Kansas State University researcher Davood B. Pourkargar has secured a more than $500,000 National Science Foundation Early Career Development Program award to pioneer secure, intelligent computational architectures for integrated polygeneration systems.

Faculty-initiated competitive proposals compared with the same period in FY26.

YTD actual difference: $16.3M

Faculty-initiated competitive awards compared with the same period in FY26.

YTD actual difference: $15.7M

Did you know you can create research posters in BioRender and easily apply K-State branding? The web-based platform for creating publication-ready scientific illustrations, flowcharts and timelines is now available to all K-State faculty, staff and students.

The Office of the Vice President for Research is no longer offering the Faculty Development Award and University Small Research Grant programs.

Internal funding is now available through two new opportunities, the Ad Astra Awards Program and the Humanities, Education, and Arts Research Travel Program, along with the previously established Design, Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities Award.

The Ad Astra Intramural Grants Program will offer two annual funding cycles with proposals due Oct. 1 and March 1. The program includes four award categories: Launch Awards for seed projects, Thrust Awards for competitive proposal resubmissions, Orbit Awards for interdisciplinary teams, and Touchdown Awards for intellectual property commercialization.

The Humanities, Education, and Arts Research Travel, or HEART, Program is a travel grant initiative that supports humanities, arts, architecture, design, and social science faculty presenting original research, scholarly work, or creative work at significant professional venues in the United States and abroad. HEART is administered on the same two-cycle calendar as the Ad Astra Intramural Grants Program.

Applications for the fall 2026 cycle are due no later than 5 p.m. on October 1.

Please note that proposals must now be submitted through Piestar. Applicants can use their K-StateUserID@ksu.edu, but will need to create a unique password to access the application portal.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Research Development at ord@k-state.edu.

Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Institutes programs for Higher Education Faculty and for K-12 Educators
The National Endowment for the Humanities is soliciting applications for the Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Institutes programs for Higher Education Faculty and for K-12 Educators. Successful applicants will convene the same project in two consecutive summers — 2028 and 2029 — recruiting a different group of participants each summer. Landmarks and Institutes are residential professional development programs that convene higher education faculty or K-12 educators from across the nation to deepen their understanding of significant topics in the humanities and enrich their capacity for effective scholarship and teaching. 

Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation: Wave-Based Computing
The National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation: Wave-Based Computing solicitation will support foundational and transformative research to advance the design, engineering, and fabrication of computational technologies that leverage wave interactions for computation, signal processing, and information transmission. WBC can use multiple physical architectures, such as free space, waveguides, metasurfaces and plasmonic structures.

The Office of Research Integrity, Compliance and Security is launching a Research Security Partner Program to build awareness, shared understanding and communication around research security across the university. Research Security Partners will serve as knowledgeable points of connection within their colleges and departments, helping colleagues navigate emerging requirements and connect with university resources.

Research administrators and staff who regularly support faculty research are encouraged to participate. Deans, associate deans for research and department heads may submit nominations to Murry Streetman, director of research security, at mtstreetman@k-state.edu.

NSF webinars & office hours:

Sept. 24, 2026, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Sept. 30, 2026, 1-2 p.m.
Oct. 5, 2026, 1-2 p.m.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) aims to recruit promising individuals to pursue graduate study in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

This month, the Program will host webinars and office hours providing information about the GRFP, including eligibility criteria, how to apply, tips for preparing the application, and details on to become a GRFP reviewer, expectations and responsibilities, and much more. Check out the full schedule and register today!

If you are interested in attending, please register as soon as possible. Registration spots may be limited. During registration, you will have the option to submit questions to the panelists prior to the event.

Program Benefits:
• Financial support for three years (within a five-year period)
• Stipend: $37,000
• Cost of Education allowance payment in lieu of all tuition and mandatory fees: $16,000 per year (paid to the institution)
• No service requirement after completion of the fellowship