October 23, 2025
Congratulations to those who received awards in September 2025. Also, congratulations especially to WSU's Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine and Assistive Technology (IRMAT), which recently submitted its first federal proposal for funding, under the leadership of Dean Hand of the College of Health Professions, in coordination with Envision and Vision Products, LLC. Please join us in congratulating IRMAT on this incredible achievement!
So far in FY2026, WSU researchers under Academic Affairs have submitted external proposals in the amount of $23,504,981 and received $7,789,167 in external awards.
Wichita State University has developed a new Research Security training in response to federal regulations; if you are required to take the training you will receive an email from a “do-not-reply” email address. More information about the training can be found in WSU Today, or you may email research@wichita.edu with questions.
WSU leadership continues to carefully monitor the impact of any executive orders on our research programs. If you receive any communication from a federal sponsor, please continue to forward that information to your respective office of research. And as always, if you have questions about the content of this newsletter, please contact us at research@wichita.edu.
Past and future editions of this newsletter may be found here:
https://www.wichita.edu/research/ResearchNewsletter/index.php.
LAST MONTH'S
AWARDS
KANSAS IDEA NETWORK OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EXCELLENCE 5: SPRING
PI/Department: Moriah Beck, Chemistry
Sponsor: Univ of KS Medical Ctr Research Inst, Inc. / Natl Institutes of Health
Amount: $42,000
UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF FSHR OLIGOMERIZATION AND TRAFFICKING IN TRANSDUCING AGE-DEPENDENT CHANGES IN FSH GLYCOFORMS
PI/Department: George Bousfield, Biological Sciences
Sponsor: King's College London / Natl Institutes of Health
Amount: $77,099
UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF FSHR OLIGOMERIZATION AND TRAFFICKING IN TRANSDUCING AGE-DEPENDENT CHANGES IN FSH GLYCOFORMS
PI/Department: George Bousfield, Biological Sciences
Sponsor: King's College London / Natl Institutes of Health
Amount: $73,391
STRATEGIC PLAN
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Public Policy & Management Center
Sponsor: Exploration Place, Inc.
Amount: $20,000
TO THE STARS EVENT
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Public Policy & Management Center
Sponsor: Kansas Department of Commerce
Amount: $18,157
EMPLOYEE SURVEY
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Public Policy & Management Center
Sponsor: McPherson Board of Public Utilities
Amount: $17,325
KANSAS IDEA NETWORK OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EXCELLENCE 5: SPRING
PI/Department: Maojun Gong, Chemistry
Sponsor: Univ of KS Medical Ctr Research Inst. Inc. / Natl Institutes of Health
Amount: $42,000
LEAPS-MPS: THE COMPUTATION OF SPECIAL FUNCTIONS IN POTENTIAL THEORY IN MULTIPLY CONNECTED DOMAINS
PI/Department: Christopher Green, Mathematics & Statistics
Sponsor: Natl Science Foundation
Amount: $247,390
ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX
PI/Department: Hai Guo, HWS of Urban & Public Affairs
Sponsor: Florida League Cities
Amount: $68,000
KEEPING ICT-SAFE (SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION FOCUSING ON EMPOWERMENT)
PI/Department: Rhonda Lewis, Psychology
Sponsor: Substance Abuse - Mntl Health Srv Adm
Amount: $375,000
SATC: CORE: SMALL: DETECTING PERSONAL INFORMATION ABUSE IN MOBILE APPS AND THEIR BACKEND SERVERS
PI/Department: Zhiyong Shan, School of Computing
Sponsor: Natl Science Foundation
Amount: $590,731
DIRECTIONAL ION MOBILITY SPECTROMETRY OF DIPOLE-ALIGNED MACROMOLECULES: A NEW TOOLBOX FOR STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY AND TOP-DOWN PROTEOMICS
PI/Department: Alexandre Shvartsburg, Chemistry
Sponsor: Natl Science Foundation
Amount: $531,256
BOOSTING CAMPUS IMMUNITY: WELLNESS CHALLENGE INITIATIVE TO INCREASE STUDENT VACCINATION RATES AMONG ON-CAMPUS STUDENT RESIDENTS
PI/Department: Heather Stafford, Student Affairs
Sponsor: American College Health Foundation
Amount: $15,500
USING PROBABILISTIC MACHINE LEARNING TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER IN KANSAS
PI/Department: Andrew Swindle, Geology
Co-PI/Department: Gisuk Hwang, Mechanical Engineering | Xiaoheng Wang, HWS of Urban & Public Affairs
Sponsor: Kansas State University
Amount: $25,000
HEARTLAND FOOD BUSINESS TRAINING
PI/Department: Brandy Willett, Wichita Small Bus. Development Ctr
Sponsor: Fort Hays State University / Small Business Administration
Amount: $3,000
STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: City of Salina
Amount: $13,735
YLINK-WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY FY26
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Kansas Department for Aging & Disability Services
Amount: $24,138
FACILITATION SERVICES FOR KANSAS FOSTER ADVISORY AND ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD MEETINGS (AMENDMENT 2)
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Kansas Department for Children & Families / Dept of Health and Human Services
Amount: $12,768
SPEAKER AGREEMENT
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Kansas Office of Judicial Administration
Amount: $1,499
AI ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION TRAINING
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Laredo Health Department / Centers for Disease Control
Amount: $6,000
INTEGRATED CARE FACILITATION
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Sunflower Foundation
Amount: $50,000
SUNFLOWER HEALTH PLAN PROVIDER SATISFACTION SURVEY
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Sunflower Health Plan
Amount: $44,200
ACTION PLANNING FOR COLLECTIVE IMPACT: THE WICHITA FOOD SYSTEM
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Kansas Health Foundation
Amount: $4,772
MONTHLY AWARDS FOR THE DIVISION OF INDUSTRY AND DEFENSE EQUAL $8,987,006, OF WHICH $8,939,206 BELONGS TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AVIATION RESEARCH (NIAR).
FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES
Focused Funding Opportunities
Please reach out early and as soon as you have found a potential opportunity that you wish to apply for. Early notifications allow the Office of Research to minimize the risk of missing agency deadlines, to fix potential errors, to ensure compliance with WSU policies and procedures, and to ensure the best service from our office.
Pivot is the funding opportunity database WSU subscribes to; you must affiliate with Wichita State University to access the system. To request assistance with a customized search please contact funding@wichita.edu. If any of the following opportunities are of interest to you, please email proposals@wichita.edu as soon as possible so that a grant specialist may be assigned to assist. Visit Pre-Award Services to find out more about applying for external funding.
Funding Agency: Parkinson’s Foundation
Title: Launch Award
Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due October 29, 2025; Applications due March 17, 2026
Purpose: “The Launch Award cultivates a strong cohort of new and talented independent investigators dedicated to PD research. The award provides research support to outstanding postdoctoral researchers that will enable them to complete needed mentored training and transition promptly to independent research careers in the PD field. This award is a two-stage program consisting of a Mentored Stage (1-2 years) and an Independent Stage (2-3 years).”
Amount: $60,000 (mentored stage) and $120,000 (independent stage) per year
LIMITED: Funding Agency: Mellon Foundation
Title: 2026 Higher Learning Open Call for Concepts
Application Deadline: Limited: Because WSU may only submit three concepts, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by October 30, 2025 at 12pm (noon), in case an internal competition is needed. The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is November 13, 2025. Initial registration is due December 1, 2025 with Applications due February 17, 2026.
Purpose: “The Mellon Foundation invites institutions of higher education to submit applications for research and/or curricular projects focused on either of the following two areas: Unruly Intelligences or Normalization and its Discontents.”
Amount: $250,000-$500,000
REMINDER: LIMITED: Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 24-608: Safety, Security, and Privacy of Open-Source Ecosystems (Safe-OSE)
Application Deadline: Limited: Because WSU may only submit two preliminary proposals as lead institution, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by November 3, 2025 at 12pm (noon), in case an internal competition is needed. The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is November 24, 2025. Preliminary proposals (if selected) are due January 13, 2026.
Purpose: “Supports efforts to address safety, security and privacy vulnerabilities in open-source ecosystems to enhance their resilience and ability to manage current and future risks.”
Amount: $1,500,000
LIMITED: Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 25-548 Accelerating Research Translation (ART)
Application Deadline: Limited: Because WSU may only submit one proposal for Track 2 as lead institution, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by November 3, 2025 at 12pm (noon), in case an internal competition is needed. The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is November 24, 2025. Proposal (if selected) is due January 15, 2026.
Purpose: “Supports institutions of higher education in building capacity, infrastructure and training to accelerate research translation, strengthen technology transfer and create sustained economic and societal impacts across the U.S.”
Amount: $6,000,000 for Track 2
REMINDER: LIMITED: Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Title: National Digital Newspaper Program
Application Deadlines: Limited: Because WSU may only submit one application, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by November 6, 2025 at 12noon, in case an internal competition is needed. The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is November 20, 2025. Full Application due January 15, 2026.
Purpose: “…to create a national digital resource of historically significant newspapers published between 1690 and 1963, from all the states and U.S. jurisdictions.”
Amount: Up to $325,000
LIMITED: Funding Agency: Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
Title: Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program
Application Deadlines: Limited: Because WSU may only nominate one faculty member, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by November 13, 2025 at 12pm (noon), in case an internal competition is needed. The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is November 21, 2025. Full Application due February 1, 2026.
Purpose: “The Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program supports the research and teaching careers of talented early career faculty in the chemical sciences.”
Amount: $100,000
Funding Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services
Title: Museums for America Program
Application Deadline: November 14, 2025* tentative due date
Purpose: “The Museums for America program supports museums of all sizes and disciplines in strategic, project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, professional development, community debate and dialogue, audience-focused studies, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation.”
Amount: $5,000-$250,000
Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Title: Collaborative Research
Application Deadline: November 19, 2025
Purpose: “The Collaborative Research program aims to advance humanistic knowledge by supporting teams of scholars working on a joint project leading to a tangible interpretive product. Teams may propose research in a single field of study or interdisciplinary work. NEH encourages projects that incorporate multiple points of view and pursue new avenues of inquiry.”
Amount: Up to $250,000
Funding Agency: HALO (Private Companies and More)
Title: Opportunities for Research and Development
Application Deadline: November 28, 2025
Purpose: HALO promotes opportunities for research and development presented by industry. Opportunities vary greatly. Recent requests from industry partners due October 31, 2025 include, for example, “Enhancing Crop Quality and Nutrition Monitoring;” “Sensitive Skin Protection and Recovery;” “Regulatory Expertise in Polymers and Their Derivatives;” and “Photoresists for Extreme Ultraviolent Lithography.”
Amount: Varies based on opportunity
Funding Agency: K-INBRE
Title: Bridging Grants
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
Purpose: “A Bridging Grant provides interim support to help a project in Biomedical Research continue for an eligible investigator who has submitted a grant (e.g., R01, R21, R16, R15) to NIH that was approved on the basis of scientific merit but fell short of the funding range.”
Amount: $25,000 in direct costs
Funding Agency: Department of Transportation: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Title: Aviation Research Grants
Application Deadlines: White Papers recommended but optional; Full Applications due December 1. 2025 and July 2, 2026 for Fiscal Year 2026
Purpose: “The FAA hereby announces its continuing interest in receiving applications for aviation research grants and cooperative agreements to pursue the long-term growth and short-term technical needs of civil aviation, under this funding opportunity.” Topics of interest listed include: 1. Capacity and Air Traffic Control Technology; 2. Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance; 3. Aviation Weather; 4. Airports; 5. Aircraft Safety Technology; 6. Human Factors and Aviation Medicine; and 7. Systems Science/Operations Research.
Amount: Total of $6,000,000 available yearly; Award amounts range from several thousand to several million dollars; no minimum or maximum amount specified.
Funding Agency: The Teagle Foundation
Title: Knowledge for Freedom
Application Deadline: Concept Papers due December 1, 2025
Purpose: “Knowledge for Freedom programs invite underserved high school students to study humanity’s deepest questions about leading lives of purpose and civic responsibility. Between the junior and senior years of high school, students come into residence on a college campus, where they experience the intensity of a seminar-sized discussion taught by college professors focused on major works of philosophy and literature.”
Amount: $10,000-$25,000 for Planning Grants (6-12 months); $100,000-$300,000 for Full Grants (36 months)
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
Purpose: “To foster understanding of human health effects of exposure to environmental agents in the hope that these studies will lead to: the identification of agents that pose a hazard and threat of disease, disorders and defects in humans; the development of effective public health or disease prevention strategies; the overall improvement of human health effects due to environmental agents; the development of products and technologies designed to better study or ameliorate the effects of environmental agents; and the successful training of research scientists in all areas of environmental health research.”
Amount: NIEHS intends to commit $800,000 in FY 2025 to fund 4-5 awards.
Funding Agency: North Central Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
Purpose: “The Regional IPM Centers champion the development and adoption of integrated pest management, the science of managing pests while protecting people, the environment and economy. Each Center engages broadly with stakeholders to identify and address regional pest priorities in agriculture, communities, and natural areas.”
Amount: $30,000
Funding Agency: American Philosophical Society
Title: Franklin Research Grants
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
Purpose: “The Franklin program is particularly designed to help meet the costs of travel to libraries and archives for research purposes; the purchase of microfilm, photocopies, or equivalent research materials; the costs associated with fieldwork; or laboratory research expenses.” See website for examples of current and past awarded projects.
Amount: $6,500
Funding Agency: American Cancer Society (ACS)
Title: Research Scholar Grant
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
Purpose: “…support for independent, self-directed researchers. Grant proposals are investigator-initiated and may pursue questions across the cancer research continuum, as long as they fit within an ACS priority research area.”
Amount: Up to $215,000 in direct costs
Funding Agency: America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM)
Title: Corrosion of Additive-Testing at Component Scale (CATACS)
Application Deadline: December 2, 2025
Purpose: “The CATACS program aims to establish and validate a framework for evaluating AM metal part corrosion testing needs, focusing on representative testing at the component scale in two critical areas: high-temperature environments and thermal management systems.”
Amount: $650,000; Note, cost share is required.
Funding Agency: K-INBRE
Title: Spring Pilot Projects
Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due by noon on December 15, 2025; Full application due February 1, 2026
Purpose: “The SPRING Pilot Projects are designed to support research primarily in the summer months and enhance student participation in research.”
Amount: $30,000 in direct costs
Funding Agency: K-INBRE
Title: Data Science Core – PUI Awards 2026
Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due by noon on December 15, 2025; Full application due February 2, 2026
Purpose: “These collaborative 1-year Data Science Core - Primarily Undergraduate Institution (DSC-PUI) grants involve PUI faculty/students and one or more DSC team members to execute a data science-focused research project. The DSC will work with PUI applicants to design a study that best addresses the question of interest and effectively uses the DSC's expertise. Successful applicants will receive funding to cover research costs (e.g., student compensation, kits/consumables) and access to our team's computational resources and expertise.”
Amount: $20,000 in direct costs
Funding Agency: K-INBRE
Title: K-INBRE Cure Awards
Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due by noon on December 15, 2025; Full application due February 2, 2026
Purpose: “We aim to increase research activities - referred to as Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) - using the classroom, and these awards will support PUI faculty to plan and execute a CURE course. They should increase student participation in research and enhance faculty efforts in conducting NIH-related biomedical research. Each project can include budgeted funds for CURE course planning, supplies, student support, data analysis, and publication costs. Use of the K-INBRE-5 DSC is encouraged. Proposals can be for a single semester or multiple semesters based on the research needs and expertise of the faculty. These awards should not support faculty salary.”
Amount: $6,000-$15,000 in direct costs
Funding Agency: University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library
Title: Travel Award
Application Deadline: January 4, 2026
Purpose: “Kenneth Spencer Research Library is pleased to announce the availability of three competitive travel grants to facilitate research and use of the library’s collections.”
Amount: $1,500
REMINDER: Funding Agency: Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)
Title: Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards
Application Deadline: January 7, 2026
Purpose: “Our commitment to enriching the research skills and professional growth of young faculty members at ORAU member institutions is embodied in the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards Program. These competitive research awards provide seed money for junior faculty members that often result in additional funding from other sources.”
Amount: $5,000; Note, Cost Share is Required
Funding Agency: Arthritis National Research Foundation (ANRF)
Title: Research Grants
Application Deadline: January 9, 2026
Purpose: “These grants provide vital support to early-career researchers and postdoctoral fellows eager to make a difference in arthritis and related autoimmune research. Our offerings include the Arthritis and Related Autoimmune Disease Research Grant, Psoriatic Arthritis Research Grant, Rheum for Kids: Pediatric Skin and Joint Grant in collaboration with PeDRA, and Postdoctoral Physician Scientist Fellowship.”
Amount: $50,000-$250,000
REMINDER: Funding Agency: Kansas Tourism
Title: Attraction Development Grants
Application Deadline: January 9, 2026
Purpose: “The Attraction Development Grant Program supports the creation of new or enhancing sustainable, market-driven travel experiences in Kansas. Its goal is to attract new visitors, influence travel decisions, and generate economic benefits through new jobs, capital investment, increased revenue, and higher visitation.”
Amount: Total funding available is $1,000,000, no minimum or maximum request, however, Cost Share is Required
Funding Agency: American Conference Academic Consortium
Title: Invitation to Apply for 2026-2027 Research Grants – email propposals@wichita.edu for a copy of the solicitation
Application Deadline: Sunday January 18, 2026 (Internal WSU due date will be 9am Tuesday, January 13, 2026)
Purpose: “The program's goals are: (1) to stimulate research on college athletics designed to promote student-athlete welfare; and (2) to assist the American’s member institutions and intercollegiate athletics programs in evidence-based practice for student-athletes.”
Amount: $15,000
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 24-606: Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE)
Application Deadline: January 13, 2026 for Phase I
Purpose: “Supports new managing organizations to catalyze distributed, community-driven development and growth of open-source ecosystems.”
Amount: $300,000 for Phase I awards
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 23-520: Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure
Application Deadline: January 15, 2026
Purpose: “Supports efforts to improve the adoption of cyberinfrastructure resources by the research community and integrate core literacy, skills in advanced cyberinfrastructure, and computational and data-driven methods into undergraduate and graduate education.”
Amount: $300,0000-$1,000,000 depending on project type
Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Title: Media Projects
Application Deadline: January 15, 2026* anticipated deadline
Purpose: “The Media Projects program supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, documentary films, and documentary film series that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways.”
Amount: Up to $75,000-$700,000
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 24-587: Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Indicators, Statistics and Methods
Application Deadlines: January 20 or June 16, 2026
Purpose: “Supports analytic and methodological research focused on improving NSCSES [National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics] data quality, as well as education and training in the use of large-scale nationally representative datasets to advance the understanding of the science and technology enterprise.”
Amount: Standard NSF Grant
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF PD 23-1321: Decision, Risk and Management Sciences
Application Deadlines: January 20 or August 18, 2026
Purpose: “Supports research that increases understanding of how individuals, organizations and societies make decisions. Areas include judgment, decision analysis and aids, risk analysis and communication, public policy decision making and management science.”
Amount: Standard NSF Grant
Funding Agency: Department of Defense: DARPA
Title: Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2026
Application Deadline: January 20, 2026
Purpose: “…aims to identify and engage rising stars in junior research positions in academia and equivalent positions at non-profit research institutions, particularly those without prior DARPA funding, to expose them to Department of Defense (DoD) needs and DARPA’s mission to create and prevent technological surprise for national security. The YFA program will provide high impact funding to researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoD capabilities. Ultimately, the YFA program is developing the next generation of researchers focused on national security issues.”
Amount: $500,000
Funding Agency: Sigma Foundation for Nursing / National League for Nursing Research Award
Title: Grants for the Science of Nursing Education / Use of Technology in Nursing
Application Deadline: January 21, 2026
Purpose: “The National League for Nursing and Sigma Foundation for Nursing grant supports research that advances the science of nursing education. Made possible through an individual donor gift, the grant aims to advance the science of nursing education and learning through the use of technology in dissemination of knowledge.”
Amount: $5,000
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Application Deadlines: January 25, May 25, or September 25, 2026
Purpose: “…support creative educational activities with a primary focus on Curriculum or Methods Development. Applications are encouraged that propose innovative, state-of-the-art programs that address the cause, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, or the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients, in order to advance the NCI mission.”
Amount: The maximum budget is $150,000 direct costs/year.
Funding Agency: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Title: Examining the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Healthcare Safety (R18)
Application Deadlines: January 25, May 25, and September 25, 2026
Purpose: “The purpose of this NOFO is to invite grant applications that support healthcare safety by determining (1) whether and how certain breakthrough uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems can affect patient safety; and (2) how AI systems can be safely implemented and used. AI has the potential to improve the safety, effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare. However, as with most technologies, this potential must be balanced by identifying and mitigating potential risks for patient harm and user burden.”
Amount: Up to $1,000,000
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Application Deadline: January 27, 2026
Purpose: “…aims to support resource-limited institutions to conduct research, enhance their research environments, and increase sponsored programs administration capacity.”
Amount: Application budgets for direct costs should not exceed $500,000/year.
Funding Agency: Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood
Title: Grants
Application Deadline: Letters of Inquiry due January 31, 2026
Purpose: “The Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood is an incubator of promising research and development projects that appear likely to improve the welfare of young children, from infancy through 7 years, in the United States. The Foundation provides funding in the following areas: Parenting Education, Early Childhood Welfare, and Early Childhood Education and Play.”
Amount: See website for examples of previously funded projects
Funding Agency: K-INBRE
Title: K-INBRE Core Facility Support 2026
Application Deadline: February 2, 2026
Purpose: “The purpose of this award is to provide funds to institutional core facilities that support NIH-related biomedical research.”
Amount: $10,000 in direct costs
Funding Agency: K-INBRE
Title: Recruitment/Start-Up Package 2026
Application Deadline: February 2, 2026
Purpose: “Awards for new tenure track faculty are to be proposed by department/division chairs, deans or research administrators of PUIs. A preliminary proposal documenting the establishment of a search for a researcher in biomedical research may be submitted for consideration. Preference will be given to applicants with a recruit ready to sign.”
Amount: $40,000 in direct costs
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health
Application Deadlines: February 9, June 8, and October 7, 2026
Purpose: “...to solicit applications for research on how mind and body interventions through psychological and/or physical practices (e.g., mindfulness meditation, yoga, acupuncture, massage, and other brain- and/or body-based interventions) impact mechanisms of emotional well-being and their associations with whole person health, consistent with the NIH priority to address the health needs of the American people and improve their well-being.”
Amount: Application budgets need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. Application budgets may not exceed $475,000 per year in direct costs.
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health
Application Deadline: February 18, 2026
Purpose: “...for support of clinical projects that address critical needs for clinical trial readiness in rare diseases. The initiative seeks applications that are intended to facilitate rare diseases research by enabling efficient and effective movement of candidate therapeutics or diagnostics toward clinical trials and to increase their likelihood of success.”
Amount: Applications can request budgets that are up to $275,000 direct costs for the 2-year project period of the award.
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 22-548: EHR Core Research: Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (BCSER)
Application Deadline: February 27, 2026
Purpose: “Supports activities that will advance STEM education research, including professional development for researchers, institutional training on the use of cutting-edge research techniques, and conferences.”
Amount: $25,000-$100,000 for Conferences; $350,000 for Development; Up to $1,000,000 for Institutes for Methods and Practices
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 22-603: Mid-Career Advancement (MCA)
Application Deadline: March 2, 2026
Purpose: “Supports mid-career researchers, at the associate professor rank (or equivalent), to substantively enhance and advance their research program through synergistic partnerships.”
Amount: Varies: Salary support and up to $100,000 in other direct costs in support of research advancement and training plan
Funding Agency: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Title: Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs
Application Deadlines: Ongoing through March 5, 2026
Purpose: “NIST’s mission is to drive innovation and industrial competitiveness through measurement science and standards...” See solicitation for full list of research interests.
Amount: $3,000-$2,500,000 depending on each NIST Lab, Center and Office
Funding Agency: Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF)
Title: Grants
Application Deadline: March 15, 2026
Purpose: “The Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund supports and advises innovative investigators across the world who are working to reverse climate change. We do this by making grants solely to support predictive environmental impact assessments, impact modeling studies, and stakeholder engagement efforts for small-scale field tests of new technologies. CIEIF does not provide any basic research or implementation funding; we only give grants to aid the analysis of proposed field tests. The analysis should include environmental and, if applicable, any economic, social, and/or human health impacts that foreseeably may flow from the project.”
Amount: Up to $75,000
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 24-559: Mathematical Foundations of Digital Twins (MATH-DT)
Application Deadline: March 16, 2026
Purpose: “Supports foundational mathematical and statistical research on digital twins in applied science to harness science, technology and innovation to address society’s most pressing challenges.”
Amount: Standard NSF Grant
REMINDER: Funding Agency: NASA
Title: ROSES: A.10 INNOVATE
Application Deadline: Proposals accepted anytime until March 31, 2026
Purpose: “This element invites proposals to rapidly advance the use of satellite observations of the Earth to efficiently support the U.S. economy, national security, and any other applications topics relevant to NASA’s Earth Science to Action Strategy. This element is intended to support high-risk, high-reward projects that are too speculative to garner other funding sources, as well as boost the emerging space economy and commercial providers of Earth information. All non-governmental U.S. entities are eligible to apply, but private sector organizations new to NASA are strongly encouraged to lead proposals or partner on proposals with academia or NASA centers.”
Amount: Up to $1,000,000 over three years
Funding Agency: NVIDIA
Title: Academic Grant Program
Application Deadlines: Ongoing
Purpose: “NVIDIA is requesting proposals from academic researchers who are working in the following subject areas: Generative AI: Training and Model Development; Generative AI: Alignment and Inference; and Robotics and Edge AI.”
Amount: NVIDIA hardware or software support
Funding Agency: North Central Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center
Title: Mini-Grant Request for Applications
Application Deadline: Ongoing, until funds are depleted
Purpose: “The North Central Integrated Pest Management Center (NCIPMC) has funds available for mini-grants to be awarded to eligible projects that will enable the recipient to accomplish small projects or activities in support of increasing integrated pest management (IPM) in the region. Mini-grant proposals are expected to focus on IPM, address at least one Center priority, and form regional collaborations where possible.”
Amount: $10,000
Funding Agency: Bob Woodruff Foundation
Title: Grants
Application Deadline: Ongoing; applications accepted year-round
Purpose: “We fund programs and services that serve the military and veteran community. We focus on programs that improve the health and wellbeing of service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers, and those that: Improve social determinants of health; Decrease barriers to accessing physical and mental healthcare; Increase accessibility to programming that fosters a healthy lifestyle; Enhance opportunities for veterans to thrive after service.”
Amount: Unknown
Funding Agency: Department of Commerce: Economic Development Administration (EDA)
Title: FY 2025 EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs
Application Deadline: Ongoing, until new PEWAA is issued or funds are expended
Purpose: “EDA funds community or regionally generated ideas and assists communities to advance to the next level of economic development.”
Amount: $600,000-$5,000,000
REMINDER: Funding Agency: TechWerx / US. Department of Energy
Title: Varies: TechWerx/DOE Opportunities
Application Deadlines: Upcoming/TBD
Purpose: TechWerx is a hub focused on connecting the Department of Energy with collaborators to foster innovation. Upcoming funding opportunities currently listed include “Energy & Minerals Partnership for Academic-Industry Career Training,” “Solar Training and Education for Professionals: Enabling Informed Consumer Choice,” “Building Access to Tribal Energy Resilience” and “Apprenticeship Utilization Technical Assistance Program.”
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF Individual and Small Team Proposals
Application Deadline: Varies by topic. Proposals are accepted anytime unless a due date is listed.
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Applied Mathematics – Nov 17, 2025
- Astronomy and Astrophysics – Nov 17, 2025
- Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (AGS-PRF)
- Biomechanics and Mechanobiology
- Biosensing
- Chemistry: Disciplinary Research Programs – Sep 30 or Oct 31, 2025 - based on discipline
- Cultural Anthropology Program Senior Research Awards (CA-SR) –Jan 15 & Aug 15 annually
- Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) Core Research (ECR: Core) – Oct 2, 2025
- Division of Materials Research: Topical Materials Research Programs (DMR-TMRP)
- Division of Materials Research: Condensed Matter and Materials Theory (CMMT)
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Core Programs (MCB)
- Energy, Power, Control, and Networks
- Environmental Biology
- Environmental Engineering
- Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research: Workshop Opportunities (EPS-WO)
- Foundational Research in Robotics (FFR)
- Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research (Capacity)
- Linguistics –Jan 15 & Jul 15 annually
- Manufacturing Systems Integration
- Mathematical Biology – Oct 14, 2025
- Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics – Jan 29, 2026
- Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
-
Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (RISBS)
- Science of Learning & Augmented Intelligence – Feb 11, 2026
- Security, Privacy & Trust in Cyberspace (SaTC 2.0) – Sep 29, 2025 or Jan 26, 2026
- Security and Preparedness
- Social Psychology – Jan 15 & Jul 15 annually
- Sociology
- Statistics – Dec 15, 2025
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF Special Programs
Application Deadline: Varies by topic – click each topic to learn more about these special program opportunities. Proposals are accepted anytime unless a due date is listed.
- Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE): Core Programs – Varies by size of application (Small, Medium, Core)
- Critical Aspects of Sustainability (CAS) – Various funding mechanisms available
- Division of Chemistry: Disciplinary Research Programs (CHE-DRP) – Sep 30, 2025 for CAT, CSDM-B, and SYN; Oct 31, 2025 for CMI, ECS and MSN
- Division of Materials Research: Topical Materials Research Program
- Division of Physics: Investigator-Initiated Research Projects – Varies by topic
- Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS) – Jan 16, 2026
- Mathematical Sciences Infrastructure Program – Feb 3, 2026
- National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program (NRT) –tbd
- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) – Aug 19, 2026
- Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science – Oct 8, 2025
- Research in the Formation of Engineers (RFE)
EDUCATION &
TRAINING
WSU Office of Research Workshops
Topics include an Introduction to the WSU Office of Research with resources and contacts, WSU policies and procedures related to research, finding funding utilizing Pivot, project budgeting and general grant-writing tips. Previously recorded workshops can also be found on the Office of Research website.
Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education: Webinar: From Problem to Purpose: Choosing Research Questions that Drive Change in Firearm Violence Prevention: October 24, 2025
“In this session, experts will share how they work with community partners to develop research questions that matter — questions that are meaningful to communities, fill critical gaps, and can realistically be answered with available resources.”
Register for Gun Violence Research Webinar
Cayuse: Non-Research Funding: Past, Present and Future: October 30, 2025
“Federal and private grants aren’t just essential for research organizations; they also serve an important role for funding programs and services at a wide range of non-research organizations, including community colleges. That’s why we’re hosting a special discussion with Brian Boomer, Director of Grants for the West Hills Community College District, to learn more about the impact of funding for WHCCD programs, advice for improving funding searches and applications, and an overview of the past, present, and future of non-research funding opportunities.”
Register for Cayuse Webinar on Non-Research Funding
NGMA Compliance Conversations Webinar: Federal Education Grants: What the Latest Changes Mean for Programs and Compliance: November 4, 2025
“On July 14, the Supreme Court greenlit Secretary of Education Linda McMahon's massive layoffs at the Education Department (ED) and other steps toward dismantling the agency. In addition to the 50% reduction in force, ED has performed mass grant terminations, withheld almost $7 billion in formula funding, and transferred administration of career, technical and adult education programs to the U.S. Department of Labor (with plans to transfer student loan management to U.S. Treasury).”
Register for NGMA Webinar on Federal Education Grants
ACCESS: Open OnDemand Tips and Tricks Call: November 6, 2025
“Join our monthly community-hosted Zoom call to learn practical tips for using this powerful, web-based platform that gives you seamless access to HPC (High Performance Computing) resources—no software needed.”
NSF ACCESS Webinar on Open OnDemand
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): Intellectual Property Basics and Helpful Resources: November 6, 2025
“Unfamiliar with patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from USPTO experts about intellectual property basics and potential ways to protect your innovation as you transition from idea to product.”
Register for USPTO Webinar on November 6, 2025
ORAU & NIST: Advanced Manufacturing Webinar Series: November 12, 2025 and January 28, 2026
“ORAU and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have partnered to bring ORAU’s member universities a six-webinar series aimed at creating opportunities and partnerships between ORAU’s members and the 18 Manufacturing USA Institutes. These one-hour discussions will focus on priority initiatives and ways to get involved with each institute. Attendance is open to anyone at an ORAU Member University, though Research Directors, Research Faculty and Technology Transfer Offices are especially encouraged to attend!” The session on November 12, 2025 is focused on Process Development and Energy. The January 28, 2026 session is focused on Biomanufacturing.
Register for ORAU Advanced Manufacturing Webinar Series or Watch Previously Recorded Sessions Including Sessions on Materials, Robotics, Additive, Cyber, Electronics or Digital Manufacturing
K-INBRE 24th Annual Symposium: January 17-18, 2025
The K-INBRE Symposium brings together students, faculty and staff from 10 universities in Kansas and Oklahoma; the purpose of the Kansas INBRE (K-INBRE) is to promote multidisciplinary research networks with a focus on Biomedical Research; increase the research base and capacity through research support; provide a range of basic science and clinical research opportunities for student trainees; serve as a pipeline for students to continue in health research careers in IDeA states; and enhance science and technology knowledge of the state’s workforce. The deadline for Abstract Submissions is December 1, 2025.
K-INBRE Registration, Important Information, and Abstract Submission
Data Privacy & Security Training, Questions or Reporting
If your research includes patient medical data and you need to take HIPAA / Sensitive Data Handling training, if you have a question about data privacy or security, or need to report a concern, please contact the WSU Privacy or Security Office.
Privacy: 316-978-4HIP (4447) or privacy@wichita.edu
Security: 316-978-4SEC (4732) or askinfosec@wichita.edu
REMINDER: Learn to Use BeoShock for your Advanced Research Computing Needs
Wichita State University continues to host Beoshock, a High-Performance Computing Cluster (HPC). This HPC is available and free to faculty members, researchers and students engaged in course work or research activities. BeoShock runs the CentOS Linux operating system and features approximately 720 processor cores, two high memory compute nodes with 1.5 terabytes of memory, and four graphics processing unit (GPU) accelerators. BeoShock also has a variety of software tools that may be helpful in your research endeavors, such as Matlab,Mathematica, R, Python and many more.
Learn more about BeoShock High-Performance Computing and access the BeoShock High Performance Computing User Guides.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SSTI Blog: NSF Plans for Streamlined Breakthrough Innovation Prizes and I-Corp Public Comments
“The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) is inviting comments regarding the proposed collection of information for its Breakthrough Innovations Initiative application...”
Read More from STTI about NSF TIP Directorate Breakthrough Innovations Initiative
NIHCM Webinar Recording Available: Strategies to Build and Support the Health Care Workforce
“This webinar examined the current state of the health care workforce and explored innovative strategies to expand the number of providers while supporting existing workers.”
Watch NIHCM Health Care Workforce Webinar Recording
National Academies (NAS): New Publication: Machine Learning for Safety-Critical Applications
“Machine learning—a key enabler of artificial intelligence—is being deployed across nearly every sector of the economy, but the safety implications are not well understood. More research, testing, and evaluation is needed to ensure these technologies can be safely integrated for safety-critical applications.”
Read the NAS Consensus Study Highlights on Machine Learning
ARPA-H: Two New Groundbreaking Programs
“The THRIVE program, Treating Hereditary Rare Diseases with In Vivo Precision Genetic Medicines, aims to develop integrated platform technologies to accelerate precision genetic medicines and provide single-intervention precision treatments to slow, reverse, or prevent diseases at the genetic level. The GIVE program, Genetic Medicines and Individualized Manufacturing for Everyone, aims to leverage cutting-edge production technologies to establish the U.S. as a frontrunner in advanced manufacturing methods for high-quality medicines.”
Read about all ARPA-H Programs
REMINDER: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Notice: NIH Announces a New Policy Requirement to Train Senior/Key Personnel on Other Support Disclosure Requirements
“This Guide Notice announces a new policy requirement that requires NIH recipients to provide training to all faculty and researchers identified as Senior/Key Personnel on the requirement to disclose all research activities and affiliations (active and pending) in Other Support (see Other Support form). The new requirement to train researchers to comply with other support disclosure requirements adds to the current policy (see NIH Grants Policy Statement (GPS), Section 2.5.1 "Just-in-Time Procedures") in order to provide a comprehensive plan in the area of disclosure requirements for recipients. This update will be included in the FY2026 version of the NIH GPS as part of NIH’s standard processes.”
REMINDER: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Notice: Supporting Fairness and Originality in NIH Research Applications
“NIH is providing guidance to researchers on the appropriate usage of artificial intelligence (AI) to maintain the fairness and originality of NIH’s research application process. NIH is also instituting a new policy limiting the number of applications that NIH will consider per Principal Investigator per calendar year.”
REMINDER: WSU Participating in NSF Emerge for Industry and Research Collaborations
“Halo is a platform where researchers can discover industry-sponsored funding opportunities, connect with corporate research and development teams, and showcase their work to potential partners.”
Read about NSF Emerge and Register for an Account on the HALO Platform
REMINDER - ORCID ID – Persistent Digital Identifiers for Researchers
ORCID is an international, interdisciplinary, open, non-proprietary, and not-for-profit organization created by the research community for the benefit of all stakeholders, providing a persistent digital identifier (an ORCID iD) that distinguishes researchers with record that supports automatic links among all professional activities. A researcher’s ORCID iD and connections are stored in the ORCID Registry, in an account owned and managed by individual researchers. The WSU Office of Research recommends that Researchers set up their ORCID if they have not already, as some federal funders may require the use of an ORCID as part of a researcher’s biographical sketch or CV.
View Training Videos about ORCID and setting up your ORCID ID
REMINDER - Wichita Public Schools (USD 259): Advance Notice Required for Letters of Support and/or Participation in Research
Wichita Public Schools (USD 259) requests a minimum of 30 business days to process letters of support or participation in research. It is WSU’s responsibility to have appropriate support from the school(s)/personnel that will be involved in the project prior to submitting a request. Letters of Support/Grant Proposals: WSU personnel who need a letter of support or USD259 participation on a grant proposal, should complete the External-Request for Grant Support form and are encouraged to reach out directly to Holly Wilson at hwilson@usd259.net early in the process for questions/clarification. Research Requests: WSU personnel who want to conduct research in USD 259, must download and complete the Research Request Document. Investigators are encouraged to reach out directly to Will Graves at wgraves@usd259.net early in the process for questions/clarifications.
As a reminder, all proposals submitted on behalf of WSU must be reviewed by the Office of Research prior to submission. This includes proposals where WSU is a direct recipient of funds and proposals where WSU is a proposed subawardee/subcontractor. Please contact the Office of Research at proposals@wichita.edu to get started.
FREE WSU Office of Research Services
Email funding@wichita.edu to:
- Set up a Pivot account and receive guidance on how to search the database to find funding opportunities;
- Subscribe to funding announcements and funding-related alerts; and
- Attend Research Workshops that will help you with finding funding, budgeting and writing effective proposals (and much more)!
Please let us know how we can help you.