Apr. 14-15, 2026
Virtual Summit
Convening

2026 GRC Virtual Funding Summit

Colleagues from campuses across the country will receive the latest news on agencies and programs of interest to research administrators, faculty, and staff by exploring a range of funding opportunities and policy updates that can benefit your campus.

Register today.
AASCU's Grants Resource Center

Empower your campus with exclusive grant insights.

The summit’s agenda is packed with the latest grant information to support your campus’ mission, offering faculty and administration an opportunity to hear directly from a wide range of government funding agencies and private foundations. Sessions will highlight funding opportunities that can enhance campus programs, support faculty researchers, and improve student success. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to speakers from federal agencies and foundations. Member-led sessions will be available so participants can learn from their colleagues across the country.

Who should participate?

  • Sponsored research/programs officers
  • Faculty
  • Principal investigators
  • Project directors
  • Vice presidents of research
  • Provosts/chief academic officers
  • Deans and department chairs

How will you benefit?

  • Expand  knowledge of various funding programs
  • Hear real-time funding information from speakers
  • Gain best practices in the sponsored program space from fellow colleagues
Preliminary Schedule at a Glance


10:45–11:50 a.m. Welcome Address and Federal Update

  • Charles L. Welch, president and CEO, AASCU
  • John Patrick Walsh, assistant vice president for federal relations, AASCU
12-12:50 p.m. General Session:
Update from NSF’s Office of Award Management, Financial Assistance Requirements Branch (formerly Policy Office)

This session will cover new developments at NSF—programs, policies, and NSF reorganization efforts.

  • Xanthia James, program officer, National Science Foundation (NSF)
1–1:50 p.m. Concurrent Session:
National Endowment for the Arts

This session will cover funding for a range of arts projects that support education, community development, and public engagement. It will also feature a close look at grant programs that support research into the impact of the arts on American society.

  • Melissa Menzer, program analyst, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

Concurrent Session:
Science Organization Invited

2–3 p.m. Break
3–3:50 p.m. Member-led Session:
‘I’d Prefer Not To’: Engaging the Bartlebys in Grants Development at Your Institution
In this active-learning session we will crowdsource ways of persuading faculty and staff at state colleges and universities to consider pursuing grant funding when there aren’t a lot of incentives to do so. Through the use of polls and brief discussions, we’ll discover our common barriers and ways to overcome them.

  • Jennifer Deering, proposal development specialist, University of Central Arkansas
4–4:50 p.m. General Session: Education Organization Invited
11-11:50 a.m. General Session:
NIH Extramural Research Update

This session will address emerging issues associated with extramural research at NIH.

  • Jon Lorsch, deputy director for extramural research, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
12-12:50 p.m. Concurrent Session:
Fellowships Abroad

Attendees will learn about BSF opportunities for scientific research and collaboration with scientists in Israel across a wide range of scientific disciplines.

  • Heni Haring, assistant director, U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF)
  • Others TBA

Concurrent Session:
Humanities Organization Invited

1–1:50 p.m. Concurrent Session:
Science Research with the Dreyfus Foundation and Beckman Foundation

Attendees will learn about the latest funding opportunities from two leading foundations focused on supporting scientific research.

  • Ali Chunovic, senior program manager, Dreyfus Foundation
  • Anne Hultgren, executive director and CEO, Beckman Foundation

Concurrent Session:
Funding in Environmental Education and Conservation Research
Attendees will learn about private funding opportunities for climate research and applied research innovation funding to advance sustainable materials and waste management.

  • Suzie Boxman, senior director of programs, Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF)
2–3 p.m. Break
3–3:50 p.m. Concurrent Session:
USDA NIFA Food Safety, Nutrition, and Food Loss and Waste

Attendees will learn about funding opportunities and program priorities.

  • Sheila Fleischhacker, national science liaison – nutrition and food safety; acting USDA food loss and waste liaison, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Concurrent Session: Workforce Development Organization Invited

4–4:50 p.m. Keynote Address

  • Jack Hawkins, Jr., chancellor, Troy University (AL)

2023 GRC Virtual Summit

Questions about our virtual summit? Let us know.

"*" indicates required fields