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DEAR COLLEAGUES

This month we highlight our fifth WMU researcher, Dr. Wanda Hadley, associate professor of educational leadership, research and technology. Dr. Hadley studies the academic issues �鶹��ýs with documented learning disabilities experience in the transition during their first year of college.

In addition, I encourage everyone to attend the 2022 Virtual Spring Convocation, where we honor our faculty for their accomplishments in research, scholarship and creative activities. More information is included below.

I also encourage everyone to attend some of the workshops that we have scheduled. Of note, Dr. Mark Hurwitz will be presenting on NSF convergence research. Dr. Hurwitz spent several years as a program officer at NSF and will be imparting his experience there to help guide faculty in submitting proposals.

During the past year and a half, WMU has worked on changes to the research staff compensation guidelines. We will present the changes at a town hall on Monday, April 11. Please see this newsletter for more information.

Also, as a reminder, ORI is very interested in hearing about the accomplishments of our faculty in the areas of research and creative activities. So please let us know about your work.

Regards,

Steven M. Carr, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation

Virtual Spring Convocation includes Fulbright workshop, faculty and staff recognition
On Friday, April 15, President Montgomery; Steve Carr, interim vice president for research and innovation; and Christopher Cheatham, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, invite you to attend the 2022 Virtual Spring Convocation recognizing faculty and staff accomplishments in receiving external funding during FY 2020-21. The event begins at 9 a.m. with a Fulbright workshop hosted by Dr. Michelle Metro-Roland via . Individual advising will be available after the presentation. , and join through WebEx during your scheduled time. 

Presentations on award-winning faculty research begin via WebEx at 10 a.m., which will be followed by a virtual Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award poster presentation session at 10:45 a.m. and a noon awards ceremony, recognizing 45 faculty and staff members with 47 total awards for their external funding accomplishments in FY 2020-21.

Meet our Researchers

Dr. Wanda Hadley

Dr. Wanda Hadley’s research seeks to understand the academic issues �鶹��ýs with documented learning disabilities experience in their transition during their first year of college through the context and lens of college �鶹��ý development theory. Students with disabilities, specifically learning disabilities, are the fastest growing population attending colleges and universities. Despite this growing enrollment of �鶹��ýs with learning disabilities, their persistence year to year and graduation rates are low. Despite these known issues, there is very little in the literature from the “voices” of �鶹��ýs with learning disabilities. Dr. Hadley’s work fills the void by providing literature about the experiences of �鶹��ýs with learning disabilities through the voices of the �鶹��ýs. The findings are being used to understand what would help �鶹��ýs with learning disabilities feel a sense of belonging at a university and to identify accommodations, services and supports that might assist their persistence to degree completion. She has an extensive publication record of refereed monographs, book chapters and articles about college �鶹��ýs with learning disabilities. Dr. Hadley received the 2017 American College Personnel Association's Leadership Award for her research and scholarship about college �鶹��ýs with learning disabilities. She serves on the editorial board of numerous higher education and �鶹��ý affairs journals and recently served on the board of the Eastern Educational Research Association (EERA), a regional chapter of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Research Staff Compensation Town Hall 
Office of Research and Innovation, Human Resources and Business and Finance have worked for more than a year to update the R (Research staff) compensation and position structure. It is time to share the outcomes with the University. Hosted by ORI and HR, join us for the  on Monday, April 11, from 3 to 4 p.m.

NSF increases number of submissions required through Research.gov
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has been moving away from FastLane as a submission portal and replacing it with Research.gov. Effective Wednesday, June 15, several programs will only be allowing submissions via Research.gov. FastLane will be removed as a submission option from all funding �鶹��ý when the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) goes into effect in January 2023. .

DUNS is done
The federal government is phasing out the nine-digit identifier code and is transitioning to the new . ORI manages Western's registration in SAM.gov, and the new UEI is already recognized in many sponsor systems for grant applications. ORI's Commonly Requested Information page serves as a quick reference for institutional information, rate schedules and other supporting information. The page now displays WMU's UEI. Contact your research program officer if you have any questions.

Learn about convergence research at NSF workshop
Growing convergence research is one of the NSF's 10 big ideas. According to the organization, “The grand challenges of today—protecting human health; understanding the food, energy, water nexus; exploring the universe at all scales—will not be solved by one discipline alone. They require convergence: The merging of ideas, approaches and technologies from widely diverse fields of knowledge to stimulate innovation and discovery.”

Led by Dr. Mark Hurwitz, professor of political science, ORI Faculty Fellow and former NSF program officer in the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure and the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate, the session on Tuesday, April 19, at 3 p.m. in the Emeriti Lounge, 211 West Walwood Hall, covers convergence research at NSF. This includes the concept, programs and funding �鶹��ý that require and encourage convergence research and how to situate a proposal that includes convergence research. Interactive discussions will be used to generate research ideas that incorporate convergence research.

Summer Salary Worksheet now available for 2022
You can now access the summer salary worksheet for faculty summer grant pay. Find it in the forms section and fill it out once Human Resources opens the submission period. Find instructions for filling out the form as well as an example.

It’s time to apply for the NEH 2023 summer stipend
Calling arts, humanities and social science scholars and researchers! The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Research Programs is accepting applications for the NEH Summer Stipends program. This provides $6,000 to support continuous full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two consecutive months. NEH funds may support recipients’ compensation, travel and other costs related to the proposed scholarly research. Projects may begin as early as May 1, 2023.

Applicants holding tenured or tenure-track positions at institutions of higher education must be nominated by their institutions. Western may nominate two tenured/tenure-track faculty members. Eligible faculty requiring institutional nomination should . Be sure to log in to view the application.

Non-tenure-track/tenured faculty and emeritus faculty may apply for an NEH Summer Stipend individually, without going through the nomination process. The NEH application deadline is Thursday, Sept. 22. All applicants must be U.S. citizens or foreign nationals who have been living in the United States or its jurisdictions for at least the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. 

 Take advantage of the many virtual and recorded webinars designed to assist NEH applicants. .

• Friday, May 6, 2 p.m.—Digital Humanities
• Friday, May 13, 2 p.m.—Individual applicants for stipends and fellowships

Contact Christine Stamper in the Office of Research and Innovation with questions, or call (269) 387-8270. 

Discovery Acceleration Workshop set for April 18
Writing a competitive grant proposal involves understanding the funding agency’s mission and review criteria, the program’s goals and submission requirements. This workshop will cover the basics of writing a competitive proposal for NSF, with particular focus on the project summary. Dr. Mark Hurwitz, professor of political science, ORI Faculty Fellow and former NSF program officer in the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure and the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate, will lead this workshop. via WebEx.

OER grant funding available for faculty and instructors
Faculty and instructors are invited to apply for grant funding to adopt or create Open Educational Resources (OER) for their courses. The University Libraries will award faculty and instructors up to two $5,000 grants to create an original, openly licensed textbook and up to 10 $1,000 grants to adopt an existing OER for a summer or fall 2022 or spring 2023 course. Grant proposals are due Friday, April 22. Learn more and apply.

Save the date for MTRAC Advanced Materials funding presentation
Nate Yenor from Michigan Technological University will present information on Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Advanced Materials funding on Monday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Floyd Hall. MTRAC is a statewide program that funds projects which commercialize university research into products or services that shape the future of transportation technology or address poorly met transportation market needs. Yenor will be giving a 30-minute presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. Time will be allotted for one-on-one individual meetings with interested faculty. Look for more information as the date draws closer.