Dear Colleagues,

As we close out 2025, I want to take a moment to celebrate the remarkable work of MSU researchers across every discipline. Your creativity, resilience, and commitment have led to discoveries that improve lives and strengthen our communities locally and globally. 

This year has brought many challenges. Shifts in federal priorities and reductions in research funding have had painful impacts on our faculty and students and required difficult decisions and new approaches. Through these challenges, MSU researchers have worked with determination to sustain and grow their research and creative activities, ensuring that their work continues to transform lives and contribute to MSU’s impact.

I am proud of what we have accomplished together since I joined the Office of Research and Innovation in 2007, and in my role as VPRI over the past five and a half years. In this coming year as we embark on the next chapter of research leadership at MSU, I am confident that our shared vision to advance MSU’s mission will remain at the heart of everything we do.

Thank you for your many contributions to making MSU a place where ideas thrive. Enjoy your winter break and take time to recharge.

Douglas A. Gage, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research and Innovation 

Internal Grant News

Jenison Fund Awarded to over 35 projects 

The Jenison fund is a strategic endowment that has been used to provide targeted assistance to graduate students nearing degree completion and faculty facing research funding disruptions. In its first round in August 2025, the Jenison Fund supported more than 35 projects. These projects represent many areas of research excellence, including environmental and agricultural innovation, health and biomedical research, education and social equity, technology and digital innovation, and digital humanities and cultural preservation. The next round of applications is under review and will be announced in the spring semester.

Upcoming Deadlines for Internal Funding Programs:

• January 22 – Humanities and Arts Research Program (HARP) Production Session II Deadline
• February 17 – Shared Research Infrastructure Program Session II ORI Deadline
• March 12 – Discretionary Funding Initiative Session II Applications Deadline

Please visit the MSU Internal Funding Opportunities webpage to learn more about these and other internal funding programs, many of which are made possible through the generosity of the MSU Research Foundation.

MSU Completes Shared Research Resources Blueprint

MSU has finalized the “Blueprint for Transforming MSU’s Shared Research Resources”, a strategic plan developed through a two-year community collaboration with more than 140 faculty, staff and administrators under the leadership of Associate Vice President Kay Connelly. The plan outlines 19 recommendations to strengthen coordination among MSU’s shared research resources, including research cores, computing and data science services, collections, field stations, and user facilities supporting research across all disciplines. This collaborative effort establishes a clear vision for coordinated, sustainable, and world-class research infrastructure that will drive innovation at MSU for decades to come. View the full Blueprint and Fact Sheet for more details. 

Research Recognition

2025 University Distinguished Professors

The award ceremony for the 2025 University Distinguished Professors was held in November. Receiving MSU’s highest honor means that each awardee has achieved a record judged by peers to be outstanding in areas such as the breadth and depth of teaching skills, scholarly, creative, and artistic achievements, and a distinguished record of public service. During the ceremony, recipients were honored with a video tribute commemorating their contributions to teaching, research, and outreach.

The newly named University Distinguished Professors are:

• Nwando Achebe – College of Social Science
• Jiquan Chen – College of Social Science; College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
• David Douches – College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Kathleen Fitzpatrick – College of Arts & Letters
• Alexandra Gade – College of Natural Science; Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
• Jennifer E. Johnson – College of Human Medicine
• Leo Kempel – College of Engineering
• Richard Lunt – College of Engineering
• Kristen A. Renn – College of Education
• Angela K. Wilson – College of Natural Science

2026 MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professorship

Congratulations to Jeffrey Nanzer from the College of Engineering on being awarded an MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professorship, recognizing his outstanding scholarly contributions and research leadership.

2026 Red Cedar Distinguished Professorship

We are pleased to share that six outstanding faculty have been awarded a Red Cedar Distinguished Professorship for their contributions to research, teaching, and service:

• Bora Cetin – College of Engineering
• Natoshia Cunningham – College of Human Medicine
• Jinxing Li – College of Engineering
• Cristian Meghea – College of Human Medicine
• Tamara Reid Bush – College of Engineering
• Matthew Pontifex – College of Education

Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards

Eleven MSU faculty and nine students were offered Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards for the 2025-2026 academic year. These Spartans will represent MSU across 17 countries, advancing global  research, teaching, and collaboration, while contributing to finding solutions to important international problems. Their achievements showcase MSU’s commitment to international engagement and innovation and continue MSU’s leadership as a top Fulbright producing institution. Full announcement. 

For more faculty award news, please visit our announcements. To share your award news for inclusion in future announcements, email research@msu.edu. 

Board of Trustees Research Presentations

Two faculty and eleven students highlighted their research and creative pursuits at BOT meetings held during October and December of the fall semester:

• Seung Yon (Sue) Rhee – Watch her video presentation on Securing Planet and People Resilience through Innovative Plant Resilience Research
• Dmitri Berlinsky with the International Chamber Soloists performed “Summer”  (L’estate) from Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons

Innovation Center News

The MSU Innovation Center has released its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting record faculty engagement, growth in startup companies, national recognition for student entrepreneurship, and major investments driving Michigan’s innovation ecosystem. Review the report to learn more about the innovations that have emerged this year and congratulate your colleagues on their accomplishments. 

OR&I Personnel Announcements:

Twila Reighley to Retire After 14 Years of Leadership

After nearly 14 years of leadership as Associate Vice President of Research and Sponsored Programs, Twila Reighley will retire from MSU on January 31, 2026. Twila has been a driving force in strengthening sponsored programs administration at MSU by advancing system improvements, guiding our institution through evolving sponsor requirements, and fostering a culture of open communication, training, and feedback. Please join us in thanking Twila for her outstanding contributions and wishing her the very best in retirement. 

Matt Bernard Leads MSU’s Research Technology Support Facility

Matt Bernard, associate professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, has assumed leadership of MSU’s Research Technology Support Facility (RTSF) as of November 1, 2025. He brings strategic vision and extensive experience to oversee RTSF’s analytical cores supporting multidisciplinary research. Full announcement.

Krista Campeau Named AVP for Research Security

Krista Campeau has been promoted to Assistant Vice President for Research Security at MSU. Since joining MSU, she has led efforts in research compliance and export control, serving as Research Security Officer since 2023. In her new role, Krista will oversee initiatives to protect MSU’s research enterprise and ensure compliance with evolving federal regulations. Her expanded responsibilities include international shipment compliance, designing a new campus-wide travel system with Human Resources and the Office of General Counsel, reviewing legislative language on research security and helping assess implications to MSU, and ensuring safety and compliance for visitors to research labs and space. Full announcement.

Compliance Announcements

Mandatory Research Security Training Requirement

As part of Michigan State University’s commitment to federal research compliance and national security, we are implementing a requirement to complete Research Security Training for all faculty involved in federal research proposals or awards. This training in Ability LMS should be completed by January 15, 2026, and will need to be updated annually. For more information on MSU’s Research Security Training requirements, please visit the Research Security Program website.

Coming Soon: Research Security Travel Policy and Updated Travel Registry

To support research success and compliance with evolving federal regulations, effective March 1, 2026, MSU will implement a new policy requiring registration of MSU-related international travel and remote work for personnel involved in federally sponsored research. MSU is also updating the current Global Travel Registry and launching an enhanced Global Travel and Remote Work Registry to make the process easier and more connected across campus. FAQs and guidance will be available soon. For more information and updates, visit MSU’s Research Security Program International Travel webpage. 

ORI Winter Break Hours

The Office of Research and Innovation and its units will observe modified operating hours during the Winter Break. Faculty and staff are encouraged to consult the announcement on modified hours for the most current information. 

Contact Us

The Office of Research and Innovation is committed to supporting the research and creative efforts of all MSU faculty, students, and staff. If you have questions or need assistance, please reach out to our team. Please visit our website to view our leadership and staff directories. 

Stay Connected — Events and Updates

Follow our calendar for upcoming events, grant development workshops, and research mixers. The Research and Innovation newsletter is a valuable resource for researchers and staff, offering updates on upcoming grant development workshops, funding opportunities, and announcements from the Office of Research and Innovation. To subscribe, visit research.msu.edu and enter your email in the Stay Connected section at the bottom of the page.