. We are now transporting 9-to-11 patients per trip in 1.5 hours," said Garneff. "Before the TomTom implementation a driver was only able to transport five-to-six people in 1.5 hours. In a few short months, we have seen a dramatic decrease in time on the road for our patients, more efficient travel for our drivers and cost savings for our company."


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5' two-piece, laser cut take down
"Whitefish" Spear. Good for perch & many other species of fish.
The designer of this spear originally designed the prototype of this spear for Perch spearing on Lake St. Clair. When we questioned the need for barbs on a Perch Spear he informed us that it was common to encounter Pike while spearing Perch and that he only wanted to carry one spear. This spear has proved itself on Perch, Pike and Whitefish.
We feel it is a perfect Whitefish and Sucker spear.
The heads are cut from 1/8" 4130 steel fully heat treated, tempered and sharpened, 5 1/4" wide with the center tines 5 7/8" long and the outside tines 5". The shafts are two piece cold rolled steel. The total weight of this beautiful little spear is only 3 pounds and 2 ounces !
We can custom make any length of shaft you desire and if you would like weights above the spearhead (we can't imagine why...but some folks do) we have several options fixed or removable. The finish is sandblasted matte which can be painted or allowed to rust to a patina. This spear is also available with a wooden handgrip. Call 616-596-2623 with any questions.


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**CONTEST UPDATE** And the winner of the Visionaries Collector's Guide is… Ryan, @no_thriller! Congrats Ryan!
For fans of 80s era cartoons and toys it's hard to argue that we're truly living in a Renaissance that is seeing so many of our beloved properties being celebrated. Not only are a lot of these brands being re-envisioned with upgraded "classics" style product launches like the new Mattel Masters of the Universe figures, Transformers Classics, and the recent 25th anniversary G.I. Joe line of action figures, but there are also a lot of outlets focusing on the original toys and animation who are producing some amazing stuff like the 3D-Joes Carded Figure prints or the recent Masters of the Universe and Transformers art books. If you're a fan there are literally thousands of cool and eclectic collectibles on the market to quench your nostalgic thirst.
Sometimes it even feels like there may be too much new stuff, like there's a tidal wave of products about to come crashing down on the fandom, drowning us all in an ocean of cool stuff. I know that probably sounds a little dark, but it's honestly how I feel at times while trying to keep up. That's why I often find myself tuning out and just try and focus on one interest at a time. It's why I was never all that interested in treating Branded as a hub for 80s fan news as it's just too much work for one person to stay on top of everything. Hell, even focused sites (like the ones concentrating on singular 80s era brands like YoJoe.com or or any of the million Star Wars sites) must have a hell of a time keeping up. Luckily though I've met a lot of amazing people over the years through Branded, and they've been super cool tipping me off to cool new relaunches and products. One of these folks has always gone above and beyond, the witty, kind and super gracious HooveR, and I feel lucky to call him a friend.
Hoov recently sent me a couple copies of the official, unofficial Visionaries Collectors Guide that was published this past April by Punch Party Press, a small two-man outfit out of the UK. Though I was a huge fan of the cartoon as a kid I only manged to get my hands on a single action figure, Witterquick (I wrote a piece about re-acquiring him after 25+ years), and I've always been a little surprised that the Visionaries seemed like they didn't have the same sort of fan love that other similar b-level properties have (like the ThunderCats and the Silverhawks.) So when Hoov told me that there was a small press company working on a collector's guide I was pretty darn excited.
The book was crowdfunded on Kickstarter this past year and somewhere along the way Hasbro (who produced the original toy line and own the rights to the property) stepped in and sort of changed the focus of the book in terms of how it would be marketed and released after publication. Christopher Ibbit and Gemma Tovee came to an agreement with Hasbro that would let them print and distribute the book, but they were only allowed to sell it for 1¢. I don't know the specifics of the deal, but I'd have to assume that they were allowed to keep and use the money raised on Kickstarter to fund the bulk printing and shipping of the books to the backers. Since the books were also available for a time after the crowdfunding ended, I'm also assuming that the pair had more books printed than were needed to fulfill the backer pledges.
The volume itself is really cool and focuses strictly on the 2 waves of the original toy line, the 1st originally released in 1987, and a second that was designed and marketed but ultimately never released. Clocking in at 54 pages, the full color guide is printed on heavy matte cardstock and is about the size of a standard DVD case, almost like a pocket guide. The book also features a couple of cool single-color neon ink cover illustrations by Bob Hall, that are really bright and vibrant. All of the action figure photography in the book is excellent with a mixture of views for each figure including action poses as well as front and back shots with the accessories. The pages are also complete with all of the bio and flavor text from the back of the toys, which was a really nice addition.
For me the book works as a collector's guide (as intended), but it's also sort of an unofficial art book as well as Ibbit and Tovee took pains to find unaltered versions of the packaging artwork for the majority of the toys in the book, even the unreleased second wave of figures. I have to wonder if they had access to this via the connection to Hasbro or if there were other sources for the action figure card art. They even managed to devote a two-page spread to the original hologram illustrations for this second series as well, which was a really awesome added bonus. There's even a scan of a later comic book-style ad featuring some of the unproduced toys as well.
Though I would have loved to see the book be a little more comprehensive and also tackle other Visionaries merchandise like the short-lived Star comics series or the Marvel Big Looker Storybooks, I know that for a small press run of books like this that was probably impossible.
In fact my only real gripe would be that there are a couple of major pieces of card art missing from the first series of toys. I'm not sure if this was a mistake or if it was a challenge to nail down nice artwork, but the cards for Leoric & Darkstorm are missing. Considering they were able to provide nice imagery for the rest of the line (including vehicles and the second unreleased wave), these missing pieces stand out and keep this volume from being a perfect guide for the line.
All in all, considering the issues with Hasbro limiting their ability to sell the book, and the relatively obscure nature of the line it's simply amazing to see a book this nice being released. For Visionaries fans this is a must have collectible and unfortunately if you didn't manage to get a hold of one via the Kickstarter or through their site after the campaign, it's now out of print. Well, as I mentioned above, my good buddy HooveR was super awesome for sending me not one, but TWO copies of the book! So I'm going to give away my extra copy to one lucky Visionaries fan.
So, what do you have to do to win this awesome book? Well, for starters it would be really cool if you follow me on twitter (@smurfwreck), like the Branded Facebook page, and follow me on Instragram (@smurfwreck), but I'm not going to make those mandatory. Instead let's make this a fun exercise. Below I'm going to post a very cool piece of Masters of the Universe artwork by the amazing Earl Norem (who sadly, just recently passed away.) This painting was featured as a puzzle in an issue of the Masters of the Universe magazine and contains 16 intentional errors in the artwork (in the original magazine there were 17 errors, but one of them is kind of ridiculous so I'll use it as an example below that doesn't count.)
What I would like you to do is to send me an e-mail listing all 16 errors, your name and the name of your favorite Visionaries character. The contest will end on 8/2/2015 at Midnight est, and I'll pick a winner at random on August 3rd and notify them via e-mail.
So the example of an error in this painting (that doesn't count for this contest), the Land Shark is literally depicted as being in the water (and we all know it's an evil land vehicle.) So, find the other 16 things wrong with this picture and win a copy of the Visionaries Collectors Guide!


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Oh, this is bad. Really bad. Three women went out for a night on the town in Stockton, California, last week and just wanted to have some food and fun. At the Cameo Club Casino's restaurant, they each ordered a tri-tip with fries and a soda, but when the bill came, they were floored -- and not because of the price.
There printed at the top was "Fat Girls." According to ABC News 10, one of the women, Christine Duran, saw it and couldn't believe her eyes. When she told her friends, they thought she was joking at first, but when she showed it to them, they were understandably shocked and outraged. "I was like, 'Oh, heck no,'" Isabel Robles told the station.
So they called the server over, and that's when things went from bad to worse.
He denied having anything to do with it and said some worker named "Jeff" must have put it in the system that way to keep track of their bill. A manager didn't make things any better, and Duran told ABC News he "had like a smirk on his face, like it was funny but trying not to laugh." For their trouble he offered them a 25 percent discount.
A 25 percent discount?! Talk about adding insult to injury. He finally bumped it up to 50 percent, but the women chose their dignity instead and refused his offers. Good for them. First of all this should have NEVER happened. It was rude, childish, and so many other deplorable things, but since it did, that manager should have bent over backwards to try and make things better ... like comping their entire freaking bill for starters.
The restaurant has since issued an apology, and "Jeff" has been suspended for the time being, and that's great, but the damage has been done. These ladies are justifiably still reeling from such cruel behavior. Robles said, "It's not funny. I can just see it over and over again, and I still can't believe it. They labeled us 'fat girls.' It's just something we got to deal with."
And it does nothing to improve the already volatile relationship between customers and restaurant workers. Seriously, it feels like there's some huge passive-aggressive wave of behavior as of late when it comes to servers and customers. From diners leaving cruel tips for waitresses to a Papa John's receipt that contained a totally outrageous racist slur, these incidents seem to be happening with far too much regularity, and they need to stop. And here we wonder why so many of our children are bullies and being bullied. With so many awful examples like this from "adults," what else can we expect?
How would you react if a restaurant did something like this?
Image via News 10


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A press release dated December 3oth states that Terry Punch, a former history teacher and a genealogist from Nova Scotia, will receive a membership to the Order of Canada from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, later this year.
I first met Terry in Ottawa during a Gene-O-Rama Conference in 1993, although I had listened to his monthly appearances on the CBC Halifax station for a number of years.
He was on for the full half-hour, and would take phone calls (he still does) from all over the Atlantic Provinces.
Besides being the author of many books (he wrote the basic book on genealogy in Nova Scotia — Genealogical Research in Nova Scotia — ISBN 1-55109-235-2), he was one of the founders of the Genealogical Institute of the Maritimes, and one of the longest members of the Association of Nova Scotia Genealogists.
So to see that he will receive one of the country's highest civilian honours is well-deserved.
The Order of Canada was established in 1967, during Canada's centennial year, to recognize a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to community, and service to the nation. Over the last 40 years, more than 5,000 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order.


text:
I have a confession…
I was really excited about the presidential inauguration. It was pretty amazing to see such a historic moment, even if it was just on TV. There were so many people watching here at the Learning Commons, and, as exciting as it was to watch, it was even more exciting to see how excited everyone else was. The spontaneous applause after the inaugural speech was pretty awesome.
That's not my confession.
This is my confession. As excited as I was about the inauguration on Tuesday, I was even more excited about the season premiere of Lost on Wednesday. I won't pass judgment on which was better; I will, however, point out that inauguration did not have a smoke monster. Just saying.
In addition to a smoke monster, Lost features something else much more library-related: a strong literary bent. Characters share names with famous authors and philosophers, or are shown reading books that relate to the (generally eerie and sometimes slightly terrifying) things that happen on the show. Beth and I are super-stoked that Lost is starting up again.* We also work in a library, so we have chosen to express our super-stokedness by creating a book display of the literature featured on Lost. It's not all creepy sci-fi, either– there's classics (The Odyssey), philosophy (Behold the Antichrist: [Jeremy] Bentham on Religion), modern American fiction (Of Mice and Men), and anthropomorphic bunnies (Watership Down), among other things. The display is on the New Book shelf in the Learning Commons; check it out when you get a chance!
* But probably not as super-stoked as these guys. That's commitment!
** We can't really take all the credit, though; click here to read/listen to the NPR story that inspired the idea.


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Apple recently was granted a trademark on "there's an app for that," the catchphrase used in its iPhone commercials. Indeed, the line has been cropping up everywhere, to the point that it has reached official cliche status.
Want proof? "There's a app for that" yields about 849,000 results in a Google search.
Now, Sesame Street has crafted a song featuring Muppets singing "there's an app for that", touting a non-existent product call the iPogo.
You can watch below. We are not responsible for any earworms that may ensue.
[Spotted via Mashable.]


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Yolo CountyHome Sitemap Contact
Substance Abuse
Welcome to the Substance Abuse Service Directory page. Below is a list of the services that Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency provides for individuals seeking substance abuse services. If you click on the service you are interested in, you will be taken to a service overview, which will provide contact information and a brief description of the program. If you'd like to learn more about that program, click on the link that is provided within the brief description.


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Two elected to engineering academy
Professors Robert Calderbank and Stuart Hunter have been elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest distinctions among engineers.
Calderbank and Hunter were among 74 engineers elected to the academy for "outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice or education." They join 17 other Princeton engineers who are members of the academy
Calderbank, a professor of electrical engineering, mathematics and applied and computational mathematics, was cited for "leadership in communications research, from advances in algebraic coding theory to signal processing for wire-line and wireless modems." Calderbank came to Princeton in 2004 after 23 years at AT&T Labs, most recently as vice president for research and Internet and network systems.The academy cited Hunter, who is a professor emeritus of civil engineering, for "the development and application of statistical methods for efficiently designed experiments and data interpretation." Hunter joined the Princeton faculty in 1961 and transferred to emeritus status in 1982.


text: Prairie Dogs – Concert in the Park 7:30pm Concert In the Park Series On May 9th, The Prairie Dogs well known for their Bluegrass, and Cowboy Swing will be giving a FREE public performance at 7:30pm at the Vernon Worthen Park at 300 S 400 E, in St. George. The park is only 3 blocks away from the Best Western Coral Hills. The Best Western Coral Hills is a proud sponsor of the 2011 St. George Concert in the Park Series. All concerts are open to the public and free of charge. Hosted every second Monday from April through September and start at 7:30pm


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REAL ESTATE- ON THE BLOCK- No stairing: Single-level living in Greencroft
Address: 570 Rodes Drive
Neighborhood: Greencroft
Asking: $599,000
Assessment: $563,000
Year Built: 1982
Size: 2,338 fin. sq. ft.
Land: 2.2840 acres
Agent: David Cooke, Real Estate III, 984-7428
Curb Appeal: 8 out of 10
It used to be that bath and kitchen updates provided sellers with a guaranteed return on investment, but now those granite- and stainless-filled days might be over– at least it must seem that way to folks who just got their 2010 assessments.
This seller, perhaps sensing that the investment might not pay for itself, opted to leave the kitchen as is with just a wash of new paint over the cupboards. Bathrooms, however, have been updated with traditional decorative accents from molding to fixtures.
Just off Ivy Road in Albemarle, this one-story colonial has plenty of comfortable living space and a small finished basement. Buyers are paying for the pastoral view and proximity to the Greencroft Club (a tidy pool and tennis place with a popular dining room). There's also a communal pond, which– for folks concerned about safety– is surrounded by a fence.
The front door opens to a large living room with lots of light and crown molding. It's formal but comfortable, thanks to its size and a wood-burning fireplace and oak floors that extend to most of the first floor. A large dining room with a tray ceiling leads to a deck with Chippendale style railings. These pretty touches are echoed in a side door at the front of the house.
An enormous sunroom off the dining room has a terra cotta tile floor and multiple windows as well as skylights. The room is large enough for comfortable seating and even a casual eating area in one corner. Built-in shelving frames the entryway. Although the ceiling fan might help a little, potential buyers would probably consider investing in some shades to prevent a sunny-to-sauna transition to the summer.
Off the living room, a hall leads to the private living areas. On the right, a small room has transom windows, a closet, and thin drawers built into the wall for storage. Although technically a bedroom, it's so small that its best use is probably an office or study.
Across from the office is an updated half bath with a bowl sink atop an armoire-styled base. The other bath on the main level is a full bath shared by the master and second bedroom.
The two bedrooms are of moderate size, but their closets are small. In the master, double closets that face each other in one corner are deeper than they appear. A big bay window overlooking the backyard calls out for some seating. For the price, buyers may expect a master suite, but they won't find it here unless they're willing to build an addition into the yard for a master bath.
A buttery yellow laundry room rounds out the main level. With tiled floor, built-in shelving, a stacked washer/dryer, and a mop sink, it combines convenience with aesthetics.
The basement has been finished to be not quite a granny flat, but it does have a wet bar and full bath in sky blue with tiled shower and attractive fixtures. A slew of closets accommodate out-of-season clothes.
This Greencroft home is ideal for a family who actually get along with one another: only two bedrooms and lots of living space dictate togetherness.
Each week, a brave local seller invites the Hook to provide an impartial, warts-and-all look at their real estate listing. E-mail yours today!


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~ take my dogs for a nice long walk on the dock and look for manatees
~ go to my favorite store, Anthropologie and use my gift cards.
~ help my girls with their blog, Peace, Love & Cupcakes
~ take some pictures of my neighbor's Plumeria tree/bush (?) Soooo pretty!
~ start planning/shopping for Mother's Day
~ enjoy the delicious dinner that Taylor is making tonight
~ catch up on some reading
~ buy tickets for a ballet recital
~compliment someone while I am out shopping
~ paint my nails:-)
Hope you have a wonderful day, too!


text:
The World Water Forum in Marseille has firmly placed nature at the heart of its strategies for improving global water resources. This effectively changes the way the world looks at protecting this most valuable liquid asset, says IUCN.
"Nature complements built infrastructure, increasing efficiency and providing an alternative solution to building new infrastructure in many situations," says IUCN's Water Programme Director, Mark Smith. "Leaders of the water world are finally seeing sense as they include nature as an integral part of the solution to the global water crisis."
Nature provides many services that are vital to sustainable water management. Forest soils, aquifers, lakes and wetlands provide water storage. Wetlands filter water, floodplains and wetlands lower flood peaks in downstream cities, while mangroves and coral reefs protect coasts from floods.
"The Forum clearly recognized that water-related biodiversity and ecosystem services are an integral part of water management infrastructure, as they provide substantive economic, social and environmental returns on investment at all levels," adds Smith.
Natural 'infrastructure' is the backbone of the green economy and the benefits of investing in it often exceed the costs. New York spent US$1.5 billion on ecosystem management rather than $6 billion on a water filtration plant. Private companies and NGOs in Quito, Ecuador are building a trust fund for watershed management, now worth US$8 million.
"Participants at the Forum this year have made it clear that they will take action for the valuation of costs and benefits associated with the protection and sustainable use of water-related ecosystems in all projects," says Smith.
IUCN welcomes the Forum's ministerial declaration, in which 130 countries urged the upcoming UN Rio Summit on Sustainable Development to speed action on providing the poor with access to clean water and sanitation and fix worsening problems of water scarcity and pollution.
"The message to Rio must be loud and clear that the time is right for investing in nature if we are to have any chance of building a sustainable economic future," says IUCN Director General, Julia Marton-Lefèvre.
Natural solutions to the water crisis will be discussed further at IUCN's World Conservation Congress in Jeju Island, Korea, 5-15 September 2012.
For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:
Ewa Magiera, IUCN Media Relations, m +41 79 856 76 26, e email@example.com;
Brian Thomson, IUCN Media Relations, m +41 79 721 8326, e email@example.com;
Claire Warmenbol, IUCN Water Programme: m +41 79 404 1973, e firstname.lastname@example.com


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Russia is resuming its military buildup along the Ukrainian border in an apparent attempt to intimidate its neighbor, NATO's chief said Thursday as Ukrainian government forces unleashed a major offensive against pro-Moscow insurgents.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, voicing strong concern about the Ukrainian military onslaught. Putin said he expects Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to immediately launch his plan to end the violence, the Kremlin said.
RELATED: Ukraine promises 'adequate response' after rebels shoot down plane
Putin and Poroshenko then discussed details of the peace plan in a phone call — their second conversation this week. Poroshenko's office said he emphasized the need for introducing effective border controls and quickly releasing hostages.
Russia has denied Ukrainian and Western allegations that it is fomenting the rebellion by sending troops and weapons into Ukraine.
Last month, in an apparent attempt to ease tensions in Ukraine, Putin pulled back many of the estimated 40,000 Russian troops massed along the border.
But on Thursday, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that Russia has sent a few thousand additional troops to the border, calling it "a very regrettable step backward."
"If they're deployed to seal the border and stop the flow of weapons and fighters, that would be a positive step. But that's not what we're seeing," Rasmussen said in London.
The Russian Defense Ministry refused to comment.
The allegations came as heavy fighting raged near Krasnyi Liman in the Donetsk region, which has been the epicenter of violence over the past two months.
Vladislav Seleznev, a spokesman for Ukrainian forces in the east, described the area as a strategic supply corridor for the rebels. He said in a statement on Facebook that four government troops were killed and 20 wounded in the fighting Thursday.
He said up to 200 rebels were killed and hundreds wounded. The claim could not be independently confirmed.
Rebel chief Igor Strelkov said in a statement on YouTube that his men were far outnumbered and outgunned and would probably be forced to retreat.
Strelkov, clad in combat fatigues, bitterly scolded the Kremlin for failing to help the rebellion and issued a desperate plea to send in troops.
"I hope that they have enough conscience left in Moscow to take some measures," he said.
There was no immediate response from the Kremlin, which has ignored previous pleas for help from the insurgents.
Putin has faced strong pressure from nationalists at home to send troops into Ukraine following the annexation of Crimea in March.
But Putin, eager to avoid a new round of crippling Western sanctions, has instead welcomed a peace plan put forward by Ukraine's new president.
Poroshenko on Wednesday promised to call a unilateral cease-fire to give the rebels a chance to lay down their weapons and leave the country. He is expected to outline details of the plan Friday.
The new Russian military deployments come at a delicate time.
Next week, the foreign ministers and leaders of the European Union are scheduled to meet and could consider tougher economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
"The international community would have to respond firmly if Russia were to intervene further," Rasmussen said. "That would imply deeper sanctions."


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We've done some research on the economics of our specific projects and we'll provide it to the committee. There's not just an ecological outcome but also an economic impact.
Evidence of meeting #62 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.
A recording is available from Parliament.


text:
Cook the Book: Flourless Milk Chocolate Cake with Grapefruit and Hazelnuts
The recipe is simple to prepare and yields extraordinary results. The mild milk chocolate allows the tart grapefruit and toasty hazelnut flavors to really shine through, plus it provides an intriguing contrast of textures in every bite. Making your own candied grapefruit is worth the extra effort, but in a pinch, the store-bought kind will do. Skip the milk chocolate sauce, and this cake is perfect for transporting you to an afternoon tea party.
Win 'Chocolate Epiphany'
In addition to excerpting a recipe from Chocolate Epiphany each day this week, we're also giving away five (5) copies of the book. Enter to win here.
- Yield:one 9-inch cake
- For the candied grapefruit:
- 1grapefruit, scrubbed thoroughly
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- For the milk chocolate cake:
- Vegetable cooking spray, for the pan
- 4 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup hazelnut flour or finely ground blanched hazelnuts
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
- For the milk chocolate sauce:
- 1 pound milk chocolate
- 2 cups whole milk
Cut the grapefruit into quarters. Remove the pulp and as much of the white pith as possible. Place the peels in a medium saucepan, fill it with water, and bring to a boil. Drain the water, then fill the pot with fresh water and bring to a boil again. Repeat this process a third time. Drain the water completely.
Combine the peels, granulated sugar, and corn syrup with 1/2 cup water in the saucepan, and place over low heat. Simmer for about 1 hour, until the peels become slightly translucent. Remove from the heat, and let them sit in the syrup until cool. You can keep the peels in the syrup, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks. Drain and finely chop 1/2 cup of the peel to add to the cake batter.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the sides and bottom of a round 9-inch cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. Cut a 9-inch round piece of parchment paper and place it at the bottom of the pan.
Fill a medium pot one-third full with water and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl that will fit snuggly on top of the pot but not touch the water. Reduce the heat to low and place the bowl over the pot. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat.
Place the eggs, egg yolks, and brown sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the mixture turns a pale yellow and increases in volume. With a silicone spatula, fold in the hazelnut flour, hazelnuts, and candied grapefruit. Fold in the chocolate until it is well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 40 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the sides slightly pull back from the edges of the pan.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the sides of the cake to release it from the pan, unmold the cake, and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack. You can make the cake 1 or 2 days ahead. Keep it tightly wrapped in a cool, dry environment.
Put the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the milk over the chocolate and let the heat melt the chocolate. Stir gently, then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Let it cool until it is lukewarm or at room temperature. You can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead. Keep it covered and refrigerated, and let it come back to room temperature before serving.
To serve, cut the cake into slices and serve with the chocolate sauce.


text:
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text:
Stalley "BET Music Matters Tour Vlog" Part 6
"In this BET Music Matters tour webisode, Stalley performs in
Phoenix, gets a tour of the Raw Papers Factory, interviews with
Bootleg Kev and also meets with a special fan after the show. Check
out more at www.stalley330.com. Follow @Stalley and
@BlueCollarGang. Directed by Kellen Dengler @kdengs
http://www.kellendengler.com" - StalleyVid
Posted by @Worldstarvids
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Participating Organization(s)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Funding Opportunity Title
FaceBase 2: Craniofacial Development and Dysmorphology – Data Management and Integration Hub (U01)
Activity Code
U01 Research Project – Cooperative Agreements
Announcement Type
Related Notices
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number
Companion Funding Opportunity
RFA-DE-14-004, U01 Research Project – Cooperative Agreements
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)
Funding Opportunity Purpose
The NIDCR-funded FaceBase Consortium (www.facebase.org) was established in 2009 to advance craniofacial research by creating comprehensive datasets on craniofacial development and dysmorphologies and disseminating them to the wider craniofacial research community. Operationally, the Consortium links individual "spoke" projects, each creating and contributing individual datasets, analytic tools, and other resources to a central data management and integration hub which, in turn, disseminates them publicly. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits grant applications for the role of the FaceBase data management and integration hub. As the Consortium's public face, the hub is charged with the critical functions of collecting datasets and analytic tools developed by the spoke projects, curating and integrating those resources, and disseminating them to the wider research community through the FaceBase website. The hub is expected to work closely with the spoke projects in developing efficient processes for depositing and organizing data, to lead the Consortium in the development of sophisticated methodologies for searching and visualizing integrated FaceBase data, and to coordinate Consortium-wide activities such as working group and Steering Committee meetings, and the annual Consortium-wide meeting.
Posted Date
April 5, 2013
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)
July 22, 2013
Letter of Intent Due Date(s)
July 22, 2013
Application Due Date(s)
August 22, 2013, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
AIDS Application Due Date(s)
Not Applicable
Scientific Merit Review
November, 2013
Advisory Council Review
January, 2014
Earliest Start Date
May, 2014
Expiration Date
August 23, 2013
Due Dates for E.O. 12372
Not Applicable
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information
With the expiration of the current round of FaceBase cooperative agreements in April, 2014, the NIDCR seeks applications for the role of the FaceBase Data Management and Integration hub. The FaceBase hub is the bioinformatics heart of the Consortium charged with collecting, curating and integrating datasets, analytic tools, and other resources received from the FaceBase spoke projects and then disseminating them through the FaceBase website. As part of fulfilling these functions, the hub is expected to lead the consortium in the development and application of innovative methods for displaying and searching data.
Background: The growing utilization of large, publicly available 'omics datasets (e.g., genomic, transcriptomic, or proteomic data) has made it clear that such data can be used to advance both focused, hypothesis-driven studies and global, systems-level analyses. The FaceBase Consortium was established to advance craniofacial research through the creation and wide prepublication dissemination of a variety of datasets and other resources whose nature and scope would generally place them outside the grasp of individual labs. The Consortium's ultimate goal is managing and integrating those data in such a way that the broader research community can readily obtain and analyze pertinent information using the approaches of systems biology and other state-of-the-art quantitative approaches. The current Consortium consists of 10 research/technology projects (spokes) and a central data management and integration hub working collaboratively to make resources available to the wider community and to foster new collaborations both within and outside of the Consortium. Datasets and tools created by the current iteration of the Consortium are freely available to the wider scientific community through the FaceBase website, www.facebase.org.
Investigators interested in submitting applications to this FOA are encouraged to visit the FaceBase website to better understand the nature of the existing FaceBase datasets, the spoke and hub organization of the Consortium, and potential opportunities that can be productively exploited during its next iteration. Detailed descriptions of the current FaceBase projects can be found on the FaceBase website and in the FaceBase white paper (Hochheiser et al., Dev Biol. 2011, 355:175-82). Potential applicants are also encouraged to read the companion FOA soliciting applications for new spoke projects (RFA-DE-14-004) in order to better understand the types of spoke projects likely to be included in the next iteration of the Consortium.
FaceBase's Data Management and Integration hub's roles include but are not limited to:
Consortium organization: The current organizational structure (a hub and spoke arrangement) will be retained for the next iteration of FaceBase. The success of FaceBase absolutely requires collegial interactions and robust collaborations between all members and components of the Consortium. All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) in the Consortium are required to participate in Steering Committee activities and to cooperate with the NIDCR-appointed Project Scientists and Program Official as described in the Terms and Conditions of the cooperative agreements. Consortium PDs/PIs will meet annually with the Scientific Leadership Group and with NIDCR staff to showcase accomplishments and to negotiate milestones. The annual Consortium meeting is hosted on a voluntary and rotating basis by FaceBase PDs/PIs at their home institutions or in the Bethesda, MD area.
Funding Instrument
Cooperative Agreement: A support mechanism used when there will be substantial Federal scientific or programmatic involvement. Substantial involvement means that, after award, NIH scientific or program staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities.
Application Types Allowed
The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types.
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards
The NIDCR intends to commit up to $2.0 million total costs to this FOA in fiscal year 2014 in order to fund one award.
Award Budget
Up to $2.0 million in annual total costs.
Award Project Period
5 years
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Higher Education Institutions
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
For-Profit Organizations
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are
not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
Applicant Organizations
Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.
Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))
All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account and should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate an existing account with the applicant organization's eRA Commons account. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources
necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal
Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to
develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial
and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always
encouraged to apply for NIH support.
For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.
NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed within the past thirty-seven months (as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement), except for submission:
Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the "Apply for Grant Electronically" button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions – Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
The letter of intent should be sent to:
Yasaman Shirazi, PhD
Chief, Scientific Review Branch
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
1DEM, Room 662, MSC 4878
6701 Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 (Courier 20817)
Telephone: (301) 594-5593
Fax: (301) 480-8303
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and must be followed, with the following exceptions:
The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, required and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for submission of applications for this FOA. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate "optional" components.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
The budget should include funds supporting the annual Consortium meeting as well as travel by the hub PD(s)/PI(s) and select hub personnel to that meeting. The hub budget can also include funds supporting the travel of a small number of FaceBase hub or spoke project trainees to the annual meeting. (Funds supporting travel by spoke project personnel are included in their project's budget).
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Research Strategy: The Research Strategy must address all the points below.
Milestones and Timeline: The application must include a timeline as well as PD/PI-determined, hub-specific milestones for each proposed year of funding. These milestones must be concrete and provide quantitative and specific targets; they should not be a restatement of the specific aims. Describe specific outcomes to be achieved and the metrics by which the accomplishment of the milestones will be assessed.
Biology expertise: Although the activities of the FaceBase hub are largely in the areas of computer science and informatics, the hub must be able to communicate effectively with the experimentally oriented spoke projects if the Consortium is to achieve its goals. This requires that the hub have personnel with sufficient knowledge of both worlds to serve as liaisons and translators between experimentalists and informaticists. Applicants for the FaceBase hub are therefore expected to demonstrate that their teams include biology expertise sufficient to allow them to function in this way. The areas of expertise included should cover both the existing data already within FaceBase and the high programmatic priority areas described in the accompanying FOA for new spoke projects (RFA-DE-14-004).
Relationship to current FaceBase data or resources: Applicants responding to this FOA should describe how the proposed structure of the next iteration of the hub will accommodate and improve upon the existing organization and functionality of the FaceBase website. Should a different hardware or software architecture be proposed, the application should describe how existing FaceBase datasets and tools can be quickly and efficiently migrated to that new architecture without disrupting community access to FaceBase resources.
Collaboration and Interaction Plan
FaceBase's Consortium structure mandates robust and productive collaborations between the constituent projects to achieve the Consortium's goals. Applicants should describe prior or ongoing experience in functioning as part of a research Consortium or other collaborative activities to meet individual study and collaborative goals. Describe how the proposed organization of the hub will enhance FaceBase's Consortium structure and facilitate collaboration with and among the spoke projects.
Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)) as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following modifications:
Appendix: Do not use the Appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.
Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov, the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies. Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH's electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late.
Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.
Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.
For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.
All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this FOA for information on registration requirements.
The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization's profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
See more tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.
In order to expedite review, applicants are requested to notify the NIDCR Referral Office by email at email@example.com when the application has been submitted. Please include the FOA number and title, PD/PI name, and title of the application.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115, with the following modifications:
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Does the project present or identify unique opportunities or resources that are likely to be valuable to the broader craniofacial research community?
Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Do the investigators have collective expertise in the biological aspects of craniofacial development and dysmorphology sufficiently broad to allow them to productively interact with spoke projects from a variety of disciplines?
Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?
Does the proposed architecture of the hub use:
Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses
well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project?
Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented?
If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy
establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?
If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?
To what extent do the proposed hub architecture and bioinformatics tools complement or enhance what has already been created for FaceBase, and to what extent do they contribute to the further development of the Consortium?
Is there an efficient architecture proposed for the receipt of materials from the spoke projects by the hub?
Are the processes described for data quality control and security both implementable and appropriate?
Are the proposed interfaces for displaying, searching, and disseminating the resulting data or tools intuitive and implementable?
Will the proposed hub architecture facilitate analyses using systems biological or other quantitative approaches?
Is the overall structure proposed for the hub likely to create a resource that is more valuable to the wider craniofacial research community than the individual components created by the spoke projects?
Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Milestones and Timeline
Are the milestones and timelines quantitative, reasonable and appropriate?
Collaboration and Interaction
Are the plans for disseminating research findings, data, tools, and methods to Consortium members and the wider community both adequate and consistent with achieving the Consortium's goals?
Is there an implementable plan for collaboration and interaction with the Consortium's spoke projects?
Is there evidence provided that the applicant has the ability to function productively within a larger Consortium?
Protections for Human Subjects
For research that involves human subjects but does
not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR
Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human
subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their
participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to
subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the
subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and
safety monitoring for clinical trials.
For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children
When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
Vertebrate Animals
The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.
Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.
Applications from Foreign Organizations
Not Applicable
Select Agent Research
Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).
Resource Sharing Plans
Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this FOA.
Applications will be assigned to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
The size of the award is contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the grantee's business official.
Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.
Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS, SAM Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.
Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
The following special terms of award are in addition to, and
not in lieu of, otherwise applicable U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
administrative guidelines, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
grant administration regulations at 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92 (Part 92 is
applicable when State and local Governments are eligible to apply), and other
HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.
The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the cooperative agreement, an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the awardees is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the award recipients in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the awardees for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the awardees and the NIH as defined below.
The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility for:
The PD/PI will have the primary responsibility for defining the details for the project within the guidelines of RFA-DE-14-005 and for performing the scientific activities. PDs/PIs will agree to accept close coordination, cooperation, and participation of NIDCR staff in those aspects of scientific and technical management of the project as described below under NIDCR staff responsibilities. The PDs/PIs will:
Awardees will retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed under these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with current DHHS, PHS, and NIH policies.
NIDCR staff have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below:
The role of the NIH Program staff members will be to facilitate and not to direct the activities. It is anticipated that decisions in all activities will be reached by consensus of the Steering Committee and that the NIDCR Project Scientists will be given the opportunity to offer input to this process. Other NIDCR staff may assist and advise the Consortium on relevant programmatic and scientific issues. The Project Scientist will:
Additionally, an NIDCR Program Official will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award and will be named in the award notice. The NIDCR Program Official will:
Additionally, an agency program official or IC program director will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award and will be named in the award notice.
Areas of Joint Responsibility include:
None; all responsibilities are divided between awardees and NIH staff as described above.
Dispute Resolution:
Any disagreements that may arise in scientific or programmatic matters (within the scope of the award) between award recipients and the NIH may be brought to Dispute Resolution. A Dispute Resolution Panel composed of three members will be convened. It will have three members: a designee of the Steering Committee chosen without NIH staff voting, one NIH designee, and a third designee with expertise in the relevant area who is chosen by the other two; in the case of individual disagreement, the first member may be chosen by the individual awardee. This special dispute resolution procedure does not alter the awardee's right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulation 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and DHHS regulation 45 CFR Part 16.
When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the annual Non-Competing Progress Report (PHS 2590 or RPPR) and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
A final progress report, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity
and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
eRA Commons Help Desk (Questions regarding eRA Commons
registration, submitting and tracking an application, documenting system
problems that threaten submission by the due date, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
Web ticketing system: https://public.era.nih.gov/commonshelp
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions
regarding Grants.gov registration and submission, downloading forms and
application packages)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Web ticketing system: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/ContactUs.aspx
Email: email@example.com
GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and
process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
Email: email@example.com
Steven B. Scholnick, Ph.D.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Telephone: (301) 594-3977
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Yasaman Shirazi, PhD
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Telephone: (301) 594-5593
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Diana Rutberg
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Telephone: (301) 594-4798
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
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