The Consortium issued an internal RFP to Consortium members and Joint Degree Program partners in Fall 2005 and 3 intramural RFPs in Spring 2005 to University of Minnesota faculty, graduate and professional students, and departments, programs, or centers.

I. RFP to Consortium/JDP Members

In Fall 2004, we issued an internal Request for Proposals to Consortium member centers and graduate or professional programs or departments participating in the Joint Degree Program in Law, Health & the Life Sciences seeking funding for research, projects, or colloquia in December 2004-June 2005. Applicants were current University of Minnesota faculty members who (1) direct a program or center represented in the Consortium or (2) serve as the head or Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of a department or graduate or professional program represented in the Joint Degree Program.

These grants are made possible by funds received through the Presidential Interdisciplinary Initiative Process. In October 2003, President Robert Bruininks named the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences one of 8 Presidential Interdisciplinary Initiatives.

We made 3 awards, totaling $55,666:

1. Division of Health Services Research & Policy (Prof. Susan Foote, Head), $19,666 awarded
   To Explore the Administrative Review Committee Established by the Consent Order in State of Minnesota v. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
   This project will analyze the accomplishments of Minnesota's process for independent evaluation of mental health insurance claims.
   [ View Report ]


2. Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy (Prof. Ken Keller and Dr. Jennifer Kuzma, Director and Associate Director), $21,000 awarded
   The Nanotechnology-Biology Interface: Exploring Models for Oversight
   The Center will present a conference to explore and evaluate models for the oversight of nanotechnology. Publications resulting from the event will be used to guide policy formulation in this area.
   [ View Report ]


3. Center for Animal Health & Food Safety (Prof. Will Hueston and Shaun Kennedy, Director and Associate Director), $15,000 awarded
   Ethical Guidelines for External Support of University Initiatives in Food Safety and Food System Protection
   This conference and workshop will explore the ethical issues associated with external funding for university activities with a focus on food safety and food system protection.
   [ View Report ]

INTRAMURAL RFPs

In Spring 2005, we issued 3 more Requests for Proposals (RFPs). One was for Univeristy of Minnesota faculty, one was for departments/programs/centers, and one was for graduate and professional students.

II. RFP to Graduate and Professional Students

The RFP to graduate and professional students was intended to provide a stipend for research and writing in the Summer 2005 or academic year 2005-06. We were delighted that the RFP stimulated 33 proposals from students in 19 programs around the University. Four awards were made:

1. Political Economy of Agriculture in the Yazoo Delta: How Federal Policies Shape Environmental Quality and Social Justice—Moira McDonald, PhD student, Geography ($3965 awarded). [ View Report ]


2. Local Knowledge and Human Health Risk: Geographies of Risk Assessment at Two Hazardous Waste Sites—Ryan Holifield, PhD student, Geography ($2989 awarded). [ View Report ]


3. Forests, Farms, and Lagoons: Incorporating Multiple Perceptions of Landscapes to Improve Conservation Planning—Michelle Wieland, PhD student, Conservation Biology ($7000 awarded). [ View Report ]


4. Measuring Conservation Strategy Success: Command and Control versus Community-Based Conservation in Tanzania—Jennifer Schmitt, PhD student, Conservation Biology ($6620 awarded). [ View Report ]

1. Identifying a Model of Genetic Counseling Practice: A Consensus Meeting—Prof. Pat McCarthy Veach (Educational Psychology), $9,999.50 awarded. [ View Report ]


2. Interprofessional Teamwork for Patient-Centered Care—Prof. Karyn Baum (Medicine), $9870 awarded. [ View Report ]

IV. RFP to Programs/Departments/Centers

We invited proposals to support department, program, or center colloquia in Summer 2005 or 2005-06. We made 2 awards:

1. Minnesota Center for the Philosophy of Science, lectures in the 2005-06 Studies of Science and Technology Colloquium Series—Prof. C. Kenneth Waters, Director ($5000 awarded). [ View Report ]


2. UMD Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies, colloquium on Children Impacted by Methamphetamine Use: Best Practices,—Prof. Michael Raschick, Head, UMD Department of Social Work ($5000 awarded). [ View Report ]