MAY 6, 2026

Dear colleagues, 

Commencement week is upon us—the culmination of years of hard work and study for our undergraduate and graduate students. UConn’s campuses are ready to welcome the many visiting guests, and our students’ excitement is contagious. And as we take time to recognize the academic achievements of our students, it is fitting to remember that these accomplishments were only possible because of your collective commitment to making UConn the place that it is. No matter your role or level of direct impact on any student graduating, please know this “graduation season” is a testament to your work and efforts. All of us at UConn contributed.  

When I joined the OVPR three years ago, I had to stop teaching on a regular basis. The change brought an unexpected challenge: I don’t “feel” the cycles of the academic year as naturally as I did for my previous 24 years in academia. The anticipation, the surges of effort, the breaks, and, like this week, the resolution – the opportunity to take a breath, reflect on all that has been accomplished, and see the “fruit” of the university’s work. I battled internally with this “loss” last week, but I reached a resolution with myself that I hope to share with you all.  

If you want to stay in touch with what this time of year means for our community, lean into it! Attend a graduation ceremony even if you don’t have to be there. Watch the graduates posing for photos and reflect on the work that it took to bring to this point. They did it. We did it. Every single one of us contributed to this week. We have all used our energy and skills to push the engine that fuels the university. Whether you help maintain labs, manage grants, help our university stay in compliance, publish revolutionary thoughts, or conduct life-changing research, you’ve been a part of these efforts. Celebrate it. And use this energy to refuel for another year. 

In this spirit of celebration, I’m excited to share with you several accomplishments of our hard-working OVPR team that we hope will make your days a bit easier in the future. Our Sponsored Programs Services team, working closely with i3, has launched several researcher-facing dashboards and tools this year, including the much requested Pre-Award Dashboard. They are working toward building similar dashboards and tools for IACUC and IRB, including finally moving IACUC to electronic submissions! They are also working on improving our effort reporting systems to make this easier and more understandable for all involved.  

We are also celebrating the completion of our new Business Development for Individual Faculty Researchers pilot program, a multimodal instructional program that combines classroom-style learning with skill-based professional development and personalized matchmaking. Utilization of our Research Development Services and Research Communications services are at an all-time high, and we are expecting to launch new bridge funding (EMERGE Phase 3) and research impact award programs very soon.  

There are many more wins like this, both within the OVPR and around the University, that we could recognize.  As the academic year ends, I want to thank everyone who helps make UConn’s research engine run smoothly and productively. Let’s enjoy this season of celebration together as Huskies—see you all at commencement! 

Thank you for all you do,

Lindsay J. DiStefano, Ph.D., ATC, FNATA 

Interim Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship 
UConn | UConn Health 
Professor 
Department of Kinesiology
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Department of Public Health Sciences 

Congratulations to UConn professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Daniel Bolnick, who has been named to the latest class of members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. The group recognizes leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research, and science. 

Congratulations to all the participants in this symposium! Your research helps shed light on a sorely needed medical field, and we at the OVPR are grateful for your work.

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has awarded a prestigious prize to UConn Physics Professor Thomas Blum. The Humboldt Research Award honors German scientists making significant impacts on their fields. Blum is one of 100 recipients worldwide. 

Blum will be on sabbatical in the fall and will carry out research projects with fellow collaborators in Germany. Congratulations on this award, and we wish you continued success!  

NIH Policy Update 

NIH recently issued NOT-OD-26-064, which eliminates the Continuous Submission policy and revises the Late Application Submission Policy. Continuous Submission will be accepted only through August 10, 2026, and the updated late submission policy will apply to applications with due dates on or after May 25, 2026. Late applications may be considered within two weeks of the original due date if there are documented extenuating circumstances affecting the PD/PI.

The OVPR has recently announced changes in how academic travel funding for eligible members of the Storrs/Regional Campus AAUP bargaining unit will be processed. Changes include: 

Importantly, the funding parameters and eligibility criteria have not changed. Only the administrative office managing the process has changed. 

A new webpage is now available with application timelines, guidelines, and eligibility information: UConn HR Faculty Travel Funding webpage 

All academic travel funding applications and related communications should be directed to HR, not OVPR. HR has established a dedicated email for travel-related questions: facultytravel@uconn.edu. 

During this transition period, two application options are available:

The application for travel during the spring 2027 semester will open on November 1, 2026. 

The OVPR would like to hear from you!  Please share questions and ideas using this short webform. We will answer one to two questions with each communication. 

Question: I am hoping to use AI more frequently with my research. Are there restrictions at UConn? 

Answer: Thank you for this important question. There are several factors you need to keep in mind in order to safely use AI for research purposes.  

First, please keep in mind data security concerns when choosing an AI platform. If you are using AI tools for work purposes, particularly if you are using any UConn data, please make sure you are using a platform that is licensed by UConn so that University data remain protected. There is a free version of Copilot Chat available for UConn users. UConn investigators can purchase an upgraded version of Copilot for Microsoft 365 ($160/year) and ChatGPT ($236/year). Access to AI engines is restricted to ensure the safeguarding of our valuable intellectual property and to stay in compliance with federal rules and regulations. For example, Claude is currently prohibited with national security work. There is a UConn AI taskforce that is aiming to develop more options and capabilities for our faculty.  

Second, please keep in mind the implications of AI for research integrity. UConn does not currently have a policy specific to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research. However, as with any powerful and evolving tool, AI must be used ethically, responsibly, and in full compliance with applicable research integrity standards. 

Improper use of AI may raise concerns related to research misconduct, including fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism. In particular, the use of AI to generate or substantially draft proposals to funding agencies, or to create, alter, or manipulate research images or data, may meet the definition of research misconduct if not properly disclosed and managed. Investigators remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of work. 

We encourage all investigators to exercise careful judgment when using AI tools and to consult with the Office of Research Integrity if they have questions.  A few specific points to be aware of are:   

From Steven Ortiz, OVPR Facility Security Officer 

Welcome to this Research Security Education update, highlighting a current and emerging elicitation threat we were made aware of by our federal partners targeting personnel involved in SBIR/STTR Program awards. Adversaries are leveraging publicly available award data to identify and directly contact researchers, engineers, and program staff with the goal of extracting sensitive, non-public technical information. This activity is occurring across academia nationwide, making it especially important for university researchers, graduate students, and lab personnel to understand the risk and how to respond. 

The SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) programs are federal funding mechanisms designed to support innovation and move research from concept to commercialization. 

SBIR focuses on funding small businesses to develop new technologies; STTR specifically requires collaboration between a small business and a non-profit research institution, such as a university. 

Because of this, academic researchers -- especially those publishing, presenting, or listed on award documents -- are highly visible and attractive targets for adversaries seeking early-stage or pre-publication technical insights. 

Nontraditional Email Elicitation Targeting Researchers 

Recent reporting indicates that nontraditional collectors are actively targeting SBIR/STTR participants, including those in university settings. These actors exploit open-source platforms such as SBIR.gov to identify projects, companies, and individual researchers working on advanced or sensitive technologies. 

How This Looks in an Academic Setting 

This tactic is designed to feel normal and even flattering in a university environment: 

You might receive an email referencing your published research, lab work, or funded project.

The sender may present themselves as a researcher, collaborator, or industry professional.

Questions may resemble peer-level academic inquiry, making them seem legitimate.

Graduate students or junior researchers may be targeted directly, especially if listed online.

How the Tactic Works 

Target Identification: Adversaries use publicly available data (grant listings, lab websites, publications) to identify researchers and ongoing projects. 

Initial Contact: An unsolicited email arrives from a non-attributable account (e.g., Gmail, ProtonMail), often referencing your specific project to build credibility. 

Elicitation Through Technical Questions: The sender asks detailed, technical questions that go beyond normal academic curiosity, such as: 

Shift to Unmonitored Channels: The actor may attempt to move the conversation to platforms like WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram to avoid institutional oversight. 

Recognizing the Signs of Elicitation 

Be alert for the following red flags:

In academia, where collaboration is encouraged, these approaches can be easy to overlook; but intent matters more than tone. 

How to Respond 

If you suspect an elicitation attempt:

Key Reminder: Academic Collaboration vs. Exploitation 

Legitimate collaborators: 

Adversaries, on the other hand, rely on informality, curiosity, and academic openness to extract information gradually. 

Why This Matters Across Academia 

This is not an isolated issue; it is a growing trend affecting universities across the U.S. Researchers at all levels, from senior faculty to graduate students, are being targeted because academic research is often cutting-edge and pre-commercial; much of it is publicly discoverable, making targeting easier; and collaboration norms can lower suspicion thresholds.

Your vigilance helps protect not only your own work, but also your institution, research partners, and broader national security interests. 

Reporting 

As always, contact the UConn Research Security Office at researchsecurity@uconn.edu or Facility Security Officer fso@uconn.edu with any concerns or questions.  If you suspect an Insider Threat is taking place, you can also file an anonymous report at compliance.uconn.edu. 

If you encounter any issues such as foreign talent program approaches, suspicious requests for information, or potential breaches of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), it's crucial to report them through the proper channels to ensure swift action and maintain compliance. First, you should notify the Principal Investigator (PI) of your project immediately. The PI can help assess the situation and determine the appropriate next steps to safeguard the research. Additionally, it is important to contact UConn’s Facility Security Officer (FSO) at fso@uconn.edu The FSO handles matters related to research security and will provide guidance on addressing potential risks concerning CUI. 

You can also report concerns directly to UConn’s University Compliance Office. They offer a confidential and secure way to report any suspicious activity or potential compliance violations. You can visit their Reporting Concerns page for more information or to submit a report. Reporting promptly ensures that research security risks are properly addressed, protecting both the project’s integrity and compliance with federal regulations. 

Open Nominations for CT Women of Innovation Awards – Through May 18

Nominations are currently open for the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) 2026 Women of Innovation awards, recognizing women innovators, role models, and leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) across the state. 
Nominations are open through May 18; nominators must complete and submit the Women of Innovation Nomination Form at www.ct.org/womenofinnovation by midnight on May 18. 

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