Research Round-Up

Research Round-Up is a communication devoted to sharing information related to open funding opportunities and research administration procedures.

For additional information on deadlines, processes and procedures, please instead see our Sponsored Programs Support Services webpage.

Friendly Reminder: Proposal Request Form 

Individuals serving as principal investigator on a CEHS-led proposal or co-investigator/collaborator on a grant proposal led by another college or external organization must submit a Proposal Request Form a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the proposal due date.  Doing so ensures the timely routing of your proposal for review and approval by College administration, Central Sponsored Programs Administration (formerly known as University Research Services), Grants & Contracts Financial Administration, and, if required, University Research Compliance.           

Please address any questions or concerns regarding the information contained below to the CEHS Sponsored Programs team: Kayley Watson (Kayley.Watson@okstate.edu) or Samar Abid (SamarAA@okstate.edu).

Tip of the Month

• What are Indirect Costs/F&A and why do we include them on proposals/awards?

  Facilities and Administrative costs, otherwise known as “Overhead” or Indirect Costs, are those that are incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular sponsored project, an instructional activity, or any other institutional activity.

  • Facilities: is defined as depreciation on buildings, equipment and capital improvement, interest on debt associated with certain buildings, equipment and capital improvements, and operations and maintenance expenses. ​
  • Examples: Laboratories, utilities like Electricity and Water, building maintenance
  • Administrative:  is defined as general administration and general expenses such as the director's office, accounting, personnel and all other types of expenditures not listed specifically under one of the subcategories of “Facilities”
  • Sponsored programs staff, administrative assistants, student services

   

  OSU Policies 1-0112, 1-0113, 4-0105 detail that all grants, contracts, and other sponsored agreements accepted by Oklahoma State University be charged the maximum allowable federally negotiated F&A rate, unless the specific solicitation or sponsor indicates in documentation that it does not allow for it.

   

  OSU’s indirect costs rates are negotiated every few years with the Office of Naval Research; we have different rates established depending on what activity type (Research, Instruction, or Extension/Outreach) and whether or not the majority of the proposed work will be done On-Campus or Off-Campus. You can find our official rates and Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement at the following link: https://adminfinance.okstate.edu/gcfa/rates_page.html

   

For Your Information

• OSU Webpage for Guidance and News Related to Recent Executive Orders and Federal Actions

  OSU’s Vice President for Research office has crafted a web page that includes internal communication, as well as helpful resource information from national associations (e.g., APLU’s Council on Research; Council on Government Relations) regarding the recent executive orders (and rescinding these orders).

   

  https://research.okstate.edu/faculty-resources/guidance-executive-orders.html

   

• Compliance Requirements for Proposals to Federal Sponsors

  In order for proposals to federal sponsors to be approved by the OSU Compliance Office during the Cayuse routing process, there are certain mandatory federal compliance certifications that must be completed prior to proposal submission.

   

  If you are planning to submit a proposal to a federal funding source, please ensure you have completed the following training courses through the CITI program:

  1. Conflict of Interest (Question 8 on Add Courses page)
  2. Responsible Conduct of Research (Question 5 or Refresher under 6)
  3. Undue Foreign Influence (Question 10)
  4. Research Security (Combined) (Question 10)

   

  Additionally, please ensure that you have submitted your annual 2025 COI form through the OneAegis system.

   

  All items must be completed by each project team member in order for the office of University Research Compliance (URC) to approve of your proposal.

   

  For proposals to non-federal sponsors, each team member is still required to have completed the CITI Conflict of Interest training course and submitted an annual COI form.

   

  If you have any questions or trouble with these systems, please contact URC:

   

  Gina Cosden

  COI Manager

  405-744-1676

  coi@okstate.edu

  gina.cosden@okstate.edu

   

  Dipali Vaghela

  Compliance Analyst

  405-744-8137

  dipali.vaghela@okstate.edu

   

• A Centralized and Simple Resource to Learn About Research Areas of Interest to NIH

  NIH has announced a new centralized and simplified resource, called NIH Highlighted Topics, that informs the research community about particular areas of science of interest to NIH. Visiting this resource early and often when conceptualizing your research ideas will help ensure you are aware of some of NIH’s latest scientific interests. It also aims to help facilitate innovation and discovery through a strong focus on more investigator initiated driven research.  

   

  Our Highlighted Topics resource represents scientific areas where NIH encourages applications from the community. These topics target areas within the NIH mission, including areas that may not be readily associated with the particular funding Institute or Center or may even be a new or emerging area that is not well known. Please understand that these are simply topical area descriptions, not funding opportunities. 

   

  If a particular topic is of interest, researchers must develop an investigator-initiated application through one of our Parent Announcements or other broad NIH funding opportunities available on Grants.gov. 

• Check Out These Public Federal Funding Databases to Learn More About Funding at NIH and Other Federal Agencies

  Though these tools provide a wealth of information about NIH biomedical research funding, RePORT does not provide information on sub-awards or non-R&D contracts. Moreover, only limited data are available in the RePORTER database for other federal funders. In these situations, we encourage users to explore the following resources: 

   

  • USAspending is the “official open data source of federal spending information, including information about federal awards such as contracts, grants, and loans.” Interactive tools are available to explore elements of the federal budget, such as federal loan, grant, and contract data. Importantly, it provides information on subaward data that you will not find on RePORT.
  • The Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) database provides detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance made by 12 funding agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (including NIH). The grants data are at the transaction level.
  • The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Awards database reports small business funding made by for 13 federal agencies.
  • The Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) provides visibility into unclassified information on all federal contract actions using appropriated funds over $10,000, which can also be filtered for NIH.
  • World RePORT is an interactive, open-access database that allows users to map global research investments from various funders like NIH, the United Kingdom Medical Research Council, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, European Commission, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Wellcome Trust. It fosters and facilitates funding analysis and visualization of global biomedical research networks, linking investigators and institutions collaborating on research projects. 

   

  Read more at this link.

Funding Opportunities

• LIMITED SUBMISSION: [National Science Foundation]EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (FEC)  

  https://okstate.infoready4.com/CompetitionSpace/#competitionDetail/1987769

   

  Internal Submission Deadline: Friday, October 31, 2025

  Funding Organization's Deadline: Tuesday, January 27, 2026

   

  The FEC program (formerly known as "EPSCoR Track-2 program") builds inter-jurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus areas consistent with the current National Science Foundation Strategic Plan. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or as rapidly independently. FEC projects have a comprehensive and integrated vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies institutional, geographic, and disciplinary diversity. The projects' STEM research and education activities seek to broaden participation through the strategic inclusion and integration of all individuals, institutions, and sectors. Additionally, EPSCoR recognizes that the development of early-career faculty is critical to sustaining and advancing research capacity.

   

  Well-designed collaborative strategies are essential to EPSCoR's goal of enhancing the competitive position of research and research-based education in science and engineering. This approach can help overcome impediments posed by limited infrastructure or human capital within a single jurisdiction and can enable broad engagement at the frontiers of discovery and innovation in science and engineering.

   

  This FEC solicitation responds directly to national studies and community input, including the National Science Foundation Strategic Plan, Envisioning the Future of NSF EPSCoR report, and the CHIPS and Science Act. FEC seeks to build nationally and internationally competitive collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators by providing a mechanism to coalesce investigator expertise into a critical mass for a sustained, effective research and education partnership in NSF priority areas.

   

  EPSCoR support of a proposed research infrastructure improvement activity should not duplicate other available federal, jurisdictional, or organizational resources and should add significant value to increasing scientific competitiveness at the national or regional level.

   

  Focus Area

  The RII-FEC focus area will be announced biennially through a DCL, found at this link: EPSCoR Program links.

• [National Institutes of Health] Stephen I. Katz Early Stage Investigator Research Project Grant (R01)

  Solicitation for “Basic Experimental Studies with Human Required”
  Solicitation for “Clinical Trial Not Allowed”

   

  DEADLINE: January 27, 2026

   

  The purpose of the Stephen I. Katz Early Stage Investigator Research Project Grant is to provide a new pathway for Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) who wish to propose research projects in a new direction for which preliminary data do not exist.  Named in honor of the late National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Director, Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Ph.D., this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is open to a broad range of scientific research relevant to the mission of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs). Proposed projects must represent a change in research direction for the ESI and should be innovative and unique. A distinct feature for this NOFO is that applications must not include preliminary data. PD/PI's who wish to propose research projects consistent with their past work or training and/or supported by preliminary data, should apply to the Parent R01 or other NOFOs allowing for preliminary data. More information and FAQs are available on the Katz award program website.

   

  Created in 2020, the Katz award provides a unique opportunity for early-stage investigators to take their research in a completely new direction, thereby stimulating innovation and encouraging new approaches to solving problems. This NOFO is appropriate for ESIs who wish to initiate a research project in an area different from their previous research focus and/or training experience, and therefore have not produced preliminary data. Proposed research projects can rely on the PD/PI’s prior work and expertise as its foundation, but must not be an incremental advancement, expansion, or extension of a previous research effort. The change in research direction could involve, for example, a new approach, methodology, technique, discipline, therapeutic target, and/or new paradigm, different from the ESI’s previous research efforts. Importantly, the proposed direction must represent a change in research direction for the PD/PI. Because a change in research direction is heavily dependent upon the area of investigation, candidates are strongly encouraged to contact a program director to discuss their proposed project. If the application proposes multiple Principal Investigators (MPIs), all PD/PIs must be ESIs and the proposed project must be a change in research direction for all MPIs.

   

• [National Institutes of Health] Occupational Safety and Health Research (R01)

  https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-18-812.html

   

  DEADLINE: November 21, 2025

   

  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is an agency operating under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with the mission of generating new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and transferring that knowledge into practice to prevent worker injury, illness and death. To accomplish this mission, NIOSH conducts and funds scientific research, develops methods to prevent occupational hazards, develops guidance and authoritative recommendations, translates scientific knowledge into products and services, disseminates information, identifies factors underlying work-related disease and injury and responds to requests for workplace health hazard evaluations (see About NIOSH).

   

  NIOSH organizes its research programs into sector and cross-sector programs based on the framework provided by the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), a partnership program designed to stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices.

   

  Research objectives supported by NIOSH include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. identification and investigation of the relationships between hazardous working conditions and associated occupational diseases and injuries;
  2. development of more sensitive means of evaluating hazards at work sites;
  3. development of methods for measuring early markers of adverse health effects and injuries;
  4. development of new protective equipment and engineering control technology to reduce work-related illnesses and injuries;
  5. development of work practices that reduce the risks of occupational hazards; and
  6. evaluation of the technical feasibility or application of a new or improved occupational safety and health procedure, method, technique, or system, including assessment of economic and other factors that influence their diffusion and successful adoption in workplaces.

   

  The NIOSH R01 research grant is an award made to support a distinct, specific, defined project to be performed by the named investigator(s) in an area representing the investigator's specific interest and competencies, and based on the mission of the NIOSH. The research plan proposed by the applicant must be related to the stated program interests of NIOSH.

   

  R01 grant applications are expected to have extensive level of detail and discussion. Preliminary data are required. Appropriate justification for the proposed work can be provided through literature citations, data from other sources, or from investigator-generated data.

• [National Science Foundation] STEM K-12 (STEM K-12)

  https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/stem-k-12-nsf-stem-k-12

   

  DEADLINE: Full proposal accepted anytime!

   

  The NSF STEM K-12 program in the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) in the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) supports fundamental, applied, and translational research that advances STEM teaching and learning and improves understanding of education across the human lifespan and a range of formal and informal settings.

   

  The NSF STEM K-12 program encourages multidisciplinary collaborations that bring together expertise and methodological approaches from various fields, including education research, social and behavioral sciences, implementation sciences, computer science, and all STEM disciplines. In addition, the program encourages partnerships that integrate perspectives from education research, education practice, and industry, as well as perspectives of learners and other critical stakeholders who would benefit from the work.

   

  The program also welcomes quantitative, qualitative, mixed method approaches, and a range of research and/or development efforts across broad areas of scientific inquiry, including but not limited to:

  • foundational studies that advance theory or build new conceptual frameworks related to STEM learning and teaching;
  • design-based research that iteratively develops and refines learning environments, instructional models, systems, or approaches;
  • projects aimed at cultivating the skills, dispositions, and knowledge needed to succeed in computer science, AI pathways, and technology careers, and more generally build capacity in the STEM workforce;
  • development and study of innovations for teaching and learning (e.g., curricula, assessments, professional learning resources, technologies, media, etc.) for any STEM field;
  • investigations of teaching and learning processes, including cognitive, motivational, or social aspects of learning;
  • development and use of advanced research methods and analytical frameworks and tools, such as data science methods and machine learning, to study learning at scale or in complex learning environments; and
  • the study of deeper learning and more effective teaching to create opportunities for all Americans everywhere.
• [Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust] Targeted Achievement Grants: Physical Activity

  https://oklahoma.gov/tset/funding-opportunities/tag_physical_activity.html

   

  DEADLINE: Application opens in late September 2025; submission deadline is TBD.

   

  This funding opportunity supports health for a lifetime through implementation of physical exercise/activity in group settings, across the lifespan, and associated physical exercise/activity supplies and equipment. The goal is to positively transform and improve the health of Oklahomans through physical exercise programs and services. 

   

  Within the designated service areas, applications must have a specific geographical site/area and population in mind, be supported by multiple partners, and agree to participate in an external evaluation of the project. 

   

  Applications will be accepted for 1) completion of a needs assessment of physical exercise/activity needs leading to delivery of services, 2) actual delivery physical exercise/activities in group settings. An application may include one or more service delivery sites but no more than five sites. 

   

  Maximum award & funding period: $100,000 per year for up to 3 years.

   

  Scope of Work Implementation activities may include:

  • Assessing the service area’s physical exercise/activity needs, interest and capacity. (No more than three months of assessment activity leading to implementation.)
  • Developing a management and implementation plan to expand social support activities.
  • Engage interested entities to provide physical exercise/activity in group settings.

   

  Examples of social support groups may include, but are not limited to:

  • Walking and jogging clubs.
  • Calisthenics and fitness sessions.
  • Pickleball, tennis, softball, etc. 
  • Dancing.
  • Yoga
  • Tai Chi.
  • Hiking 
  • Biking. 
  • Other exercise and physical activities that align with these types of activities.

   

  Funding also includes acquisition of small to medium-sized supplies and equipment for indoor or outdoor physical exercise and group activities and their storage such as:

  • Mats.
  • Stability balls.
  • Foam rollers.
  • Strength & resistance bands.
  • Balance trainers.
  • Access to cool drinking water.
  • Storage racks.
  • Step risers.
  • Jump ropes.
  • Equipment items associated with physical exercise and sports activities mentioned above.

  A plan to publicly promote the services is required.

• [National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification]Research Grant Program

  https://www.nctrc.org/research-grant-program/  

   

  DEADLINE: October 15, 2025

   

  PURPOSE:

  The purpose of the NCTRC Research Grant Program is to:

  • Provide opportunities for individuals pursuing a career in or already practicing recreational therapy to establish and maintain lines of research,
  • Promote the collaboration between higher education faculty and practitioners,
  • Support the provision of quality recreational therapy services, and
  • Promote the CTRS® as the qualified provider of recreational therapy services.

   

  ELIGIBILITY:

  All individuals who hold active status as a CTRS, or are currently enrolled in TR/RT coursework or academic programs may apply for an NCTRC Research Grant.

  Note: Students applying for the grant must have a faculty sponsor who holds active CTRS status at the time the proposal is submitted and reviewed.

   

  FUNDING LIMITATIONS:

  • A maximum of $5,000.00 per proposal will be awarded to the selected applicant(s).
  • The Primary Investigator (PI) may have a maximum of one proposal funded per year.
  • Non-funded proposals may be resubmitted for the next review cycle.
  • Funding supports student assistants, supplies, necessary travel for data collection and other costs of the research project.
  • Funding will not cover fringe benefits, administrative costs, personal stipends or salary, training, courses, lessons or travel to conferences.
  • All materials and equipment purchased with the NCTRC Research Grant funds must stay with the requesting agency.
  • Duration of the grant is one year unless an extension is requested and approved.

   

• [USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture]Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program: Foundational and Applied Science Program

  https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/agriculture-food-research-initiative-foundational-applied-science

   

  DEADLINE: Between October 2, 2025 and November 6^, 2025, depending on the Program Area.

   

  The purpose of AFRI (listed in the Assistance Listings under number 10.310) is to support research, education, and extension projects that will help farmers, ranchers, foresters, and other agricultural producers address key problems of local, regional, and national importance in sustaining food and agricultural systems. These include farm and ranch production efficiency, profitability, and sustainability; bio-based products; forestry; aquaculture; rural communities and entrepreneurship; human nutrition; mitigating impacts of biotic and abiotic constraints on food production; food safety; physical and social sciences; rural human ecology; and genetic improvement of plants and animals. In addition, the economic sustainability of food systems is an overarching priority for the projects funded in response to this RFA; therefore, projects focusing on plant or animal species or commodities that are important to small- or medium-sized farms or ranches are also welcome. Through this support, AFRI advances knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. Additionally, AFRI supports work in education and extension activities that deliver science-based knowledge to end users, allowing them to make informed, practical decisions. This AFRI RFA provides funding for research-only, education-only, extension-only, and integrated research, education, and/or extension projects addressing six priorities:

   

  1. Plant health and production and plant products;
  2. Animal health and production and animal products;
  3. Food safety, nutrition, and health;
  4. Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment;
  5. Agriculture systems and technology; and
  6. Agriculture economics and rural communities.
• [American Heart Association] Career Development Award

  https://professional.heart.org/en/research-programs/aha-funding-opportunities/career-development-award
  
  DEADLINE: December 2, 2025

  
  This grant supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals, in the early years of one’s first professional appointment, to explore innovative questions or pilot studies that will provide preliminary data and training necessary to assure the applicant’s future success as a research scientist.

   

  The award will develop the research skills to support and greatly enhance the awardee’s chances to obtain and retain a high-quality career position.
  
  Within this award, additional collaboration money has been designated through the California Walnut Commission and the  AHA/VIVA Physician Research Award.

• [Robert Wood Johnson Foundation] Exploring Equitable Futures

  https://www.rwjf.org/en/grants/active-funding-opportunities/2025/exploring-equitable-futures.html

   

  DEADLINE: October 15, 2025

   

  Purpose

  The purpose of this Exploring Equitable Futures call for proposals (CFP) is to support projects that seed new and unconventional ideas that could radically advance health equity for generations to come.

  We aim to fund projects that:

  • Explore the future by researching and experimenting with ideas that are ahead of the curve or at the edge of our collective imagination;
  • Shine a light on the emerging trends and forces that are shaping our future for better or worse—and suggest ways to navigate them to mitigate harm and advance health equity;
  • Dream big and challenge conventional wisdom to surface possibilities and uncover new paths to dismantle structural racism and build a more equitable future.

   

  These projects should address one or more of RWJF’s Prioritized Systems.

   

  We are particularly interested in projects that seed new and unconventional ideas within the Health Science Knowledge System—or that reimagine this system completely. At RWJF, we believe that the knowledge and evidence that’s needed to guide better decisionmaking, as well as policies that influence health, must include wisdom generated and shared by communities, including those that have been traditionally ignored or undervalued. With our grantees and partners, we are working to transform the way we produce, share, and use health evidence so that it is rooted in equity and justice. As such, we are interested in projects that explore questions such as, but not limited to:

  • How might trends, such as artificial intelligence and decreasing trust in institutions impact efforts to transform the Health Science Knowledge System?
  • How might a reimagined Health Science Knowledge System produce knowledge that advances health equity? In a desired future, who gets to frame research questions? How does research reflect the priorities and concerns of community members? What qualifies as evidence?
  • How might new structures, processes, and incentives ensure the future Health Science Knowledge System produces, validates, disseminates, and applies evidence to improve health?

   

  Learn more about the kinds of ideas funded in the past by the Ideas for an Equitable Future team at www.rwjf.org/ideasforthefuture.