Collaborative research grants return for third year
The Office of Research and Economic Development at Mississippi State again is investing in innovative mini-grants for faculty at the land-grant institution.
Now in its third year, the cross-college grant program brings together researchers from around campus and across disciplines to foster collaboration, according to the university administrator overseeing the initiative.
"We have been very pleased with the results so far, and are excited about the possibilities of year three," said Ray Vaughn, associate vice president for research and Giles Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering.
"Last year's efforts have yielded funded research proposals of approximately $13 million, with $11.6 million pending from external sources that make the initial cost well worth our investment," he added.
A $2,000 grant to each of the 40 teams will support the initiation of new proposals, as well as help enhance multi-disciplinary collaboration of existing projects, and also provide a second year of funding to 12 grant recipients.
"Providing faculty members additional opportunities to share ideas and work together to move their research forward is a priority for us," said David Shaw, MSU's vice president for research and economic development.
Participating teams, listed alphabetically by principal investigator, include:
--Michele Anderson, Sustainable Energy Research Center, "Year 2: Energy Institute Working Group";
--Kenneth Anthony; curriculum, instruction and special education department, "Cross College Collaboration to Increase Elementary Educators' Economic Efficacy";
--Grigoris Argeros, sociology department, "Examine the Neighborhood Effects of Socioeconomic Mobility, Health and Disability Outcomes Among Latinos in the Southern United States";
--Cindy Bethel, computer science and engineering department, "Robotic Systems Working Group and Psychosocial Robotics Working Group";
--Shanti Bhushan, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, "Wildfire Decision Support System";
--Daniel Carruth, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, "Year 2: Driver Behavior and Performance Working Group";
--Jan Chambers, College of Veterinary Medicine, "Survey of Biomarkers Related to Health Disparities in the Mississippi Delta Population";
--Renee Clary, geosciences department, "Utilization of Visualization Techniques to Draw Interdisciplinary Departments Together";
--Donna Clevinger, communication department, "Year 2: Shakespeare: From Page to Stage";
--Walter Diehl, biological sciences department, "Enhancing the Repertorium Chronicarum, a Bibliography of Medieval Latin Chronicles";
--Islam El-Adaway, civil and environmental engineering department, "Year 2: 2013 Working Group for Construction Ecology";
--Lyn Fogle, English department, "Language Teacher Identities and Ideologies: Addressing Teachers' Needs in Mississippi";
--James Giesen, history department, "Digitizing Historically Significant Materials in Science and Agriculture";
--Robert Grala, Forest and Wildlife Research Center/forestry department, "Improving Economic Resilience and Long-Term Competitiveness of Mississippi's Forest Products Sector";
--Alexis Gregory, School of Architecture, "Year 2: Service Learning for Architecture Students -- Designing a Habitat for Humanity House Prototype";
--Megan Elizabeth Holmes, kinesiology department, "Exercise is Medicine on Campus Program and Program Evaluation";
--Attila Karsi, College of Veterinary Medicine, "Catfish Health";
--Andreas Kavazis, kinesiology department, "Year 2: Doxorubicin and Cardiotoxicity";
--Tommy Leathem, building construction science department, "Engineering Theory and Practical Application: Bridging the Gap";
--Xiaopeng Li, civil and environmental engineering department, "Infrastructure and Livable Community";
--Jun Liao, agricultural and biomedical engineering department, "Year 2: Structural and Biomechanical Characterizations of Infarcted Heart Tissues";
--Shengfa Liao, animal and dairy science department, "Potential Collaborative Research on Dietary Modulation of Gut Microbial Population in Pigs";
--Job Lopez, biological sciences department, "Year 2: Animal Models and Ecology of Relapsing Fever Spirochetes";
--Karen McNeal, geosciences department, "Earth Systems, Education and Society;"
--Erdogan Memili, animal and dairy science department, "Enhancing Animal Biotechnology Using Computational Biology";
--Barton Moffatt, philosophy and religion department, "Year 2: Empirical Approaches to Research Ethics Working Group";
--Giselle Munn, Institute for Imaging and Analytical Technologies, "NeuroImaging for Real-World Task Performance";
--John Nicholson, communication department, "Examining STEM and non-STEM Differences in Communication Apprehension and Cortisol Levels";
--Julie Parker, human sciences department, "An Experimental Learning Garden: A Collaborative Approach to Child, Family and Community Well-Being";
--Kathleen Ragsdale, Social Science Research Center, "eBaby Research Group: Enhanced Early Infant Feeding and Care Among Teen/Young Mothers" and "Year 2: eHealth Risk Group: Risk Behavior Prevention Among Rural and Minority Youth";
--Donna Reese, computer science and engineering department, "Poising MSU for ADVANCE Funding";
--Rebecca Robichaux, curriculum and instruction department, "Addressing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics through Wildlife Science and Conservation";
--Scott Rush, Forest and Wildlife Research Center/wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture department, "A Framework for Prioritizing Tidal Marsh Conservation for the Northern Gulf of Mexico";
--Rebecca Schewe, sociology department, "Food Insecurity and Obesity Prevention Research Team";
--Bethany Smith; curriculum, instruction and special education department, "Using a Historically Significant Curriculum to Address Current Challenges in Science Education";
--Chih-Hsuan Wang, counseling and educational psychology department, "Enhancing Teaching and Learning in Mathematics and Statistics Through Mobile Devices";
--Heather Webb, kinesiology department, "Stress and Graduate Student Health: An Investigation of Possible Interventions";
--Ronald Williams, food science, nutrition and health promotion department, "Year 2: Health Impact Assessment of Local Community Health Initiatives";
--Song Zhang, computer science and engineering department, "Year 2: Early Detection of Myocardial Infarction in a Pig Model with Diffusion Tensor Imaging."
Jim Laird | University Relations
