| Colleagues, Pullman life in the past week has brought us busier roads, longer shopping lines, so many new faces, and, of course, the Lentil Festival. Many of these signs are unique to Pullman, with a large university in a small town. But there are similar indicators in Spokane, Tri-Cities, Everett, and Vancouver that summer has officially ended! For some reason, I always think life will slow down during the summer months. But the truth is that summer is very busy as we make substantial progress in our research projects, travel to meet with colleagues and refresh our creative spirits, write proposals, and, yes, find some time with family and friends. So welcome back, not to work, but to the fall semester filled with new student faces in your classrooms, labs, and studios. As the state fiscal year ended, our data verified your hard work and success over the past year. WSU achieved a new milestone with $331.5 million in awarded proposals out of the $1.216 billion submitted. This accomplishment is a testament to your creativity and success as researchers. Please accept my sincere congratulations to each of you for this outstanding achievement. I must also recognize the contributions of the research administrators in our departments, colleges, and the Office of Research. Their efforts are as vital to our success as researchers. Chris Riley-Tillman, our new provost, has not lost an opportunity to emphasize WSU’s exceptional research record and reinforce our immense growth potential. Working with such tremendous optimism is contagious and we are working hard to ensure his confidence will be fulfilled. Additional growth will hinge on our strategic partnerships across the university in all areas that impact our research enterprise. To this end, we are collaborating collaborations with numerous offices, from government and corporate relations to communications, facilities, information technology, and sponsored programs. All of these functions play a pivotal role in influencing our research success, and it is essential that we work together in supporting your work. I look forward to sharing some of these initiatives with you in future communications. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your return to the classroom and embrace the opportunity to meet our new students! Michael P. Wolcott Regents Professor Interim Vice President for Research |
| Searle Scholars Program The Searle Scholars Program makes grants to selected universities and research centers to support the independent research of exceptional young faculty in the biomedical sciences and chemistry. This is a limited submission opportunity. You must fill out a cover letter to apply for the internal competition. The internal deadline is August 26. |
| Leveraging Extension and University Engagement Developing and Implementing Novel Projects Using Transdisciplinary Approaches Join us at 1 p.m. EDT on Monday, September 9, for a webinar looking at how land-grant university administration can support faculty and staff in adopting transdisciplinary approaches and leverage the power of engagement. We’ll hear from top university administrators about the challenges of such work and the opportunities to overcome them, and discuss how to navigate multifaceted projects that support inclusivity and diverse perspectives to address the complex challenges facing food and agricultural systems today. Register here. |
| “It’s not what you research. It’s how you research.” Developing an Equity-Minded Approach to Research Integrating equity into our approaches to research is an important step that we need to take more frequently and more impactfully. This presentation encourages us to locate, implicate, and disrupt existing power structures and contextual factors that perpetuate inequity in how we conduct research, from setting the research agenda to designing research questions, from identifying methodologies and epistemologies to conducting the research, all the way through the dissemination and application of findings. Join us via Zoom from 11 a.m. – noon, on Tuesday, September 10. Please RSVP for the link. |
| Nuts and Bolts of Social Sciences Grant Proposals Nuts and Bolts of Social Sciences Grant Proposals is a workshop of four-weekly sessions that provides grant writing tools designed specifically for any faculty in the social sciences. The 90-minute sessions will take place in the Pullman Office of Research conference room in Lighty 280, and will include presentations, group discussions, take-home assignments, and peer review and feedback of proposal drafts. Participants will be provided with grant writing tools and copies of the lecture slides. Space is limited so submit your online application and a letter of support from your chair by September 15. |
| Lunch and Learn: WSU Grant Basics and Finding Funding with Pivot On Tuesday, September 17, from noon – 1 p.m., plan to bring your lunch and your laptop to the Lighty 280 conference room and work alongside Lydia Baxter-Howard, proposal development specialist in the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships, as she provides an overview of WSU’s grant proposal submission process, including the eREX form. Then, use the Pivot database to find funding opportunities specific to your area of research, set up notifications, track funding opportunities, find collaborators, and share opportunities with your coworkers. RSVP online to attend. |
| Engaging in Interdisciplinary Environmental Research Join the Center for Environmental Research, Education, and Outreach (CEREO) to learn about how to engage in interdisciplinary environmental research at WSU. Attendees will learn how CEREO supports this type of research and will hear from a panel of faculty about currently funded projects. We will end with a question-and-answer session to discuss how to participate in CEREO activities and overcome barriers to engage with interdisciplinary projects. Join us via Zoom from 12:30-1:30 p.m., on September 18. RSVP online to attend. |
| New Faculty Information Series The Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships (ORAP) is pleased to present the New Faculty Information Series, an introduction to the requirements and available resources for developing and supporting a research and/or artistic practice at WSU. Over the course of three weekly Tuesday afternoon sessions, from 2-3 p.m., September 24, October 1, and October 8, new faculty will learn about the grant process at WSU and the support services provided by ORAP – from finding funding, grant proposal development, to creating and maintaining compliant research and artistic programs. This series will be offered via Zoom, allowing time for attendees to ask questions. Each session is open to new faculty across all disciplines and campuses and will be recorded and accessible on the ORAP website for (re)viewing at a later date. To receive the Zoom details, RSVP for each session. For questions or concerns about this series, please contact or.orap.servicedesk@wsu.edu. |
| Hispanic Heritage Month Panel Hispanic Heritage Month provides a time to celebrate and honor the research contributions of the Latinx community. Join the Office of Research along with a panel of faculty in an open discussion on the research happening at WSU. Each panel member will present a 5-minute flash talk with a Q&A period to follow. The panel includes Robert Bauman, professor in the Department of History Department; Vilma C. Navarro Daniels, professor and interim director of the School of Language, Culture, and Race; Luz Maria Gordillo, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences assistant dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence and professor of the Department of History; Cesar Haas, assistant professor in the School of Music. Join us in person or via Zoom from noon – 1 p.m., on September 26. RSVP online to attend. |
| WSU’s CCPRO to host the WSU Cannabis Symposium 2024 WSU’s Center for Cannabis Policy, Research and Outreach (CCPRO) is hosting the first annual WSU Cannabis Symposium. Join us in person at the Compton Union Building Junior Ballroom on October 4, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The focus of this year’s symposium is to clarify and summarize how WSU researchers can be involved in cannabis-related research, support development of collaborative efforts between WSU cannabis researchers and stakeholders, and seek guidance from the WSU cannabis research community members regarding how CCPRO may best serve them. David Gang, director of CCPRO, will provide an overview of cannabis-related research at WSU, providing clarification on what is and is not allowed when working with cannabis. Tracy Klein, assistant director of CCRPO, will discuss the current status of clinical cannabis research statewide and nationally and provide an overview of the Emerging Research Opportunities in Cannabis (EROC) seed grant program. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board leadership will provide an introduction into how research by state public universities (WSU in particular) could support other state efforts related to cannabis.Research talks by professors Carrie Cuttler, Matthew Layton, and Courtney Meehan will discuss challenges and successes in carrying out cannabis-focused research in Washington state. The day will conclude with a Strategic Planning Session/WSU Cannabis Internal Stakeholder meeting. Lunch will be provided. Register online to reserve your spot. |
| Resource-Related Research Projects for Development of Animal Models and Related MaterialsR24 Clinical Trials Not Allowed The Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) encourages grant applications aimed at developing, characterizing, or improving animal models of human diseases; improving access to information about or generated from the use of animal models of human disease; or improving diagnosis and control of diseases of laboratory animals. The animal models, related materials, or technological tools developed must be broadly applicable to the scientific interests of two or more National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutes or Centers (ICs) and must evaluate diseases and processes that impact multiple body systems to align with the ORIP’s NIH-wide mission and programs. Applications must describe the need for and the potential impact of the proposed resources on the research community across a range of scientific disciplines supported by multiple NIH ICs. Applications to develop models that relate strictly to a specific disease or a select area of research or that do not have a broad impact on the NIH-wide research community will not be considered acceptable. Projects that predominantly address the research interests of one NIH IC but are only peripherally related to the research interests of other ICs will also not be acceptable for this funding opportunity announcement (FOA). |
| NEH accepting applications for Public Scholars program The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Research Programs is accepting applications for the Public Scholars program. The program offers grants to individual authors for research, writing, travel, and other activities leading to the creation and publication of well-researched nonfiction books in the humanities written for the broad public. It encourages nonacademic writers to deepen their engagement with the humanities by strengthening the research underlying their books, and it encourages academic writers in the humanities to communicate the significance of their research to the broadest possible range of readers. |
| RA and $10K Applications Due September 10 The RA and 10k Seed Grant Competition provides faculty with the opportunity to explore a new line of research or pursue an established research question through a new inter- or multi-disciplinary approach or partnership. This program will support the pursuit of research ideas and projects that lead to extramural funding or achievements in scholarly or creative practice as recognized by your field. Up to two awardees will receive $10,000 and funding for a graduate student research assistantship for one semester starting spring 2025. The award will be made through a competitive proposal process, which will consist of a written application followed by a short public presentation. Applications are due September 10. |
| Arts and Humanities Process Grant As part of the Arts and Humanities Initiative, a competition is being held for funds to support WSU faculty member needs for research, scholarship, and creative activity. The grants are intended to support smaller items needed such as materials, printing, tools, software, permissions, services (transcription or translation), event support, marketing, participant stipends, etc. Travel is not an eligible expense. Grants are open to all faculty engaged in work based in the Arts and Humanities, regardless of track, campus, or unit. We especially encourage faculty of color, queer, trans, gender non-binary, working-class and other underrepresented individuals to apply. Proposals for the fall awards are open and will be due September 20. For questions about the Arts and Humanities Process Grants, email or.orap.servicedesk@wsu.edu. |
| Office of Research launches new funding newsletter Find more funding opportunities in the Funding Flash newsletter. A biweekly newsletter dedicated to helping faculty find funding for their research and creative activities. Subscribe to the newsletter today! |
| Amplifying dreams: how SBDC advising empowered online business to soar Aguilar first launched La Pera radio back in 2013, but selling ads and developing complementary revenue streams to sustain the business was difficult. In late 2015, he reached out to the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for assistance. |