Joe Barbercheck joined K-State in November 2017 as associate director of research safety and industrial hygiene for the Department of Environmental Health and Safety , or EHS. He recently took time to answer a few questions about himself and how he and his department work with K-State researchers.

What is your background?

I hold undergraduate degrees in molecular biology and neuroscience and a master’s degree in microbiology and immunology from Tulane University. I also hold an MBA in operations from the Boston University Questrom School of Business. Prior to coming to K-State, I was associate director of research safety at Boston University. I began my career as a bench scientist developing animal models of disease associated with emerging and re-emerging viral pathogens. Because of that experience, I’m sensitive to how critical research processes are, the timing of experiments, and the pressure scientists can experience when conducting research. I bring that perspective to EHS, so as we’re developing policies and programs, I’m looking through the lens of what is practicable for researchers. We’re here to support the creation of knowledge and innovation. 

What are the responsibilities of your position?  

I am responsible for programs in EHS that are aimed at supporting the safe conduct of research across the research mission at K-State — research in the field, in the lab, and so on. I work with department health and safety committees and campus committees to make sure they have the tools they need to do self-assessments, inventories, and monitor their own progress.

By “safe conduct of research,” we mean identifying hazards and mitigating risk wherever we can. We take as broad a view of that as possible. That could be indoor air quality monitoring, respiratory protection, chemical or biological hazards—anything faculty, staff or students at K-State might encounter in a research setting.

Read more about how Joe and EHS work with K-State researchers.

Each college has a research contact. In most colleges, that contact is the associate dean for research, also known as an ADR. The ADRs meet once a month with staff from the Office of the Vice President for Research. Responsibilities of the ADRs include the following.

ADRs are crucial in helping faculty and colleges meet their research, scholarly, and creative activity and discovery goals. Contacts are as follows:

Thank you to this group for their help in growing K-State research! Please note that an updated list of college research contacts is maintained on our website.

NIH Notice: Grant Application Due Dates Following the Recent Lapse in Appropriations

Due dates of January 23, 2018 and later have not changed.

NSF Public Access Policy

The National Science Foundation has updated its  Frequently Asked Questions for Public Access. Find details about the public access policy, information about who must comply and how to meet the requirements, and more.

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