October 29, 2025

Dear colleagues,

The university has implemented a new Time and Leave system for all K-State employees on October 26, 2025. This transition applies to all employee classifications, including non-exempt (hourly), exempt (salaried), temporary employees, and student workers.  Employees are encouraged to review comprehensive training resources on the Time and Leave website.

Please review the following important reminders specific to research staff:

Time Reporting Requirements

Office of Sponsored Programs Guidance: Overtime and Overload Pay

Overtime

Overload (Add-Pay)

Generally, overload payments are not allowable on grant-funded projects. Exceptions are rare and very limited. Exceptions are reviewed on an individual basis and must meet the following criteria:  

If an overload payment is deemed unallowable on a grant, it may be paid using departmental (non-grant) funds but cannot be charged to the grant.

All research personnel, supervisors, and project managers are expected to fully comply with the policies and procedures outlined above. Adherence to federal regulations, institutional policies, and sponsor requirements is not optional. Noncompliance may result in disallowed costs, audit findings, and potential loss of funding. It is imperative that all employees accurately report time and seek proper approvals for any overtime or overload compensation. Units are responsible for maintaining documentation and ensuring all compensation practices meet university and sponsor standards. Violations of these policies will be addressed immediately.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Office of Sponsored Programs at research@k-state.edu or Human Resources at hr@k-state.edu.  

Kind regards, 

Hans Coetzee 
Vice president for research 

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.

Roots of Research awards

Nominations are now open for the 2025 Roots of Research Faculty Honor Program.

Anyone at K-State can nominate a current faculty member for a Roots of Research award by filling out the Qualtrics form.

Awardees will be honored at a spring semester ceremony and will receive a plaque, and a tree will be planted on the Manhattan campus in their name. The names of selected faculty members will be announced in December, and trees will be planted during Earth Week in April 2026.

Nominations are due Nov. 1, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.

Research Support Professional Achievement Award

The K-State Research Support Professional Achievement Award recognizes the vital contributions of lab managers, technicians and other support staff to Kansas State University’s research mission. This award honors an individual whose efforts have had a measurable impact on advancing discovery, scholarship and innovation across the university’s research enterprise.

Contributions considered for recognition may include co-authored publications, leadership or direct involvement in externally funded grants and contracts, or other significant roles in research projects and laboratories. One recipient will be selected.

Anyone at K-State can nominate a current staff member for the award by filling out the Qualtrics form.

The awardee will be honored at a spring semester ceremony and will receive a plaque and monetary award to support approved research or professional development activities.

Nominations are due Nov. 1, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.

A new FAQ page has been developed to assist faculty and students with the process of obtaining Institutional Review Board, or IRB, approval for their human subjects research.

Updates have also been made to the IRB application to clarify and simplify the process of submitting a new application.

If there are any questions, please contact MaKenna DeHart in the Office of Research Integrity, Compliance and Security at makenna@k-state.edu or 785-532-3224.

The Office of the Vice President for Research and K-State Libraries is hosting an additional Posters, Pinot and Partnership event from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, November 13 on the 5th floor of Hale Library. The theme of this session is 'Food as Medicine'.

Register to attend or display your research poster for the event.

Please note the recommended poster size is 36x48 inches. We cannot guarantee optimal poster display on easels outside of these dimensions.

3:30-5 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 7
114 Town Hall, Leadership Studies

Shawn Hutchinson, professor; director of the Geographic Information Systems Spatial Analysis Laboratory (GISSAL); co-director of the Institute for digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics (ID3A). 

After a several month delay the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Request for Applications is finally available on the National Science Foundation’s GRFP website.   This program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including STEM education. NSF GRFP was established to recruit and support individuals who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions in STEM, including STEM education. NSF encourages applications from the full spectrum of talent that the U.S. has to offer. Proposals are due November 10 through November 14, 2025, depending on your discipline.

Note a key difference from previous years is that second year graduate students can no longer submit to this program.  You must be 1) an undergraduate in the final (senior) year of a bachelor’s degree program; 2) a bachelor’s degree-holder with NO enrollment in a graduate degree program (non-degree graduate coursework allowed); or 3) a first-year graduate student in their first graduate degree program with less than one academic year completed in the degree program.   There are also restrictions for students enrolled in combined bachelor’s/master’s degree programs. 

On November 19, 2025, from 3:30 to 5 pm via zoom, the Office of Research Development will host an information session on the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program which offers nearly 400 teaching, research or combination teaching/research awards for U.S. faculty in more than 135 countries. The session will open with a brief overview of this program's submission requirements and introduction to the Fulbright Scholars website. This overview will be followed by presentations from two recent K-State Fulbright Scholar awardees. They will talk about their Fulbright experience, including the logistics of setting up an extended stay in another country, finances, and tips for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar submission. Attendees will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions.  If you are interested in the Fulbright U.S. Scholarship program, this is a session you should attend.  Please register here prior to 12 p.m.  on November 19, 2025. If you have any questions, contact Mary Lou Marino (mlmarino@ksu.edu).

Note this session is part of the Office of International Programs’ International Education Week occurring November 7-21.   To find out more about the other activities during this week, please visit:  K-State International Education Week 2025. Students interested in the U.S. Student Fulbright program should contact Beth Powers at bethpowers@ksu.edu.

NSF webinars & office hours:

F.10 Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) solicits development and flight of a science-driven suite of instruments and supporting technology demonstration payloads tailored to complete scientific investigations at a lunar landing destination, that address the science goals of 1) any SMD division, e.g., Planetary Science, Earth Science, Heliophysics, Astrophysics, and Biological and Physical Sciences, 2) objectives of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD), and 3) any technology demonstration goals of the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) that advance capabilities for science, exploration, or commercial development of the Moon.

On or about October 13, 2025, the pre-proposal conference for F.10 PRISM previously scheduled for October 15, 2025, at 2 pm Eastern Time has been changed to TBD as a result of the continuing government shutdown.

Questions concerning F.10 PRISM may be directed to Ryan Watkins at HQ-PRISM@mail.nasa.gov but the civil servant points of contact for this program will not be permitted to reply until the government reopens.

The North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) is seeking reviewers for the following grant review committees: 

• Research and Education Grant Program Review Committee
• Farmer Rancher Grant Program Review Committee
• Partnership Grant Program Review Committee
• Professional Development Grant Program Review Committee
• Graduate Student Grant Program Review Committee
• Youth Educator Grant Program Review Committee

NCR-SARE’s review committees review proposals and make recommendations to the Administrative Council, which can be a rewarding and educating experience for those interested in sustainable production and the grant-making process.

Each NCR-SARE review committee has varying requirements, but review committee members are generally required to review proposals, discuss the proposals on a conference call or in person, and provide recommendations to the Administrative Council. An NCR-SARE review committee member may not apply to that particular grant program while serving on that committee.

Complete this online form to apply for one of NCR-SARE’s grant review committees. 

NIH will begin accepting applications for the Extramural Loan Repayment Program (LRP) on September 1, 2025. Awardees can receive up to $100,000 in qualified educational debt repayment with a two-year award.

To learn more about eligibility requirements, application dates, and the benefits of receiving an LRP award, be sure to visit the LRP website, check out our overview video, and attend the upcoming informational session:

November 6, 2025 – LRP Ask Me Anything Session

Please note that the deadline to apply is November 20, 2025.

The postponed May 2025 EPSCoR PI Meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, November 3, 2025, as a virtual PI Meeting. 

This meeting will include presentations from NSF EPSCoR staff and NSF senior leadership, offer important program updates, and provide opportunities for PI and community interactions. There is no cost to attend the PI meeting, but registration is required for this virtual event. The meeting agenda will be posted on the EPSCoR website prior to the meeting and emailed to registrants. We welcome current and former NSF EPSCoR Principal Investigators, along with evaluators, institutional representatives, and other valued members of the EPSCoR community, to join us for this event

Click here to register for the 2025 NSF EPSCoR PI Meeting.

If you would like to serve as a reviewer and panelist for proposals submitted to the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Test Bed: Toward a Network of Programmable Cloud Laboratories (PCL Test Bed), please complete the reviewer interest survey. Responses are due no later than Nov. 10, 2025. Please share this form with interested colleagues.

Reviewer Interest Survey

The PCL Test Bed supports the development and operation of a national network of AI-powered, remotely accessible laboratories to accelerate scientific discovery, enhance reproducibility and improve access to advanced research tools in science and engineering. For more information about NSF TTP, please review the program solicitation. 

The University of Kansas Office of Research seeks nominations for the Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards. Late Distinguished Professor Takeru Higuchi and his wife, Aya, partnered with KU Endowment to create four awards that recognize individuals for their accomplishments in research, scholarship and creative activity.

Faculty from any Kansas Regents institution are eligible, and your assistance in identifying outstanding candidates is critical. Winners receive $10,000 in support of research activities.

Awards include:

    • The Balfour Jeffrey Research Award in the field of the Humanities and     Social Sciences
    • The Olin Petefish Research Award in the field of Basic Sciences
    • The Dolph Simons Research Award in the field of Biomedical Sciences
    • The Irvin Youngberg Research Award in the field of Applied Sciences

Deadline: December 1

Nominate a colleague.