Funding for Excellence 2019-20 Winners

The fifth year of Funding For Excellence Faculty awards program attracted 40 applications, representing a diverse segment of research and scholarly activity from across the University. The applications were reviewed by members of the UMKC Research Advisory Council and 9 applications were awarded totaling $99,460.

The funded applications for the 2019-20 are:

Cranial Diversity and Evolution in Malagasy Lemurs”, Theodore Cole, Teaching Professor, Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine

A Man’s Job: A Short Film“, Lyn Elliot, Professor, Department of Communication Studies, College of Arts and Sciences

“A Knowledge Graph for Managing and Analyzing Spanish American Notary Records”, Viviana Grieco, Associate Professor of History and Latin American and Latinx Studies, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences

“New Ghetto Music: for Mezzo-Soprano, Chamber Orchestra, and Electronics Based on the Leo Levi Archival Field Recordings of Roman Cantors 1940-1960”, Yotam Haber, Associate Professor, Division of Music Studies, Conservatory of Music and Dance

Understanding Hydrological Dynamics of the Gobi Desert in East Asia: A Preliminary Study”, Jejung Lee, Professor, Department of Geosciences, College of Arts and Sciences

The Resilience of Mexico’s PRI: How Parties Compete in Nondemocratic and Democratic
Regimes
, Mona Lyne, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences

Increasing Research and Funding Capacity with Two Successful Student Engagement Pilots”, Daniel McIntosh, Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Arts and Sciences

The Films of Konrad Wolf”, Larson Powell, Professor, Department of Communication Studies, College of Arts and Sciences

Development of Computational Tools for Pre-op Planning of Periacetabular Osteotomies”, Antonis Sylianou, Assistant Professor, Division of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, School of Computing and Engineering

Research by the Numbers

Research by the Numbers

The Office of Research Services supports the scientific, scholarly and creative endeavors of the faculty and staff at UMKC. As of 12/12/19, our work included:

  • Number of Proposals: 224
  • Proposal Totals: $80,502,073
  • Number of Awards: 145
  • Award Totals: $21,251,442

We’re Here to Help: Lori Reierson

Title:

Research Compliance Officer-IACUC/IBC/RSC

My Focus:

My primary role is to support UMKC research compliance committees. We communicate with Principle Investigators throughout the protocol review process from submission to committee approval. Our office is an important resource for the implementation and adherence to a range of university policies and state and federal regulations.

Where I Came From:

Raised in the Kansas City area, I received my undergraduate degree in Chemistry from UMKC in 2014 and gained job experience in Academic Support and Mentoring. After working at a law firm for a couple years, I decided research compliance was a good fit and returned to UMKC as a full-time employee.

What I love about working in Research Administration:

I really enjoy interacting with faculty, staff and students here at the university, as well as members at different research institutions. I love that so many people are willing to collaborate in order to advance research. It is great to be able to have face-to-face interaction with these individuals at committee meetings, training sessions, and research events.

Some favorite things:

Some of my passions/interests include education, art, hiking, coffee, and my dog, Canelo.

One of my favorite quotes is by anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

We’re Here to Help: Lora Owens

Title:

Grants and Contracts Administrator

My Focus:

I support faculty and staff throughout the proposal process from submission to award generation.  I came to ORS as a work study student working in the Sposored Programs office. From there I became an office assistant before being reclassified as a pre-award team member. Throughout my work experience in Sponsored Programs I have been able to develop a better understanding of the research world here on campus and I look forward to the opportunity to support our researchers in their academic pursuits.

Where I Came From:

Originally, a St. Louis native, I have spent the last six years falling in love with the Kansas City area. I made the move to KC to attend UMKC and I have worked in academia since graduating with a BA in Communications. Before my time at UMKC, I received my Associate’s degree at STLCC-Meramec, where I continued my work in the Theater and Music departments. While in St Louis, I spent time as a Costume Manager as well as a Sales Associate for four years. I have now been working at the Office of Research Services for the past five years.

What I love about working in Research Administration:

I started in the Office of Research Services and Sponsored Programs as the work-study back in 2014 and quickly founded a new appreciation for research administration. The work done in this office allows us to make a small yet meaningful contribution to the brilliant faculty here on campus with their research which aims to essentially make the world a better place by improving lives or bringing innovated ideas to light. I am extremely grateful to be a part of the ORS team and to have the chance to work alongside of such a wonderful group of dedicated coworkers.

Some favorite things:

I immediately thought of Sound of Music when seeing this question, so I guess you could say I’m a film enthusiast. Other than watching all types of movies (here’s looking at you, Netflix), I help as a production assistant on local films whenever I can. I love to spend time with my friends and family, along with spending as much time as I can outdoors, either hiking, kayaking, or taking as many landscape photos as humanly possible.

December Technology Commercialization Workshop

You are cordially invited to the UMKC Technology Transfer Workshop on 5December2019. The workshop will be led by Eric Anderson, the UMKC Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization. The workshop will focus on:

  • intellectual property disclosure at UMKC;
  •  publishing and patenting;
  • non-disclosure agreements;
  • copyrights;
  • prior art searching;
  • marketing plans;
  • commercialization potential;
  • startups and SBIR/STTR;
  • the integral inventor;
  • funding the gap;
  • getting paid.

Target Audience: faculty, students and researchers with inventive concepts or copyright works or funding that is likely to produce patents and copyrights.

  • Date and Location: UMKC Technology Transfer Workshop
    Thursday, 5DEC2019, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
    Room 302, Student Union

The event is free and registration is required. Please RSVP via email or phone to Leslie Burgess, burgessla@umkc.edu, 816-235-1520.

Research By the Numbers

The Office of Research Services supports the scientific, scholarly and creative endeavors of the faculty and staff at UMKC. As of 10/17/19, our work included:

  • Number of Proposals: 120
  • Proposal Totals: $34,823,675
  • Number of Awards: 103
  • Award Totals: $16,066,413
  • 18 invention disclosures (FYTD)
  • 12 patent applications filed (FYTD)

November Grants Proposal Workshop

You are cordially invited to the next UMKC Office of Research proposal- and research-program-development workshop series on 11NOV2019. The workshop “How to write a compelling grant application”will be led by Dr. Sarah Dallas, UMKC School of Dentistry.

Dr Dallas will share her tips on successful grant writing, based on her experience as an investigator continually funded by NIH since 2001 and her experience serving on NIH and other grant review panels.  The workshop will focus on insights from personal experience rather than standard information available from NIH and other websites. The emphasis is on the mechanics of writing a compelling grant.  The workshop will cover:

  • Types of NIH grants relevant for early career stage scientists
  • Brief summary of NIH grant review process
  • My tips on how to write a compelling grant (main emphasis of workshop):
    • Getting started on your grant/planning ahead
    • Writing a good grant is like writing a good novel
    • What types of grants are getting funded
    • Basic Structure of an NIH grant
    • My tips on Specific Aims, Research Strategy (Significance, Innovation, Approach) sections
    • Making the Pitfalls section work for you in a positive way
    • Choice of  wording/positive language
    • NIH requirements on reproducibility and scientific rigor
  • My list of common mistakes (to avoid) when writing a grant

Target Audience: any faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who wish to improve their grant writing skills and submit proposals to NIH as well as other federal and non-federal funding agencies.

  • Date and Location: Workshop 4 with Sarah Dallas
    Monday, 11NOV2019, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
    Plaza Room, Administrative Center, Volker Campus
  • The event is free and registration is required. Please RSVP via email or phone to Leslie Burgess, burgessla@umkc.edu, 816-235-1520.

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October Grants Proposal Development Workshop

 

You are cordially invited to the next UMKC Office of Research proposal- and research-program-development workshop series on 29OCT2019. The workshop will be led by Anthony Caruso, the Missouri Institute for Defense and Energy and ORS Pre-Award. The workshop will focus and execute on:

  • articulation of intellectual concepts into short/cogent arguments;
  • white paper writing and feedback exercise;
  • quad chart preparation;
  • mechanisms by which investigators can sell and recycle their ideas/concepts (communicating with program officers);
  • funding mechanisms and budgets from Department of Defense and related sponsors;
  • different funding vehicles (grants vs. contracts vs. cooperative agreements, and more);
  • program officers vs. program managers;
  • reading the tea leaves of a call for proposals;
  • research areas within the Defense, Intelligence and Energy enterprise/portfolio (from History to Biology to Clinical Trials to Economics);

Target Audience: any faculty and researchers who wish to take their research program to the next level and write proposals for federal funding outside of the classical channels, and especially to the Department of Defense.

  • Date and Location: Workshop 3 with Anthony Caruso
    Tuesday, 29OCT2019, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
    Royal Hall 104
  • The event is free and registration is required. Please RSVP via email or phone to Leslie Burgess, burgessla@umkc.edu, 816-235-1520.

Research By the Numbers

The Office of Research Services supports the scientific, scholarly and creative endeavors of the faculty and staff at UMKC. As of September 24, 2019, our work included:

  • 70 new awards totalling $11,357,286 (FY20 to date)
  • 103 new proposals (FY20 to date)
  • 18 invention disclosures and 12 patents (FY19)

UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies Receives DHHS Award

Assistant Professor Joseph Lightner
& Assistant Professor Amanda Grimes
School of Nursing and Health Studies

The UMKC Office of Research Services is pleased to announce that the School of Nursing and Health Studies has been awarded $800,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services offices of Minority Health and Women’s Health. Led by Dr.’s Amanda Grimes and Joseph Lightner, the grant will fund the project “Youth Engagement in Sports: Collaboration to Improve Adolescent Physical Activity and Nutrition (YES Initiative)”

Dr. Grimes describes the background of the project, “The evidence is very clear that American youth suffer from high rates of obesity, inactivity, and poor nutrition (Youth Behavior Risk Surveillance System, 2017). Adolescence seems to be a critical time in a child’s life where behaviors are learned or reinforced. Girls are particularly prone to low rates of physical activity during adolescence.”

This project aims to increase physical activity and consumption of healthy food by implementing an intramural sports program and a weekly nutritious food delivery within middle schools in Kansas City, Missouri, specifically among girls. With sustainability at the core of this project, we have recruited organizations who are experts in delivering each component of the intervention including Kansas City Parks and Rec, the Center for Children’s Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition of Children’s Mercy Hospital, Truman Medical Center’s Community Health Strategies & Innovation.