[Ored-listserv] Research Newsletter - October 20, 2025

[Office of Research and Economic Development]

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Dear Colleagues,

The semester is now in full swing, and it has been a busy and rewarding few weeks for research and creative activities at UC Merced. The UC Merced–LLNL Workshop was a great success, and it was a pleasure to see and speak with so many of you at the ORED Fall Welcome. There is much more to look forward to in the coming weeks including campus visits from the UC Observatories Director, Dr. Bruce Macintosh, and renowned climate scientist, Dr. Michael E. Mann.

This issue also includes new funding opportunities, guidance related to the ongoing federal shutdown, and congratulations to the three newest Agricultural Experiment Station faculty.

I hope to see you at Chancellor Muñoz’s State of the University address tomorrow.

Gillian


News
UC Merced – LLNL Workshop Highlights
On Thursday, October 2nd, ORED hosted the first in a series of UC Merced–Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Workshop. Attendees dove into cutting-edge topics ranging from Advanced Materials to AI to Smart Agriculture.  Thank you to all who attended and helped to make the day such a fantastic success. Please stay tuned for next steps.

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ORED Fall Welcome
On Monday, October 6th, ORED hosted its annual Fall Welcome event. The gathering featured remarks from Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. It was great to connect with ORED faculty and staff, share updates, and kick off the academic year together.

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Three Professors Joining UC Merced’s Agricultural Experiment Station
Three professors are joining UC Merced’s Agricultural Experiment Station<https://aes.ucmerced.edu/> this fall. Management of Complex Systems Professor Crystal Kolden<https://engineering.ucmerced.edu/content/crystal-kolden> will focus on the intersection of agriculture and wildfire, Public Health Professor Andrea Joyce<https://publichealth.ucmerced.edu/content/andrea-joyce> will work on sustainable, environmentally friendly agricultural insect management and Life and Environmental Science Professor Josh Garcia<https://es.ucmerced.edu/content/joshua-garcia> will examine plant-soil-microbe interactions.

For more information, visit the full article: UC Merced Agricultural Experiment Station Adds Fire, Insect and Soil Researchers<https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2025/uc-merced-agricultural-experiment-station-adds-fire-insect-and-soil-researchers?utm_source=chatgpt.com>.


Upcoming Events
UC Merced to Host Stargazing Night with UC Observatories Director

On Thursday, Oct. 23rd, UC Merced will host a free public event featuring a lecture by Dr. Bruce Macintosh, director of the UC Observatories. He will present, “Beyond the Solar System: The Search for Distant Worlds and Alien Earths”, exploring exoplanet-hunting technologies and future telescopes. Afterward, the UC Merced Astronomy Club will lead a telescope viewing session under the campus skies. The event is free and open to all. For more information and to RSVP, please visit the following link<https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2025/uc-merced-host-stargazing-night-director-uc-observatories>.

Sierra Nevada Research Institute – Distinguished Climate Speaker Series: Dr. Michael E. Mann
On Monday, Nov. 17th, in the Dr. Vikram and Priya Lakireddy Grand Ballroom, the Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI) will host renowned climate scientist, Dr. Michael E. Mann for his talk, “From Prediction to Reality: How Climate Science Warned Us, and What Comes Next.” Dr. Mann will discuss groundbreaking climate research, the warnings science has provided about today’s challenges, and actionable solutions for a sustainable future. The event is open to the public, with advance registration required. For more information and to register, please visit snri.ucmerced.edu/events/dcssmm<https://snri.ucmerced.edu/events/dcssmm>.


Funding Opportunities
CITRIS AIC Program Expands to Five $200K Awards
CITRIS, in collaboration with CDSS, is excited to announce the expansion of the AIC program to five awards of $200,000 each. Made possible by the generous support of Matt and Lisa Sonsini, this program offers UC faculty not only financial support but also mentorship, coaching, and fundraising opportunities. Last year, awardees included faculty from UC Davis and UC Merced, and this year the program remains open to proposals from all UC campuses.
Full Proposals Due: October 31, 2025
For more information and to apply, visit: CITRIS AIC Awards<https://citris-uc.org/labs-programs/citris-aic-awards/?utm_source=chatgpt.com>

USDA-NIFA-AFRI FY26 – Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program
This program supports grants in six priority areas to advance knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences related to agriculture and food systems. New for FY26, eligible New Investigators can apply for seed or standard grants.
Application deadlines: October and November 2025 (depending on program area)
For more information, visit: USDA-NIFA AFRI FY26<https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2025-08/FY26-AFRI-FAS-RFA-2P.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com>

UC-UABC Call for Proposals 2025: Binational Research Funding

Alianza MX is inviting joint proposals between UC campuses and UABC on topics such as sustainable food systems, binational food security, mental health in vulnerable contexts, and energy transition & critical materials sustainability. UC investigators may request up to USD 25,000 per year for two years, plus additional support for travel to binational workshops.
Full Proposals Due: December 5, 2025

For more information and to apply, visit: UC-UABC Call for Proposals 2025<https://alianzamx.universityofcalifornia.edu/research-and-innovation/uc-uabc-call-for-proposals-2025/?utm_source=chatgpt.com>

DOD FY26 Department of the Navy (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program
This program aims to increase the participation of HBCU/MIs in the Navy's research, development, test, and evaluation programs. It strengthens the capabilities of these institutions to conduct basic and applied research and enhances STEM programs.
Full proposals due: December 12, 2025, by 5:00 PM ET
For more information, visit: DoN HBCU/MI Program<https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities/fiscal-year-fy-2026-department-navy-don-historically-black?utm_source=chatgpt.com>

NSF – Translation to Practice (TTP) Program
This program focuses on real-world applications of STEM research, including accelerated product development and services maturation. There are three tracks available: TTP-Explore, TTP-Translate, and TTP-Partner.
Upcoming deadlines: TTP-T & TTP-P: January 20, 2026 & May 19, 2026 and TTP-E: Rolling through April 1, 2026
For more information, visit: NSF Translation to Practice (TTP)<https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/nsf-ttp-national-science-foundation-translation-practice?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery>

NIH Stephen I. Katz Early Stage Investigator Research Project Grant (R01) – PAR-25-322
This grant supports Early Stage Investigators proposing innovative research projects that represent a change in research direction and do not require preliminary data. Applications must include a separate attachment describing the change in research direction. Clinical trials are not accepted under this funding opportunity.
Upcoming deadlines: February 26, 2026
For more information, visit: NIH PAR-25-322<https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-25-322.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com>


Guidance on Federal Government Shutdown Impacts

The Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) has provided guidance on how the ongoing federal government shutdown is affecting sponsored projects at UC Merced. During the shutdown, federal agencies have paused new awards, supplements, and amendments that require agency action, and delays are expected for proposal reviews, reimbursements, and other processes. Work on active awards may continue, though payments could be delayed. SPO and PPFM will proceed with submissions and reimbursement requests as long as federal systems remain operational.

Researchers are encouraged to continue work on active awards, exercise discretion in spending, and plan around tasks that require federal approvals or access to federal facilities. For questions or assistance, contact SPO at spo at ucmerced.edu<mailto:spo at ucmerced.edu> or join daily virtual office hours<https://ucmerced.zoom.us/j/89808101582?pwd=T0I0eTJSSmRXbnlLZTVJU1gzMHZZUT09> from 10–11 a.m. and 2–3 p.m.

For complete details and ongoing updates, please review UCOP’s guidance<https://ucop.edu/research-policy-analysis-coordination/policies-guidance/federal-government/shutdown/index.html>.


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