The ORSP Update
February 2026
Our monthly newsletter highlights opportunities, awards, and events through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
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Announcements
Welcome Back to Campus!
An exciting Spring semester is underway, and it has proven to be a busy start. ORSP values the quality of service we provide to faculty. To ensure a proposal is within university and sponsor guidelines, please contact Catherine Spaur at least three weeks before a grant opportunity is due.
We would like to introduce our new Post-Award Grants Management Specialist, Sue Kertis.
"I bring my grant administration experience from Penn State, where I managed the Center for E-Design, worked as the Post-Award Generalist for The College of Agriculture, and was the Research Project Manager for the PA NASA Space Grant Consortium (PSGC). I'm excited to join West Chester University /ORSP, blending strategic thinking with executional excellence in this collaborative, impactful environment."
Provost Research Grant Awardees (PRG)
Thank you to everyone who submitted an application for the Provost Research Grant. We received 45 submissions this year and we appreciate our previous PRG awardees for reviewing. You can find our 2026 PRG awardees here!
Grant Life Cycle
Curious about the GRANT LIFE CYCLE process? Check it out here.
Events and Opportunities
We have a packed Spring semester full of opportunities and events. Please check out our reminders and the full Spring calendar below.
Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn
Want to stay engaged with WCU’s research community, events, and opportunities? Click here and follow ORSP on Instagram! Connect with us on our LinkedIn page here!
Reminders
Student Research and Creative Activity Awards (SRCA)
Proposals for Student Research and Creative Activity Awards (SRCA) are due February 19th, 2026. This award is to recognize both Undergraduate and Graduate students who have completed original research or a creative project with support from a faculty mentor. Apply now!
Research and Creative Activities Day (RCAD)
Research and Creative Activities Day (RCAD) application is now live! Please join us on April 16th 2026 in Sykes Student Union to celebrate research and creative activities across campus! Poster sessions will be capped at 50 and our 5-minute lightening talks will hold 25 student slots and 12 faculty slots. Applications are due March 16th, 2026. Apply here.
Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI)
Our Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) application is now live! Consider supporting an undergraduate student in conducting their own research or creative activity project as a Faculty Mentor. Students will receive a $2500 stipend to engage in full-time work (37.5 hrs/week) from May 26th – June 26th, 2026. Encourage your students to Apply here. Applications are due March 5th, 2026.
Call for 3MT Proposals – share with your doctoral students!
In this Three-Minute Thesis competition, you will be challenged to present your dissertation ideas in a clear, engaging, and accessible manner to a non-specialist, lay audience. This will showcase your ability to translate research into meaningful relevance and strengthen your skills in research communication.
Doctoral students who have collected sufficient data to present on their research and whose presentation clearly describes the conclusions, outcomes, and impact of the study are eligible to apply. The application window closes at 11:59 PM on February 12, 2026. SIGNUP LINK
Align Your Values, Reclaim Your Time: A Workshop on Intentional Success and Wellbeing
Join faculty members Tiffany Bennett and Brie Radis, who recently completed WCU’s pilot Faculty Success Fellowship co-sponsored by the Teaching and Learning Center, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, for an interactive 1.25-hour remote workshop designed to help you move from overwhelmed to intentionality. When: Wednesday, February 11 from 12:00 - 1:15pm. Register to attend on Zoom.
Faculty Research Spotlights
Dr. Emily R. Aguiló-Pérez
Emily R. Aguiló-Pérez, Professor of English at West Chester University, has published two new co-edited volumes—Barbie in the Media: The Transmedia Presence of Mattel's Celebrity Doll and #Barbie and Social Media: Digital Discourses and Mattel's Celebrity Doll—as part of an ongoing series of collaborative projects with Rebecca C. Hains, Professor of Media and Communication at Salem State University (Massachusetts).
Together, the scholars explore Barbie’s evolving cultural impact across media, identity, and consumer culture. Aguiló-Pérez and Hains also recently completed the prestigious Mary Valentine and Andrew Cosman Research Fellowship at The Strong National Museum of Play in October 2025. Their partnership continues to advance innovative, public-facing scholarship in the emerging field of Critical Barbie Studies.
Want your research to be highlighted? Submit your research story here!
Follow us on Instagram to support our office and stay involved with WCU’s research community. Click here to view our Instagram!
Recently Awarded Grants
Dr. Jayme Trogus, PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs: Wellness Promotion - $15,000*
Dr. Jaeyong Choi, Center for Rural PA : Regional Police Partnerships in Rural Pennsylvania: Case Studies and Impacts - $50,000*
Dr. Scott Heinerichs, Main Line Hospitals, Inc : Agreement for Community Health Worker Training Services - $19,967
Dr. Angela Guerriero, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: VSA Program Site Proposal 2025 - $4,983*
Dr. Francis Atuahene, Uwchlan Township: Quality of Life, Public Policy and Administration - $11,000
*In the process of being negotiated
Upcoming External Funding Opportunities
Arts & Humanities
3/2/2026: American Philosophical Society Phillips Fund for Native American Research
4/30/2026: Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Research Award
Business & Public Management
3/2/2026: Center for Rural PA: Student Microgrant Program
7/9/2026: NSF Human Networks and Data Science (HNDS)
8/7/2026: NSF Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS)
Education & Social Work
Continuous due date: NSF STEM K-12 (STEM K-12)
Health Sciences
Continuous due date: The Voice Foundation
3 due dates/year: NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions
Science & Mathematics
Rolling due date: The Simons Foundation Targeted Grants in Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MPS)
7/22/2026: NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
Upcoming Student Opportunities
Student Research and Creative Activity Awards (SRCA)
Proposals are due on February 19th, 2026. This award is to recognize both Undergraduate and Graduate students who have completed original research or a creative project with support from a faculty mentor. Apply here.Research & Creative Activity Day (RCAD)
The RCAD Application is now live! Please join us on April 16th 2026 in Sykes Student Union to celebrate research and creative activities across campus! Poster sessions will be capped at 50 and our 5-minute lightening talks will hold 25 student slots and 12 faculty slots. Applications are due March 16th, 2026. Apply here.
Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI)
Our SURI application is now live! Students will receive a $2500 stipend to engage in full-time work (37.5 hrs/week) from May 26th – June 26th, 2026. Applications are due March 5th, 2026. Apply here.
Ram Research Directory
Are you interested in research but do not yet have a faculty mentor? Click here to use the RAM Research Directory to find one!
ORSP Roadmap
Click image below to learn how to navigate student research experiences.
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