Originally published through the Research Radar e-newsletter
on October 16, 2024.
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Colleagues,
I often get asked about the best part of being vice president for research. For me, the answer is simple: It’s being able to witness the diverse and impactful work conducted by all of you. Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by our colleague Jana Doppa, who was honored with the Anjan Bose Research Award in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture. Instead of simply showcasing his many achievements, Jana used the lecture to discuss how AI could impact various research fields and attract new collaborators. He is a true Coug!
Many of you have asked me questions about the change in the vice president for research search to focus on internal WSU candidates only. Shortly after provost Chris Riley-Tillman joined WSU, we began discussing the vice president position and my perception of the needs. It became apparent to him that having an individual with history at WSU provided benefits and he was already recognizing the research talent we have here. I completely agreed with this assessment, especially with the position changes taking place in our leadership across the system. Doug Call, senior vice provost, will be leading a strong and diverse search committee that provides system representation of our disciplinary breadth. I look forward to seeing ideas for serving our faculty’s research enterprise.
Finally, I just wanted to share with you that I’ve recently undergone surgery for skin cancer. I’ll need some follow-up treatment to ensure that it is fully eliminated. I assure you that this will be more inconvenient than consequential and am grateful for our medical researchers that make this so. Lisa, my wife, is currently in Vermont helping her father, and we have decided to undergo my treatment there together while working remotely. We will be distributing responsibilities for certain activities in the Office of Research to make sure that we are responsive to your needs. I’m looking forward to getting back to Pullman in the New Year!
I hope that you are able to celebrate with us next week at the Research Excellence Awards as we honor the diverse research that happens every day across the system. I look forward to seeing the awardees and learning of their many achievements. Remember, that is the best part of this job!
Michael P. Wolcott
Regents Professor
Interim Vice President for Research
Research Happens Every Day
Research Happens Every Day recognizes the fact that faculty make contributions to the WSU research enterprise every day of the year. In support of this crucial research and creative activity, ORAP will be hosting events celebrating diverse research and creative contributions as well as providing workshops, information sessions, and other training opportunities year-round.
Join the Office of Research in celebrating the history, culture, and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. Researchers at WSU will discuss ongoing projects, how you can participate, and where to find support. Each faculty member will present a 5-minute flash talk with a Q&A discussion to follow. Join us from 2:30-3:30 p.m., on Monday, October 21, in person in Lighty 280 or virtually via Zoom. RSVP to attend.
Upcoming Events
Emerging Research Opportunities in Cannabis (EROC) Seed Grants Q&A
Join the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships from noon – 1 p.m., on Friday, October 18, for a virtual question and answer session to learn more about the Emerging Research Opportunities in Cannabis (EROC) Seed Grants. Awards are limited to $40,000. The budget can include equipment that stays at WSU, supplies, pre-paid services, conference travel, consultation fees, and non-PI salary support. RSVP for more information!
Information Session: Navigating WSU Federal Relations
The WSU Government Relations team serves as a bridge between WSU and federal government officials, such as congress, administration and agencies, fostering relationships and acting as liaisons at the federal level. Internally, they help develop WSU’s public policy agenda, seek funding for priority projects, and leverage the political landscape to explore advocacy and advancement opportunities for the university. Join the team from DC in person on the WSU Pullman campus from noon – 1 p.m., on Monday, October 21, in Lighty 280 or via Zoom. RSVP online to attend.
Narrating Impact: Tools to Document Your Work for Promotion and Tenure
Facilitators Lisa Guerrero, vice chancellor of equity and inclusive excellence, and Ashley Boyd, Office of Research faculty fellow, will engage participants with various ways to consider the influence of their research, scholarship, and creative production as well as provide examples. Participants will develop and workshop their own materials. All WSU faculty are welcome to attend. We especially encourage early-career faculty and those engaged in the arts and humanities to join. Light refreshments will be provided. Join us from 3-5 p.m., on Tuesday, October 22, in CUE 518, and Tuesday, October 29, in CUE 512, and via Zoom. RSVP for more details.
2024 Research Excellence Awards
Join us for the annual presentation of Research Excellence Awards and the announcement of the winners of this year’s funding competitions. These awards are given to recognize outstanding WSU researchers for their unique, successful contributions to WSU’s mission as a land-grant research institution. These researchers have made an impact in their fields, their communities, and at WSU. Awards include Public Impact Award, Teams that Build Award, Advancing Equity in Research Award, Pacesetter Award, Catalyst Award, RA and $10K Seed Grant Recipient, and others. Join us from 11 a.m. – noon, on Thursday, October 24, at the Lewis Alumni Center Great Hall and via Zoom. RSVP for more details.
Workshop: Introduction to High Performance Computing on Kamiak
The Center for Institutional Research Computing’s (CIRC) will host a hands-on introductory workshop to introduce basic High Performance Computing (HPC) concepts including job submission and file transfer. Join us from 10:10 a.m. – 1 p.m., on Tuesday, October 29 to learn how to utilize the freely available computing resources on WSU’s Kamiak HPC to power your research! This workshop will be held online. Advance registration is required. Registration closes at 11:59 p.m., on Sunday, October 27.
Lunch and Learn: Proposal Narrative: Overview, Goals, and Broader Impacts
A grant proposal narrative is the story of your project, organization, and goals to convince funders of its investment value. On Tuesday, October 29, plan to bring your lunch and your laptop to the Lighty 280 conference room from noon – 1 p.m. and spend an hour working alongside Lydia Baxter-Howard, proposal development specialist in the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships, as she provides tips for developing a narrative that effectively communicates the significance, impact, and feasibility of your project. RSVP online to attend.
Interdisciplinary Dialogue and Process Grant Talks
The Office of Research Working Group on Arts & Humanities continues its series of Interdisciplinary Dialogues to welcome conversations around a common theme across units. A panel will briefly share their approach to the topic and then will engage in informal conversation with audience members about their related work and interests. To open the event, we will hear flash talks from recent awardees in the Arts & Humanities Process Grant competition discussing their research, scholarship, or creative practice. This event will be hosted from 3-5 p.m., on Wednesday, October 30, virtually via Zoom. RSVP to receive the Zoom details.
New Faculty Seed Grant Q&A
The Office of Research and Office of the Provost announces the application cycle for the New Faculty Seed Grant, a program designed to help junior faculty develop research, scholarly, or creative programs that lead to sustained professional development and extramural funding, will open on Friday, November 1. The program supports projects that will significantly contribute to the PI’s long-range goals by kick-starting a more complex project or idea. Projects with a strong potential to lead to significant external funding and/or PI portfolio development are encouraged. The Office of Research will host a New Faculty Seed Grant Q&A session from noon – 1 p.m., on Wednesday, November 6. This will be a virtual event held via Zoom. RSVP for the Zoom meeting details.
Lunch and Learn: DEIA in Proposal Development
Centering DEIA in the planning, design, development, execution, dissemination, and assessment of research, scholarship, and creative activity not only furthers WSU’s commitment to these values but is increasingly an important requirement of most funding opportunities. On Tuesday, November 5, from noon – 1 p.m., plan to bring your lunch and your laptop to the Lighty 280 conference room and work alongside Cheryl Dykstra-Aiello, research development specialist, to develop your own DEIA plan for your developing grant proposal using a template developed by the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships. RSVP online to attend.
Lunch and Learn: Supplemental Documents
Just when you think you’ve got your grant proposal all figured out, you realize you need to develop your bio-sketch, facilities and equipment statements, data management plans, and more. Supplemental documents may seem tedious, but they can significantly enhance your proposal. On Tuesday, November 19, from noon – 1 p.m., plan to bring your lunch and your laptop to the Lighty 280 conference room and work on one or more of your developing proposal’s supplemental documents. Work alongside Lydia Baxter-Howard, proposal development specialist in the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships, as she provides you with strategies for developing productive documents. RSVP to attend.
Save the Date: USPTO Visit on November 21
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be visiting on Thursday, November 21, hosted by the Office of Commercialization. There will be two sessions presented by the USPTO guest at Lighty 405:
USPTO AI-related Guidance and Use of AI Tools – This session will include a listening opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to share their concerns.
USPTO Perspective and Q&A on Academic Innovation and Recent Initiatives – Topics will include the Council for Inclusive Innovation, U.S. Competitiveness, Cancer Moonshot, Climate Change Mitigation, and USPTO careers and hiring.
Additionally, Office Hours with USPTO staff will be available for sign-up at a later date. Event details will be shared soon!
Call for Proposals
Notice of Intent Due: Community Engaged Research Tier Two Seed Grant
The 12-month Community Engaged Research Tier Two Seed Grants are intended to support WSU Pullman faculty who are new to community engaged research or creative activity and are meant to provide seed funding to establish relationships with community partners, which may include travel, hosting a series of listening sessions, focus groups, etc. A Notice of Intent is required to apply and is due Friday, November 1. Late NOIs will not be accepted. Full proposals will be due Sunday, December 1, and the funding period will begin Wednesday, January 29, 2025. For more information, visit the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships website or email or.orap.servicedesk@wsu.edu.
Announcing Two New Community Engaged Research Funding Opportunities
The Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships in partnership with the Pullman Chancellor’s Office is excited to announce that two new funding opportunities as part of the INSPIRE! Community Engaged Research Seed Grants program.
Graduate Student Summer Community Engaged Research Grants are meant to provide funding to support community engaged research conducted by Pullman-based graduate students in good standing in any field. Under the guidance of an advisor and/or principal investigator, a graduate student can receive up to $10,000 in support for a summer community engaged research project. Proposals are due Sunday, December 15.
Pullman in Focus Community Engaged Research grants are meant to provide funding to assist in supporting a community-based research agenda in the local Pullman area. Pullman in Focus funding provides support up to $10,000 for one year. Pullman-based faculty (tenure and career track) from any discipline are eligible to apply and a mandatory Notice of Intent will be due Saturday, March 1, 2025.
To find out more about all Community Engaged Research funding opportunities, visit the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships website.
For Your Information
Announcement about Upcoming AAALAC Accreditation Site Visit
AAALAC International will be visiting WSU this year to conduct a review of the Animal Care and Use Program. The site visit is scheduled to take place Tuesday, October 22 through Friday, October 25, and will consist of meetings/interviews, document review, and facility tours. The WSU Spokane campus will be visited by the team on Wednesday, October 23, and the WSU Vancouver and Puyallup Research and Extension Center visits will be handled via live video on Thursday, October 24.
AAALAC International is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through a voluntary accreditation and assessment program. AAALAC accreditation demonstrates that our program is meeting the standards required by law and that we are taking extra steps to achieve excellence in our Animal Care and Use Program. WSU voluntarily participates in AAALAC’s program and has been an AAALAC accredited institution since 1979.
Final Preparations: If you are faculty/staff that utilizes animals for research or teaching purposes and/or a part of the WSU Animal Care and Use program, we recommend reviewing this checklist to make sure your team is ready for the visit.
Please reach out to the Animal Welfare Program at iacuc@wsu.edu or (509) 335-7951 with any questions regarding the site visit. We are looking forward to showing off our great Animal Care and Use Program and the excellent research and teaching that WSU is doing!