LSI Connections newsletter for Wednesday, June 18

Have a news story, publication, event or staff highlight for us? Submit it by 5 p.m. June 25 here.

Happy summer, everyone. I’ve recently returned from the annual meetup of URMA, a group of university research communications professionals from across the country. This year in particular provided the balm that any conference does when you find your people – in this case, fellow "science nerds" who strive to support their university’s research community in an uncertain time. From a we’re-all-in-the-same-boat perspective, we discussed communicating the critical need for federal investment in research, and singled out fantastic stories that illustrate research impact, like this one (New York Times gift article). Plus, our hosts at University of West Virginia treated us to faculty research talks, invited us into their laboratories, and offered a film night to showcase exemplary university research video to drive public interest in research. 

We also learned about each other’s varying approaches to providing tools and guidance. For example, in this edition of Connections, we have included two articles in response to questions from researchers and staff: one gets into the specifics of advocating for your research with federal and state policymakers, and another offers brief tips on applying for funding through foundations. Additionally, we’re aware that some researchers would like more information about language recommendations for federal grant applications, to be responsive to federal executive orders and to evolving requirements in program announcements and RFAs. We are researching this issue and will report back. If there are other resources, tips or guidance that would help support your work, please let us know. -Jen

Jen Humphrey
Associate Director for Strategic Communications

Members of a University of Kansas research team who have long studied the role of pre- and postpartum nutrition on child development are among dozens of researchers in the U.S. and Europe warning about the dangers of restricting fish consumption during pregnancy. 

John Colombo, professor of psychology and director of the KU Life Span Institute, and Susan Carlson, the AJ Rice Professor of Nutrition in the KU Department of Dietetics & Nutrition and a University Distinguished Professor at KU Medical Center, joined colleagues from around the world in calling on changes to federal advisories in the journal NeuroToxicology. Colombo and Carlson established a collaborative laboratory over 25 years ago that spans the Lawrence and Medical Center campuses to pursue interdisciplinary research on the effects of prenatal and postnatal nutrition on neurodevelopment.

“For decades, pregnant women have been advised to avoid eating seafood during pregnancy due to the risk of environmental contaminants. The published commentary urges a rebalancing of that risk assessment, now that we know the importance of nutrients in fish that are essential for development of the central nervous system,” Colombo said.

Read more about the commentary.

The launch of a dedicated research center at the University of Kansas focused on identifying and treating eating disorders is laying the foundation for dozens of undergraduate and graduate students to enter the field.  The Center for the Advancement of Research on Eating Behaviors, or CARE, is the newest center to become a part of the KU Life Span Institute, which for more than 70 years has been focused on improving human health and development.

Leading the center are Director Kelsie Forbush, a senior scientist and professor of child clinical psychology, and Angeline Bottera, CARE associate director and assistant research professor. They are joined by a statistician, an administrative associate, three research project coordinators, seven graduate students and 20 undergraduate research assistants.

The new designation as a center aligns resources to help them fulfill their mission of improving screening, intervention and treatment monitoring across gender, age, race and ethnicity. Eating disorders, which include anorexia nervosa as the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness, are known to be difficult to identify in various populations and challenging to treat successfully.

Read more about what spurred Kelsie Forbush's interest in eating disorders and the development of the center. 

Image: Undergraduate students are involved throughout CARE activities and present science communication research each spring.

This week, KU reported results of a study by the global analytics firm Lightcast that conservatively quantified KU’s annual statewide impact at $7.8 billion. The total includes KU activity in operations, construction and research, as well as the expenditures of KU startup companies, visitors, students and alumni. This activity supports nearly 88,000 jobs — or 1 in every 23 jobs in Kansas.

The study highlighted the $315 million in research expenditures that impact the state; the amount is based on direct costs and does not include facilities and administrative costs.

KU communications leaders ask that individuals share relevant statistics from the report when talking to policymakers, community members, prospective students and other groups. The full economic impact study is available at impact.ku.edu.

Highlights from the past few days include a ruling Monday by U.S. District Judge William Young (Associated Press) that it was illegal for the Trump administration to cancel several hundred research grants; it's expected that the administration will appeal the ruling. On June 6, the American Association of Universities summarized proposed cuts to science and education funding by agency. The New York Times offered an interactive deep dive into what has been canceled to date (gift article). The AAU also reported that the Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs continues work to develop a new model for funding indirect costs of federal research grants and recently updated university research community members.

MTSS research by SWIFT researchers Jeong Hoon Choi, Amy McCart, Dawn Miller and Wayne Sailor was included in the commentary "Layered levels of support boost student achievement, reduce suspensions — let’s fortify the system," published in EdSource. 

Research from the State of the States on Intellectual and Developmental Disability, a project led by Shea Tanis at the KU Center on Disability, was included in the Georgia Public Radio feature "Affordable housing is hard to find. For people with disabilities, solutions can feel like a miracle."

Kansas Public Radio spelled out the impact of proposed cuts to disability organizations and services in "Disability services for 46,000 Kansans at risk in leaked Trump budget cuts," noting that in addition to individuals who could be harmed, another entity that would be affected is the KU Center on Disabilities, led by Karrie Shogren. The article includes a focus on advocate Whit Downing, who could not access key support services until she was 27. Downing also recently participated in a discussion of mental health and autism for the Kansas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND).  

LSI researchers and staff participated on panels and led sessions during the KU Faculty Development Academies held in late May that included days dedicated to topics such as global engagement, academic mentorship, and research and innovation. Kathy Bigelow, associate research professor at Juniper Gardens Children's Project, joined fellow KU Research award winners Jennifer Raff (anthropology) and Dave Tell (communications studies) for the panel "Building Impact and Relationships." Michael Amlung, associate director for training at the Cofrin Logan Center and associate professor of applied behavioral science, co-facilitated the Academic Mentorship program and participated in the panel "Weather-proofing Research in a Climate of Change."  Jen Humphrey, associate director for strategic communications at LSI, joined Mindie Paget, assistant vice chancellor for impact & belonging and communications director at the KU Office of Research, to present "Communicating Impact: The Benefits of Your Research."

Tips from the Academies sessions will be shared in the resources section of a future edition of Connections.

KU announced promotion or tenure of 44 individuals at the Lawrence and Edwards campuses and 114 at the Medical Center. The list included four Life Span Institute-affiliated researchers. Congratulations to:

Retirements: Congratulations also to the following researchers and staff who are retiring from the university and were honored this spring:

Over the past several months, several Life Span Institute researchers have reached out for guidance on advocating for their research at the federal level. Researchers and staff are among the best people to convey the impact of research, but it’s important to understand the distinction between educating elected representatives as a university staff member, versus reaching out as a private citizen to lobby or advocate about research that’s important to you.

For more information, we checked with Kyle Christian, associate vice chancellor for federal relations. In his role working on behalf of the University of Kansas in Washington, D.C., he has offered perspective during recent KU town halls and responded to questions from LSI researchers. We also have included below some tips and examples adapted from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, which supports research at the KU Center on Disabilities (KUCD) within the Life Span Institute. 

Generally, a staff member can educate elected representatives, and a private citizen can advocate on an issue, but these are distinct, separate roles that cannot be pursued simultaneously in any interaction with policymakers. 

Visiting with congressional and executive branch officials on behalf of professional associations that represent nursing, biology, or education, for example, is not lobbying. In this context, a researcher is educating about their field. They may offer information about the impact of prior investment in research. Educating policymakers may happen within your official capacity and include reference to your university role.

However, if you want to reach out to policymakers and federal staff to advocate for research support, you must pursue this as a private citizen. You can advocate as long as you do not use your university email account, nor any state equipment or university stationery. You should make it clear that you are advocating as a private citizen, and not conveying official KU positions or policies for or on behalf of KU.

Read more about educating versus lobbying, including relevant examples provided by AUCD.

The following is an excerpt from Research Development and Grant Writing News, which has ended with the current issue. You can access the full article, part of a set of essays on seeking funding, through the Office of Research (requires KU authentication).

It is particularly important when seeking foundation funding to understand the mission and agenda of the foundation.  For example, the Russell Sage Foundation and the Social Science Research Council are devoted to research in the social sciences, whereas the Howard Hughes Medical Institute funds biomedical research grants for individuals and science education grants for institutions. The W. M. Keck Foundation focuses on science, engineering, and medical research and undergraduate education. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds grants in seven program areas related to health and health care.  However, many smaller foundations will often restrict eligibility based on mission and agenda-specific factors.  Geographic restrictions on eligible applicants, for example, is one of the more common restrictions for this funding group. Foundations also can range from the very large (Gates, Ford, Rockefeller) to the very small. 

Informing yourself about a foundation can be accomplished in several ways, including exploring the foundation website, reading the foundation’s annual report on funded projects, reading publications of disciplinary colleagues and scholars whose research has been funded by the foundation, talking to colleagues who have been funded by the foundation or may have served as a reviewer for the foundation, and exploring links at the Foundation Center (now Candid). 

It is always helpful to talk to a program officer at a foundation to get a deeper and more nuanced understanding of its mission-specific agenda and application process.   Understanding the mission and agenda of the small foundations can sometimes be more of a challenge, but one good starting point is the 990 Finder at the Candid website. The 990-PF is the information U.S. private foundations file with the Internal Revenue Service. This public document provides fiscal data for the foundation, names of trustees and officers, application information, and a complete grants list.

Juneteenth: Eligible employees have Thursday, June 19th, as a paid day off to commemorate Juneteenth. Classes will not be in session, and the university will be closed. For most employees, the holiday will already be loaded on timesheets with no further action needed.

Staff Performance Evaluations: Self evaluations now available in each individual’s performance inbox in the Performance Management System. The deadline to complete your self-evaluation is June 30.

Openings: Several KU Life Span Institute units have posted job opportunities. Please view the open positions and share with people in your networks:

KU Center on Disabilities – Project Manager

KU Center on Disabilities – Postdoctoral Researcher 

Juniper Gardens Children’s Project – Postdoctoral Researcher 

Juniper Gardens Children’s Project – Research Project Coordinator

Center for the Advancement of Research on Eating Behaviors – Administrative Associate

Connections is produced by communications staff at the Life Span Institute for affiliated researchers, staff and students. 

Writing and editing by Jen Humphrey and Christina Knott
Image credits: Life Span Institute archives, Christina Knott, Jen Humphrey, and Adobe Stock

Please submit news, kudos, achievements and other items for consideration here.

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