August 28, 2026
We are pleased to acknowledge those who received awards in July 2026. So far, in FY2027, WSU researchers under Academic Affairs submitted external proposals in the amount of $10,948,267 and received $1,383,155 in external awards.
Wichita State University continues to advance toward its long‑term vision of becoming an R1 research institution. As part of this effort, the university is expanding the infrastructure and support systems that enable faculty, staff, and students to pursue high‑impact research and innovation. Two new leaders are joining WSU to help strengthen these efforts.
Shannon Lunt has joined Wichita State as the Director of Research Security and Compliance. In this role, Shannon will lead the Office of Research Integrity, Security, and Compliance (RISC) and work closely with our research community to strengthen research practices and safeguard our growing research enterprise. She can be reached at shannon.lunt@idp.wichita.edu or 978‑6436.
The university is also pleased to announce that Mark Bookout will serve as Wichita State’s inaugural Director of Research Technology. Mark will lead efforts to expand and enhance research technology infrastructure, services, and support for students, faculty, staff, and research partners across the university. Academic research faculty and staff with technology needs tied to their proposals are encouraged to contact Mark early in the proposal development stage for guidance and assistance. He can be reached at mark.bookout@wichita.edu or 573‑647‑1935.
These new roles reflect WSU’s commitment to scaling research capabilities and supporting the faculty, staff, and partners who drive innovation across campus. Please join us in welcoming Shannon and Mark to WSU.
We are pleased to announce the release of our new Responsibility Matrix, which outlines key responsibilities throughout the sponsored project lifecycle! We encourage all Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators to familiarize themselves with this resource. See the Announcement section for more information.
WSU leadership continues to monitor federal actions and sponsor guidance that may affect our research programs. If you receive any communication from a federal sponsor that could impact your project or funding, please forward it to your respective Office of Research.
Past and future editions of this newsletter may be found here:
https://www.wichita.edu/research/ResearchNewsletter/index.php.
Appreciate your commitment to excellence in research and innovation.
Pierre Harter, Associate VP Research and Industry Engagement
LAST MONTH'S
AWARDS
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
2027 INSTITUTE/ACADEMY ADDITION OF SERVICES TO FULL
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Public Policy & Management Center
Sponsor: City Clerks and Municipal Financial Officers Association
Amount: $14,000
SOUTH HUTCHINSON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: COMMUNITY SURVEY
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Public Policy & Management Center
Sponsor: Professional Engineering Consultants
Amount: $20,800
CITY OF AUGUSTA HOUSING ACTION PLAN
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Public Policy & Management Center
Sponsor: City of Augusta
Amount: $7,989
CANAL ROUTE PEL STUDY: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Public Policy & Management Center
Sponsor: Professional Engineering Consultants
Amount: $107,570
APEX ACCELERATOR PROGRAM
PI/Department: Julian Gonzalez-Salamanca, APEX Accelerator Program
Sponsor: US Army Contracting Command
Amount: $533,957
SMALL MOLECULE PROTEASE INHIBITORS AGAINST MERS-COV AND CORONAVIRUSES OF PANDEMIC POTENTIAL
PI/Department: William Groutas, Chemistry
Sponsor: Kansas State University / Natl Institutes of Health
Amount: $193,509
KBOR NURSING INITIATIVE GRANT- AY 27
PI/Department: Debra Pile, AVC School of Nursing
Sponsor: Kansas Board of Regents
Amount: $212,455
CARE: A CONVERSATIONAL SYSTEM FOR ENABLING RESILIENT AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO CRITICAL COMMUNITY SERVICES AND DISASTER SUPPORT
PI/Department: Souvika Sarkar, School of Computing
Sponsor: Univ of Kansas Ctr - Research, Inc. / Kansas Board of Regents
Amount: $50,000
EVALUATION AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE JOB ROTATION OPTIMIZATION TOOL TO BALANCE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER RISK
PI/Department: Mostafa Taheri, Industrial & Manufacturing Eng
Co-PI/Department: Michael Jorgensen, Industrial & Manufacturing Eng
Sponsor: National Safety Council
Amount: $47,903
STRATEGIC PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Kansas Dental Association
Amount: $4,943
ONLINE HOUSING TRAINING UPDATES
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Kansas Department for Aging & Disability Services / Dept of Health and Human Services
Amount: $49,429
OVERDOSE DATA TO ACTION COOPERATIVE STRATEGY 6
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Dept of Health & Environment - Kansas / Dept of Health and Human Services
Amount: $8,530
PATHWAYS TO ORAL HEALTH
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Community Engagement Institute
Sponsor: Oral Health Kansas, Inc.
Amount: $4,680
MONTHLY AWARDS FOR THE DIVISION OF INDUSTRY AND DEFENSE EQUAL $25,495,539 OF WHICH $24,829,416 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: Truman Library Institute
Title: Research Grants
Application Deadline(s): October 1, 2026
Purpose: "“…to offset the cost of conducting research at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum."
Amount: $2,500
REMINDER: Funding Agency: Frances R. Dewing Foundation
Title: Grants Supporting Innovation in Early Childhood Education
Application Deadline(s): October 1, 2026
Purpose: "The Frances R. Dewing Foundation supports innovation in early childhood education. Emphasis is placed on new, untried or unusual projects and programs that if successful could have a snowball or ripple effect benefiting the larger educational or local community. Generally such projects and programs need seed money to develop and try new educational methods and tools."
Amount: $1,000-$25,000
REMINDER: Funding Agency: ProLiteracy (Nora Roberts Foundation)
Title: Literacy Opportunity Fund
Application Deadline(s): October 1, 2026
Purpose: "We award grants up to $6,000 to literacy organizations of all types and sizes that are doing direct work with adult students. Apply for a grant to fund your organization’s general operating expenses, such as salaries or teacher stipends, supplies or equipment, space rental, and more. Grant funds can also be used to fund adult literacy projects or develop new programming."
Amount: $6,000
Funding Agency: State of Kansas Internal Funds for WSU Tenured or Tenure-Track Faculty
Title: University Research / Creative Project Awards (URCA)
Application Deadline(s): October 2, 2026
Purpose: "The University Research/Creative Projects Awards (URCAs) are to retool or reestablish productive research/creative projects agenda. In areas where external funding is available, the URCA may be used as seed money to develop pilot data.”
Amount: $4,500
Funding Agency: State of Kansas Internal Funds for WSU Tenured or Tenure-Track Faculty
Title: Multidisciplinary Research Project Awards (MURPA)
Application Deadline(s): October 2, 2026
Purpose: "Multidisciplinary Research Project Awards (MURPAs) are for projects that involve two or more investigators from different disciplines that focus different perspectives and capabilities on complex problems that intersect established areas of study.”
Amount: $7,500
Funding Agency: American Psychological Foundation (APF)
Title: Scott and Paul Pearsall Grant
Application Deadline(s): October 2, 2026
Purpose: "The Scott and Paul Pearsall Grant supports graduate and early career work that seeks to increase the public’s understanding of the psychological pain and stigma experienced by adults living with visible physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy."
Amount: $10,000
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Application Deadline(s): October 5, 2026
Purpose: "The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to stimulate efforts to translate scientific discoveries and engineering developments into methods or tools that address problems in basic research to understand disease, or in applied research to assess risk, detect, prevent, diagnose, treat, and/or manage disease. The rationale is to deliver new capabilities to meet evolving requirements for technologies and methods relevant to the advance of research and delivery of care in pre-clinical, clinical and non-clinical settings, domestic or foreign, for conditions and diseases within the missions of participating institutes."
Amount: $499,000 (direct costs) per year for up to 5 years.
REMINDER: Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Application Deadline(s): October 5, 2026
Purpose: "To meet a growing need for investigators trained in biomedical informatics research and data science by training qualified pre- and post-doctoral candidates; to conduct research in biomedical informatics, bioinformatics and related computer, information and data sciences; to facilitate management of electronic health records and clinical research data; to prepare scholarly works in biomedicine and health; to advance biocomputing and bioinformatics through participation in Federal initiatives relating to biomedical informatics, bioinformatics and biomedical computing; and to stimulate and foster scientific and technological innovation through cooperative research development carried out between small business concerns and research institutions, through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants."
Amount: Application budgets are expected to be no more than $250,000 per year in direct costs and should reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
Funding Agency: Simons Foundation
Title: Solar Radiation Management
Application Deadline(s): October 6, 2026
Purpose: "The Simons Foundation supports an international collaborative research program designed to fill fundamental scientific knowledge gaps relevant to SRM, an emerging collection of approaches, including stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), marine cloud brightening (MCB) and cirrus cloud thinning (CCT), designed to modify the Earth’s radiative balance and cool the planet."
Amount: $1.5 million
REMINDER: Funding Agency: American Chemical Society (ACS): Petroleum Research Fund (PRF)
Title: Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) Grants
Application Deadline(s): October 9, 2026
Purpose: "Proposals must be for fundamental research in “the petroleum field,” which is defined in our founding document as “petroleum, natural gas, coal, shale, tar sands and like materials.” Fundamental research encompasses the properties of these materials, whereas the petroleum industry undertakes “applied research,” which is outside the scope of ACS PRF. However, please note that while the PRF Trust imposes certain restrictions, PRF currently funds many topics of current interest in sustainability and green chemistry. These include, for example, new catalysts and upgrading/utilization of methane and carbon dioxide."
Amount: $125,000 for New Directions; $110,000 for Doctoral New Investigators; $70,000 for Undergraduate Research; $55,000 for Undergraduate New Investigators
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Title: Exploratory/Developmental Bioengineering Research Grants (EBRG) (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Application Deadline(s): October 16, 2026
Purpose: "The purpose of this engineering-oriented notice of funding opportunity announcement (NOFO) is to encourage submissions of exploratory/developmental Bioengineering Research Grant (EBRG) applications to demonstrate feasibility and potential utility of new capabilities or improvements in quality, speed, efficacy, operability, costs, and/or accessibility of solutions to problems in basic biomedical, pre-clinical, or clinical research, clinical care delivery, or accessibility. The rationale is to support first steps toward delivery of new capabilities to meet evolving requirements for technologies and methods relevant to the advance of research and/or medical care in pre-clinical, clinical and non-clinical settings, domestic or foreign, for conditions and diseases within the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers."
Amount: The combined budget for direct costs for the two-year project period may not exceed $275,000. No more than $200,000 may be requested in any single year.
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Title: NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Application Deadline(s): October 16, 2026
Purpose: "The NIH Small Research Grant Program supports small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources. This program supports different types of projects including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology."
Amount: $50,000 (direct costs) per year for up to 2 years.
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Title: Basic Research in Cancer Health Disparities (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Application Deadline(s): October 16, 2026
Purpose: "This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) encourages grant applications from investigators interested in conducting basic research studies into the biological/genetic causes and mechanisms of cancer health disparities. These awards will support pilot and feasibility studies designed to investigate biological/genetic contributors of cancer health disparities, such as (1) mechanistic studies of biological factors associated with cancer health disparities, (2) the development and testing of new methodologies and models, and (3) secondary data analyses. This NOFO is also designed to aid and facilitate the growth of a nationwide cohort of scientists with a high level of basic research expertise in cancer health disparities research who can expand available resources and tools, such as biospecimens, patient derived models and methods that are necessary to conduct basic research in cancer health disparities. In addition, the NOFO will further the development of scientific areas, providing support for early-stage exploratory projects that lead to future in-depth mechanistic studies (such as R01 projects) of the biology of cancer health disparities."
Amount: The combined budget for direct costs for the two-year project period may not exceed $275,000. No more than $200,000 may be requested in any single year.
REMINDER: Funding Agency: Defense Health Agency (DHA)
Application Deadline(s): Pre-Applications due October 23, 2026; Full Applications due November 6, 2026
Purpose: "The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Parkinson’s Research Program (PRP) Early Investigator Research Award (EIRA) supports Parkinson’s disease (PD) research for investigators in the early stages of their careers. The FY26 EIRA offers two funding levels, which align to the research career stage of the Principal Investigator (PI). Funding Level 1 (for fellows) requires the investigator to receive guidance from a designated Mentor, whereas Funding Level 2 (for early-career independent investigators) does not. Proposed research must address at least one of the four FY26 PRP Focus Areas."
Amount: $0.3M for Funding Level 1 awards and $1.0M for Funding Level 2 awards
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Application Deadline(s): October 25, 2026
Purpose: "The purpose of this Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions is to support small scale research grants at institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the NIH, with an emphasis on providing biomedical research experiences primarily for undergraduate students, and enhancing the research environment at applicant institutions."
Amount: $375,000 in direct costs
Funding Agency: Wenner-Gren Foundation
Title: Post-PhD Research Grant
Application Deadline(s): November 1, 2026
Purpose: "This grant program funds individual research projects undertaken by doctorates in anthropology and doctorates in related fields who have an academic appointment in an anthropology department. Our goal is to support vibrant and significant work that furthers our understanding of what it means to be human."
Amount: $25,000
Funding Agency: College Life Protected
Title: Grants Supporting Student Success and Higher Education
Application Deadline(s): November 1, 2026
Purpose: "College Life Protected seeks to support educators, scholars, practitioners and students in uncovering insights that support greater college completion, build confidence in the value of higher education as a public good, and reduce the financial risks & cost of college. Of particular interest are research questions that address emerging and systemic risks impacting higher education. Many of these risks “live” at the intersection of disciplines and administrative functions on college campuses."
Amount: The majority of grants issued are for around $1,500.
LIMITED: Funding Agency: Retirement Research Foundation (RRF)
Title: Research Grants
Application Deadline(s): Limited: Because WSU may only submit one letter of intent per cycle, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by September 11, 2026 at 12noon, in case an internal competition is needed. The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is September 18, 2026. Letters of Intent due November 1, 2026.
Purpose: "RRF funds research that seeks to identify interventions, policies and practices to improve the well-being of older adults and/or their caregivers. Preference is given to projects aimed at generating practical knowledge and guidance that can be used by advocates, policy-makers, providers, and the aging network."
Amount: "Applicants are encouraged to develop realistic budgets that include all expenses needed to effectively implement their projects. Applicants can review RRF’s Past Grants to review the grant awards RRF has made over the past five years."
LIMITED: Funding Agency: Brain Research Foundation
Title: 2027 Seed Grant Program
Application Deadline(s): Limited: Because WSU may only nominate one faculty member (assistant or associate professor), Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by September 15, 2026 at 12noon, in case an internal competition is needed. The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is September 22, 2026. Letter of Intent (if nominated) due November 3, 2026.
Purpose: "The purpose of our program is to provide start-up monies for new research projects in the field of neuroscience that will likely lead to extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other outside funding sources."
Amount: $100,000
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 26-512 Unlocking Dataset Value for AI-Enabled Scientific Discovery (AI Datasets)
Application Deadline(s): November 4, 2026
Purpose: "The program seeks to 1) apply AI-based capabilities to feature extraction and metadata generation, and the integration of multiple datasets. 2) Develop robust data pipelines necessary for automated analysis of existing datasets and similar use-cases by AI tools and systems. 3) Augment and/or harmonize existing datasets to better enable use by AI data pipelines and automated analysis."
Amount: $2,000,000
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Title: NSF 20-558: PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF)
Application Deadline(s): November 10, 2026
Purpose: "The Professional Formation of Engineers: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF) program enables engineering faculty who are renowned for teaching, mentoring, or leading educational reform efforts on their campus to develop expertise in conducting engineering education research."
Amount: $200,000
Funding Agency: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Title: Automated Processes for Knowledge Discovery and Information Retrieval
Application Deadline(s): November 30, 2026
Purpose: "Seeking innovative research to develop, demonstrate, integrate, test, evaluate, and deliver technologies that process and exploit multi-source, multi-domain classified, open source, non-traditional source data to improve Battlespace Awareness, derive decision quality information, and automate analysis/decision processes."
Amount: $3,000,000 - $35,000,000
Funding Agency: Terra Foundation for American Art
Title: Convening Grants
Application Deadline(s): November 30, 2026
Purpose: "Terra Foundation Convening Grants support conversations, symposia, and workshops that stimulate interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange related to the visual arts of the United States and Indigenous arts of North America."
Amount: $10,000 - $25,000
LIMITED: Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Application Deadline(s): Limited: Because WSU may only submit one letter of intent as lead institution, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by October 27, 2026 at 12:00noon, in case an internal competition is needed. The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is November 3, 2026. Letters of Intent due December 15, 2026.
Purpose: "Supports interjurisdictional teams of EPSCoR investigators to perform research in topics that align with NSF priorities, with the goals of driving discovery and building sustainable STEM capacity."
Amount: The maximum FEC award amount is based on the number of eligible jurisdictions participating in the project. See solicitation for details.
Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Title: Collections Stewardship
Application Deadline(s): December 15, 2026
Purpose: "The Collections Stewardship program funds projects to preserve and make available physical and digital collections important for research, teaching, and public engagement in the humanities. Awards support the work of libraries, archives, and museums; colleges and universities working on collections access; and organizations that provide preservation services or educate and train students and professionals in collections stewardship."
Amount: $350,000
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 16, 2026
- Astronomy and Astrophysics – Nov 16, 2026
- Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (AGS-PRF)
- Biomechanics and Mechanobiology
- Biosensing
- Chemistry: Disciplinary Research Programs – Sep 30 or Nov 2, 2026 - 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 1, 2026
- 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, 2026
- Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics
- Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
-
Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (RISBS)
- Science of Learning & Augmented Intelligence
- Security, Privacy & Trust in Cyberspace (SaTC 2.0) – Sep 28, 2026
- Security and Preparedness
- Social Psychology – Jan 15 & Jul 15 annually
- Sociology
- Statistics
- STEM K-12
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 Materials Research: Topical Materials Research Program
- Division of Physics: Investigator-Initiated Research Projects – Varies by topic
- Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS)
- Mathematical Sciences Infrastructure Program
- National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program (NRT) –TBD
- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) – Aug 18, 2027
- Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science – Oct 14, 2026
- Research in the Formation of Engineers (RFE)
EDUCATION &
TRAINING
Grand Challenges RFP Webinar: September 1, 2026
Grand Challenges is “…seeking bold ideas that substantially lower the cost and complexity of pathogen sequencing, with a target of US $1–10 per sample-to-sequence. Join us for an informative webinar designed to provide key details about this Grand Challenges RFP and answer applicant questions. This session will cover essential aspects of the challenge, including the background, problem statement, RFP details, and the application process.”
Register for Grand Challenges Webinar
NSF Webinar: State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs Webinar: September 2, 2026
“This webinar will provide an overview of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs program (NSF 26-513), which aims to expand access to the compute resources needed for AI-enabled scientific discovery and strengthen research, education, and workforce development at institutions of higher education...”
NIH Webinar: Overview of NIGMS Training, Research Education and Career Development Programs: September 16, 2026
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) will host an informational webinar to provide a broad overview of the training, fellowship, research education and career development funding opportunities we support, and have breakout sessions to answer questions about our interests in newly published Parent R25 and K12 Notices of funding opportunities.
NIH Webinar: Extramural Loan Repayment Programs (LRP) Technical Assistance Webinar: October 6, 2026
“The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. The escalating costs of advanced education and training in medicine and clinical specialties are forcing some scientists to abandon their research careers for higher-paying private industry or private practice careers. This session will provide applicants with an in-depth look at the application process and more.”
Materials Research Society Webinar: Crash Course on Aerogels and Related Nanoporous Materials: October 6, 2026
“Whether you're new to the field or looking to deepen your expertise, this webinar offers a concise, expert-led introduction to aerogel synthesis, characterization, and modeling. Registrants will also receive access to the full recording of the original tutorial session from the 2025 MRS Fall Meeting, featuring the complete lineup of instructors and topics for those who want to explore the subject in even greater depth.”
NSF BIO Virtual Office Hour Webinar: Updates from the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences: September 16, 2026
“Program Directors will describe and answer your questions about newly issued funding opportunities for the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences.”
Register for Materials Research Society Webinar
NIH Webinar: National Cancer Institute (NCI) Academic Career Excellence (K32) Award Pre-Application Webinar: September 15, 2026
“Join NCI program staff for an overview of the ACE K32 award and for more information about preparing an application under PAR-27-062.”
NIH Webinar: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) F and K Awards Demystified: Strategies for Biomedical Career Success: September 16-17, 2026
“Designed for early-career investigators, the program provides practical guidance on preparing competitive F and K award applications through sessions on the application and peer review processes, NIAID research priorities, proposal development tips, and NIH funding resources. Participants will hear from NIAID program staff and Scientific Review Officers from the NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and will have opportunities to engage with experts during the Q and A sessions.”
REMINDER: Hanover Research Webinar: Navigating the Foundation Funding Landscape: September 24, 2026
“This session will provide a primer on the wide-ranging grant makers that comprise foundation funding landscape, how to identify potential private grant opportunities, and the conventions of pursuing grants from these funders as compared to public sources.”
Register for Hanover Research Webinar
Hanover Research Webinar: Collaborating with Community Partners in Grant Seeking: October 29, 2026
“Community partnerships can strengthen proposals, expand resources, and make your work more compelling to funders. Building these relationships requires trust, shared goals, and clear communication...”
Register for Hanover Research Webinar
REMINDER: Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Online Radiation Safety & Health Physics Training Courses
“Whether you are just starting your career in the health physics field or are a seasoned professional who needs a refresher or way to develop new radiation safety skills, [Professional Training Programs offer] a variety of radiation safety and health physics courses for any experience level..”
Register for ORAU Online Training Courses
US Department of Justice (DOJ) Weekly Training Webinars: Various
“…As a supplement to the self-guided training materials, the JustGrants team offers additional opportunities through Weekly Training Webinars for award recipients to receive real-time technical assistance and support on JustGrants system functionality.”
Register for a DOJ Training Webinar
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
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Responsibility Matrix for Sponsored Research and Other Creative Activity: Roles and Responsibilities Clarified
Successful research administration depends on a strong partnership between Principal Investigators, departments, and the central research office. To help clarify these roles, we have developed a Responsibility Matrix that identifies key responsibilities across the sponsored project lifecycle for projects supported by the Academic Affairs Office of Research. This matrix is intended to promote transparency, consistency, and effective stewardship of sponsored projects. We encourage all Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators to familiarize themselves with this resource.
https://www.wichita.edu/research/ResponsibilityMatrix.php
REMINDER: NIH: Request for Information: Proposed Changes to Reporting Outcomes from NIH Peer Review
“NIH is specifically requesting public comment on the proposed changes to reporting of peer review outcomes… Comments must be received by October 13, 2026.”
Continue Reading about NIH’s Proposal
NIH: Request for Comment: Draft NIH Biosafety Policy for Research Involving Biohazards
“NIH seeks public input on its Draft NIH Biosafety Policy for Research Involving Biohazards, which, when finalized, will supersede the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules. Respondents are free to address any or all of the topics listed or any other relevant topics for NIH to consider. Respondents should not feel compelled to address all items. NIH will consider all comments received. Comments are welcome on all aspects of the draft policy, including the scope, risk assessment, categories of oversight based on risk, roles and responsibilities, IBC functions, and procedures…Responses will be accepted through October 19, 2026.”
Read More about NIH’s Request for Information
NSF NEWS: NSF launches Project Triad to advance quantum technology for real-world applications
“First-of-its-kind initiative will integrate quantum sensing, networking and computing into a single operational system to strengthen American economic competitiveness and national security…”
NIH: Highlighted Topic: Immune Mechanisms for Disease Prevention
“This topic encourages applicants to accelerate research on immune-based mechanisms for disease prevention.”
Continue Reading NIH Highlighted Topic of Interest: Immune Mechanisms for Disease Prevention
NIH: Highlighted Topic: Strengthening Biomedical Research, Promoting Trust, and Improving Health through Bioethics Research
“This topic aims to advance bioethics research projects that are actionable, build trust, and enable better integration of bioethical principles into biomedical and behavioral research.”
NSF News: NSF announces $1.5B for foundational research to drive scientific breakthroughs for American technological leadership
NSF “released 12 new notices of funding opportunity (NOFOs) providing over $1.5 billion for foundational research, including basic and use-inspired inquiry across the sciences and engineering.”
REMINDER: NASA: Grant Notice: SciENcv Requirements for NASA Disclosure Forms
“Beginning June 25, 2026, applicants will be able to access and complete the NASA-specific biographical sketch and current and pending (other) support forms within SciENcv, a National Institutes of Health, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) system that supports the creation, management, and sharing of standardized disclosure forms. NASA will accept disclosure forms in either the Word fillable format or SciENcv format until August 31, 2026. Starting September 1, 2026, NASA will only accept the NASA-specific, SciENcv-developed forms in grant and cooperative agreement proposals.”
Read More about SciENcv Requirements for NASA Disclosure Forms
REMINDER: NIH: Request for Information: NIH Common Fund is Soliciting Ideas for NIH-wide Challenges and Opportunities
“The NIH requests ideas for biomedical and behavioral research challenges and opportunities that may be of interest to the Common Fund. These ideas may inform activities to advance areas of science relevant to these challenges/opportunities, including, but not limited to, scientific workshops, pilot initiatives, and/or future Common Fund programs…Responses must be received by 11:59:59 pm (ET) on September 19, 2026.”
Continue Reading about NIH’s Request for Information
REMINDER: DMP Tool Now Available for WSU Researchers
Dr. Jung Mee Park, Data Librarian, Ablah Libraries, has created a libguide for WSU researchers who are interested in using the free DMPTool to create data management plans that are compliant with sponsor requirements. The libguide may be found here: https://libraries.wichita.edu/dmptool. Researchers interested in using the DMPTool do not need to wait to have a formal proposal to start using the tool. Ablah Librarians are also available to assist with creating data management plans within the DMP Tool system. Remember, the WSU Office of Research should be notified in advance of any planned submissions for external sponsored funding: proposals@wichita.edu, so that our office may assist with meeting sponsor requirements.
REMINDER: NIH: Helpful Reminders to Ensure Integrity of NIH-Supported Research When Using Artificial Intelligence
“Today, we are sharing some helpful reminders on the appropriate use of AI tools when applying, managing awards, and conducting the research process itself…”
Continue Reading NIH Reminders about Use of AI
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, are encouraged to reach out directly to Katelyn Schoenhofer at kschoenhofer1@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.
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Email funding@wichita.edu to:
- Set up a Pivot account and receive guidance on how to search the database to find funding opportunities; and
- Subscribe to funding announcements and funding-related alerts
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