Office of Research & Sponsored Programs

As April gets underway, we know this time of year can feel both exciting and full. With spring projects in motion and summer planning on the horizon, we're here to help you stay informed, supported, and moving forward.

— Your friends at ORSP

We are pleased to introduce the Local Peer Review Council (LPRC) Incentive Program, a new initiative designed to strengthen external proposal development at SHSU.

The LPRC Incentive Program offers compensatory funding for faculty and staff who serve as proposal reviewers, giving principal investigators the opportunity to receive structured peer feedback before external submission.

By supporting timely internal review, this program will help enhance the quality and competitiveness of external research proposals.

As part of this launch, ORSP invites interested faculty and staff to sign up to serve on the Local Peer Review Council and help strengthen SHSU’s research development efforts.

Interested in serving on the LPRC? Complete the interest form here:

If you have questions, or would like to learn more, please contact ORSP at funding@shsu.edu.

Faculty are invited to save the date for SHSU’s upcoming Research Cluster Retreats, designed to build on the momentum from our initial meetings and move promising ideas toward concrete plans. These sessions will provide dedicated time to explore funding pathways, strengthen interdisciplinary connections, and further develop collaborative projects.

Retreat Schedule
Friday, May 1
Forensics Sciences: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Security, Resilience & Defense: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Monday, May 11
Biomedical Sciences & Health: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Education & Training: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Location: Lowman Student Center 241
Refreshments will be served.

You are welcome to attend any retreat(s) that align with your interests, and we encourage you to share this opportunity with colleagues who may also want to participate!

RSVP by April 24th*

ORSP is hosting a Spring series of events to help support your research, proposal development, and funding goals. Next up:

SPARK 2.0 Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research

This  engaging and supportive event is designed to enhance grant writing skills and foster collaboration across departments by focusing on breaking down barriers to grant development, encouraging interdisciplinary partnerships, and sparking innovative ideas.

Date: April 17, 12:00 p.m.

Location: Lowman Student Center 144

Understanding NSF REU Opportunities 

Join this informational session to learn more about the NSF's Research Experiences for for Undergraduates (REU) program, eligibility, proposal basics, and key considerations for developing a competitive application.

Sessions:

  1. April 21, 10:00 a.m.

  2. April 22, 10:00 a.m.

Location: ORSP Collaborative Space, 2424 Sam Houston Ave, Ste B8
Huntsville, TX 77340

Faculty are invited to complete the SHSU Research IT Infrastructure Needs Assessment survey. This survey is designed to gather input on IT infrastructure needs connected specifically to current or planned externally funded research activities at SHSU.

Your response will help inform future institutional investments in research computing, AI infrastructure, and data environments that support the growth of sponsored research.

The survey also includes brief questions about your department, PI/Co-PI status, and the computational intensity of your research.

Summer ePAFs 

Summer 2026 is upon us and the Office of Research Administration is in full swing preparing ePAFs for those faculty who intend to continue their research activities over the summer months.

If you are a 9-month faculty member and plan to receive pay for both grant work and summer teaching, please act soon. To allow ORA to properly set up your salary for work taking place between June 1, 2026, and August 31, 2026, please ask your department admin to complete this form as soon as possible.

Summer Incentive Pay/Research Buyouts

Also approaching is the deadline for Research buyouts with the intent of participating in the Summer Incentive Payment program. This will need to be submitted to Kathy Allen (kathyallen@shsu.edu) by THIS THURSDAY, April 16, 2026.

If you are a chair, 12-month faculty member, or hold another administrative position that qualifies for this program, please email Kathy with the grant(s) you plan to use to buy out research time over the summer. Submitting early will allow time to verify the information and secure any required approvals and signatures.

As always, contact ORA if you have any questions. Keep up the great research work!

To make our team more accessible to faculty and staff, ORSP is hosting weekly Virtual Office Hours.

Every Wednesday from 10:30–11:30 a.m. Simply join the call anytime during the hour. No scheduling required.

We hope to see you drop by!

Faculty and students are invited to attend the Health and Communication Research Panel on April 22 from 1:00–3:00 p.m. in CHSS 110. This panel will highlight research related to health, well-being, and communication studies, with discussion topics including public health behaviors, patient-doctor communication, health disparities, and more.

This is a great opportunity to learn about current research in these areas and engage with topics that connect health and communication in meaningful ways.

For more information, contact Anya Lu.

Faculty are invited to participate in the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Annual Research Conference (TARC).

This collaborative event brings together researchers to form interdisciplinary teams, develop project concepts, and pitch ideas for seed funding. The conference focuses on areas such as energy, healthcare, infrastructure, materials, manufacturing, and national security.

Date: May 19-20, 2026
Location: Zachry Engineering Education Complex in College Station

Innovative ideas often begin as a simple insight, teaching tool, or “what if?” moment. If you have an idea, no matter how early, we encourage you to submit an intellectual property disclosure to ORSP.

Submitting a disclosure is confidential and does not commit you to patenting or commercialization. It simply allows ORSP to help explore whether your idea could be protected and provide guidance before publishing or presenting.

If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Jonathan Thomas.

Explore our Opportunities Spotlight, a curated database of grant opportunities to support your research and projects. Stay ahead with the latest funding calls and find the right fit for your work.

Updated weekly—because the best funding matches keep rolling in!

Find it anytime in our Find Funding page.

The Office of Assessment has funding available for assessment-related activities in the form of competitive mini-grants.

Who's eligible to apply?

These grants are available to all SHSU faculty and staff to support new or ongoing assessment practices within programs, offices, or departments, or to help fund travel to make assessment-related presentations at a professional conference.

What's the award amount?

Eligible recipients may request up to $1,000.

What's the deadline?

May 22, 2026.

All applicants must complete the Assessment Mini-Grant Application and submit it to thamrick@shsu.edu.

Application Documents:

• Full Application

• Rubric

SHSU Grant Activity as of March 2026

FY26 (YTD)

132 Proposals submitted for $77,981,256

51 Proposals awarded for $18,447,309

FY25 (YTD)

123 Proposals submitted for $100,243,339

32 Proposals awarded for $8,494,289

SHSU student Bethany recently had the opportunity to present her work at the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) Region 6 conference, held in February, in Abilene, Texas.

During the event, she participated in networking and community-building activities, took part in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions as both a nominee and a scene partner, and was also selected as one of thirteen directors to present a scene at the conference.

Her scene from Liz Duffy Adams’ Born with Teeth advanced to the finals, placing her among just six finalists in the directing category. Reflecting on the experience, Bethany shared that the conference was both educational and encouraging, providing valuable feedback she plans to carry forward in developing her craft.

The Aging Research Collaborative (ARC) is now accepting applications for the ARC Scholar Awards for Summer and Fall 2026. These awards support SHSU undergraduate and graduate students conducting innovative aging research under the mentorship of an SHSU faculty member. Research may span biological, biomedical, psychological, social, environmental, and economic dimensions of aging. Each award provides $2,000 in support.

Summer 2026

• Two graduate awards are available

• Application deadline: April 30, 2026

• Notified by: May 15

Fall 2026

• One graduate and one undergraduate award are available

• Application deadline: May 30, 2026

• Notified by July 15

Eligible applicants must be enrolled at SHSU during the applicable term, and proposed research must focus on aging or aging-related topics. Awardees will also be expected to participate in ARC student-centered activities and seminar programming during Fall 2026, present their findings at the SHSU Undergraduate Research Symposium, and submit a final report after the award period ends.

Applications should be submitted to Dr. Berna Rahi at bxa051@shsu.edu.

Explore our collection of webinars, trainings, templates, and other tools to support your research. We’re committed to continuous improvement, so feel free to share any feedback or suggestions for new resources.

Our team is always accessible, and ready to support you at any stage of your research endeavors.

If you are still in the ideation stage or looking for funding opportunities, reach out to our Research and Proposal Development team.

If you have already identified a grant and are ready to begin developing your proposal, please submit a Pre-Proposal Notification (PPN) form, and our team will reach out to assist.

Do you have a project, event, or success story you'd like to share with the SHSU community? We're always looking to highlight the incredible work happening across campus. Submit a content request form and your story could be featured in our next newsletter!

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