|
Pathway to Commercialization Awards announced
The Office of the Vice President for Research, in partnership with K-State Innovation Partners, is pleased to announce the Pathway to Commercialization Grant Program awards.
Successful applications support early-stage research on technologies that have definable or demonstrated potential commercial impact and for which identification, selection, and investment by the Office of the Vice President for Research and engagement with Innovation Partners will help set the research on a development path that can garner additional grant funding and could eventually yield disclosures of associated commercially viable intellectual property. Up to $200,000 will be distributed through this program in this inaugural year.
A total of 15 highly competitive proposals were submitted and four were selected for funding:
- Shih-kang “Scott” Fan, Mechanical and Nuclear engineering: “Liquid Partitioning for rapid digital polymerase chain reaction testing.”
- Laura Miller, Diagnostic Medicine Pathobiology: “A new method of producing broadly protective PRRSV vaccines.”
- Lihua Wang, Anatomy & Physiology: “Development of long-acting and low-immunogenicity vaccine for ASF control and prevention.”
- Mark Weiss, Anatomy & Physiology: “Engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) as targeted drug therapies.
Pathway to Commercialization is a competitive grant program intended to help faculty inventors take the first step in advancing concepts or research that have not yet yielded a technology disclosure, and which are currently purely conceptual in nature or have not yet advanced to the point of garnering other state, federal, or industry grant funding. This inaugural program was launched to all K-State faculty on April 17.
More information about the program can be found on the Office of the Vice President for Research website.
| |
K-State events and announcements | |
Graduate Research Fellowship Program Information and In-depth Writing Sessions | |
|
The Graduate School, the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships, and the Office of Research Development will host an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, or GRFP, information session at 3:30-5 p.m. on August 30 via Zoom. The NSF GRFP Fellowships support outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and social science disciplines or STEM education who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees. This session will take an in-depth look at the requirements for an NSF GFRP submission. A panel of faculty members who have served on review panels for this program will discuss tips and provide advice that you will not find in this program’s Request for Proposals. Students will also have an opportunity to talk about their research ideas with the panel. If you are serious about submitting to this program, this is a session you should not miss. Major professors are encouraged to attend.
In addition, there will be two follow-on, more in-depth sessions presented by Beth Powers, director of the Office Nationally Competitive Scholarships. The first session will cover tips for organizing your essays, understanding broader impacts and intellectual merit and maximizing your effectiveness in telling your story and describing your research. You have two options for attending this session — 4-5 p.m. on September 5 via Zoom, or 12-1 p.m. on September 8 in person.
The second follow-on session will be a writing workshop that will give you a chance to test-run your draft personal statement. Your draft must be submitted to Beth Powers by 5 p.m., Tuesday, September 12. Each attendee will be assigned to review one peer’s application using a rubric provided. Dr. Powers will read all applications and facilitate a conversation where feedback is given to each person, and everyone gets a chance to learn from their own and others’ feedback. This session will be held 12:30-2 p.m. on September 15. Students can attend in person or via Zoom.
Registration is required for each session. Please click on the link for those sessions you want to attend. Zoom links/room numbers will be sent 3 days before the sessions.
|
|
K-State Innovation Partners launches stakeholder survey for faculty and staff | |
|
K-State Innovation Partners is committed to collaborating with university, industry and communities to deliver a streamlined mission of corporate engagement, technology commercialization and economic development. Driven by innovation, this nationally unique organizational structure serves K-State, community partners and industry in one comprehensive unit. This allows for efficient intellectual property protection, economic opportunities and a consistent experience for partners.
As a service unit and partner, we are dedicated to collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to identify common goals and shared initiatives for the benefit of K-State, communities and the state of Kansas. In order to best serve the university, we would appreciate K-State faculty and staff completing this survey to provide feedback. This survey is aimed at improving efforts to support technology commercialization, corporate engagement, and economic development at K-State. Your feedback is crucial in shaping our strategies and initiatives as we strive to create a thriving ecosystem of innovation and growth. Thank you for taking the time to contribute to our mission. Participants in the survey will be entered into a drawing to win one of three $100 gift certificates.
For questions regarding the survey or to connect with K-State Innovation Partners staff, please contact us at tech.transfer@k-state.edu.
| |
External events and announcements | |
August Virtual Office Hours with the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems | |
|
12-1 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 17
Join NSF on Thursday August 17, 2023, 12pm - 1pm CST for this month’s IOS Virtual Office Hour. IOS Program Officers will discuss annual reports, the information that is required within annual reports, and handle questions audience members have. To participate, please register in advance.
| |
Information and Intelligent Systems Office Hours | |
|
12 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 17
Hosts for this office hour:
Jong-on Hahm, Program Director (EDU/DGE GRFP)
Sami Manning, Program Specialist (EDU/DGE GRFP)
Thomas Martin, Program Director (CISE/IIS)
Wendy Nilsen, Deputy Division Director (CISE/IIS)
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) provides three years of support over a five-year fellowship period for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. Please join us for this CISE office hour to find out about the program and get guidance on the application process for graduate students in CISE disciplines.
These Office Hours are for researchers interested in learning about programs and policies in the Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) in the Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate (CISE) at NSF. Office Hours are designed to give current and potential investigators a window into IIS and other Directorate partners. Attendance at office hours is voluntary and designed to help investigators gain information that can help them strengthen their proposals. Sessions will be closed-captioned.
Please note that the office hours are designed to answer questions for a broad range of researchers and not inquiries about specific proposals. If you would like to talk to about a specific proposal you are considering submitting or which was already reviewed, please email the relevant program. This will connect you with program officers with whom you can ask questions.
Register here.
| |
Office Hours: Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems | |
|
2:30-4 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 18
Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE) program is hosting a virtual Q&A session on Friday, August 18, 2023, from 2:30–4 p.m. CST. In this session, program directors will briefly discuss technical details about submitting a proposal for the POSE funding opportunity and answer questions about the program.
Real-time captions will be available. For other reasonable accommodations, please email rarequest@nsf.gov in advance.
POSE proposals are due September 7, 2023. Refer to the program solicitation for more details and find more information on the POSE website.
Register for this event.
| |
Synthesis Center for Understanding Organismal Resilience Webinar | |
|
10-11 a.m.
Thursday, Aug. 24
Synthesis Center for Understanding Organismal Resilience is intended to advance our ability to explain and predict organismal resiliency and plasticity in response to complex and dynamic environmental circumstances encountered over a lifespan through the synthesis of varied data sets and types that bridge multiple scales and levels.
View the solicitation.
The presentation and discussion will include:
- Explanation of the program goals
- Details of the solicitation
- Answer questions from prospective PIs
Register for this event.
| |
Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry CHE Office Hour | |
|
3-4 p.m.
Friday, August 25
The National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry is hosting an office hour about one of its Disciplinary Research Programs: The Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry, or MSN, program. The office hour will be hosted at 3 p.m. on Friday, August 25 and will be hosted by Suk-Wah Tam-Chang. It will feature a discussion of the program scope, funding priorities, program portfolio, and recent research highlights, followed by a Q&A session.
Registration is required. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Please register to attend.
| |
MCB Virtual Office Hour: Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology | |
|
1-2 p.m.
September 13
Join the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, or MCB, at the National Science Foundation for our next virtual office hour. The topic will be Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology. Program Directors will be present to address your questions.
Please register to attend.
| |
|
11 a.m.-5 p.m.
September 13-14
The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems, or IOS, within NSF’s Directorate for Biological Sciences, or BIO, invites postdoctoral researchers supported by IOS grants to our virtual colloquium “From Postdoc to Principal Investigator.”
This two-day virtual colloquium will highlight the scientific research and broader impacts of postdocs supported by IOS and provide key insights on funding and proposal preparation topics relevant to IOS-funded postdocs as they plan their career transition to beginning principal investigators. Each day will also include opportunities to engage with NSF Program Directors in Q&A breakout sessions.
Register for the colloquium today!
| |
U.S.-Japan Brain Research Cooperative Program (BRCP) | |
|
NIH is pleased to announce the release of the following Notice of Special Interest as part of the National Institutes of Health continuation of the U.S. entity of the U.S.-Japan Brain Research Cooperative Program, or BRCP.
The U.S.-Japan BRCP promotes scientist exchange, training, and research collaborations between neuroscientists from the U.S. and Japan. This administrative supplement program provides funds to currently active research grants that are supported by one of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers.
Application due date – 5 p.m., September 18.
For inquiries and additional information, please visit https://www.ninds.nih.gov/us-japan-brcp.
| |
|
September 27-28
The George Washington University in Washington D.C.
The 2023 AI4SE/SE4AI Workshop will be held September 27-28 at the George Washington University in Washington, DC.
The rapid development of AI presents both tremendous opportunities and inherent risks. As AI continues to revolutionize various industries, it becomes crucial to strike a delicate balance between seizing the potential benefits and addressing the potential risks. The conference theme, “Balancing Opportunity and Risk: The Systems Engineer’s Role in the Rapid Advancement of AI-Based Systems,” aims to foster discussions and insights on the responsible deployment of AI in systems engineering and how systems engineering can support the development of robust and ethical AI systems.
The deadline to register is September 12.
For more information and to register, visit the workshop website.
| |
|
October 12-13, 2023
Denver, Colorado
Calling all land-grant colleagues!
Join the Northcentral Region Water Network in Denver, Colorado to discuss how we can work together across institutions to address vulnerability associated with climate change, protect and restore our waters for future generations, and advance culturally rich and sustainable food systems and food sovereignty.
The North Central Region Water Network, The First American Land-Grant Consortium, or FALCON, and partners from across the North Central Region are excited to host a workshop for 1862, 1890, and 1994 land-grant colleagues working on climate and water-related issues.
This in-person workshop will be held ahead of the FALCON Annual Conference, starting mid-day on October 12 and ending at 1 p.m. on October 13 in Downtown Denver, Colorado.
Together, we will create actionable recommendations to improve collaborations among land-grant institutions in ways that will increase our ability to provide climate and water programming in equitable and just ways with a focus on serving Black and Indigenous communities.
Learn more.
| |
Defense TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo 2023 | |
|
November 28-30
Gaylord National Harbor in Washington D.C.
This is our 12th annual program, bringing together defense, private industry, federal agencies, and academic leadership to accelerate applications for state-of-the-art technology solutions. Our unique Innovation Partner packages for Defense TechConnect 2023 offers exceptional networking, showcase, pitch, and expo opportunities for your organization. By participating, you will have the chance to be front and center at one of the largest dedicated emerging tech and innovation matchmaking conferences of the year. Become a TechConnect Innovation Partner!
In addition to Defense TechConnect 2023, we are co-locating two conferences - SBIR/STTR Fall Innovation and Smart Cities 2023. This collaboration will provide a unique opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange.
Save the date and mark your calendars for this premier event! Already prepared to apply? Go ahead and submit your technology applications.
| |
Agency news and trending topics | |
|
At least 20% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, never showed symptoms. These asymptomatic infections could provide clues to how the virus can be quickly cleared from the body. Genetic factors may be involved. However, most studies of genetics and COVID-19 outcomes to date have focused on severe disease.
An NIH-funded study looked for genetic variation associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections. The researchers examined how these variations affected the function of T cells, a part of the immune system that is key for fighting viral infections. Results appeared in Nature on July 19, 2023. NIH
"Bolstered by the historic investment Congress and the administration provided in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations legislation, NSF is working at speed and scale to accelerate technology, safeguard U.S. investments through enhanced research security, strengthen the discovery ecosystem, and invest in the U.S. STEM research and development and workforce enterprise to unleash opportunities for everyone and innovation everywhere." - NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan
Generative approach to research integrity
It’s been a bad few weeks for public perceptions of research integrity, as multiple cases at elite universities have received wide news coverage. Francesca Gino, a scientist at Harvard University, is in a legal dispute over whether data in newly retracted papers about dishonesty were manipulated; she is now suing Harvard and the researchers who surfaced the alleged problems. Likewise, Duke University is investigating published work by scientist Daniel Ariely. Johns Hopkins University may initiate an investigation of research misconduct by Nobel laureate Gregg Semenza. And most prominently, the president of Stanford University, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, recently resigned after the institution’s report determined that the “culture” in his laboratory contributed to manipulation of results. Science
The National Institutes of Health is releasing a comprehensive dataset that standardizes genomic, proteomic, imaging, and clinical data from individual studies of more than 1,000 tumors across 10 cancer types. Researchers from around the world will be able to use this publicly available resource to uncover new molecular insights into how cancers develop and progress. The dataset was generated by the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) at the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. NIH
| |
|
k-state.edu/research
researchweekly@k-state.edu
785.532.5110
| | | | |
