Nov. 2, 2026
The University of Missouri’s Division of Research, Innovation and Impact awarded the first round of 2026-27 Research Council grants to 14 faculty members who submitted proposals in August.
Their projects reflect the remarkable depth and breath of Mizzou research and creative scholarship. Some investigate aspects of sleep health, family farm succession, heat stress in pigs, bovine embryo development and the effects of ableism on women with disabilities. Others focus on identifying protein biomarkers after spinal fusion surgery, uncovering early cellular changes in polycystic kidney disease, measuring plant mobility and documenting fossils in Knob Noster, Missouri.
The Research Council Committee accepts applications four times a year for internal grants up to $15,000 that support work leading to book contracts, juried theatre and music performances, art exhibits, peer-reviewed articles and the generation of pilot data to strengthen proposals for external funding.
Soyon Park, assistant professor of plant science and technology in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, studies how parasitic plants like Cuscuta interact with their host plants, research that could ultimately lead to new ways of protecting and improving crops.
She says Cuscuta uses dynamic growth and coiling to locate and attach to hosts, yet it’s movements remains difficult to quantify.
“Although plant movement has been recognized for a long time, it remains relatively understudied, even with recent advances in AI,” Park says. “We applied for this Research Council grant to track plant movements, develop mathematical models and analyze movement patterns.”
Faculty who applied for the second round of Research Council grants in October will receive notification of awards by Dec. 11.
There are two more opportunities to apply for funding through InfoReady. Deadlines are Jan. 19 and March 22. For more information, please email Internal Funding staff.
Below are investigators with newly awarded grants.