Office of Research Development announces spring grant awardees 

Please join the Office of Research Development in congratulating the 14 faculty members who have received Faculty Development Awards and University Small Research Grants for the spring 2023 round. 

Faculty Development Awards, or FDAs, provide support for travel to international meetings, primarily at international locations. This year’s FDA awardees are: 

• Joel Spencer, associate professor, Department of Geology. 
• Edward Nowlin, associate professor, Department of Marketing. 
• Jonathan Mahoney, professor, Department of Philosophy. 
• Lisa Tatonetti, professor, Department of English. 
• Kevin Bernstein, associate professor, Department of Art. 
• Maria Diehl, assistant professor, Department of Psychological Sciences. 
• Alyssa Morris, assistant professor, School of Music, Theater and Dance. 

University Small Research Grants, or USRGs, are seed grants that support early research, scholarly activity, and other creative efforts. This year’s USRG awardees are: 

• Necia Chronister, professor, Department of Modern Languages. 
• Phillip Marzluf, professor, Department of English. 
• Wendy Matlock, professor, Department of English. 
• Steffi Dippold, associate professor, Department of English. 
• Bethany Plakke, assistant professor, Department of Psychological Sciences. 
• Erin Wiersma, associate professor, Department of Art and Carol Sevin, associate professor and academic services librarian, Libraries. 
• Susmita Rishi, assistant professor, Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional and Community Planning. 

Congratulations to all awardees! 

K-State events and announcements

National Endowment for Humanities Summer Stipend Program

The National Endowment for the Humanities, or NEH, has released this year’s Summer Stipend Program’s notice of funding. This program aims to stimulate new research in the humanities and its publication by supporting the work of individual scholars doing research or writing. Anyone can apply, as long as they are not a degree candidate at the time of application. The award amount is $6,000, and the application deadline is September 20, 2023. 

The program encourages submissions from junior faculty.  Although this is a very competitive program, the relatively short application and the focused time period make it a good way for junior faculty to lay the foundation for future grant applications. NEH has found that Summer Stipends are an excellent entry point to the NEH and its many awards programs. About forty percent of recent Stipends awardees are first-time applicants. 

In a few weeks, NEH will be offering a webinar for administrators and prospective applicants, introducing the program, describing the application and nomination process, and offering application-writing suggestions. There will be a chance to ask questions, captions will be available, and the webinar will be recorded so others can watch it later.

Summer Stipends is a limited submissions program allowing K-State only two submissions each year. Given the popularity of this program, there likely will need to be an internal competition for these two submission slots. If you are interested in submitting to this program, please be sure to send a notification (a working title and a 2-3 sentence description of your project) to the Office of Research Development (ORD) by 5 pm August 4, 2023. Preproposals are due by 5 pm on August 22, 2023, if an internal competition is needed. Both should be submitted via ordlimitedsubs@k-state.edu.

K-State faculty, staff and students are invited to design and facilitate a hands-on activity for the workshops. There is no set theme for the summer workshops. The goal is to provide students with hands-on experiences in a broad range of STEM disciplines, and introduce them to career options in STEM. For more information about facilitating at the workshops and for activity proposal templates, visit the website. The KAWSE office is happy to provide letters of support to grant agencies for those who collaborate with us. Activity proposals are due by May 17.

Any questions about the GROW/EXCITE summer workshop may be directed to Stephanie Wacker, KAWSE Program coordinator, at swacker@k-state.edu. 

Patton Trust Research Grants

Top takeaways

• Multidisciplinary collaborative research is encouraged
• All full-time researchers at BioNexus KC stakeholder institutions are eligible to submit proposals
• Awards are limited to $50,000 for one year and are intended to attract future external funding
• NEW All applicants must register online using the online portal

Application deadlines

• Letter of Intent is due by 5 p.m. on May 25, 2023
• Full application must be received by 5 p.m. on June 28, 2023
• Funding date for successful proposals — September 12, 2023

Resources

• Patton Trust Research Grants RFP
• Online grants portal instructions
• If you need additional support, please reach out to Daniel Kennedy

Undergraduate and graduate students:

Applications for the BioKansas & NBAF PAID Fall 2023 Internship Program at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) are open. Undergraduate and graduate students will not want to miss out on this excellent opportunity to gain valuable work experience and explore different career options at the intersection of science and government. 

We are seeking undergraduate and graduate students who are a part of underrepresented communities - Black, Latinx, Indigenous, disabled students, and women - in STEM disciplines.

Applications for the Fall 2023 internship must be turned in by May 15! 

Innovation Festival aims to elevate students and postdocs while highlighting interconnections between disciplines and sectors. Conference programming this year spans biotechnology, nutrition and the microbiome, human and animal health, engineering, data science, digital tech, pharmacology, deep tech, and more. 

Travel award applications are now open for both those applying to present, as well as those just wanting to attend. 

• Applying to present? The travel award application is included in the Innovation Festival - Conference Presenter Application Form
• Just attending but need some travel support? Complete this form. 

Innovation Festival is taking a novel approach to placing students and postdocs into industry jobs and academic research programs, including full-time jobs; internships; post-baccalaureate, summer, graduate, and postdoctoral training programs; and more! Industry companies and academic institutions will be in attendance to recruit attendees into highly sought-after positions. 

You’ll have the opportunity to:  

• Present your research orally or as a poster to industry and academic leaders, or to just attend! 
• Experience one-on-one conversations with industry and academic leaders interested in helping you reach your goals.  
• Participate in unique experiences to build your network and identify new career or training possibilities.  

Open the door to this unique experience and a wealth of opportunities by submitting an abstract or applying today! Space is extremely limited. 

Building Bridges to Use-Inspired Research and Science-Informed Practices

You're invited to participate in a workshop aiming to strengthen partnerships among academic, private, and government organizations.

Supported by NSF's Directorate of Biological Sciences, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, and the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, or TIP, this workshop will build new connections among key biological sciences communities to successfully conduct use-inspired research.

The workshop will consist of a series of events facilitated by KnowInnovation:

• Free virtual Pre-Workshop MicroLabs (for an unlimited number of participants) 
• 1-3 p.m., Friday, May 12
• In-person workshop held June 12-14, 2023 in Boise, Idaho (for 120 selected participants representing diverse groups and organizations; applications will open April 14, 2023).

Participants of the workshop will co-create the structures and processes that guide how diverse organizations support and value use-inspired science and will guide NSF to create use-inspired tracks within the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Office of Integrative Activities. Participants will build connections to new funding and partnership opportunities within and associated with NSF's new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. Participants will gain insight from government and private organizations who want their science needs to be more broadly understood and incorporated into research priorities.

Learn More

2023 NSF Engineering CAREER Proposal Workshop

9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Thursday, May 11

The workshop is intended to provide guidance and mentorship to prospective CAREER applicants to the NSF Directorate for STEM Education. It will serve as an opportunity for participants to gain a better understanding of the program, including eligibility requirements, the application process, and outcomes of past CAREER awardees, and for participants to interact with other applicants, former awardees, and NSF program officers.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Potential CAREER applicants to the NSF EDU Directorate, including early-career faculty who conduct or plan to conduct research in STEM education. Detailed information on program eligibility generally can be found here. EDU-specific guidance regarding CAREER applications can be found here.

WHERE: The workshop will be conducted virtually via Zoom. To participate fully you will need to have the Zoom app installed on your device. You can download the latest version for free here. RSVP: Pre-registration is required for this event. The link to pre-register is here. A Zoom meeting link and password will be sent to you after your registration is confirmed.

Noon-2 p.m.

Thursday, May 11

The workshop will be presented by recognized Team Science expert Dr. Jeni Cross. Building Genuine Relationships is a core domain of Team Science, comprised of the following competencies: 1) Acknowledging and including; 2) Self-awareness and social sensitivity; 3) Relationship building routines/practices (fun and team identity); and 4) Building trust and psychological safety.

Please register to attend.

2-3 p.m.

Tuesday, May 16

Please join the Division of Biological Infrastructure for the monthly Virtual Office Hour. Program Officers will introduce the Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, Program and discuss recent updates to the relevant solicitation. They will also provide tips on how to write great CAREER proposals. It is an opportunity to raise questions and communicate directly with program officers in your field.

Please register in advance.

1-2 p.m.

May 16 and June 20

Zoom

ExpandAI Office hours are provided for your convenience. NSF Program Directors representing different categories of of MSIs will be available on the days and times listed to answer your questions about the program. Feel free to join/leave at any point during the meeting. To join, simply follow the event link below. You do not need to turn on your microphone or share your camera to join. Responses will be provided to questions typed into the Zoom chat window. Office hours will not be recorded but will be held regularly as advertised. Come prepared with your questions or simply join in to listen.

Join the Zoom meeting using this link.

12:30-1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 31

The Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, TIP, advances use-inspired and translational research in all fields of science and engineering, giving rise to new industries and engaging all Americans — regardless of background or location — in the pursuit of new, high-wage jobs in science, technology, engineering and math.

Join this webinar to hear what’s new in TIP. We’ll walk through our new programs and talk about our latest awards.

Register for the Intro to NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships webinar on Zoom. 

June 5–8

Zoom

Join the National Science Foundation for the Spring 2023 NSF Virtual Grants Conference, to be held during the week of June 5, 2023. 

Registration will open on Wednesday, May 10 at 11 a.m.

Just like the in-person grants conferences, the NSF Virtual Grants Conference is a must, especially for new faculty, researchers and administrators.

Highlights include:

• New programs and initiatives
• Proposal preparation 
• NSF's merit review process 
• NSF directorate sessions 
• Award management topics 
• Conflict of interest policies 
• NSF systems updates 

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. 

Learn more.

K-State, Scoular Partner to Create Opportunities for Farmers in Kansas Farms.com

K-State Salina unveils new extended reality lab Pratt Tribune

How Accurate Are Dog Years? MSN



Why do Kansas prairie fires matter? This area of the Flint Hills seeks those answers. Topeka Capital-Journal

K-State researchers discover biomarker to detect cattle liver abscesses KSNT

NSF Details Plans to Spend $1 Billion Budget Increase

The National Science Foundation has begun to elaborate on how it is spending the $1 billion increase Congress provided the agency for fiscal year 2023. Some of these plans are outlined in the agency’s budget request for fiscal year 2024, and top officials offered further details last week at a meeting of the advisory committee for the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). AIP

Advancing artificial intelligence research infrastructure through new NSF investments

Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation has announced a $16.1 million investment to support shared research infrastructure that provides artificial intelligence researchers and students across the nation with access to transformative resources including high-quality data on human-machine interactions in the context of collaborative teams, automated driving and news recommendation. The projects will include platforms for carrying out AI research on social robotics and immersive virtual environments. NSF

Despite test flight failure, Starship poised to transform space science

Like a mighty firecracker, Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, blew up today, 4 minutes into its first attempt to reach space. After sailing into the skies above Boca Chica, Texas, SpaceX’s 119-meter rocket tumbled and exploded after its upper stage failed to separate from its booster. Science

Ex-Harvard professor sentenced to 6 months house arrest for lying about China ties

A former Harvard University professor was sentenced on Wednesday to six months' house arrest for lying about his ties to a China-run recruitment program, prosecutors said, in one of the highest-profile cases resulting from a crackdown on Chinese influence on U.S. research. Reuters

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