In this issue
Research highlights | Innovation spotlight | New awards
Unsung heroes | Faculty kudos | Recognition roundup
Research development | Nuts & bolts | Events
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An exciting future for KU research |
When I rejoined the Office of Research in November as interim vice chancellor, I wrote of my excitement for KU research. As my term draws to a close, my enthusiasm is continually renewed by scholars making strides in four key areas that encompass my vision for KU research: talent development, knowledge development, economic development, and community impact.
 KU research is growing at record levels, major research initiatives are launching, and new research leaders are joining KU. I am particularly proud of recruiting Giselle Anatol to lead the Hall Center for the Humanities and Nico Franz to lead the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum. And while we welcome new colleagues, I remain thankful for the consistent and excellent leadership of so many. I particularly want to thank Jorge Soberón for leading the Biodiversity Institute for several years while a director search was ongoing.
Every day in this role, I am reminded of how stewardship of university resources enables research, and I am thankful for staff within the Office of Research, our designated research centers and our core labs for supporting researchers across the university. In the past few months, our office has committed to work with Facilities Planning & Development on several research space initiatives, and we continue to partner with IT, Libraries, Graduate Studies, and Global Risk & Security to provide critical support for research in digital and global spaces. I am thankful for the commitment of our university partners to meet the future needs of researchers.
As I pivot to a new semester and the balancing act of faculty life, I remain excited for KU’s research future. I’ll remain focused on building research infrastructure capacity across the state as director of the Kansas NSF EPSCoR, and I have a few research goals of my own. I encourage you to consider your own goals for this semester and the ways you will innovate in your research and teaching.
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and Rock Chalk!
Belinda Sturm
Interim Vice Chancellor for Research
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"The investments in intellectual and developmental disabilities services and supports across the nation are a measure of our conscience and commitment to the disability community. It demonstrates our expectations of full participation, equal opportunity, economic self-sufficiency and independent living outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act."
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The university has signed an agreement with Panasonic aimed at promoting the development of next-generation technologies and the cultivation of specialist expertise in the field of lithium-ion batteries.
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Because so many farms in Kansas grow commodity crops like soybeans, wheat and field corn, there is little variety of edible fresh foods available for purchase in surrounding rural communities. Limited access to healthier foods means chronic diseases are persistent in these areas.
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The Kansas Geological Survey recently took a step toward identifying potential new sources of minerals essential for economic vitality and national security. “This project is the first step in thinking about reopening domestic sources for those critical minerals.”
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Sam Zipper, assistant scientist at the Kansas Geological Survey and assistant professor of geology, helps sustain Kansas's water resources. "Here at the Kansas Geological Survey, we've got a really important role in forming the scientific backbone for state agencies, for legislators, for members of the public or other organizations to make the decisions that they feel are in the best interest of the state."
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“European empires of the 20th century were in many ways defined by their projects of motorization and road construction. Through these, colonial officials hoped to develop more efficient ways to exploit and control lands and peoples,” said Andrew Denning, associate professor of history at the University of Kansas.
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KU ranks 60th among US public universities granted utility patents in 2023 |
For the second year in a row, the University of Kansas has landed a spot on the National Academy of Inventors' top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents list.
The 2023 list showcases universities that play a pivotal role in advancing the innovation ecosystem within and beyond the United States.
“Patents are incredibly important to promoting innovation, with proprietary rights to an invention often being the foundation upon which a new opportunity or business is built,” said Clifford Michaels, executive director of the KU Center for Technology Commercialization. “The repeated inclusion of KU on this year’s NAI list of top 100 U.S. universities demonstrates our institution’s sustained investment and commitment to supporting innovation and commercialization.”
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KU researchers are studying the drought resistance of microbiomes, developing interventions for infants at risk for language delay, building partnerships for Indigenous-led cultural fire research, providing technical services for the Kansas Rural Transit Assistance Program, and more — all with the aid of external funding awarded in May and June.
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Behind every successful award are teams of KU research development and administration staff who help investigators identify opportunities, prepare and submit complicated proposals under strict deadlines, and then help manage finances and compliance for funded projects. 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 staff member deemed particularly outstanding by colleagues. Click the button below this month's story to nominate a deserving candidate from any unit on campus.
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Associate director ensures research administrators are well-informed in an ever-changing landscape |
Nancy Biles | Associate Director, Research Administration | Office of Research
Policies surrounding federally funded research are routinely reevaluated and changed. Fortunately for the KU research community, one leader in research administration makes sure grant coordinators have the knowledge they need to keep the university’s research enterprise afloat.
Nancy Biles is the associate director of research administration in the Office of Research. She has been in the office for more than 20 years, starting as a grant specialist and working her way up to leading Pre-Award Services before moving to the helm of research administration.
“Nancy is detailed and conscientious. She is always willing to take the necessary steps to get the correct answer to faculty and staff who need support, both in the Office of Research and across campus,” said Alicia Reed, assistant vice chancellor for research.
One of the ways Biles educates research staff is through Research Administration News & Notes. The monthly newsletter highlights changes to federal policies, research administration activities, and upcoming training opportunities. In addition to the newsletter, Biles also develops training for KU staff. These include Thursday Research Topics, ad hoc trainings on timely issues, and quarterly grant coordinator meetings.
“Nancy is very detailed and willing to take extra time and focus to get to the correct and complete answers and solutions for the research community,” Reed said. “She has a great deal of institutional and research administration knowledge and applies this to achieve successful solutions.”
Biles has a hand in establishing policies and processes for the research enterprise and oversees certain compliance and regulatory matters. She partners with Research Development staff on internal funding and limited submissions. Biles also successfully guided the process of transitioning to paperless storage of research administration files, including overhauling the digital vault.
Regardless of what Biles is working on, colleagues note that her demeanor inspires confidence in high-stakes situations.
“She is sometimes quiet, but you know that she is thinking and preparing to find a solution,” Reed said. “She also has very witty insights to add levity to an often-stressful job.”
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Beth Bailey, Foundation Distinguished Professor of history, received a Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award for her book “An Army Afire: How the U.S. Army Confronted Its Racial Crisis in the Vietnam Era.”
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Jean Hall, research professor in the Life Span Institute and director of KU’s Institute on Health & Disability Studies, received the distinguished service award from the National Association of Rehabilitation Research & Training Centers.
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Stephen Jackson, assistant professor of educational leadership & policy studies, received a Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award for “The Patchwork of World History in Texas High Schools.”
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Sheyda Jahanbani, associate professor of history, won both the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations Bernath Prize and the Organization of American Historians Intellectual History Award for her book “The Poverty of the World.”
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Noelle Kurth, research associate at KU’s Institute for Health & Disability Policy Studies, received the National Association of Rehabilitation Research & Training Centers commendation award.
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Erik Scott, professor of history, won three awards for his most recent book, “Defectors: How the Illicit Flight of Soviet Citizens Built the Borders of the Cold War World.” These include the Robert H. Ferrell Book Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, the Tonous & Warda Johns Family Award from the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association, and a Theodore Saloutos Book Award honorable mention from the Immigration & Ethnic History Society.
- Steven Soper, Foundation Distinguished Professor in chemistry and mechanical engineering, won the May 2024 Sutton Family Research Impact Award from KU’s Department of Chemistry.
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Amy Van de Riet and Keith Van de Riet, associate professors in the School of Architecture & Design, were among team members for the Dyche Hall Grotesque Renewal Project, which received a Medallion Award from the Kansas Preservation Alliance at the 2024 Kansas State Preservation Conference.
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Aimee Armande Wilson, associate professor of women, gender & sexuality studies, received The Space Between Journal Essay Prize.
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Numerous KU researchers supported with NSF early-career awards |
KU faculty researchers have had an impressive record of success garnering Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) awards granted by the National Science Foundation. Since 1995, 50 of KU’s current faculty have won the award, which is designated as “prestigious” by the National Research Council. Along with enabling recipients to fund innovative research, prestigious awards contribute to KU’s strength as an AAU member institution.
Emily Arnold, associate professor of aerospace engineering, received a CAREER grant totaling $609,000 in 2019. “Consistent funding for five years was critical to establishing my research program,” Arnold said. “The NSF CAREER award also allowed me to focus my research applications on environmental remote sensing, which is a very unique opportunity in the field of aerospace engineering.”
Click the button below to learn more about recent CAREER recipients, how KU helps faculty optimize the competitiveness of their CAREER proposals, and how to connect with Robin Lehman, director of faculty recognition & awards, to explore pathways to external recognition.
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Optimize your research funding success
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It’s true what they say: You don’t know what you don’t know. And in the competitive world of sponsored research, not knowing about relevant funding opportunities can slow your progress toward discovery, innovation, and creative output. So here’s something to know: KU provides faculty, staff and students subscription access to Pivot-RP, an easy-to-use, keyword-searchable database of current funding opportunities in virtually every field. In addition to keywords, advanced searches can easily be limited by sponsor type, dollar amount, applicant type, deadlines, funding type, or even applicant citizenship. Search results include solicitations that are anticipated, but not yet released.
Pivot-RP also provides a number of other resources, including an email-based alert service that allows you to track opportunities in your areas of interest and a directory of more than 500,000 researchers worldwide to help you identify potential collaborators.
Don’t leave funding on the table.
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New product types for NSF's Public Access Repository |
The National Science Foundation has enabled six new product types in their Public Access Repository (NSF-PAR): audiovisual, data paper, educational aid and curriculum, posted content, software, and sound. The PAR is where NSF-funded publications and other research products are made openly available to the public. There are no changes to NSF’s public access policy or project reporting requirements.
PIs and co-PIs may need to enter a digital object identifier (DOI) depending on the product type being added:
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Audiovisual, software and sound products must be entered with a DOI.
- Data paper and posted content products may be entered with or without a DOI.
- Educational aid or curriculum products may only be added without a DOI.
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The new product types do not currently auto-populate from the NSF-PAR into NSF project reports in Research.gov, but PIs and co-PIs can manually add these product types to project reports. See the table below for navigation instructions in the Research.gov Project Reporting System.
Visit the Research.gov About Public Access page for frequently asked questions and updated how-to guides that include the six new product types. Also see the NSF Public Access Initiative page for the latest information on open science.
How to add product types manually to NSF project reports
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- Audiovisual
Select "Other Products" > "Audio or Video Products" - Data paper
Select "Other Conference Presentation" > "Paper" - Educational aid or curriculum
Select "Other Products" > "Educational Aids or Curricula" - Posted content
Select "Other Product" > "Other" - Software
Select "Other Product" > "Software or Netware" - Sound
Select "Other Product" > "Audio or Video Products"
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Call for human subjects 'Researcher Highlights' |
Questions? Comments? Content suggestions?
Mindie Paget | Office of Research | mpaget@ku.edu
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