2013-14 Researcher of the Year and Creative Endeavor Awardee Lectures

Researcher of the Year and Creative Endeavor Awardee Lecture

Monday, April 14, 2014

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Art & Journalism Building, Room 225

The Sponsored Programs Office is pleased to invite you to attend the annual Researcher of the Year and Creative Endeavor Awardee Lecture! Each year following the announcement of the Outstanding Researcher of the Year and Outstanding Creative Endeavor of the Year,  the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) hosts a presentation event for each recipient to lecture and discuss their work for the campus community. This year's event will by held on Monday, April 14th at the Arts & Journalism Building (Room 225) from 2 pm to 3:30 pm. 

For additional information regarding previous Researchers of the Year and Creative Endeavor Awardees, please visit the SPO website at www.bsu.edu/spo. 

Tom Holtgraves

Department of Psychological Science

2013-14 Researcher of the Year

Researching Language to Span Academic Boundaries

Matt Mullins

Department of English

2013-14 Creative Endeavor Awardee

Interactive Literature and Digital Media

Third Annual Grantsmanship Information Session

Each year, the Sponsored Programs Office offers a number of Grantsmanship Information Sessions (GIS) for Ball State affiliates and this year, the third annual (GIS) will be held on Monday, February 3rd, 2014. The event will take place on the second floor of the Student Center from 1:30 - 4:00 pm.

Dr. David Stone, Associate Vice President for Research at Northern Illinois University will present a keynote address titled Research at Ball State Redefined: Empowering Faculty. A Knowledge Unit Meet & Greet that fosters interdisciplinary research and explores potential opportunities for collaboration is scheduled to follow the keynote address.

Campus Knowledge and Support Units in attendance will include:

• Applied Anthropology Laboratories
• Center for Energy Research/Education/Service
• Center for International Development
• Center for Middletown Studies
• Center for Peace and Conflict Studies  
• Social Science Research Center 

A number of Concurrent Information Sessions are scheduled to take place at various locations throughout the Student Center:

Positioning New Faculty for Success in Research 

Dr. David Stone will present several research practices to help build a solid foundation for new faculty members to successfully begin their research agenda.  

Fulbright Scholar Information Session

Mr. Justin Miller, Director of Sponsored Programs will introduce the Fulbright Scholar Program which sends both faculty and professionals abroad each year as they conduct research in various academic and professional fields.

Professionalize Your Approach to Grantsmanship

SPO Program Manager, Dr. Stanley Geidel will discuss a professional approach to seeking external funding by examining three important roles that faculty occupy in the Academy: the roles of professor, principal investigator, and grantseeker. 

New Ways to Approach Private and Foundation Funding
This presentation will explore the current state of private funding while examining the trends that colleges and universities should consider when applying for grants offered by corporations and foundations. 

To RSVP for this event click here. For questions, please contact the Sponsored Programs Office at SPO@BSU.edu or call 5-1600. You can also join the event Facebook page!

Lilly Endowment's $63 Million Initiative To Promote Opportunities Through Educational Collaboration

The Lilly Endowment will announce Thursday (December 12, 2013) $62.7 million in grants to 39 Indiana colleges and universities to combat brain drain among graduates. As the third round of grants over the past decade, this is a part of what the endowment calls its Initiative to Promote Opportunities Through Educational Collaboration.

Compared with a national rate of 30 percent, only 25 percent of Hoosiers between the ages of 25 and 64 obtain at least a bachelor’s degree, according to Census data. While Indiana does better than most states at holding on to its college graduates, its ability to attract educated adults is where it lags behind the competition according to census data. These findings are what led Mike Hicks of Ball State University to question the endowment’s brain-drain grants and other similarly focused areas. “The problem lies not in how many people we’re educating or how we’re educating them, but in having places that they want to live,” said Hicks in a September interview.

The endowment determined the size of its grants based on enrollment numbers at each educational institution. The largest grants, $5 million each, were awarded to Indiana University and Purdue University. Ivy Tech Community College will receive $4.9 million while $3 million each will go to the University of Notre Dame, Ball State University, Indiana State University, Indiana Wesleyan University, the University of Southern Indiana and Vincennes University. The majority of remaining schools will be awarded roughly $1 million each.

Nearly all the colleges will use the money to expand internships and experiential learning opportunities for students as well as expand career development programs, says the endowment. “These activities have the potential to [significantly] increase the number of Indiana college graduates who find satisfying opportunities in the state,” said Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education Sara Cobb.

Please read Indianapolis Business Journal article by J.K. Wall to learn additional information regarding this Lilly Endowment Initiative or visit the communications page of Lilly Endowment Inc. website.

Outstanding Faculty Award Nominations Now Open

Each year a faculty selection committee selects nominated recipients for nine very significant awards presented to colleagues who have made an unusually significant impact on the students, their fields, Ball State University, and/or the community at large. The goal of these awards is to recognize true excellence, dedication, and performance. Please consider nominating colleagues that you know should be recognized by their peers for their important contributions to the university. To make a nomination for awards, please complete the nomination sheet, obtain the required signatures and submit any required additional documents to the Associate Provost Office located in room 326 of the Frank A. Bracken Administration (AD) Building.

More information regarding the nomination process and award categories can be found at http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/AssociateProvost/Services/OutstandingFacultyAward.aspx

NIH and NSF Release Statements Regarding Sequestration

The National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health have issued statement regarding the impact of the sequestration order on their fiscal year 2013 operations. 

NIH Operation Plan in the Event of a Sequestration

NSF Impact of FY 2013 Sequestration Order on NSF Awards