Untitled Document

Board of Higher Education Meets On Campus Nov. 15, 16; Gov. Hoeven Here Nov. 15
The State Board of Higher Education will hold a regular meeting on campus at the Rural Technology Center Thursday and Friday, Nov. 15 and 16. The tentative meeting times are from 8 a.m. to 4:25 p.m. Thursday and 8:45 to 9:30 a.m. Friday. From 9:50 to 10:50, board members have requested presentations and tours of major capital needs on campus; they will tour O’Kelly and Carnegie Halls.
New members of the Board include Ralph Kingsbury, a UND alumnus from Grafton, and Bruce Christianson from Minot. The Board also wants to meet with faculty, staff and student representatives, and this is being arranged.
Also on Thursday, Gov. Hoeven will visit campus in conjunction with the SBHE meeting as a part of his “Excellence in Education” tour of the state during November, which is National Education Month.
The Legislative Interim Higher Education Committee will be on campus Thursday and Friday, Jan. 10 and 11. They want to hear from faculty, staff and students and will examine how UND is implementing the Roundtable recommendations. -- Charles Kupchella, President.

Chancellor Isaak Addresses University Senate
North Dakota University System Chancellor Larry Isaak addressed the University Senate Nov. 1. Isaak began his remarks by saying he’s impressed with the energy on campuses as a result of legislation passed during the last session that granted new funding flexibility.
“North Dakota higher education is entering a new era as a result of the last two years and the Roundtable,” he said. The conclusions of the Roundtable can be summarized in three statements:

North Dakota’s future is not an extension of past trends.
All of North Dakota must benefit from a stronger economy.
The economic vitality of North Dakota is closely linked to the educational system.

Five or six years ago, Isaak said, this would not have happened. The legislation passed as a result of the Roundtable is, he believes, the most powerful since the Board of Higher Education was formed in 1938. It recognizes the University System as an engine for future success. As a result, he said, funding for institutions is now less restrictive, allowing them to keep the tuition monies they generate. This frees campuses to determine the use of resources. It also encourages development of a new long-term funding model for requesting appropriations. This model uses benchmarks with peer institutions, address equity, and guarantee a funding base for each campus. Along with that flexibility comes a clear set of expectations that campuses must fulfill.

That mission is two-part, he said. First, campuses will keep their traditional mission of providing a broad, solid liberal arts education. Second, campuses must step up efforts to help grow the North Dakota economy and population, but not, he emphasized, at the expense of liberal arts.

The Board of Higher Education, Isaak said, will play a major role in revitalizing North Dakota. “I want to challenge you as a campus,” he said, “to discuss that issue.” UND is already doing a lot, but needs to do more, he said, and added that this goal should be driven by vision, not budget. He then discussed the new NDUS vision statement, mission statement, and core beliefs and objectives (these are available online at www.ndus.edu).

“I believe ‘Job One’ for North Dakota is growing our population,” he said. “Join me to carry that banner and lead North Dakota into the new century.”

He then took questions from the audience.

One senator asked if the Board was sending mixed messages when faculty and students are excluded from selecting a new president, yet supposed to help revitalize North Dakota. The speaker was referring to the September meeting of the Board of Higher Education, in which the Board voted to remove from their policy governing presidential searches any reference to requiring consultation with campus faculty. Chancellor Isaak answered that he, too, struggles with mixed messages. He emphasized that the new policy does not exclude any group, nor does it specifically recommend search committee members. He said that his advice to the Board was that it is critical to the success of any new president that faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members be engaged in that process, and that, if a search committee were formed, he would advise the Board to use the same formula as in the past. The board’s concern, however, was that search committees have grown too large and slowed the process. A later questioner said that removing faculty from the process of choosing a president does not send a positive message to faculty members. Isaak again emphasized that the new policy does not specifically exclude faculty.

In response to a senator who, naming Partners for Progress, TQM, and other initiatives, asked how permanent the Roundtable recommendations are, Isaak said that he does believe there is permanency to the Roundtable. “The Legislature passed a law in 1989 or 1991 requiring the Board of Higher Education to do a six-year plan – every two years!” he said. “That law is now gone.” Laws have changed, he said, and as a result, policies of the Board have changed. With a section on sustaining the vision, continuing meetings, and progress reports, he said, he hopes the core vision will remain alive.

In answer to another question, Isaak said he challenged faculty to keep the initiative going. Higher education should take part in the Roundtable initiative, he said, and it may be an issue the University Senate would like to discuss. “We all have a stake in this,” he said. “What are your ideas to grow our population? Are you willing to engage in that discussion?”

Finally, when asked how faculty should be included, Isaak advised bringing ideas to Jim Grijalva (Law), faculty advisor to the Board, who will bring ideas to the Board.

Senator Tom Petros (Psychology) introduced a resolution to ask the Board to revisit the September decision to remove any reference to requiring consultation with campus faculty for Presidential searches. The resolution passed.

Events

Study Abroad Session Spotlights Costa Rica

Study Abroad information sessions are held Wednesdays at 2 p.m. at the International Centre, 2908 University Ave. The Nov. 14 program spotlights Costa Rica and study at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma in Hereida, Costa Rica.

International Centre Hosts Thursday Night Programs
The Office of International Programs at the International Centre, 2908 University Ave., will hold cultural programs at 7 p.m. Thursdays. The Nov. 8 program features Japan, and the Nov. 15 program features Canada. Thursday night cultural programs are open to all. Experience different cultures of the world, meet new friends from other nations, and learn about the variety the world has in store. Events feature food prepared and served by international students. For more information, contact the International Centre at 777-4231.

High Risk Flu Shot Clinic Offered
Student Health Services will offer a flu shot clinic for students, faculty, and staff who are at high-risk of contracting the flu on Friday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the McCannel Hall Atrium. If vaccine supplies are exhausted, the clinic may be forced to close early. Due to the limited supply of vaccine, only those persons for whom flu can be deadly and healthcare workers will be immunized at this time.
Persons at high risk of developing complications from the flu include:
• Those 65 years of age and older.
• Persons with chronic health conditions such as: heart, lung, and kidney diseases, metabolic disorders, and deficient immune systems from disease or medication.
• Pregnant women.
The cost of the flu shot is $6 for students. Faculty and staff who are covered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Dakota can obtain a flu shot at no cost; charges will be billed to insurance. A fee of $10 will be charged to all other faculty and staff.
Watch for information about general flu shot clinics later in November. Contact Student Health Services at 777-4500 for additional details.

George Seielstad Presents Benediktson Lecture Nov. 10

George Seielstad (associate dean, Odegard School) will give the last in a series of Benediktson lectures at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, in the Clifford Hall Auditorium. He will present “Sustainability: Shrinking the Human Footprint.”

Visualize a planet which contains between 15 and 50 million species. Consider that that planet has existed for nearly 46 million centuries. Now place the recent role of humans into that context: one species, Homo sapiens, and one century, the twentieth. Humans became the dominant force on Earth during that brief interval.

As we enter the 21st century, we humans have already transformed 40 percent of the planet’s land surface. We have noticeably changed the chemical composition of the atmosphere, introducing greenhouse gases at a rate that has warmed the entire planet. We equal nature in the amount of nitrogen we fix into plant life. Humanity consumes more than half of all surface fresh water. We have accelerated the rate of extinctions by 100 to 1,000 times over what prevailed throughout geological history. We move more matter than Nature.

Most of these powers accumulated in the century just ended. They enabled unprecedentedeconomic growth, as well as improvements in public health. But are the assumptions upon which these practices are based – cheap and abundant energy, unlimited non-renewable resources – likely to persist? Or can we transition to a world that is both sustainable and prosperous? Can we enjoy a comfortable and satisfying quality of life while preserving the fundamental life-support systems of the planet? Have we any choice?
Humans are conducting a global experiment, the outcome of which is uncertain. We are changing the world faster than we are understanding the consequences. Fortunately, we have new tools for enhancing our understanding. Fleets of satellites monitor the health of every spot on the globe, not once but repeatedly. Sophisticated software lets us convey the global health report in an international language, a visual one that eases communications between scientists and non-scientists. Finally, we have a World Wide Web through which people can organize themselves into problem-solving communities.

With these tools, we can not only chart a different future, but we can also assure justice and equity among all peoples of the current generation on Earth, between the current generation and those that follow, and between the human species and those with which it shares the planet.

Textile Exhibition Opens At Museum
The North Dakota Museum of Art is opening the holiday season on Saturday, Nov. 10, with a textile extravaganza. Anchored in the idea of “cloth as the language of many worlds,” the exhibition brings together traditional textiles from the Americas, Japan and India.
During the gala party, the North Dakota Museum of Art is sponsoring a performance by Ragamala Music and Dance Theater for an evening of South Indian dance and music at 8 p.m. in the Museum galleries.

Ragamala Music and Dance Theater presents dance, music, and poetry, blending East and West programs that reflect the multicultural world. Based in the classical South Indian dance style of Bharatanatyam, Ragamala’s work provides a bridge between cultures both ancient and modern, exploring a living poetry for the stage.

In Samarpanam, artistic director Ramaswamy Aparna marks her unique style, which honors the classical Bharatanatyam concert format as it was defined during a period of revitalization two hundred years ago. Samarpanam is choreographed to both ancient and modern Carnatic music performed by composer and vocalist Nirmala Rajasekhar. Aparna is joined by Ragamala company dancer Tamara Nadel in this celebration of the meeting betweentraditional and contemporary.

Samparpanam is made possible by a 1999 McKnight Dancers Fellowship for Choreography administered by the Minnesota Dance Alliance and a career opportunity grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
The galleries of the Museum will come alive with:

Maya huipiles (blouses). The people of Guatemala wear the “cloth” of their own village and region, projecting their identity through the different patterns and color arrangements of their back-strap weaving and embroidery.
Inca mantas (rectangular garments) which show the wearer’s connection to “Pancha Mama” (Mother Earth) by weaving patterns of the land.
Japanese sashiko (stitched jackets and vests). These collect the memories of worn-out textiles which are then made into new garments. Also included are Japanese indigo mingei kimono with intricate patterns of double-ikat on bast fibers and their imagery of local flora and fauna.
Indian sujuni and khatwa (quilts, banners, saris and shawls). “Stitching Women’s Lives” is an exhibition within the exhibition of works from Bihar, India. Stitched onto their surfaces are the personal, social and political stories of the lives of rural and urban women from ADITHI, an income-generating women’s cooperative. These works were collected by Dorothy Caldwell and Skye Morrison, both of whom will be at the Museum opening.

The contemporary makers inspired by Cloth as Language are:

Dorothy Caldwell whose resist-dyed, pieced and stitched pieces reflect the observations and encounters with earth, rock and water from Hastings, Ontario, and Newfoundland in Canada to Japan and India.
Vernal Bogren Swift (batik-maker) who learned about batik in Africa and continued in the United States to use the medium as an exploration of the relationship of geology and memory.

Bachelor Of Fine Arts Exhibition By Kvasager Runs Through Nov. 29
A Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibition of photos by Christa Kvasager will run from Monday, Nov. 12, through Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Col. Eugene E. Myers Gallery, Hughes Fine Arts Center. The opening reception is Friday, Nov. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. All are welcome.

Hagerty Lecturer Speaks On Search For Hope, Truth After Sept. 11
The University Community is invited to Tim J. McGuire’s presentation, “A Journalist’s Search for Hope and Truth after September 11,” for the 10th Jack Hagerty Lecture In Contemporary Media Issues at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Grand Forks Herald Community Room.

McGuire has been editor and senior vice president of the Minneapolis Star Tribune since 1992. Prior to that he was managing editor, and joined the company in 1979 as managing editor of the Star. He served as managing editor of the newspaper when it won a Pulitzer Prize in 1990. He has been a Pulitzer jurist four times. – Stephen Rendahl, Director, School of Communication.

Graduate Committee Will Not Meet Monday
The Graduate Committee will not meet Monday, Nov. 12, due to the Veterans Day holiday. The next scheduled meeting will be Nov. 19. You will receive an agenda prior to the meeting. – Joseph Benoit, Dean, Graduate School.

Spring Course Registration Begins Nov. 13
Registration for the 2002 spring term begins Tuesday, Nov. 13. Students will register and drop/add using the WEB ALFI or the ALFI touchtone telephone system from Nov. 13 though Jan. 16. Students who have proper signatures for registration actions not permitted by the WEB ALFI or the ALFI touchtone telephone system may add these courses at the Office of the Registrar during normal office hours starting Nov. 13. Students may register on or after appointment times as reported on WEB ALFI or the ALFI touchtone telephone system. – Michael Cogan, Associate Registrar.

Faculty Hold Chamber Music Recital
Music faculty will hold a chamber music recital Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hughes Fine Arts Center. This recital of contemporary music by faculty will include performances by Elizabeth Rheude, clarinet; Anne Christopherson, soprano; Therese Costes, soprano; Sergio Gallo, piano; Sharon Boschee, flute; Jeffrey Anvinson, guitar; James Popejoy, percussion; Michael Blake, percussion; Royce Blackburn, baritone; and Lisa Blackledge Anderson, piano.
Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students with ID. -- Elizabeth Rheude, Associate Professor of Clarinet.

Instructional Technology Forum Features “Surviving And Thriving In Your First Online Course”
The Division of Continuing Education, the Center for Instructional Learning Technologies and the Computer Center will hold an instructional technology forum Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the River Valley Room at the Memorial Union. The forum is based on the PBS Satellite Series, “Instructional Technology Survival Skills: A How-to Skill and Strategies Series for Faculty.” The first forum, “Surviving and Thriving in Your First Online Course” will focus on real-world problems instructors typically encounter when teaching online the first time. UND faculty, as well as staff from the Center for Instructional and Learning Technologies and the Division of Continuing Education, will present first-hand experiences of handling online courses. This forum will be the first in a three-part series that will discuss “how-to” skills and strategies for working with instructional technology.
During this interactive forum, a panel of UND faculty and staff will identify problems and analyze key points in various scenarios that occur on online courses. The panelists will suggest steps instructors can take in the course development stage to minimize specific problems and offer “battle-tested” solutions to problems that occur in courses already under way. Scenario topics will include:
• what to do during the first few weeks of the course to minimize problems later
• anticipating and handling technical glitches
• copyright and intellectual property of course material
• helping first-time online students
• time-saving strategies and handling the volume of student e-mail
The practical tips, techniques, and strategies the panelists can offer will be helpful and encouraging to anyone facing similar situations in his/her first online class.

Whether a faculty member is considering online course delivery for the first time or is looking for better ways to handle problems encountered in current or past courses, this forum will provide helpful “how-to” strategies, which can make the difference between merely surviving and actually thriving in an online course. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 13, 3 to 5 p.m. in the River Valley Room, Memorial Union. All UND faculty and staff are invited to attend. Any questions can be directed to CK Braun (Continuing Education), 777-6403 or Lori Swinney (Center for Instructional and Learning Technology), 777-3569.

Citizenship And Community Topic Of Discussion
The On Teaching faculty lunch discussion series continues Wednesday, Nov. 14, with a session titled “Citizenship and Community: What Should Students Be Learning?” The session will be co-facilitated by Burt Thorp (Interdisciplinary Studies) and Lana Rakow (Experiential Learning Project). As faculty, we know a university education is about more than getting a job. We believe in educating students to become engaged and informed citizens and members of communities. Are we providing the experiences that students need to learn?

The Interdisciplinary Studies Program welcomes faculty ideas about the creation of a service learning course. The course would take students into communities to learn from experiences related to citizenship and community service. What could your discipline contribute to such a course? Would you be interested in helping develop and teach the course?

Join us from noon to 1 p.m. in the Memorial Room, Memorial Union, as we brainstorm the possibilities. -- Libby Rankin, Director, Office of Instructional Development.

Retired Faculty To Discuss Advice For New Faculty
The November meeting of the UND retired faculty will convene at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at Tabula and the Christus Rex fireside room to address the topic: “My Advice for New Faculty at UND.” – Professor Emeritus Lloyd Omdahl, Department of Political Science.

Lecture Focuses On Medical Aspects Of Lewis And Clark Expedition
The Dean’s Hour Lecture at noon Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Reed T. Keller Auditorium, Wold Bio-Information Learning Resources Center, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, will be “Medical Aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.” The lecture will be presented by Monica Mayer, Trinity Community Clinic, New Town.

For additional information, contact the office of the Dean, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 777-2514.

Diversity Is Topic Of Meet And Eat Program
The next Meet and Eat will be held at the Women’s Center, 305 Hamline St., Thursday, Nov. 15, from noon to 1 p.m. Tom Fuchs from the Conflict Resolution Center will discuss the issue of diversity. Lunch will be provided by the Women’s Center. Please join us.

David Fox Presents Two LEEPS Lectures Nov. 16
David L. Fox, University of Minnesota, will present two LEEPS (Leading Edge Earth and Planetary Sciences) lectures Friday, Nov. 16. His lecture at noon in the Lecture Bowl, 100 Leonard Hall, will be “The Great Plains Ecosystem during the Late Cenozoic: Mammal Teeth, Soil Carbonates, and Carbon Isotopes.” His lecture at 3 p.m. in 109 Leonard Hall will be “Stable Isotopes in Tusks: Reconstructing Subannual Ecological Variability in Extinct Elephants.” Everyone is welcome. – Scott Korom, Geology and Geological Engineering.

Metropolitan Opera Auditions Set For Nov 17.
The North Dakota auditions conducted under the auspices of the Metropolitan Opera National Council will be held Saturday, Nov. 17, beginning at noon in the Josephine Campbell Recital Hall in the Hughes Fine Arts Center. The North Dakota auditions are part of a nationwide system of competitions designed to find exceptionally talented young singers of opera between the ages of 19 and 33 and assist them in their development. This will be the 38th year the auditions have been held in North Dakota.
The singers entering competition range from upper-class college and university students to young professional singers. Each singer entering the competition sings two songs in the original language and key in front of an audience and three judges. Those singers deemed superior by the judges advance to the Upper Midwest Regional Auditions held in St. Paul on Feb. 2. The winner of that audition then competes in New York in April. Cash prizes are also awarded.
This year’s judges are Gary Arvin of the University of Indiana, and Tracy Dahl and Lois Lyons from Winnipeg. Professor Arvin will present a public master class following the auditions.
The North Dakota auditions are supported by a generous grant from the University of North Dakota Fellows, individual contributors and the UND Department of Music.
The public is invited to attend the auditions. Admission is free. For more information, contact G. Paul Larson at 777-3360 or gpaul_larson@und.nodak.edu.
-- G. Paul Larson, (Economics) Director, MONC Auditions for North Dakota.

Doctoral Examination Set For Frances Sailer
The final examination for Frances C. Sailer, a candidate for the Ph.D. degree with a major in Microbiology/Immunology, is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, in Room 1350, School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The dissertation title is “Phenotypic Changes in E. coli mrcA (PBP 1a) and mrcA-yrfE-yrfF Mutants.” Kevin Young (Microbiology/Immunology) is the committee chair.

Members of the Graduate Faculty are invited to attend. – Joseph Benoit, Dean, Graduate School.

Lyric Duo Performs Nov. 20
The Lyric Duo in Concert, a piano and vocal concert, will be performed by Eva Peng, lyric coloratura soprano, and Anthony Olson, pianist, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, in the Josephine Campbell Recital Hall, Hughes Fine Arts Center. The performance will include compositions by Mahler, Schumann, Liszt and Mozart.

Anthony Olson, pianist and UND alumnus, and his wife, Eva Peng, lyric coloratura soprano, perform as the “Lyric Duo.” They have performed in numerous recitals and chamber music concerts throughout the U.S. and central and southern China.

As a soloist, Olson has performed throughout the western United States and has had live performances broadcast on National Public Radio. Ms. Peng has had performances broadcast on China’s Canton Video and Television and Shanghai Television Broadcasting. Ms. Peng has also been featured in a cover story in China’s TV Guide.

The duo performs for hundreds of school children each year in assembly programs for elementary and middle school students. Ms. Peng maintains a private studio of voice students and Dr. Olson is currently assistant professor of piano at Northwest Missouri State University.

Theatre Arts Produces “The Man Who Came To Dinner”
The Department of Theatre Arts presents “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Dec. 5-8, at the Empire Theatre. “The Man Who Came to Dinner” was written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, the renowned playwriting team which wrote “You Can’t Take It with You.” In “The Man Who Came to Dinner” they sought to satirize their Algonquin Round Table chums, Alexander Woollcott, Dorothy Parker, Noel Coward, and Harpo Marx. The play centers on international celebrity/radio personality Sheridan Whiteside, who on his lecture tour to Ohio accidentally falls on the icy steps of the Stanley family and commandeers their home. Whiteside’s Christmas convalescence creates nothing but chaos for the Stanleys and the town. The tyrannical Whiteside manages to endear us to his manipulations as he lunches with ex-cons, delights over Christmas gifts – from penguins to a mummy – and encourages young idealists to follow their dreams. However, a complication arises when Whiteside’s wisecracking secretary, Maggie Cutler, falls head-over-heels for charming homespun newspaper editor, Bert Jefferson. Desperate to retain his “Girl Friday,” Whiteside enlists the wiles of glamorous actress Lorraine Sheldon to wrest the young journalist away from Maggie, and the comic genius of Kaufman and Hart continues on its merry way.

Additional zanies in the cast of comic characters include long-suffering nurse Miss Preen; a would-be playwright/country doctor, Dr. Bradley; the stylish Noel Coward-character, Beverly Carleton; and lovable scoundrel Banjo – based on a Marx brother. Brooks Atkinson proclaimed “The Man Who Came to Dinner” a “roaring evening of literate hilarity.” The show has been produced in all eras and all venues of theatre, including Nathan Lane’s rendition of Whiteside for roadway and a national tour in 2000.

Mary Cutler (Theatre Arts) will direct “The Man Who Came to Dinner” with Darin Kerr playing Sheridan Whiteside.

Tickets will be on sale at the Burtness Theatre Box Office from 2 to 5 p.m. On days of performance, tickets will be available at the Empire at 6 p.m. Please pick up reserved tickets at the Burtness Theatre or at the Empire before 7 p.m. on the day of performance. The show is sponsored by Alerus Financial.

For more information about group sales, please contact Kathleen McLennan, Department of Theatre, 777-3446.

Research Proposals Due For IRB Review

The Institutional Review Board will meet at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in 305 Twamley Hall, to consider all research proposals submitted to the Office of Research and Program Development before Tuesday, Nov. 27. Proposals received later will be considered only if a quorum has reviewed them and time permits.

Clinical medical projects must be reviewed by the clinical medical subcommittee before being brought to the full board. Proposals for these projects are due in the Office of Research and Program Development Tuesday, Nov. 20.

Notes from the meeting will be available in ORPD approximately one week after the meeting. – Will Gosnold, Interim Director, Research and Program Development.

Announcements

Founders Day Honorees Sought
The 2002 Founders Day banquet and ceremony will be held Thursday, Feb. 28. Employees with 25 years of service and retiring faculty and staff employees will be honored and recognized at the banquet as guests of the University. We request the assistance of all vice presidents, deans, department chairs, office managers and other supervisors and administrators to identify eligible employees.
To prepare for Founders Day 2002, we request the following information:
1. Names of employees who will have completed 25 years of service at UND between March 1, 2001, and June 30, 2002. These employees with continuous employment at UND would have started between the dates of March 1, 1976, and June 30, 1977. Individuals eligible for 25-year recognition whose service at UND has not been continuous may have begun their employment prior to March 1, 1976. This information should also contain names of benefitted employees whose service at UND has been less than full-time, but will total 25 years by June 30, 2002.

2. Names of retired and retiring faculty and staff. To be honored, individuals must:
a. have retired since July 1, 2001, or will retire by June 30, 2002;
b. have a minimum of fifteen (15) years of service to the university;
c. be (or have been) full-time employees or in a benefitted, part-time position at the time of retirement (or be completing an approved “phased” retirement); and
d. be making application for or receiving benefits through a UND retirement plan.

It is important that your list of eligible employees includes the following information:
• name of the employee
• position/faculty rank currently held
• department or unit
• initial appointment date
• dates of any breaks in service (please identify whether these breaks in service were compensated, such as a developmental leave, or a leave of absence without compensation)
• date of retirement (if applicable)

Please submit the names of eligible individuals and supporting information to Tammy Anderson in the Office of the Vice President, Student and Outreach Services, Box 7140, tammy_anderson@mail.und.nodak.edu, by Friday, Nov. 16. Please call 777-2724 with any questions. – Fred Wittmann, Office of the Vice President, Student and Outreach Services.

Nominations For Faculty Awards Accepted Through Nov. 16
The outstanding faculty awards committee is now accepting nominations for the following individual and departmental awards:
• Outstanding undergraduate teaching (individual)
• Outstanding graduate/professional teaching (individual)
• Excellence in teaching, research/creative activity and service - the “faculty scholar award” (individual)
• Outstanding faculty development and service (individual)
• Departmental excellence in teaching (department)
• Departmental excellence in service (department)

Nominations may be made electronically, via the UND home page, beginning Oct. 20. Paper nomination forms also are available at various locations around campus. Criteria for all six awards are listed on the nomination forms.

Additional nomination forms are available from the Office of Instructional Development, Room 12-A, Merrifield Hall, 777-4998.

Honorary Degree Nominations Sought
Members of the University Council are invited to nominate outstanding individuals for an honorary degree. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Nov. 30. Qualifications include, but are not limited to, the following State Board of Higher Education criteria (see SBHE, Policy 430.1):

A. The candidate should have had an association with the State of North Dakota. This association may be by virtue of birth, of residence, of education, of service to the state, the Board, or one of the institutions governed by the Board.
B. The candidate must have achieved a level of distinction which would merit comparable recognition in his or her profession or area of excellence.
C. The renown of the candidate should reflect favorably on the Board, the institutions it governs, and the State of North Dakota.

In order to avoid any embarrassment, no suggestion shall be made to any person to be so honored until the State Board of Higher Education has acted on the nomination.

Institutional criteria and standards for the awarding of honorary degrees at the University have been established by the University Senate. It is recommended that the following criteria be used in considering persons for an honorary degree:

1. Achievement of distinction in scholarship, or in comparable professional or creative achievement.

2. Recognized and outstanding service to the nation, to the state, or to the University of North Dakota.

3. Attendance at or graduation from the University of North Dakota, except as the individual is outstanding with reference to the preceding criteria 1 and 2.

4. Non-membership on the faculty of the University of North Dakota.

5. Scholarship specialization in an area in which the university normally grants an earned degree.
Procedures:

1. Nominations may be made by any member of the University Council.

2. Nominations must be accompanied by a factual dossier providing evidence that the nominee meets the criteria and standards established by the University Senate (Nos. 1-5 above). Factual compilation should include the following, in the order listed:
a. A brief biography
b. A list of scholarly writings, research and publications
c. Description of public service and achievements
d. List of offices and positions held
e. Other factual justifications for consideration

3. The nominee’s scholarship will be evaluated by the departmental faculty in the area of the nominee’s specialization, such evaluation to be a part of the dossier presented to the Honorary Degrees Committee.

4. A nominee will not be informed that he/she is being considered until the nomination has been approved at the SBHE level.

5. The titles of honorary degrees shall be distinct from those of earned degrees at UND.

6. No honorary bachelor’s or master’s degrees will be awarded.

On behalf of the Honorary Degrees Committee, nominations and all supporting materials may be sent to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, 302 Twamley Hall. The dateline for submitting nominations is Friday, Nov. 30.

Two Teacher Incentive Programs Approved
Two new teacher incentive programs are aimed at retaining and retraining elementary and secondary teachers in North Dakota.

The teacher scholarship shortage loan forgiveness program will reduce student loan indebtedness by $1,000 per year up to a maximum of five years for those who teach at a grade level or in a content area identified as a teacher shortage area by the superintendent of public instruction. The currently identified shortage areas are: computer education, music, science, mathematics, health careers, special education programming and English language arts.

The teacher retaining scholarship program will reimburse elementary and secondary interim emergency license holders for tuition and fees related to completing courses required for full teaching licensure. The program provides $2,000 scholarships for up to two terms if the student carries 12 or more undergraduate credits or nine or more graduate credits per term.

Both programs resulted from legislation endorsed by Gov. Hoeven during the 2001 legislative session and were passed by the 2001 Legislature. The policies to implement these programs were developed in close partnership with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB) office.

I hope these programs will be an effective tool in your teacher retention and retraining efforts. Additional information and loan applications are available on our web site at www.ndus.nodak.edu. Applications also may be obtained by calling our office at (701) 328-2960 or by writing to us at 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 215, Bismarck, ND 58505-0230. – Larry Isaak, Chancellor, North Dakota University System.

Porter Flood Book Available At Museum
The North Dakota Museum of Art is pleased to announce the publication of Uncommon Heroes: The City of Grand Forks Flood Fight, 1997 by Kimberly Porter, Assistant Professor, Department of History.

Written following 800 hours of interviews with over 250 citizens, employees, and elected and appointed officials of Grand Forks, Uncommon Heroes tells the story of the Herculean effort to save this river community of 50,000 residents from the forces of nature. It is a story of heroism and heartbreak, tragedy and triumph, determination and devastation. It is the story of your neighbors, your friends, and your community in its darkest and dampest hours.

Uncommon Heroes is the third installment of a series of volumes undertaken by the NDMOA to preserve memories of the Grand Forks flood of 1997 via its oral history and photography programs. The volume sells for $15 and is currently only available through the NDMOA. Also available at the NDMOA are Under the Whelming Tide: The 1997 Flood of the Red River of the North and Voices from the Flood: An Oral History of the 1997 Flood of the Red River of the North.

North Dakota Quarterly Offers Reduced Price For Gift Subscriptions
The latest issue of North Dakota Quarterly is now available by subscription and on sale at the UND Bookstore and the North Dakota Museum of Art.

It contains a variety of writing including essays, fiction, poetry, and reviews as well as an annual feature, the Graduate School list of theses and dissertations written at UND in 2000. Authors represented include UND faculty James Mochoruk (History), Jay Meek (English), Martha Meek (English), Michael Anderegg (English), Michael Beard (English), and UND alumnus Steve Almquist (English).

NDQ is also offering a gift subscription discount for the holidays. You can purchase any number of gift subscriptions for $20 each ($5 off the regular rate). Included in this offer is a personalized gift card informing the recipient of the gift and four issues (one year) of North Dakota Quarterly. Checks, money orders, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. For more information or to order, call Melanie Crow at 777-3322 or e-mail ndq@sage.und.nodak.edu. – Robert Lewis (English), Editor, North Dakota Quarterly.

Remembering Elaine Dunlap
Elaine Dunlap, 74, Grand Forks, died Nov. 1 in a Fargo nursing home after a brief battle with cancer.

Elaine Lanore LaCombe was born Aug. 31, 1927, to Joseph and Mary (Raymond) LaCombe in Crookston. She graduated from high school in Mentor, Minn. She lived in San Lorenzo, Calif., where she worked for the Naval Supply Depot. In 1949, she moved to Grand Forks,where she worked for Irelands Lumber Yard for 13 years. She married William Dunlap June 6, 1960 in Mentor, and they made their home in Grand Forks. She began working for KFJM Public Radio (now KUND) in 1970 until her retirement in 1997.

A member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, she volunteered in a number of capacities. She also volunteered for Meals on Wheels, the North Dakota Museum of Art, and St. Anne’ s Auxiliary. She enjoyed gardening and vacationing with family and friends, and especially loved playing with her grandchildren.

“Elaine was always cheerful and ready to do any work that needed to be done,” said Tom DuVal, former KFJM general manager, now with WMRA Public Radio Network in Virginia. “I appreciated her extensive knowledge of UND and KFJM procedures, and her professionalism and equanimity no matter the challenges she and the stations faced. I was always glad to have her on the team.”

“I worked with Elaine at KFJM for eight years,” said Christine Paige Diers, former KFJM staffer who presently works as communications director at the Center for Innovation. “She had a ready smile for anyone who came to the radio station, and was always ready to help visitors. Elaine was the ‘go to’ person for the staff. If you weren’t sure how to get something done, or what the procedures were, Elaine always had the answers. She was a wonderful woman who will be missed.”

She is survived by daughters, Diane (John) Thiem, Franklin, Wisc.; Donna (David) Dunlap-Bitz, Fargo; four grandchildren; brothers, Daylord (Sylva) LaCombe, Spokane, Wash.; Joseph (Nona) LaCombe, San Diego, Calif.; sisters, Grace (Elmer) Doran, Greenbush, Minn.; and Marilyn (Donald) Bruggeman, Annendale, Minn.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and a brother.

Veterans Day Holiday Hours Listed

Nov. 12, Veterans Day, Is Holiday
In accordance with State Board of Higher Education directives, Monday, Nov. 12, will be observed as Veterans Day by faculty and staff members of the University. Only those employees designated by their department heads will be required to work on this holiday. – John Ettling, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and Diane Nelson, Director, Personnel Services.

Computer Center:
The Computer Center will close for the Veterans Day holiday at 1 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12, and will reopen at 5 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13.

Chester Fritz Library
Veterans Day hours of operation for the Chester Fritz Library are: Saturday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 11, 1 to 5 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 12 (Veterans Day holiday), 1 p.m. to midnight.

Law Library:
Veterans Day hours for the Law Library are noon to 9 p.m.

Health Sciences Library:
The Library of the Health Sciences will be open regular hours on the Veterans Day holiday, Monday, Nov. 12, from 7:30 a.m. to midnight.

Memorial Union:
The Memorial Union will be closed Saturday through Monday, Nov. 10 through 12, for the Veterans Day holiday. Regular operating hours resume Tuesday, Nov. 13. Hours for Friday, Nov. 9 are: Lifetime Sports Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Info/Service Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Copy Stop, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; U Turn C Store, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Subway/TCBY/Juiceworks, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Little Caesars, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Administration office, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Craft Center/Sign and Design, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Student Academic Services, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Dining Center, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Barber Shop, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Credit Union, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Traffic Division, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Passport ID’s, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; University Learning Center, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Computer labs, 7:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.; Building hours, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FlexComp Information Clarified
Recently, a NDPERS newsletter was mailed out to all benefitted employees. One article in the newsletter contained information regarding the FlexComp 2002 plan year, stating the open enrollment dates and deadline date are Nov. 15. Please be aware that this information does not concern UND employees. The UND FlexComp plan is self-administered and is NOT under the NDPERS Plan.

Regarding the UND FlexComp plan, the enrollment agreements should be in the UND Payroll Office by Thursday, Dec. 13, to allow for adequate processing time. No enrollment agreement will be accepted after Dec. 31.

If you misplaced the enrollment form mailed to you Oct. 10, you may pick one up at 313 Twamley Hall. If you have any questions or need enrollment forms, call Heidi Strande, Payroll Office FlexComp Specialist, at 777-4423.

Studio One Lists Guests
This week on “Studio One,” James Hargreaves, an infectious disease specialist, will discuss the recent anthrax scare and the fight against this bacteria. As a member of the Grand Forks public health department, Dr. Hargreaves has been preparing for this type of germ warfare since 1995. Animals are generally responsible for carrying the anthrax bacteria, but humans are also vulnerable through skin scratches and inhalation. Dr. Hargreaves will suggest ways that communities can unite their resources to combat anthrax.

“Studio One” will also a feature a segment on the Moving Wall, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. More than 58,000 names are etched on the wall, each a casualty of the Vietnam War. The residents of Esmond hosted one of two moving walls in the United States and shared with “Studio One” the powerful effect of the memorial as a reminder of what was sacrificed.

“Studio One” is an award-winning news and information program produced at the University of North Dakota Television Center. The program airs live at 5 p.m. on UND Channel 3 on Thursdays. Rebroadcasts can be seen at noon, 7 and 11 p.m. daily and on Saturdays at 10 a.m. Prairie Public Television airs “Studio One” on Saturday at 6 a.m. The program can also be seen in Fargo, Bismarck/Mandan, Minot, Minneapolis and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Upcoming U2 Classes Announced

ACCOUNTING SERVICES
Employee and Non-Employee Travel Policies and Procedures, Food Purchase Approvals, Nov. 29, 9 to 11 a.m., Memorial Union, River Valley Room. Brush up on the procedures to follow for out-of-state travel authorizations, American Express corporate cards, employee travel-expense vouchers and non-employee ticket authorizations. Instructors: Bonnie Nerby, Allison Peyton, and Lisa Heher, all Accounting Services, and Mike Grosz, Dining Services.
COMPUTER CENTER: Classes are held in 361 Upson II, and require a working knowledge of Windows or a Windows class. Enrollment is limited to 12 in most cases, so please register early. A $10 manual is optional for Access (Levels II and III), Excel, Power Point, Windows, and all Word and WordPerfect classes. The cost for an Access Level I manual is $16. Instructors: Tracy Uhlir, GroupWise; Rose Keeley, TSO and PageCenter; Doris Bornhoeft, E-mail, HTML, and Netscape; Jim Malins, all other classes.
GroupWise 5.5, E-Mail: Nov. 13, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Find out how to compose e-mail, add attachments, use the address book, customize GroupWise, and handle mail.
GroupWise 5.5, Calendar: Nov. 15, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. An understanding of GroupWise 5.5: E-mail is recommended before taking this workshop. Learn how to schedule appointments and recurring events, look at someone else’s calendar, create folders, and archive your mail.
Windows, Nov. 19 to 21, 1:30 to 4:15 p.m. Discover how to modify the environment, multi-task, and manage files with Windows 98.
Excel 00, Level I: Nov. 26, 28, and 30, 9 to 11:45 a.m. (eight hours total). Create and format worksheets, create formulas, use functions, Autosum, Autofill, format to print, create charts and maps.
Word 00, Level III: Nov. 27 and 29, 8:15 a.m. to noon. (seven and a half hours total). Create styles, outlines, master documents, and templates; add graphics; advanced tables with formulas; record macros.

PERSONNEL SERVICES
Hiring and Interviewing Process, Nov. 28, 1 to 3 p.m., 211 Rural Technology Center. Hiring good employees is one of the most important issues facing supervisors. Learn how to plan and conduct interviews so that you identify the best candidate for the job and follow applicable regulations. Instructor: Joy Johnson, Personnel Services.

HOW TO REGISTER: Registering for U2 workshops is easy! Contact Amy Noeldner at the University Within the University office by phone (777-2128), fax (777-2140), e-mail, U2@mail.und.nodak.edu, or mail to P.O. Box 7131. To register online, go to www.conted.und.edu/U2. Please provide the following information when you register: your name, department, box number, phone number, Social Security number (for accurate record keeping), and e-mail address; the title and date of the event; the method of payment (ID billing, personal check, or credit card number and expiration date) if the event has a fee.

Applications Accepted For Holiday Art And Craft Fair
Applications are now being accepted for exhibitors in the 23rd Annual Holiday Art and Craft Fair Friday, Nov. 30, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom. It is sponsored by the University Craft Center and the Memorial Union. Any original handcrafted work is eligible. UND students are encouraged to participate. The application deadline is Friday, Nov. 9, or until spaces are filled. For an application form and further information, please call 777-3979. – Bonnie Solberg, Memorial Union.

Nov. 15 Is America Recycles Day
America and North Dakota have designated Thursday, Nov. 15, as America Recycles Day. It is a day for people to challenge themselves to increase their recycling practices. Make recycling easier in the office by placing your recycling container conveniently near you and the trash further away. You’d be surprised how little there is to throw away and how much can be recycled. Need more recycling desktop boxes? Contact Janice Troitte at 777-4878. Our first goal is “no acceptable office paper in UND trash cans.” Commit to the challenge! Think before throwing anything away!

Grants and Research

Research, Grant Opportunities Listed

Following are research and grant opportunities. For more information, contact the Office of Research and Program Development at 777-4278.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
The Global Change--Polar Ozone Depletion Research program provides support to individuals and groups of investigators for research on the causes and nature of stratospheric ozone production and destruction, particularly in the polar regions. Support is provided for research related to all aspects of ozone problems. Research may include but is not limited to understanding chemical, physical, and dynamical processes that control ozone levels, field observations of concentrations and distribution of chemical species, and improvements in modeling stratospheric chemistry and dynamics. Award amounts may vary. Contact: John T. Lynch, Geosciences Directorate, 703/292-8033; jlynch@nsf.gov; http://www.nsf.gov/geo/egch/gc_stratoz.html. Deadlines: 12/15/01, 6/1/02 (Arctic Research); 6/1/02 (Antarctic Research). Proposals for laboratory or theoretical work or for research in non-polar regions should be directed to the Division of Atmospheric Sciences, and may be submitted at any time.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (CIRES)
One-year, in-residence Visiting Faculty and Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded to scientists with research interests in: advanced observing and modeling systems; climate system variability; geodynamics; planetary metabolism and regional processes. Recent Ph.D. recipients and those affiliated with minority institutions are especially encouraged to apply. Salary is commensurate with qualifications, current salary and cost of living considerations. Eligible applicants are Ph.D. scientists at all levels, faculty planning sabbatical leave, and recent Ph.D. recipients. Deadline: 12/15/01. Contact: 303/492-1168; declerk@cires.colorado.edu; http://cires.colorado.edu/cires.vf.html.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

CONCERN FOUNDATION
Research Grants support basic laboratory studies in the field of cancer research. While early diagnosis and treatment are the ultimate goals, the Foundation is particularly interested in funding grants related to cancer genetics, cell biology, and immunology. Eligible applicants must be independent investigators at the level of assistant professor or equivalent. Priority will be given to proposals from investigators who have yet to obtain significant funding for their work. Grants are for a period of one year at $50,000, subject to continued funding for a second year if funds are available. Contact: Betty Goldsmith, 310/724-5333; Info@ConcernFoundation.org; http://choicemall.com/concernfoundation. Deadline: 12/10/01.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (NRC)
Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowships for Minorities provide dissertation completion fellowships to members of minority groups whose under-representation in the professoriate has been severe and long-standing. Eligibility is limited to citizens or nationals of the U.S. who are Alaskan Natives (Eskimo or Aleut), Black/African Americans, Mexican Americans/Chicanas/Chicanos, Native American Indians, Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesian or Micronesian), and Puerto Ricans; Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree candidates at U.S. institutions; individuals who aspire to a teaching and research career; and persons who have not earned a doctoral degree at any time, in any field. Awards provide a stipend of $24,000 and expenses to attend conferences. Tenure will be 9-12 months. Eligible fields of study include: Behavioral Sciences (Psychology), Humanities (Literature & Languages), Humanities (History, Philosophy and Religion), Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Awards will be made for study that leads to careers in teaching and research at the college or university level. Contact: Fellowship Office/FD, 202/334-2872; infofell@nas.edu; http://www.national-academies.org/fellowships. Deadlines: 12/3/01, 2/14/02.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

HUNTINGTON LIBRARY
Fellowships for Study in Great Britain are provided to applicants with a Ph.D. or equivalent for exchange fellowships to the British Academy for one month, to conduct research in any of the fields in which the Huntington collections are strong, including British and American history, literature, art history, the history of science, medicine, art, botany, horticulture, and gardening from the 9th century to the present. Special strengths of the collections include the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, 19th and 20th century literature, history of science, British drama, Colonial America, American Civil War, Western America, and California. Contact: Robert C. Ritchie, 626/405-2194; cpowell@huntington.org; http://www.huntington.org/ResearchDiv/Fellowships.html. Deadline: 12/15/01.

W. M. Keck Foundation Fellowships for Young Scholars provide $2,300/month for 1-3 months to support research in the holdings (photographs, rare books, manuscripts, ephemera, reference works, paintings, and fine prints related to the topics listed above) of the Library in San Marino, California. Research may be on any topic within the Library’s general fields of interest or special strengths. Eligible applicants are non-tenured faculty or doctoral candidates at the dissertation stage. Deadline and Contact: See Above.
Barbara Thom Postdoctoral Fellowships and Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellowships provide $30,000 for 9-12 months of research in the Library. Eligible applicants for the Mellon Fellowships must have received the Ph.D. or equivalent by June 2001. For the Thom Fellowships, preference will be given to scholars who received their Ph.D. between 1997 and 1999. Huntington Fellowships provide up to $2,000/month for 1-5 months support for research in the Library. Eligible applicants must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent or be a doctoral candidate at the dissertation stage. Deadlines and Contact: See above.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING (NIA)
Minority Dissertation Research Grants in Aging support doctoral dissertation research of under-represented minority doctoral candidates. The goal is to aid research of such investigators and encourage under-represented minority individuals from a variety of academic disciplines and programs to conduct research related to aging. Descriptions of 4 extramural programs are provided in the announcement to help potential applicants determine whether or not their topic may be appropriate for this initiative. Those programs are: Biology of Aging, Behavioral and Social Research, Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging, and the Geriatrics Program. Priority will be given to candidates such as African American (Black), Hispanic American, Native American or Alaska Natives, or Pacific Islanders, and other ethnic or racial group members who have been found to be under-represented in biomedical or behavioral research nationally. The R03 award mechanism will be used. Contact: Robin A. Barr, 301/496-9322; rb42h@nih.gov; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-98-110.html. Deadline: 3/15/02.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH (NIMH)
The Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Psychosocial Interventions (RUPP-PI) (RFA-MH-02-002) initiative will support multi-site clinical trials to study the efficacy and effectiveness of mental health interventions for children and adolescents. The goal is to expand the research network of existing RUPPs. It will expand the scope of the RUPP research by including multi-site clinical trials on psychosocial treatments in addition to psychopharmacologic interventions, and will encourage development of multimodal treatment models as clinically appropriate. Emphasis will be on testing the efficacy, safety, and effectiveness of interventions already in use without adequate testing; conducting pilot studies for innovative, theoretically-driven and conceptually-based interventions; and promoting innovative clinical trial designs, especially those involving research in community practice settings. Of particular interest are studies that address current gaps in pediatric treatment research, including innovative treatment for developmental disorders such as Autism/PDD, and severe mental illnesses. Applications can be related to psychopharmacological intervention, psychosocial intervention, or multimodal interventions. Applicants may request project periods of up to 5 years and direct cost budgets of up to $350,000/year. The U10 award mechanism will be used. Deadlines: 12/11/01 (Letter of Intent), 1/11/02 (Application). Contact: Ann Wagner, 301/443-4283; awagner@mail.nih.gov; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-02-002.html.

NORMAN FOUNDATION
The Foundation supports efforts that strengthen the ability of communities to determine their own economic, environmental and social well-being, and help people control forces that affect their lives. This includes efforts that may: promote community-based economic development efforts that try out new ownership structures and financing mechanisms; work to prevent disposal of toxics in communities, and to link environmental issues with economic and social justice; and promote civil rights by fighting discrimination and violence and working for equity. Deadlines: 12/3/01 (Environmental Justice), 3/1/02 (Economic Justice/Economic Development), 8/1/02 (Civil Rights). Contact: 212/230-9830; info@normanfdn.org; http://www.normanfdn.org/guidelines.html.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM (NIAAA)
The NIAAA provides support for research grant applications on the clinical use of medications for alcohol abuse/dependence and alcohol-related diseases (RFA-AA-02-005). Investigation is needed on pharmacological agents that prevent or reduce alcohol intake by decreasing the alcohol craving/urge to drink and/or alleviating negative symptoms associated with drinking (e.g., protracted withdrawal syndrome). Evaluations of pharmacological agents to clinically treat alcohol-induced diseases, such as alcoholic liver diseases, are also encouraged. Applications can also include utilization of human laboratory paradigms to screen potential medications for subsequent Phase 2 and 3 trials as well as to determine actions of the medications. Pharmacological agents of interest for human laboratory testing and Phase 2, 3, and 4 clinical testing can be categorized by function as follows: agents to decrease craving or urge to drink; agents to attenuate negative symptoms of alcoholism (e.g.,”protracted withdrawal” symptoms); agents to diminish drinking by alleviating co-occurring psychiatric pathology and other drug use; and agents to treat alcohol-associated liver disease and other end-organ diseases, such as pancreatitis, cardiomyopathy, and bone disease. The total project period for an R01 may not exceed 5 years. R21 grants are limited to 3 years and may be for up to $100,000/year in direct costs. The R01 and R21 award mechanisms will be used. Contact: Joanne B. Fertig, 301/443-0635; jfertig@willco.niaaa.nih.gov; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AA-02-005.html. Deadlines: 1/13/02 (Letter of Intent), 2/13/02 (Application).
- - - - - - - - - - - -

NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE (NHLBI)
The Interelationship Between Sleep and Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases (RFA-HL-01-009) initiative provides support to elucidate characteristics of sleep physiology, sleep disorders, and pathophysiological mechanisms mediating the interrelationship between sleep disturbance and heart, lung, and blood diseases. The specific objectives are to identify measurable characteristics of sleep potentially useful for investigation of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorder pathogenesis; for diagnosis of these disorders, for therapeutic stratification of patients; and for assessing treatment efficacy. Another goal is to identify markers of sleep disturbances produced by use of psychoactive substances. Useful biomarkers might reflect the risk, presence, or severity of sleep abnormalities, and the relationship of sleep to progression or exacerbations of disease. A variety of techniques might be employed, ranging from proteomic analysis of tissue to functional imaging of brain, heart, vasculature, or lungs. The focus is on novel biomarkers of sleep that can be determined by minimally invasive means and have potential to facilitate basic and clinical studies of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders. Research is needed to identify measurable characteristics of sleep and related biomarkers that are significant in relation to cardiopulmonary and hematological disease pathophysiology, sleep disorders, and sleep deprivation in children and adults. Collaborations and consortia promoting interdisciplinary approaches between scientists studying sleep medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, hematology, neuroimmunobiology, infectious disease, endocrinology, genetics, and neurophysiology are strongly encouraged. The NHLBI intends to commit approximately $3.1 million, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) intends to commit $375,000 in FY 2002 to fund 7-9 new grants. The R01 award mechanism will be used. Deadlines: 12/14/01 (Letter of Intent), 1/24/02 (Application). Contact: Michael Twery, 301/435-0202; mt2d@nih.gov; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-01-009.html.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA)
The Metabolic Engineering for Cellular Stasis (BAA02-01) initiative seeks proposals for innovative research and applications of natural mechanisms of survival and metabolic function under environmental extremes to control metabolic demands and requirements of cells, tissues, organs, and organisms. The goal is to increase survival of warfighters on the battlefield after injury and/or reduce logistics/support requirements to provide medical support on the battlefield at all levels of care. Principles of survival will be extracted from natural systems and used to drive development of products for increased survival to the warfighter. A primary objective is to identify materials, mechanisms, and integrated processes for controlling cellular metabolism and activity in cells, tissues, organs, and model organisms and apply this knowledge to development of useful products, such as freeze-dried platelets and erythrocytes, which would assist in providing medical care on the battlefield. Proposals involving teams of investigators having expertise that spans all key areas of metabolic engineering are appropriate. Contact: Joseph Bielitzki, 703/696-5278; http://www.eps.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/BAA02-01/listing. Deadline: 12/14/01.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (SBARE)
The SBARE is calling for proposals relating to sugarbeet or soybean research. For the current fiscal year, $38,936 is available for sugarbeet grants. Soybean growers in North Dakota have established the following research priorities for this fiscal year: Soybean aphids, new soybean diseases, ramifications of continuous soybean planting vs. rotation, new uses of soybean, and increased soybean producer profitability. For the current fiscal year, $50,856 is available for soybean-related research. Guidelines, policies and application forms can be found on the Internet at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/sbare. Deadline: 12/10/01. Contact: Lori Capouch, 701-663-6501; lcapouch@ndarec.com.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA)
Grants types which may be available under the initiatives described below are: Standard Research Grants provide $200,000-$300,00 support for 3-4 years; Conference Grants provide partial, or if modest, total funding for conferences; and New Investigator Awards support investigators beginning independent research careers, with limited publication records and less than 5 years postdoctoral, career-track research experience. Deadline: 12/15/01. Contact: http://www.reeusda.gov/nri; http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_register&docid=01-20632-filed.

The Markets and Trade initiative will provide support for research in: Competitiveness--projects that assess and evaluate issues affecting competitiveness of U.S. producers and processors, as well as foreign competitors in domestic and/or international markets; and Sustainability--adoption of technology that may influence productivity and environmental quality to one degree or another, and assessments of pending technologies or adopted technologies, including analysis of risk. Contact: 202/401-5286; jhitchcock@reeusda.gov, or the web addresses above.

The Plant Growth and Development program will support, but is not limited to, studies on: mechanisms of cell division, expansion, and differentiation; response to environmental signals normally required for growth and development (e.g., light and gravity), including photomorphogenesis, tropisms, photoperiodism, and circadian rhythms; seed development and germination; vegetative development; reproductive development; senescence and dormancy; hormonal regulation of growth and development; mechanisms of transducing internal and external signals required for normal growth and development; and cell biology, including studies on cytoskeleton, membrane transport, protein trafficking, and cell wall structure and properties. Proposals emphasizing the use of emerging experimental techniques for the investigation of these processes are encouraged. Contact: llin@reeusda.gov; 202/401-5042; or the web addresses above.

Value-Added Products Research--Non-Food Characterization/Process/Product Research proposals are solicited in: 1) Biobased industrial and consumer products--research is needed on improved methods for producing existing products and on developing new uses for agricultural commodities. The program will also support market evaluations of new classes of biobased products as well as assessment of economic, environmental, and social impacts of their development. Development of decision models for selecting among development alternatives for optimal economic and environmental outcomes will also be accepted. 2) Biofuels research--proposals will be considered for fundamental and mission-linked research relating to conversion of biomass material to alcohol fuels and biodiesel. The scope of the program includes pretreatment, conversion, and product recovery steps that limit technical and economic efficiency of biological production of fuels from agricultural and forest biomass. Emphasis is on biological (including microbiological) processes central to the conversion process, including physiological, biochemical, and genetic factors. Contact: 202/401-1952, jconrad@reeusda.gov; or web addresses above.

Rural Development Grants support research on understanding forces affecting rural areas and designing new approaches to rural development. Contact: 202/401-5286; jhitchcock@reeusda.gov; or the web address above.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

MIDDLE EAST DESALINATION RESEARCH CENTER (MEDRC)
Innovative Concepts. MEDRC provides support to encourage research and development in new desalination concepts, to review and study feasibility of desalination concepts that have not yet been fully explored, or to investigate new concepts for a component of a desalination process. A central topic of the project must be investigation of the feasibility of the concept with respect to physical, chemical and design principles, to energy and other consumables consumption in comparison with conventional technologies, to manufacturing costs, etc. Generally, the applicant is expected to provide cost sharing of at least 50% of the total project cost.

Data Bank of Seawater Composition. MEDRC will provide support to create a data bank of seawater compositions and meteorological data at desalination sites with emphasis on the MENA region and make it available to the desalination public. Development of this data bank will consist of the following phases: development of contents and format; collection of data; and presentation of the data bank as an electronic record, suitable for preparation of hard copies and a corresponding component in MEDRC’s Internet information web site. MEDRC will finance between 60-100% of the costs, depending on arrangements for utilization of the product.

Projects under both initiatives must be conducted by teams of two or more partners, of which one must be one of MEDRC’s regional entities (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, West Bank/Gaza, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen). Researchers can be representatives or citizens of any country, but Center-sponsored activities should be directed at solving problems or issues which principally exist in the region, but not necessarily limited to the region, i.e., the problem or issue may also exist outside the region. Researchers are strongly encouraged to partner their research activities with multi-national and/or multi-institutional interests. The total budget for supported programs is US$ 1,000,000. Pre-proposals are recommended, and may be submitted at any time. Deadline: 1/12/02. Contact: telephone 968 695 351; projects@medrc.org.om; http://www.medrc.org.om.

UNIVERSITY LETTER is published weekly (bi-weekly during the summer) and distributed at no charge to members of the University community. It is also available electronically online at http://www.und.edu/dept/our/uletter.htm. All articles submitted for publication should be labeled “University Letter” and must reach the editor by 1 p.m. Tuesday. Electronic submissions may be sent to jan_orvik@mail.und.nodak.edu or Fax to 777-4616. Attachments to University Letter require approval of the editor and an account number. University Letter is issued by the UND Office of University Relations, Jan Orvik, editor, Box 7144, 411 Twamley Hall, 777-2731.
UND is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.