Funding Opportunities

Academic Program Review and Revitalization (APRR)

The Kansas State University program review process, APRR, aims to establish a common framework, process and set of metrics to:

• Gain a more holistic view of our academic portfolio of offerings to students.
• Identify programs for further review, improvement, investment and growth.
• Provide an internally developed decision support tool for faculty and academic leadership.
• Drive innovative curriculum and continuous program improvement.
• Promote academic excellence and accountability.
• Support the long-term financial viability of K-State by assuring we meet contemporary student and market demands.

APRR serves as a valuable and forward-looking process to assess academic programs' activities and to identify actions that serve the mission of the academic program and of the department. This annual process is data-informed, collaborative and faculty-driven, engaging all department constituents while remaining grounded in discussions informed by centrally provided data, self-study and external accreditation requirements (if applicable).

Nominations have closed for 2025. Nominations will open again in 2026.

 

Opportunities for Core Research Facility Support

The Office of the Vice President for Research provides opportunities to enhance the use and operations of core facilities in alignment with the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan. Core facility directors may request support to upgrade the physical infrastructure and large equipment related to their operations. There will be an annual call for core facilities to request funding for renovations and equipment purchases. This will require a 1:1 match and requests can range up to $200,000 for total project costs of up to $400,000. Total funds available are $500,000.

The FY25 application window has closed and will reopen in FY26.

 

University Outstanding Scholars Awards

The University Outstanding Scholars Awards are designed to recognize mid-career tenured faculty members who are on an accelerated path for continued academic distinction.

In addition to being named a University Outstanding Scholar, each awardee will receive a $10,000 base salary increase. Eligible faculty hold the rank of tenured associate professor, and faculty from every school or college are eligible. Up to 10 faculty will be selected each year. The first round of awards were announced in June 2024. Awards will be announced at the end of each spring semester, and appointments will begin July of each year.

Nominations have closed for 2025. Nominations for 2026 will open in December.

 

Travel, Acceleration and Planning (TAP) Grants

View the Feb. 6, 2024 announcement

The Office of the Vice President for Research announced new funding is available to assist faculty in research planning and large-grant development.

The Travel, Acceleration and Planning, or TAP, Grants will provide funding for travel to meet with agency or foundation personnel, travel to meet with collaborators at other institutions for proposal development meetings, support for potential co-investigators at other institutions to travel to K-State for proposal development meetings and faculty and/or staff support for large center-level grant development.

 

Academic Innovation Fund

In the Fall of 2023, the Office of the Provost launched a new Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) to invest up to $1 million per academic year in new academic programs and alternative credentials. The first round of awards were announced in spring 2024, and the FY 2024-2025 call for proposals is now launched, designed to spur creative and collaborative curricular proposals universitywide.

Proposals may include new degree programs at all levels, minors, certificates as well as credit and noncredit microcredentials. Proposals may target existing or new audiences with a focus on positioning K-State as the first-choice education and business partner in Kansas. Additionally, proposals may build on existing curriculum or propose totally new curriculum.

Applications have closed for 2025. Stay tuned for additional program funding opportunities in 2026.