June 11, 2020
Funding Connection

The Department of Agriculture, NIFA’s  Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative  focuses on collaborative science engagement and invites innovative research proposals that will lay the foundation for expanding knowledge concerning genomes and phenomes of crops and animals of importance to the agriculture sector of the United States. 

The  Department of Health and Human Service, NIH’s  Enhancing Science, Technology, EnginEering, and Math Education Diversity Research Education Experiences (R25 )   program’s goal is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research.


COVID-19  laboratory/studio/research site reopening plans
Up-to-date information for reopening laboratories, studios and other research sites can be found on the new university COVID-19 website .

Information for opening a site as well as sample plans and checklists can be found under Unit plans -> Research -> Site plan or by going directly to

Specific safe operating procedures
Under a phased reopening of research activities, new standard operating procedures (SOPs) or adjustments to current SOPs may need to be made. These should be called out in the reopening plan.

General Guidance
Events and announcements
The Australian-American Fulbright Commission is pleased to announce a new U.S. Scholar award focusing on rural and regional issues that would be of particular interest to Kansas State University. Applications are open until September 15. For more information, click on the link below.

New Rural/Regional U.S. Scholar Award through the Australian-American Fulbright Commission, closing on September 15, 2020 .
How to Engage with the AFRL Research Ecosystem
A webinar event for universities interested in working with AFRL

7:45-11 a.m.
Friday, June 19, 2020

This live virtual event is a great opportunity for university researchers and administrators to learn how do business with the Air Force Research Laboratory – from basic to applied. Hear real accounts of researchers who have successfully navigated the system and transitioned work to the commercial sector. Get tips and resources from subject matter experts on applying for funding and building lasting relationships in the research ecosystem!

Speakers include representatives from BRICC, AFOSR, Basic Research Office at OSD, APEX, Doolittle Institute, and Adranos, Inc.

Plant Growth Research and Technologies Featured in Upcoming NASA Webinar
1 p.m. 
June 23, 2020

The  Space Crop Production Lab  at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is a plant processing area - a web of ground research laboratories equipped with plant growth chambers of all sizes and the ability to simulate the International Space Station environment. That along with a team of researchers capable of applying the chemistry, biology, microbiology, and engineering needed to make plants grow in space, makes NASA a one of a kind hub for fulfilling space biology and growing crops in space.   

NASA’s webinar will feature researcher, Jacob Torres, who will discuss the latest food production research and technologies developed at NASA. These include a  Passive Porous Plant Nutrient System  that requires no electricity or moving parts, and a variety of micro-gravity simulation testing systems for plant growth. Also included will be some video clips of Jacob inside the lab exhibiting some of his technologies and ongoing research projects. 

Virtual Scientific Writing Workshop
8:30-11:30 a.m.
June 25

The Genetics Society of America and BioKansas have partnered to develop a Scientific Writing Program to provide students with valuable experience in how to navigate the process of scientific writing. The workshop, which is geared toward students in the biological sciences, provides an overview of how to create a cohesive manuscript, guidance for managing data, and tips for creating effective visualizations. 

This workshop is being offered at no cost thanks to generous funding support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Graduate students and postdocs are invited to register for our virtual workshop.

Advanced  registration  is required to attend and space is limited.
Defense TechConnect: Innovation for national security
Converging the innovation ecosystem - military leadership, industry scouts, non-traditionals, startups, and investors. Connecting the top DOD offices with the world's best technologies.

Call for Submissions - due July 17
Panels, Posters, Innovations & Exhibitors
K-State RSCAD in the news
Agency news and trending topics
COVID-19 research is being published at an astonishingly fast pace and taken up by the public quickly. That comes with problems. insidehighered.com

New and diverse experiences are linked to enhanced happiness, and this relationship is associated with increased brain activity, new research has found. nsf.gov

Amidst #BlackLivesMatter protests and resounding calls for justice, many scientists, academic institutions and science organizations remain eerily silent . scientificamerican.com

This spring, as the coronavirus pandemic shuttered U.S. higher education, many college presidents began to warn of the dire financial impact of a frozen U.S. economy on their institutions. sciencemag.org

The National Science Foundation (NSF) would get a huge infusion of cash, as well as a new name and new responsibilities for keeping the United States on top in technological innovation, under bipartisan bills introduced late last month in both houses of Congress. sciencemag.org

A global campaign to help find a mate for a left-coiling snail called 'Jeremy' has enabled scientists to understand how mirror-image garden snails are formed. phys.org
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