January 28, 2026

We are pleased to acknowledge those who received awards in December 2025.  So far in FY2026, WSU researchers under Academic Affairs have submitted external proposals in the amount of $42,973,134 and received $19,434,743 in external awards.

Please note the availability of a limited Kansas NSF EPSCoR funding opportunity, for the NSF E-RISE program.  More information can be found in the funding opportunities section of this newsletter, along with a link to the recording of the webinar held by the KS NSF EPSCoR office, which can be found with the office of research past recordings here. 

Reminder: Academic Affairs, the Office of Research, and Information Technology Services (ITS) have issued surveys focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) aimed at establishing an AI inventory – a reliable, campus-wide picture of current AI use and future needs.   The AI surveys may be found here, and responses are requested through January 30, 2026. An additional survey focusing on High-Performance Computing (HPC) will be issued in early February to gather data to help shape campus HPC/secure compute, storage, support, and grant strategy.

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.

SOCIAL ROBOTS AS ATTENTIONAL GUIDES FOR THE AGING WORKFORCE

PI/Department: Abdulaziz Abubshait, Psychology

Sponsor: State of Kansas - URCA

Amount: $4,500

WHAT IS SUMPWEED? A MORPHOLOGICAL AND GENETIC INVESTIGATION OF AN ANCIENT NORTH AMERICAN PLANT DOMESTICATE

PI/Department: James Beck, Biological Sciences

Co-PI/Department: Crystal Dozier, Anthropology

Sponsor: State of Kansas - MURPA

Amount: $7,500

FSH GLYCOFORM ASSAY DEVELOPMENT YEAR 10

PI/Department: George Bousfield, Biological Sciences

Sponsor: GlycoFormA, Ltd.

Amount: $48,822

COMMISSION ORIENTATION AND RETREAT FACILITATION

PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Office of Community Partnerships

Sponsor: City of Newton

Amount: $9,432

RISING STARS

PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Strategic Engagement & Planning

Sponsor: Kansas Department of Commerce

Amount: $13,000

GENERATIVE AI IN THE K-12 CLASSROOM: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY OF TEACHER ADOPTION AND NEEDS

PI/Department: Jaehwan Byun, School of Education

Sponsor: State of Kansas - URCA

Amount: $4,500

MCNAIR POSTBACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM

PI/Department: Ashley Cervantes, ED - Ronald E. Mcnair Program

Sponsor: Department of Education - US

Amount: $305,049

FOOD SYSTEM DATA ACQUISITION TO SUPPORT REAL TIME FOOD NAVIGATION USING LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS

PI/Department: Laila Cure Vellojin, Industrial & Manufacturing Eng

Co-PI/Department: Souvika Sarkar, School of Computing

Sponsor: State of Kansas - MURPA

Amount: $7,500

ENHANCING PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS VIA ROBUST FETAL ECG EXTRACTION FROM A SINGLE ABDOMINAL SIGNAL USING SYNCHROSQUEEZING TRANSFORM

PI/Department: Yanwu Ding, Electrical & Computer Engr

Sponsor: State of Kansas - URCA

Amount: $4,500

GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT

PI/Department: Debra Fraser, KMUW

Sponsor: Kansas Department of Commerce / Natl Endowment for the Arts

Amount: $6,848

RII TRACK-1: ADAPTIVE AND RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURES DRIVEN BY SOCIAL EQUITY (ARISE) DOCUMENTING AND DISSEMINATING HISTORY AND MORTUARY SEGREGATION AT HIGHLAND CEMETERY

PI/Department: Matthew Howland, Anthropology

Sponsor: Univ of Kansas Ctr - Research, Inc. / Natl Science Foundation

Amount: $46,910

VETERANS UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

PI/Department: Stacia Lyday, ED-Veterans Upward Bound Program

Sponsor: Department of Education - US

Amount: $309,505

SUPPORTED CONVERSATION TRAINING FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

PI/Department: Erin O'Bryan, Communication Sciences

Sponsor: State of Kansas - URCA

Amount: $4,500

POWER QUALITY LAB

PI/Department: Chengzong Pang, Electrical & Computer Engr

Sponsor: Various

Amount: $8,500

LEGAL RESEARCH – ARRVAMA

PI/Department: Lisa Parcell, The Research Partnership

Sponsor: IMS Consulting and Expert Services

Amount: $5,000

LEGAL RESEARCH – DAVVUNI

PI/Department: Lisa Parcell, The Research Partnership

Sponsor: IMS Consulting and Expert Services

Amount: $2,500

LEGAL RESEARCH – DUNVCIT

PI/Department: Lisa Parcell, The Research Partnership

Sponsor: IMS Consulting and Expert Services

Amount: $5,500

TOWARDS HUMAN-ROBOT TEAMING IN AVIATION: EXAMINING TRUST IN AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC AGENT

PI/Department: Tetsuya Sato, Psychology

Sponsor: State of Kansas - URCA

Amount: $4,500

CONSTRAINING THE LOCATION OF MAGMA STORAGE AT NEWBERRY VOLCANO USING MAFIC ENCLAVES RECOVERED FROM THE VENT OF BIG OBSIDIAN FLOW

PI/Department: Melissa Scruggs, Geology

Sponsor: State of Kansas - URCA

Amount: $4,485

GEAR UP AT HEIGHTS AND SOUTHEAST

PI/Department: Alicia Thompson, ED - K-12 Connections & Special Pro

Sponsor: Department of Education - US

Amount: $1,070,400

GEARUP AT SOUTH AND WEST

PI/Department: Alicia Thompson, ED - K-12 Connections & Special Pro

Sponsor: Department of Education - US

Amount: $810,400

SPEAKER SERVICES

PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Strategic Engagement & Planning

Sponsor: Community Care Network Of Kansas, Inc.

Amount: $1,248

KS MRC DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING

PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships

Sponsor: Dept of Health & Environment - Kansas / Dept of Health and Human Services

Amount: $688

MAT LEARNING COLLABORATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERIES - OD2A STRATEGY 6

PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships

Sponsor: Dept of Health & Environment - Kansas / Dept of Health and Human Services

Amount: $31,443

STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT

PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships

Sponsor: Finney County Community Health Coalition, Inc.

Amount: $14,480

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT

PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships

Sponsor: Flint Hills Wellness Coalition

Amount: $35,000

MONTHLY AWARDS FOR THE DIVISION OF INDUSTRY AND DEFENSE EQUAL $11,424,339 OF WHICH $10,856,714 BELONGS TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AVIATION RESEARCH (NIAR).

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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. 

Title: NSF 25-522: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE)

Application Deadlines: Limited: Because WSU may only submit one application as lead institution, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by February 24, 2026 at 12pm (noon), in case an internal competition is needed, and to coordinate other proposals with other Kansas EPSCoR institutions.  The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is March 17, 2026.  If selected, Full Applications will be due August 11, 2026.

Purpose: “Supports the development of sustainable research infrastructure and capacity in EPSCoR jurisdictions through collaborative, hypothesis-driven or problem-driven research and workforce development to improve competitiveness in a selected STEM field.”  Proposals are highly collaborative and must involve more than one Kansas institution, while aligning with the Kansas Science and Technology Plan found here.

Amount: $8,000,000 over four years

Title: SERDP Core FY27 Solicitation - Weapon Systems and Platforms

Application Deadlines: Pre-Proposals due February 5, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due April 2, 2026

Purpose: Current Statements of Need include “Alternative Nitration of Energetic Molecules;” “Chemical Stripping of Coatings and Sealants on Composites;” “Corrosion Modeling and Data Validation for Sustainable Corrosion Mitigation Solutions;” “Recovery of Critical Minerals from DoW Materiel;” and “Safe Size Reduction of Energetic Materials for Demilitarization.”

Amount: Not Specified

Title: Award for Research/Creative Projects in Summer (ARCS)

Application Deadline: February 6, 2026

Purpose: “The ARCS opportunity provides funding of up to $4,000 to enable faculty to pursue research or creative projects during the summer. Full time current tenured or tenure-track faculty members of WSU holding no more than a 10-month appointment (with no teaching or any other concurrent appointment or employment at WSU for 2 summer months) are eligible.”

Amount: $4,000

Title: Public Programming and Educational Outreach: Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park

Application Deadline: February 9, 2026

Purpose: “Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park seeks a program partner to assist the park in achieving its legislative purpose, i.e., "(1) to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations, the places that contributed materially to the landmark United States Supreme Court decision that brought an end to segregation in public education; and (2) to interpret the integral role of the Brown v. Board of Education case in the civil rights movement; and (3) to assist in the preservation, protection, and interpretation of related resources within Topeka, Kansas, Summerton, South Carolina, Farmville, Virginia, Wilmington, Claymont, and Hockessin, Delaware and the District of Columbia that further the understanding of the civil rights movement and the context of Brown v. Board of Education.”

Amount: $25,000-$250,000

Title: Fiscal Year 2026 Scientific Infrastructure Support for Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research: Topic 2: General Scientific Infrastructure (GSI)

Application Deadlines: Limited: Because WSU may only submit one application and only for Topic 2, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by February 9, 2026 at 12pm (noon), in case an internal competition is needed.  The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is February 23, 2026.  If selected, Full Applications will be due April 9, 2026.

Purpose: “Through the Nuclear Energy (NE) University Program , the Department of Energy intends to facilitate the education and training of nuclear scientists, engineers, and policymakers through graduate and undergraduate study, two-year programs, and R&D that is relevant to the NE and the U.S. nuclear energy industry in general.”

Amount: $250,000

Title: Economic Opportunity Grant

Application Deadlines: Expressions of Interest due February 13, 2026 or July 31, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due May 1, 2026 or October 16, 2026

Purpose: “The Nasdaq Foundation's Economic Opportunity Grant Program drives impact through five key areas—regional revitalization and rural wealth building, access to capital, employee and community ownership, financial literacy, and investor identity.”

Amount: There is no set minimum or maximum grant amount.

Title: Research Grant Program

Application Deadline: February 14, 2026

Purpose: “The purpose of the Research Grant Program is to further the knowledge and use of herbs. This grant supports the research of the horticultural, scientific, and/or medicinal use of herbs throughout history. Research must define an herb as historically useful for flavoring, medicine, economic, industrial, or cosmetic purposes and have the potential to significantly increase the knowledge of the field.”

Amount: $10,000

Title: Educating Rural Youth in Agriculture and Cooperative Education

Application Deadline: February 15, 2026 for Cooperative Education; anytime for Agricultural Leadership

Purpose: “We work with national and state level industry partners like AFA, FFA and state ag leadership programs to encourage more than 52,000 students to pursue ag careers each year. We’ve also partnered with dozens of cooperative education organizations to educate students about the cooperative business model.”

Amount: $100,000-$500,000

Title: Community Impact Grants

Application Deadline: Letters of Intent due February 15, 2026

Purpose: “The Foundation supports select nonprofit organizations that align with our core focus areas. This includes a broad array of initiatives that address food insecurity and have a clear community focus and provide entrepreneurial skills to help individuals participate in the farm-to-fork economy.”

Amount: Not Specified

Title: Convening Grants

Application Deadline: Inquiry due February 16, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due April 24, 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 the Indigenous arts of North America.”

Amount: $10,000-$25,000

Title: NSF 24-528: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Fellows (ERF)

Application Deadlines: Limited: Because WSU may only submit four applications and only for the NSF track, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by February 17, 2026 at 12pm (noon), in case an internal competition is needed.  The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is March 3, 2026.  If selected, Full Applications will be due April 14, 2026.

Purpose: “Supports early- and mid-career investigators in eligible jurisdictions to develop collaborations at the nation’s private, government or academic research institutions. Investigators may be affiliated with institutions of higher education or nonprofits.”

Amount: $300,000

Title: Grants

Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due February 18 or August 1, 2026

Purpose: “Grants are awarded to research, education and advocacy projects that advance FAFO’s mission: to protect and promote the organic industry and the livelihood of organic farmers.” 

Amount: $5,000-$50,000

Title: Paving the Way: From Blazing Trails to Building Community

Application Deadline: February 20, 2026

Purpose: “Sunflower is offering this RFP to support trails as an evidence-based strategy to increase opportunities for outdoor physical activity, strengthen social connections, and improve overall health and quality of life in Kansas communities. This initiative recognizes that communities are at different stages of trail development and provides multiple funding pathways to support local readiness, leadership, and long-term impact.” 

Amount: $10,000-$25,000

Title: Educating Character Initiative: 2026 Request for Proposals: Institutional Impact Grant

Application Deadlines: Letters of Inquiry due February 20, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due June 1, 2026

Purpose: “Support substantial and sustained efforts to integrate character into undergraduate education, either within a single institution or across multiple institutions.” 

Amount: $100,000-$1,000,000

Title: Hillman Emergent Innovation (HEI)

Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due February 20, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due June 18, 2026

Purpose: “The HEI program seeks proposals for innovative, early-stage nursing-driven interventions.” 

Amount: $50,000

Title: Hillman Innovations in Care (HIC)

Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due February 20, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due May 1, 2026

Purpose: “The HIC program provides grants to advance leading edge, nursing-driven interventions that improve the health and healthcare of all people, especially marginalized communities and advances innovative, evidence-based interventions that are ready to grow.” 

Amount: $250,000

Title: Annual Open Grant Program

Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due February 20, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due May 25, 2026

Purpose: “ARDF's Annual Open grant program was established to fund research projects that develop alternative methods to advance science and replace or reduce animal use.” 

Amount: Up to $50,000

Title: Young Investigator Awards

Application Deadline: February 23, 2026

Purpose: “The award funds may be used innovatively and flexibly to advance the career and research efforts of the awardee.”

Amount: $75,000

Title: Production and Presentation Grants to Organizations

Application Deadline: February 25, 2026

Purpose: “For organizations, funding priorities are to: Assist with the production and presentation of significant programs about architecture and related fields that promote dialogue, raise awareness, and engage public audiences; Support experimentation and risk-taking in programming and project development; Recognize the role organizations play in providing public forums for the presentation of work and ideas; and Recognize the vital role organizations play in providing individuals with a public forum in which to present their work.” 

Amount: $30,000

Title: Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Application Deadlines: February 25, June 25 and October 25, 2026

Purpose: “…to support 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: Applicants may request up to $375,000 in direct costs.

Title: Opportunities for Research and Development

Application Deadline: February 27, 2026

Purpose: HALO promotes opportunities for research and development presented by industry.  Opportunities vary greatly.  Recent requests from industry partners due February 27 include, for example, “Precision delivery formats for controlled hair lightening;” “Controlled oxidation technologies for improved selectivity and efficiency;” and “Thin film coatings for lightweight moisture control.”

Amount: Varies based on opportunity

Title: Agentic AI-Enabled Cardiovascular Care Transformation (ADVOCATE): Innovative Solutions Opening

Application Deadlines: Solution Summary due February 27, 2026; If invited, Full Proposals due April 1, 2026

Purpose: “The ADVOCATE program tackles the challenge of chronic disease management by advancing agentic AI solutions that can radically improve access to high-quality care. ADVOCATE supports the development and scalable implementation of interoperable agentic tools that deliver autonomous or semi-autonomous healthcare, with a clear pathway for regulatory clearance and reimbursement.”

Amount: Not Specified

Title: Grants in Mental Health

Application Deadlines: Letters of Intent due March 1, 2026; If invited, Full Applications will be due May 31, 2026

Purpose: “The primary focus is to fund programs concentrating on schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder within the continental United States.”

Amount: Not specified

Title: Advanced, Research Team and Short Seminars

Application Deadline: March 1, 2026

Purpose: “As we approach the 60th anniversary of seminars at SAR, we are dedicating the next two application rounds (in 2025-26 and 2026-27) to proposals for seminars that aim to radically advance significant fields within and between anthropology, history, Indigenous art, and related disciplines. Successful proposals should be bold, synthetic, and transformational, looking beyond narrow specializations and incremental knowledge and idea building to leap ahead to the next generation of scholarship.”

Amount: Travel, lodging and meeting space

Title: Grants in Publishing

Application Deadlines: March 1, 2026 or September 1, 2026

Purpose: “Furthermore supports publication of nonfiction books that concern the arts, history, and the natural and built environment.”

Amount: $4,000-$6,000

Title: Arts Everywhere

Application Deadline: March 2, 2026

Purpose: “The Arts Everywhere grant program provides funding for cultural projects, programs, exhibitions, series, arts education projects, and other arts programming. This program provides funding for educational institutions, arts organizations, and community service non-profits to use the arts to increase student success, foster creative thinking, develop critical job skills, enhance community development, and increase participation in the arts across Kansas. Projects must relate to an arts and culture discipline (music, dance, theatre, creative writing, literature, painting, sculpture, folk arts, photography, crafts, media arts, visual arts, programs of museums, and other such allied, major art forms).”

Amount: $1,000-$20,000 depending on category; note, 1:1 cost share is required.

Title: Mid-Career Advancement (MCA)

Application Deadline: March 2, 2026

Purpose: “The MCA is the only cross-directorate NSF program specifically aimed at providing protected time and resources to established scientists and engineers targeted at the mid-career stage. Participating programs in the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), Geosciences (GEO), Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Education and Human Resources (EHR) will accept MCA proposals. PIs from EPSCoR jurisdictions are especially encouraged to apply.”

Amount: Funds for the PI may include a) up to a total of 6.5 months of salary (plus fringe benefits) over the course of the award, and b) up to $100,000 for other direct costs in support of the research advancement and training plan.

Title: Petroleum Research Fund

Application Deadline: March 6, 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.”

Amount: $55,000-$125,000 depending on grant program type

Title: Grant Program

Application Deadlines: Letters of Interest accepted throughout the year, however March 10, 2026 and September 10, 2026 are cycle deadlines

Purpose: “…current funding interests include, but are not limited to: Leveraging AI to increase student learning effectiveness and experience in economic education; Research on AI and economic education; Developing/enhancing/leveraging capabilities to reach greater number of people in economic education; Economic education programs which have multiplier effect through teachers, social workers, and etc. on the population they serve; New and innovative economic education curriculum and capability; Behavioral economics with a focus on environmental issues; and Programs to generate more excitement and demand for economic and financial education.”

Amount: Not specified

Title: ESTCP FY 2027 Solicitation

Application Deadline: Pre-Proposals due March 12, 2026

Purpose: “ESTCP projects are formal demonstrations in which innovative technologies are rigorously evaluated. Demonstrations are conducted at DoW facilities and sites to document improved efficiency, enhanced resilience, and cost savings.”  Current Topic Areas listed include “Management of Impacted Soils and Waters” and “Advancing Technologies for Severe Weather Prediction.”

Amount: Not specified

Title: Direct Effect 1^st Grant Cycle 2026

Application Deadline: March 12, 2026

Purpose: “Quality of Life Grants Program, pioneered by the late Dana Reeve, impacts and helps people living with paralysis, their families and caregivers by providing grants to nonprofit organizations whose projects and initiatives foster wide-ranging acceptance, involvement and community engagement, while promoting health and wellness for those affected by paralysis in all 50 states and U.S. territories.”

Amount: $5,000-$24,999

Title: Advanced Scientific Research Grants

Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due March 15 or September 15, 2026

Purpose: “The Eppley Foundation for Research was incorporated in 1947 for the purpose of “increasing knowledge in pure or applied science…in chemistry, physics and biology through study, research and publication.”  The Foundation does not support work in the social sciences, education or computer science, and only rarely funds research into diseases that have considerable financial support available, such as AIDS, diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Particular areas of interest include innovative medical investigations, climate change, whole ecosystem studies, as well as research on single species if they are of particular significance in their environments, in the U.S. and abroad.”

Amount: The Eppley Foundation for Research is a small, family foundation that disburses up to $460,000 a year. Dozens of proposals compete annually for this modest sum.

Title: PCF TACTICAL AWARD

Application Deadlines: Letters of Intent due March 16, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due June 15, 2026

Purpose: PCF requests Letters of Intent for “Therapy ACceleration To Intercept CAncer Lethality (TACTICAL) Awards from qualified teams of investigators from academic and community institutions that will directly contribute to improved outcomes for patients with prostate cancer with lethal potential. These awards will be funded depending on the level of innovation and transformative potential in applications received.”

Amount: $5,000,000-$10,000,000

Title: 2026 PCF Challenge Awards

Application Deadline: March 16, 2026

Purpose: “PCF is pleased to announce a Request for Applications for PCF Challenge Awards for Team Science investigations of prostate cancer with lethal potential. These awards will be funded depending on the level of innovation in applications received. PCF seeks high-risk, currently unfunded projects from academic and community research institutions around the world.”

Amount: $1,000,000

Title: Early Career Awards in Child Health

Application Deadlines: Concept Submissions due March 17, 2026 for Spring cycle; September 1, 2026 for Fall cycle

Purpose: “The purpose of this program is to encourage the development of researchers in child health by awarding small grants to new researchers, helping them gain a foothold in this important area. The goal is to fund applicants who will go on to be independent investigators.”

Amount: $25,000

Title: Educating Character Initiative: 2026 Request for Proposals: Capacity-Building Grants

Application Deadline: March 20, 2026

Purpose: “Provide institutions with resources to strengthen their capacity to embed character into curricula and culture.” 

Amount: Up to $50,000

Title: Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award Program

Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due March 30, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due July 13, 2026

Purpose: “The Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (EA) Program funds projects that enable patients, caregivers and the broader healthcare community to actively participate in and shape the research that impacts them.”

Amount: $300,000 for Capacity Building or Dissemination Initiative; $125,000 for Convening Support

Title: Ensuring Fairness in Clinical Assessment

Application Deadlines: Letter of Intent due March 30, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due July 17, 2026

Purpose: “The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation is seeking proposals for the 2026 request for applications to support demonstration projects to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative strategies for enhancing fairness in clinical assessment in medical and nursing education programs. Funded projects will serve as exemplars for how schools of medicine and nursing can implement strategies that center the purpose of assessment, which is to ensure that everyone who graduates is fully prepared to provide the highest standard of care to their patients.”

Amount: $200,000

Title: Dr. George & Jeanne Tiller Fund

Application Deadline: Letter of Inquiry due March 31, 2026

Purpose: “These grants provide comprehensive health services, support and compassion to vulnerable women to realize their dreams.”

Amount: $25,000

Title: Sigma/Midwest Nursing Research Society Research (MNRS) Grant

Application Deadline: April 1, 2026

Purpose: “The purpose of the Sigma/Midwest Nursing Research Society research grant is to encourage qualified nurses to contribute to the advancement of nursing through research; proposals for pilot and/or developmental research may be submitted. All research topics and designs are eligible for support. Multidisciplinary, historical, and international research is encouraged.”

Amount: $3,500

Title: Research Grants

Application Deadline: April 1, 2026

Purpose: “…to offset the cost of conducting research at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.” 

Amount: $2,500

Title: University Research / Creative Project Awards (URCA)

Application Deadline: April 3, 2026

Purpose: “The 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

Title: Visionary Grants

Application Deadline: April 3, 2026

Purpose: “APF Visionary Grants seek to seed innovation through supporting research, education and intervention projects and programs that use psychology to solve social problems in a number of priority areas.” 

Amount: $20,000

Title: Findable Accessible Interoperable Reusable Open Science (FAIROS)

Application Deadline: April 8, 2026

Purpose: “Supports sustainable open science and data management by advancing research, education and cyberinfrastructure while encouraging collaboration and reducing barriers to data sharing.” 

Amount: $600,000

Title: Workforce Development for the Energy Transition

Application Deadline: April 8, 2026

Purpose: “...aims to contribute to the development of a prepared workforce and to increase the scientific literacy of the Gulf States residents who will become the skilled leaders and professionals of tomorrow. This funding opportunity will enable project participants to acquire skills, knowledge, and credentials to enter careers as part of the future energy workforce. The 2026 cycle of this funding opportunity will enable project participants to acquire skills, knowledge, and credentials to enter careers involved in the decommissioning of orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells.”

Amount: $100,000-$750,000

Title: Research Grants on Education: Small

Application Deadline: April 15, 2026

Purpose: “The Small Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived.  This program is “field-initiated” in that proposal submissions are not in response to a specific request for a particular research topic, discipline, design, method, or location. Our goal for this program is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education.”

Amount: Up to $50,000

Title: Research Grants and Grants-in-Aid in Life Sciences

Application Deadlines: Letters of Intent due April 15, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due September 1, 2026

Purpose: “The Whitehall Foundation, through its program of grants and grants-in-aid, assists scholarly research in the life sciences. It is the Foundation's policy to assist those dynamic areas of basic biological research that are not heavily supported by Federal Agencies or other foundations with specialized missions. In order to respond to the changing environment, the Whitehall Foundation periodically reassesses the need for financial support by the various fields of biological research.  The Foundation emphasizes the support of young scientists at the beginning of their careers and productive senior scientists who wish to move into new fields of interest.” 

Amount: $100,000 per year for Research Grants; $30,000 for Grants-in-Aid

Title: American Arts Program

Application Deadlines: Concept Notes due April 24, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due June 26, 2026

Purpose: “The American Art Program supports scholarly loan exhibitions that contribute significantly to the study and understanding of art of the United States, including all facets of Native American art. These grants advance the Program’s efforts to empower art museums to reconsider accepted histories, amplify the voices and experiences of underrepresented artists and cultures, and facilitate important dialogue with diverse collaborators and communities.” 

Amount: See website for previously funded projects

Title: Scholars Program

Application Deadlines: Limited: Because WSU may only submit one application per college, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by May 12, 2026 at 12noon, in case an internal competition is needed.  The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is May 26, 2026.  Full Applications due June 30, 2026.

Purpose: “The William T. Grant Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers. The program funds five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas.”

Amount: $425,000

Title: NIH Collaborative International Research Project (Parent PF5 Clinical Trial Optional)

Application Deadlines: May 25, 2026 or September 25, 2026

Purpose: “NIH seeks to advance its mission by maintaining strong, productive, and secure international research collaborations in support of the NIH mission. The NIH Collaborative International Research Project supports international research collaborations.”

Amount: Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

Title: Academic-Industrial Partnerships for Translation of Technologies for Diagnosis and Treatment (R01 – Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Application Deadlines: June 5 or October 5, 2026

Purpose: “…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.  This Notice of Funding Opportunity specifies a partnership structure that is expected to help bridge gaps in knowledge and experience by engaging the strengths of academic, industrial, and other investigators.”

Amount: Application budgets are limited to $499,000 (direct costs) per year.

Title: D-START: Data Science Track Award for Research Transition (D/START) (R03-Clinical Trial Optional)

Application Deadlines: June 16 or October 16, 2026

Purpose: “…to support investigators interested in applying cutting-edge data science techniques to address timely and challenging research questions related to substance use and/or substance use disorder in all areas of research supported by the NIDA.”

Amount: Budgets for direct costs of up to $100,000 per year for up to 2 years, may be requested.

Title: Paul Green Research Grant on Structured Interviews

Application Deadline: June 30, 2026

Purpose: “An overarching goal of the Paul Green Research Grant on Structured Interviews is to provide funding for research on structured interviews that has practical applications. Thus, considerable weight will be given to whether the proposed research is likely to result in clear guidance for the use of structured interviews.”

Amount: $25,000

Title: Sidney A. Fine Grant for Research on the Analysis of Work

Application Deadline: June 30, 2026

Purpose: “The Sidney A. Fine Grant supports research on analytical approaches for describing and understanding work (e.g., competency modeling, job analysis, work analysis, critical incidents). The grant encourages research in diverse formats, including bibliographic, empirical, methodological, model development, and theoretical investigations. The research may explore work analysis applications in a variety of areas, including employee selection, skills-based hiring, job design, career development, career paths, or talent architecture. Special emphasis is given to research that advances work analysis methodologies that tackle the evolving dynamics of work (e.g., gig economy, virtual work), the use of emerging technology (such as machine learning, natural language processing, and AI), and/or legal frameworks (such as pay equity laws).”

Amount: $7,500

Title: SIOP International Research and Collaboration (IRC) Small Grant

Application Deadline: June 30, 2026

Purpose: “The SIOP International Research and Collaboration (IRC) Small Grant supports research of an international or cross-cultural nature. The aim of the IRC Small Grant is to encourage international or cross-cultural collaborations on research projects that examine data from different cultural groups. Proposals can be made in any area of I-O Psychology, as long as the main research topic is approached from an international or cross-cultural lens.”

Amount: $5,000

Title: Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Research and Development Topics

Application Deadline: Ongoing; Pre-Proposals Accepted Anytime through January 1, 2027

Purpose: ERDC has issued this BAA “for various research and development topic areas: hydraulics, dredging, coastal engineering, instrumentation, oceanography, remote sensing, geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, soil effects, vehicle mobility, self-contained munitions, military engineering, geophysics, pavements, protective structures, aquatic plants, water quality, dredged material, treatment of hazardous waste, wetlands, physical/mechanical/chemical properties of snow and other frozen precipitation, infrastructure and environmental issues for installations, computer science, telecommunications management, energy, facilities maintenance, materials and structures, engineering processes, environmental processes, land and heritage conservation, and ecological processes.”

Amount: Not specified

Title: Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR)

Application Deadline: Ongoing; Open year-round

Purpose: “…deploys urgent funding to support research and outreach in response to emerging or unanticipated threats to the U.S. food supply or agricultural systems.”

Amount: Up to $250,000

Title: Grants

Application Deadline: Ongoing

Purpose: “Our support focuses on identifying, exploring, and removing the barriers that keep individuals from realizing their unique potential.” Current focus areas are Future of Work and Liberalism.

Amount: Funding levels are commensurate with the requirements of the research and the potential for the research to advance an understanding of critical issues. Accepted proposals may also receive support to disseminate research findings.

Title: Academic Grant Program

Application Deadlines: Ongoing

Purpose: “NVIDIA is requesting proposals from academic researchers who are working in the following subject areas: Simulation and Modeling; Data Science; and Robotics and Edge AI.”

Amount: NVIDIA hardware or software support

Title: NSF 25-545: NSF STEM K-12 (STEM K-12)

Application Deadline: Proposals Accepted Anytime

Purpose: “The NSF STEM K-12 program encourages innovative, multidisciplinary, and potentially transformative projects that build theory, generate new knowledge, and inform education practices in a rapidly evolving technological landscape with advances in emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI). It supports fundamental, applied, and translational research that enhances STEM teaching and learning and across the human lifespan and in a range of formal and informal learning settings.”

Amount: It is anticipated that most awards supported by the program will range between $25,000 and $750,000, with a typical duration of one to three years.

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 “Building Solar Understanding and Risk Education,” “Building Access to Tribal Energy Resilience,” “Apprenticeship Utilization Technical Assistance Program,” and “Partnerships for Academic-Industry Career Training (PACT) Initiative.”

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 – Aug 27, 2026
• Molecular and Cellular Biosciences

• Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (RISBS)

• Science of Learning & Augmented Intelligence – Feb 11 and Aug 5, 2026
• Security, Privacy & Trust in Cyberspace (SaTC 2.0) – Sep 28, 2026
• Security and Preparedness 
• Social Psychology – Jan 15 & Jul 15 annually
• Sociology
• Statistics – Dec 1-15, 2026

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, 2026 for CAT, CSDM-B, and SYN; Nov 2, 2026 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) – Aug 7, 2026
• Mathematical Sciences Infrastructure Program – Feb 3 or Aug 4, 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 14, 2026
• Research in the Formation of Engineers (RFE) - proposals accepted anytime

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Topics include an Introduction to the WSU Office of Research with resources and contacts, WSU policies and procedures related to research, utilizing Pivot to find external funding, project budgeting and general grant-writing tips.  Previously recorded workshops can also be found on the Office of Research website.

Office of Research Workshops

Belinda Sturm, Director of the Kansas National Science Foundation EPSCoR Program, provided a webinar and led a discussion with interested faculty on the NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE) solicitation.  Applications to E-RISE are due in August, however this program involves a large research ecosystem with an interconnected network of institutions and stakeholders, so early collaboration and discussions are important. This webinar is available for viewing under the “Past Workshop Recordings” section.

View Previous WSU Research Workshop Recordings and Upcoming Workshops

“Building strong relationships with industry partners can open new avenues for funding and collaborative research. In this webinar, we offer practical strategies for building successful industry partnerships, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural differences and aligning goals for mutual benefit.”

Register for Hanover Research Webinar

“Join us for a dynamic webinar featuring the Center for Digital Twins in Manufacturing, an NSF IUCRC led by the University of Michigan and Arizona State University. The center brings together partners to develop a shared digital twin framework that improves interoperability, scalability, and decision-making across manufacturing systems.”

Read More and Register for UIDP Webinar

“Join us for an interactive discussion on establishing and optimizing approaches to cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome care. Following a brief overview of the latest CKM evidence, panelists will engage in a case-based practicum session, highlighting key components for clinical practice.”

Register for American Heart Association Webinar

The NSF GCR “supports transitioning teams from research that is multidisciplinary to research that transcends disciplinary boundaries with novel conceptual frameworks, theories and methods.”

Attend an NSF GCR Open Office Hour Session

“This session is an opportunity to connect with PRF Program Officers and ask questions before the PRF Spring submission window.”  See the funding opportunities section of this newsletter to view the PRF opportunity due March 6, 2026.

Register for ACS PRF Open House

“This webinar will explore the findings from the visioning event report. It will examine emerging engineering research directions, highlight opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, and discuss how advances in these areas could reshape women’s health research and care over the next 10 to 25 years. This webinar is intended to be transdisciplinary and will be relevant to engineering researchers, clinicians, industry partners, research funders, and others interested in advancing women’s health through engineering-based approaches. It will be of particular interest to those working at the intersection of engineering, health, data science, and technology development, and more.”

Register for NSF ERVA Webinar

“As organizations quickly pivoted to respond to these shifts and uncertainties, NEFE had the opportunity to engage in listening sessions, planning discussions, and support initiatives with many of our partners to identify pathways of least disruption to advance effective financial education for all. This webinar is a moment to look back and discuss the lessons and opportunities we should carry forward, to not only continue but deepen the impact and sustainability of our work in financial education.”

Register for NEFE Webinar

“Office Hours are hosted by SCIPE Cyberinfrastructure Professionals and representatives from NSF’s ACCESS program, and are regularly attended by members of the NAIRR Pilot operations teams and Pilot partners. We are happy to answer questions related to proposal submission, active NAIRR Pilot awards, ACCESS MATCH submissions and ACCESS resource usage and support.”

Register for ACCESS NAIRR Office Hours on Feb 10 or Register for ACCESS NAIRR Office Hours on Feb 25

“The NCI Global Cancer Research and Control Seminar Series features virtual talks by researchers and cancer control experts working in global oncology. The seminars provide opportunities for discussion and collaboration around impactful and innovative work that addresses cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide.”

Register for NIH NCI Seminar Series

“The NIH Office of Research on Women's Health & the Uniformed Services University Military Women's Health Research Program present a webinar series showcasing research in military women's health.”

Register for NIH Military Women's Health Webinar on Readiness

“Additive manufacturing is transforming component design and production, yet widespread adoption faces challenges tied to variability, fatigue performance, and post-processing costs. This presentation unites two complementary advances that address these concerns.”

Read More and Register for America Makes Additive Manufacturing Webinar

“This webinar will offer practical guidance on addressing past research harms and building durable, trust-based partnerships with communities to support meaningful firearm violence prevention research.”

Register for Gun Violence Research Webinar

“This presentation will provide a conceptual framework outlining the biological aging mechanisms through which stress and adversity impact clinical outcomes in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy.”

Register for NIH National Cancer Institute Webinar

“Our Center provides activities to educate faculty and research administrative staff at SuRE-eligible institutions in the NIH funding process. Research experts cover various topics associated with grant writing and management and work closely with applicants as they progress toward their submissions.”  Upcoming planned webinars include Responsible Conduct of Research on February 12 and Selecting and Utilizing SuRE-First Mentors on March 4. 

Read More about the SuRE Resource Center and Watch Previous SuRE Webinars

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

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.

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“NSF proposes a new, transformational initiative to renew American manufacturing, revitalize America’s energy dominance, and address the shortage of a trade and skilled workforce.”

View NSF Request for Information  

Changes are effective as of January 22, 2026 and include, but are not limited to, revisions to Public Access, Sharing of Research Results, Data Management Plans and Project Reporting in Research.gov.

Read Notice of NSF PAPPG Supplement 2

“NSF TIP announces a partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities DEVCOM GVSC. DEVCOM GVSC seeks to advance cutting-edge scientific discovery, provide technological innovation, and transition knowledge products to empower U.S. Army capabilities today and in the future,” and “NSF TIP announces a partnership with the NSWCDD. NSWCDD seeks to advance a broad research, development, test, and evaluation portfolio with an emphasis on warfare systems development and integration.”

Read NSF TTP Army Dear Colleague Letter and Read NSF TTP Navy Dear Colleague Letter

“NSF has temporarily paused the submission of new Project Pitches to the SBIR/STTR programs due to the lapse in congressional authorization. Program Directors will continue to process Project Pitches that were previously received.

Please direct any questions to sbir@nsf.gov.”

Read NSF America's Seed Fund Critical Information

“NIH is requesting public input on its proposal to establish harmonized and transparent policy requirements for protecting human participant research data.  Responses will be accepted through March 4, 2026.”

Read NIH NOT-OD-26-023

“NIH fellowships are open to early career scientists, including those at the predoctoral and postdoctoral level. Fellowships are designed to provide mentored research training to enable skills development and experiences needed to transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce.”

NIH Fellowship Resources

HALO “recently launched a new feature on Halo called Partner Listings, a new way for innovators to showcase what their organization is ready to bring to potential partners. With Partner Listings, innovators can share technologies, products, services, or other work that's ready to bring to industry. Listings will be associated with their organization, shown on their profile, and appear in industry partner feeds.”

Register for an Account on the HALO Platform

“PCORI is inviting patients, caregivers, researchers and the broader healthcare community to apply to join one of its four advisory panels. As a panelist, you will serve in an advisory capacity, offering insights and perspectives to help inform PCORI’s work. You will provide input on refining research questions, strengthening patient engagement and sharing your scientific, technical or lived experienced in order to advance patient-centered Clinical Effectiveness Research.”

Read More About PCORI Advisory Panels and Register for the Applicant Town Hall

“What if an FDA-authorized clinical agentic AI could provide safe and effective cardiovascular care to every American? The Agentic AI-EnableD CardioVascular CAre TransfOrmation (ADVOCATE) program aims to transform advanced cardiovascular disease management with an agentic AI system that can provide 24/7 holistic clinical care.”

Read More about ARPA-H ADVOCATE

“Learn about the latest trends and research on children's health, changes to the child vaccine schedule, and the new food pyramid.”

Continue Reading NIHCM Newsletter on Children's Health

“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

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

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.

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.

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