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University Funded Scholarship

The UFS program has been redesigned for FY27 following a significant rubric and guideline updates. Please carefully review the updated guidelines.

Overview

Eastern Kentucky University, through the Office of Sponsored Programs & Research Administration, provides support for faculty and professional librarians to engage in research and creative activities. It is important to note that the goal of this program is to help advance research so that it will be more competitive for future external funding opportunities. University Funded Scholarship (UFS) funding is competitively awarded based on the review and recommendation of the University Research Committee (URC). The URC is an interdisciplinary committee of faculty with representation from all colleges.

The UFS program’s funding priorities include support for tenure-track faculty in establishing a research program as the basis for future external funding requests, and support for faculty who have maintained a productive research program and have continually sought external funding for their research.

UFS awards are intended to provide seed funding for faculty preparing an application for an external research grant. Funding may be requested to support student workers as research assistants, purchase equipment and supplies needed for the research, cover travel expenses associated with the research, or reassigned time or summer salary in accordance with the program guidelines. Faculty may request up to $15,000 for the Major Awards, and up to $3,000 for the Mini Awards.

The 2026/2027 Academic Year submission deadline is Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM.

To submit your application, please navigate to InfoReady, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select the appropriate opportunity: Major Award or Mini Award.

Internal Funding Reporting Forms

Budget Revision and Project Extension Requests
For details, eligibility criteria, and submission instructions regarding budget revisions or project extension requests, please refer to the current award cycle guidelines.

Progress Reports
For details, reporting requirements, and submission instructions regarding progress reports, please refer to the current award cycle guidelines.”

Committee Members

The University Research Committee (URC) is charged with reviewing applications and making funding decisions for the University Funded Scholarship program. The committee is composed of full-time faculty representing each academic college. Members are appointed for three-year terms (or shorter if replacing a member prior to term expiration).

Terms Expiring in 2027:
Brian Simpkins, CJSMS
Melinda Moore, CLASS
Heather Campbell, CEAHS
Jason Fry, CSTEM

Terms Expiring in 2028:
John Harter, COB
Eric Fuchs, CHS
Jade Robinson, CEAHS
Smita Joshi, CSTEM

Terms Expiring in 2029:
Amy Nichols, CLASS
Sara Brito, CHS
Travis Walkowiak, COB
Shijin Kozhumal, CJSMS

Ex-Officio Non-Voting Chair:
Ryan Baggett, Dean of Graduate Education & Research Administration
Anne Cizmar, Associate Dean of Research Administration

Recent University Funded Scholarship Awards

Spring 2026 Award:

  • Tracy Cook (Parks, Recreation, Exercise, and Sports Science). A Descriptive Study of Peri-Menopausal, Menopausal and Post- Menopausal Avid Recreational Cyclists $14,985.

Fall 2025 Awards:

  • Ajila Matheyambath (Chemistry and Forensic Science). Screening of Microbial Enzymes from Spent Grain for the Degradation of Microplastics $2,500.
  • Alan Franklin  (Psychology). Seeing Isn’t Believing: A Personal Construct Theory Workshop to Improve Deepfake Detection $2,912.
  • Ashlee Davis, Travis Altheide, Jason Marion (Environmental & Public Health, Administration, and Medical Sciences). Legionella in Windshield Wiper Fluid and Air: Assessing Emerging Sources and Methods for Exposure Detection $14,963.
  • Ashlee Smethers, Scott Townsend  (Education). Understanding the perceptions of students, teacher candidates, volunteers, and families for an inclusive STEM summer camp for K-6th students with and without disabilities $3,000.
  • David Brown (Biological Sciences). The Effect of Imidacloprid on Red Maple Syrup Production $2,757.
  • Greg Gorbett  (Fire Protection and Paramedicine Sciences). Experimental investigation for the forensic analysis of R600A (Butane) refrigerant in residential refrigerators in the United States $2,926.
  • Jamie Fredericks (CFOR). Evaluating a novel collection device for DNA touch recovery from fabrics $15,000.
  • Jason Miller (Education). Informing Teacher Recruitment and Hiring: Teacher Preparation Students’ Job Searches, Hiring Processes, and Employment Outcomes $14,991.
  • John Brent, Rodney “Allen” Copenhaver (Justice Studies). Taking Stock: An Organizational Assessment of Law Enforcement Agencies $14,914.
  • Jonathan Gore, Kendall Simpson (Psychology). Who I Am: The Link between Self-Definition and Sex Hormones $5,632.
  • Kendall Simpson (Biological Sciences). Improving Health Outcomes for African American Males via Combination Therapy in vitro $11,715.
  • Laura Rowe (Chemistry and Forensic Science). Comparing the chemical and microbial diversity of extreme aquatic environments $15,000.
  • Michael Moore (Biological Sciences). Family dinner: refining non-lethal diet analysis techniques for darter species to set the table for the conservation of their endangered relatives $4,615.
  • Ryan Perrin (Physics, Geosciences, and Astronomy). Boltzspynn: A Framework for Modeling Electrostatically Gated Spin Transport $14,326.
  • Sangwook Kang (Applied Human Sciences). Bridging Food Insecurity and Culinary Education: A USDA-Funded Food Preservation and Regional Partnership Initiative $3,000.
  • Timothy Jansky, Jason Miller (Education). Evaluating Preservice Teachers’ Reflection Through AI-Mediated Dialogue $15,000.

2024-2025 Awards:

  • Calie, Pat (Biological Sciences). Determination of fungal gene content in Starship elements. $4,996.
  • Dash, Prosanta (Agriculture). Particle Film Technology: Alternative to Chemical Pesticides for Controlling European Corn Borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner) and Enhancing Bell Pepper Yields. $5,000.
  • Makecha, Radhika (Psychology). Psychology Conservation Education Using Elephant Cognition: A Follow Up (Dissemination Support). $500.
  • Moser, Rachel (Art and Design). Just as it Strikes You. $3,950.

2023-2024 Awards:

  • Brisman, Avi (Justice Studies). Fact and Fiction in J.G. Ballard’s Climate Change Novels. $7,060.
  • Dodd, Luke (Biological Sciences). Dissemination Support: Attempted Predation of Live-captured Neotoma magister (Allegheny Woodrat) by Strix varia (Barred Owl) and Buteo jamaicensis (Red-tailed Hawk) in Kentucky. $216.
  • Green, Amanda (Language & Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology) and Abbigail Hickey (Applied Human Sciences). EKU Food Studies Lab. $928.
  • Mott, Cy (Biological Sciences). Carry-over effects of predation risk on aposematic coloration in juvenile salamanders. $1,998.

2022-2023 Awards:

  • Anyanwu, Ogechi (History, Philosophy and Religious Studies). Unhealed Wounds: The Nigerian Civil War and the Mbano Experience in Southeastern Nigeria, 1967-1970. $5,711
  • Kenealy, Jessica (Agriculture) Off the Beaten Path: A first glance at the feral horses of Appalachia and their intestinal parasites. $6,789.
  • Rowe, Laura (Chemistry). Probing Microbial Diversity in Extremophile Environments. $6,392.
  • Saulnier, Stephanie and Stevenson, Erin (Social Work). Social Connectedness and Interpersonal Skills Pilot Project. $3,702.
  • Simpkins, Brian and Napier, Trenia (Safety and Security) Countering Mis-, Dis-, and Malinformation. $5,850.
  • Spira, Geela (Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy). Daily life experiences of Tanzanian people with deafness viewed with an occupational justice lens in comparison to the lived experiences of occupational science and occupational therapy students. $1,502.
  • Su, Lixun (College of Business – Marketing). Nurturing Verses Natural Meaning of Colors. $1,243.
    White, John (Physics, Geosciences, and Astronomy). Volcanic History of Mount Locke, MacDonald Observatory (Davis County), Texas. $1,514.
  • Zyzak, Li Li (Chemistry). Improving the Flavor of Plant-Based Hamburgers Through Mechanistic Studies. $7,426.

2021-2022 Awards:

  • Dodd, Luke (Biological Sciences). Occupancy of Allegheny Woodrat and Incidence of Raccoon Roundworm along the Pine Mountain Wildlands Corridor. $9,635.
  • Endonino, Jon (Languages & Cultures, Anthropology, and Sociology). EKU Archaeology Field School Blood Protein Residue Analysis and Radiocarbon Dating. $3,000.
  • Jarvis, Thomas (Physics, Geosciences, and Astronomy). Laser Surface Processing of Wood for Food Industry Applications. $9,646.
  • Makecha, Radhika and Nakai, Yoshie (Psychology). Conservation Education Using Elephant Cognition. $7,450.
    Mott, Cy (Biological Sciences). Characterizing optimal within-species body size variation in an aquatic predator. $2,996.
  • Park, Jiyeon and Gremp, Michelle (Learning, Teaching, and Educational Leadership). Integrating Assistive and Instructional Technology into Higher Education. $10,000.
  • Peters, Valerie (Biological Sciences). Testing priority plant species in tropical pollinator community assembly. $9,960.
  • Stevenson, Erin (Social Work). Resilience, Social Support, and Academic Achievement Among First-generation College Students. $2,999.

2020-2021 Awards:

  • Brown, David (Biological Sciences). Comparison of drumming Ruffed Grouse detection probabilities between human observers and autonomous recording units. $2,954.
  • Brown, Gary and Marion, Jason (Environmental Health Science). Sunburn Prevention and Sun Protection Habits and Attitudes among Lifeguards. $1,000.
  • Bundy, Myra Beth (Psychology). Assessment of the Effect of Two Different Reinforcement Schedules on Participation in a Middle/High School Virtual Mentoring Program for Students of Color. $3,000.
  • Fleischer, Anne (Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy). Online Cancer-Related Fatigue Management. $7,466.
  • Fry, Jason (Physics and Astronomy). A Neutron Detector Array for Time Reversal Experiments. $7,657.
    Hayes, David (Biological Sciences). Impacts of Bourbon Distillation Activities on Crayfish Gut Microbial Communities. $2,960.
  • Kelley, Tricia and Cogdill, Chad (Communication). The Hoax Media Project. $2,601.
  • Kenealy, Jessica (Agriculture). Reviving a tradition: Optimization of the larval culture method for diagnosis of Strongylus vulgaris. $2,989.
  • Page, Christen (Communication Disorders). Student Clinicians’ Views of Telepractice and In-person Service Delivery. $2,972.
  • Richter, Stephen (Biological Sciences). Population dynamics and feeding ecology of copperheads across varying habitat and environmental conditions. $2,981.
  • Su, Lixun (Management, Marketing & International Business). How does culture keep consumers vulnerable? $3,000.
  • Szekely, Ilona (Art and Design). Making and Teaching Art During the Pandemic. $2,935.
  • Tran, Cynthia (Chemistry). Face and Fire: Improving the Collection of Ignitable Liquid Residues using Activated Charcoal Face Peels. $3,000.
  • Watson, Kelly (Geosciences). Assessing the health and diversity of the EKU urban community forest. $2,903.
  • White, John (Geosciences). High-resolution 40Ar/39Ar chronostratigraphy of the Montagna Grande Shield Volcano, Pantelleria (Sicily Channel), Italy. $3,000.