Faculty research spotlight | | |
Vera Smirnova, assistant professor, geography and geospatial sciences; political science
College of Arts and Science
Research overview:
My current research focuses on the geopolitics of land grabbing, or large-scale land acquisitions, and their implications for national security. The aim is to understand how international land deals not only transfer control over land but can also lead to the de facto alienation of sovereign rights, undermining the authority of host states. I am especially interested in cases of land transfers in post-socialist and authoritarian contexts, given their common problems with insecure property rights and messy territorial disputes. While the impact of land grabs on food security and local livelihoods has been well-documented, political risks and threats to territorial stability are still largely overlooked.
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What motivated you to pursue research in this specific field, and how has your focus evolved over time?
My fascination with the territorial politics of land stems from my early work on the Russian land reforms. Russia's full-scale assault on Ukrainian sovereignty further fueled my motivation, as land expropriation became the first policy introduced in occupied territories violating international law.
What is your approach to this research?
To study the impact of land legislation and land transfers on territorial security and vice versa, I rely on institutional discourse analysis. This method allows us to evaluate how political decisions are negotiated through official channels and to trace their institutional evolution in policy.
Have there been any significant challenges or breakthroughs in your recent research, and how have you addressed or leveraged them?
The inability to conduct fieldwork in the region limits my research but also forces me to seek innovative methods. In authoritarian settings, as I found, municipal websites and state media are a treasure trove where key actors negotiate public rhetoric, sovereignty and political allegiance in real time
What is the potential impact of your research on your field and on broader societal issues?
In addition to raising policymakers' awareness of the security impacts of land transfers, I address two gaps: in international relations, by studying sovereignty not only at the state level but also the level of land plots; and in development studies, by viewing land as a form of territorial control.
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.
| | | K-State events and announcements | | Register to attend Posters, Pinot and Partnerships event | | Starting in Spring 2025, the Office of the Vice President for Research and K-State Libraries are excited to host a monthly networking poster session for K-State researchers. Faculty can enjoy light refreshments and wine while discussing ongoing research and endeavors. | | |
This month’s session will highlight the second of four items on K-State’s Next Gen Opportunity Agenda: sustainability.
This focus area includes considerations of water and resource management practices, the natural and environmental factors that impact resource usage, our health, environment and society; the conservation and restoration of biodiversity; and economic policies and cultural practices and their impacts on human ecology.
Through this, K-State is working toward a more sustainable future in water, air, energy, soil, climate change, biodiversity and community resilience.
We welcome a wide array of presentations, including traditional scientific posters, as well as creative expressions such as paintings, photographs, poetry, prose, or other artistic works that explore and reflect on sustainability. This event celebrates the full spectrum of creativity and scholarship at K-State, offering a space for dialogue and discovery.
Please join us from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2025, on the 5th floor of Hale Library.
Register here if you would like to attend the event or display your research poster.
| | Core Research Facility Support from the OVPR | | |
The Office of the Vice President for Research announces several opportunities to enhance the use and operations of core facilities in alignment with the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan. Core facility directors may request support to upgrade the physical infrastructure and large equipment related to their operations. Additionally, faculty members can apply for grants to facilitate their use of core facilities and offset vivarium costs. This funding comes from the Strategic Investment Fund and is supplemented by the recovery of OVPR funds, offset by the BRI Debt Relief support received from the state.
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Funding for renovations and large equipment purchases: Annual call for core facilities to request funding for renovations and large equipment purchases. This will require a 1:1 match and requests can range up to $200K for total project costs of up to 400K. Total funds available: $500K. Application window has closed.
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Mini grants to fund pilot projects: Ongoing call for researchers to request mini grants to fund pilot projects requiring core facility use up to $5,000 in total costs. If start-up funds are available, there is a 1:1 match requirement. Total funds available: $75K. Funding requests accepted on a rolling basis.
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Mini grants for vivarium costs: Ongoing call for researchers to request mini grants to help pay vivarium costs that exceed that budgeted in existing grant funding. Limit of $50K per investigator; total funds available: $125K. If start-up funds are available, there is a 1:1 match requirement. Funding requests accepted on a rolling basis.
Please visit the OVPR website to learn more and submit a proposal.
| | Register Today for CNAP'S Grant Writers' Collaborative | | |
Structure:
- One-hour daily writing blocks
- Once a week, join your team for an in person writing session
- Together, establish internal due dates to promote a sustainable proposal preparation pace
- CNAP staff and peers to offer regular direction, guidance, and feedback on materials.
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The collaborative will begin April 7th with ongoing rolling registration.
Register or learn more using the provided link or QR Code.
Please contact cnap@ksu.edu to learn more!
| | Vernon Larson Lecture and Fulbright Reception | | |
As part of the Office of International Program’s Vernon Laron Lecture Series, Fulbright Visiting Scholar Dr. Kudzai Mukumbi will be presenting “Agricultural Extension in the Digital Age: Insights from Land Grant Institutions” on April 23, 2025, at 3 pm in the Staley School of Leadership’s Town Hall. Her presentation will be followed by a Fulbright Panel whose members will discuss their experiences with Fulbright’s overseas programs and what they have meant to them. At 4:30 pm, a reception will be held in the Staley Atrium for Dr. Mukumbi, Fulbright Alums and Visitors as well as for anyone interested in Fulbright’s programs and networking with faculty and students who have experience with these programs. Please click here to register for any of these activities. (Note that due to a registration issue, please re-register if you registered before March 29 and you have not heard from Beth Powers.)
Dr. Kudzai Mukumbi is a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Iowa State University, where she is conducting research on best practices in designing, managing and evaluation of agricultural extension and outreach programs. She holds a Doctorate degree in Retailing (International Retailing & Marketing majors) and a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics (Agribusiness) from Michigan State University. She has led the Agribusiness & Community Development Unit at Africa University in Zimbabwe and taught undergraduate and graduate agribusiness courses. She trains leaders for Africa and beyond, equipping them with skills and knowledge in Agribusiness. Her research interests include food systems, agribusiness strategy, international business and policy.
These events are sponsored by K-State’s: Office of International Programs, College of Agriculture’s International Agriculture Programs, Office of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research, and Office of Research Development.
| | Halo Can Help Faculty Find Industry Partners | | |
Halo is an artificial intelligence-powered technology platform that helps corporate research and development (R&D) teams more efficiently connect with scientific partners and bring innovations to market faster. On the first of each month Halo announces on its marketplace new research that is sought by its industry partners. These announcements are included in the Funding Connection each month. Typical awards are $50k to $175k with potential for follow on funding. Each funding opportunity (i.e. partnering request) on Halo accepts a single, standardized proposal that requires the minimum amount of information for an industry partner to determine the next steps. This is intended to save innovators/faculty time. The entire proposal is the equivalent of a page and takes most faculty less than an hour to complete. There is no contractual obligation and a more detailed proposal may be requested should a researcher be selected as a finalist.
Halo is not involved in the review process and every proposal is sent directly to the industry partner. Once a faculty member submits a proposal, they will receive an email from Halo's system letting them know what the estimated response timeline is from the industry partner. Typical response time is 2 months or less. The industry partner will either advance or decline the proposal as an initial response. The innovator will learn if their proposal is relevant to the request and the industry partner’s current business needs. The innovator can then expect a detailed response within 3 months from receiving their initial response. In the detailed response, the industry partner will either select the proposal for the finalist evaluation or decline it with feedback. If the innovator is selected as a finalist, they have reached the end of the review process on Halo. This means that the industry partner is interested in taking the conversation off of Halo’s platform and further evaluating the proposal alongside other finalists.
Since launching in 2020, nearly 8,000 academic scientists, 2,000 startups and 1,500 university administrators across 100 countries have created profiles on Halo describing their research interests. Of the more than 2,300 universities represented on the platform, more than 450 universities are U.S. based. Industry Partners include such companies as Cargill, Mars, Corteva, General Mills, Bayer, Under Armor, Eli Lily, UPL, PepsiCo, Unilever, Tata Steel, Proctor & Gamble and many more. The National Science Foundation is currently partnering with HALO in a $1.2 million effort designed to create new, diverse partnerships among emerging research institutions in U.S. higher education and industry innovators.
Some Halo opportunities announced in April include:
| | Research Information Technology Services Updates | | |
To streamline processes and enhance university security, Information Technology Services is implementing new policies for employees who leave the institution, which may affect research data retention.
Please use the provided link to learn more about alterations to:
- Relocating work/research documents
- Updating external service email addresses
- Returning K-State property
- Returning keys and access controls
- Setting an away message
- Retaining personal documents
Should you require support or have any additional questions, please reach out to your unit IT director or the Office of the Vice President for Research technology team at vprit@k-state.edu.
| | External events and announcements | | National Science Foundation office hours and webinars | | |
The National Science Foundation is hosting a variety of office hours and webinars throughout 2025 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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EPSCoR Live! E-RISE funding
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Thursday, April 10, 3-4 p.m.
This EPSCoR Live! session will be of particular interest to researchers and leaders within research administration in EPSCoR jurisdictions, who would like to learn more about the E-RISE funding opportunity.
In this session, EPSCoR Program Directors Casonya Johnson and Jeanne Small will discuss the new solicitation NSF 25-522 for the EPSCoR RII program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE), which supports hypothesis-driven or problem-driven research and fosters the development of partnerships and products that aim to drive long-term improvements in research infrastructure, enhance R&D capacity, and boost the research competitiveness of EPSCoR jurisdictions.
Advance registration is required. Click here to register. EPSCoR Live! participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance through the registration form or by sending an email to epscor-live@nsf.gov.
| | Panelists needed for NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows | | |
The NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is recruiting panelists for the NSF EPSCoR Research Fellows (ERF) funding opportunity, under solicitation NSF 24-528.
For this year’s competition, you are invited to complete a reviewer recruitment survey to assist with the process of setting up merit review panels. Panels will be held in June-July 2025.
If interested, click here to complete the survey.
Please note that panelist selection will be guided by expertise in alignment with the solicitation requirements and research topic. Panelists will be asked to write reviews before the panel meeting. If you are not selected for this year’s competition, you may be contacted for future competitions.
Thank you in advance for completing the survey by April 15, 2025.
| | Message from the NSF Assistant Director for Engineering | | |
With the start of 2025, the U.S. National Science Foundation continues to support exciting engineering research and education projects that will power our economy and strengthen our nation's health and security.
In the past month, the NSF Directorate for Engineering has invested in new projects to advance semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, manufacturing and more. This fiscal year we have already invested in groundbreaking ideas in 38 states and the District of Columbia.
Most of our awards are supported through engineering core programs — the discovery mainstay of NSF ENG. Core programs supports engineering creativity and discovery across disciplines and topics, and they accept proposals at any time. They fund multiyear research projects, conferences, short-term exploratory research (EAGER), and industry collaboration (GOALI). See more proposal mechanisms available for consideration.
When you have a great research idea, I encourage you to look into ENG core programs for support. Our program directors welcome you to reach out to them to discuss your brief project concept.
Keep up to date:
Learn about NSF's implementation of recent executive orders. Questions and answers are updated regularly on our website.
| | The 2025 PI Launchpad: From Science Idea to NASA Mission In Person Workshop | | |
Are you thinking about developing your first flight mission proposal in the next few years but have no idea where to start? Are you working or studying in any NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) discipline? If you are a scientist who would like to submit a NASA space mission proposal in the next few years but don’t know where to start, this August workshop is for you! We are interested in expanding the pool of potential NASA space mission Principal Investigators.
Workshop Description:
Ames Research Center, in collaboration with the University of Arizona, the University of Michigan, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC and the Heising-Simons Foundation, will host the PI Launchpad to guide participants through ways to turn their science and technology questions into a mission concept. Participants will go step-by-step through the process of developing a science case, defining requirements, building a team, securing partnerships, and obtaining support from the home institution. Participants also will have time for networking and personal reflection as they mature their mission concepts.
We are interested in expanding the pool of potential NASA space mission PIs. We will select between 35-40 participants from eligible applicants depending on funding availability and on the merit of the applications. Please visit the NASA NSPIRES website for the Pre-application Virtual Session Connection Information, application details, etc.
Please email questions to the 2025 NASA PI Launch Pad Organizers at this shared address hq-smd-piworkshop@mail.nasa.gov.
| | HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge | | |
APHIS is making up to $100,000,000 available in FY 2025 to support high-value and high-impact projects that explore vaccines, therapeutics, research, and other strategies to combat avian influenza, lower egg prices, and protect the U.S. poultry industry. Eligible applicants are invited to submit proposals that align with and support the priority topics listed below by the deadline on May 19, 2025. Priority topics include:
1. Develop novel vaccines to protect poultry from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that are safe, potent, and efficacious across multiple avian species and against current circulating clades.
2. Develop novel therapeutics to address HPAI in poultry, including preventing, controlling, or eliminating HPAI virus, characterizing genomic targets for disease resistance, and supporting poultry health.
3. Conduct research to further understand avian influenza in poultry and to improve response strategies.
For questions about the HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge program and about this funding opportunity, required documents, or the ezFedGrants application process, please refer to the detailed information provided on the HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge website or contact SM.AP.HPAI.Challenge@usda.gov.
| | Office of Science Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2025 Undergraduate Internships | | |
Applications are currently being accepted for the Fall 2025 term of two undergraduate internship programs offered by the Department of Energy Office of Science: The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program and the Community College Internships (CCI) program. The application deadline is May 21, 2025.
Through SULI and CCI, undergraduate students and recent graduates discover science and technology careers at the DOE national laboratories and gain new knowledge, skills, and experience to further their educational and career goals. Interns work directly with national laboratory scientists, engineers, and technical professionals, assisting them on research or technical projects that support the DOE mission. SULI is open to full-time students attending either 2-or 4-year colleges and universities or recent graduates within two years of receiving their bachelor’s degree or associate degree, while CCI is exclusively for community college students. Both programs are stipend-based and offered three times annually in fall, spring, and summer terms.
The program office invites applicants and letter of recommendation writers to attend SULI and CCI Office Hours to answer administrative questions such as those pertaining to uploading transcripts, submitting letters of recommendation, and general inquiries. Office hours are scheduled on April 30, May 7, and May 14. Registration (register here) is required for attendance.
| | Agency news and trending topics | | |
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