In this issue

Research highlights  |  Leadership news  |  Innovation spotlight
New awards  |  Unsung heroes  |  Faculty kudos  |  Recognition roundup
Nuts & bolts  |  Research development  |  Events

Central to KU’s research mission is promoting an inclusive community of responsible inquiry and innovation for students and scholars. The Office of Research leads many efforts to help us all realize these ideals. I want to bring two particularly timely initiatives to your attention.

We recently launched a Safe & Inclusive Fieldwork (SAIF) web portal to help KU researchers ensure safe and inclusive environments for their teams and meet expanding funding agency requirements. It includes resources to help you envision, plan and maintain safe and inclusive research environments, particularly for off-campus or off-site work. Effective May 1, principal investigators on all new proposals for sponsored activity that involves fieldwork will be strongly encouraged to create a Safe & Inclusive Fieldwork Plan using the KU SAIF Checklist as a template or guide.

SAIF plans are currently required for some National Science Foundation BIO and GEO solicitations and will be required for all NSF proposals beginning in May. Please take a moment to learn more about this initiative and start working on your plan, if applicable.

We’re also providing resources to help KU researchers meet expanding funding agency requirements for Responsible & Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) training. The NSF now requires all personnel — including undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and research staff named or supported on NSF-funded projects — to have training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research. This requirement applies to all projects proposed after July 31, 2023 and must include mentor training.

KU has adopted training developed by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative, or CITI, to meet this requirement. We are working with partners across campus to align funding agency requirements with existing KU policies and educational goals. Agency requirements are evolving, and we will actively communicate changes as they occur. Our website provides details about NSF’s new RECR requirements and how to access the CITI training module. 

Please let us know if you have questions. Thank you for all you do help fulfill KU’s mission to create an inclusive and responsible research environment.

Belinda Sturm
Interim Vice Chancellor for Research

“Our researchers are driven by opportunities to improve human health and well-being, sustain life on our planet, enhance safety and security, and so much more. In the process, they are also educating tomorrow’s workforce, creating jobs, attracting businesses and external funding, and investing in the prosperity of Kansans.”

Andrew Denning, Huazhen Fang, Lauren Ptomey and Armin Schulz received the awards, which recognize faculty members for their research or scholarly achievements in each of four categories: arts and humanities; medicine and clinical sciences; science, technology and mathematics; and social science and professional programs.  

KU Medical Center is home to the first CT scanner in North America that can scan the whole body while a person is standing, enabling researchers to see the effect of weight on joints and other tissues.

Archival work by Misty Schieberle, professor of English, presents new facts about late-medieval poet Thomas Hoccleve and the financial precarity that he complained about in some of his poems. 

María Velasco, professor of visual art, is telling the stories of Topekans displaced by urban renewal in the 1950s and '60s through a project titled, "Reclaiming Home: Remembering the Topeka Bottoms."

"We are creating opportunities for dialogue between the former residents, their descendants, and also the generations to come."

Lyndsie Koon, associate director of the Research and Training Center on Independent Living in KU's Life Span Institute, is leading three pilot projects assessing the effectiveness of high-intensity functional training, or HIFT, to improve various health outcomes — including fall risk, metabolic health, strength, flexibility, and psychosocial health — for people with mobility disabilities.  

Nico Franz, Virginia M. Ullman Professor of Ecology and director of biocollections at Arizona State University, has been named the next leader of the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas. He will begin his role as the Krishtalka Director in mid-August, with a joint faculty appointment in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.  

“I am thrilled and honored to join the KU community as director of the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum, a global leader in biological collections-based research, student training and educational impact,” Franz said. “Societal engagement and understanding of biological diversity are fundamental for prosperous communities and for a sustainable planet. For 160 years, the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum has grown outstanding intellectual, collections and data resources. Those accomplishments and the values that drive them will enable us to invent the future of biodiversity science.”

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

March marks Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the invaluable contributions of women throughout history. This occasion not only commemorates the achievements of women in various fields but also serves as a reminder of their resilience and ingenuity. In the realm of innovation and technology transfer, women have played a pivotal role, often pioneering groundbreaking advancements that shape our modern world. At KU and the KU Medical Center, women innovators continue to revolutionize their fields and pave the way for future generations of women researchers and inventors.

Recent innovation activity helps tell this story. In fiscal year 2023, KUCTC:

These figures represent just a fraction of the women researchers and inventors who have made an impact on our daily lives. To get inspired by the contributions of women inventors, browse the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the National Academy of Inventors and the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

KU researchers are advancing health equity in rural Kansas, studying how to deter impaired driving, merging STEM and entrepreneurial training, examining drought’s effects on plants and soil carbon, and more — all with the aid of external funding awarded in February.

Jen Arbuthnot and Gabe Nehrbass | Office of Research

Only six months into her role, Jen Arbuthnot is already deeply involved in behind-the-scenes work that helps KU faculty and staff build sustainable research programs at KU.

“She is a very fast learner and has taken on these responsibilities much more quickly than anticipated,” said Nancy Biles, associate director for research administration.

Among other duties, Arbuthnot, who is a grant coordinator in research administration, manages many of the internal award programs that support research, scholarship and creative activity at KU. These include the New Faculty Research Development Awards, the KU Research Grant Opportunity (KU Research GO) program and the KU Racial Equity Research, Scholarship & Creative Activity Awards. Joining the office in a newly created role just as the 2023-24 awards cycle launched presented a steep and urgent learning curve for Arbuthnot. Fortunately, a colleague who previously helped manage the programs, Gabe Nehrbass, stepped in to help. Together, they have navigated complex processes and communications with thoughtfulness and grace.

“Gabe’s motto through the transition to Jen handling these competitions has been, ‘Let’s make this work in the most economical way for Jen and for the KU faculty that we are trying to support,’” said Carol Burdsal, director of research development.

The internal awards process involves many moving parts. Arbuthnot responds to faculty questions about eligibility, allowable costs, review criteria and other topics. After proposals are submitted, she assigns submissions to the appropriate review panel, notifies reviewers of their assignments and deadlines, and schedules panel discussions. Following review and award decisions, she sends feedback to all applicants and provides required reporting instructions to recipients. This year’s internal award competitions attracted 135 proposals.

“Jen is very adaptable, which is an essential quality when managing this time-sensitive process and wrangling the schedules of very busy reviewers,” Biles said. “She also has a strong commitment to making sure the process is fair and transparent.”

Keeping these workflows organized is no small feat. Nehrbass, administrative associate senior in research development, helped train Arbuthnot and has assisted whenever questions arise.

“Gabe has unselfishly given time and effort to train, work side by side, and mentor Jen through Research GO and two rounds of the New Faculty Research Development Awards,” Burdsal said. “His experience and willingness to jump in and help make him an invaluable employee in the Office of Research.”

INTERNAL FUNDING

Thirteen projects have been selected for funding through KU’s 2024 Research Grant Opportunity program. Recipients represent STEM, social science and humanities fields in departments and research centers across the university.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Office of Research has two upcoming opportunities to help investigators write more competitive grants to the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.

NIH Writing Seminar:
Competitive Subsidiary Documents
Wednesday, April 17 | 17 a.m.
Register on Zoom

NSF CAREER Writing Seminar:
Incorporating Proposal Feedback
Tuesday, April 23 | 11 a.m.
Register on Zoom

These events are open to the entire KU community and do not require participation in the remainder of the NSF CAREER Writing Workshop or the NIH Writing Workshop.

RESEARCH INTEGRITY

Please join us for the March Final Friday Human Research Ethics Hour! The KU Human Research Protection Program series focuses on ethical considerations for human subjects research.

Top 10 IRB Returns
Friday, March 29
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Did you know that most studies are not approved on the first review? Most studies will be returned for minor changes or requests for clarification. Multiple returns for clarification can lengthen the time to obtain approval. This session will include a mock study review and offer a list of the most common reasons why a study might be returned.

CAMPUS PARTNERS

KU’s Center for Undergraduate Research is now taking applications for Research-Intensive Course Mini-Grants to support faculty interested in incorporating larger research and creative projects into their undergraduate classes.

Recipients of Research-Intensive Course Mini-Grants will: 

The program's goal is that every undergraduate student has the opportunity to do research. Incorporating research into classes provides more KU students the chance to develop their research and critical thinking skills.   

Recipients will attend a 1-hour workshop over Zoom at the beginning of August (date and time TBA). If you have questions or would like to discuss possibilities, email cur@ku.edu. 

Questions? Comments? Content suggestions?
Mindie Paget  |  Office of Research  |  mpaget@ku.edu

KU Office of Research
2385 Irving Hill Road
Lawrence, KS 66045
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