Our monthly newsletter aims to highlight upcoming news and opportunities for our campus stakeholders. We seek to inform, engage, and inspire through regular updates, features, and communications. 

Volume 3 Issue I / 2026 August

August Research Review

 

 

Current News

New to WCU? We're Glad You're Here!

We are excited to welcome you to Western Carolina University, where curiosity, creativity, and collaboration drive our mission forward. Whether you’re joining us from graduate school, industry, or another academic institution, you are now part of a community that values scholarship, innovation, and the people behind it.

If you plan to engage in research, scholarship, or creative activities, we’ve developed a helpful resource to guide you through the essential first steps of establishing your research profile at WCU.

Get started here: New Faculty Research Guide

This resource includes information on:

  • Research compliance and required training
  • Internal and external funding resources
  • Grant development and proposal support
  • Research administration contacts
  • Additional tools and resources to support your scholarly activities

We look forward to supporting your success and helping you advance your research, scholarship, and creative endeavors at WCU.

Find Your Next Grant Opportunity

Looking for opportunities in your discipline? Visit Research CAT to browse funding opportunities by field of study: https://affiliate.wcu.edu/engagedresearch/find-funding/

Also, don’t forget to complete your college’s Grants Checklist before beginning proposal development. College-specific Grants Checklists are available through Research CAT and are linked below.

Faculty are also encouraged to contact the Pre-Award Team for assistance identifying funding opportunities, navigating college-specific requirements, and developing competitive proposals.

Samantha Ellithorpe at sellithorpe@wcu.edu

Matt Salerno at msalerno@wcu.edu

Need a Prior Action/Approval Request (PAR)? Start Early!

Many sponsor actions, including no-cost extensions, budget revisions, and changes in scope, require sponsor prior approval. The first step is to contact your Post Award team to determine requirements and develop the request strategy. PARs often require internal review and sponsor processing, which can take days or even weeks, so early engagement is key to avoiding project delays.

View our New Video for More Information!

You can also learn about individual PARs by visiting our Granting Success page for award & financial management at go.wcu.edu/research

Contact Kloo Hansen (kchansen@wcu.edu) or Cameron Lopez (clopez@wcu.edu) for assistance with PARs.

Academic Year Release Season Is Here!

PIs should have received an email detailing all personnel with Academic Year (AY) release effort beginning between August 1 and December 31, 2026, including project information, person months, salary replacement amounts, and effective dates. Please review and submit any approvals, comments, or requested changes as soon as possible. Our internal deadline for submission through Talent Management (TM) is September 4, 2026. A second round of notifications for release effort beginning between January 1 and May 31, 2027 will be distributed in November. If you anticipate a need for AY release on a sponsored project, please contact the Post Award team early to discuss options, requirements, and timelines.

Contact Kloo Hansen (kchansen@wcu.edu) or Cameron Lopez (clopez@wcu.edu) for assistance with PARs.

Compliance Updates: Fall Review Board Deadlines Approaching

Planning research involving human participants, animals, or recombinant/synthetic biological materials? Be sure to review upcoming IRB, IACUC, and IBC meeting and protocol submission deadlines and submit materials early to allow adequate time for review. Investigators are encouraged to take advantage of the help guides, templates, FAQs, and submission resources available on the ORA website to streamline the process. For questions, protocol planning, or assistance with submissions, please contact Kloo Hansen (kchansen@wcu.edu) or Billy Hutchings (wshutchings@wcu.edu). We’re here to help ensure your protocols are complete and ready for review.

See the Deadlines Here:

Compliance & Post-Award Hiring: New Sponsored Project Hiring Templates Now LIVE in Talent Management

ORA and Human Resources have launched new hiring features to streamline the onboarding of employees supported by externally funded projects. The updated features include a dropdown to select the type of funding source (Federal NIH/NSF, Federal Non-NIH/Non-NSF, & Non-Federal), and a required training attestation question on the job description templates. On hiring proposals, an optional document upload feature is now available that allows hiring managers to verify project-specific training certifications within the hiring proposal. These enhancements are designed to help ensure compliance with sponsor requirements while reducing guesswork during the hiring process. Help guides will be available to support implementation, and our Post-Award and Compliance teams are available to answer questions and provide guidance throughout the hiring process. If you work with sponsored project hiring, please don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance.

Compliance Reminder: Project-Specific Disclosures + New External Activities

As a reminder, WCU requires project-specific disclosures for externally funded activities. This means that even if you have a disclosure on file, you may still need to submit or update your disclosure when you take on a new sponsored project, especially when there are changes in your role, responsibilities, or funding source.

Additionally, if you begin any new external activity for pay (consulting, speaking engagements, paid advising, contract work, etc.), it must be disclosed through WCU’s conflict of interest process. These disclosures help protect both the investigator and the institution, and they ensure we meet sponsor requirements and reporting obligations.

For information, click the following link: project-specific conflict of interest training requirements.

We also have helpful How-To Guides shown below:

State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS)

The State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium is held each November at a host institution within the UNC and NC Independent Colleges and Universities systems. This statewide symposium started at NC State University and now rotates among public and private institutions of higher learning in North Carolina.

It has grown to be a large event for any undergraduate student in North Carolina to be able to present their research or creative work. Presentations can be posters, oral presentations, exhibits, or performances.

All undergraduate students enrolled in North Carolina colleges, universities, or community colleges and high school students who have completed a mentored research project through an accredited university or other Summer Ventures or research program are eligible to participate in SNCURCS. Presentations include Poster, Oral, Exhibit and Performance options.

SAVE THE DATE!

  • This year the SNCURCS conference will be held on November 7, 2026, at UNC Charlotte, in Charlotte, NC.
  • WCU will cover expenses for a select number of students.
  • Registration details coming soon!

Questions? Contact: Suzanne Melton (Research Programs Coordinator) scmelton@wcu.edu

Learn more about SNCURCS.

SoCon Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF) Application Open!

The Southern Conference (SoCon) Academic Exchange is proud to announce that the annual SoCon Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF) Conference will be held on October 9-10, 2026, on the campus of Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. This multidisciplinary conference will bring together approximately 150 student presenters from all ten colleges/universities of the SoCon for a two-day event that features projects in the arts and humanities, as well as the STEM disciplines.

Please note that there is no registration fee. WCU will cover expenses for a select number of students.

Key Dates:

  • Info Session: August 26, 2026 | 1:00–1:30 PM |https://wcu.zoom.us/j/81874565725
  • Application Deadline: September 14, 2026
  • Acceptance Notification: September 16 – 22, 2026
  • Mandatory Pre-Travel Meeting: September 30, 2026 | 9:30 – 10:30 AM
  • Poster Printing due to Hunter Library: October 1, 2026

Questions? Contact: Suzanne Melton (Research Programs Coordinator) scmelton@wcu.edu

Undergraduate Academic Project Grants Fall Cycle Opens Soon!

Academic Project Grants (APGs) support undergraduate research and creative work efforts at Western Carolina University. Any student or group of students working with a faculty sponsor is eligible to apply for a grant.

Funding Uses:

  • Equipment, materials, and supplies
  • Individual or group travel to present at conferences
  • Support for travel to NCUR

*Awards are competitive, with limited funds awarded

Important Dates:

Submission Portal Opens: August 17, 2026

 

Cycle Deadlines:

  • Cycle 1: September 24, 2026
  • Cycle 2: October 22, 2026
  • Cycle 3: January 21, 2027
  • Cycle 4: February 18, 2027

Visit the APG webpage for guidelines, templates, and the submission portal.

Questions? Contact: Suzanne Melton (Research Programs Coordinator) scmelton@wcu.edu

ResearchCAT Magazine: Volume II

The Graduate School & Research has released its annual research magazine. The third volume summarizes the fiscal year 2026 annual report of the Office of Research Administration (ORA), showcasing the pursuit of research, scholarship, and creative activities, as well as extramural sponsorship and initiatives.

Explore the Magazine!

Special Programs & More on ResearchCAT

We are excited to announce a new addition to the site: Special Programs & More. This page is your go-to for upcoming events, workshops, presentations, and special programming opportunities. Explore what’s new and stay connected.

Fall Proposal Opportunities: PSDA & FaRM Programs

The Office of Research Administration (ORA) will begin accepting proposals this fall for two key funding opportunities: the Provost’s Scholarship Development Awards (PSDA) and the Faculty Research Mentoring (FaRM) Program.

A formal call for proposals will be released on August 25, 2026, with submissions accepted until October 26, 2026, at 11:59 PM.

Stay tuned for more details and mark your calendars!

More information can be found here.

ORA Workshop Series

The Office of Research Administration (ORA) is excited to announce our Workshop Series for Fall 2026.

Our sessions include: 

  • Grants 101: designed for the entry-level knowledge-based faculty who want exposure to the world of grants. It covers the who, what, and how…a great place to start! 
  • Grant Seeking: designed to help faculty search and locate funding opportunities using the SPIN database and other grant-seeking resources

Register Now. Seats are limited.

The ORA is now on LinkedIn!

We are excited to share that the Office of Research Administration has launched an official LinkedIn page. Follow us to stay informed about new funding opportunities, important announcements, and the latest updates from our office. Join our growing community and stay connected with everything happening at the ORA.

Follow the ORA on LinkedIn

Follow ORA On Instagram!

The Office of Research Administration is on Instagram. Follow us!

Follow Undergraduate Research On Instagram!

Undergraduate Research is on Instagram. Follow us!

Announcing ResearchCAT Volume III

The third volume summarizes the fiscal year 2026 annual report of the Office of Research Administration (ORA) at Western Carolina University (WCU) in 2025-2026, showcasing the pursuit of research, scholarship, and creative activities, as well as extramural sponsorship and initiatives. 

READ Me

Announcing ResearchCAT Volume II

The second volume summarizes the fiscal year 2025 annual report of the Office of Research Administration (ORA) at Western Carolina University (WCU) in 2024-2025, showcasing the pursuit of research, scholarship, and creative activities, as well as extramural sponsorship and initiatives. 

READ Me

Announcing ResearchCAT Volume I Issue I

This inaugural issue of ResearchCAT highlights the activity of the Office of Research Administration at Western Carolina University (WCU) in 2023-2024. It catalogs the pursuit of sponsorship for research, programs, and other scholarly works.

READ Me

The Research Review Archives

Volume 3 Issue 1 / 2026 August

The Research Review – August 2026

Volume 2 Issues I-XIII / AY2025-2026

The Research Review July 2025

The Research Review August 2025

The Research Review-September 2025

The Research Review-October 2025

The Research Review-November 2025

The Research Review – December 2025

The Research Review – January 2026

The Research Review – February 2026

The Research Review – March 2026

The Research Review – April 2026

The Research Review – May 2026

The Research Review – June 2026

The Research Review July 2026

Volume 1 Issues I-III / AY2024-2025

The Research Review April 2025

The Research Review May 2025

The Research Review June 2025

Explore The Research Blog
Student Research

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