Faculty research spotlight | |
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Megan McCoy, assistant professor of personal financial planning
College of Health and Human Sciences
Research overview:
I am dedicated to advancing the field of financial therapy, an interdisciplinary area that blends financial planning with therapeutic techniques to improve both financial and overall well-being. My research is focused on enhancing well-being in individuals, families and communities. My current projects include exploring financial anxiety, financial infidelity, factors contributing to the racial and gender wealth gaps, and antecedents to trust in financial planning sessions. Recently, I was awarded a contract from Intuit to evaluate the effectiveness of their financial education curriculum in Kansas high schools, with the goal of determining its impact on students' financial literacy, optimism and self-efficacy.
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What motivated you to pursue research in this specific field, and how has your focus evolved over time?
I’ve always been passionate about helping families, which led me to pursue a career in therapy. During my doctorate, the Great Recession exposed the impact of financial stress on clients' mental and relational health. Collaborating with financial planners, I discovered a need for research in this area.
What is your approach to this research?
I integrate insights from therapy & educational journals, recognizing these fields have historically overlooked the role of financial well-being. I also created primary data through grant-funding, contributing new insights as this field that historically has been more reliant on secondary data.
Have there been any significant challenges or breakthroughs in your recent research, and how have you addressed or leveraged them?
I uncovered contradictory findings on financial anxiety. We hypothesized that extreme anxiety would hinder trust but found that low & high anxiety levels promoted trust more. We shifted our writing to question how we measure financial anxiety and to question underlying assumptions in this research.
What is the potential impact of your research on your field and on broader societal issues?
My research has a direct impact on real people. I believe research in financial therapy has the potential to revolutionize both financial planning and therapy practices by better addressing clients' holistic health. A real impact can be made by improving how we think, feel, and behavior around money.
Each week The Office of the Vice President for Research will feature one faculty member and their scholarly work in Research Weekly. If you would like to nominate yourself or a colleague, please fill out the online form.
*Please note that not all nominations will be accepted as there are limited publications each semester.
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K-State events and announcements | |
Celebrate Anita Fahrny's remarkable career at K-State | |
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Join us in honoring Anita Fahrny, lead grant specialist in the Office of Sponsored Programs, at a retirement reception from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, in the Tointon Great Room at the K-State Alumni Center. Remarks will begin at 4 p.m.
Over her 38 years of exemplary service to K-State, Anita Fahrny has made an indelible mark within the Office of Sponsored Programs — formerly PreAward Services. Her proactive leadership and dedication have facilitated millions of dollars in sponsored extramural support. She is celebrated not only for her professionalism but also for her calm, caring and nurturing approach to mentoring new employees and faculty of all ranks pursuing research, instructional, public service and outreach funding. As one of the original members of the unit established in the early 1990s, Anita has consistently embodied the service-oriented philosophy that continues to guide the office today.
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating Anita’s outstanding achievements and her many years of service to K-State. Light refreshments will be served. Cards and letters of congratulations may be brought to the reception.
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Register to attend Posters, Pinot and Partnerships event | |
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Starting in Spring 2025, the Office of the Vice President for Research is excited to host a monthly networking poster session for K-State researchers. Faculty can enjoy light refreshments and wine while discussing ongoing research and projects.
Please note that the February session has been postponed. The first session will take place from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, 2025, on the 5th floor of Hale Library.
The first session will focus on Community Health and Well-Being, one of the core areas of the Opportunity Agenda in K-State’s Next Gen. Plan. This focus area encompasses understanding physical, social and cultural features of a community; researching social dynamics and cohesion within a community; identifying and addressing factors that drive health disparities (including social determinants of health and health care policies); and identifying and enhancing the structures, policies and practices that impact accessibility to education.
Please register if you would like to attend the March event or present your research poster during one of the Spring 2025 sessions.
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MRIGlobal’s Science Collective Webinar Series | |
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The Science Collective webinar series was established by MRIGlobal in 2023 to serve the scientific community by facilitating the sharing of great science. Today, it also provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs, researchers, academics, and others across the Midwest region and beyond to share their work and seek collaborative partnership opportunities.
You are invited to join their webinars, which will feature scientists from the University of Kansas, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), Kansas State University, and others from across multiple domains. By clicking this calendar invitation, you can add the webinar series to your calendar and then join via Teams for each session. We look forward to seeing you there!
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January 31: Mary Markiewicz, PhD, KU Medical Center; Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, and Immunology
- February 14: Lihua Wang, PhD, K-State Vet
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February 28: Steve Witte, PhD, NBAF; Director- Biologics Development Module
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March 14: Prajna Dhar, PhD, KU
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March 28: Daniel Kennedy, EnterpriseKC
- April 11: Brandon Garcia, PhD, K-State
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May 9: Sue Lente, PhD, KU
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May 16: Brian Sanderson, PhD, KU Medical Center; Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, and Immunology
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External events and announcements | |
NIH issues new policy to speed access to agency-funded research results | |
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The National Institutes of Health has long championed the principles of transparency and accessibility in NIH-funded research. To further this commitment, today NIH released a new public access policy accelerating broad access to NIH-funded research results. The most significant change from the previous policy is the removal of the 12-month embargo period before manuscripts resulting from NIH funding must be made publicly available. The policy meets the expectations set forth in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s (OSTP) memo Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research.
In addition to the updated policy, NIH has issued supplemental guidance on publication costs and on government use license and rights. The updated policy and supplemental guidance were developed after considering all feedback NIH received on the draft proposals received through a request for information. The revised policy will go into effect for peer-reviewed manuscripts accepted on or after Dec. 31, 2025. Until that time, NIH’s current Public Access Policy, originally issued in 2008 will remain in effect.
Read the full release on the NIH website.
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Fall 2024 NSF Virtual Grants Conference session recordings available | |
The U.S. National Science Foundation Policy Office held the Fall 2024 NSF Virtual Grants Conference on December 9-12, 2024. All session recordings, presentations, and handouts are available on the Policy Office Outreach Resource Center and our YouTube channel. | |
National Science Foundation office hours and webinars | |
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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:
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New Federal Common Disclosure Forms Strengthen Integrity and Security of NIH-Funded Research | |
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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.
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Research RFP: Human Nutrition Virtual Lunch and Learn | |
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The Human Nutrition Task Force of NPB is currently soliciting research proposals in human nutrition. This proposal uses an initial Letter of Intent for screening. This request for proposals targets research that can help advance understanding of the role of pork and pork-related nutrients.
Research Priorities
- Establish pork’s role in healthy eating patterns across cultures, life stages and socio-economic status.
- Highlight pork as a sustainable protein within the four domains of sustainable food systems [health, economics, society and the environment].
- Pioneer new research methodologies to explore the nutritional value of pork to specific health outcomes.
For proposal format requirements and instructions, please download the full RFP overview.
The deadline for submitting LOIs is Thursday, February 27 at 5 p.m.
For questions, please contact:
Kristen Hicks-Roof (kroof@pork.org)
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Research on the Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation of Older Adults webinar | |
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January 27, 2025, 12 - 1 p.m.
This webinar will provide an overview of the NIJ FY25 Research on the Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation of Older Adults funding opportunity, which seeks to fund applications for rigorous research and evaluation projects in four areas:
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Evaluation of programs that seek to prevent, intervene in, or respond to the abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older adults.
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Research on financial fraud against older adults, including knowledge-building around scam prevention messaging.
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Research on formal and informal caregivers who abuse (either financially, physically, sexually, and/or emotionally) or neglect older adults to inform intervention and prevention program development.
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Forensic research on the development of radiographic evidence and bioinformatic approaches relevant to the physical abuse of older adults.
Register here.
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Research and Evaluation of Policing Practices webinar | |
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January 29, 2025, 2 - 3 p.m.
This webinar will provide an overview of the NIJ FY25 Research and Evaluation of Policing Practices funding opportunity, which seeks rigorous, applied evaluative research on police conduct and police-community interactions; officer safety, health, and wellness; criminal investigations; and alternative traffic enforcement models. NIJ also welcomes investigator-initiated proposals on other policing topics.
Register here.
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CPS Rising Stars Workshop 2025 - Call for Applications | |
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The 2025 Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) Rising Stars Workshop, which is sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation, will be held at Vanderbilt University on March 12th, 2025.
This workshop aims to identify and mentor outstanding PhD students and postdocs who are interested in pursuing academic careers in CPS core research areas. It also aims to increase representation and diversity in CPS and especially encourages women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply. Eligible applicants should be within about 1-3 years of graduating with a PhD at the time of the workshop or have obtained a PhD no earlier than 2022 and do not currently hold a faculty position.
The workshop program committee will review applications and select CPS Rising Stars based on the research excellence and academic leadership potential. The selected applicants will receive travel support to attend the workshop, which will cover reasonable travel expenses, hotel accommodation, and meals. Their profiles will be highlighted on the workshop website and at the event.
The workshop program will feature keynotes, panels and presentations on the academic job search process and how to succeed as a junior faculty member, as well as research presentations from workshop participants. This workshop will give participants a chance to gain insights about navigating the early stages of careers in academia and network with their peers, opening the door for ongoing collaboration and professional support for years to come.
The application deadline is January 31, 2025 (AoE). Please find more details about the application process and eligibility requirements in the workshop website: https://cps-vo.org/group/CPSRisingStarsWorkshop25
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NIJ’s Social Science Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems Solicitation | |
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NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects that advance the use of artificial intelligence in the criminal justice system.
Research should explore both the benefits and limitations of AI, addressing potential risks and downstream impacts. Emphasis is placed on transparency, accountability, and civil rights protections.
The goal is to improve the fairness, accuracy, and effectiveness of criminal justice processes through AI applications in crime prevention, public safety, and justice system decision-making.
Register for a webinar to learn more about the opportunity on February 4 from 12 - 1 p.m.
Applications will be submitted in a two-step process, each with its own deadline:
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Submit SF-424 in Grants.gov. Step 1, Grants.gov Application Deadline: March 4, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET
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Submit the full application including attachments in JustGrants. Step 2, JustGrants Application Deadline: June 26, 2025, at 8:59 p.m. ET
View the full notice here.
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NIJ’s Social Science Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems Solicitation webinar | |
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Tuesday, February 5, 2025, 2 - 3 p.m.
This webinar will provide an overview of the NIJ FY25 Social Science Research and Evaluation on Forensic Science Systems, which seeks proposals for rigorous applied social science research and evaluative studies on the forensic science system.
The field of forensic science is changing, particularly as technological advancements improve the criminal justice system’s ability to use forensic evidence more effectively and efficiently. Research is needed to better understand the impact of forensic science on the criminal justice system.
Register here.
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NIJ FY25 Graduate Research Fellowships webinar | |
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February 13, 2025, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
This webinar will give an overview of NIJ’s Graduate Research Fellowship opportunity, which seeks to support doctoral students whose dissertation research is relevant to preventing and controlling crime, advancing knowledge of victimization and effective victim services, or ensuring the fair and impartial administration of criminal or juvenile justice in the United States.
The presenters will discuss program scope, eligibility, application elements, and frequently asked questions.
Register in advance for the webinar.
Submit any questions in advance with the subject “Questions for NIJ FY25 Graduate Research Fellowship Webinar” to grf@usdoj.gov no later than February 11, 2025.
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NIFA Grant Applicant/Awardee Technical Assistance series | |
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February 13, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Join the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to learn "how to be a good science communicator" and have your questions answered by NIFA staff.
In this fifth installment of the Grant Applicant/Awardee Technical Assistance series, learn more about:
- Importance of plain language: communicating to technical and non-technical audiences
- Impacts and Outcomes: how to differentiate and communicate the benefits to society
- How NIFA uses the reports: how the work done by them impacts us as an agency
Register here
You may submit any questions on this topic during registration. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this webinar, please contact the Administrative Operations Team at AdminOpsTeam.NIFA@usda.gov no later than 10 days prior to the event.
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Agency news and trending topics | |
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