The Office of the Vice President for Research invites K-State faculty, staff, students and members of the public to attend the grand opening of K-State’s new Protein and Biopolymer Analysis Core Lab. 

The event will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Friday, March 1, in 437 Chemistry/Biochemistry Building. 

Attendees are invited to enjoy light refreshments and hear remarks from Beth Montelone, senior associate vice president for research; Chris Culbertson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Christer Aakeröy, head of the Department of Chemistry; and Ping Li, associate professor and lab director 

Following the remarks, attendees will have the opportunity to tour the core lab facility.  

The Protein and Biopolymer Analysis Core Lab, or PBACL, provides integrated synthetic and analytical capabilities for biological materials, including proteins, peptides, and glycans. The core encompasses a wide range of sophisticated technical expertise and state-of-the-art instrumentation. Services at the lab are available to the K-State community, as well as external customers.  

Please contact Li at pli@k-state.edu for questions or additional details.  

The Office of the Vice President for Research announces new funding available to assist faculty in research planning and large-grant development.

The Travel, Acceleration and Planning, or TAP Grants will provide funding for travel to meet with agency or foundation personnel, travel to meet with collaborators at other institutions for proposal development meetings, support for potential co-investigators at other institutions to travel to K-State for proposal development meetings and faculty and/or staff support for large center-level grant development. 

The process for requesting TAP funds is designed to be simple and fast. The Office of the Vice President for Research will provide quick responses to all properly filed requests.

Full descriptions, funding amounts and procedures for requesting funding are available on the OVPR website.

Deadline: March 4, 2024 by 5:00 p.m.



The Office of Research Development announces the spring 2024 Faculty Development Award, or FDA, and University Small Research Grants, or USRG, call for proposals for K-State tenured or tenure track faculty who are interested in receiving assistance in their scholarly activities and professional development.

Note: faculty must have at least some percentage of their appointment devoted to research.

The Faculty Development Awards program provides support for travel to international meetings — primarily at international locations — or to meet with program officers from potential external sponsors.

The University Small Research Grants program is a seed grant program to support early research, scholarly activity, and other creative efforts.

More information about the program can be found here.

Please contact the Office of Research Development if you have any additional questions: ord@k-state.edu or 785-532-6195. 

All applications must be submitted by Monday, March 4, 2024.

The Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD) BSL-3 Training Program for Research Support Personnel is designed to provide introductory BSL-3/BSL-3 Ag training to research personnel, either current federal staff; research fellows; recent graduates from U.S. universities (BS, MS) and current enrolled college students (BS, MS and PhD) with career interests in USDA Agricultural Research Service who want to attain additional training and knowledge in the area of high-containment research as potential career choice.

The CEEZAD training program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service and is directed at highly motivated BS/MS level research support personnel interested in research and careers in the field of high consequence, transboundary and zoonotic diseases of animals.

The two-week program consists of one week of hands-on and classroom training at the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University and the second week with in-person and virtual presentations from area industry partners and seminars/lectures from national and international subject matter experts in high containment research and transboundary animal diseases.

 Program Goals

• Demonstrating an understanding of pathogen risk group classifications and biosafety levels
• Identifying potential risks associated with executing standard laboratory practices
• Engage in laboratory practices that reduce the potential for aerosol exposures
• Identifying areas of potential vulnerabilities in the laboratory ecosystem/network to include how technology introduction may impact laboratory operations (cybersecurity), safety, security, and overall laboratory capability
• Demonstrating essential biocontainment practices for use in BSL3, ABSL3 and BSL3 Ag settings.

Successful applicants will receive a travel stipend (up to $2,500; depending on home base) to cover transportation (to and from Manhattan, Kansas), lodging and per diem expenses. Applicants residing in or near the Manhattan, Kansas, area may not be eligible to receive a travel stipend. An on-campus housing option is available.

More information can be found here.

Applications can be found here.

The Office of the Vice President for Research announces a request for proposals for the Global Food Systems Seed Grant Program for innovative research covering all aspects of global food systems. 

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Increasing food production — crops or livestock.
• Better management of water and other resources or systems related to food production and distribution or better management of the food produced.
• Keeping food systems safe
• Increasing food nutritional value.
• Policy, social concerns, and economic factors driving food systems.
• Combating obesity and nutritional illiteracy.

Key dates:

• Required Industry Perspectives Workshop: 1-2 p.m., Tuesday, March 5 or 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 6.
• Proposals due: Friday, April 5.

More information about eligibility, guidelines and funding amounts can be found on the OVPR website.

On March 28, 2024 at 2:30 p.m., the Office of Research Development will present, via zoom, a “Nuts and Bolts” session on National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. 

This program is NSF’s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars. This session will start with presentations on the requirements for submission, review criteria, submission protocol and evaluation resources.

It will be followed by a panel of recent Kansas State University CAREER awardees who will provide tips on submitting to and receiving an award under this program. Session attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a CAREER Writing Clinic that will start after the session and end in July when the proposals are due.  

Please register here to attend this session.

As the central hub for undergraduate research opportunities and Nationally Competitive Scholarships, the Office of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research (SDUR) invites faculty members to engage with the Developing Scholars Program to help with the broader impacts of their research.  This program is open to high-achieving first-generation or historically underrepresented students who are interested in undergraduate research experiences. Scholars are paired with faculty mentors within their field of study and are expected to complete 6-10 hours of research-related work per week. To boost access to these opportunities, scholars receive a stipend of $1,250.00 per semester.  

DSP is open to returning students, but preference is given to incoming, transfer, and early career students to maximize their three years of eligibility. As our unit, SDUR, has grown and developed over the past few months from our predecessor, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry, we have explored relationships with research areas such as the social sciences, which may not commonly fall into the connotation of research. In expanding upon new and existing partnerships, we invite you to engage with SDUR through the Developing Scholars Program.  

Here’s how faculty can get involved:  

• Encourage incoming or continuing undergraduate students to apply DSP. The deadline for application is April 1. Consider becoming a research mentor. This opportunity is open to instructors from any field of study.  
• The Developing Scholars Program would be impossible without faculty mentors. Not only do scholars gain an invaluable set of skills from this relationship, but mentors also often comment on the positive impact of their mentee.  

Faculty mentors should:  

• Meet with their scholar regularly to provide direction, insight, and advice on their scholar's project. 
• Communicate clearly with their scholar and the program staff about progress, successes, and missteps regarding the project and mentoring relationship. 
• Assist the student with developing a research poster. 
• Attend annual spring poster Symposium (April 11, 2024). 
• Fill out an end-of-semester survey about experiences with DSP and their scholar. 

Benefits to Faculty Mentors:  

• Involving first-generation and underrepresented students in your research is viewed very favorably by funding agencies.
• Mentors do not have to contribute funds to have a student participant. If mentors have funds to contribute, however, it enables DSP to serve more students. Note, you can include DSP students in proposal budgets to cover this expense.
• Opportunity to work closely with young, eager people interested in learning how to conduct research. 
• Your influence will impact the success of an undergraduate student. 
• A bright and dedicated student to work on a project, possibly remaining on your team for three or more years. 

If you are interested in learning more about the Developing Scholars Program, please visit our website. If you are interested in being paired with a scholar beginning in the Fall semester, please contact SDUR Director, Beth Powers, bethpowers@k-state.edu.  

The S-STEM program will be holding open office hours for the upcoming March 2024 deadline:

February 29, 2024, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

See additional dates and times on nsf.gov

Registration can be found here.

February 29, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

See additional dates and times on nsf.gov

Join this open-ended session to ask questions about what’s needed when creating a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) proposal. A SBIR/STTR program director will answer questions and point you to resources.

Register here.

March 5, 2024, 2:30-4 p.m.

The GCR program is having office hours that people can sign up for on Tuesdays or Wednesdays through the end of March. To speak with a GCR Program Director about a newly planned or revised GCR proposal, an appointment may be made on the GCR Office Hours Calendar. 

Additional dates and information can be found here.

Human Networks and Data Science Program Office Hour

March 7, 2024, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

March 21, 2024, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

April 4, 2024, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Please join the Human Networks and Data Science Program to discuss questions about the program with the program director. 

To join, use the Human Networks and Data Science office hour Zoom link.

For more information about the program, visit the Human Networks and Data Science Program page.

March 7, 2024, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

April 4, 2024, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

May 2, 2024, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

See additional dates and times on nsf.gov



Please join this I-Corps Teams webinar to ask an I-Corps program director questions and hear updates about the I-Corps program, curriculum, and important dates. Details will be shared at the beginning of each webinar to view real-time captions.

Registration can be found here.

Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Office Hour

Please join the Decision Risk Management Sciences office hour to discuss questions about the program with the program directors. 

Office hours take place over Zoom monthly, generally on Wednesdays. Please see upcoming dates listed below.

March 13, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

April 17, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

To join, use the Decision Risk Management Sciences office hour Zoom link

• All meetings during office hours are 1-on-1. Guests are seen in the order they join. You may have to wait if others join before you.
• If you need captions or other accommodations, please contact Claudia Gonzalez-Vallejo or Bob O'Connor in advance. 

For more information about the program, visit the Decision Risk Management Sciences program page.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is hosting a virtual grant writing webinar series: Debuting Your Research Career: How to Plan for and Write Your First (or Next) NIH Grant Application. This monthly webinar series is free and open to all to pre- and post-doctoral fellows, clinician-scientists, as well as early-stage and mid-career research investigators.

The series will provide information on the funding opportunities for early career researchers at NIAID, navigating the F, K, DP2 and R38/K38 awards, and understanding the peer review process.

Dates and Topics:

• March 21, 2024: Navigating NIH to prepare your grant application – F awards
• April 18, 2024: Navigating NIH to prepare your grant application – K awards
• May 23, 2024: Developing your candidate information section and research strategy for F and K awards
• June 20, 2024: Navigating NIH to prepare your grant application – DP2/R38/K38 awards
• July 18, 2024: Understanding the Peer Review process

Register here.

Office Hours: Intro to America’s Seed Fund at NSF

March 28, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

See additional dates and times on nsf.gov



Join this question-and-answer session to learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by the National Science Foundation. A Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program director will answer questions about how to get started, the basics of eligibility and what they look for when they review project pitches.

Register for the Intro to America's Seed Fund webinar on Zoom.

The National Medal of Science (NMS) is the highest recognition the Nation can bestow on scientists and engineers. It was established by the 86th Congress in 1959 as a Presidential Award to be given to individuals deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or social and behavioral sciences, in service to the Nation. These broad areas include such disciplines as astronomy, chemistry, computer and information science and engineering, geoscience, materials research, and research on STEM education.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking nominations for the NMS from February 3 through May 5, 2024. 

We welcome you to join us for an informational webinar on the National Medal of Science. The webinar will highlight background information on the award and provide tips for submitting nominations. The webinar will be held on March 12, 2024 at 10 a.m. 

Register in advance for this webinar.

See the NMS Nominations web page for more information on how to make your nominations.

A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) has been issued.

The new PAPPG will be effective for proposals submitted or due on or after May 20, 2024. 

NSF will present information about these changes in a webinar on March 12 at 1 P.M. 

March 12, 2024, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

April 9, 2024, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m

May 14, 2024, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

See additional dates and times on nsf.gov

Please join this Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Q&A webinar to learn about the PFI program. During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the PFI program and what to expect for the submission deadline.

Register here.

March 19, 2024, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

April 16, 2024, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

May 21, 2024, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

See additional dates and times on nsf.gov

Representatives from across the Division of biological Infrastructure (DBI) will be available to discuss specific programs and funding opportunities. There will then be an open question and answer period – questions can be on any NSF or DBI topic. Join us remotely and bring your questions!

Register here.

Application deadline: March 20, 2024

stEm Practitioners Enhancing Engineering Regionally (PEERs) will engage in a 2-year professional development and research experience to support the design and implementation of an engineering-focused Implementation Project at their home institutions, with the institution’s support.

PEERs will have the opportunity to learn and engage with program experts, researchers and practitioners. Throughout the 2-year engagement, participants will deepen their knowledge and understanding of the challenges and successful strategies guiding the transformation of our national Engineering landscape. PEERs will utilize data and assessment to develop an action plan that will inform their specific implementation efforts at their respective institutions and beyond.

PEERs will also be guided and supported to submit project outcomes as publications to LSAMP, ASEE and/or the National INCLUDES Network to inform future broadening participation collaborations. PEERs will launch a growing national community of engineering education equity leaders.

The stEm PEER Academy will investigate the following topics:



1. Understand the engineering education pathway landscape with emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
2. Utilize data (IPEDS, etc) to inform your broadening participation efforts for women and BIPOC engineering education pathways.
3. Engage in models, interventions, and evidence-based practices that have been proven to support engineering degree attainment for women and BIPOC students at community colleges, public and private institutions.
4. Build partnerships to engage stakeholders at your institution, region, and nationwide.
5. Develop an Action Plan to implement at your institution (or with other institutions) during the 2024-2026 academic years.

An informational flyer can be downloaded here.

April 30 2024, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

May 23, 2024, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

July 25, 2024, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

See additional dates and times on nsf.gov



Join this question-and-answer session to learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by the National Science Foundation. A Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program director will answer questions about how to get started, the basics of eligibility and what they look for when they review project pitches.

Register here.

Call for Nominations for the National Medal of Science

The National Medal of Science is the highest recognition the nation can bestow on scientists and engineers. The presidential award is given to individuals deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or social and behavioral sciences, in service to the Nation.

For this prestigious honor, please nominate colleagues and peers who have made extraordinary contributions that have advanced the scientific enterprise.

Complete nomination packages, consisting of a completed nomination form and three letters of support, are due by May 3, 2024.

Nominations can be submitted here.

The U.S. National Science Foundation will host the Spring 2024 NSF Grants Conference from June 3 – 5, 2024 in Philadelphia, PA. The conference is making an eagerly anticipated transition to a hybrid event.

Registration will open on Wednesday, March 6, at 11 a.m. for in-person and virtual participation. We anticipate in-person registration will sell out quickly, so be prepared to register as soon as possible.

More information can be found here.

Do you have exciting IOS-funded science results? Do you want to share those results to a broader audience? Then share your story! 

The National Science Foundation is inviting you — our community — to participate in showcasing the amazing science, engineering, innovation, STEM education, cutting-edge research facilities, future workforce and more that is powered by NSF. These stories are happening in communities across the country and around the world.  

Science Happens Here is a toolkit to help share your awesome findings and fantastic outreach experiences. The website includes details on how to share your research by submitting photos or videos from any location. And then NSF will amplify your story on our platforms.  

When sharing your Science Happens Here story, please make sure to tag NSF in your social media post and use the hashtag #NSFstories. This will help the general community to become aware of all the amazing science that is powered by NSF.

The U.S. National Science Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of four interactive online research security training modules, now available to researchers and institutions across the U.S. These modules are designed to facilitate principled international collaboration in an open, transparent and secure environment that safeguards the nation's research ecosystem.

Fueled by the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022," these training modules signify a major first step in reconciling the needs of the research, law enforcement and intelligence communities to pursue trusted relationships in the global research community while minimizing economic and security risks.

More information can be found here.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have published the proceedings from a workshop they hosted on Enhancing Public Access to the Results of Research Supported by the Department of Health and Human Services that took place from November 30 to December 1, 2023. The NIH-sponsored workshop was held to inform NIH and other agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as they develop or update policies to enhance public access to the results of HHS-funded research.

The summary of the workshop can be accessed here. The webcast of the meeting, and associated meeting materials, can be found on the workshop website.

Please contact Office of Science Policy at SciencePolicy@od.nih.gov with any questions.

Most Americans continue to think science benefits society, but rarely engage in scientific activities with professional scientists. People’s familiarity with the process of science also corresponds to how they think about scientific institutions. 

These and similar trends are in the Science and Technology: Public Perceptions, Awareness, and Information Sources report that the National Science Board published today. The report is part of the 2024 congressionally mandated Science and Engineering Indicators analysis of the state of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise, prepared by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics under the National Science Board’s guidance.

Science and Technology: Public Perceptions, Awareness, and Information Sources is the fourth of 10 Science and Engineering Indicators reports that the NSB will publish over the coming months through spring of 2024

Women may realize health benefits of regular exercise more than men

An NIH-supported observational study finds that even when women and men get the same amount of physical activity, the risk of premature death is lower for women. NIH



An alternate arrangement: how a propeller-shaped isomer can improve organic solar cells

Imagine technology as a race car speeding down a track – it can only go as fast as its engine allows. But just when it seemed like organic solar cells hit a roadblock, along comes 3PNIN, a game-changing molecule shaped like a propeller, ready to turbocharge their progress and break through barriers. EurekAlert!



Antibody reduces allergic reactions to multiple foods in NIH clinical trial

A 16-week course of a monoclonal antibody, omalizumab, increased the amount of peanut, tree nuts, egg, milk and wheat that multi-food allergic children as young as 1 year could consume without an allergic reaction in a late-stage clinical trial. NIH

The surprising link between gut bacteria and devastating eye diseases

Eye diseases long thought to be purely genetic might be caused in part by bacteria that escape the gut and travel to the retina, research suggests. nature.com

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