[{"_1":2,"_95":-5,"_96":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,85],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6041373,"mediaKeyId","3724086-bb0da2699f4b7d4ddfe4659bb9ff4a57","parentId",3724086,"title","NIU chemistry professor says research-led teaching and NSF scholarships boost student success","audioSeconds",664,"startMs",3392000,"endMs",4056000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3724086-bb0da2699f4b7d4ddfe4659bb9ff4a57&start=3392&end=4056","thumbnailUrl","https://d352y6ypj4mjo3.cloudfront.net/AudioPlaceholder.png","articleUrl","/articles/6041373/Illinois/NIU-chemistry-professor-says-research-led-teaching-and-NSF-scholarships-boost-student-success","mediaUrl","author","Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees","date","2025-05-08T00:00:00Z","article","Professor Ralph Wheeler told trustees that integrating research with classroom teaching gives students real-world context and helps improve graduation and career outcomes. He used his lab’s work on battery safety and ionic liquids to illustrate how student research projects connect to professional development and workforce preparation.

Wheeler, who the board later identified as the 2025 recipient of a Board of Trustees professorship, described an NSF-funded scholarship program that provides financial and social-emotional support to STEM majors. “The original $1,000,000 grant served 48 students,” he said, and “the grant of $2,000,000 will serve another 68 students.” He said those scholarships flow directly to students’ bursar accounts and that the program includes weekly peer meetings, professional-development activities and company site visits.

The nut graf: Trustees heard specific program details and student testimony that NIU faculty said demonstrate how externally funded research and scholarship programs can broaden participation, support students who work while attending school and build regional workforce capacity.

Wheeler described how his research group uses experimental data and computational models to study liquids used in batteries and how that research informs hands-on projects for undergraduates and graduate students. He shared a student testimonial that credited the scholarship program with enabling a student’s career trajectory.

Trustees responded with praise and personal reflections about how small research experiences shaped their own paths. Wheeler urged board members to help broaden funding support beyond federal grants; he said it was his “dream to move this scholarship program off of federal funding to foundation or corporate support” and expressed hope university leadership and partners could scale successful programs.

Ending: Wheeler closed by thanking trustees and asking for help expanding support; trustees congratulated him and noted the award of the board professorship.

","mediaType","Audio","parentTitle","5/8\tResearch and Innovation, Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee","oneSentenceSummary","Professor Ralph Wheeler described how research projects, NSF scholarships and industry partnerships support undergraduate and graduate student success, and gave trustees details about two federal grants that fund scholarship and support programs for STEM students.","taxTitle","Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees, Agencies, Executive, Illinois","taxId",37530,"location","Illinois","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":50,"_51":82,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6041378,"NIU legislative staff say community college baccalaureate bill advancing with guardrails; appropriations advocacy ongoing",236,2578000,2814000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3724086-bb0da2699f4b7d4ddfe4659bb9ff4a57&start=2578&end=2814","/articles/6041378/Illinois/NIU-legislative-staff-say-community-college-baccalaureate-bill-advancing-with-guardrails-appropriations-advocacy-ongoing","Katie Davidson, NIU’s state relations director, updated the Research and Innovation Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee on the university's work in Springfield and on the community college baccalaureate (CCB) legislation.

Davidson said she and university leaders prepared testimony for NIU’s appropriations hearings before the Illinois Senate on April 22 and the House on April 24 and emphasized NIU’s contributions to workforce development, affordability and regional innovation. “Our priorities were clearly communicated and university leadership represented NIU with distinction before both committees,” Davidson said.

The nut graf: Trustees were told the CCB bill has moved through negotiations and now includes an amendment that university staff say places guardrails on program numbers and scope to avoid duplication with four-year institutions; the amendment was being sent to the Legislative Reference Bureau for drafting.

Davidson said NIU supports the concept of the bill as amended and praised President Freeman’s testimony at a subject-matter hearing on April 30. She told trustees the amendment “includes key guardrails limiting both the number and scope of CCB programs and ensuring alignment with four-year institutions,” and that final drafting was expected to be completed by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

She also reported ongoing, high-touch outreach to state officials and credited NIU students and alumni who testified in Springfield — noting a Rockford Promise scholar who testified at the House hearing and helped illustrate the impact of state investment.

Trustees asked a technical question about a chart in Davidson’s packet showing five-year submission trends by funding source; Davidson said the missing state data for fiscal year 25 was a charting error and committed to correcting the record. She also described NIU’s continued monitoring of other bills that could affect the university, including financial aid, student mental health, admissions and DEI-related policy proposals.

Ending: Davidson said she will continue to monitor the legislative schedule through the projected adjournment on May 31 and provide updates to trustees; she invited questions and spelled out next steps for final bill drafting and advocacy.

","NIU’s state relations director told trustees the university has been active in Springfield pushing the FY26 operating and capital requests and that the community college baccalaureate bill now includes an amendment with guardrails limiting program number and scope.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":50,"_51":92,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":93,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":94,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6041384,"NIU officials warn federal research funding cuts and F&A caps could erase millions and affect graduate students",1715,177000,1892000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3724086-bb0da2699f4b7d4ddfe4659bb9ff4a57&start=177&end=1892","/articles/6041384/Illinois/NIU-officials-warn-federal-research-funding-cuts-and-FA-caps-could-erase-millions-and-affect-graduate-students","Northern Illinois University research leaders told trustees on the Research and Innovation Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee that recent federal actions to pause or cap university overhead have already cost the university awarded grants and placed graduate students at risk.

Richard Makarski, NIU's vice president for research and innovation partnerships, said federal agencies have taken steps that created immediate uncertainty for university research. “The national funding average rate last year was 9.1%,” Makarski said, describing how competitive grant funding is and how lengthy applications and reviews can be. He added, “Our research rate on campus is 52.5% F&A.”

The nut graf: Trustees heard that agency-level moves — including a temporary pause announced by the Office of Management and Budget and recent agency decisions to cap facilities and administration costs at several research funders — have led to canceled awards and required the university to find emergency resources and new funding paths.

Makarski told trustees that NIU has “lost a number of grants totaling $7,350,000 in awards,” and that about $2,600,000 of that sum remained unspent on those grants when the cancellations occurred. He said 29 students, “mostly graduate students,” have been affected. Makarski described the university’s F&A process and why F&A matters: it covers lab safety, compliance, contracting, facilities and the staff who invoice sponsors and administer awards.

Trustees asked how long the university could sustain programs hit by cancellations and what contingency plans were in place. Makarski said NIU is pursuing a multipronged strategy: standing up an office of research development to work one-on-one with faculty on proposals, the Husky Frontiers effort to pursue industry and foundation support, and coordination with national higher-education organizations and the university foundation to identify bridge funding. “We are doing everything we can to pivot and find other funding sources,” he said.

Committee members pressed for detail on the causes of cancellations. Makarski said cancellations to date have often cited priorities tied to diversity, equity and inclusion or agency reprioritization; he noted several agency actions are currently under injunction. Julia Roe, NIU’s federal relations lead, told the committee that the White House President’s budget request (PBR) proposed large cuts to discretionary programs and that the PBR “includes a 15% cut to the Department of Education” and steep reductions to some research programs, including a cited “55% cut to NSF.” Roe said those are White House proposals and that congressional appropriations work had not been completed.

Trustees and university leaders discussed the practical effects of a hypothetical F&A reduction. Makarski said a cut to a 15% F&A rate would be “untenable” and estimated that a full cut to 15% would cost the university “over 2 and a half million dollars annually.” He said NIU's federal portfolio represents roughly half of the university’s external funding, and that while foundation and state funders are sometimes less restrictive, the federal government is the largest single research funder.

The university has communicated with federal and state partners and has been providing individualized support to affected faculty and students: Makarski said the campus has held more than 50 meetings with faculty who have at-risk grants, maintains a behind-the-firewall FAQ and convened a senior leadership team to coordinate bridge funding and response. He also said NIH and other agencies had paused or sought to change F&A policies — actions some universities have challenged in court — and that NIU provided data to national organizations seeking temporary restraining orders.

Ending: Trustees directed continued monitoring and asked the administration to provide updates on student impacts and on specific bridge-funding steps. Makarski and federal-relations staff said they would continue to work through national coalitions, the university foundation and state and federal representatives to mitigate impacts and pursue alternative funders.

","University research leaders told the Research and Innovation Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee that recent federal actions to pause or cap facilities and administration (F&A) costs have already led to lost awards at Northern Illinois University, affecting students and forcing new strategies to replace federal support.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

NIU chemistry professor says research-led teaching and NSF scholarships boost student success

NIU legislative staff say community college baccalaureate bill advancing with guardrails; appropriations advocacy ongoing

NIU officials warn federal research funding cuts and F&A caps could erase millions and affect graduate students