Office of Research & Creative Activity
Mission and Organization
The mission of the Office of Research & Creative Activity at Western Kentucky University is to provide outstanding support for the research, service, creative, and scholarly endeavors of our faculty, staff, and students. Our staff is dedicated to partnering with the university community to increase external support for these activities, while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.
Our unit includes the Office of Sponsored Programs and the Office of Research Integrity. The Office of Sponsored Programs is a service unit that assists the faculty and staff at WKU in obtaining and administering external funds. The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) provides guidance to protect the rights, welfare, and security of individuals involved in research at WKU and its surrounding communities, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
ORCA also oversees a variety of programs and initiatives that provide support for research, creative and other scholarly enterprises at WKU including:
Program for Faculty and Staff
Research & Creative Activity Program (RCAP)
Programs for Students
At Western Kentucky University, students work alongside talented faculty in cutting-edge research, service, creative, and scholarly endeavors. We challenge our students to be active agents in their education in order to be equipped with the skills and experiences necessary for ensuring success in their future careers. We provide resources, such as our Faculty Undergraduate Student Engagement (FUSE) internal grant, and opportunities to showcase projects, like the annual Spring Student Scholar Showcase.
Students may explore more of these opportunities at WKU here.
Current News Items
Office of Research and Creative Activity Newsletter
Mar 31st, 2025
WKU will host the 55th Annual Student Scholar Showcase on Saturday, April 5, featuring 233 graduate and undergraduate research projects, including 149 posters/exhibits and 84 oral presentations/performances, held in DSU....
View ArticleAdditional Resources
Notify the Office of Sponsored Programs of your intent to submit your proposal.
Applied Research and Technology Program (ARTP)
ARTP Centers foster interdisciplinary research that does not easily fall within a single department.