Office of Research & Sponsored Programs

And just like that… summer is winding down and a new semester is here! Campus is getting busy again, calendars are filling up, and hopefully we all remember our passwords after the summer break.

As we kick off a new academic year, it’s a great time to dust off those research ideas, reconnect with collaborators, and set goals for the year ahead. Whether you have a proposal on the horizon, a project getting underway, or an idea that’s still taking shape, ORSP is here to help.

Here’s to a great start to the semester. We’re excited to see what this year brings!

— Your friends at ORSP

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Esther Olaleye as Sam Houston State University’s new Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs.

Dr. Olaleye officially joined SHSU on August 1, bringing nearly two decades of research, administrative, and leadership experience to the university. Most recently, she served as Senior Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation at Texas Southern University, where she helped significantly expand the institution’s research enterprise, strengthen research infrastructure and increase research expenditures.

An accomplished researcher and transformative leader, Dr. Olaleye’s career spans work at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Harvard University School of Public Health and an American Council on Education Fellowship with The University of Texas System. Her research portfolio includes maternal and child health and infectious diseases, where she has secured more than $60 million in active research funding. Throughout her career, however, she has emphasized that meaningful research is built through collaboration, and that strong research infrastructure should empower faculty, staff, and students to succeed.

As she begins her tenure at SHSU, Dr. Olaleye has identified listening, learning and collaboration as immediate priorities. Her vision includes strengthening research infrastructure and resources, expanding strategic partnerships, fostering a culture of innovation and integrity, and aligning research growth with student success and institutional priorities.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Olaleye to the Bearkat community and look forward to the leadership, energy and perspective she brings as we continue strengthening SHSU’s research enterprise and supporting the outstanding work of our faculty, staff and students.

Read more about Dr. Olaleye and her appointment.

ORSP is seeking faculty and staff volunteers to serve on the Local Peer Review Council (LPRC). Reviewers will provide constructive feedback on grant proposals before submission, helping principal investigators enhance the quality and competitiveness of their proposals.

In recognition of their time and expertise, reviewers may be eligible for compensatory funding.

Managing sponsored project finances at SHSU is now easier with the launch of Cayuse Fund Manager. Available through the Cayuse platform, this new tool provides principal investigators, project directors, and research administrators with a centralized view of grant financial information.

Users can monitor budgets, expenses, encumbrances, available balances, and transaction activity through an easy-to-use dashboard that integrates with Banner and is updated regularly.

The Controller’s Office will be offering training sessions and demonstrations in the coming weeks, with additional details to be shared via email.

Access Fund Manager: https://shsu.app.cayuse.com/
Questions? Contact Jennifer Babcock

The College of Osteopathic Medicine is pleased to announce that REDCap is now available to all SHSU faculty, staff, and students. Hosted securely by SHSU IT, REDCap is a powerful web-based platform for collecting, managing, and storing research and clinical study data.

Whether you're administering a simple survey or managing a complex longitudinal or multi-site research project, REDCap provides secure, customizable tools for data collection, participant management, electronic consent, automated communications, and more. The platform supports compliance with major research data security and privacy standards, including HIPAA and GDPR.

Key Features & Capabilities:

REDCap supports advanced research through multi-site and longitudinal projects, electronic consent, EHR integration, randomization, and automated survey outreach. Additional features include participant incentives through eRewards (Tango), project sharing and migration, and built-in accessibility and multi-language tools.

Get Started: The COM Research Team is currently building a library of user resources. Please visit the links below to learn more and access the SHSU REDCap User Documents at REDCap Central.

• SHSU REDCap Central: redcap.link/redcapcentral 

• Project REDCap Info: project-redcap.org 

SHSU is now a participating institution in ResearchMatch, a free, secure, NIH-funded participant recruitment platform designed to connect researchers with individuals interested in volunteering for health-related research studies.

With a nationwide registry of more than 120,000 volunteers, ResearchMatch helps investigators identify potential participants whose interests and eligibility align with their research. The platform is available to support a wide range of health-related studies and can help streamline participant recruitment while expanding the reach of your research.

Faculty and staff conducting health-related research are encouraged to explore the platform and determine whether it may be a valuable resource for their current or future projects.

Learn more and create an account below.

(L-R) Miranda Rose, Lucie Burkett, Jill Myers, John Brome, Kathy Allen, Colton Gates, Chris Alicea, Jenny Babcock, Maribeth Start (not pictured)

ORA is growing! Please offer a warm welcome to our newest team members: MaKayla Harris and Ikra Islam

We are excited to have them join us. Interviews are currently underway for a Director of ORA. Stay tuned for updates.

Effort Certification: Action Needed

If you currently are or were a PI on a research grant dating back to Fall 2024 and salary was paid from that award, we need your attention. Effort certification is required for all individuals paid from a grant, including students.

Jill Myers has made significant progress, reducing the backlog from more than 600 records, but more than 200 effort certification records still require completion in Banner.

We are aware some PIs are having issues accessing the records and we are working with IT to get those resolved. For assistance with completing your certifications, please contact Jill Myers (ext. 4-4566).

Participant Support Costs

Participant support costs generally cover individuals participating in grant-supported activities, such as trainings or conferences, who are not responsible for implementing the award. Individuals who require effort certification are therefore not considered participants.

Because participant support costs do not incur IDC or overhead fees, proper coding is essential to avoid impacting a grant’s IDC budget. Participant Support account codes currently fall between 799001–799011.

Single Source Documentation for Subawards

When an SHSU grant includes an approved subaward, a Sole Source Product or Service form is required. The form documents why the project’s unique goods or services require a single-source provider rather than competitive bidding and is available below, and through the Controller’s website.

What's Happening in ORA?

July was a busy month for ORA. In July, we completed 12 new award setups, 13 kick-off meetings, and 12 award modifications. The team also processed 61 payments totaling more than $1.5 million and submitted 61 invoices/drawdowns totaling more than $1.27 million.

As always, our office is support your research. Reach out if you have any questions!

Adults age 50 and older are invited to participate in an online research survey about their experiences, perspectives, and questions related to vaccines. The study aims to help researchers and healthcare providers better understand patients' concerns and experiences. Participants will review a consent form with study details before completing the survey.

Questions? Contact Damian Chiandussi

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.

SHSU Grant Activity as of July 2026

FY26 (YTD)

245 Proposals submitted for $172,851,675

73 Proposals awarded for $24,292,746

FY25 (YTD)

198 Proposals submitted for $114,336,943

49 Proposals awarded for $11,001,487

In July, SHSU undergraduate Stefanie Azua presented her research at the National Storytelling Network Conference at West Texas A&M University in Amarillo. Through an interactive workshop, Stefanie's presentation explored how visual storytelling and drawing can help individuals reflect on meaningful life experiences, express themselves creatively, and discover new perspectives through conversation.

The conference provided opportunities to connect with storytellers and educators, receive valuable feedback, and engage with the broader storytelling community. The experience marked Stefanie's first conference presentation and culminated in joining the National Storytelling Network as its newest member.

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to participate in a pilot study evaluating the SAFER AI™ Academic Transparency Template, an initiative led by Dr. Lola Longe, Lecturer of Practice in Practical AI & Intelligent Automation at Sam Houston Polytechnic College.

The study seeks anonymous feedback on the template's clarity, usability, and educational value. Participants are asked to review the Student AI Use Declaration Template and complete a brief survey to help improve the resource for academic use. Participation is voluntary, and feedback will contribute to refining the template for broader implementation.

To participate, scan the QR code on the flyer or visit the survey using the link provided. For questions, contact Dr. Lola Longe at txl054@shsu.edu.

SHSU students are encouraged to participate in a brief survey exploring how artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT, are being used in college coursework. Feedback from this survey may help inform future classroom practices and course design related to AI use at SHSU.

• Takes approximately 10 minutes

• Participants must be 18+ and currently enrolled at SHSU

• Responses are anonymous and confidential

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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