The Office of the Vice President for Research announces a request for proposals for the Global Food Systems Seed Grant Program for innovative research covering all aspects of global food systems. 

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Increasing food production — crops or livestock.
• Better management of water and other resources or systems related to food production and distribution or better management of the food produced.
• Keeping food systems safe
• Increasing food nutritional value.
• Policy, social concerns, and economic factors driving food systems.
• Combating obesity and nutritional illiteracy.

Key dates:

• Required Industry Perspectives Workshop: 1-2 p.m., Tuesday, March 5 or 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 6.
• Proposals due: Friday, April 5.

More information about eligibility, guidelines and funding amounts can be found on the OVPR website.

February 12-16

Kansas State University’s Environmental Health and Safety Office, in partnership with campus and community collaborators, is observing Laboratory Safety Awareness Week.

Whether in a laboratory, the clinic, or the field, researchers are at the heart of making great things possible. Laboratory Safety Week is a week-long event offering ideas, training, and resources to keep researchers safe and healthy.

Faculty, staff, students, future researchers, the university community, and external stakeholders are encouraged to attend, virtually or on campus.

Those in attendance (virtual and in person) will receive course certificates and entry into the grand prize drawing.

Registration is not required.

Presentation Zoom link.

All events will be in the K-State Student Union and streamed on Zoom, except for Dr. Clavijo's NBAF presentation. 

The Office of the Vice President for Research announces new funding available to assist faculty in research planning and large-grant development.

The Travel, Acceleration and Planning, or TAP Grants will provide funding for travel to meet with agency or foundation personnel, travel to meet with collaborators at other institutions for proposal development meetings, support for potential co-investigators at other institutions to travel to K-State for proposal development meetings and faculty and/or staff support for large center-level grant development. 

The process for requesting TAP funds is designed to be simple and fast. The Office of the Vice President for Research will provide quick responses to all properly filed requests.

Full descriptions, funding amounts and procedures for requesting funding are available on the OVPR website.

Deadline: March 4, 2024 by 5:00 p.m.



The Office of Research Development announces the spring 2024 Faculty Development Award, or FDA, and University Small Research Grants, or USRG, call for proposals for K-State tenured or tenure track faculty who are interested in receiving assistance in their scholarly activities and professional development.

Note: faculty must have at least some percentage of their appointment devoted to research.

The Faculty Development Awards program provides support for travel to international meetings — primarily at international locations — or to meet with program officers from potential external sponsors.

The University Small Research Grants program is a seed grant program to support early research, scholarly activity, and other creative efforts.

More information about the program can be found here.

Please contact the Office of Research Development if you have any additional questions: ord@k-state.edu or 785-532-6195. 

John W. Fountain, U.S. Scholar to Ghana, 2022

In February 2024, the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program will launch our 2025-26 competition! Hundreds of awards across all world regions will allow academics, professionals and artists to teach, research, and carry out professional projects abroad.  

Curious to see what awards in 2025-26 have to offer? Join our first webinar of the year to learn more about the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, awards and the application process:



The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program: Opportunities for 2025-26

Thursday, February 15 1:30-2:30 p.m. CT

Register here to join us!

Already know a region, country or award that interests you? Register to join our webinars featuring specific Fulbright U.S. Scholar opportunities.  Visit our Webinar Schedule for events throughout the competition starting with:

• February 28: South and Central Asia
• February 29: East Asia and the Pacific
• March 6: Europe and Eurasia
• March 11: Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship
• March 13: Western Hemisphere
• March 20: Sub-Saharan Africa
• March 27: Middle East and North Africa

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress to support innovative science addressing today’s food and agriculture challenges and complement the research mission of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. FFAR was created in the 2014 Farm Bill as a mechanism to spur innovation in food and agriculture research by forming unique public-private partnerships.

FFAR invites experts across the agricultural sciences to review grant proposals within topic areas according to their expertise. We are currently recruiting peer reviewers for the 2024 New Innovator Award, which provides early career scientists the investment needed to propel them into successful research careers.

The success of the peer review process depends on the willingness of qualified reviewers like you to share your time and expertise. You will be asked to review up to five (5) proposals in April - May 2024. In appreciation for completing the reviews, an honorarium will be provided to eligible, non-government employees.

To participate and receive more information, please complete the 2-minute survey by February 28, 2024 to confirm that we can count on you to make this review process successful. We hope you consider this opportunity to work with FFAR as we strive to support innovative agricultural research.

If you are unable to review for FFAR at this time, please consider nominating other experts who may serve as potential reviewers. Thank you in advance for your support, and we look forward to hearing from you! 

Office Hours: Intro to America’s Seed Fund at NSF

February 20, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

March 28, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

See additional dates and times on nsf.gov

Join this question-and-answer session to learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by the National Science Foundation. A Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program director will answer questions about how to get started, the basics of eligibility and what they look for when they review project pitches.

Register for the Intro to America's Seed Fund webinar on Zoom.

Thursday, February 8th

8:30 a.m.

Kraft Heinz scientists will be discussing their partnering opportunities on Halo and answering questions directly from researchers. Opportunities can be viewed below:

Natural food preservation ingredients against molds and yeasts

Kraft Heinz is seeking natural ingredients and technologies that can replace artificial preservative ingredients in foods to inhibit spoilage microorganisms like molds and yeasts including the acid-tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii.

Encapsulation technologies for probiotics in low pH beverages

Kraft Heinz is seeking encapsulation of probiotics to allow for long-term stability of probiotics in a low pH, shelf-stable beverage.

Register for the webinar here.

February 12, 2024 from 6-7:30 p.m.

February 15, 2024 from 8-9:30 a.m.

February 21, 2024 from 11-12:30 p.m.

February 22, 2024 from 4-5:30 p.m.

Catalyzing Across Sectors to Advance the Bioeconomy (CASA-Bio) is a collaborative, facilitated activity, inspired by the Executive Order (EO) on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy.

Stakeholders from Federal agencies, industry, and non-profits have identified a group of Subtheme Challenges that span the five Bioeconomy EO Themes: climate change, food and agriculture, supply chain resilience, human health, and cross cutting areas to advance all these areas.

In February, we will host four virtual Town Hall meetings to hear from the research community about the ideas they view as having exciting potential to advance the bioeconomy. Share your ideas for research on these or other areas that have the potential to advance the bioeconomy.

If you are able to attend, register for a Town Hall to collaborate with others on developing research ideas, and share your individual ideas ahead of the Town Hall.

If you are unable to attend, we would still love to hear our research ideas, so please share online.

EPSCoR Webinar: The Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships

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. There are many cross-cutting TIP activities. Our webinar will focus on several of them, including Regional Innovation Engines and Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity.

Register here to join the webinar at 1 p.m. on February 12

February 13, 2024, 2 p.m.

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

Register here.

February 13, 2024, 10-11 a.m.

Please join the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering on February 13, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT for a Distinguished Lecture by Intel Fellow Dr. Ravi Mahajan on “How Advanced Packaging Will Shape the Semiconductor Industry.”

Register in advance for this virtual event: 

Please join the Decision Risk Management Sciences office hour to discuss questions about the program with the program directors. 

Office hours take place over Zoom monthly, generally on Wednesdays. Please see upcoming dates listed below.

February 14, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

March 13, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

April 17, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

To join, use the Decision Risk Management Sciences office hour Zoom link

• All meetings during office hours are 1-on-1. Guests are seen in the order they join. You may have to wait if others join before you.
• If you need captions or other accommodations, please contact Claudia Gonzalez-Vallejo or Bob O'Connor in advance. 

For more information about the program, visit the Decision Risk Management Sciences program page.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

This webinar will give an overview of NIJ’s Graduate Research Fellowship, which invites applications for doctoral dissertation research on 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. This solicitation will be open to doctoral students in all science and engineering fields.

The presenters will discuss program scope, eligibility, application elements, and frequently asked questions.

Register to attend and to be notified when materials are available online.

Join us Thursday February 15, 2024, 12-1 p.m. for this month’s IOS Virtual Office Hour.

This month’s Virtual Office Hour will outline NSF opportunities that early career investigators, from graduate students to Assistant Professors.

Register here.

February 15, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

February 29, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

See additional dates and times on nsf.gov

Join this open-ended session to ask questions about what’s needed when creating a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) proposal. A SBIR/STTR program director will answer questions and point you to resources.

Register here.

Join us on Thursday, February 15^th, 12 – 1 p.m. for the next IOS Virtual Office Hour where we will provide some key introductory information relevant to all early-career investigators (from graduate students to assistant professors). If you’re new to applying to NSF, come learn about how to find funding opportunities and resources on proposal writing tips. We will also discuss two solicitations that are highly relevant to new assistant professors, the Building Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology and the Faculty Early Career Development programs. Representatives familiar with both the BRC-BIO and the CAREER programs will be in attendance to answer questions. 

We will end the virtual office hour with a general Q&A session.

IOS Virtual Office Hours are held on the third Thursday of every month from 12 – 1 p.m.

Register here.

February 16, 2024, 1-2 p.m.

The National Science Foundation's Responsible Design, Development and Deployment of Technologies (ReDDDoT) program invites you to attend a virtual office hour session.

A ReDDDoT program director will host a group discussion to answer questions about the funding opportunity and the proposal submission process. Following the Q&A portion, there will be track/topic-specific breakout sessions – for ReDDDoT, the tracks are AI, biotech, and natural and anthropogenic disaster prevention or mitigation.

The session can hold a maximum of 30 participants, so we kindly ask that only one per proposing team register and attend.

Register here.

The National Funding Foundation has transformed our award-winning program into a first-rate professional development program. We are pleased to announce a live and virtual professional proposal program identical to our award-winning in-person program. 

The National Funding Foundation is offering the Professional Grant Proposal Writing Workshop on March 11, 2024. Interested development professionals, administrators, researchers, faculty, and graduate students should register as soon as possible, as demand means that seats will fill up quickly.

All participants will receive the National Funding Foundation's Certificate in Professional Grant Proposal Writing.

Registration forms can be found here.

Join us for the webinar about the revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

NSF will present information about these changes in a webinar on March 12th at 1 p.m.

You are encouraged to review the by-chapter Summary of Changes provided in the PAPPG.

More information and registration can be found here.

NIH study shows higher mortality rates for patients on respiratory support in rural intermediate care units

A new National Institutes of Health-supported study finds that patients receiving ventilator life support in the intermediate care units – a potentially less costly alternative for people not sick enough for the intensive care units but too ill for the general ward – of rural hospitals had significantly higher death rates than patients in the same type of unit at urban hospitals. NIH



First aircraft to fly on Mars dies — but leaves a legacy of science

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, the first aircraft to fly on another world, has died. It perished on 18 January during its 72nd flight in Jezero Crater on Mars. Ingenuity was nearly three years old (if you count just its time on the red planet). nature.com



Abnormal proteins found in the spinal fluid of people with ALS and frontotemporal dementia

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health detected abnormal proteins in the spinal fluid of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, which could help improve diagnosis of these diseases. NIH

The world has warmed 1.5 °C, according to 300-year-old sponges

The planet has already passed 1.5 °C of warming, according to a new measuring technique that goes back further in time than current methods. At the 2015 Paris Climate Accords, nations agreed not to exceed 1.5 °C, a guardrail of climate change. nature.com

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