February 25, 2026
We are pleased to acknowledge those who received awards in January 2026. So far in FY2026, WSU researchers under Academic Affairs have submitted external proposals in the amount of $50,754,496 and received $22,494,649 in external awards.
Congratulations to Dr. Kaushik Sinha for the receipt of an NSF Subaward from the University of Texas at Austin for generative artificial intelligence research and development. More details on this award can be found here; please join us in congratulating Dr. Sinha on this incredible achievement!
WSU leadership continues to carefully monitor the impact of any executive orders on our research programs. If you receive any communication from a federal sponsor, please continue to forward that information to your respective office of research. And as always, if you have questions about the content of this newsletter, please contact us at research@wichita.edu.
Past and future editions of this newsletter may be found here:
https://www.wichita.edu/research/ResearchNewsletter/index.php.
LAST MONTH'S
AWARDS
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY PARTNERSHIPS TO INCREASE RURAL SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES (YEAR 4)
PI/Department: Angela Beeler, Dept of ISLE
Co-PI/Department: Margarita Nuhfer, Dept of ISLE | Heidi Stinchcomb, School of Education
Sponsor: Department of Education - US
Amount: $521,957
FSH GLYCOFORM ASSAY DEVELOPMENT YEAR 10
PI/Department: George Bousfield, Biological Sciences
Sponsor: GlycoFormA, Ltd.
Amount: $277,708
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SUDC GRANT PROGRAM (TO UNDER MASTER CONTRACT 48564)
PI/Department: Tonya Bronleewe, HWS of Urban & Public Affairs
Sponsor: Dept of Health & Environment - Kansas / Environmental Protection Agency
Amount: $73,445
WICHITA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA STRATEGIC PLAN
PI/Department: Misty Bruckner, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Wichita Symphony Society
Amount: $20,000
WICHITA HIRES: HUMANITIES INTERNSHIPS REWARD EMPLOYERS
PI/Department: Sarah Estes, Liberal Arts & Sci Deans Office
Co-PI/Department: Lisa Parcell, The Research Partnership
Sponsor: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation / The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Amount: $1,500,000
BRIDGING TEACHER PREPARATION AND CLASSROOM PRACTICE: PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN MATHEMATICS
PI/Department: Yang Fu, School of Education
Sponsor: State of Kansas - URCA
Amount: $4,435
KANSAS IDEA NETWORK OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EXCELLENCE 5: CC+DSC+SS+ST
PI/Department: William Hendry, Biological Sciences
Sponsor: Univ of KS Medical Ctr Research Inst., Inc / Natl Institutes of Health
Amount: $82,600
KANSAS NATIONAL SPACE GRANT COLLEGE AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM - OPPORTUNITIES IN NASA STEM FY 2025-2028
PI/Department: Linda Kliment, Aerospace Engineering
Sponsor: Natl Aeronautics & Space Admn
Amount: $145,000
IMPACT OF IRON TRANSPORT ON NEURAL STEM CELL DEVELOPMENT
PI/Department: Rajprasad Loganathan, Biological Sciences
Sponsor: State of Kansas - URCA
Amount: $4,500
HEARTSPRING BRANDING RESEARCH
PI/Department: Lisa Parcell, The Research Partnership
Sponsor: Heartspring
Amount: $35,200
JNA FOCUS GROUPS
PI/Department: Lisa Parcell, The Research Partnership
Sponsor: JNA Advertising
Amount: $36,800
USD 259 SURVEY
PI/Department: Lisa Parcell, The Research Partnership
Sponsor: USD 259
Amount: $12,500
EXTREME WEATHER BROADCASTING: KANSAS A PRUEBA DEL CLIMA
PI/Department: Rachel Showstack, Modern & Classical Lang & Lit
Sponsor: University of Illinois
Amount: $5,000
INSTITUTE FOR FOUNDATIONS OF MACHINE LEARNING
PI/Department: Kaushik Sinha, School of Computing
Sponsor: The University of Texas at Austin / Natl Science Foundation
Amount: $200,000
ASSESSING LOCAL GOVERNMENT DECISION-MAKING FOR RESILIENT AND EQUITABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
PI/Department: Xiaoheng Wang, HWS of Urban & Public Affairs
Sponsor: Univ of Kansas Ctr - Research, Inc. / Kansas Board of Regents
Amount: $50,000
HEALTHY BLUE KANSAS PROVIDER SATISFACTION SURVEY
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Elevance Health
Amount: $44,200
NATIONAL CONFERENCE PLANNING SUPPORT
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: LHD Academy of Science
Amount: $17,960
STRATEGIC PLANNING
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Hope Net, Inc.
Amount: $5,036
UNCHARITABLE COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Flint Hills Wellness Coalition
Amount: $2,500
UPWARD MOBILITY
PI/Department: Scott Wituk, Office of Community Partnerships
Sponsor: Kansas Health Foundation
Amount: $30,000
MONTHLY AWARDS FOR THE DIVISION OF INDUSTRY AND DEFENSE EQUAL $10,044,967, OF WHICH $9,652,367 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.
LIMITED: KANSAS Opportunity: Funding Agency: Patterson Family Foundation
Title: 2026 Patterson Family Foundation Grant Cycle
Application Deadlines: Limited: Because WSU via the WSU Foundation & Alumni Engagement (WSUFAE), may only submit one letter of intent per year, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by March 2, 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 31, 2026. If selected, the Letter of Intent will be due to the sponsor by May 13, 2026.
Purpose: The Patterson Family Foundation supports projects in the areas of “Economic Opportunity, Education, Healthcare and Community Engagement.” Please specify in the Notice of Intent which topic you are interested in. Also, there are specific catchment areas for where services or direct support must be provided, which does NOT include Sedgwick, Butler or Reno counties. Therefore, please also specify which eligible catchment area(s) you wish to serve with your project when reaching out with your Notice of Intent to apply.
Amount: $100,000+
Funding Agency: Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF)
Title: Research Grant Programs
Application Deadlines: Letters of Intent due March 2, 2026, for Hard-to-Treat Program; April 24, 2026, for Survivorship and Health Disparities
Purpose: “Children’s Cancer Research Fund is a national nonprofit committed to finding safer, more effective therapies for kids battling cancer.”
Amount: Up to $250,000
REMINDER: Funding Agency: Kansas Department of Commerce
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.
Funding Agency: Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF)
Title: Young Investigator (YI) Grants
Application Deadline: March 4, 2026
Purpose: “…to enable promising investigators to either extend research fellowship training or begin careers as independent research faculty. The goal of the YI program is to help researchers launch careers in neuroscience and psychiatry and gather pilot data to apply for larger federal and university grants.”
Amount: $70,000
LIMITED: Funding Agency: The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
Title: Emerging Leader Award
Application Deadlines: Limited: Because WSU may only receive one award per funding cycle, Notices of Intent to apply must be sent to proposals@wichita.edu by March 5, 2026 at 12noon, in case an internal competition is needed. The goal date for informing you if you have been chosen to proceed is March 26, 2026. Letters of Intent due April 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
Funding Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services
Title: Museums for America
Application Deadline: March 13, 2026
Purpose: “The Museums for America (MFA) program invests in museums of all sizes and disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public through educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, and collections stewardship activities.”
Amount: $5,000-$300,000; Note, Cost Share is required.
Funding Agency: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Title: Early-Career Faculty Support for Interdisciplinary Energy System Research
Application Deadline: Letter of Inquiry due March 17, 2026
Purpose: “…for early-career faculty focusing on interdisciplinary social science research on energy system decarbonization in the United States.”
Amount: $150,000-$250,000
Funding Agency: Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP)
Title: Research Grants
Application Deadlines: Mandatory Registration due March 17, 2026; Letter of Intent due March 26, 2026
Purpose: “HFSP Research Grants support innovative basic research into fundamental biological problems with emphasis placed on novel and interdisciplinary approaches that involve scientific exchanges across national and disciplinary boundaries.”
Amount: $150,000-$500,000 depending on size and composition of team
Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Title: Research Grants in the Arts
Application Deadlines: Part 1 due March 23, 2026; Part 2 due April 2, 2026
Purpose: “Research Grants in the Arts support research studies that investigate the value and/or impact of the arts in American life.”
Amount: $20,000-$100,000; Note, Cost Share is required.
Funding Agency: Samsung Research America
Title: Strategic Alliance for Research and Technology (START)
Application Deadlines: Abstract due March 20, 2026; If invited, Full Proposals due May 2026
Purpose: “Samsung's START Program aims to identify emerging technologies and conduct frontier research in collaboration with the academic community. As part of SRA's expanding efforts to strengthen industry-academic partnerships, this program enables researchers to work with our R&D teams on early-stage innovations that will shape the future of Samsung devices and experiences.”
Amount: Up to $150,000
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Title: Agriculture and Food Research Initiative: Priority Area: Strengthening Agricultural Systems
Application Deadline: March 26, 2026 for Strengthening Agricultural Systems (SAS)
Purpose: “The SAS program is seeking projects that support at least one of the following sub-priorities: 1) New Uses and Expanding Markets for Agriculture and Forestry Products; 2) Solutions to Pests and Diseases of Plants or Animals; 3) Combating Food and Diet-Related Chronic Disease.”
Amount: $2,500,000-$10,000,000
Funding Agency: Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP)
Title: SERDP Core FY27 Solicitation - Installation Energy & Water
Application Deadlines: Pre-Proposals due March 26, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due July 2026
Purpose: Current Statements of Need include “Improve Energy Resilience with Long-Duration Energy Storage;” “Improving the Cyber Resilience of DoW Installation Energy Systems;” “Improving the Energy Resilience of DoW Installations;” “Solutions to Improve Energy Efficiency and Performance of DoW Buildings;” and “Water Resilience on DoW Installations.”
Amount: Not Specified
Funding Agency: The Water Research Foundation
Title: Unsolicited Research Program
Application Deadlines: Pre-Proposals due March 26, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due August 2026
Purpose: “The Unsolicited Research Program funds novel, transformative research projects that can significantly advance the science of water and increase our ability to protect and preserve water in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.”
Amount: $50,000-$200,000
Funding Agency: American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)
Title: Luce ACLS Collaborative Grant in China Studies
Application Deadline: Letters of Intent due March 31, 2026
Purpose: “Between 2021 and 2023, ACLS convened more than 100 scholars, administrators, journalists, librarians, curators, and other stakeholders to identify critical challenges in the field of China studies. In response, ACLS launched the Collaborative Grant program to support innovative pilot initiatives that address pressing needs and drive long-term change in the field.”
Amount: $120,000
Funding Agency: HALO (Private Companies, Cargill, and More)
Title: Opportunities for Research and Development
Application Deadline: March 31, 2026
Purpose: HALO promotes opportunities for research and development presented by industry. Opportunities vary greatly. Recent requests from industry partners due March 31 include, for example, “Improving performance and cost efficiency in starch-based sweetener refining;” “Vaccine candidates for canine Leptospira control;” and “Adhesion test method development for durability and debonding behavior.”
Amount: Varies based on opportunity
REMINDER: Funding Agency: Wichita Foundation
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
Funding Agency: Frances R. Dewing Foundation
Title: Grants Supporting Innovation in Early Childhood Education
Application Deadlines: April 1 and 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
Funding Agency: Evidence for AI in Health (EVAH)
Title: Spring 2026 Round
Application Deadline: April 1, 2026
Purpose: “EVAH’s first request for proposals is now open, supporting locally-led evaluations of AI-enabled decision support tools that are ready for real-world use and designed to assist frontline workers with clinical tasks—such as triage, diagnosis, or referral—within primary and community health care settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The lead applicant organization (i.e. primary award recipient) must be legally registered and operational in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, or Southeast Asia.”
Amount: $1,000,000 or $3,000,000 depending on funding Pathway
REMINDER: Funding Agency: Truman Library Institute
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
Funding Agency: State of Kansas – WSU Faculty Support Committee
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
Funding Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Title: Region 7 Fiscal Year 2025 Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs)
Application Deadline: April 6, 2026
Purpose: “WPDGs assist state, Tribal, territory (Insular Areas), local government agencies, and interstate or intertribal entities in developing or refining state, Tribal, territory or local programs that protect, manage and restore wetlands. The goals of the EPA’s wetland program include increasing the quantity and quality of wetlands in the U.S. by conserving and restoring wetland acreage and improving wetland condition. In pursuing these goals, the EPA seeks to develop the capacity of all levels of government to develop and/or refine effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management.”
Amount: Up to $400,000; Note, Cost share is required.
Funding Agency: American Epilepsy Society (AES)
Title: Infrastructure Grants, Research & Training Workshop Grants, and Seed Grants
Application Deadline: April 8, 2026
Purpose: “Funding is available for basic, translational, and clinical research for epilepsy, seizures, and related disorders.”
Amount: $50,000 for Infrastructure Grants; $10,000-$20,000 for Research & Training Workshops, and $20,000 for Seed Grants
Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Title: Fellowships in Research in American History and Culture and Western Civilization
Application Deadline: April 8, 2026 (anticipated)
Purpose: “Fellowships provide recipients time to conduct research or to produce books, monographs, peer-reviewed articles, e-books, born-digital materials, translations with annotations or a critical apparatus, or critical editions resulting from previous research.”
Amount: $60,000
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Application Deadline: April 12 or August 12, 2026
Purpose: “…to support high quality conferences that are relevant to the public health and to the scientific mission of the participating Institutes and Centers.”
Amount: Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
Funding Agency: Administrative for Community Living (ACL)
Title: Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Employment
Application Deadline: April 13, 2026
Purpose: “ARRT projects under this opportunity must provide advanced research training to eligible individuals to enhance their capacity to conduct high-quality multidisciplinary disability and rehabilitation research focused on employment outcomes among people with disabilities.”
Amount: $250,000
Funding Agency: Administrative for Community Living (ACL)
Title: Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Health & Function
Application Deadline: April 13, 2026
Purpose: “ARRT projects under this opportunity must provide advanced research training to eligible individuals to enhance their capacity to conduct high-quality multidisciplinary disability and rehabilitation research focused on health and function outcomes among people with disabilities.”
Amount: $250,000
Funding Agency: Administrative for Community Living (ACL)
Title: Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program – Community Living and Participation
Application Deadline: April 13, 2026
Purpose: “ARRT projects under this opportunity must provide advanced research training to eligible individuals to enhance their capacity to conduct high-quality multidisciplinary disability and rehabilitation research focused on community living and participation outcomes among people with disabilities.”
Amount: $250,000
Funding Agency: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
Title: Culture, Language and Identity Grant Program
Application Deadline: April 20, 2026
Purpose: “ASHA recognizes the importance of acknowledging and appropriately responding to cultural, linguistic, and identity influences across the discipline. The objective of this grant program is to provide support for identifying and appropriately responding to these influences in our clinical, educational, and professional programs; and the activities of allied/related associations and organizations.”
Amount: It is expected that the average individual award will be $7,000 to $10,000. Individual awards will not exceed $15,000.
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Application Deadline: April 23, 2026, for Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Food and Agricultural Sciences
Purpose: “This priority is for kindergarten through 12th grade education, but resources developed are to be made available for post-secondary and lifelong learners to develop new skills for a changing workforce.”
Amount: $1,000,000-$2,000,000
Funding Agency: United Engineering Foundation
Title: Grants Program
Application Deadlines: Concept Paper due May 1, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due August 1, 2026
Purpose: “Broad-based, interdisciplinary proposals that further the engineering profession as a whole are preferred.”
Amount: $800,000 total available for five to ten (5-10) grants
Funding Agency: National Film Preservation Foundation
Title: Avante-Garde Masters Grants
Application Deadlines: Registration due May 8, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due June 12, 2026
Purpose: “The National Film Preservation Foundation invites applications for the Avant-Garde Masters Grants. These cash preservation grants, made possible in partnership with The Film Foundation, support laboratory work to preserve significant examples of America's avant-garde film heritage.”
Amount: $5,000-$50,000
REMINDER: LIMITED: Funding Agency: William T. Grant Foundation
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
Funding Agency: VIA Art Fund
Title: Artistic Production Grant Spring 2026 Cycle
Application Deadlines: Letter of Inquiry due May 21, 2026; If invited, Full Applications due July 23, 2026
Purpose: “Artistic Production grants fund the production and exhibition of new artistic commissions, in amounts ranging between $25,000 – $100,000. Often exhibited beyond museum walls in public space, these projects feature high levels of thought leadership, artistic production, and public engagement.”
Amount: $25,000-$100,000
Funding Agency: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Title: AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants (R18)
Application Deadline: May 25, 2026
Purpose: “…to seek health services research grant applications focused on AHRQ research priorities, including improving healthcare quality and patient safety, improving healthcare delivery and practice improvement, and enhancing whole-person healthcare delivery.”
Amount: $400,000/year
Funding Agency: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Title: Examining the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Healthcare Safety (R18)
Application Deadline: May 25, 2026
Purpose: “…to invite grant applications that support healthcare safety by determining (1) whether and how certain breakthrough uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems can affect patient safety; and (2) how AI systems can be safely implemented and used. AI has the potential to improve the safety, effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare. However, as with most technologies, this potential must be balanced by identifying and mitigating potential risks for patient harm and user burden.”
Amount: $1,000,000
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Application Deadline: May 25, 2026
Purpose: “…creative educational activities with a primary focus on Curriculum or Methods Development. Applications are encouraged that propose innovative, state-of-the-art programs that address the cause, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, or the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients.”
Amount: The maximum budget is $150,000 direct costs/year.
Funding Agency: Dana Foundation
Title: Rolling Submission for Pilot Projects in Neuroscience and Society
Application Deadline: Letters of Interest due May 31, 2026
Purpose: “Neuroscience and society is the interdisciplinary study of how neuroscience informs and reflects society, and practical work to put these ideas into action. Neuroscience and society includes fields where neuroscience interfaces with the world, such as ethics, law, humanities, medicine, arts, social sciences, policy, education, journalism, and public engagement.”
Amount: Up to $150,000
Funding Agency: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Title: 2026 Call for Letters of Inquiry: Exemplary Pathways to STEM Graduate Education
Application Deadline: Letter of Inquiry due June 1, 2026
Purpose: “The Higher Education Program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is seeking to invest in new and established partnerships between STEM undergraduate and graduate programs nationwide that seek to identify and remove longstanding, systemic barriers to STEM master’s and doctoral degrees with attention to programs that serve undergraduate students enrolled in nonprofit public and private four-year broad access institutions, two-year colleges, or baccalaureate and special focus institutions with strong access missions. We are especially interested in undergraduate partner institutions whose enrollment consists of at least 40% Pell Grant recipients.”
Amount: $75,000 for Planning Grants; $250,000 for Seed Grants; $500,000 for Implementation Grants
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Title: NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Application Deadlines: June 16, 2026 or 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.” Note the list of participating NIH institutes and centers.
Amount: Up to $50,000 in direct costs per year
Funding Agency: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Title: AHRQ Small Health Services Research Grant Program (R03)
Application Deadlines: June 16, 2026 or October 16, 2026
Purpose: “…to seek health services research grant applications focused on AHRQ research priorities, including improving healthcare quality and patient safety, improving healthcare delivery and practice improvement, and enhancing whole-person healthcare delivery.”
Amount: Up to $100,000
REMINDER: Funding Agency: Charles Koch Foundation
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.
REMINDER: Funding Agency: TechWerx / US. Department of Energy
Title: Varies: TechWerx/DOE Opportunities
Application Deadlines: Upcoming/TBD
Purpose: TechWerx is a hub focused on connecting the Department of Energy with collaborators to foster innovation. Upcoming funding opportunities currently listed include “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.”
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 – 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
- 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 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
EDUCATION &
TRAINING
WSU Office of Research Workshops
Topics include an Introduction to the WSU Office of Research with resources and contacts, WSU policies and procedures related to research, 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.
National Academies: AI, Automation and the Future of Work: Workforce Transformation (Session 2): March 3, 2026
“This session examines how AI-driven transformation is affecting jobs, labor markets, and organizational power dynamics, with attention to both worker experience and institutional design.”
Register for NASEM Forum on AI and Workforce Transformation
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): Virtual Funding Update: March 5, 2026
“Julia Nguyen, Senior Program Officer in the Division of Lifelong Learning, and Daniel Sack, Deputy Director of the Division of Research, will share information about current grant opportunities, deadlines, and application requirements and offer suggestions for writing an application. The update will focus on individual grant programs with April 8, 2026, application deadlines: Fellowships; Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan; and Public Scholars. It also will feature information about the education and media grant programs with June 25, 2026, application deadlines.”
Register for NEH Virtual Funding Update
National Academies: Exploring Opportunities for Energy Parks: Brining Energy Parks to Practice: March 10, 2026
“Energy Parks are an emerging approach to designing integrated hubs that co-locate generation, storage, and large-scale load (e.g. data centers, advanced manufacturing) at one point of interconnection to the electric grid. This discussion will elevate key challenges in the siting, permitting, operation, and governance of energy parks.”
Register for NASEM Forum on Energy Parks
National Academies: Strengthening the Regenerative Medicine Workforce: Webinar: March 10, 2026
“The Forum on Regenerative Medicine will organize a virtual public webinar to highlight recent Forum activities focused on workforce development in regenerative medicine. During the session, Forum members will present on their work examining skill and workforce gaps across sectors and stages of product development.”
Register for NASEM Forum on Regenerative Medicine
Brain Research Foundation Lunchtime Lecture: Microglia: How the Brain’s Immune Cells Shape Brain Health Throughout the Lifespan: March 11, 2026
“Microglia are specialized immune cells in the brain that are key to overall brain health. In early life, they regulate brain development. Later in life, they try to maintain brain stability. However, as the brain ages, their dysfunction is linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, and mental health disorders. Dr. De Biase will tell us about the good, the bad, and the ugly of microglia.”
Register for Brain Research Foundation Lunchtime Lecture
NIH: National Cancer Institute (NCI): Global Cancer Research and Control Seminar Series: March 12, 2026
“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
National Academies: Cultivating Mathematics for Agriculture: Innovation by the Numbers: March 17, 2026
“Join the National Academies for a webinar on how our understanding of mathematics bolsters U.S. agriculture. Jordan Ellenberg (University of Wisconsin–Madison) will moderate the discussion.”
Register for NASEM Forum on Mathematics for Agriculture
National Institute on Aging (NIA): 2026 Dementia Care and Caregiving Research Virtual Summit: March 17-19, 2026
“The 2026 Dementia Care and Caregiving Research Summit builds on progress of the previous Care Summits to review research progress, highlight innovative and promising research, and identify remaining unmet research needs with input from the research community, persons living with dementia and their care partners, those who provide healthcare or services and supports to persons living with dementia, and other interest holders.”
Register for NIH NIA Dementia Care & Caregiving Research Summit
National Institutes of Health (NIH): Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Videocast: March 18, 2026
“BIRCWH is an institutional mentored career-development program designed to connect junior faculty, known as BIRCWH Scholars, to senior faculty mentors. The BIRCWH Annual Meeting is a gathering of senior and junior faculty that provides an opportunity to network and share scientific advances.”
Hanover Research Webinar: Re-Imagining Broader Impacts in Grant Writing: March 26, 2026
“This session will present strategies for designing and communicating broader impacts that align with current federal priorities, including practical ways to demonstrate project relevance and impact for a wide audience.”
Register for Hanover Research Webinar
Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education: Webinar: From Problem to Purpose: Choosing Research Questions that Drive Change in Firearm Violence Prevention: March 27, 2026
“Please join us to learn from experts who share how they work with community partners to develop research questions that matter — questions that are meaningful to communities, fill critical gaps, and can realistically be answered with available resources.”
Register for Gun Violence Research Webinar
REMINDER: NIH SuRE Resource Center Ongoing Webinars
“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
Data Privacy & Security Training, Questions or Reporting
If your research includes patient medical data and you need to take HIPAA / Sensitive Data Handling training, if you have a question about data privacy or security, or need to report a concern, please contact the WSU Privacy or Security Office.
Privacy: 316-978-4HIP (4447) or privacy@wichita.edu
Security: 316-978-4SEC (4732) or askinfosec@wichita.edu
REMINDER: Learn to Use BeoShock for your Advanced Research Computing Needs
Wichita State University continues to host Beoshock, a High-Performance Computing Cluster (HPC). This HPC is available and free to faculty members, researchers and students engaged in course work or research activities. BeoShock runs the CentOS Linux operating system and features approximately 720 processor cores, two high memory compute nodes with 1.5 terabytes of memory, and four graphics processing unit (GPU) accelerators. BeoShock also has a variety of software tools that may be helpful in your research endeavors, such as Matlab,Mathematica, R, Python and many more.
Learn more about BeoShock High-Performance Computing and access the BeoShock High Performance Computing User Guides.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Defense Health Agency Research and Development: Medical Research and Development Command: Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) Pre-Announcements Released
CDMRP has released pre-announcements in the following areas: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Arthritis, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Tick-Borne Disease, and Spinal Cord Injury.
Read CDMRP Pre-Announcements on ALS; Arthritis; Ovarian Cancer; Pancreatic Cancer; Tick-Borne Disease; Spinal Cord Injury
NIHCM: The Cancer Burden in the United States
“Learn about the latest in cancer trends and strategies to support care and prevention.”
Continue Reading NIHCM Newsletter on Cancer Burden in the U.S.
NIH: Reminder of Requirement for Certification of IRB Approval
“This Notice is to remind the extramural research community that NIH requires certification that all nonexempt human subjects research has been reviewed and approved by an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB).”
NIH: Adjusted Timeline for NIH’s Implementation of Common Forms
“The purpose of this Notice is to provide updated guidance to the extramural community regarding an adjustment to the timeline of NIH’s implementation of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support. NIH will be extending the current leniency period through May 2026 to provide users and institutions sufficient time for adoption, allow for full compliance, and ensure fairness for all the extramural community.”
NIH: Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) Will No Longer Be Considered Clinical Trials by the NIH
“Beginning with applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2026, BESH will no longer be considered as clinical trials by NIH. As a result, BESH studies will not be required to follow NIH clinical trial requirements, including registration and results reporting in ClinicalTrials.gov. NIH anticipates expiring all BESH-specific NOFOs with due dates on or after May 25, 2026. After that time, BESH research can be accepted through the Clinical Trials Not Allowed companions of these NOFOs.”
Read about NIH Basic Experimental Studies with Humans
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): Health Workforce Explorer
“Meet HRSA’s Health Workforce Explorer - a new, interactive data dashboard that provides a snapshot of the U.S. health workforce across 40 occupations. Drawing on more than 15,000 data points, Health Workforce Explorer offers easy-to-use maps, charts, and downloadable content on workforce demographics, education, and employment trends. Whether you’re shaping policy, writing a report, or exploring career pathways, this dashboard makes complex data easier to understand and use.”
HRSA Health Workforce Explorer
ARPA-H Announces New Program: CIRCLE
“ARPA-H announced its new Critical Illness Immunological Reprogramming and Control Point Learning Engine (CIRCLE) program, a leading-edge initiative to better track the body’s immune response during critical illness so care clinicians can personalize treatments and save lives.”
ARPA-H Announces New Program: BIOGAMI
“ARPA-H announced a new program that asks, what if we could detect and repair the earliest stages of protein dysfunction to eliminate neurodegenerative disease?”
Read More about ARPA-H BIOGAMI
REMINDER: National Science Foundation (NSF) Issued Second Supplement Policy Changes to the Proposals and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
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
REMINDER: HALO Introduces New Feature Called Partner Listings
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
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.
FREE WSU Office of Research Services
Email funding@wichita.edu to:
- Set up a Pivot account and receive guidance on how to search the database to find funding opportunities;
- Subscribe to funding announcements and funding-related alerts; and
- Attend Research Workshops that will help you with finding funding, budgeting and writing effective proposals (and much more)!
Please let us know how we can help you.