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Welcome to the archive of Kansas NSF EPSCoR (KNE) news and announcements blog. Stay up-to-date with all the happenings, discoveries, events and funding opportunities associated with KNE by visiting https://nsfepscor.ku.edu./

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

MAPS summer REU student from UMass studies fungal drought tolerance at KSU

Achala Narayanan
     Achala Narayanan traveled to Kansas State University (KSU) this summer from Amherst, Massachusetts to study Extreme Drought in Grassland Ecosystems (EDGE) with Kansas NSF EPSCoR  OIA-1656006 RII Track-1: Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas (MAPS) researcher Dr. Ari Jumpponen.  As a biology major with a mathematics minor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst MA (UMass), Achala first became interested in ecology after taking a biological anthropology class and reading books about evolutionary biology. Her interest in systems and how different components affect and are affected by singular changes came from her opportunity to work on behavioral experiments with birds and volunteering in a soil microbial ecology lab. While working in the soil microbial lab, she studied bacterial lignin-degrading capabilities.  She said, “that's when I discovered how interesting it was to look at big picture community interactions at such a small scale - a microbial scale," and "Dr. Ari Jumpponen's work at KSU was a fascinating representation of that field.”
Growing fungal colonies 
     Achala describes her project, titled Selection for fungal drought tolerance in an experimental system (EDGE - Extreme Drought in Grassland Ecosystems), as follows: "Climate change projections show that the future holds climate extremes. I am doing a small study to look at whether systems are already becoming adapted to these environmental changes. Broadly, I am looking at whether environment selects for certain ecotypes. Specifically, I am looking at selection of fungal drought tolerance. We collected soil from two sites (Hays Agricultural Research Center and Konza Prairie Biological Station) with different mean annual precipitation…. At these sites they have set up rainfall shelters to experimentally impose drought. Looking across sites, and across these treatments (drought manipulation vs. ambient), we were trying to determine how the proportion of drought tolerant fungi varied. We expected that when grown on drought-selective media, the drought-imposed, xeric soils would yield a greater proportion of colony forming units as compared to mesic soil from ambient conditions. I did colony counts of the number of fungal colonies that grew on media … and also extracted DNA from these plates, to look at what fungal communities are present and how they vary across the precipitation treatments and the sites… there seems to be marginal evidence for greater number of colonies in the drought-imposed conditions as compared with the ambient conditions.”
     Her favorite part of her summer REU experience was learning new skills such as “how to sample soil, plate and grow fungi on media, extract DNA, run gels, and modify the experimental design along the way.” She also learned “how to organize and plan experiments, and how and when it is necessary to try different approaches to answer a question.... there is a lot of trial and error involved in executing an experimental design, and changing the plan is a standard part of the process.” In addition, Achala enjoyed working in the lab, attending lab meetings and discussing everyone’s project with them.  She said within the lab, the group developed "a great community with people always offering help and advice." And, she added, the overall experience "has been fun."
     As for her immediate future, she plans to return to UMass in the fall of 2018 where she is a part of the Commonwealth Honors College on a Dean's Award scholarship and is also an alto in the University Chorale. “Singing is a huge passion” of hers.  Her long term plans include applying for graduate programs in biology so that she can one day have a career that balances "fieldwork/research along with science education and communication."  Her dream job would involve working at “Institutions like natural history museums or biological stations.”

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding for the Summer MAPS REU program is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas."  The grant's workforce development and educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Nontraditional EEB/MAPS REU student studies the effect of climate and land use on methanotrophic communities

Carrie Spanton
      This summer the Kansas NSF EPSCoR OIA-1656006 RII Track-1: Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas (MAPS) and the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB): Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Kansas (KU) have partnered to support three summer REU students. Through this collaboration, Carrie Spanton has been working with MAPS researcher, Terry Loecke on a project titled The effect of climate and land use on methanotrophic communities.
     Carrie is not your typical summer REU student. She grew up in Kentucky and lived in New Orleans for 20 years. She was living in New Orleans when hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. For Carrie, the hurricane was a trans-formative event and heavily influenced her decision to go back to school. Because the hurricane had stripped away everything she had once known and possessed, it left her thinking, "who am I?" All the things she thought defined her were suddenly gone.  Although the hurricane experience was devastating, she said “It was really liberating” too, because the ordeal gave her a chance to rediscover herself and the “guts to go back to school.”
     Kansas City is now Carrie's home, and she attends Metropolitan Community College at Penn Valley (MCCKC).  In addition to her studies, she is the president of Phi Theta Kappa, a prestigious honor society for two-year college students, and has been involved in the MCCKC Women on the Move program. She is also a Supplemental Instructor for an Ancient History/Biology community learning class, an active member of Project Success, a weekly volunteer at the food pantry, and a volunteer at North Kansas City Hospital Hospice.  Carrie stays active in student government and plans to start tutoring in the fall. Biology and Environmental Science became a focal interest for Carrie after she met her MCCKC mentor and biology instructor, Terry Davin. It was his teaching style that encouraged her to become a scientist and to apply for the KU summer EEB REU program.
Samples from the research
    As an EBB REU participant, Carrie has felt a sense of community with her cohort and has especially loved learning "how to conduct research." Learning research methodology from her REU mentor, Terry Loecke, she says, "has been life-changing." Carrie describes their REU research project as follows: "As global temperatures and net population simultaneously rise, so does the demand for food production.  The overall impacts of different land use management practices on the net global warming potential remain largely unknown.  Methane is a critical greenhouse gas that is both emitted and consumed by microbial communities in soil, contributing to climate change. We used a full fractal design experiment to measure how soil moisture and the addition of nitrogen, which is widely used as fertilizer, effect methane oxidation (consumption) in soils.  We used soil samples from east and west Kansas of agricultural land, post-agricultural land, and native prairie land to add varying moisture and nitrogen treatments.  We added methane to these treatments then took four samples sets at varying times."

     According to Carrie, this REU experience has positively "pushed her out of her comfort zone."  She has loved learning new things and “how to think like a scientist.”  She further commented, “I have watched my skill sets grow.... As a non-traditional student, I didn't know what I was capable of when I first started school.  Having this kind of support as I grow as a professional has been life-changing.  I have learned that I can, actually, really do this.” On a more personable note, she says her favorite part of this summer experience has been "showing my 16-year-old son what kind of opportunities are out there and getting him excited about his future.  He's my inspiration and my drive.” As for her future plans, Carrie plans on continuing her studies and staying in academia. This experience has also taught her what kind of “mentor/leader/researcher/instructor" she would like to be one day, and she hopes "to pass on this gift that others have given" to her.

Carrie will present her research findings at the 2018 EEB REU Poster Session, July 27, 2018.

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding for the Summer MAPS EEB REU program is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas."  The grant's workforce development and educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

"Kansas Farmers" exhibit to open August 11, 2018 featuring photos from KS NSF EPSCoR Research Collaboration

     The Spencer Museum of Art on the University of Kansas (KU) campus will be hosting an exhibit titled Kansas Farmers beginning August 11, 2018 through January 6, 2019.  This exhibit highlights fifty photographs taken by artist and Distinguished Professor of Photography in the School of Art, Design, and Creative Industries at Wichita State University, Larry Schwarm.
     In 2010, Dr. Schwarm began a collaboration with Kansas NSF EPSCoR researchers involved in the RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006  titled Phase VI Climate Change and Energy: Basic Science, Impacts, and Mitigation.  The collaborative project, titled Bio-fuels and Climate Change: Farmer’s Land Use Decisionswas a sub-project of the Track 1 Award. This particular study examined farmers decisions related to climate change, water availability and bio-fuel market opportunities.  The research team created a database on land use, water use, climate and weather, water availability, surface water quality and bio-fuel markets and used this data to identify the driving factors behind a farmer’s land and water use decisions.  Photographs taken by Larry Schwarm were integrated into the study and added to the database to provide the visual imagery associated with farmers' decisions.  The exhibit will showcase these fifty photographs illustrating the realities of contemporary farm life in Kansas.
     This collaboration also produced a 2018 book that features the photos taken during the research project titled Larry Schwarm: Kansas Farmers. The book includes an essay detailing the Kansas NSF EPSCoR research written by Dr. Dietrich Earnhart, an economics professor and director of the KU Center for Environmental Policy, and the photographs that will be presented in the exhibit.  The essay discusses the core themes of the Phase VI award that addressed farmer land use decisions, climate change, and bio-fuel prospects.  The photographs capture the legacy of Kansas farmers' independent spirit and raises awareness of how much is at stake as the farming communities of Kansas look to their future.



Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Kansas Teachers Conduct Field Research and Write Lesson Plans at The 2018 Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute

Teachers participate in field research and write related lesson plans to take back to their home schools.
     As part of the Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems (MAPS) across Kansas outreach initiatives, high school biology teachers from across the state the participated in the The 2018 Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute at the University of Kansas (KU) Field Station on June 4-8, 2018.  Eleven high school teachers were invited to attend.  The teachers participated in activities related to Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).  Prior to the workshop, teachers selected Aquatics, Terrestrial or GIS as an area of interest they wished to focus on for the week. University of Kansas (KU) MAPS faculty Helen Alexander, Jim Bever, and Peggy Schultz; Kansas Biological Survey faculty and staff, Jerry DeNoyelles, Ted Harris and Dana Peterson; UKan Teach faculty Steve Obenhaus and Michael Ralph; and Sarah Abeita, a biology teachers at Free State High School , led field activities, facilitated group discussions, and guided lesson planning.
     Each day began with a whole group field or water activity at either the KU Field Station or at the Free State High School Prairie Restoration Project, and was followed by afternoon breakout sessions focusing on the teachers’ area of interest.  The goal of each focus group was to create Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) biology lessons and experiments that connected the teacher’s curriculum with MAPS current research.  Teachers were then asked to share their lessons with colleagues from across the state through in-service opportunities or by creating blog posts on the Kansas Association of Biological Teachers website. The institute also provided the opportunity for teachers to apply for funding to purchase the supplies needed to implement the lessons at their home campuses.  Faculty focus group leaders will continue to work with the teachers throughout the 2018-2019 school year by visiting schools and Skype conferencing.
     As for the comments on the overall Institute experience, one teacher said, “I loved the connections, both with teachers and facilitators, the most. The arrangements were well planned and organized.” Another teacher added “I think that it was fun to learn from the professors and understand what kind of research is being done.” All the teachers thought the morning field and aquatic activities were the highlight of the Institute.  In addition, teachers were asked to reflect on their focus group experience and one teacher commented “My focus group was great. The facilitators always were asking what WE wanted to get out of the experience,” and another shared, our focus group “came up with a great experimental design and all of the members in my group added their own twist or expertise.”  One teacher summed up the whole institute experience by saying, “I very much appreciated the flexibility … [the institute] … offered to allow us to choose our own professional development whilst also directing us to the relevant research they do. It was a transformative experience.”

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding for the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas. The grant's workforce development and educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.


Wednesday, June 6, 2018

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS KANSAS NSF EPSCoR MAPS - Research & Education Innovation (REI) Awards - In Microbiome Research

Kansas NSF EPSCoR is announcing a funding opportunity for REI Awards in the area of microbiome research. REI Awards are for small projects that will either allow for networking and planning or for the immediate pursuit of larger projects for developing new transformational concepts. These are awarded for both research and education, given their close relationship. These awards are in the same spirit as and share goals with NSF EAGER (Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research) awards, for high risk/high gain research ideas.

The current RII Track‐1 award funding REI Awards is titled Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems across Kansas (MAPS). Broadly, MAPS’ mission is to elucidate how microbiomes interact within native and agriculturally dominated aquatic, plant, and soil habitats, leveraging the steep precipitation gradient across Kansas as a means of projecting system response to environmental change. Only projects with research in areas that are related to the current Kansas NSF EPSCoR focus of microbiomes as broadly construed to be in aquatic, plant and/or soil systems are eligible for REI Awards.

Any individual with PI status at Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Wichita State University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University or Washburn University.

Submission Deadline:
Proposals due by 5:00 pm on Friday,
June 29, 2018.

For More Information and to download RFP; Timeline Example; and NSF EPSCoR Budget Form go to: 

Kansas NSF EPSCoR
Research & Education Innovation (REI) Awards RFP 
Timeline Example

The source of funding for REI Awards is Kansas NSF EPSCoR, which receives its funding from the current National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1 award (OIA-1656006). Matching support is provided by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) and the participating universities.



Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Free NSF Webinar to highlight NSF Funding Opportunities to Broaden Participation in STEM

The National Science Foundation Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) is hosting a

on June 14, 2018 from 1:00-3:30 pm ET 









The Webinar will feature and discuss current funding opportunities available at NSF aimed at broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and targeting underrepresented groups and Minority Serving Institutions. Funding opportunities for programs like NSF INCLUDES, ADVANCE, LifeSTEM, IUSE, ITEST, GRFP and many others will be highlighted. NSF Program Officers and Staff from all four EHR Divisions will be represented.

Divisions include:

Division of Research on Learning 
Division of Graduate Education 
Division of Undergraduate Education
Division of Human Resource Development 

In addition, Q & A opportunities with Program Officers will be provided during the webinar.

Administrators, faculty, researchers, evaluators, and other STEM education leaders working to broaden participation in STEM in formal and or informal contexts are encouraged to attend.

Please register here as soon as possible 

Once you have registered, help spread the word about the webinar by forwarding this link to your STEM & broadening participation in STEM networks.



Monday, May 21, 2018

Kansas Students travel to Nebraska for the 2018 Women in Science Conference

     Eight Kansas high school students and their teachers from Topeka and Lawrence traveled to the University of Nebraska to attend the 20th Annual Women in Science Conference held April 6-7, 2018.  The conference was for students who want to meet and network with career and academic professional women in science. The attendees also had opportunities to interact with current female science undergraduate and graduate students as well as other high school girls interested in science.  In addition, the conference provided the students with the opportunity to discover and learn about professions in biology, geology, engineering, food science, computer science and various professions in the medical fields. Dr. Dayanna Patera, an  Internist with the Nebraska Internal Medicine PC, was the keynote speaker. 
     On Friday night at the banquet, the students listened to Dr. Patera and then Kansas had the opportunity to visit with current biomedical engineering students.  Saturday's agenda included hands-on activities at the Nebraska Union and lab activities at the Bead Center.  Some of the activities the Kansas students participated in were programing an EV3 robot to dance, building virus models, extracting plant and animal DNA, infect a tobacco leaf with bacteria, gram stain bacteria and practice sampling and organizing scientific data sets. 
     Marci Leuschen, a teacher from Free State High School in Lawrence, KS said "the graduate students leading the activities in the labs were encouraging and positive role models." One of her students, Lydia, commented "Personally, I thought the conference was such an amazing learning opportunity to meet other Women in the science fields that are so incredibly passionate. I enjoyed everything." And another student, Riddhi, said "The conference was a great experience!  It helped me discover professions that I had no idea existed before.  I was able to find professions that interest me and that can help me narrow in my search of personally interesting jobs as a future career."  Marci Leuschen shared, "The girls all came away from the conference energized about scientific research."

Education and outreach funding for the physics teacher workshop was provided by the Kansas and Nebraska NSF EPSCoR Track 2 Grant #1430519 titled: "Imaging and Controlling Ultrafast Dynamics of Atoms, Molecules, and Nanostructures."  The grant's educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of atomic/molecular/optical science.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Kansas NSF EPSCoR Announces MAPS First Award Recipients for 2017-2018

     Kansas NSF EPSCoR has awarded five assistant professors from institutions across the state to receive up to $100,000 in support of their research on topics that focus on Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems.  The purpose of the EPSCoR First Award Program is to assist early career faculty to become competitive for funding from the research directorates at the National Science Foundation.  It is designed to encourage early career faculty to submit proposals to NSF and accelerate the pace of the research as well as improve the quality of their subsequent proposals.  Any individual tenure track faculty member who is of the rank of assistant professor, currently untenured, has not received a prior First Award from another EPSCoR or EPSCoR like program in KS, and is or has not been a principal investigator on any research grant funded by a federal agency is eligible to apply. The 2017-2018 recipients are: Dong Lin, Colby Moorberg and Prathap Parameswaran from Kansas State University; Ali Eslami fromWichita State University, and Cuncong Zhoong from the University of Kansas.  Listed below are the award recipient submitted abstracts that summarize their proposed research.

Dong Lin  KSU

3D Printing Biomimetic and Hierarchical Wood Structure for Endosphere Microbiome Study

     Plants are regarded as superorganisms that rely on microbiomes for functions and traits. On the other side, plants feed the microbial community and influence their composition and activities. Nowadays, nanomaterials have been widely used in scientific research and everyday usage. The research about the influence of nanomaterials to the human-related microbiome has been intensively conducted, however limited attention has been paid to the plant based microbiome. Cellulose is the major composition of plant matter, and the most abundant organic and bio-degradable polymer on Earth. This research will focus on preparing cellulose/nanomaterials, including nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and aerogels, in order to study their effect on various bacteria. The cellulose/nanomaterials will be mixed and then subjected to freeze casting suspension. The materials will then be processed using the decomposition method to study their interaction with decomposed bacteria.

 Colby Moorberg  KSU

Quantifying the Impact of Weather Whiplash on Roots and Hyphae with an Automated Minirhizotron Camera System 
   
     Root exudation and turnover are primary soil carbon and energy sources for the rhizosphere microbiome. Plants are the interface between the atmosphere and the soil. Thus, plant stress from weather and climate events drive rhizosphere microbiome responses to stress. Current imaging technologies impede high-temporal-resolution root dynamics data. Minirhizotrons are commonly used for in situ monitoring of roots, and allow non-destructive tracking of root metrics overtime. However, high minirhizotron camera cost ($18,000+) and poor root-soil contrast prevent automated imaging and analysis. I propose to develop an inexpensive minirhizotron camera system using off-the-shelf computers (Raspberry Pi) and components to facilitate permanent camera deployment, high-temporal-resolution imaging, and automated image analysis using machine visioning. Experiments will complement work described in section 4.3.c.1.1 of the MAPS research proposal. Primary goals are to i) examine how weather whiplash impacts short-term (hours) and long-term (months) root dynamics, and ii) assess how root dynamics affect carbon inputs.

Prathap Parameswaran  KSU

Smart adaptation of enriched microbiomes in Recovered Nutrient Products (bio‐fertilizers) from anaerobic wastewater treatment to the native soil 

     Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors (AnMBRs) are emerging as a viable option for municipalities and agro-businesses for energy positive wastewater treatment with simultaneous recovery of valuable nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) and water for indirect potable reuse. A pilot scale Anaerobic Membrane  Bioreactor (AnMBR) operated by the team including me at Ft. Riley, KS treating 1000 gallons per day of wastewater has consistently achieved these goals. More specifically, anaerobic microbial communities have been shown to vary in predominance with time and season, in the organic biosolids and inorganic nutrient product fractions from AnMBRs. The central hypothesis of the proposed research is that wastewater enriched microbial communities present in land applied nutrient products from the AnMBR will integrate with the soil microbiome to beneficially regulate the N and P release rates as well as the transformations of these two nutrients in the top soil layers. Understanding the transport and proliferation of these microbiomes can be achieved through plant uptake studies and field plot experiments. This research is very relevant to the current Kansas NSF EPSCoR program on microbiomes with a strong focus on the unexplored topic of microbiome interactions between the engineered/built environment such as wastewater treatment based bioreactors and the natural soil microbiome.

Ali Eslami  WSU

A Study of DNA Mutations through Error Control
Coding Theory

     Living beings, in particular, microorganisms, rely on DNA mutations for their evolution. Changes in the DNA sequence could be a result of random events such as DNA replication errors, or a result of intentional alterations introduced by genetic engineering. A similar phenomenon occurs in telecommunications when sequences of information are transmitted over a noisy channel, introducing multiple random errors. To overcome this problem, communication engineers “encode” each sequence before transmission, giving them the ability to correct errors later in the receiver. This is called “Error Control Coding”, a well-established area in communications, which started in 1948 and has been perfected over time. There are immense functional similarities between the DNA correction mechanisms in microorganisms and the error control techniques used in telecommunications. This research exploits these similarities and combines statistical methods with the powerful toolbox of algebraic error control coding to understand the behavior and evolution of microorganisms.

Cuncong Zhong  KU

Transforming Metagenomic Sequencing Data
Analysis with Scalable Assembly and Comprehensive Annotation

     The proposed research seeks to develop a series of computational methods and software for the analyses of metagenomic sequencing data. The proposed methods include de novo assembly methods with reduced computational requirement and enhanced parallelism, which facilitate the reconstruction of the metagenomes from huge-volume metagenomic datasets such as those collected form soil. They also include a series of annotation methods that improve the gene-calling, non-coding RNA discovery, gene cluster finding, and functional categorization of metagenomic data. Finally, novel phylogenetic reconstruction methods are also proposed to take advantage from the drastically improved annotation sensitivity and accuracy. The proposed methods can be directly applied on metagenomic and/or metatranscriptomic sequencing data generated from microbiome samples that are collected from environments such as aquatic, plant and/or soil systems.


Workforce Development, Education and Outreach funding is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas."  The grant's workforce development and educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.




Thursday, April 26, 2018

Two MAPS Researchers Receive an NSF DEB RAPIDS Award

     At the beginning of March, Dr. Amy Burgin (KU) and Dr. Lydia Zeglin (KSU) were awarded an NSF Ecosystems DEB RAPID Award of $200,000 to study how water inputs from a decommissioned fertilizer plant affect riverine water quality. The funding is for one year.
     NSF defines RAPID funding opportunities as awards for projects that possess a severe urgency to be addressed and/or are in need of quick response research.  Specifically, this NSF funding mechanism is dedicated to awarding research projects that have limited availability of, or access to data, facilities or specialized equipment as it relates to natural or anthropogenic disasters and unanticipated events.  Burgin and Zeglin's collaborative project is titled RAPID: Are biogeochemical responses linked to the microbial composition of a defined nutrient and microbial input to a large river?  This project seeks to develop a better understanding of "how large rivers transport and transform nutrients in the face of altered nutrient inputs and microbial loads" which is a key element missing in the understanding of lotic nutrient cycling.         
     Since nitrification and denitrification rates are limited by environmental factors, this research will also provide insight on biological versus geochemical controls over processes that support total removal of N from aquatic ecosystems.  For ecosystem science in general, this project has the potential to improve the mechanistic understanding of future changes in ecosystem function and structure. The ultimate goal is to understand if water microbial community composition help to predict water quality in large rivers.

Both Zeglin and Burgin are part of the Kansas NSF EPSCoR OIA #1656006 Track 1 Award: Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems across Kansas (MAPS) research team.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

MAPS Investigator presents at Big Botany Symposium

 
    Dr. Jim Bever, Distinguished Foundation Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Senior Scientist with the Kansas Biological Survey at the University of Kansas and co-pi on the Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soil Systems Across Kansas Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 OIA-1656006 Award, was part of a panel that presented at the Big Botany Symposium held March 28, 2018. The all-day symposium was held in conjunction with the Big Botany: Conversations with the Plant World exhibition opening at the Spencer Museum of Art on the University of Kansas campus. The symposium provided an interdisciplinary space for scientists, artists, and other researchers to share their work on plant studies with each other and the community at large.  Dr. Bever discussed "Plant Agency and the Maintenance of Mutualism" and described how “the agency of plants impact their story” by managing microbes and how they work together to help maintain diverse plant communities with high productivity.  


To view Dr. Bever’s talk on YouTube go to the Big Botany Symposium’s video posted at: 


His specific talk begins at the 6:18:50 mark.

Education and outreach funding is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas."  The grant's educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.




Tuesday, April 3, 2018

DOE EPSCoR Funding Opportunity

DOE EPSCoR has released their National Lab partnerships solicitation.

Awards are up to 250,000 per year for up to 3 years. 

Cost sharing is not required.

For more information go to:  https://science.energy.gov/~/media/grants/pdf/foas/2018/SC_FOA_0001897.pdf

Letters of Intent are due April 25, 2018

Applications are due May 16, 2018

General inquiries about this FOA should be directed to the Technical/Scientific Program Contact:

     Dr. Tim Fitzsimmons
     301-903-9830
     Tim.fitzsimmons@science.doe.gov

Monday, March 19, 2018

Topeka Dual Language 3rd Graders Learn about Soils

     The Kansas NSF EPSCoR Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soils Systems Across Kansas (MAPS) outreach initiative directed at teaching elementary science visited Scott Elementary in Topeka, Kansas to teach 3rd grade students about soil composition.  Scott Dual Language Magnet Elementary teaches all science and social studies curriculum in Spanish. Dr. Peggy Schultz, MAPS Outreach Specialist, worked closely with two of Scott's 3rd grade teachers, Ms. Teresa Cotton and Ms. Yesinea Moroyoqui-Ponce, to identify key vocabulary as well as address the curriculum requirements of the 3rd grade Next Generation Science Standards as it related to soil composition. Students in the four 3rd grade science classes at Scott consisted of both native Spanish speakers and native English speakers.  In order to maximize understanding of the lesson's content, students work together to translate and teach the science material to each other in their native languages.
     Dr. Schultz also worked with Mrs. Tita Soberon, an education specialist, to translate the hands-on 3rd grade soils lesson from English into Spanish.  Mrs. Claudia Nunez-Penichet, a prospective University of Kansas Biology graduate student, and Ms. Laura Jimenez, a current University of Kansas PhD candidate, joined the team to facilitate small group discussions and lead hands-on experiments.  Both women are native Spanish speakers.

Mrs. Tita Soberon, Ms. Laura Jimenez and Ms. Claudia Nunez-Penichet facilitating inquiry based experiments in soil composition.

     Students smashed rocks, studied fossils, sifted and measured soil particles, and discovered the many components that make up complex soil.  Their final experiment involved testing the hypothesis: Will a plant grow best in sandy soil or complex soil?  After making predictions, students planted seeds in each type of soil. Their experimental plants were then transported back to the KU Greenhouse so that they could receive appropriate and equal care.  Students will make observations and conclusions regarding the plants when the team returns at the end of March. This was the second lesson taught at Scott Elementary.  The first lesson involved understanding tropic levels and a third lesson is planned to teach about biomes at the end of March.

Education and outreach funding is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas."  The grant's educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.


Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Applications are now available for Biology and Environmental Studies Teachers to participate in The Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute at the KU Field Station

   Kansas NSF EPSCoR in conjunction with its RII track-1 award, The Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soils Across Kansasis now recruiting Kansas teachers to participate in the 2018 Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute.  This workshop will be held June 4-8, 2018 at the University of Kansas Field Station.  High school biology and environmental studies teachers are encouraged to apply.  Participants will be paid a stipend of $750 and a travel allowance for participants who live more than an hour from the field station will also be provided.  Ten teachers will be selected to participate. 
   During the workshop, participants will conduct investigations, learn about the current research on ecosystems, explore the diverse outdoors, and work with researchers to develop inquiry-based curriculum to take back to their classes.

For more information, go to: https://epscoroutreach.ku.edu/

Applications can be found at: https://goo.gl/McoVSk


Application deadline is April 1, 2018

Education and outreach funding is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas."  The grant's educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

2018 Spring Semester begins with a Collaborative MAPS Course

   
   The Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant and Soils across Kansas (MAPS)  collaborative course started last week for undergraduate and graduate students from across Kansas enrolled.  Biology 890d at KSU and Biology 701 at KU make up this educational collaboration that is specifically designed to study the structure and functions of microbiomes. Every Tuesday and Thursday, students and professors from the University of Kansas (KU), Kansas State University (KSU), Wichita State University (WSU) and Fort Hays State University (FHSU) meet in a common area on their campus to participate in a ZOOM video conference learning experience.  The goal of the class is to review existing information on linkages between and feed backs among plant, soil and freshwater microbiomes. The lead instructors Walter Dodds, from KSU, and Jim Bever, from KU, plan to facilitate an in depth review of existing literature on this rapidly expanding area of research. Each member of the Kansas EPSCoR MAPS research team has a role in presenting their research and assigning key papers for students to read as part of the effort to achieve this goal. Using what they learn from the faculty presentations and class discussions, students will then prepare individual reports and lead discussions on key papers that reflect their area of interest. The final product from the class will be a publication-quality review manuscript to be submitted following the course.  All students who have continued participation on the manuscript will be listed as co-authors.


Education and outreach funding is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas."  The grant's educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Informational Webinar for the EPSCoR RII Track-4

NSF EPSCoR would like to invite interested faculty to participate in an informational webinar on the FY18 competition for EPSCoR’s RII Track-4 awards at 2:00pm (EST) on either Thursday, January 11, or Friday, January 12.  All attendees are encouraged to review the program solicitation - NSF 18-526 prior to the webinar.

This virtual meeting/webinar will consist of both an audio portion via teleconference and a presentation component via WebEx. In addition to a computer connection for the visual part of the meeting, you will need a separate phone connection to participate in the teleconference. (Cell phones/iPhones are NOT recommended due to the increased likelihood of connectivity issues and interference.)

Click the Meeting ID 743011839 to connect to the Webinar
Audio Component – Teleconference:
Direct (Toll Free) Call-in Number: 888-680-8032
* Password: EPSCoR

The meeting will be open 15 minutes prior to the start time for you to login/call-in. You are encouraged to login/call-in early to ensure connectivity.

Web Ex Instructions
To join the meeting directly through WebEx: 
1. Click the link (above) for the meeting you are attending.  
2. When requested, enter your name and email address.
3. Click "Join." 
4. You are now in the “web” portion of the webinar. 

WebEx will automatically setup Meeting Manager the first time you join a meeting using WebEx. To save time, we strongly encourage you to setup prior to the meeting to ensure connectivity. To set up the meeting manager, click this link: https://nsf.webex.com/nsf/meetingcenter/mcsetup.php. 

Trouble shooting issues:

If you cannot access the direct login link for the webinar, you can still login through WebEx. To join the online meeting through the WebEx Website: 

1. Click NSF WebEx link: https://nsf.webex.com
2. Enter the WebEx meeting ID (743011839), then click “Join Meeting.” 
3. When requested, enter your name and email address and password; it is EPSCoR18! 
4. Click "Join"
5. Be sure to call in as well: 888-680-8032, Password: EPSCoR

Administrative Support: If you have any questions about WebEx meeting access, please contact
Liz Lawrence at least 24 hours prior to the webinar (Email: elawrenc@nsf.gov; Phone: 703-292-8997)

For Technical Assistance:
On the left navigation bar, click "Support". 

The playback of UCF (Universal Communications Format) rich media files requires appropriate players. To view this type of rich media file in the meeting, please check whether you have the players installed on your computer by going to https://nsf.webex.com/nsf/systemdiagnosis.php.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Limited Submission Funding Opportunity: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 4: EPSCoR Research Fellows (RII Track-4)

     The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) promotes scientific progress nationwide and offers a number of funding tracks for researchers. The EPSCoR RII Track-4 provides opportunities for non-tenured investigators to visit the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers and build research collaborations.  During these visits, the EPSCoR Research Fellows will have the unique opportunity "to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations or advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions."  These Fellowship experiences are designed to enhance the Fellows’ research trajectories well beyond the award period.  These Fellowships can also improve the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions.  This opportunity is open to non-tenured faculty who have an appointment at an institution of higher education or an early-career career-track appointment at an eligible non-degree-granting institution.

Please work with your institutional research office to meet the limited submission proposal requirements.

Submission Deadline: March 13, 2018 by 5 pm of submitter's local time. 

For more information click on the following link:  NSF EPSCoR Track-4

Monday, December 11, 2017

MAPS Outreach Team Teaches a Lesson on Seed Dispersal to 3rd graders

Teaching students at New Your Elementary
   As part of the RII Track 1 EPSCoR Award, Microbiomes in Aquatic, Plants and Soils across Kansas, Education and Outreach (MAPS), education and outreach initiatives, Dr. Peggy Schultz has designed interactive elementary lessons related to the research.  On December 6, 2017, Dr. Schultz traveled with Ben Kerbs and Rebecca Wagoner, her lab assistants, as well as Tita Soberon, Project Teaching Adviser, to New York Elementary in Lawrence, KS to present a lesson on Seed Dispersal to Mr. John Bode’s third grade class.  The goals of the lesson were to 1) allow students to discover and learn the many ways seeds are dispersed; 2) examine different seeds and their dispersal methods; and 3) understand how animals aid seed dispersal.
Students create and test their seeds
    After a brief introduction on what plants need to live, students played a game of tag simulating how squirrels gather acorns for the winter and what happens to the nuts, or seeds, when they encounter their natural predators. If tagged in the game, students had to stop and dump their acorns at the tagged spot. This represented one way animals disperse seeds.  Back in the classroom, students played a game that involved rolling in feathers to simulate how seeds can be transported in an animal’s fur. Then, Ben and Rebecca led brief small group lessons demonstrating how some real seeds float, fly, explode and roll in order to disperse.  Following the small group discussions, students designed and created their own seed.  Once finished constructing their seed, they tested their creation on ramps, in water and in a breeze to see which method of dispersal worked best.  As the lesson concluded, Mr. Bode led the class discussion to check for understanding and to make connections between the seed dispersal lesson and other science topics the class had studied so far this year.  The students really enjoyed the lesson and hoped that Dr. Schultz and her team would come back again.
     This Seed Dispersal lesson was designed to align with the Kansas 3rd grade Next Generation Science Standards.  As part of the MAPS outreach, Dr. Schultz plans to teach this lesson and others to more 3rd grade classrooms in the spring of 2018.

Education and outreach funding is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas." The grant's educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.


Wednesday, November 15, 2017

MAPS Graduate Student Research Opportunities


    Dr. Amy Burgin, Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies and Associate Scientist, Kansas Biological Survey at the University of Kansas is recruiting graduate students to be a part of a unique research opportunity as part of the Kansas EPSCoR Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Ecosystems Across Kansas (MAPS) Award. Interested students will study the microbiomes of linked aquatic, plant and soil ecosystems that span the pronounced precipitation gradient as well as the hydrologic gradient across Kansas. Dr. Burgin's specific work focuses on" understanding how changes in nutrient loading will alter N cycling rates in rivers and the propensity for harmful algal blooms in reservoirs." This is a team-based science opportunity and interested students can contact Dr. Burgin at: burginam@ku.edu

For more information about this research opportunity go to:


Education and outreach funding is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas." The grant's educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.


Monday, November 13, 2017

First Award Letter of Intent Submission Deadline Extended


Related to the current Kansas NSF EPSCoR focus of
microbiomes as broadly construed to be in aquatic, plant and/or soil systems. 

A Research Program for Tenure Track
Faculty Early in their Careers

Submission Deadlines:

Letters of Intent Due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, November 30, 2017

Proposals are still due by 5:00 pm on TUESDAY, January 23, 2018 

2017-2018 First Awards information

Efforts to widely disseminate this opportunity are greatly appreciated. 

*Those that have already submitted an LOI need not re-submit

Education and outreach funding is provided by the Kansas NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 Award OIA-1656006 titled: "Microbiomes of Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Systems across Kansas."  The grant's educational objectives are designed to enhance STEM education in Kansas by supporting activities that will lead to an expanded STEM workforce or prepare a new generation for STEM careers in the areas of aquatic, plant and soil microbiome environments and ecological systems.

Friday, October 20, 2017

NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Track-2 Funding Opportunity

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 
for

This solicitation is now available and remains relatively unchanged from last year.   

Submission Deadlines:

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):November 27, 2017
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):January 26, 2018

    The RII Track-2 FEC seeks to build inter-jurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators to participate in investigator-driven research in scientific focus areas consistent with NSF priorities. Projects must include researchers from at least two RII eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions who without the assistance of the other team and complementary resources would not be in a position to tackle the projects as well or rapidly alone.
    The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) research and education activities should include and integrate a variety of individuals, institutions, sectors and programs to broaden participation throughout the project. Proposals must reflect an integrated comprehensive vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies individual, institutional, geographic, and disciplinary diversity with an emphasis on developing a diverse early-career faculty.

The topic for the FY 2018, RII Track-2 FEC proposals is Understanding the relationship between genome and phenome.

The full request for proposals with submission instructions can be downloaded as a PDF here: