In this Issue:
  • Ins & Outs of Grant Administration: open workshops for faculty, staff
  • Office of Research Workshop: Finding Funding
  • NIH plans regional seminar for Nov. 6-8 in Phoenix
  • WSU receives NSF award for aquatic ecology research
  • Bacterial Experiment Implicates the Possibility of Life on Mars
  • Contact us: Office of Research
  • Research Links
Ins & Outs of Grant Administration: open workshops for faculty, staff

The Office of Research will host multiple workshops for faculty and staff who need help with or have questions about grant administration. Research staff can help with all of your questions including those involving topics such as post-award, expenses, reports, funds, budget, cost-share and effort. Labs will be held throughout July and into August. No need to RSVP or register, just show up with your questions! All labs will be held in Jardine 409E. Contact Amy Delagado by email or at 978- 5377 for more information.

  • Tuesday, July 9, 3-4 p.m.
  • Friday, July 12, 11 a.m.-noon
  • Tuesday, July 16, 3-4 p.m.
  • Friday, July 19, 9-10:00 a.m.
  • Tuesday, July 30, 3-4 p.m.
  • Friday, Aug 2, 9-10 a.m.
  • Tuesday, Aug 13 3-4 p.m.
  • Friday, Aug 16, 9-10 a.m.
Office of Research Workshop: Finding Funding
Funding Search Resources; Foundation & Industry Funding Opportunities; Institutional vs Individual Awards, Practical tips for finding funding opportunities and the resources available to faculty & staff at WSU. All labs will be held in Jardine 405. Contact Fran Cook by email or at 978-3285 for more information

  • Thursday, July 25, 11 a.m.-noon
  • Wednesday, July 31, 3:30 p.m.-4:30p.m.
NIH plans regional seminar for Nov. 6-8 in Phoenix

The event will cover program funding and grants administration. Sessions are geared for administrators, early-stage investigators, researchers, graduate students and other involved in the research enterprise. READ MORE
WSU receives NSF award for aquatic ecology research
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Wichita State University with funding for Increasing Aquatic Ecology Expertise in Kansas .

The project is led by Greg R. Houseman , associate professor of biologoical science and filed station director. The purpose of the proposed initiative is to facilitate a new faculty hire with expertise in aquatic ecology at Wichita State University. 

The WSU Field Station has experienced a rapid increase in capacity with two externally funded projects from the NSF and U.S. Department of Agriculture, and increased sites from 489 to over 5100 acres. Several of the Field Station sites include important aquatic resources (springs, streams, rivers, and impoundments) in the southern part of Kansas. However, the Department of Biological Sciences has no faculty with sufficient expertise to study aquatic systems or contribute to the broader examination of aquatic resources in Kansas. WSU would like to create a new faculty line to address aquatic ecology to increase the momentum of the Field Station and within the Biology Department.

The focus of the aquatic ecologist will likely be understanding aquatic systems in Kansas and fostering linkages across plant, soil, and microbial dimensions. It is expected that this new position would begin in August of 2019.

This particular line of funding is specifically for small projects that will either allow for networking and planning or allow for the immediate pursuit of larger projects that are developing new transformational concepts. 
Bacterial Experiment Implicates the Possibility of Life on Mars
 
Research conducted by Wichita State University astrobiologist Mark Schneegurt; Benton Clark with the Space Science Institute; and Fei Chen with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory has implications for the possibility of life on Mars.
 
The research, recently presented at the American Society for Microbiology’s ASM Microbe 2019 annual meeting, also raises concerns about the risk of cross-contaminating Mars with terrestrial microbes. In the study, salt-tolerant bacteria grown in brine were revived after the brine was put through a cycle of drying and rewetting. 
 
“Ours is the first demonstration of microbes surviving and growing after being dried and then re-wetted with humidity only," said Schneegurt, WSU professor of biological sciences
 
The study suggests the possibility of bacteria surviving in brine on Mars since it is extremely dry in the day and can reach 80-100 percent humidity at night. The bacteria on Mars could be revived when the abundance of sulfate salts draws in moisture, creating brine.
 
"The likelihood is high that at times surface salts may be able to attract sufficient water to form brines that can support microbial growth," said Schneegurt. "The current research may also help redefine what constitutes a habitable zone, broadening the search for life to other icy worlds."

Most of the experimental work was conducted by Wichita State biological sciences students, including Robin Cesur and Irfan Ansari. 

The team is funded through the Planetary Protection Research program at NASA with a ROSES award and has been working together for nearly a decade in connection with the Wichita Space Initiative (WSI). To learn more about the WSI visit https://www.wichita.edu/research/space/ .
Office of Research at WSU
If you are new to research at WSU, feel free to reach out to our office to schedule a Research Orientation.
(316) 978-3285 | proposals@wichita.edu
Research Links