Research & Graduate Studies
Research and Graduate Studies@KU
The RGS newsletter contains a variety of news stories, detailed procedural updates, a calendar of events, and other information of interest to the KU community. It is distributed on a monthly basis to an e-mail list. To subscribe, please send an e-mail to rgswebs@ku.edu with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Include your name, and department or other affiliation in the body of the message.
October 2009
KU continues to rise in national research rankings
Barlow, Dwyer to Receive 2009 Higuchi Awards
Stimulus Funding Continues to Increase
Work Begins on West Campus Bioscience & Technology Business Center
‘Research Administration 101’
Continues Through November 10
Kansas EPSCoR Awarded $20 Million for Research on Climate, Energy
Perry Alexander Named Acting Director of ITTC
Next Research TRIPS Flight is Nov. 4
Economic Policy Conference to Focus on the Future of Kansas
Watson Library Opens New Study Lounge for Faculty, Graduate Students
Two More Graduate Studies Brown Bags in October
KU Graduate Student Wins Chancellor's Writing Prize
Important Research Administration Updates
KU continues to rise in national research rankings
The University of Kansas climbed again in the latest ranking of federally funded science and engineering research. KU officials say the positive trend should continue – fueled by new federal stimulus grants and relatively stable research funding.
Overall, KU ranked 43rd among national, public, research universities for the 2008 fiscal year, according to an annual survey produced by the National Science Foundation. That’s one spot higher than the year before, and two higher than 2006. In 1996, KU ranked 55th.
“This is good news for Kansas, in terms of KU’s ability to bring federal research dollars into the state,” said Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, “but it’s even better news for the people who benefit from our work in human health, energy, the environment and other fields.”
KU’s federally funded spending for science and engineering research alone was $122.4 million in 2008. Total KU research spending from all grants and contracts exceeded $197.8 million that year. KU’s top three sources of federal research funding were the National Institutes of Heath, the Department of Education, and the National Science Foundation.
“The 2009 fiscal year was also positive for KU and our outstanding researchers,” said Steve Warren, vice provost for research and graduate studies. He cited awards that included the largest in KU history: a $20.2 million, six-year NIH grant for a Specialized Chemistry Center. The center is part of a high-level network of institutions searching for molecules that can fight disease and advance human health.
“For 2010,” said Warren, “we know we are already ahead of where we were this time last year, and that doesn’t include the more than $17 million in one-time federal stimulus-funded research awards received so far at both campuses.”
Barlow, Dwyer to Receive 2009 Higuchi Awards
Steven Barlow, professor of speech-language-hearing, and Arienne Dwyer, associate professor of linguistic anthropology, are recipients of prestigious Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards for 2009.
They are joined this year by Charles Rice, a University Distinguished Professor of Agronomy at Kansas State, and Duy Hua, a University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Kansas State. Barlow will receive the Dolph Simons Award in Biomedical Sciences, while Dwyer will receive the Balfour Jeffrey Award in Humanities and Social Sciences. The Irvin Youngberg Award for Applied Sciences will go to Rice, and the Olin Petefish Award in Basic Science to Hua.
All four recipients will be recognized at a ceremony and reception Nov. 2 at the Adams Alumni Center. Each award includes a plaque and a $10,000 grant for ongoing research efforts. The award money can be used for research materials, summer salaries, fellowship matching funds, research assistants or other support related to research.
Dwyer joined the KU faculty in 2001 and is one of the best known and most respected scholars working on the languages of inner Asia, especially Chinese minority languages. Much of this work has involved extensive and difficult field research along the eastern Silk Road, in collaboration with local communities. Dwyer is a preeminent specialist on language, ethnicity and ideology in Xinjiang, China’s restive westernmost region. She regularly advises national and international agencies and organizations on China and central Asia, language vitality assessment and the creation of multimedia archives.
As of October 9, researchers at the Lawrence Campus have submitted 155 grant proposals under all American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) programs. The total amount requested under these proposals is $136 million. So far, KU Lawrence has received a total of 44 awards, for $10.7 million. For more information about “stimulus” funding opportunities in a variety of federal agencies, go to http://www.rgs.ku.edu/leadership/researchstimulus/.
Work Begins on West Campus Bioscience & Technology Business CenterGround was broken Oct. 5 for an historic economic development project in Lawrence: the Bioscience & Technology Business Center at the University of Kansas. A ceremony at the Multidisciplinary Research Building marked the official start of construction for the $7.25 million project. When completed in 2010, the 20,000-square-foot facility will house startup companies based on KU research, other emerging technology businesses, and collaborations involving KU researchers and large technology firms.
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little spoke at the ceremony, as did Robert Chestnut, mayor of Lawrence; Tom Thornton, president and CEO of the Kansas Bioscience Authority; Lt. Gov. Troy Findley; Reps. Lynn Jenkins and Dennis Moore; and Cory Berkland, KU associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering.
“This project is a partnership that marks the beginning of a strong new business relationship between KU and the community,” said LaVerne Epp, president of the Lawrence-Douglas County Biosciences Authority, which will own the facility. “We have a shared goal: diversify and grow the local economy. A good way to do that is to draw on KU’s research strengths in the biosciences and other technologies. Our theme, moving forward, is ‘Transforming Ideas Into Commerce.’ ”
Financial partners include Kansas Bioscience Authority, the City of Lawrence, Lawrence-Douglas County Biosciences Authority, Douglas County, KU and KU Endowment, with additional support from the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.
“Research Administration 101: A Guide to the Administration of Sponsored Projects at the University of Kansas,” continues on Wednesday’s through Tuesday, November 10 (please note that change). Sessions are presented from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Apollo Room at Nichols Hall on the West Campus.
This popular, free, 10-week course is designed to help educate campus administrators and staff about the management of externally-sponsored grants and contracts. It is sponsored by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies.
A $20 million award from the National Science Foundation will further establish Kansas as an internationally recognized leader in global climate change and renewable energy research.
The five-year award to Kansas NSF EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), a statewide program that includes Kansas research universities, will provide an integrative approach to address climate change and renewable energy challenges.
The grant is a multi-institutional, multi-sector effort that will link four universities: the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University and Haskell Indian Nations University; three Kansas-based companies: Abengoa Bioenergy, MGP Ingredients and Nanoscale; and two companies outside the state: ADM (Illinois) and Netcrystals (California). The initiative will also be supported by $4 million in matching funds from KU, K-State and the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for the state of Kansas,” said Kristin Bowman-James, principal investigator and project director of Kansas’ EPSCoR program and a University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at KU. “With this funding we will be able to harness the talents of researchers across the state to address two major issues of society today — climate change and renewable energy — under the umbrella of a single integrated initiative. We envision that this interdisciplinary research effort, bridging across the natural and social sciences and engineering, will ultimately allow Kansas to be a key leader in research that addresses serious global challenges.”
The initiative has five group leaders:
- Chuck Rice, University Distinguished Professor of Agronomy at K-State, leads the group that will use climate modeling tactics to predict the effects of climate change;
- Dietrich Earnhart, associate professor of economics at KU and colleagues will assess how farmers make decisions about which crops to grow;
- Judy Wu, University Distinguished Professor of Physics at KU, and a cadre of scientists and engineers will explore the use of nanotechnology to harness solar energy;
- Dan Wildcat, is director of Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center and acting vice president of academic affairs; and
- Joane Nagel, University Distinguished Professor of Sociology at KU, will work with tribal college students in exploring climate change and energy issues on Native American lands, while developing an educational pathway for Native Americans to earn doctoral degrees.
Perry Alexander, KU professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has been named acting director of the Information and Telecommunication Technology Center (ITTC). He succeeds Joseph Evans, the Deane E. Ackers Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, who is taking a leave of absence from KU to continue his entrepreneurial work on the Tactical Ground Reporting System for the federal government, a multimedia reporting system for soldiers on the ground, allowing users to collect and share information.
“I am honored to step in as acting director at this exciting time for ITTC,” said Alexander. “We have tremendous new investigators with budding research programs. While working with them, we will continue supporting our established researchers and their efforts. Toward this end, we will adjust the internal ITTC laboratory infrastructure to help our researchers focus on potential new challenges such as green energy and information security.”
Alexander received B.S. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science at KU, as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering. After seven years on the faculty at the University of Cincinnati, he returned to KU in 1999 as an associate professor and principal investigator with ITTC. He was promoted to full professor in 2005. Most recently, he was director of ITTC’s Information Assurance and Computer Systems Design labs.
The Office of the Chancellor makes the university airplane available to researchers who can benefit from face-to-face meetings with funding officials in Washington, D.C. There is no charge to the researcher for these trips. The only requirement is that the researcher have a scheduled meeting with program officers to discuss the possibility of funding for a future sponsored project.
During 2009-10, remaining TRIP flights are scheduled for November 4, December 3, February 3 and April 20. For more information about TRIPS, and how to reserve a spot on the plane, go to http://www.rgs.ku.edu/funding/trips.shtml.
Kansas policymakers and business leaders will offer ideas on how to move the Kansas economy forward during the annual Kansas Economic Policy Conference, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Kansas Union.
The theme of the conference is “The Kansas Economy: 2015.” The event is presented by KU’s Institute for Policy & Social Research (IPSR) and co-sponsored with the Office of the Provost, Pioneer Communications, and the Grant County Chamber of Commerce.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Robert Litan, vice president for research and policy at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution. His remarks are entitled “The U.S. Economy: Opportunities and Perils.” Litan has authored or co-authored more than 25 books on entrepreneurship, regulation, financial institutions, telecommunications, and general economic policy. His most recent co-authored book is Good Capitalism, Bad Capitalism, Economic Growth and Prosperity (2007).
Other topics and presenters on panels during the conference are:
- Mapping the Kansas Economy - Natural Environment
Rex Buchanan, Deputy Director, Kansas Geological Survey - Mapping the Kansas Economy - Human Environment
Donna Ginther, Director, Center for Economic and Business Analysis, IPSR, and Professor of Economics, KU - Western Kansas Perspective (Ulysses)
Irene Velasquez, Co-Owner, Borderline Well Service, Inc. - The State of the Kansas Budget
Duane Goossen, Director of the Budget, Kansas Division of Budget - The State of Banking in Kansas
William R. Keeton, Assistant Vice President and Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City - Western Kansas Perspective (Ulysses)
Galen Pelton, Executive Vice President/CFO, Grant County Bank - Agriculture: Management for the Benefit of All Kansans
Joshua Svaty, Acting Secretary, Kansas Department of Agriculture - Aviation: Illustrious Past, Bright Future
Jim Walters, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Cessna Aircraft Company, Wichita - Alternative Energy: The Energy of Innovation
Greg Krissek, Director, Government Affairs, ICM, Inc., Colwich - Bioscience: Kansas is Big on Bio!
David Vranicar, President, Heartland BioVentures, Kansas Bioscience Authority - Transportation: Policy Priorities and Options for Action
Bob Honea, Director, KU Transportation Research Institute
Western Kansas perspectives from business and community leaders will originate at a satellite location in Ulysses, KS. These panelists will represent interests in agriculture, energy, and banking. .
For more information about this year’s Kansas Economic Policy Conference, or to register on-line, go to http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/conferen/kepc09/. You can also call IPSR at (785) 864-3701. Watson Library Opens New Study Lounge for Faculty, Graduate StudentsKU Libraries has created a new study lounge for faculty and graduate students on the fourth floor of Watson Library. Room 425, known informally as the "sun room" because of its large south-facing windows, has been reconfigured to offer a workspace conducive to reading, writing and researching. A reception was held Oct. 8 to officially open the lounge. Amenities include:
- Two computer work stations and a dedicated printer;
- Power outlets and wireless networking for computing (laptops can be checked out from the third floor service desk);
- A variety of seating and work areas, including upholstered furniture and end tables, as well as work tables and desk chairs;
- A bank of 15 lockers to be assigned by semester to faculty and graduate students;
- A rolling whiteboard; and
- A phone with local access.
The Office of Graduate Studies has organized a program called the “Friday Fall Fellowship Brown Bag Lunch Series,” designed to inform graduate students about a variety of opportunities for external funding. The remaining dates and topics are:
- October 23, National Institutes of Health F31
- October 30, National Institutes of Health F32
All lunches run from noon to 1 p.m. at the Kansas Union. Room locations vary. Check the KU Calendar http://www.calendar.ku.edu/ for specifics. Cookies and beverages are provided. Space is limited, so students should register by e-mailing graduate@ku.edu, noting the date and name of the session(s) they plan to attend. For more information about the program, contact Robert Pokphanh at 864-8040, pokphanh@ku.edu. KU Graduate Student Wins Chancellor's Writing Prize
Theresa Brown, a KU doctoral student in health, sport and exercise science, is one of two recipients of a 2009 $1,000 Chancellor’s Writing Prize. Her prize-winning paper was titled “Relationship of Exercise Participants’ Perceptions of the Caring Climate to Their Motivational Responses in College Aerobic Classes.” The prize was established in 2007 by former Chancellor Robert Hemenway. It honors one undergraduate and one graduate student who collaborated with a faculty member and a KU Writing Center consultant to improve his or her writing abilities and produce outstanding original compositions.
Important Research Administration Updates
NIH Restructured Forms and Instructions for SubmissionsDue On or After January 25, 2010 (NOT-OD-09-149)
NIH has announced that new, restructured versions of application packages and instructions will be available by December 2009, and NIH will issue a Guide Notice when the new forms and instructions are available. New parent announcements will be issued at the same time that the new application packages become available. Additionally, all active Funding Opportunity Announcements will be updated.
For the complete notice (NOT-OD-09-149), please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-149.html
Significant changes have been made to the research plan (including page limitations), biosketch and resources portions of the application package. Additional announcements will be made addressing these changes.
Applicants must download and use the new application packages for submissions due on or after January 25, 2010. Changes include significantly shorter page limits and restructured application packages. These changes will affect all competing applications submitted to NIH, as follows:
- all applications submitted electronically using application packages that combine the SF 424 (R&R) with PHS 398 components (e.g., PHS 398 Research Plan Component and PHS 398 Career Development Supplement Form);
- all Individual NRSA Fellowship applications submitted electronically using application packages that combine the SF 424 (R&R) with the PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form; and
- all applications using the paper PHS 398 application package.
Applications submitted using incorrect application forms (including applications that have an incorrect mix of old and new forms) will be delayed and may not be reviewed.
AIDS applications that are intended for review in the May 2010 council round and submitted by reviewers who are eligible for continuous submission (see NOT-OD-08-026 and NOT-OD-09-114) will use the existing forms and instructions. Process for Current and Pending Support
With the implementation of PeopleSoft 9.0, RGS Proposal Services (RGS PS) has lost its access to the historical data necessary to perform queries to provide a complete current and pending report for the investigator’s proposal submission. The required information for current and pending reporting has been entered in PeopleSoft 9.0, but the necessary tools are not currently available to retrieve this data for a given investigator, particularly for proposals on which an individual is serving as a co-investigator.
RGS PS will continue to keep an electronic archive of the most recent current & pending report submitted in both NIH and NSF format for all researchers. Please request this information early in the proposal development process. Hopefully, this archive will assist the investigator in making necessary updates to the current and pending support document when submitting a new proposal.
Please note that this is a change in service to the KU research community and RGS PS needs the assistance of departments, centers and investigators to make this as painless as possible.
Generic Current & Pending Template
Title
PI name
Co-investigators and key personnel and their roles
Effort for all individuals – person months
Duration Dates
Annual Direct Costs
Total Annual Costs
Total Direct Costs
Total Project Costs
Brief statement of goals or objectives
PeopleSoft Number
Upcoming events
A calendar of events of interest to the research community. Additional details for these and other events are available at http://www.calendar.ku.edu/.
October 14, 21, 28
“Research Administration 101: A Guide to the Administration of Sponsored Projects at the University of Kansas”
2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Nichols Hall, Apollo Room
October 22
Hall Center Humanities Lecture Series
Speaker: T.R. Reid, “We’re Number 37! Why Other Countries Have Better, Fairer, and Cheaper Health Care Than the U.S.A.”
Kansas Union, Woodruff Auditorium
October 23
Friday Fall Fellowship Brown Bag Lunch Series
“National Institutes of Health F31”
Noon – 1 p.m.
Regionalist Room, Kansas Union
October 30
Friday Fall Fellowship Brown Bag Lunch Series
“National Institutes of Health F32”
Noon – 1 p.m.
Parlor ABC, Kansas Union
November 2
Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards Ceremony
3:30 p.m.
KU Alumni Association, Adams Center
November 3, 10
“Research Administration 101: A Guide to the Administration of Sponsored Projects at the University of Kansas”
2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Nichols Hall, Apollo Room
November 4
TRIPS Researchers Flight to Washington, D.C.
All Day
Hall Center Humanities Lecture Series
Speaker: Chris Abani, "Stories of Struggle, Stories of Hope: Art, Politics and Human Rights"
Kansas Union, Woodruff Auditorium
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