The American Association of University Women (AAWU) has been one of the largest funders of women’s graduate education, investing in women who go on to change the world. As of 2024, AAWU has given more than $146 million to over 14,000 women and nonprofit organizations around the world. Their recipients include some of the most influential voices of the past two centuries — women who have helped shape history — as well as nonprofit organizations at the forefront of driving social change. Some current funding opportunities with upcoming due dates include:

American Fellowships-- support women scholars pursuing full-time study to complete dissertations, conduct postdoctoral research, or prepare research for publication over eight consecutive weeks. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

• American Dissertation Fellowship--offsets scholars’ expenses during their final year of dissertation writing and deepens AAUW’s impact by accelerating diversity, equity and inclusion in academia. The program is open to women in all fields of study, though those engaged in science, technology, engineering and math fields, or those researching gender issues, are especially encouraged to apply.
• American Short-Term Research Publication Grants aim to increase the number of women with academic tenure and promote gender equity for women in higher education by providing funding to women in academia to prepare research manuscripts for publication.
•  American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship Program increases the number of women in tenure-track faculty positions and promotes gender equity for women in higher education by providing funding to women in academia to pursue independent research over the course of a year. 

Career Development Grants support the career progression of women by funding to women preparing to advance or change careers or re-enter the workforce. Primary consideration is given to women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in education, health and medicine, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and social sciences. Grants are available to support full-time or part-time coursework such as a second bachelor’s or first master’s degree, a certification program, or specialized training in these fields.

International Fellowship Program promotes education and equity for women by investing in international applicants who will be pursuing postgraduate studies in the U.S., with the intention of applying their expertise, professional skills and leadership in the context of their home countries. This program is specifically designed for women who are non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents, with a track record of academic excellence and empowering other women and girls. 

International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program promotes education and equity for women by investing in international applicants who will be pursuing postdoctoral research in the U.S., with the intention of applying their expertise, professional skills and leadership in the context of their home countries.

UIDPVirtual 2024

From December 3 - 5, 2024, engage with UIDP’s new initiative to strengthen and modernize University-Industry partnerships, hear from international stakeholders, and build your awareness of the many diverse approaches to partnerships being utilized around the world today and innovative ideas for tomorrow. This event is an ideal opportunity for you to hear from thought leaders across borders on how their organizations maximize the impact of research partnerships while building new networks with counterparts and peers.

Anyone with our @KSU.EDU domain email address will be able to register, so please register and share this with other colleagues at K-State who may benefit from this experience!

Register here, using our institutional code: KANSASSTATEVIRTUAL2024 for your free registration.

See who is speaking, the case study topics, and more about UIDPVirtual 2024 here.

For assistance, please contact Kelsey Sadlier, UIDP’s membership engagement manager at kelsey@uidp.net. 

Nominations are now open for the previously announced Roots of Research Faculty Honor Program.

Anyone at K-State can nominate a current faculty member for a Roots of Research award by filling out the Qualtrics form. Nominations for the 2024-2025 academic year will close December 6, 2024.

Nominations will be reviewed and ranked by an internal committee.

The names of up to 10 selected faculty members will be announced in December 2024, and trees will be planted during Earth Week in April 2025.

Nominate yourself or a colleague for a Golden Goose Award 

The Golden Goose Award celebrates the importance of federally funded research that has led to major breakthroughs and resulted in significant societal impact. 

The Golden Goose Award tells the stories behind the research, to show the public and Congressional leaders the tangible outcomes behind the federal research dollars spent. The Golden Goose Award was envisioned by former Congressman Jim Cooper of Tennessee in coordination with several science and higher education associations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 

If you have a story or idea to share – please consider submitting a nomination. For consideration for the 2025 Award, nominations should be received by Friday, December 13, 2024. More information about the nomination process is also available on the AAAS website. 

Representatives from academia, government, industry, and nonprofits/private funders are keenly interested in examining how cross-sector partnerships can maximize resource investment for greater impact.

Last week, during UIDP’s fall conference, UIDP Board Chair Nerissa Draeger and I announced a groundbreaking new initiative to explore effective strategies and tactics for dramatically increasing the power of these partnerships.

The Strengthen and Modernize U-I Partnerships initiative is envisioned to revolutionize how the sectors collaborate (university, industry, government--federal, state, and local-- and nonprofit) by addressing four areas of specific need identified by science and technology leadership.

Learn about the focus areas and read the full article here.

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is seeking subject matter experts to serve as peer reviewers of proposals submitted to the recently released NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) solicitation. These reviews are conducted electronically via NSPIRES.

Through NSTGRO, NASA seeks to sponsor graduate student research that has significant potential to contribute to NASA’s goal of creating innovative new space technologies for our Nation’s science, exploration, and economic future.

If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer for the NSTGRO solicitation, please fill out the following form: https://forms.gle/xD5riqwdZrqtQo51A. You can also access the form from the NSPIRES homepage under Site News.

If your skills match NASA’s needs for the review, and considerations for any organizational conflicts of interest allow, we will contact you to discuss further steps.

Participating in a review is a service to the community. Eligible reviewers will receive a nominal honorarium.

Please direct questions to hq-nstgro-call@mail.nasa.gov.

NCR-SARE Seeking Review Committee Members

The North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) is seeking nominees for the following grant review committees: 

• Research and Education Grant Program Review Committee (Technical Committee)
• Farmer Rancher Grant Program Review Committee
• Partnership Grant Program Review Committee
• Professional Development Grant Program (PDP) Review Committee
• Graduate Student Grant Program Review Committee
• Youth Educator Grant Program Review Committee

NCR-SARE’s review committees review proposals and make recommendations to the Administrative Council, which can be a rewarding and educating experience for those interested in sustainable production and the grant-making process.

Each NCR-SARE review committee has varying requirements, but review committee members are generally required to review proposals, discuss the proposals on a conference call or in person, and provide recommendations to the Administrative Council. An NCR-SARE review committee member may not apply to that particular grant program while serving on that committee.

Complete this online form to apply for one of NCR-SARE’s grant review committees. In addition to completing the online form, you will be asked to upload a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). Recommendations can also be emailed to ncrsare@umn.edu. We will acknowledge receipt of the materials and reply regarding the selection process's outcome.  

This fall, the Office of Science (SC) is transitioning to one SC-wide monthly virtual Office Hour to share information about our programs and provide opportunities to ask questions. Researchers at all institutions are welcome to attend and learn more about our programs; no existing relationship with DOE or the DOE national laboratories is required to attend. Research administrators are also encouraged to attend.

Office Hours will take place on the first Tuesday of each month, from 1 - 2 p.m. Each office hour will begin with a brief presentation followed by questions and answers on a monthly topic. After the presentation and questions, we will move to breakout rooms by program office to answer general questions. We will then move to breakout rooms by individual program office for general questions from the community.

For more information on SC Office Hours, including registration and upcoming topics, and to view slides and recordings of past Office Hours, please visit the DOE website.

The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) held a Virtual Office Hour (VOH) on October 17th, 2024, providing information on current solicitations and Dear Colleague Letters the community might wish to investigate.   

This month, attendees met with IOS program directors (PDs) to learn more about IOS clusters and programs. If you missed this special VOH, we will have similar opportunities in the future for you to meet with PDs. The slides are available HERE.

Join us on November 21^st, 2024, for our next VOH where we will talk about Interpreting Panel Summaries, Reviews, and PO Comments. You can register here for next month’s VOH.  

The National Science Foundation is hosting a variety of office hours and webinars throughout 2024 covering a wide range of programs and topics. Links to register and more information for each series can be found below:

• STEM Education Individual Postdoctoral Research Fellowships program Office Hours: November 25, 2024
• Division of Biological Infrastructure Virtual Office Hours: December 17, 2024
• Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Office Hour: December 18, 2024
• ExpandAI Virtual Office Hours: December 16, 2024
• Innovation Corps Teams Q&A Webinar: December 5, 2024
• IUSE Office Hours: October 15, 2024 - January 7, 2025
• Science of Science - DCI Office Hours: November 13, 2024 - January 17, 2025
• MCB Virtual Office Hour: How to Write a Great Budget: November 13, 2024
• Welcome to the IIS Office Hours: Let’s talk about the Smart and Connected Communities Program: November 21, 2024 
• RCN-UBE Community Hours: November 21, 2024
• Updated Solicitations: Synthetic Communities and ORRC: November 21, 2024
• Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future Webinar: November 21, 2024
• GEO Open Science Ecosystem Program Webinar: November 22, 2024
• Emerging Mathematics in Biology Webinar for updated funding opportunity NSF 25-509: November 25, 2024
• Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes program webinar: December 3, 2024
• Preparing your Phase I Proposal for America’s Seed Fund at NSF Office Hour: December 5, 2024
• CISE Research Expansion Office Hours: December 5, 2024 - January 9, 2025
• CyberTraining Program Office Hours: December 9 - 16, 2024

Following up on the sneak peek we provided a few weeks ago, we are pleased to announce that NIH launched the new NIH Grants and Funding website this week. Designed with the needs of the extramural research community in mind, the new site is intended to enhance your journey through the NIH grants process with a modernized interface and powerful features to make finding critical information easier than ever. We encourage you to explore the site at your leisure, and to familiarize yourself with the new content and layout.

Read the full announcement here.

Back in April, we announced that Common Disclosure Forms for the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support would be required for all applications and progress reports submitted in 2025, amongst several other changes. These Common Forms aim to standardize disclosure requirements and processes across federal research agencies, with the goal of reducing the time and effort researchers spend providing disclosure information to federal funders and ensuring integrity throughout the research process. We recently released a Guide Notice with additional information and expectations for applications and progress reports effective May 25, 2025, including the requirement that Senior and Key Personnel use an Open Researcher and Contributor Identification digital identifier (ORCID ID).

Read the full announcement here.

The Kauffman Foundation has announced new grant opportunities in coordination with the release of their new strategic priorities: Grant types (kauffman.org)

Research Grants provide funding to design and implement or scale a research project that builds deeper understanding of our strategic priorities and focus areas, addresses gaps in our research base, and translates research findings into practice: Strategic priorities

Together with our community, we believe we can shift the landscape in three strategies — college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship — prioritized because of their anticipated power to advance economic mobility: Focus areas



In alignment with these priorities, we are seeking projects at the intersection of innovation and impact through the focus areas of essential competencies and skills, education and employer connection, participation and belonging, and equitable access.

Letters of interest open Oct. 15.

The CADRE Fellows program provides professional growth opportunities for early career professionals in the field of preK-12 STEM education research. Through a series of capacity-building activities, the program offers Fellows the opportunity to gain insight into what it takes to be successful and effective in this field, become more familiar with National Science Foundation (NSF) practices, network with experienced researchers, and build community with other early career researchers from across the country

Applicants can be a member of an NSF research project team, someone in an education department, or a researcher at a non-profit. Open to doctoral students, postdocs, or early career researchers/scholars in rural areas and EPSCoR states (this includes Kansas!). More application details

Deadline to apply: Nov. 29, 2024



Learn more on CADRE Fellows Program website.

January 18 - 19, 2025

Intercontinental Hotel on the Plaza, Kansas City, MO

Our annual symposium is back once again, and we are excited to bring together students, faculty and staff from our 10 universities in Kansas and Oklahoma!

Register here by December 1, 2024

Submit abstracts by December 1, 2024 (see Abstract Guidelines under the Symposium tab here for more information)

Symposium Schedule and Important Info

Check back later for updates!

Please contact Heiata Chapman (hchapman@kumc.edu) or Clare Frantz (cfrantz2@kumc.edu) with any questions.

College and university faculty at emerging research institutions are invited to apply to collaborate with national laboratory scientific research staff on research projects of mutual interest, the Department of Energy Office of Science announced today.

The Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) is offered in two tracks:

• The VFP Research Collaboration
• The VFP Teaching Initiative Track (available for returning VFP participants)  

Two application assistance workshops will be held for all faculty eligible to apply to VFP. The first workshop will introduce the program and provide strategies for submitting a compliant application. At the final workshop, the application process will be reviewed and then the collaborative experience the programs provide will be highlighted via a panel discussion.  

• Application assistance workshop: November 22, 2024 (register here) 
• VFP Alumni panel workshop: December 5, 2024 (register here)    

Applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2025 term. The application deadline is January 8, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST.  

We are thrilled to announce the release of the 2025 Requests for Applications for the prestigious Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute's training programs. This is your opportunity to advance your career with our respected KL2 Career Development, Postdoctoral TL1, and Predoctoral TL1 Programs.

KL2 Career Development Program:

Letters of Intent Deadline: October 25, 2024

Full Application Deadline: December 20, 2024

For more information and to apply, click here.

Postdoctoral TL1 Program:

Letters of Intent Deadline: October 25, 2024

Full Application Deadline: December 13, 2024

For more information and to apply, click here.

Predoctoral TL1 Program:

Pre-Meeting Requirement: By December 7, 2024

Full Application Deadline: December 13, 2024

For more information, click here.

This is your chance to join a community of pioneering researchers and dedicated professionals who are shaping the future of clinical and translational science. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to drive your research career to new heights.

If you have any questions regarding the KL2 and TL1 programs, please do not hesitate to reach out to Holly Zink, Ph.D.

Pre-Application Webinar for C06 Research Facilities Construction Grants PAR-25-061 and PAR-24-033

The Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs will hold a pre-application webinar on December 3, 2024, for two funding opportunities, PAR-25-061 Biomedical Research Facilities and PAR-24-033 Limited Competition: Development and Renovation of Facilities for Expanding the Breeding Capacity of Specific Pathogen Free Non-Human Primates to Support HIV/AIDS-related Research.

ORIP staff members managing construction programs will assist potential applicants by explaining the goals and objectives of these funding opportunities and answering questions from attendees. The webinar will not be recorded or archived, but the slides and FAQs will be available after the webinar.

To join the Webinar, pre-registration is required through Zoom.

Specific webinar information including the webinar link will be provided upon registration.

Participation in this webinar, although not required, is encouraged for the submission of an application in response to these funding opportunity announcements.

The U.S. National Science Foundation invites all to the Fall 2024 NSF Virtual Grants Conference on December 9 – 12, 2024. 

The NSF Grants Conference is designed to give new faculty, researchers, and administrators key insights into a wide range of current issues at NSF. NSF staff will provide up-to-date information about policies and procedures, specific funding opportunities, and answer attendee questions. 

Attendees will:   

• Learn about new NSF programs and initiatives  
• Understand how to write a successful proposal    
• Learn about NSF’s Merit Review Process and conflict of interest policies  
• Participate in NSF directorate sessions   
• Understand award management policies and procedures  

Attendees are encouraged to review the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Recordings from the Spring 2024 NSF Grants Conference are available in the Resource Center. 

Request for Information in Support of the Implementation of the United States Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting information related to the Implementation Roadmap for the U.S. Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology.

In this Request for Information (RFI), NIST is seeking information about the following topics:

• Existing awards and recognition programs that the U.S. government and U.S. standards community can use to encourage and support participation and leadership in standards development for critical and emerging technologies.
• Ways the U.S. government and the U.S. standards community can educate and empower the standards workforce and business and technology decision-makers.
• Feedback on how NIST can best maintain an open dialogue and sustained communication with the U.S. critical and emerging technologies and standards communities regarding the ongoing implementation of the roadmap.

The U.S. Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology promotes technologically sound standards that help American industry compete internationally on a level playing field. It is intended to support and complement existing private sector-led standards activities.

The full RFI is available in the Federal Register, including information on how to submit comments. Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Dec. 9, 2024.

The Office of Autoimmune Disease Research in the Office of Research on Women’s Health (OADR-ORWH) created a video to help prospective applicants to the Notice of Special Interest: R13 Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings to Support Consensus Building for Autoimmune Disease Research Related Common Data Elements (NOT-OD-24-145). Slides used in the video are also available for reference.  

The next due dates are December 12, 2024, April 12, 2025, and August 12, 2025. Please note that interested applicants must contact OADR-ORWH no later than six weeks prior to the due date (contact OADR-ORWH by October 31, 2024, March 1, 2025, and July 1, 2025, for the listed due dates, respectively). 

More information can be found here.

First rocks returned from Moon’s far side reveal ancient volcanic activity

Researchers have had their first-ever look at samples brought back from the Moon’s far side — and the rocks detail a history of volcanic activity that spans billions of years. nature

Saber-toothed kitten frozen in Siberian ice reveals new details about species

Ice mummy preserves extinct cat from claws to paws. Science



Fat cells have a ‘memory’ of obesity — hinting at why it’s hard to keep weight off

Long-lasting changes to the cells’ epigenome are linked to a decline in their function. nature

Octopus’ quick costume changes are costly affairs

Researchers measured for the first time how much energy it takes a ruby octopus to change all its colors at once. Science

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