
July 2026
What's Inside Policy Research Funding Education KAS Annual Meeting Community From our Science Partners Upcoming Events Upcoming Events Policy U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposes sweeping changes undermining scientific research You may have heard about this proposal that threatens the foundations of American science, giving political appointees who are not scientists, authority over awards of federal research funding. Find details at our website. Public comments are open until July 13. Full text of the proposed rule To submit public comments before July 13, please go to www.regulations.gov. and search for recent submissions by OMB to find docket OMB-2026-0034 New Science Note on Hepatitis B Virus Mira Fish, our summer science policy intern, has created a new Science Note to brief legislators others about the Hepatitis B Virus. Find this Science Note and other STEM Briefs at the KAS website. Meet with your legislator this summer to talk about science We'd like to set up meetings between our members and your state legislators, to talk about science. Would you like to set one up? Email us! NSF Budget Scientists are also urging Congress to reject the administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget which eliminates whole Directorates and includes a staggering 54 percent cut to the National Science Foundation (NSF). AAAS' Dashboard tracks the latest updates in R&D budget negotiations. Contact your Congressional representatives & Senators if you want the United States to maintain our investments in science! (Last year Congress heard from constituents and defended these investments) Science Policy Committee Welcomes you The Science Policy committee will meet Wednesday, July 8 at 12:30pm ET on Zoom. All are welcome. Email policy@kyscience.org for the zoom link or more information, and Follow our Policy work at the KAS website. Research Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science Our Issue-in Progress model means a relatively quick publication process, and JKAS does not impose page charges. Find out more about publishing your research. Check out recent articles: Baseline Assessment of Autumn and Winter use of Kentucky Dam Hydroelectric Structure by Gull (Laridae) Species Wade Baker, J. Matthew Carroll Propagation of Northern Spicebush, Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume by Seed and Implications for Local Ecotype Woodland Restoration Plantings Andrew Nelson, Cameron Johnson, Sara Carter, Marvin E. Ruffner Find ou r Journal online ( Photo: W Baker 2026) Do you have research updates you want to share with the greater community? Reach out to scicomm@kyscience.org so we can get started on your Sharing Your Science feature! Check out our other Sharing Your Science features on our website! Council on Undergraduate Research Recognizing Outstanding Institutions This award recognizes higher education institutions that have successfully implemented the characteristics of excellence, have devised exemplary programs to provide high-quality research experiences to undergraduates, and have evaluated the success of these programs. CUR’s publication, Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research (COEUR), describes the organization’s criteria for excellent undergraduate research programs. Institutions may submit a Letter of Intent by July 24. Details Funding NSF Soliciting applications from EPSCoR states (including KY!) Recently, NSF program officers have strongly encouraged proposal submissions from EPSCoR states, including Kentucky. Under the federal Chips and Science Act, NSF must increase its percentage of funding to EPSCoR states each year. Current proposal volume from EPSCoR jurisdictions is down, so program officers are especially encouraging researchers from EPSCoR jurisdictions to submit proposals to standing programs, many of which have rolling deadlines. NSF is seeking large proposals and small scale proposals that could be written and reviewed quickly. These include Supplements, EAGERS, REU, and conference proposals. Search all NSF programs Standard NSF Programs Water, Landscape, and Critical Zone Processes Engineering for Civil Infrastructure (ECI) Environmental Sustainability Infrastructure Systems and People NSF Opportunities for Early-Career Researchers Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) EPSCoR Research Fellows General NSF Opportunities Conference Proposals Supplemental REU & supplemental funds for HS students Research Equipment Major Research Instrumentation Program Supports requests for up to $4 million from NSF for the development or acquisition of multi-user research instruments that are critical to the advancement of science and engineering. Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 Supports the design and implementation of research infrastructure — including equipment, cyberinfrastructure, large-scale datasets, and personnel — whose total project costs exceed the NSF Major Research Instrumentation program but are under $20 million. Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 Supports the implementation of research infrastructure — including equipment, cyberinfrastructure, large-scale datasets, and personnel — whose total project costs fall between $20 million and $100 million. More Funding Opportunities Check out KAS' list of Funding Opportunities Education Looking for Professional Development? Check out these links for information and opportunities! Ky INBRE Workshops & Trainings KAS Professional Development Resources Real Science PD for Teachers Summer Camp Directory It's not too late- Find a summer camp experience near you in our STEM Summer camp listing. Do you know an outstanding PK-12 STEM+ Educator? PK- 12 STEM Educators (teachers, administrators, and informal educators) are encouraged to nominate themselves or others in one of the following categories. · Outstanding STEM Educator Career Achievement Award (30+ years of service) · Outstanding STEM Educator Career Achievement Award (20-29 years of service) · The Mid-Career STEM Educator Award (10-19 years as an educator) · The Early Career STEM Educator Award (0-9 years as an educator) Awardees will be recognized on Thursday, October 15, at the 2026 Tri-State STEM+ Conference. Nominations will close on Sunday, August 23, 2026 at midnight. Nominate someone here KAS Education and Engagement Team welcomes your participation Our Education & Engagement team makes connections with K-12 Teachers, Kentucky field stations, supports the Junior Academy, and connects with other partners around the state. E&E meets next on August 7 (and each first Friday) at 10 am ET. All are welcome! Email our Executive Director Amanda Fuller to get added to the list. KAS Annual Meeting Call for Special Session & Workshop Proposals We are looking for cross-disciplinary session proposals that would add value to the Annual Meeting program. Any KAS member may submit a proposal for a Special Session. Submit a Special Session Proposal Don't miss the boat! Put the KAS Annual Meeting on your calendar now and join your colleagues in Murray! Community Member Highlights Congratulations to Dr. Manmeet Singh of WKU who has been recognized with the Springer Nature Editor of Distinction Award! Meet the Hellbender The Eastern Hellbender gained attention this spring when it was named Kentucky's official state amphibian. The species is North America's largest salamander and has historic ties to the tri-state area despite its serious population decline in recent years. Learn more about the creature and the research efforts in Kentucky to better understand and protect the species. *Get Involved: Raisin' Hellbenders* Celebrate and support hellbender conservation by attending the Raisin' Hellbenders event. From our Science Partners Kentucky Infrasructure Network for Biomedical Research (KY-INBRE) Offers free trainings, and funding opportunities- check out their monthly news EPSCoR/ IDeA News, training and funding opportunities from Established Program for Stimulating Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and Institutional Development Award (IDeA) NASA- KY Funding and training opportunities, Teaching materials, internships: Upcoming Events KAS Science Policy Committee meeting 07/08/2026 The Exchange: Data Centers 101 07/08/2026, 07/15/2026, 07/23/2026 Summer Seminar Series at Thomas More Biology Field Station 07/09/2026, 07/16/2026 UK Sky Talk 07/09/2026 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium 9/18- abstracts due by 7/10 07/10/2026 Exploring Human Anatomy with the West Louisville Math & Science Project 07/11/2026 Bench Talk: The Week in Science Podcast 07/13/2026 and every Mon 7:30pm, Tue 11:30am, Wed 7:30am and online Kentucky Paleontological Society Monthly Meeting 07/24/2026 Raisin' Hellbenders on the River- Concert for Conservation 07/25/2026 KAS Education & Engagement Committee 08/07/2026 KAS Science Policy Committee meeting 08/12/2026 UK Sky Talk 08/13/2026 Incorporating Extreme Weather & Health in Kentucky K-12 Curriculums 08/13/2026 KY-INBRE Annual Research Conference - Abstracts due August 14 08/14/2026 Kentucky Paleontological Society Monthly Meeting 08/28/2026 Upcoming Events KAS Science Policy Committee meeting 07/08/2026 The Exchange: Data Centers 101 This seven-part series continues on: 07/08/2026 - part 6 07/23/2026 - Final Event Summer Seminar Series at Thomas More Biology Field Station 07/09/2026 07/16/2026 UK Sky Talk 07/09/2026 08/13/2026 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium 9/18- abstracts due by 7/10 07/10/2026 Exploring Human Anatomy - West Louisville Math & Science summer event 07/11/2026 Bench Talk: The Week in Science Podcast 07/13/2026, and every Mon 7:30pm, Tue 11:30am, Wed 7:30am and online Kentucky Paleontological Society Monthly Meeting 07/24/2026 08/28/2026 Raisin' Hellbenders on the River- Concert for Conservation 07/25/2026 KAS Education & Engagement Committee 08/07/2026 KAS Science Policy Committee meeting 08/12/2026 Incorporating Extreme Weather & Health in Kentucky K-12 Curriculums 08/13/2026 KY-INBRE Annual Research Conference - Abstracts due August 14 08/14/2026
KAS Newsletter* - July 2026