Copy
KU Office of Research logo SUBSCRIBE   |   MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION
November 2020
In this issue
Research highlights  |  New awards  |  Research pivot  |  Unsung heroes
Faculty kudos  |  Research development  |  Nuts & bolts of research administration
 

Jayhawks ready to rise

Simon AtkinsonAs we stare down the final month of 2020, I feel hopeful. That might seem audacious in light of the challenges this year has brought. But I don’t have to look any further than the KU research community for evidence that compassion, curiosity and creativity will get us through this pandemic and build resilience to weather future difficulties.

William Shakespeare, the storied bard of my home country, wrote 154 sonnets in his lifetime, some expressing ardent admiration for their subjects. I humbly offer this sonnet — composed by KU Research Communications Director Mindie Paget — in honor of each of you.

 

Before the virus changed the way we live,
You taught and learned and probed without refrain.
Like protons charged to take less than you give,
Your revelations easing human strain.
In archives, labs and field sites you explored,
With cures, connections, knowledge as your goal.
Your passion to your vision kept you moored;
Your curiosity fed full your soul.
Then COVID placed a detour in your path,
Its toll profound both here and ’round the earth.
With care and caution you have met its wrath,
Your innovation leading to rebirth.
So long as KU stands upon this hill,
We’re Jayhawks and the world can’t break our will.

 

Thank you for your perseverance and dedication. KU and the communities we serve are better places because of your research, discoveries and creative endeavors.
 
Simon Atkinson
Vice Chancellor for Research

Research highlights

Novels by black authors
Bringing black authors' work out of digital shadows

With help from an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant, the Project on the History of Black Writing is moving to make collections of novels by Black writers even more accessible to future scholars worldwide. 

Maryemma Graham | Distinguished Professor | English

READ MORE

Scientist in engineering lab
Researchers developing green technology to recycle refrigerants that drive climate change

Project EARTH (Environmentally Applied Research Toward Hydrofluorocarbons), a new research project headquartered at the KU School of Engineering, will develop technology to separate and recycle hydrofluorocarbons refrigerant mixtures that have a global-warming potential roughly 2,000 times greater than the carbon dioxide emitted from vehicle tailpipes.

Mark Shiflett | Foundation Distinguished Professor | Engineering

LEARN MORE 

An artist's conception of CG4479, an asymmetrical galaxy actively forming new stars in the outskirts.

Astronomers find puzzling activity in distant galaxy

“I think this is a galaxy undergoing a midlife crisis. It’s going through one last burst of star formation. Most of its solar mass is already in place. It’s forming a few more stars now, and the thing that’s ultimately going to kill it is starting to kick in.”

Allison Kirkpatrick | Assistant Professor | Physics & Astronomy

READ MORE

Woman with digital network imagery superimposed over and around her face

Relationship style predicts trust in artificial intelligence

Groundbreaking research indicates that people who are anxious about their relationships with humans tend to have less trust in AI as well. Importantly, the research also suggests that reminding people of their secure relationships with other humans can boost that trust.

Omri Gillath | Professor | Psychology

READ MORE

A collage of geoscientists in the field
Pioneering study of LGBTQ experience in geosciences finds difficulties, dangers in fieldwork

“There are many places with really excellent geological samples that might not be safe for an LGBTQ+ geologist to go travel. It’s something unrecognized in the field, by academic advisers in particular.”

Alison Olcott | Associate Professor | Geology

READ MORE

Read more KU Research news

New awards

KU investigators are designing dental adhesives with bacteria-fighting properties that could lead to longer-lasting fillings and fewer trips to the dentist; improving technologies to map snow layers on ice sheets, sea ice and land; developing a teacher training on the work of author Zora Neal Hurston that demonstrates how her writing resonates in the era of Black Lives Matter, and more — all with the aid of external funding awarded in the past few months.

View externally funded awards for September + October

Virtual pivot leads to unexpected success for school-based research team

Human subjects research, by definition, relies on human interaction. Traditionally, this means that at some point in most studies, investigators and research subjects meet face-to-face. That type of contact came to a grinding halt in March when the coronavirus initially surged in the United States. But many human subjects researchers at KU have found creative ways to continue their work — altering methods to protect the health and safety of research teams and participants while continuing to advance their projects and discoveries.
 
In collaboration with KU’s Human Research Protection Program, investigators have redesigned and reactivated 20 studies originally proposed with in-person interactions. Eight studies involving low-risk in-person research with robust safety plans have been approved. Twelve other studies have developed contactless methods of interacting, usually asynchronously, to achieve research goals.
 
A research team supporting schools across the country as they work to optimize students’ academic, behavioral and social performance falls into the latter camp. Mark Buckman, a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education who helps lead the project, explained in an interview how the team leveraged technology to shift its research protocols to fully remote means.

“By and large the transition to remote work has been about as seamless as one could hope for,” Buckman said. “There was some learning curve in trying to figure out how we should translate some of our work habits and procedures to a remote environment; however, at this point, everything is working pretty smoothly.”

Read the Q&A →

Unsung heroes

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 will 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.
 
Leland Wilson

IT pro rescues research project with care, persistence

Leland Wilson  |  IT Support Technician Senior  |  KU Information Technology

Kathleen Lynne Lane’s research relies on massive datasets.
 
Through a system called the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered Model of Prevention (Ci3T), Lane and her team help schools across the country support students’ multifaceted needs to optimize academic, behavioral and social performance. When a recent technology challenge threatened to negatively — and dramatically — impact the team’s research plans, heroic intervention was required.
 
And Leland Wilson answered the call with grace.
 
“Leland was not only available, but also patient, collaborative and solutions-based,” said Lane, Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor in the Department of Special Education and associate vice chancellor for research. “I am beyond thankful to have such talented professionals to work with at KU.”
 
As IT support technician senior in KU IT’s Workstation Support group, Wilson works on complex issues that are escalated from the Customer Service Center because they demand a high level of expertise. In Lane’s case, there was a challenge that resulted in data changing locations.
 
“There was so much data that it took Leland two days to recover her files and get them back in the place that they belonged,” said Aaron Carver, IT technology coordinator and Wilson’s supervisor. “He kept her calm and aware that she was not losing any of her information, just losing the time that it took restore it where it needed to be.”
 
The research community presents unique IT needs, including support for large datasets, data security and specialized equipment.
 
“Leland has a very wide knowledge base for the needs of the university as a whole,” Carver said. “And I can’t think of a case where he’s ever lost user data.”
 
Lane, for one, appreciates Wilson’s pristine record.
 
“I know these are indeed challenging times, but the highlight of challenging times is the opportunity to work with people who care deeply about the mission of the work and remain committed to finding solutions kindly. Leland Wilson exemplifies what it means to be a Jayhawk.”

Nominate an Unsung Hero

Faculty kudos

  • Jamene Brooks-Kieffer, data services librarian, won KU’s 2020 Anschutz-Budig Outstanding Librarian Award for her implementation of the Software Carpentry program, which continues to have great impact at KU and among peer institutions across the nation.
     
  • Sally Haines, special collection librarian, received KU’s 2020 Gretchen and Gene A. Budig Distinguished Librarian Award for her professional performance, scholarly output and service to scholars.
     
  • Laura Kirk, assistant teaching professor of film and media studies, produced and acted in the short film “Fear Not,” which was named the Best of Kansas Narrative Short winner at the Tallgrass Film Festival.
     
  • Chan Li, Stephen A. Batman Professor at the School of Business, was appointed as an editor at The Accounting Review, the premier journal for accounting research.
     
  • Devon Mihesuah, Cora Lee Beers Price Professor in the Humanities Program, won the 2021 Gourmand International Best Indigenous Book in the USA award for “Recovering our Ancestors’ Gardens: Indigenous Recipes and Guide to Diet and Fitness” (Bison Books, 2020). A previous title, “Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the U.S.: Restoring Cultural Knowledge, Protecting Environments, and Regaining Health,” recently won the 2020 Daniel F. Austin Award from the Society for Economic Botany.
     
  • Joane Nagel, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Sociology, was elected a 2020 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her distinguished contributions to the scientific study of race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality as they shape political actions, social movements and engagement.
     
  • Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, professor of mathematics, was named to the 2020 Class of Fellows for the Association for Women in Mathematics.
     
  • Argun Saatcioglu, associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies, and Tom Skrtic, Williamson Family Distinguished Professor of Special Education, received the 2020 Roger V. Gould Prize from the American Journal of Sociology for their 2019 article “Categorization by Organizations: Manipulation of Disability Categories in a Racially Desegregated School District.”
     
  • Richard Yi, professor of psychology and director of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research & Treatment, was selected as a fellow of the American Psychological Association.
     
  • Chi Zhang, assistant professor of geology, was voted president-elect of the American Geophysical Union’s Near-Surface Geophysics Section.
Submit Faculty Kudos

Research development

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Award program to support bioimaging innovation

The Biological & Environmental Research unit of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science has announced a $15 million bioimaging funding opportunity.
 
The Bioimaging Research to Develop Imaging Instrumentation and Approaches program supports fundamental research toward new bioimaging instrumentation capabilities for the study of plant and microbial systems which may be used in bioenergy research or other disciplines supported by BER. The effort is aimed at improving understanding of the complex cellular processes involved in conversion of plant biomass into biofuels and bioproducts, plant-microbe interactions, and carbon fixation in soil by microbes and plants.
 
Up to 10 awards of $500,000 – $750,000/year over three years. 
 
Key dates
Jan. 7, 2021: Pre-application deadline (by 4 p.m. Central)        
Jan. 28, 2021: Pre-application response deadline (by 4 p.m. Central)
March 25, 2021: Application deadline (by 10:59 p.m. Central)
 
Please contact your preferred research center or kucrpremgmt@lists.ku.edu for assistance if you are planning a submission to this funding opportunity. Proposals from KU-Lawrence applicants must be reviewed and approved by authorized pre-award staff before submission.


Two rows of arrows pointing right with one arrow peeling off the top row rotating back to the left around a coronavirus particle illustration
KU COVID Research Pivot Award

Last chance to submit nominations to the KU Office of Research for the KU COVID Research Pivot Award.

Everyone in the KU research community has had to pivot in some way since March to adapt and respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Some researchers have taken extraordinary measures to substantially refocus their expertise and effort on challenges related to the pandemic itself, engaging in inquiry across a range of disciplines that helps meet pressing needs for humanity. The COVID Research Pivot Award is a one-time award designed to recognize an individual or team that has done this particularly well.

Full-time faculty with an appointment in a KU-Lawrence or Edwards campus academic unit and/or research center who started conducting coronavirus-related research for the first time after March 1, 2020 are eligible. 

The winner will receive a $1,000 prize and be recognized at a spring awards ceremony.

Deadline: Dec. 1

Submit a nomination

Social scene

TWITTER
KU engineering grad student Pamela Johnson with arm around mentor

LINKEDIN
KU alumna Heba Mostafa in a laboratory

Nuts & bolts

RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION
Plan ahead for KU Research winter break hours

In concert with the entire Lawrence and Edwards campuses, the KU Office of Research will be closed over the winter break as outlined below. In order to be proactive in meeting the research community's needs, we have established deadlines that will help ensure we are providing necessary services while allowing staff to use the winter break leave they have earned.

All proposal documents with deadlines between Dec. 24 and Jan. 3 must be to Pre-Award by Monday, Dec. 21 to provide sufficient time for proposals to be submitted by Dec. 23. Please contact your grant manager as soon as possible for other general questions regarding December business.

Winter break hours

We appreciate your assistance and wish you a restful, re-energizing break!
 



Contact eRA team for assistance with sponsor portals

Registration with a sponsor portal or system may be necessary when researchers are attempting to find information regarding proposal submissions. Pre-Award Services would like to inform researchers that they should contact our eRA (Electronic Research Administration) Team when registering with a sponsor portal. An institutional login may be needed instead of an individual login, and the Pre-Award eRA Team — preawardera@ku.edu — can make that determination.  Occasionally, sponsors expect individual researchers to register with their site with no institutional account, but that situation is not the norm. Investigators planning to submit a letter of intent, pre-proposal or proposal should contact Pre-Award Services at kucrpremgmt@lists.ku.edu.
 

Uniform Guidance changes will impact sponsored projects

The Office of Management and Budget is revising sections of OMB Guidance for Grants and Agreements, also known as Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200). These revisions were effective Nov. 12, 2020, except for the amendments to §200.216 and §200.340, which were effective on Aug. 13, 2020.

Learn about the most impactful changes for your sponsored projects →
 

Overlapping effort certification periods on the horizon

As previously announced, eCRT is being improved to reduce investigator certification burden. This improvement will result in overlapping effort certification for the periods of January 2020 – June 2020 and June 2020 – December 2020, with certification starting in early 2021. More information will be provided for certifiers soon.
Collage of KU Office of Research staff portraits
The KU Office of Research: We're here to help

With all the demands of writing proposals, conducting research, mentoring trainees, teaching classes and so much more, it can be easy to lose sight of the staff who are here to help you succeed. This may be especially true at a time when most of our interactions are virtual. So this is just a reminder that the Office of Research is full of dedicated experts who are here to help across the entire life cycle of your research. Visit our KU Research Staff webpage to match faces with names, and don't hesitate to contact us for assistance. It's our privilege to help facilitate your creative work and discoveries.
Meet Office of Research Staff
Transition in research contract negotiations
 
Aaron Crim, senior research contract officer, will assume the role of interim associate director of research administration within the KU Research Contract Negotiations unit beginning Jan. 1, 2021. Crim has been part of the Contract Negotiations team since 2002 and has been integral and essential to its success. The current director, Lucille Marino, is retiring after 25 years of service in research administration at the University of Kansas.  
 
Please welcome Crim in his new role. He can be reached at amcrim@ku.edu or 785-864-7443.

Upcoming events

Fall Undergraduate Research Showcase
Nov. 30 – Dec. 4
View the showcase online

Lunch Lecture Series: Nicole Hodges Persley
Tuesday, Dec. 1 | 12 – 1 p.m.
"Sampling and Remixing Blackness in Hip Hop Performance"
Presented by the Midwest Music Research Collective + Musicians for an Anti-Racist College
Zoom link | Passcode: 386655

That's Bullsh*t: Know Your Worth
Thursday, Dec. 10 | 12 – 1 p.m.
Featuring Donna Ginther, Distinguished Professor, Economics
Director, Institute for Policy and Social Research

Register online

This program, presented by the Faculty Women & Allies Leadership Network, will tackle the subject of how to negotiate speaker’s fee, honoraria for workshops and other service you give. We will hear from senior women who have successfully navigated this territory. The program will include opportunities to discuss tips and life hacks for how to promote and valorize your contributions to your field.
 

The Faculty Women & Allies Leadership Network at KU aims to develop a network for women and allies who are faculty and academic staff. The FWALN seeks to provide support, network building, and skills-building toward realizing academic goals and rising in rank successfully. Recognizing that not all women and allies who are faculty and academic staff at KU have the same experience and opportunities, the FWALN will be conscious of and provide programming that fosters inclusivity and which adopts an intersectional approach to programming and discussions.
 
The network is co-facilitated by Tamara Falicov, associate dean for research in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and professor of film and media studies; and Mary Banwart, director of both the Institute for Leadership Studies and the Women's Global Leadership Consortium, and associate professor of communication studies.
 
 See all KU events →

Share KU Discoveries

Tweet Tweet
Share Share
Share Share
Forward Forward

Questions? Comments? Content suggestions?
Mindie Paget  |  Office of Research  |  mpaget@ku.edu
Website
LinkedIn
Twitter
KU Office of Research
2385 Irving Hill Road
Lawrence, KS 66045
KU is an EO/AA institution.




Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.