Federal government transition information | |
The Office of the Vice President for Research would like to update you on recent federal policy changes and their potential impact on research at K-State. As you may be aware, several recent executive orders have temporarily paused certain federal agency operations. Read the full letter from VPR Coetzee. | |
Faculty research spotlight | |
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Kaliramesh Siliveru, associate professor, grain science and industry
College of Agriculture
Research overview:
My broad research goals are to develop mitigation strategies for addressing food safety issues in grains and grain-based products. My research goals also include developing processing technologies for addressing the needs of gluten-free and plant protein industries. I also develop simulation models to identify the impacts of climate change and agronomic practices on the end-use quality of grain-based food products.
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What motivated you to pursue research in this specific field, and how has your focus evolved over time?
Recent foodborne illness outbreaks associated with wheat flour have affected the people in the U.S. and northern France. These outbreaks resulted in 66 hospitalizations and two deaths. Witnessing these cases due to a common pantry ingredient consumption motivated me to pursue my research in this field.
What is your approach to this research?
I have created a Flour Protection Working Group bringing farmers, industry experts and scientists on one platform and we have received about $1.5 million in funding to tackle this problem. We have developed intervention strategies for mitigating pathogen contamination in wheat flour.
Have there been any significant challenges or breakthroughs in your recent research, and how have you addressed or leveraged them?
The significant breakthrough is the developed intervention strategies and their adoption in the milling industries. Also, our group is the first one to report the auditing locations in the wheat mill, which is a key resource for the millers for preventing illness outbreaks.
What is the potential impact of your research on your field and on broader societal issues?
My research has a direct impact on food consumers. With developed intervention strategies, it is possible to not have to worry about eating raw cookie dough, for example. The other major impact is the next-generation researchers I have trained — 15 graduates and 36 undergraduates — and the impact they will have in the world.
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 | |
Office of Research Development announces new Design, Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities grant opportunity | |
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The Kansas State University, Office of Research Development announces a new funding opportunity for faculty researchers working in the fields of design, arts, social sciences, and humanities. The Design, Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (DASH) award is an annual opportunity for one-time, one-year $10,000 awards to support research, scholarly work, or creative activities.
Applications follow the same eligibility guidelines as and must include all items requested in the call for University Small Research Grants, but unlike that lower-funded internal program, your DASH budget can include up to one summer month of faculty salary. DASH proposals are due by 5 p.m. on March 3, 2025. Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF file to ord@ksu.edu.
Proposals will be peer-reviewed and awardees notified by early May. Award periods will begin on July 1, 2025.
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Congratulations to the Fall 2024 Faculty Development Awards and University Small Research Grant awardees | |
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Please join the Office of Research Development in congratulating the faculty members who have received fall 2024 Faculty Development Awards and University Small Research Grants.
Nine Faculty Development Award proposals were awarded funds totaling $27,575.
The fall 2024 FDA awardees are:
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Emily Mailey, Kinesiology
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Anuja Madan, English
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Raelynne Hale, modern languages
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Julio Hernandez Pavon, Psychological Sciences
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Craig McGill, Special Education, Counseling & S.A.
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Angela Kraemer-Holland, Curriculum & Instruction
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Maja Stojanovic, Educational Leadership
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Yue Teng Vaughan, Hospitality Management
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Craig Spencer, Mathematics
Seven University Small Research Grant proposals will receive funds totaling $30,601.
The fall 2024 USRG awardees are:
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Shalene Allen, Psychological Sciences
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Colleen White, School of Music, Theatre and Dance
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Naidan Tu, Psychological Sciences
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Rebecca Bender, Modern Languages
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Steve Maxwell, School of Music, Theatre and Dance
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Carolyn Ferguson and Sarah De Groot, Division of Biology
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Chad Schwartz, Architecture
Congratulations to all awardees!
Faculty Development Awards and University Small Research Grants are awarded each fall and spring by the Office of the Vice President for Research through the Office of Research Development.
The FDA and USRG reviewers were Mary Lou Marino, Office of Research Development; Ramasamy Sakthivel, Office of Research Development; Gina Becker, Office of Research Development; David Defries, history; Andrea Faber, modern languages; Phillip Marzluf, English; Nancy Morrow, art; David Rehfeld, applied human sciences; Madhav Sharma, business administration. The contributions of the reviewers are highly appreciated.
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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 January 31 webinar to your calendar and then join via Teams for each session. Please note that the registration link for the subsequent meetings will only be provided to those who have registered for the first webinar. However, attendees are open to share the meeting invitation to interested parties as they wish.
Please contact Zach DeMars (zdemars@mriglobal.org) with any questions.
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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 | |
Cancellation of Posted Notices of Funding Opportunity | |
At this time, NIJ has cancelled all previously posted Notices of Funding Opportunity and associated webinars. Please check back to NIJ.OJP.gov and Grants.gov to keep up to date on future NOFO and webinar postings. | |
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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Quad Fellowship – Elevating the Brightest Minds in STEM for Collective Good | |
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We are holding a series of Info Sessions over the next few weeks, and we invite you to attend and learn more about the Quad Fellowship and the application process. Info session dates and registration links are given below:
Attendance at the info sessions is optional and not required to apply. Should you have any questions, please contact us at quadfellowshipinfo@iie.org.
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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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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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Smart Community Frontiers: Virtual Symposium on Smart and Connected Water Management | |
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February 6, 2025, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Please join us for a virtual symposium celebrating the work of researchers funded by the National Science Foundation’s Smart and Connected Communities program. We will hear from three innovative scholars who are addressing the urgent need for new and advanced technologies for transforming and enhancing the basic functions and resilience of water management systems and practices.
Register for the virtual symposium here
Communities face constantly evolving challenges through shifts and changes in demographics, economic opportunities, technology, built and natural environments, and available services. The NSF Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) program brings together researchers and local communities to accelerate the creation and deployment of novel intelligent technologies, concepts, and solutions that address major societal challenges and improve overall quality of life for people.
This symposium will highlight novel approaches to addressing the challenges that urban and rural communities face with water management. From flooding during heavy storms to managing pollution and agricultural run-off, water management relies on complex and interconnected systems, and their proper functioning is essential for communities to thrive. The following S&CC-funded scholars will be featured in this symposium:
- Dr. Branko Kerkez, University of Michigan: “Overcoming Social and Technical Barriers for the Broad Adoption of Smart Stormwater Systems”
- Dr. Virginia Smith, Villanova University: “Smart, Sustainable, and Equitable Green Stormwater Systems in Urban Communities”
- Dr. Liang Dong, Iowa State University: “Connecting Farming Communities for Sustainable Crop Production and Environment Using Smart Agricultural Drainage”
For questions, please contact Vishal Sharma (vsharma@nsf.gov) or Jacob Kravetz (jkravetz@nsf.gov).
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OSP Now Accepting Applications for 2025 Summer Science Policy Internship Program | |
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What are your plans for the summer? What about spending the summer with NIH shaping biomedical research and building your policy skills? If science policy is your calling, the OSP Summer Internship Program might be right for you.
Watch this informational video to hear more about the program from the OSP Director by checking out and learn how to apply. All application materials must be received no later than February 28, 2025.
Questions may be sent to SciencePolicy@od.nih.gov. If you are not yet a subscriber to this listserv, please sign up here.
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Agency news and trending topics | |
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k-state.edu/research
researchweekly@k-state.edu
785.532.5110
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