How Can UVA Researchers Shape the Future?

The opportunities listed on this page represent different ways that UVA researchers can affect federal research policy. These include Requests for Input or RFIs, agency calls for input from the scientific community on policy and funding priorities; Get Involved, calls for nominations for federal advisory boards; and Appropriations & Congressionally Directed Spending Requests, which UVA presents to Members of the Virginia delegation for potential funding.

Requests for Input

Government agencies use Requests for Information (RFIs), Dear Colleague Letters, and other mechanisms to solicit feedback from stakeholders and the scientific community. Their goals can include increasing public awareness, fostering transparency, and gathering recommendations for future policies and funding priorities. Responding to these calls for input can be a valuable opportunity for faculty to showcase their expertise, increase the visibility of their research, and open new avenues for potential collaboration with funders as well as other researchers.

Researchers should be careful not to include any proprietary information in their responses, as comments are often made public by the agencies after the response period has concluded. Respondents' names may or may not be redacted in these publications, which can take various forms. Below are examples of published RFI comments:

 

Selected calls for input are listed below. More can be found on funders' websites, FederalRegister.gov, and Grants.gov.

Agency

Title

Due Date

Dept. of Energy, Office of Critical and Emerging TechnologiesNotice of Request for Information (RFI) on Frontiers in AI for Science, Security, and Technology (FASST) Initiative11/11/2024
ARPA-ERequest for Information (RFI) Plant Genetic Engineering for Energy Applications11/11/2024
Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHSNotice of Request for Public Comments on Draft Recommendations for the HRSA-Supported Women's Preventive Services Guidelines Relating to Screening and Counseling for Intimate Partner and Domestic Violence, Breast Cancer Screening for Women at Average Risk, and Patient Navigation for Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening11/21/2024
Army Research LaboratoryRequest for Information – University Partnership Models11/21/2024
National Institutes of HealthRequest for Information (RFI): Research Strategies for Addressing Obesity Heterogeneity 11/29/2024
ARPA-HRFI: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Healthcare11/29/2024
The U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)Safety Considerations for Chemical and/or Biological AI Models12/3/2024
Department of Health and Human ServicesRequest for Information (RFI): To Inform the Development of the 2026-2030 National HIV/AIDS Strategy and the National Strategic Plans for Sexually Transmitted Infections, Vaccines, and Viral Hepatitis12/6/2024
National Institutes of HealthRequest for Information (RFI): Soliciting Input on Priorities and Progress in Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias Research12/6/2024
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)Existing Awards and Recognition Programs for Standards Development and Best Practices for Standards Workforce Development in Support of the Implementation of the United States Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET12/9/2024
National Science FoundationRequest for Information on the CHIPS and Science Act Section 10343. Research Ethics12/13/2024 (extended from 11/15/2024)
Department of EnergyCircularity for Secure and Sustainable Products and Materials: A Draft Strategic Framework RFI12/16/2024
National Institutes of HealthRequest for Information (RFI): Inviting Comments and Suggestions on the NIH Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan, 2026-2030 12/20/2024
National Institutes of HealthRequest for Information (RFI): Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery – Treating Long COVID (RECOVER-TLC)2/1/2025

Get Involved

Serving on federal advisory boards can be an excellent way to lend your voice as a subject matter expert, build new relationships, and grow your reputation with funding agencies. Below is a selected list of current requests for nominations. More can be found on funders' websites and FederalRegister.gov.

Agency

Title

Due Date

Centers for Disease ControlSolicitation of Nominations for Appointment to the World Trade Center Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee 11/11/2024
Food and Drug AdministrationRequest for Nominations for Individuals and Consumer Organizations for Advisory Committees 11/14/2024
Centers for Disease ControlCall for Nominations: Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics11/22/2024
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesCall for Nominations: Health Equity Advisory Committee12/12/2024
Economic Development Administration, Department of CommerceSolicitation of Applications and Nominations for National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE)12/15/2024
National Institutes of HealthNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee Call for Committee Membership Nominations 12/17/24
National Technical Information Service, Department of CommerceRequest for Nominations for Members To Serve on the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) Advisory Boardrolling until 3/25/25

Appropriations & Congressionally Directed Spending Requests

Each year, UVA submits a curated packet of Appropriations and Congressionally Directed Spending requests to Congress through the Members of the Virginia delegation. These requests reflect the priorities of the University and align with federal research priorities. Ideas for requests often arise from researchers' relationships with program officers at funding agencies, and successful appropriations requests require agency support. The appropriations process typically takes about 20 months, so is best suited to long range projects. To learn more about the appropriations request process at UVA, review the below documents (behind NetBadge) and contact Julia Smith, Executive Director for Federal Relations.