Hobart And William Smith Colleges

HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES HEERF- INSTITUTIONAL PORTION

HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES HEERF STUDENT AID

CROSSING BOUNDARIES AND EXPLORING BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

CLIMATE CONTROL OF EATON/LANSING RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING LABS

MRI: TRACK 1 DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE OPTIC CRYSTALLINE COATING CHARACTERIZATION INSTRUMENT (LOCCCI) FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS -THIS AWARD SUPPORTS RESEARCH IN RELATIVITY AND RELATIVISTIC ASTROPHYSICS, AND IT ADDRESSES THE PRIORITY AREAS OF NSF'S WINDOWS ON THE UNIVERSE BIG IDEA. GRAVITATIONAL WAVE ASTROPHYSICS IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING FRONTIERS IN SCIENCE.? STATES THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES DECADAL SURVEY (2020). THIS AWARD WILL HELP ACHIEVE A KEY ADVANCEMENT IN SENSITIVITY FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS AND HELP RESOLVE A NOISE SOURCE THAT HAS LIMITED THE FIELD FOR THE PAST TWO DECADES. SINCE 2015, THE LASER INTERFEROMETER GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE OBSERVATORY (LIGO) HAS DETECTED OVER 90 EVENTS, INCLUDING THE INSPIRAL AND COALESCENCE OF BINARY NEUTRON STAR AND BINARY BLACK HOLE SYSTEMS. THE MOST RECENT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DETECTOR PROMISE NEW OBSERVATIONS ON A WEEKLY BASIS. NEVERTHELESS, LIGO?S SENSITIVITY REMAINS LIMITED BY COATING THERMAL NOISE (CTN). THE RESEARCH FUNDED BY THIS AWARD WILL ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRYSTALLINE MIRROR COATINGS, WHICH COULD REDUCE CTN BY A FACTOR OF 10 COMPARED TO THE CURRENT MIRROR COATINGS. THIS SIGNIFICANT ADVANCEMENT IN SENSITIVITY WILL ALLOW THE DETECTION OF MANY MORE EVENTS AT MUCH HIGHER SENSITIVITY. GRAVITATIONAL WAVE OBSERVATIONS HAVE INFORMED AND INSPIRED A BROAD RANGE OF ASTRONOMERS, PHYSICISTS, STUDENTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. MANY PEOPLE ARE INTRIGUED BY BLACK HOLE AND NEUTRON STAR OBSERVATIONS AND THEIR FASCINATION HELPS RAISE THE PUBLIC?S SCIENTIFIC AWARENESS. THIS AWARD WILL TRAIN UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH SKILLS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO RESEARCH AND TO TECHNICAL AREAS IN THE BROADER ECONOMY. THE TEAM WILL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD PROVIDING THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DISENFRANCHISED. FINALLY, THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED IN THIS RESEARCH WILL ADVANCE THE AREAS OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVE ASTROPHYSICS, PRECISION OPTICS, AND THE MATERIALS SCIENCE OF LOW-DISSIPATION MATERIALS. MIRROR COATING THERMAL NOISE (CTN) LIMITS THE SENSITIVITY OF CURRENT INTERFEROMETRIC GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS IN THE CENTRAL FREQUENCY BAND (THE REGION OF HIGHEST SENSITIVITY). THE CURRENT MIRROR COATING TECHNOLOGY OF ION BEAM SPUTTERED (IBS) AMORPHOUS OXIDES, WHICH IS USED ON ALL CURRENT GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS HAS, OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, SEEN ONLY MODEST GAINS IN REDUCING THE ELASTIC LOSS THAT GENERATES CTN. FORTUNATELY, CRYSTALLINE GAAS/ALGAAS COATINGS (HEREAFTER ALGAAS COATINGS) MEET LIGO?S STRINGENT OPTICAL REQUIREMENTS AND HAVE A CTN ESTIMATED TO BE 10 TIMES LOWER THAN THE CURRENT ADVANCED LIGO COATINGS. THIS GAIN IN SENSITIVITY WILL GENERATE A DRAMATIC JUMP IN EVENT RATE, WHICH INCREASES AS THE CUBE OF THE SENSITIVITY RANGE. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW NEARBY EVENTS TO BE OBSERVED WITH VERY HIGH SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO, WHICH MAY PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO THE STRUCTURE OF NEUTRON STARS AND ADDITIONAL TESTS OF GENERAL RELATIVITY. FINALLY, CRYSTALLINE COATINGS EXCEED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL PLANNED FUTURE GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS. THUS, THIS AWARD FUNDS AN ADVANCEMENT IN INSTRUMENTATION THAT WILL BENEFIT THE FIELD FOR DECADES. HOWEVER, CHALLENGES REMAIN AS ALGAAS COATINGS ARE BIREFRINGENT, EXPERIENCE CRYSTAL DEFECTS, AND HAVE ONLY BEEN MADE IN SMALL DIAMETERS. THIS AWARD WILL FUND THE LOCCCI INSTRUMENT THAT WILL ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOW-NOISE, LARGE-DIAMETER, CRYSTALLINE COATINGS FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS. THE LOCCCI INSTRUMENT WILL BE INITIALLY USED TO TEST THESE COATINGS AT LARGE DIAMETERS (20 CM) FOR BIREFRINGENCE NOISE, CRYSTAL DEFECT DENSITIES, AND SURFACE UNIFORMITY. THIS INVESTIGATION WILL THEN INFORM MANUFACTURING IMPROVEMENTS AND ULTIMATELY JUSTIFY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 30 CM COATINGS THAT WILL BE DEPLOYED IN THE DETECTORS. THIS INSTRUMENT WILL ALSO TEST THAT THE PRODUCTION COATINGS CONFORM TO DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND STUDIES

HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES WILL CONTROL THE AQUATIC INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES HYDRILLA VERTICILLATA WITHIN 30 ACRES OF CAYUGA LAKE. THIS INVASIVE PLANT IS EXTREMELY FAST-GROWING, CREATING THICK MATS OF VEGETATION WHICH OBSTRUCT BOATING, FISHING AND SWIMMING, AND DESTROY SPAWNING SITES FOR NATIVE FISH. SHORELINE PROPERTY VALUES CAN BE DIMINISHED IN AREAS WHERE THIS INVASIVE HAS TAKEN OVER. THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ABOUT 1,100 COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: REU SITE--NORTHEAST PARTNERSHIP FOR ATMOSPHERIC AND RELATED SCIENCES (NEPARS)

THE GRANTEE WILL REMOVE WATER CHESTNUT FROM 43 ACRES IN NEW YORK STATE'S LAKE ONTARIO AND LAKE ERIE BASINS THROUGH HAND PULLING, MECHANICAL HARVEST,

MULTI-SCALE INTERACTIONS INFLUENCING LAKE-EFFECT SYSTEMS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ADAPTIVE AND NONADAPTIVE MECHANISMS OF PHENOTYPIC EVOLUTION IN RESPONSE TO URBANIZATION

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ONTARIO WINTER LAKE-EFFECT SYSTEMS-SURFACE AND ATMOSPHERIC INFLUENCES ON LAKE-EFFECT CONVECTION (OWLES-SAIL)

ACQUISITION OF AN INSTRUMENT NETWORK TO INVESTIGATE ZOOPLANKTON DORMANCY IN THE FINGER LAKES OF NEW YORK.

TO CONTINUE THE REMOVAL OF GIANT HOGWEED IN THE NY COUNTIES OF MONROE WAYNE LIVINGSTON ONTARIO SENECA YATES SCHUYLER STEUBEN CAYUGA TOMPKINS ONONDAGA AND MADISON

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EPIIC: EMPOWERED -- BUILDING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE TOGETHER -THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT ACROSS THE FOLLOWING INSTITUTIONS: HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON, ALBANY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY & HEALTH SCIENCES, MONTGOMERY COLLEGE, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CUMMINGS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, AND OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. ACCORDING TO THE US BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, OVER THE NEXT DECADE, STEM OCCUPATIONS ARE FORECAST TO GROW FASTER THAN THE TOTAL FOR ALL OCCUPATIONS, LEAVE A TALENT SHORTAGE FOR INDUSTRIES TO FILL NEARLY 3.5 MILLION STEM JOBS BY 2029. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A GROWING DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT STEM STUDENTS LEARN IN COLLEGE AND WHAT EMPLOYERS EXPECT NEW GRADUATES TO BE ABLE TO DO. SOME EMPLOYERS FIND RECENT GRADUATES LACK SOFT SKILLS LIKE PROBLEM SOLVING, CRITICAL THINKING, AND WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION; OTHERS FIND STUDENTS TO BE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS NEEDED FOR THEIR DAY-TO-DAY WORK. THIS COLLABORATIVE EPIIC PROJECT DEFINES A PROCESS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AT THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROJECT. COHORT INSTITUTIONS WILL WORK TOGETHER GROW INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS, IMPROVE ALIGNMENT OF PROGRAM CURRICULA WITH INDUSTRY NEEDS, AND ENHANCE FACULTY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. THROUGH THIS EPIIC PROJECT, THE COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS WILL BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO FIND OUT WHAT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ARE NEEDED FOR STEM JOBS IN THEIR FIELDS. THE COHORT WILL USE THIS INFORMATION TO MODIFY AND ENHANCE COLLEGE COURSES AND CURRICULAR STRUCTURE WITH INDUSTRY NEEDS IN MIND SO STUDENTS ARE PREPARED FOR JOBS RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE. AT THE SAME TIME, SKILLS TRAINING FOR FACULTY MUST BE PROVIDED SO INSTRUCTORS ARE PREPARED TO TEACH THE ENHANCED COURSE CONTENT AND MULTIPLE DEGREE PATHWAYS MUST BE CREATED SO STUDENTS WITH DIVERSE PREPARATION AND LIFE SITUATIONS WILL GRADUATE. PROJECT PARTICIPANTS WILL ALSO COMMUNICATE TO STUDENTS CLEARLY AND EFFECTIVELY ABOUT HOW AND WHY THEIR EDUCATION WILL PREPARE THEM FOR THE STEM CAREERS THEY WANT, THUS BUILDING THE WORKFORCE THIS COUNTRY NEEDS. EACH ACADEMIC INSTITUTION IN THE DIVERSE COHORT, WHICH INCLUDES TWO SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES, TWO 2-YEAR TECHNICAL COLLEGES, A PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE STATE UNIVERSITY, AND A 4-YEAR COLLEGE OFFERING SPECIALIZED UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE DEGREES, HAS DEVELOPED AN INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROCESS. THE PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS WILL EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND WORK TOGETHER AS A COHORT TO ENHANCE EACH INSTITUTION'S CAPACITY FOR BUILDING EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS. THIS PROCESS WILL POSITION THE INSTITUTIONS TO FURTHER DEEPEN ENGAGEMENT WITH INDUSTRY AND ENHANCE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR REGIONAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATION OF ANTITUBULIN HETEROCYCLES USING SYNTHESIS, BIOLOGY, AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS - TUBULIN IS A PROTEIN INVOLVED IN MICROTUBULE FUNCTION, INCLUDING MITOSIS, CELL SHAPE, MIGRATION, AND MOVEMENT OF ORGANELLES. TUBULIN INHIBITORS ARE USED IN CANCER TREATMENTS; HOWEVER, THE CURRENT INHIBITORS TEND TO BE COMPLEX MOLECULES, AND SUFFER FROM TOXICITY ISSUES, MULTI-DRUG RESISTANCE, LOW SOLUBILITY, AND/OR THE LACK OF MULTI-CANCER EFFICACY. THE OVERALL AND LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO USE HYPOTHESIS-DRIVEN RATIONAL DRUG DESIGN TO DEVELOP NOVEL HETEROCYCLIC TUBULIN POLYMERIZATION INHIBITORS. USING A ROBUST, INTERDISCIPLINARY MENTORING RESEARCH PROGRAM WITH UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS, WE PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED PY-407-C, A FURANONE-CONTAINING MOLECULE THAT PREVENTED TUBULIN POLYMERIZATION AND HAD NANOMOLAR TOXICITY ON CANCER CELLS. OUR 3 INDEPENDENT BUT COMPLEMENTARY GOALS ARE AS FOLLOWS. FIRST, WE WILL CHARACTERIZE PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED PY MOLECULES FOR (A) TUBULIN BINDING BY MOLECULAR MODELING, (B) CONCENTRATION NEEDED TO INHIBIT TUBULIN POLYMERIZATION COMPARED TO KNOWN INHIBITORS, AND (C) BINDING TO NON-TUBULIN PROTEINS IN ORDER TO ASSESS SPECIFICITY. SECOND, WE WILL EMPLOY RATIONAL DRUG DESIGN TO IDENTIFY NEW HETEROCYCLIC TUBULIN INHIBITORS VIA A HYPOTHESIS-DRIVEN, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RATIONAL DRUG DESIGN LOOP OF (1) MODELING, (2) FROM WHICH WE WILL DESIGN AND SYNTHESIZE NEW FURANONE-BASED TARGETS, AND (3) ASSAY THE RESULTANT COMPOUNDS FOR CYTOTOXICITY. BIOLOGICAL RESULTS WILL THEN DRIVE NEW SYNTHETIC TARGETS TO BE MODELED, AND THE LOOP WILL BE REPEATED. THIS AIM IS INNOVATIVE IN THAT A MULTI-PI PROPOSAL INVOLVING THE WORK OF 3 LABS AT 2 DIFFERENT PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS (PUIS) WILL BRING TOGETHER DIFFERENT AREAS OF EXPERTISE TO TUBULIN INHIBITOR DESIGN. FURTHERMORE, MANY OF THESE APPROACHES AND METHODS ARE PARTICULARLY INNOVATIVE AT A PUI. THIRD, WE WILL APPLY AND DEVELOP MODULAR SYNTHETIC METHODS THAT GIVE ACCESS TO DESIGNED ANTI-TUBULIN HETEROCYCLES THROUGH TWO PARALLEL SYNTHETIC STRATEGIES BY: (1) APPLYING AND EXTENDING OUR PUBLISHED WORK WHILE (2) INVESTIGATING INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES THAT EMPLOY C-H ACTIVATION, THUS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVING RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AND POTENTIALLY EXTENDING THE SUBSTITUTION PATTERNS AVAILABLE FOR ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS (INCLUDING NH INDOLE DERIVATIVES). OF NOTE, ALL AIMS ARE INDEPENDENT AS AIM 2 CAN BE PERFORMED WITH COMPOUNDS MADE IN AIM 3 OR BY OUR PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED SYNTHETIC ROUTES. OVERALL, WE WILL PERFORM BASIC RESEARCH TO IMPROVE ANTICANCER AGENTS WHILE TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: REU SITE: MICROPLASTIC SOURCES, SINKS, TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ACROSS THE FINGER LAKES WATERSHED -MICROPLASTIC?TINY PARTICLES, FILMS AND FIBERS OF PLASTIC SMALLER THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH IN LENGTH?ARE EVERYWHERE IN THE ENVIRONMENT. THEY ARE FOUND IN SOIL, DRINKING WATER, FOOD, AIR, AND EVEN RAIN AND SNOW. MICROPLASTIC COMES FROM IMPROPERLY DISPOSED PLASTIC WASTE THAT BREAKS DOWN IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND FINDS ITS WAY INTO THE HUMAN BODY THROUGH THE AIR WE BREATHE, THE FOOD WE EAT, AND THE WATER WE DRINK. SCIENTISTS AREN?T YET SURE WHETHER MICROPLASTICS HARM HUMANS, BUT ONE STUDY PUBLISHED IN 2024 SHOWED THAT MICROPLASTICS IN ARTERY-CLOGGING PLAQUE CONTRIBUTED TO AN INCREASE RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND STROKE. BEFORE AMERICANS CAN PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM MICROPLASTIC CONTAMINANTS, THEY MUST UNDERSTAND WHERE MICROPLASTIC COMES FROM AND HOW IT MOVES THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS RESEARCH FOCUSES ON IDENTIFYING HOW MICROPLASTICS ENTER COMMUNITY DRINKING WATER RESOURCES IN THE FINGER LAKES OF NEW YORK STATE, HOW MICROPLASTICS MOVE THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENT, AND HOW THESE PARTICLES, FILMS, AND FIBERS INTERACT WITH MICROBES AND OTHER WATER CONTAMINANTS. MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE RESEARCH ITSELF, THIS PROJECT PROVIDES MENTORED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLEGE SOPHOMORES. STUDENTS SPEND FIVE WEEKS IN THE FIELD IN UPSTATE NEW YORK LEARNING HOW TO DESIGN A RESEARCH PROJECT AND COLLECT DATA. THEN THEY WILL TRAVEL TO NEW YORK CITY TO USE STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT TO EXAMINE THE MATERIAL THEY COLLECT. THEY WILL ANALYZE THEIR DATA AND LEARN HOW TO COMMUNICATE THEIR FINDINGS TO A VARIETY OF AUDIENCES, AND WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR RESULTS AND NETWORK AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES. STUDENTS WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN WORKSHOPS ON LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND PREPARING FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL. THIS PROJECT WILL BUILD THE SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE THROUGH AUTHENTIC HANDS-ON RESEARCH WITH FACULTY MEMBERS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS AND HAVE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE SUCCESSFULLY MENTORING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH. THIS PROJECT OFFERS MENTORED, INTERDISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR SOPHOMORES THAT COMBINE COMPLEMENTARY PERSPECTIVES AMONG GEOSCIENCE, CHEMISTRY, AND BIOLOGY. THESE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES WILL CAPITALIZE ON THE RESOURCES (E.G., FIELD SITES AND ANALYTICAL EQUIPMENT) OF TWO INSTITUTIONS WITH STRONG CULTURES AND TRACK RECORDS MENTORING UNDERGRADUATES IN RESEARCH. THE PROJECT WILL HOLISTICALLY DEVELOP YOUNG SCIENTISTS BY CREATING A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE PARTICIPANTS CAN DEVELOP CONFIDENCE AND LEARN COLLABORATIVE SKILLS, WHILE WORKING CLOSELY WITH NEAR-PEER AND FACULTY MENTORS TO LEARN THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE. MENTORED PROJECTS WILL FOCUS ON MICROPLASTICS?MM-SIZED FRAGMENTS, FIBERS OR FILMS OF SYNTHETIC POLYMER?IN THE AIR, WATER, SOIL, AND ORGANISMS OF THE FINGER LAKES WATERSHEDS OF NEW YORK STATE. MICROPLASTICS ARE UBIQUITOUS IN FRESHWATER ENVIRONMENTS AND ARE RECOGNIZED AS AN EMERGING CONTAMINANT. MANY BASIC QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH, MAKING MICROPLASTIC A FRUITFUL SYSTEM FOR RESEARCH AND MENTORSHIP. THE FINGER LAKES OFFER WELL-DOCUMENTED WATERSHEDS WITH A VARIETY OF LAND USES, ALLOWING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH STUDENTS TO EXPLORE MICROPLASTIC SOURCES (E.G., STREAMS, THE ATMOSPHERE, WASTEWATER ETC.), SINKS (E.G., SEDIMENT), AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS (E.G., ON ORGANISMS, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ADHESION). THIS PROJECT COMBINES FIELD SITES IN THE FINGER LAKES (HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES), ANALYTICAL RESOURCES AT THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK (E.G., GC/MS, FTIR, SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY), AND SEVEN FACULTY MENTORS WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE GUIDING UNDERGRADUATES IN ORIGINAL RESEARCH. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

SYNTHESIS OF ANTICANCER HDAC INHIBITOR NATURAL PRODUCTS AND ANALOGS

AN RUI PROPOSAL TO STUDY THERMAL NOISE AND BILINEAR NOISE IN LIGO AND ADVANCED LIGO

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CAN HUNDREDS OF UNLINKED LOCI REALLY RESOLVE RECENT, RAPID RADIATIONS OF PLANT SPECIES?

DESCRIPTION:HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES WILL WORK WITH THEIR SUBAWARDEE YATES COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT ($132,600) TO CREATE WETLAND DETENTION BASINS TO HYDROLOGICALLY RECONNECT THE ABANDONED CROOKED LAKE CANAL TO THE KEUKA LAKE OUTLET.ACTIVITIES:THIS PROJECT WILL STABILIZE 4.3-MILES OF THE CANAL WILL REDUCE PHOSPHORUS INPUTS TO SENECA LAKE BY 1,521-POUNDS ANNUALLY AND MITIGATE FLOODING IN THE HEADWATERS OF THE OSWEGO RIVER WATERSHED - LAKE ONTARIO'S LARGEST SUBWATERSHED. THE PROJECT IS AN INNOVATIVE EXAMPLE OF REPURPOSING ABANDONED INFRASTRUCTURE TO YIELD ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS. SUBRECIPIENT:THE SUBAWARD AGREEMENT TO YATES COUNTY SWCD WILL SUPPORT THE SWCD PROJECT STAFF TIME ASSOCIATED WITH SURVEYING, PERMITTING ASSISTANCE, AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND THE PROCUREMENT OF THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES FOR THE PROJECT.OUTCOMES:THE COMMUNITIES OF THE TOWN OF MILO AND TOWN OF TORREY, NEW YORK WILL BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED WATER QUALITY IN THE SENECA LAKE WATERSHED DUE TO REDUCED NUTRIENTS AND SEDIMENT RUNOFF.

AN RUI PROPOSAL TO INVESTIGATE THERMAL NOISE AND HIGHER-ORDER STATISTICAL NOISE IN INITIAL AND ADVANCED LIGO

REU SITE: HWS-REU: DISCOVERING MATHEMATICS IN NEW YORK STATE

HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES WILL CONVENE A WORKGROUP OF RESOURCE MANAGERS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS OF THE AQUATIC INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES, NITELLOPSIS OBTUSE. THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP PREVENTION STRATEGIES, REFINE CONTROL TECHNIQUES, AND ENHANCE SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL ACTIVITIES.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: MULTI-SCALE STUDY OF LAKE BREEZES AND THE IMPACT OF MARINE BOUNDARY LAYERS ON CONVECTION IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION

RUI: INVESTIGATIONS OF MIRROR COATINGS FOR A+ AND THIRD GENERATION GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS

RUI: PROPOSAL TO INVESTIGATE COATING AND SUBSTRATE THERMAL NOISE FOR ADVANCED AND NEXT GENERATION GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS

OLFACTORY DEVELOPMENT IN MOTHS: A NOVEL SYSTEM FOR STUDYING PATTERN FORMATION, CE

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: REU SITE--NORTHEAST PARTNERSHIP FOR ATMOSPHERIC AND RELATED SCIENCES (NEPARS)

RUI: DEVELOPING CONVERGENT SYNTHESES OF COMPLEX NITROGEN HETEROCYCLES

NEW METHODOLOGY FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF HIGHLY FUNCTIONALIZED NITROGEN HETEROCYCLES

RUI: CONTINUING STUDIES OF THE KINETICS AND MECHANISM OF THE REACTION OF ALLYL HALIDES AT INDIUM SURFACES

GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE HEMLOCK FOREST CONSERVATION IN FINGER LAKES STATE PARKS

RUI: QUARTET-BASED APPROACHES TO PHYLOGENOMICS

TUES: TRANSFORMING CELL BIOLOGY AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY THROUGH INCORPORATION OF THE HDACI CANCER THERAPEUTIC LABORATORY PROJECT

RUI: INVESTIGATE THERMAL AND UPCONVERSION NOISE FOR ADVANCED LIGO AND THIRD GENERATION DETECTORS

RUI: FUNDAMENTAL STUDY OF THE KINETICS AND MECHANISM OF THE REACTION OF ALLYL BROMIDES AT INDIUM SURFACES

FULBRIGHT-HAYS GROUP PROJECTS ABROAD

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ALGAAS COATINGS FOR GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE DETECTORS -THE GOAL OF NSF'S LIGO GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS IS TO EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE BY OBSERVING THE ASTRONOMICAL GRAVITATIONAL WAVES THAT WERE FIRST DESCRIBED BY EINSTEIN OVER A CENTURY AGO. LIGO IS CURRENTLY OBSERVING A GRAVITATIONAL WAVE EVENT ABOUT ONCE EVERY TWO WEEKS. THIS AWARD IS TO DEVELOP IMPROVED MIRRORS FOR THE LASER-BASED DETECTOR THAT WILL ALLOW MORE OBSERVATIONS OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVES, BOTH MORE FREQUENTLY AND FROM ASTRONOMICAL SOURCES THAT ARE RARER AND/OR FARTHER AWAY. GRAVITATIONAL WAVE OBSERVATIONS WILL HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND THE UNIVERSE, AND SPECIFICALLY CURRENT MYSTERIES INCLUDING THE SOURCE OF DARK MATTER, THE NATURE OF DARK ENERGY AND THE EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE, AND WHETHER EINSTEIN?S DESCRIPTION OF GRAVITY CONTINUES TO WORK AT VERY HIGH STRENGTHS LIKE IMMEDIATELY AROUND A BLACK HOLE. DEVELOPING BETTER MIRRORS FOR LIGO WILL ALSO ADVANCE THE TECHNOLOGY USED FOR MIRRORS IN RELATED PRECISION TIMING TECHNOLOGIES AND LASERS. THIS CAN HELP WITH A NUMBER OF PRECISION MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES USEFUL IN MANY FIELDS AND APPLICATIONS. THE PIS WILL TRAIN STUDENTS IN STEAM RESEARCH AREAS. THIS AWARD IS PART OF THE EFFORT TO REDUCE COATING THERMAL NOISE, THE LIMITATION TO LIGO?S SENSITIVITY WHICH DOMINATES THE LOWEST NOISE MID-FREQUENCY BAND. FOR LIGO'S A# UPGRADE AND THE FUTURE COSMIC EXPLORER DETECTOR CRYSTALLINE GAAS/ALGAAS COATINGS ARE BEING DEVELOPED BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE BEST THERMAL NOISE PROPERTIES KNOWN AND HAVE OPTICAL PROPERTIES COMMENSURATE WITH THE BEST CURRENT COATINGS. WITH ALGAAS COATINGS THE PREDICTED EVENT RATE FOR LIGO A# WILL INCREASE BY 3-4 TIMES OVER THE PREVIOUS A+ UPGRADE. THIS CONTRASTS WITH 1.5-2 TIMES THE EVENT RATE INCREASE EXPECTED WITH ION BEAM-DEPOSITED AMORPHOUS OXIDE COATINGS. SUCH IMPROVED SENSITIVITY WILL DELIVER A SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO (SNR) OF MORE THAN 200 FOR BINARY BLACK HOLE SOURCES LIKE GW150914 AND MORE THAN 300 FOR BINARY NEUTRON STAR SOURCES LIKE GW170817. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR BETTER DETERMINATIONS OF BLACK HOLE SPIN, BETTER TESTS OF ALTERNATIVE THEORIES OF GRAVITY, IMPROVEMENT IN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE NUCLEAR EQUATION OF STATE FROM NEUTRON STAR MERGERS, AND A BETTER EXPLANATION OF OBJECTS IN THE MASS GAP BETWEEN BLACK HOLES AND NEUTRON STARS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

MODERN GEORGIA: POLITICS, ECONOMY, CULTURE

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: MACROEVOLUTION OF A GROUP OF PLANT SECONDARY DEFENSE COMPOUNDS (PYRROLIZIDINE ALKALOIDS) IN THE DOGBANE AND MILKWEED FLOWERING PLANT FAMILY (APOCYNACEAE)

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: MAPPING SMALL AND LARGE SCALE MAGNETIC FIELDS ON LOW MASS STARS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CENTER FOR COATINGS RESEARCH -THE CENTER FOR COATINGS RESEARCH (CCR) FOCUSES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED MIRROR COATINGS FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS, A NEW AND BOOMING FIELD OF OBSERVATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS. BY REDUCING MECHANICAL LOSS AND THUS THERMAL NOISE IN MIRROR COATINGS, THE PROJECT AIMS TO ENHANCE THE SENSITIVITY OF COSMIC EXPLORER (CE), THE PROPOSED THIRD GENERATION GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTOR. THIS RESEARCH HOLDS SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE AS IT EXPANDS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE BY ENABLING OBSERVATIONS OF COSMIC EVENTS, SUCH AS THE COLLISION OF REMNANTS FROM THE FIRST STARS. MOREOVER, THE PROJECT HAS BROADER IMPACTS ON PRECISION MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY, BENEFITING AREAS LIKE PRECISION TIMING, QUANTUM INFORMATION, LOW NOISE INTERFEROMETRY, AND THE SEARCH FOR DEVIATIONS IN THE GRAVITATIONAL INVERSE-SQUARE LAW. THE OUTCOMES OF THIS RESEARCH CAN ALSO HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SEMICONDUCTOR, LASER, AND QUANTUM COMPUTING COMMUNITIES, AS CORRELATIONS BETWEEN MECHANICAL LOSS AND OTHER LOSS MECHANISMS ARE EXPLORED. ADDITIONALLY, THIS COLLABORATION BETWEEN MATERIALS SCIENCE AND GRAVITATIONAL WAVE COMMUNITIES PROMOTES EDUCATION AND DIVERSITY, PROVIDING RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AT DIFFERENT EDUCATION LEVELS AND ADVANCING THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP MIRROR COATINGS THAT MEET THE MECHANICAL AND OPTICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN CE. THROUGH EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE INTERFEROMETER ARMS FROM THE CURRENT 4 KM TO 20 AND/OR 40 KM SYSTEMS, CE'S OBSERVATIONAL REACH WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED. TO FULLY UTILIZE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE, IMPROVEMENTS ARE NECESSARY IN THE MIRROR COATINGS' MECHANICAL LOSS AND THERMAL NOISE REDUCTION. THE CCR COMBINES GROUPS WORKING ON COATING DEPOSITION, CHARACTERIZATION OF ATOMIC STRUCTURE AND MACROSCOPIC MATERIAL PROPERTIES, AND COMPUTATIONAL MODELING. THESE COMPONENTS ARE OFTEN PERFORMED BY THREE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THAT WORK IN RELATIVE ISOLATION FROM EACH OTHER. THE STRENGTH OF THE CCR AND ITS PROMISE FOR ACCELERATING DISCOVERIES ARISES FROM CLOSE INTEGRATION OF THESE COMMUNITIES FOCUSING ON A UNIFIED RESEARCH GOAL. SINCE THE FORMATION OF THE CCR IN 2017, THE COLLABORATION HAS BECOME A KNOWLEDGE REPOSITORY FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTOR COATINGS RESEARCH, MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON ALL THE PROPOSED RESEARCH DIRECTIONS, INCLUDING UNCOVERING ATOMIC STRUCTURAL MOTIFS ASSOCIATED WITH ROOM TEMPERATURE VS CRYOGENIC MECHANICAL LOSSES, USING THAT UNDERSTANDING TO DEVELOP TI:GEO2 COATINGS THAT CAN MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCED LIGO + (A+). GOING FORWARD RESEARCH EFFORTS INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED AMORPHOUS COATINGS AND CRYSTALLINE ALGAAS COATINGS. THE PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE ATOMIC STRUCTURAL MOTIFS ASSOCIATED WITH MECHANICAL LOSSES AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES, AIMING FOR AT LEAST A TWO-FOLD REDUCTION IN THERMAL NOISE COMPARED TO ADVANCED LIGO + COATINGS. CCR CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRECISION MEASUREMENT, IMPACTING VARIOUS FIELDS AND POTENTIALLY BENEFITING THE SEMICONDUCTOR, LASER, AND QUANTUM COMPUTING COMMUNITIES. OVERALL, THIS RESEARCH ADVANCES THE FIELD OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTION, SUPPORTS EDUCATION AT MULTIPLE LEVELS, AND PROMOTES DIVERSITY WITHIN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: TERRITORIALIZING EXPLOITATION SPACE AND THE FRAGMENTATION OF THE AMAZON FOREST

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: LSC CENTER FOR COATINGS RESEARCH

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: LSC CENTER FOR COATINGS RESEARCH

GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE MANAGING INVASIVES ON PRIVATE LANDS CRITICAL TO FINGER LAKES

MODERN GEORGIA: POLITICS, ECONOMY, CULTURE

SIBERIAN CULTURE IN THE GOLDEN ALTAI

SIBERIAN CULTURE IN THE GOLDEN ALTAI

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CONFIRMING AND CHARACTERIZING TRANSITING EXOPLANETS AROUND BRIGHT STARS WITH ULTRA-PRECISE GROUND-BASED PHOTOMETRY

HSD: RUI: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND METHODS FOR ASSESSING DAMS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE IN CHINA

FULBRIGHT-HAYS GROUP PROJECTS ABROAD

FULBRIGHT-HAYS GROUP PROJECTS ABROAD

RUI: INVESTIGATIONS OF MIRROR THERMAL NOISE FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS -IN 2015 NSF'S LIGO (LASER INTERFEROMETER GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE OBSERVATORY) LAUNCHED THE FIELD OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVE ASTRONOMY WITH THE FIRST DIRECT DETECTION OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVES. LIGO DETECTS GRAVITATIONAL WAVES, THE RIPPLES IN SPACETIME, USING AN ?L?-SHAPED DETECTOR, KNOWN AS AN INTERFEROMETER, WITH 4 KM LONG ARMS. GRAVITATIONAL WAVES CAUSE TINY DIFFERENTIAL STRETCHING IN THE ARMS, WHICH IS MEASURED BY REFLECTING LASER LIGHT OFF MIRRORS AT THE END OF EACH ARM AND COMPARING THE REFLECTED BEAMS. ONE OF THE MAIN LIMITS TO LIGO?S SENSITIVITY IS THAT THE MIRROR SURFACES MOVE AS A RESULT OF THERMALLY-INDUCED VIBRATIONS. KNOWN AS THERMAL NOISE, THESE VIBRATIONS MASK THE GRAVITATIONAL WAVE SIGNAL. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE A MEANS FOR REDUCING THIS ?COATING THERMAL NOISE? BY USING A MIRROR COATING FORMED FROM LAYERS OF CRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS. INITIAL MEASUREMENTS INDICATE THAT THIS CRYSTALLINE COATING WILL LOWER THE COATING THERMAL NOISE BY A FACTOR OF TEN. AS A RESULT LIGO WILL BE ABLE TO SEE SEVERAL TIMES FARTHER OUT IN THE UNIVERSE, WITH A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN ITS RATE OF OBSERVING BLACK HOLES AND NEUTRON STARS. THIS RAPIDLY GROWING CATALOGUE OF OBSERVATIONS WILL INFORM CURRENT MODELS OF THE COMPOSITION, FORMATION, AND EVOLUTION OF OUR UNIVERSE. ANSWERING THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UNIVERSE ARE IDEAS THAT EXCITE, UNITE, AND INSPIRE ALL OF HUMANKIND. THE FOCUS OF THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM IS THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAAS/ALGAAS CRYSTALLINE COATING FOR USE IN THE NEXT MAJOR UPGRADE OF THE LIGO DETECTORS. IN ADDITION TO HAVING EXCELLENT OPTICAL PROPERTIES (SCATTER < 10 PPM, ABSORPTION < 1 PPM), THESE COATINGS HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN EXTREMELY LOW ELASTIC LOSS. THE DOMINANT SOURCE OF COATING THERMAL NOISE (CTN) FOR CRYSTALLINE GAAS/ALGAAS IS THERMO-OPTIC (TO) NOISE, WHICH IS THE COMBINATION OF THERMO-ELASTIC (TE) AND THERMO-REFRACTIVE (TR) NOISES. USING TO OPTIMIZATION, ONE CAN ADJUST THE COATING LAYER THICKNESSES SO THAT THE TE AND TR EFFECTS ARE CANCELLING. THESE TO-OPTIMIZED COATINGS HAVE DEMONSTRATED A 10? LOWER CTN THAN THE CURRENT LIGO COATINGS. WHILE THESE RESULTS ARE EXTREMELY ENCOURAGING, A GREAT DEAL OF WORK REMAINS TO BE ABLE TO REALIZE THESE GAINS IN LIGO MIRRORS. THE MEASUREMENTS, TO DATE, HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON SMALL (? 75 MM) SAMPLES. THIS PROJECT OVERSEES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE CRYSTALLINE COATINGS TO 20- AND EVENTUALLY 30-CM DIAMETERS, WHICH ARE SUITABLE FOR LIGO. THE PI IS WORKING WITH THE LIGO LAB TO TEST THE SURFACE UNIFORMITY AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES AT INCREASING SIZES. THE PI IS COLLABORATING WITH THE SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY GROUP ON TESTS OF POSSIBLE ELECTRO-OPTIC NOISE AND ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW ARM-LOCKING SYSTEM USING 2 ?M LASERS. THE PI IS DEVELOPING A FINITE ELEMENT MODEL OF THE COATING TO ACCURATELY PREDICT THE CTN. IN PARALLEL HE IS WORKING WITH THE MIT LIGO LAB GROUP TO IMPROVE THE SENSITIVITY OF THEIR CTN EXPERIMENT SO THAT IT IS CAPABLE OF MEASURING THE LOW CTN OBSERVED IN GAAS/ALGAAS CRYSTALLINE COATING . THE PI IS COLLABORATING WITH COLLEAGUES AT EMBRY-RIDDLE, AMERICAN, AND STANFORD TO TEST POSSIBLE BIREFRINGENCE NOISE. FINALLY THE PI IS EXPLORING INTERFEROMETER DESIGNS THAT COULD UTILIZE THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE 20-CM GAAS/ALGAAS COATINGS, RATHER THAN WAITING TO DEPLOY THESE COATINGS AFTER THE 3+ YEAR MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR 30-CM COATINGS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

RUI: APPLICATIONS OF SUPERSYMMETRY TO QUANTUM MECHANICS

WE PROPOSE TO OBTAIN 2 MIN CADENCE OBSERVATIONS OF MML 48 A NEW PRE-MAIN SEQUENCE ECLIPSING BINARY IN A GRAVITATIONALLY BOUND TRIPLE SYSTEM.

TO SUPPORT THE 2013 ARTS EXPERIENCE: A FESTIVAL CELEBRATING INCLUSION AND THE ARTS, A PROJECT ENGAGING INDIVIDUALS WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES IN T

TO SUPPORT THE "DISABILITY AND THE ARTS FESTIVAL," PROMOTING INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ARTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES.

FY 2015 SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP - (EL)