Research expenditures from federal sources made the largest gain, totaling $435 million, an increase of $54 million or 14%, with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Health and Human Services (HHS) showing the most improvement. Expenditures from state and local, business, and nonprofit sources were all up, contributing to the 11% overall increase.

The research enterprise at MSU is growing because of the long-term, sustained investments we have made in areas of strength, support of ongoing initiatives, and enhanced efforts to capture emerging areas of discovery. But, we are only successful because of the commitment to excellence and the hard work of all of you - our faculty, students, and staff. 

Thank you.

Doug Gage, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research and Innovation

Please read the full story for more details…

Research Infrastructure Planning

Investing in research infrastructure is paramount to growth and in the recruitment and retention of extraordinary faculty and students. My office is embarking on a two-year project to inventory and assess all facilities and instrumentation, while working with our college and unit partners to prioritize needs and resources for a shared vision forward. Assisting with the project are Jeff MacKeigan, Ph.D., and Patricia Soranno, Ph.D., who will serve as Senior Fellows in Research and Innovation for the next two years. Full announcement.

Regulatory Updates

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) – Training to Launch Soon

New requirements under the Chips and Science Act (2022), adding to those of the America Competes Act (2007), require that all faculty, research associates and postdoctoral fellows, and research assistants and technicians working on new NSF-funded projects (as of 8/1/2023) must complete RECR training. Greg Swain, Ph.D., was recently appointed Director of the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research Education Program and is leading this initiative. MSU has been preparing for these changes and will launch educational modules later this semester. An informational website is available now to help answer questions and keep the research community up to date. Those impacted by this change will receive a notification when the modules launch. 

Research Security – Informational Website is Live

Planning related to upcoming Research Security requirements under the Presidential Memorandum on United States Government-Supported R&D National Security Policy (NSPM-33) is well underway. Krista Campeau, JD, Director of MSU Export Control and Trade Sanctions, is leading a cross-functional committee focused on the four requirement areas: cybersecurity, foreign travel security, research security training, and export control training. A new website has been developed to assist with questions and required training is being developed. Watch for announcements on new federal agency disclosure requirements and training in the coming months and please contact ORI.Security@msu.edu directly with any questions. 

Announcements

New Tetrad Funding Awarded to 40 Teams

The Tetrad Initiative, launched in Fall 2023, was designed to foster new cross-unit and cross-college collaborations among faculty who have not worked together before, resulting in projects that create opportunities for extramural support of novel research programs. A team is awarded funding of $30,000 with support coming from each principal investigator’s (PI) home department and college, and a match from the Office of Research and Innovation completing the Tetrad. The program received very strong demand and due to the number of applications, a lottery system was used to select the awards, with 40 teams receiving funding. Congratulations! Our thanks to the MSU Research Foundation for its generous support of this program.

Guidance Issued for AI Use in Research

New Centers

• MSU launches new Elemental Health Institute 
• Center for Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) now open 

Internal Funding Deadlines

• Discretionary Funding Initiative (for resubmissions) Session II Applications – Deadline March 14, 2024
• Addiction Consortium on Research and Education Network ACORN Mini Grants – Deadline March 17, 2024
• MTRAC AgBio Starter Grant application now open. Please see MTRAC AgBio Starter Award Application for details. Proposals due March 28, 2024

Upcoming Events

• Innovation Celebration April 2 – Save the Date!
• MSU Plant Resilience Summit May 16–17 
• Spring research development workshops and writing groups event calendar 

Research Presentations to the MSU Board of Trustees