December 3, 2025

Allan Fritz, professor, agronomy
College of Agriculture

Research overview:
The primary focus of the program is the development of new wheat varieties adapted to Kansas. Within that, there are objectives around disease resistance, drought tolerance, nutritional and functional quality and the utilization of wild wheat relatives as novel sources of diversity for wheat improvement. A recent release has elevated levels of grain fiber that has the potential to be a step toward more healthful wheat-based products. Collaboration with KSU’s Wheat Genetics Resources Center has resulted in the identification of novel material for drought tolerance. We have also been responsible for transfer of diversity from wheat's wild relatives that have has the potential to impact Fusarium resistance, product quality and resistance to wheat stem sawfly. Another current project focuses on leveraging wild diversity for how the plant uptakes and assimilates nitrogen, impacting grain protein content. This work has potential relevance for how we manage nitrogen and also how we support the protein isolation industry that exists in Kansas.

What motivated you to pursue research in this specific field, and how has your focus evolved over time?
I grew up on a farm and also enjoyed the genetic diversity of the various plants I grew in my garden. I combined those passions to pursue plant breeding as a career. While the focus has always been to improve wheat, there has been an increased effort to identify materials with greater value and nutritional/quality benefits.

What is your approach to this research?
My approach is to work collaboratively to leverage the expertise at K-State and also to optimize the efficiency of the program by appropriately applying the technological tools that have emerged over time. Efforts to identify opportunities to add value necessarily include understanding what has potential value in the marketplace so working to understand the opportunities that exist is critical.

Have there been any significant challenges or breakthroughs in your recent research, and how have you addressed or leveraged them?
We have worked with Eduard Akhunov's team to identify and map new genes derived from wild relatives that improve wheat response to drought. We are working to transfer those genes into elite germplasm so Kansas producers can take advantage of the trait. We've also developed a winter durum variety that has allowed the launch of winter durum as a new crop in western Kansas

How do you see the potential impact of your research on your field and on broader societal issues?
The impact realized in the program is the utilization of our varieties by Kansas wheat producers to create a safe, more healthy and secure food system.

Monday, December 8, 2025
3 – 4 p.m.
McVay Family Town Hall (Room 114), Leadership Studies Building

During the Fall 2025 Open Forum on November 3, 2025, President Linton and Vice President for Research Coetzee discussed K-State's current funding challenges, arising from changing federal funding policies and directives.  As previously mentioned, K-State is currently experiencing a substantial decline in federal funding, which requires immediate remedial action.

Join President Linton, VPR Coetzee and Vice President for Administration and Finance Erickson for a Research Funding and Budgeting Town Hall discussing K-State’s federal funding outlook, upcoming F&A policy changes, investments in research capacity and new strategies for securing additional grant funding.

If you are unable to attend in person, eID/password protected online access is available at: https://www.k-state.edu/research/about/funding-town-hall/.

The short program will be followed by a Q&A session. Attendance is encouraged, and you are invited to present any questions you may have regarding this topic.

If you will be unable to attend or would like to submit questions in advance of the Town Hall, please send them to srosupport@ksu.edu.

Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol is an annual event where undergraduate students from the state’s public universities present their research to legislators and state officials through a poster session. Showcasing projects from a wide range of disciplines, the event highlights the valuable role of undergraduate research in addressing issues important to Kansas and demonstrates how higher education contributes to the state’s civic, economic, and community development. Each university may select up to five outstanding projects to represent their institution.
 
The 2026 Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol will be February 26, 2026 from 2-4pm in the 2nd Floor Rotunda.

Applications are now open and available here.

The deadline for applying is January 26, 2026 at midnight.

The University Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Student in Research has been established to recognize outstanding individual contributions in research for the purpose of the discovery and creation of new knowledge at K-State. The award is for an undergraduate student who has demonstrated excellence in research in any field of study.
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2026 Distinguished Undergraduate Student in Research Award.

The Distinguished Undergraduate Student in Research Award recipient will receive an engraved plaque and prize of $1,000.00. This award will be presented at the Spring Campus-Wide Undergraduate Research Symposium, held on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

Students who are eligible for this award may be nominated by KSU faculty, students, staff, or administrators. Any questions can be directed to the Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research team at SDUR@k-state.edu.

More information and the link to nominate can be found here.

Finalists for this award will be invited for an interview. The deadline for nominations is February 15, 2026.

The University Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentoring of Undergraduate Students in Research has been established to recognize outstanding individual contributions to the development of undergraduates in research projects at Kansas State University. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2026 University Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentoring of Undergraduate Students in Research.

The University Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentoring of Undergraduate Students in Research recipient will be awarded a plaque and prize of $4,000.00. This award will be presented at the Spring Campus-Wide Undergraduate Research Symposium, held on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

Faculty who are eligible for this award may be nominated by K-State faculty, students, staff or administrators. Any questions can be directed to the Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research team at SDUR@k-state.edu.

More details about the awards and the nomination form are available here.

The deadline for nominations is February 15, 2026.

Registration for the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium is now open! The Symposium offers undergraduate students a valuable opportunity to showcase their research and to practice communicating their findings to a broad audience.  This year the symposium will be part of One K-State Research Week (April 17-24).

This year’s Symposium will be held on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 with registration open from now until March 27, 2026.

Registration can be found here. 

K-State faculty are invited to join a one-day visit to the University of Missouri–Kansas City in January 2026 to spark new research collaborations, meet UMKC colleagues, and learn more about their facilities and resources.

The visit will feature networking sessions, tours, and conversations designed to help K-State and UMKC researchers discover shared interests and opportunities for partnership.

Faculty from all disciplines and career stages are welcome. Space is limited, so express your interest by filling out the brief Qualtrics form today to be contacted with more information as details are finalized.

NSF webinars & office hours:

On December 10, 2025 at 12 p.m., NASA’s Planetary Science Division (PSD) Planetary Research Programs will host a webinar to celebrate the accomplishments of Planetary Research over the last year, share some updates to Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) programs, discuss progress that has been made to address decadal survey recommendations, and answer research-related questions from the planetary science community.

In advance of and during the webinar, questions may be submitted and upvoted on at: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/zg88/#!/dashboard

Join link:
https://nasaevents.webex.com/nasaevents/j.php?MTID=m7f5753ada6dbb0668e1b7e186b15cb48
Webinar number: 2819 758 3118
Webinar password: yFwDV2UVv48 (93938288 when dialing from a phone or video system)

Join by phone
+1-415-527-5035 United States Toll
+1-312-500-3163 United States Toll (Chicago)
Access code: 281 975 83118

Questions regarding this announcement may be directed to Dr. Kathleen Vander Kaaden, Director of Planetary Research Programs, at Kathleen.e.vanderkaaden@nasa.gov. This presentation will not be recorded, but slides will be made publicly available after the presentation.

If you would like to serve as a reviewer and panelist for proposals submitted to track 2 of the U.S. National Science Foundation Verticals-enabling Intelligent Network Systems (NSF VINES) program, please complete the reviewer interest survey. Responses are due no later than Jan. 9, 2026. Please share this form with interested colleagues.  

Complete the reviewer survey here.

The NSF VINES program supports research and innovation to enhance wireless communications and intelligent network systems for faster, more reliable user-to-cloud connections, while promoting U.S. leadership in telecommunications and emerging potential NextG vertical industries. For more information about NSF VINES, please review the program solicitation. 

The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) recently published a Roadmap for Workforce Development: Building Pathways and Innovations for the Critical and Emerging Technology Workforce (Workforce Development Roadmap) that aims to offer an actionable agenda to invigorate and empower the ambition of all Americans to join the workforce in critical and emerging technology sectors, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum technology, or related jobs. NSF TIP is seeking community input on the Workforce Development Roadmap.

As advances in critical and emerging technologies continue to rapidly expand and traditional industries adopt new technologies, the demand for a skilled or semi-skilled technical workforce is increasing across all economic sectors. Addressing the gap between the demand for, and the availability of, a labor force requires bold investment in workforce development that prepares individuals for higher-skill, higher-paying jobs that enhance economic mobility. The Workforce Development Roadmap lays out an investment framework to address this need through cross-sector collaborations and partnerships, innovative community-specific solutions, and expanded access to experiential learning and other training pathways.

NSF seeks input from individuals and organizations across all sectors on the Workforce Development Roadmap. Responses will be accepted until Jan. 15, 2026, in the Workforce Development Roadmap form, by emailing TIPWorkforce@nsf.gov, or by mailing your response to the attention of Mary Crowe, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA. Respondents can choose to provide feedback on one or more questions of interest or relevance to them. Each question is voluntary and optional. The response to each question has a 4,000-character limit, including spaces.

New deadlines are posted for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science (FAS) Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to ensure that potential applicants can get technical assistance from NIFA staff. Please do not submit a duplicate application if one was already submitted if there are no changes. If an application has already been submitted and the applicant was not able to receive technical assistance from NIFA staff, the applicant may revise and resubmit prior to the new deadline. If an applicant did not submit an application, they may submit prior to the new deadline.

Learn more.

NIH is working to reestablish dates for grant and contract submissions, determine how to communicate details related to missed review meetings, reschedule dates for training, and other activities that were scheduled to occur during and immediately following the period of the government shutdown.

As of today, NIH can confirm that they will be rescheduling all October and November grant application submission deadlines (specific dates to be announced in a future Notice). By delaying due dates that occurred both during the lapse in funding and in the week following, applicants will have access to NIH staff and the help desks as they develop their applications.

Peer review meetings that were scheduled to take place between October 1 and November 14 have been cancelled and will be rescheduled, details to come. Additionally, council meetings that were scheduled to take place between October 1 and November 14 were cancelled and will be rescheduled, details to come.

During the shutdown, the eRA system remained open and available to accept application submissions. As such, eRA is currently reviewing service desk ticket requests from entities and individuals that needed assistance with login and passwords. eRA staff will address the tickets on a first come, first serve basis. Please note that due to the volume the response time may be longer than usual.

The eRA system was also available for recipients to submit Research Performance and Progress Reports, Federal Financial Reports, etc. The email reminders and submission confirmations were held and will be sent out in the coming weeks. If you submitted any reports during this time, no additional action is required unless you are contacted by NIH staff.

NIH will provide additional information, including a Notice on NIH operations during a continuing resolution, as soon as it is available.

Read the full memo.

NSF is now operating under a continuing resolution that runs until January 30, 2026.

They are prioritizing the most pressing issues, including restoring the capacity to make awards and ensuring continued management and oversight of existing awards. 

Please visit the recently updated Resumption of Operations at NSF page on NSF.gov for information and answers to frequently asked questions.

Registration for the 2026 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit is officially open. The 2026 Summit will take place April 7-9 at the newly opened Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in San Diego, CA. Don’t miss the opportunity to make the most of America’s premier energy innovation event. 

We all know that, one way or another, energy affects every part of human existence, and its absence can have the hardest impact of all. ARPA-E and our partners in energy innovation are here to ensure the energy we need to survive and thrive is affordable, reliable, and secure.

Join nearly 3,000 leaders in energy innovation for three days of working together to overcome the toughest energy challenges facing the world today. The agenda will include expert-led breakout panels, the fan-favorite ARPA-E Fast Pitches, and the Technology Showcase featuring over 400 groundbreaking ARPA-E-funded technologies.

Visit the Summit Website for more information about registration, partnership opportunities, and the Summit agenda. 

On or about November 7, 2025, ROSES-2025 Amendment 13 changes to "TBD" the (Step-2) proposal due dates for:

A.2 Earth Venture: TROPICS and PREFIRE Science and Applications Teams  A.8 Water Resources Applications
C.8 Yearly Opportunities for Research in Planetary Defense, and
F.9 Citizen Science Seed Funding Program

The solicitation "close date" shown in NSPIRES is NOT a new proposal due date; that is merely an artefact of the NSPIRES system. When funding is reinstated, amendments will be issued setting a new due date. We anticipate that proposers to programs that were set to TBD will be given back as many business days as the government was shut down.

Questions concerning these programs may be directed to the point of contact given in the summary table of key information at the end of the program element text, but civil servant points of contact for these programs will not be permitted to reply until the government reopens.

Frontiers plays a critical role in educating and training researchers through comprehensive education and training programming in a wide variety of settings and for the full spectrum of learners. While the primary focus of this core is providing education on how to conduct and advance translational research, additional training in entrepreneurship, implementation and dissemination research, engaging with participants and communities, informatics, and participant recruitment is also available to trainees, scholars, faculty and collaborators.

Education and Trainings include:

- 2026 – 2027 TL1 Predoctoral
- Mock Study Sections
- Frontiers CTSI Annual Research Symposium

More information along with dates and deadlines can be found here.