Fall Research Update 2016 | Office of Research and Innovation

Dear Colleagues:

Greetings and welcome to both returning and new faculty!

Research at MSU continues to move in an upward trajectory and I would like to share a few highlights, with links to additional information.

Top News

As we embark on the second year of the Global Impact Initiative, I am very pleased with the faculty recruitment efforts of year one. From Angela Wilson to Wolfgang Banzhaf, and 25 others, these new researchers will join forces with our current faculty to truly make an impact in some of the most exciting areas of research. This initiative is attracting talent from MIT, Princeton, and other top universities. We’ve recently approved 40 additional faculty postings that will be released over the course of the 2016-2017 academic year. Please visit the Global Impact website for updates, postings, and hiring news and be sure to refer your colleagues.

Chris Contag, director of the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering

We are very excited to announce that Chris Contag will be joining MSU as the new director of the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering (IQ) and the department chair for Biomedical Engineering. Contag is a leading figure in medical imaging research using molecular methods. He is a past president of the Society for Molecular Imaging, and previously held appointments in the departments of Pediatrics, Radiology and Microbiology & Immunology at Stanford University. He was also a member of Stanford’s BioX Faculty for Interdisciplinary Sciences, which links frontier technologies to biomedical applications. In his leadership role at IQ, Chris will likewise bring together researchers from basic sciences, engineering, and medicine to advance human health. We enthusiastically welcome Chris to the Spartan family and have the highest expectations for what he and IQ will achieve in coming years.

Joan Rose receives the Stockholm Water Prize August 31, 2016

This is certainly worth repeating and so once again, congratulations to Joan Rose, Homer Nowlin Endowed Chair in Water Research in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. As reported last spring, Joan was named the recipient of the World Water Prize, the most-prestigious water award. She recently visited Stockholm during World Water Week to receive the award (read the press release and full citation) and participate in the conference as a speaker. We applaud her efforts and look forward to her future endeavors.

A number of faculty-researchers have received notable awards since our last newsletter. Please visit our research website where we showcase these stories and be sure to congratulate your colleagues named. Please contact us if there are stories we should include.

Upcoming Award Nomination Deadlines

Awards, fellowships and society memberships represent and recognize the distinction of both MSU faculty and the institution as a whole. Please review the links below to the current AAU list of highly prestigious faculty awards, as compiled by the National Research Council, and determine which you or your colleagues might qualify for:

Please also review a compilation of upcoming deadlines for specific awards, including those recently released by the National Academy of Sciences.

Our office stands ready to help with this process. Should individual faculty or nominating departments need assistance with application or nomination packets, please contact Lori Hudson, director of the Office of Research Facilitation and Dissemination, at (517) 432-4499.

Congratulations!

I’m very pleased to announce and congratulate the next cohort of MSU Foundation Professors for Fall 2016:
Rachel Croson – new dean in the College of Social Science
Joey Huston – professor of physics and astronomy
Chris Klausmeier – professor of plant biology and faculty member at W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Elena Litchman – professor of integrative biology and faculty member at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Beronda Montgomery – professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and microbiology and molecular genetics
Barry Pittendrigh – new professor of Entomology

We appreciate the support of both the MSU Foundation and the Office of the Provost. Learn more about the MSU Foundation Professor program and view the list of previous recipients on the VPRGS website.

Recently named University Distinguished Professors, MSU Foundation Professors and endowed chairs and faculty will be recognized at a special investiture event on October 28.

Announcements & Deadlines:

Research Administration Project Update – The first phase of the Research Administration system (Kuali Coeus or KC) went live August 15. This deployment provides MSU faculty and staff with view-only access to research proposal and award information. Early in the calendar year 2017, the Project will conduct a pilot program, with select MSU investigators, to test full system functionality, including system-to-system proposal submission. Subsequently, in April 2017, the MSU research community will begin using the KC system’s proposal development and conflict of interest modules. Please visit the Research Administration Project’s webpage to view all updates regarding system deployment and educational opportunities.

EHS Training – Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) training has now moved. Researchers and staff may access topics from Asbestos to Water Protection by logging in with your MSU NetID and password. Researchers can now view biosafety and chemical safety training in the same portal as IACUC and IRB training records — at http://train.ora.msu.edu. Supervisors can use the new system to view employees’ required training and to assign training to new employees. Assistance with the system is available weekdays at train@ora.msu.edu or 517-884-4600.

The new Bio Engineering Facility located on Service Drive will hold a grand opening event on October 27

FAA Drone Update – On August 29, 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) new regulations for non-recreational use of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) went into effect. The most significant change is the requirement that a person operating a small UAS must either hold a remote pilot airman certificate or be under the direct supervision of a person who does hold a remote pilot certificate. To qualify for a remote pilot certificate, a person must: (1) demonstrate aeronautical knowledge by either: (a) passing an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center; or (b) hold a part 61 pilot certificate other than student pilot, complete a flight review within the previous 24 months, and complete a small UAS online training course provided by the FAA; (2) be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration; and (3) be at least 16 years old. Please review this list of the FAA testing centers that are now administering the Aeronautical Knowledge Test.

Grantsmanship Support – There are a number of upcoming opportunities to learn about funding opportunities, hone your grant writing skills and hear from past grant recipients or agency reviewers. Visit the Education section of the VPRGS website for workshop and Coffee Break schedules and be sure to join our email list to receive monthly updates.