July 9, 2025

K-State has received its new Facilities & Administrative, or F&A, Rate Agreement. Updated budget templates are available online.

The new rates are effective immediately. As a reminder, all proposals that have been submitted with the old rates will be honored at the award phase.

A few things to note:

These rates are as negotiated by Kansas State University and the Department of Health and Human Services. A copy of K-State's F&A Rate Agreement (pdf) is available online or by contacting the Office of Sponsored Programs at 785-532-6804 or research@k-state.edu.

On July 1, 2025, the National Science Foundation announced that it will not accept new proposals for the NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program during the previously scheduled FY 2026 submission window (October 15 – November 14, 2025). Any proposals submitted during this period will be returned without review. NSF currently has many meritorious proposals from the FY 2025 submission window (October 15 – November 15, 2024). Subject to the availability of funds, NSF will instead consider funding additional awards from this cohort in FY 2026. The NSF MRI program anticipates accepting new proposals again during the next submission window, scheduled for October 15 – November 16, 2026.

NSF webinars & office hours:

Effective July 1st, 2025, the NIH Public Access Policy is in effect and manuscripts accepted for publication in a journal on or after July 1, 2025, must be submitted to PubMed Central for public availability without embargo upon the official date of publication.

To assist with compliance, NIH has developed a new website dedicated to the Public Access Policy which includes an overview of the policy, supplemental guidance, tips for submitting to PubMed Central, contact information, and FAQs.  The site can be found at: https://grants.nih.gov/policy-and-compliance/policy-topics/public-access.

Questions can be sent to SciencePolicy@od.nih.gov.

As part of its ongoing commitment to scientific transparency and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced plans to implement a new policy that will cap how much publishers can charge NIH-supported scientists to make their research findings publicly accessible. This initiative reflects a broader effort to restore public trust in public health by promoting open, honest, and transparent scientific communication.

The current landscape of scholarly publishing presents growing challenges. Some major publishers charge as much as $13,000 per article for immediate open access, while also collecting substantial subscription fees from government agencies. For example, one publishing group reportedly receives more than $2 million annually in subscription fees from NIH, in addition to tens of millions more through exclusive article processing charges (APCs). These costs ultimately burden taxpayers who have already funded the underlying research.

To address this imbalance, NIH will introduce a cap on allowable publication costs starting in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, ensuring that publication fees remain reasonable across the research ecosystem. The policy aims to curb excessive APCs and ensure the broad dissemination of research findings without unnecessary financial barriers.

The full announcement can be found on the NIH website.

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education announces Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 21 to the International Space Station. This opportunity gives students across your institution the ability to design and propose microgravity experiments to fly in low-Earth orbit on the International Space Station (ISS). Experiments are designed to real world engineering and technology constraints imposed by the flight certified mini-lab that must be used, and the nature of flight operations to and from Low Earth Orbit. One experiment at each institution will be selected to fly to ISS on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Interested schools are directed to inquire about the program as soon as possible, and no later than July 31, 2025.

The full announcement and program overview can be found here.

NSF seeks input to inform key technology focus areas for the NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate

The U.S. National Science Foundation recently published a request for information (RFI) to gather input from the public on key technology focus areas to be advanced by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.

NSF seeks feedback from individuals and organizations across all sectors on how the directorate's current list of key technology areas, mandated by Congress, should be updated or refined to ensure the list reflects the technologies critical to U.S. technological competitiveness in an evolving global context. The information received will be used to inform NSF's annual assessment and potential update of the key technology focus areas, as directed by Congress in Public Law 117-167.

Responses will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 21, 2025, online or via email (KTA_RFI@nsf.gov). Respondents can choose to provide feedback on one or more questions specified in the RFI of interest or relevance to them. Each question is voluntary and optional.

See full details in the Federal Register notice.

NSF's current key technology focus areas, as mandated by Congress in Public Law 117-167:

NASA invites applications for the 6th cohort of the Spaceflight Technology, Applications, and Research (STAR) virtual training focused on the science and technology behind biological experiments in space. STAR is designed to encourage networking and collaborations in spaceflight technologies, applications, and research across all areas interested in space and biological sciences. This course aims to facilitate the entry of researchers into space biology and preparation for spaceflight experiments using NASA and commercial platforms. The STAR course will cover both fundamental and applied aspects of the field of space biology, as well as practical aspects of preparing for, conducting, and analyzing the results of spaceflight experiments. 

The STAR-6 Application uses the Request for Information (RFI) response structure in the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). The full text of the STAR RFI, including application submission instructions, can be found here. Responses must be submitted electronically using the NSPIRES web site. 

Submitting a STAR application does not guarantee course acceptance. NASA does not award funding for course participation nor otherwise pay for the information solicited. Applicants who are accepted will be notified via email on or after July 31, 2025. Declined applicants will also be notified. The course will take place virtually from September 2025 – February 2026 (estimate) with sessions held weekly for two hours each. The STAR course is subject to cancellation at any time, even after notification of acceptance.

This virtual networking event in support of the U.S. National Science Foundation Verticals-enabling Intelligent Network Systems (NSF VINES) program, NSF 25-539 solicitation, is aimed at providing a venue for U.S. investigators who may be interested in exploring potential teaming opportunities with international collaborators from participating foreign countries.

To accommodate time zone differences, NSF will host two 3-hour sessions (see below).

In each session, the format will be a set of parallel breakout rooms where participants will have a chance to pitch their capabilities and needs and network to potentially team up for an NSF VINES collaborative project. Participation in this event is registration-based, entirely voluntary and does not constitute any form of NSF endorsement.

• Session 1: Thursday, July 10, 2025, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT (targeted to U.S., India, Finland and Sweden)
• Session 2: Thursday, July 10, 2025, 7 - 10 p.m. EDT (targeted to U.S., Japan, and potentially India)

Register for the webinar.

The NSF Engineering Directorate proudly supports early-career engineers as they chart the course of their future.  Keep an eye out for upcoming webinars and deadlines.

NSF Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) (NSF 24-590). The NSF ERI program provides up to $200,000 over 24 months to support faculty who are not affiliated with "very high research activity" R1 institutions, including community colleges, who lack significant federal funding. Proposals are due Sept. 16, 2025.

NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (NSF CAREER) (NSF 22-586). NSF CAREER awards provide $500,000 or more over five years to help recipients build a foundation for leadership in integrating education and research. Proposals are due July 23, 2025.

Watch an NSF CAREER webinar.

August 12, 2025, Overland Park Convention Center

Join your friends, colleagues, collaborators and hundreds of life sciences professionals from across the country for this unique, one-day conference. We bring together cutting-edge scientists, inventors, industry leaders, and the next generation of bioscientists to celebrate Midwest life sciences and explore emerging opportunities in a diverse and dynamic meeting.

Sessions Include:
•    Entrepreneurship and Investing
•    Innovation Resources in the Region
•    Cutting Edge Research in Biomaterials
•    Advances in Medical Devices
•    Economic Development and the Bioscience Landscape
•    Al Trends and Health Systems Evolution
•    Breakthroughs in Basic and Translational Science
•    Navigating Research Funding Challenges
•    Dynamic Exhibition Hall
•    Integrated Science Poster and Art Gallery
•    The Brewseum - an Interactive Museum for the Science of Brewing
•    Startup Pitch Competition

More information and registration can be found here.