June 29, 2026
We are pleased to acknowledge those who received awards in May 2026. So far in FY2026, WSU researchers under Academic Affairs have submitted external proposals in the amount of $83,412,146 and received $40,832,433 in external awards.
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.

PI/Department: George Bousfield, Biological Sciences
Sponsor: Natl Institutes of Health
Amount: $2,209,471
PI/Department: Tonya Bronleewe, HWS of Urban & Public Affairs
Sponsor: State of Nebraska / Environmental Protection Agency
Amount: $46,706
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Kansas Board of Regents / Department of Education - US
Amount: $52,232
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Kansas Department of Commerce / Department of Labor
Amount: $52,232
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition, Inc.
Amount: $60,000
PI/Department: Drew Colcher, Modern & Classical Lang & Lit
Sponsor: American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Kansas
Amount: $1,000
PI/Department: William Groutas, Chemistry
Sponsor: Kansas State University / Natl Institutes of Health
Amount: $211,509
PI/Department: Pierre Harter, Aerospace Engineering
Sponsor: Natl Aeronautics & Space Admn
Amount: $200,000
PI/Department: Yongkuk Lee, Biomedical Engineering
Sponsor: State of Kansas – URCA
Amount: $4,499
PI/Department: Kara McCluskey, Engineering Technology
Co-PI/Department: Gary Brooking, Engineering Technology
Sponsor: Kern Family Foundation, Inc.
Amount: $25,000
PI/Department: Mathew Muether, Physics
Sponsor: Fermi Research Alliance, LLC / Department of Energy
Amount: $59,598
PI/Department: Margarita Nuhfer, Dept of ISLE
Sponsor: State of Kansas – URCA
Amount: $4,500
PI/Department: Lisa Parcell, The Research Partnership
Sponsor: Heartspring
Amount: $4,000
PI/Department: Lori Santos, School of Art & Design
Sponsor: State of Kansas – URCA
Amount: $4,500
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
Amount: $9,994
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Iowa State University
Amount: $900
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Kansas Department for Aging & Disability Services / Dept of Health and Human Services
Amount: $36,652
PI/Department: Li Yao, Biological Sciences
Sponsor: State of Kansas – URCA
Amount: $4,500
MONTHLY AWARDS FOR THE DIVISION OF INDUSTRY AND DEFENSE EQUAL $19,476,923, ALL OF WHICH BELONGS TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AVIATION RESEARCH (NIAR).

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: PD 20-1260 Mathematical Sciences Infrastructure Program
Application Deadline: August 4, 2026 or February 2, 2027
Purpose: "Supports research that strengthens research infrastructure across the mathematical sciences community; training projects that complement the Division of Mathematical Sciences' Workforce Program; and conference and travel requests."
Amount: Not specified
Title: Scaling AI Safety for a Multi-Agent World
Application Deadline: August 9, 2026
Purpose: "This RFP aims to catalyze foundational technical research on the question: how do we ensure safety in a world with millions of interacting AI agents, built and deployed by many different actors? Grants will be awarded for technical research on sandboxes and testbeds for studying realistic multi-agent interactions; the science of agent networks, including emergent collective capabilities, cascading failures, and dangerous population-level properties; trustworthy agent infrastructure, including identity, verifiability, reputation, communication, and commitment; and multi-agent oversight and control, including detection, attribution, security, and intervention methods for deployed agent populations.” Email proposals@wichita.edu for a copy of the solicitation.
Amount: $300,000 for Tier 1; $300,000 - $1,000,000 for Tier 2
Title: ROSES 2025: F.17 Research Initiation Awards (RIA)
Application Deadline: August 18, 2026
Purpose: “The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) RIA program aims to broaden the base of institutions involved in the SMD research and technology development ecosystem. The program has two principal objectives: 1) Enable investigators with no prior or recent Federal funding to pursue research at institutions that have not commonly proposed or applied to the SMD ecosystem to initiate activities that, over the course of a two-year period, will provide the foundation for a competitive, sustainable, and productive program of research and 2) Enable undergraduate students affiliated with the proposing investigator to perform cutting-edge research in an SMD-relevant field. Funding for undergraduate students is a required element of the proposed project.”
Amount: $300,000
Title: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Application Deadline: August 19, 2026
Purpose: "Supports intensive research by undergraduate students in any NSF-funded area of research. REU Sites engage a cohort of students in research projects related to a theme. REU Supplements engage students in research related to a new or ongoing NSF research award."
Amount: Typical funding between $100,000-$155,000 per year
Title: Early Career Awards in Child Health
Application Deadline: Concept Papers due September 1, 2026. If accepted, Proposals due mid-October, 2026.
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."
Amount: $26,750
Title: Grants in Publishing
Application Deadline: September 1, 2026
Purpose: Furthermore supports publication of nonfiction books in the following categories: Arts & Design, History & Society, and Preservation & Conservation.
Amount: Grant awards range from $1,500 to $12,000
Title: Foundations of Trusted Systems
Application Deadline: White Papers due September 2, 2026 for FY27
Purpose: "Seeking innovative research in technologies and techniques to establish trusted foundations for hardware and software that enables secure, resilient and affordable Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) and Cyber technologies (C4I and Cyber Technologies) information processing systems."
Amount: $100,000 - $5,000,000
Title: Discovery Research Grants
Application Deadline: September 8, 2026
Purpose: These grants are awarded to seasoned researchers seeking to make consequential translational discoveries that will drastically alter clinical care for pregnant people and babies, whether through evidence-based prevention, diagnosis, or intervention. Discovery Grants are funding vehicles for research inquiries that are as practical as they are ambitious, as attainable as they are groundbreaking, and as transformative as they are necessary. These grants are given to researchers with inquiries that have the power to drastically improve pregnancy and birth outcomes across the U.S.
Amount: $200,000
Title: IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: Revolutionizing Engineering Departments
Application Deadline: September 8, 2026
Purpose: "Supports fundamental changes to the training of undergraduate engineering students that equip them with the technical and professional skills needed to solve complex societal problems."
Amount: $150,000 for Planning Track 1; $1,000,000-$2,500,000 for Tracks 2-4, depending on Track
Title: 2027 Institutional Award for Undergraduate Student Training
Application Deadline: September 9, 2026
Purpose: "...provide funding to qualified research institutions that offer meaningful research experience to undergraduate college students."
Amount: $165,000
Title: 2027 AHA Institutional Research Enhancement Award (AIREA)
Application Deadline: September 9, 2026
Purpose: "...to support research projects at colleges and universities that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees and have not been major recipients of NIH support to provide students exposure to research and the research environment."
Amount: $200,000
Application Deadline: September 9, 2026
Purpose: “Supports the development of theories, models, analytical tools, data and metrics that can inform the science of science, science policy, public outcomes and the advancement of the scientific enterprise, with a focus on the biomedical sciences.”
Amount: $100,000 - $250,000 per year
Title: Grant Program
Application Deadline: 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: History of Art Grants
Application Deadline: Letters of Intent due September 15, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due October 1, 2026
Purpose: "The History of Art Grants program supports scholarly projects that will enhance the appreciation and understanding of European works of art and architecture from antiquity to the early 19th century. Grants are awarded to projects, including those incorporating the use of digital methodologies and tools, that create and disseminate specialized knowledge, such as archival projects, development and dissemination of scholarly databases, documentation projects, museum exhibitions and publications, photographic campaigns, scholarly catalogues and publications, and technical and scientific studies."
Amount: See website for past awards and typical levels of funding
Title: Early Career Postdoctoral-Faculty Bridge Grant
Application Deadline: September 18, 2026
Purpose: "Building a productive research group as a new faculty member in chemistry and engineering is highly challenging. To that end, the support available to a faculty member in the first two years is critical to developing the foundation for a robust research program that attracts grant funding, provides holistic training and mentorship to graduate students, and contributes to the culture of the department and the professional community. In recognition of this need, the ACS Early Career Postdoctoral-Faculty Bridge Grant provides support at this crucial junction in the form of a salary for a postdoctoral fellow/associate, who can both help launch the new research lab and gain invaluable experience in the process that can be applied to their own ability to launch an independent career in the future."
Amount: $125,000
Application Deadline: September 29, 2026
Purpose: "to support educational activities that help recruit individuals with specific specialty or disciplinary backgrounds to research careers in biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences."
Amount: $250,000 direct cost per year
Title: Research Grants and Grants-in-Aid in Life Sciences
Application Deadline: Letters of Intent due October 1, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due February 15, 2027
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."
Amount: $100,000 per year for Research Grants; $30,000 for Grants-in-Aid
Title: Petroleum Research Fund
Application Deadline: Submissions accepted September 14 - Oct 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
Title: NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Application Deadline: 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 in direct costs per year
Title: 2027 Career Development Award
Application Deadline: December 1, 2026
Purpose: "This grant supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals, in the early years of one’s first professional appointment, to explore innovative questions or pilot studies that will provide preliminary data and training necessary to assure the applicant’s future success as a research scientist."
Amount: $231,000
Title: NSF Individual and Small Team Proposals
Application Deadline: Varies by topic. Proposals are accepted anytime unless a due date is listed.
Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (RISBS)
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.

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.
“The Connecting, Collaborating, and Advancing Your Research Career webinar will bring together early-career scientists, faculty, and research leaders to explore how meaningful professional relationships and strategic collaborations shape long-term success in today’s increasingly team-oriented research environment. Through these discussions, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to navigate collaborative dynamics, build and sustain meaningful professional relationships, and position themselves for growth in complex, interdisciplinary research settings.
Register for Connecting, Collaborating and Advancing Webinar
“This technical webinar will provide an overview of the proposal submission process within Research.gov. Participants will be guided by Research.gov experts and receive step-by-step guidance on navigating the system, preparing for submission and avoiding common issues. The session will include a live overview, followed by an open Q&A, offering attendees the opportunity to ask questions and receive real-time support related to proposal submission. This session is intended for prospective applicants preparing to submit NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program proposals and seeking technical assistance with the Research.gov platform.”
Register for NSF SBIR/STTR Office Hours
“During this webinar, attendees will gain practical strategies for identifying and evaluating funding opportunities, developing competitive proposals, building meaningful relationships with funders, and avoiding common pitfalls in the application process. Attendees will hear firsthand from experienced investigators and funding experts on how to successfully navigate the non-federal funding landscape.”
Register for Getting Ahead Webinar
“The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) will host an informational webinar to provide a program overview and respond to questions from prospective applicants to PAR-27-032 "Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators (ESI).”
Join the NIGMS MIRA ESI Webinar
“Climate change is increasingly recognized not only as an environmental and physical health challenge, but also as a growing risk to how we think, feel, and function. From extreme heat and air pollution to climate-related disasters, environmental stressors can affect brain health across the lifespan, shaping neurological outcomes as well as mental well-being.”
“The NSF PESOSE program is a new funding opportunity from the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships that combines the former Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems and Safety, Security, and Privacy of Open-Source Ecosystems programs...”
Register for NSF PESOSE Proposal Preparation Webinar
“The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) will host an informational webinar to provide a program overview and respond to questions from prospective applicants to PAR-27-055 "Limited Competition: Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence: Expansion/Sustainability Phases (COBRE-E/S) (P30 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)".”
“The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories are the engine rooms of American scientific discovery, housing world-class facilities and the brightest minds in materials science. Following the high-impact session at the 2025 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston, this webinar brings together key experts from the original panel for a live, interactive discussion on the future of the field.”
Register for Materials Research Society Webinar
“This webinar aims to demystify tradeoffs among different consumer vehicle types (e.g., new versus used, small cars versus large trucks, gasoline versus hybrid versus plug-in hybrid/extended range versus electric).”
Register for National Academies Webinar
“This webinar explores recent advances in understanding the structure and dynamics of metallic glasses, highlighting how emerging experimental techniques, theoretical frameworks, and computational models are providing unprecedented insight into atomically disordered solids.”
Register for Materials Research Society Webinar
“The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene a workshop to explore the chemical sciences landscape for breakthroughs in energy, quantum computing, and materials and manufacturing.”
Register for National Academies Webinar
“Are you ready to move up as a Research Computing professional? Have you been considering how to get to the next level?” See website for detailed agenda.
Register for OU Computing Leader Workshop
“AI is rapidly changing the way organizations identify and pursue grant funding, offering tools that can save time and enhance your strategy if used thoughtfully...”
Register for Hanover Research Webinar
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

“The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposes to revise the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance to improve government-wide policies and requirements related to the management of grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of assistance…Comments are due on or before July 13, 2026.”
Read More about the OMB Proposed Rule
“The NIH is requesting information on the proposed policy to cap the number of RPGs on which an individual could serve as [Principal Investigator] PI or [Multi-Principal Investigator] MPI simultaneously…Comments on this Notice must be received no later than August 3, 2026”
Continue Reading about NIH’s Proposal
Wichita State University is a member of the NSF Great Plains I-Corp and is excited to share information about a new cohort, titled AG45, focused on agriculture or ag-related technology. Innovators can attend the seven-session program which will be held both virtually and with in-person events between August 13 and September 24, 2026. Applications to participate are due July 13, 2026 and a $3,000 participant stipend is available to support the time and efforts of innovators participating.
Read about AG45 and the Great Plains I-Corp Program, or apply to participate in AG45.
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.
“This topic promotes development, rigorous validation and application of innovative AI approaches capable of modeling complex structures and processes that cannot be addressed with traditional statistical or computational models; and to develop standards, workflows, protocols and other resources to improve widespread application of these approaches to biomedical and behavioral data.”
Continue Reading NIH Highlighted Topic of Interest: Data Science and AI Approaches
“The purpose of this topic is to advance scientific understanding of autoimmune disease development, progression, and impact, and to improve health outcomes for those affected.”
Continue Reading NIH Highlighted Topic of Interest: Advancing Autoimmune Disease Research
“Read the latest on Food Is Medicine approaches, food insufficiency in the United States, and federal- and state-level Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) policy.”
Continue Reading NIHCM Newsletter on Food is Medicine Approaches
“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
“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:
Please let us know how we can help you.