The ORSP Update
October 2026
Our monthly newsletter highlights opportunities, awards, and events through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
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Topic List
Announcements
Provost Research Grant
The annual Provost Research Grant (PRG) application is now open! Apply here. Applications are due on November 23rd at 5pm.
Welcome to our Faculty Research Liaisons!
We would like to introduce the faculty research liaisons for this year. The liaisons are available as a peer colleague to assist with identifying funding opportunities and connecting faculty for interdisciplinary research opportunities.
IRB Information
Please see the IRB Website for information about applications, review procedures, timelines for review of applications, IRB members, and resources.
Fall 2026 Office Hours
Dr. Melissa Reed: Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30am
Dr. Heather Leaman: Mondays, 4-5pm
Have questions? Need assistance? Want to schedule a class presentation?
Please email the IRB Co-Chairs directly:
Dr. Melissa Reed: mreed3@wcupa.edu
Dr. Heather Leaman: hleaman@wcupa.edu
Reminder to review our IRB/ORSP Policies and Guidance
RAM Research Directory
The RAM Research Directory is a great resource to connect with other faculty and let students know about your research and creative activity opportunities.
Faculty Research Spotlight
Dr. Stephen Ng
Stephen Ng completed a productive sabbatical during the Spring 2026 semester, marked by a world premiere, an international keynote, and performances and teaching across three continents. His main project, Commission and Performance of a Cantonese Art Song Recital with Percussion, had its sold-out world premiere on July 4th. Stephen and world-renowned percussionist Dr. Matthew Lau presented the hour long recital, titled “Strokes & Syllables,” featuring Hong Kong-based composers Kai-Young Chan and Joyce Tang alongside Philadelphia-based composer Adrian Wong. The US premiere of this recital will be held on Sunday, February 7th 2027 at 3pm at the Madeleine Wing Adler Theater, Swope Music Building, WCU.
Want your research to be highlighted? Submit your research story here!
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Recently Awarded Grants
Dr. Angela Clarke - Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Professional, Academic, and Clinical Training (PACT) Scholarship Program, $3,249,852
Dr. Angela Guerriero - John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts , Access/VSA Program Site Proposal 2026-2027, $6,998
Upcoming External Funding Opportunities
December 1 each year - Foundation For Bluegrass Music - Project Grants, IBMA Foundation: Projects must align with the Foundation’s mission in one of the following areas: arts & culture, education, literary or academic programs, or history preservation.
December 1, 2026 - Franklin Research Grants, American Philosophical Society: The Franklin program is particularly designed to help meet the costs of travel to libraries and archives for research purposes; the purchase of microfilm, photocopies, or equivalent research materials; the costs associated with fieldwork; or laboratory research expenses.
January 1, May 1 and Sept 1 - Alfred P. Sloan Foundation – Books: To support authors in the research and writing of a wide range of books aimed at public understanding of science and technology.
January 20, 2027 - Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure (CICI), National Science Foundation, Funding Opportunity Number: NSF 25-531: The CICI program is to advance scientific discovery and innovation by enhancing the security and privacy of cyberinfrastructure. CICI supports efforts to develop, deploy and integrate cybersecurity that will benefit the broader scientific community by securing science data, computation, collaborations workflows, and infrastructure.
January 21, 2027 - Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, National Science Foundation, Funding Opportunity Number: NSF 23-520: This program seeks to prepare, nurture, and grow the national scientific research workforce for creating, utilizing, and supporting advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI) to enable and potentially transform fundamental science and engineering (S&E) research and education.
February 4, 2027 - Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program for Early Career Chemistry Faculty, The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation: The Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program supports the research and teaching careers of talented early career faculty in the chemical sciences.
Feb 12, 2027 - Creative Catalyst Grant Program , PA Council on the Arts: Supporting new initiatives and opportunities that advance strategies for empowering, connecting, and amplifying creatives and creative industries and their contributions to Pennsylvania's communities, economy, and workforce.
July 21, 2027 - Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Directorate for STEM Education (IUSE: EDU), National Science Foundation, Funding Opportunity Number: NSF 23-510: The IUSE: EDU program supports projects designed to contribute to a future in which all undergraduate students are fully engaged in their STEM learning. The IUSE: EDU program promotes (1) Engaged Student Learning: the development, testing, and use of teaching practices and curricular innovations that will engage students and improve learning, persistence, and retention in STEM, and (2) Institutional and Community Transformation: the transformation of colleges and universities to implement and sustain highly effective STEM teaching and learning.
July 28, 2027 - Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER), National Science Foundation, Funding Opportunity Number: NSF 22-586: NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Activities pursued by early-career faculty should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research.
3 due dates/year - Research Education Program (R25), National Institutes of Health: The R25 supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH with a primary focus on Courses for Skills Development and Curriculum or Methods Development
3 due dates/year - Small Research Grant Program (R03), National Institutes of Health, Funding Opportunity Number: PA-25-125: The R03 supports small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources. The R03 program may be used for different types of projects including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology.
3 due dates/year - NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions: The AREA grant supports small-scale biomedical research projects involving undergraduate students and proposed by faculty members at undergraduate-focused institutions that do not receive substantial funding from NIH.
Continuous due date - NSF STEM K-12 (STEM K-12), National Science Foundation, Funding Opportunity Number: NSF 25-545: Supports research and development to advance STEM teaching and learning in K-12 formal and informal settings, leveraging AI and emerging technologies to build knowledge, create tools and strengthen the U.S. STEM education and workforce.
Continuous due date - NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM), National Science Foundation, Funding Opportunity Number: NSF 25-514: The NSF STEM K-12 program encourages innovative, multidisciplinary, and potentially transformative projects that build theory, generate new knowledge, and inform education practices in a rapidly evolving technological landscape with advances in emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI). It supports fundamental, applied, and translational research that enhances STEM teaching and learning and across the human lifespan and in a range of formal and informal learning settings.
Upcoming Student Opportunities
Student Undergraduate Research Foundations (SURF)
Are you an undergraduate student interested in a paid research or creative activity opportunity? Click here to apply to SURF!
Slices of Inquiry
Foundations of Research for Graduate Student Education (FORGE)
Are you a graduate student looking for an opportunity to gain research and critical thinking skills by supporting a faculty mentor with a current research project or creative activity? Click here to apply to FORGE!
Virtual Graduate Student Research Event
Ram Research Directory
Are you interested in research but do not yet have a faculty mentor? Click here to use the RAM Research Directory to find one!
ORSP Roadmap
Click image below to learn how to navigate student research experiences.
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