The Office of the President, Office of the Vice President for Research and Division of Facilities announce the launch of the Roots of Research Faculty Honor Program. This initiative is designed to celebrate the exceptional research and scholarly contributions of our faculty, recognizing those who have demonstrated a sustained and impactful commitment to advancing knowledge at K-State.

In honor of their dedication and achievements, a tree will be planted on campus in each honoree's name, symbolizing the deep roots they have cultivated through their work and the legacy they leave for future generations. These trees will serve as living tributes, growing and flourishing alongside the knowledge our faculty continue to cultivate.

The names of up to 10 selected faculty members will be announced in December 2024, and trees will be planted during Earth Week in April 2025.

Additional information about nominations and selection criteria will be announced at a later date.

The Kansas Water Institute will host a unique workshop opportunity for faculty October 18 and 19, 2024, in Manhattan. The K-State CoSearch workshop will be an interactive and competitive two-day event where interdisciplinary teams will innovate water-related research projects, plan a complete proposal, and pitch their ideas to a judging panel. You are invited and encouraged to attend.

This intensive two-day competition provides facilitation for interdisciplinary research teams to collaborate and develop research plans that solve real-world problems. This year’s theme focuses on water resources, with a goal to break down academic silos to produce innovative projects that unite the programs and departments at K-State. We’re hoping that this fast-paced and unique event will create unexpected collaborations between faculty from different departments and will push your comfort zones in a fun environment.

Registration links and other details can be found here.

We are excited to invite you to the Inaugural (First Annual) Biosafety and Biosecurity Summit, taking place on October 10th and 11th on campus and virtually on Zoom. Whether in a laboratory, clinic, or field, researchers and laboratorians are at the heart of making great things possible. This groundbreaking event will bring together researchers, subject matter experts, and industry leaders to discuss key challenges and advancements in biosafety and biosecurity, while also exploring emerging technologies in life science research. Live presentations, research posters, and a Fisher Scientific vendor fair will enhance education and networking, enabling participants to exchange ideas, share best practices, and collaborate on solutions to improve biosafety and biosecurity.

Event Highlights:

• Keynote Address: Learn about Transcriptomics for Biomarker Discovery with Dr. Laura Miller, Associate Professor of Veterinary Virology and Past President of the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists on October 10th at 8:30 am.
• Engaging Presentations: Attend engaging presentations from K-State faculty and staff, federal and state agencies including the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) professionals and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and industry partners including Labconco.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with professionals from diverse backgrounds in life science and interdisciplinary research, diagnostics, biosafety, and biosecurity to foster collaboration and innovation.
• Laboratory Resources and Support: Visit the Fisher Scientific vendor fair to learn more about available equipment, PPE, and safety resources for laboratories.

Find the full schedule of events here.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is pleased to announce a call for applications for the 2025 Jefferson Science Fellowships (JSF). Established by the Secretary of State in 2003, these fellowships serve as an innovative model for engaging the American science, engineering, and medical communities in the U.S. foreign policy and international development process through a one-year immersive experience at the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Jefferson Science Fellowships are a mutually beneficial partnership between government and participating U.S. academic institutions. These fellowships are open to tenured, or similarly ranked, faculty from U.S. institutions of higher learning who are U.S. citizens. After successfully obtaining a security clearance, Fellows are embedded in an office at the U.S. Department of State or USAID where they can expect to learn the foreign policy and international development process while contributing their technical expertise to policy formulation and implementation. Note that a JSF Fellowship does not require faculty to “use up” a sabbatical leave. The year spent in Washington counts as one of the seven years needed to earn a sabbatical.

Online applications will be accepted from August 1 through October 15, 2024.

Representatives from academia, government, industry, and nonprofits/private funders are keenly interested in examining how cross-sector partnerships can maximize resource investment for greater impact.

Last week, during UIDP’s fall conference, UIDP Board Chair Nerissa Draeger and I announced a groundbreaking new initiative to explore effective strategies and tactics for dramatically increasing the power of these partnerships.

The Strengthen and Modernize U-I Partnerships initiative is envisioned to revolutionize how the sectors collaborate (university, industry, government--federal, state, and local-- and nonprofit) by addressing four areas of specific need identified by science and technology leadership.

Learn about the focus areas and read the full article here.

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is seeking subject matter experts to serve as peer reviewers of proposals submitted to the recently released NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) solicitation. These reviews are conducted electronically via NSPIRES.

Through NSTGRO, NASA seeks to sponsor graduate student research that has significant potential to contribute to NASA’s goal of creating innovative new space technologies for our Nation’s science, exploration, and economic future.

If you are interested in serving as a peer reviewer for the NSTGRO solicitation, please fill out the following form: https://forms.gle/xD5riqwdZrqtQo51A. You can also access the form from the NSPIRES homepage under Site News.

If your skills match NASA’s needs for the review, and considerations for any organizational conflicts of interest allow, we will contact you to discuss further steps.

Participating in a review is a service to the community. Eligible reviewers will receive a nominal honorarium.

Please direct questions to hq-nstgro-call@mail.nasa.gov.

This fall, the Office of Science (SC) is transitioning to one SC-wide monthly virtual Office Hour to share information about our programs and provide opportunities to ask questions. Researchers at all institutions are welcome to attend and learn more about our programs; no existing relationship with DOE or the DOE national laboratories is required to attend. Research administrators are also encouraged to attend.

Office Hours will take place on the first Tuesday of each month, from 1 - 2 p.m. Each office hour will begin with a brief presentation followed by questions and answers on a monthly topic. After the presentation and questions, we will move to breakout rooms by program office to answer general questions. We will then move to breakout rooms by individual program office for general questions from the community.

For more information on SC Office Hours, including registration and upcoming topics, and to view slides and recordings of past Office Hours, please visit the DOE website.

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:

• STEM Education Individual Postdoctoral Research Fellowships program Office Hours: September 16, 2024 - November 25, 2024
• Division of Biological Infrastructure Virtual Office Hours: August 20, 2024 - December 17, 2024
• Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Office Hour: July 17, 2024 - December 18, 2024
• ExpandAI Virtual Office Hours: April 15, 2024 - December 16, 2024
• Innovation Corps Teams Q&A Webinar: October 3, 2024 - December 5, 2024
• Introducing the NSF Safe-OSE Program Webinar: October 10, 2024
• IUSE Office Hours: October 15, 2024 - January 7, 2025
• Division of Mathematical Sciences Virtual Office Hours: October 15, 2024
• Science and Technology Centers Informational Webinar: October 17, 2024
• IOS Virtual Office Hours: Meet the IOS Program Directors: October 17, 2024
• Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation: October 17, 2024
• Information and Intelligent Systems Office Hours: October 17, 2024
• Molecular Foundations for Sustainability: Sustainable Polymers Enabled by Emerging Data Analytics: October 18, 2024
• NSF Webinar: Introduction to MFS-SPEED program: October 18, 2024
• Division of Materials Research Open Hour: October 18, 2024
• DEB Virtual Office Hour: Dear Colleague Letters: October 21, 2024
• CISE Research Expansion Program Webinar: November 7, 2024

Following up on the sneak peek we provided a few weeks ago, we are pleased to announce that NIH launched the new NIH Grants and Funding website this week. Designed with the needs of the extramural research community in mind, the new site is intended to enhance your journey through the NIH grants process with a modernized interface and powerful features to make finding critical information easier than ever. We encourage you to explore the site at your leisure, and to familiarize yourself with the new content and layout.

Read the full announcement here.

Back in April, we announced that Common Disclosure Forms for the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support would be required for all applications and progress reports submitted in 2025, amongst several other changes. These Common Forms aim to standardize disclosure requirements and processes across federal research agencies, with the goal of reducing the time and effort researchers spend providing disclosure information to federal funders and ensuring integrity throughout the research process. We recently released a Guide Notice with additional information and expectations for applications and progress reports effective May 25, 2025, including the requirement that Senior and Key Personnel use an Open Researcher and Contributor Identification digital identifier (ORCID ID).

Read the full announcement here.

The Fall 2024 Frontiers Mock Study Section is soliciting letters of intent from researchers who are developing NIH grants for Winter and Spring submission. Mock Study Section will occur on Friday, December 6, 2024, at Kansas State University – Olathe campus. Investigators who are interested in having their proposals reviewed by expert reviewers should submit a letter of intent by Friday, September 30, 2024.  

Mock Study Section is open to all Frontiers’ investigators across career stages. Grants should be R-, K-, or F-series proposals, but may be initial submissions or resubmissions.

Full grant submissions are due Monday, October 28, 2024.

If you have questions, please contact our Biomedical Communications Manager, Heather Fielding-Gebhardt, Ph.D. 

Staff from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) will be attending various scientific meetings this Fall. Please check the meeting programs for more details as we will be hosting informational sessions/workshops at some of these meetings and will have a booth in the exhibit hall at other meetings. 

At the meetings (and all the time), we’re happy to answer questions about submitting proposals to NSF, reviewing proposals, serving on panels, rotator and job opportunities at NSF, and much more! 

Meeting information:

•  2024 AISES National Conference - October 3-5, 2024 
• Society for Neuroscience 2024 - October 5-9, 2024 
• 2024 NDiSTEM Conference (by SACNAS) - October 31- Nov 2, 2024 
•  Entomology 2024 - November 10-13, 2024 
• Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) - November 13-17, 2024 

October 11, 2024, 12 - 2 p.m.

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), Freedmen Heirs Foundation (FHF) and Resources for the Future (RFF) are collaborating to conduct a webinar series and convening event on the current status of minority farmers during the ongoing shift towards climate-conscious agriculture. This webinar series and convening will be guided by community insights and will be used to shape a research framework as well as the creation of resources that enhance the impact of climate-smart agriculture investments on minority farmers.

The webinar series will consist of four virtual convenings that will be held from June – December 2024. The workshops will inform an in-person event in early 2025, where FFAR, FHF and RFF will seek to develop pathways for equity in economic assessments, access to information and resources, and access to new markets and funding. Recordings of each webinar will be shared on this page.

Register to attend the webinar.

The Kauffman Foundation has announced new grant opportunities in coordination with the release of their new strategic priorities: Grant types (kauffman.org)

Research Grants provide funding to design and implement or scale a research project that builds deeper understanding of our strategic priorities and focus areas, addresses gaps in our research base, and translates research findings into practice: Strategic priorities

Together with our community, we believe we can shift the landscape in three strategies — college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship — prioritized because of their anticipated power to advance economic mobility: Focus areas



In alignment with these priorities, we are seeking projects at the intersection of innovation and impact through the focus areas of essential competencies and skills, education and employer connection, participation and belonging, and equitable access.

Letters of interest open Oct. 15.

October 22, 2024, 2 p.m.

This webinar will discuss the benefits of collaborative approaches to protect the U.S. swine herd from emerging disease threats.

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) supports research that improves animal health and welfare. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), supported by Pork Checkoff funding, protects and enhances the health of the U.S. swine herd by minimizing the impact of emerging disease threats through preparedness, coordinated communications, global disease monitoring, analysis of swine health data and targeted research investments. FFAR’s and SHIC’s shared goals directly address pork producer concerns and have resulted in several collaborations that identify, prioritize and fund research on emerging disease threats in swine. FFAR collaborations with SHIC have included a comprehensive approach to enhancing Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity, funded in partnership with the Pork Checkoff, and proactive investigations to prevent and prepare for a potential Japanese encephalitis virus incursion.

More information and a link to register can be found here.

Are you part of a research team with an innovative biomedical product concept? Are you ready to take that next step toward translation and need funding? Register for the STARTUP Central program by October 25, 2024.

STARTUP Central is an NIH-funded grant program featuring funding opportunities for proof-of concept projects. We’ll help you turn your cutting-edge research into a viable product or solution.

Awarded teams receive a grant between $15,000 - 30,000 and will be required to complete an online entrepreneurial education program called InspireU2 iTi.

We're seeking applications from faculty, academic investigators, researchers and students who are...

• Motivated to shift the research focus of your lab to foster a culture of innovative project exploration
• Interested in translating research to a real-world health-related solution or product
• Part of an existing startup looking for support with commercialization, funding and customer development

More information and registration can be found here.

The University of Kansas Office of Research seeks nominations for the Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards. Late Distinguished Professor Takeru Higuchi and his wife, Aya, partnered with KU Endowment to create four awards that recognize individuals for their accomplishments in research, scholarship and creative activity.

Faculty from any Kansas Regents institution are eligible, and your assistance in identifying outstanding candidates is critical. Winners receive $10,000 in support of research activities.

Awards include:

• The Balfour Jeffrey Research Award in the field of the Humanities and Social Sciences
• The Olin Petefish Research Award in the field of Basic Sciences
• The Dolph Simons Research Award in the field of Biomedical Sciences
• The Irvin Youngberg Research Award in the field of Applied Sciences

Submit a nomination here!

Nomination deadline: November 1, 2024

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is pleased to share with you the nomination call for 2025 Moore Inventor Fellows. 

Inspired by Gordon Moore’s passion for discovery, this fellowship seeks to identify outstanding early-stage inventors. We are looking for individuals who are harnessing science and technology solutions to enhance scientific research, strengthen environmental conservation, or improve the experience and outcomes of patient care. 

We invite you to nominate two individuals from your institution for this opportunity. 

Fellows will receive funding for three years at a level of $200,000 per year from the Moore Foundation. In addition to funds for the fellow, the foundation will provide $25,000 each year to the institution to cover costs associated with administering the grant award, resulting in a total three-year award of $675,000 from the foundation. As host institutions are required to contribute $50,000 in annual support of the inventor’s work, each fellow receives a total award of $825,000.

To begin the nomination and application process, please complete this submission form. Formal nominations are due November 15, 2024.

We are thrilled to announce the release of the 2025 Requests for Applications for the prestigious Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute's training programs. This is your opportunity to advance your career with our respected KL2 Career Development, Postdoctoral TL1, and Predoctoral TL1 Programs.

KL2 Career Development Program:

Letters of Intent Deadline: October 25, 2024

Full Application Deadline: December 20, 2024

For more information and to apply, click here.

Postdoctoral TL1 Program:

Letters of Intent Deadline: October 25, 2024

Full Application Deadline: December 13, 2024

For more information and to apply, click here.

Predoctoral TL1 Program:

Pre-Meeting Requirement: By December 7, 2024

Full Application Deadline: December 13, 2024

For more information, click here.

This is your chance to join a community of pioneering researchers and dedicated professionals who are shaping the future of clinical and translational science. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to drive your research career to new heights.

If you have any questions regarding the KL2 and TL1 programs, please do not hesitate to reach out to Holly Zink, Ph.D.

Childhood obesity linked to limited food options

Childhood obesity is a growing public health problem, affecting about 1 in 5 children nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Limited access to grocery stores and healthy foods may be one reason. NIH

Researchers fully map neural connections of the fruit fly brain

A scientific team supported by the National Institutes of Health unveiled the first complete map of the neural connections of the common fruit fly brain. NIH

World-first therapy using donor cells sends autoimmune diseases into remission

The treatment’s success in three people raises hopes for mass production of cutting-edge CAR T therapies. nature

‘Out of the blue’ discovery of RNAs that regulate genes wins Nobel

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun honored for discovery of microRNAs in worms. Science

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