KU Discoveries

Chris Koliba, Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor of Public Affairs & Administration, developed seven standards to evaluate when democratic accountability exists in public administration. 

Four faculty members at two Kansas universities were named recipients of the state higher education system’s most prestigious recognition for scholarly excellence.

Each Feb. 11, the United States observes National Inventors’ Day to recognize the creativity and problem‑solving that drive new discoveries. First designated in 1983 by the Reagan administration, the date aligns with Thomas Edison’s birthday to acknowledge his influence and more than 1,000 patented inventions. 

KU researchers continue this tradition of developing new ideas and solutions to address important challenges. The KU Center for Technology Commercialization appreciates the efforts of all research community members who contribute to this work. We also want to acknowledge the innovators who disclosed new inventions to the university in 2025, whose names are listed below.  

Please join us in recognizing these and all KU inventors for the meaningful contributions they make across our campuses and beyond. 

2025 KU inventors

KU researchers are improving pavement analysis in airports, studying the economic impacts of apprenticeships, integrating radar technology for Antarctic research, reducing housing loss from Florida hurricanes and more — all with the aid of external funding awarded in January.

Behind every successful award are teams of KU research support staff who help investigators identify opportunities, prepare and submit complicated proposals under strict deadlines, help manage finances and compliance for funded projects, and more. They are the unsung heroes of KU research, greasing the wheels of innovation and discovery.

In each issue of KU Discoveries, we shine a spotlight on a research support staff member deemed particularly outstanding by colleagues. Click or tap the button below this month's story to nominate a deserving candidate from any unit on campus.

Michelle Curttright | Grant Coordinator | Office of Research

Faculty and staff sometimes collaborate with colleagues at other institutions on major research projects, which can present challenges with tracking expenses to comply with grant requirements. Michelle Curttright helps faculty resolve these issues so they can focus on expanding our knowledge of the world.

Curttright has been a grant coordinator in Award Management Services (AMS), a division of the KU Office of Research, since December 2024. In this position, Curttright helps researchers use external grant funding to accomplish their goals.

“Michelle has a good sense of her workload and capacity, allowing her to manage her own work while also helping others,” said Amy Zeigler, grant manager for the AMS Natural Sciences & Technology Team and Curttright’s supervisor.

Colleagues note that Curttright excels at collaboration and is a quick learner. Within six months of becoming a grant coordinator, she joined a pilot group testing a new project closeout process for completed grants. She also regularly helps other grant coordinators troubleshoot issues that arise in their portfolios.  

“Michelle is always willing to assist her teammates when they have questions,” Zeigler said. “She is one of the names I hear as a regular resource team members turn to if they’re stuck, before escalating a question up to me.”

Last fall, a KU faculty member was working on a multi-institution project. Due to challenges with grant administration at the lead institution (not KU), this faculty member had to do several rounds of rebudgeting and budget projections for the subaward. Curttright was integral in helping resolve these issues.

“It has been difficult and tedious work, but she has been wonderfully responsive and capable throughout the entire effort, which has been going on since August,” the researcher said. “I am very grateful to Michelle for helping me navigate this.”

This award is designed to help new faculty begin building a sustainable program of research, scholarship and/or creative activity. Applicants must be in their first 60 months on the Lawrence or Edwards campus as either an untenured, tenure-track faculty member or as a faculty-equivalent unclassified academic staff (UAS) member.

Amount: Up to $25K | Deadline: March 23

The One KU Collaborative Research Awards provide seed funding to launch or strengthen innovative, interdisciplinary research partnerships between KU Lawrence/Edwards and KU Medical Center. Proposed projects must have at least one investigator from each campus.

Amount: $25K – $100K | Deadline: April 1

The One KU Research Pivot Awards are designed to help KU researchers explore and align novel ideas with new opportunities and build internal capacity to maintain research momentum when their usual sources of external funding in a given topic area have become unavailable. 

Amount: $25K – $100K | Deadline: April 1

In a moment in which democracy may feel more important but less certain than ever before, please join the Office of Research for a Collaborative Research Luncheon focused on democracy research at KU and K-State.  

The luncheon will feature a panel of experts, table-based conversations, and opportunities for networking. 

Collaborative Research Luncheon No. 7: Populism & Democracy
Tuesday, March 10 | 12 – 1:30 p.m.
Malott Room, Kansas Union
Register today

Visit the Collaborative Research Luncheon webpage to preview topics and save dates for future sessions.

RESEARCH INTEGRITY

The Human Research Protection Program's Final Friday Ethics series continues through April. Please register on Zoom and make plans to join these one-hour virtual sessions that begin at 11:30 a.m. on the dates below:

Do you have a grant from a federal funding agency? Are you planning to apply for one? To help set you up for success, KU Libraries and the Office of Research want you to know about important changes to public access requirements for publications and project data. From requiring immediate public access to eliminating a previously allowed embargo period, numerous changes will impact researchers, institutions and publishers.

In this "Faculty How To" organized by KU Faculty Affairs, experts will provide a current overview, share resources and answer your questions.

Learn more + register

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

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