Carthage College

CARES ACT: HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND_INSTITUTIONAL- CARTHAGE COLLEGE

THE MISSION OF THE WSGC IS TO USE THE EXCITEMENT AND VISION OF SPACE AND AEROSPACE SCIENCE TO EQUIP THE CITIZENS OF WISCONSIN WITH THE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS TOOLS THEY NEED TO THRIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND - CARTHAGE COLLEGE

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THE WISCONSIN SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM WILL PROVIDE LEADERSHIP IN AEROSPACE RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH THROUGHOUT THE STATE

WISCONSIN SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM PROGRAM AND BUDGET 2025-2028.

A COMMUNITY BUILDING APPROACH TO PREPARING SECONDARY SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHERS

KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOCATION AND MOTION OF THE ULLAGE BUBBLE INSIDE A LIQUID PROPELLANT TANK IS CRITICAL FOR ENGINE RESTART OF SPACECRAFT AND FOR PROPELLANT TRANSFER

TO ENHANCE THE VITALITY AND COMPETITIVENESS OF THE STUDENT SATELLITE PROGRAMS, THE PROPOSAL ADDRESSES A SYSTEMATIC EXPANSION TO INCLUDE TWO NEW OPPOR

EQUIPMENT: CC*NETWORK-CAMPUS: CARTHAGE COLLEGE NEXT-GEN SCIENCE NETWORK -A DIVERSE TEAM OF FACULTY RESEARCHERS AND NETWORKING EXPERTS AT CARTHAGE COLLEGE ARE COLLABORATING TO DEVELOP AND DEPLOY AN ADVANCED WIRELESS NETWORK FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND TEACHING ACROSS THE CAMPUS. THE NEXT-GEN SCIENCE NETWORK ENHANCES NETWORK CAPACITY AND PERFORMANCE TO SUPPORT THE GROWING STEM RESEARCH, WHICH HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY TECHNOLOGY-DEPENDENT AND DATA-INTENSIVE. THE NEW NETWORK ENABLES UNIQUE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN MANY SUBJECT AREAS, INCLUDING ASTROPHYSICS, GENOMICS, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS. THE UPGRADED INFRASTRUCTURE WILL ALSO INCREASE CONNECTIVITY TO THE WIDER ACADEMIC COMMUNITY. OTHER BROADER IMPACTS INCLUDE INCREASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES, IMPROVED COLLABORATION WITH EXTERNAL INSTITUTIONS, HANDS-ON TRAINING FOR STUDENTS IN MODERN NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES, AND THE INTEGRATION OF MORE ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL TOOLS INTO STEM CURRICULA. IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING UNIQUE RESEARCH OUTCOMES, THE PROJECT WORK PREPARES STUDENTS FOR FUTURE CAREERS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, CONTRIBUTING TO A STEM-LITERATE SOCIETY AND A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE. THE PROJECT UPGRADES THE NETWORK TO IMPROVE THROUGHPUT TO 2.5 GB IN ACADEMIC BUILDINGS, SIMPLIFIES AUTHENTICATION, AND IMPLEMENTS PROACTIVE MONITORING AND PERFORMANCE TUNING. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WILL OPERATE WITHIN A LOGICALLY CONFIGURED VIRTUAL NETWORK SEGMENT, A CONFIGURATION THAT ALLOWS SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING RESOURCES TO ACCESS THE NETWORK WITH LOW LATENCY AND MINIMAL PACKET LOSS. THIS DESIGN CAN BE CONTINUOUSLY TUNED TO ENABLE FREQUENT, LARGE FILE TRANSFERS, MORE CLOUD COMPUTING AND CONNECTIVITY TO SHARED ACADEMIC RESOURCES, AND THE ABILITY TO USE AI-ENABLED TOOLS, WEARABLES, AND OTHER INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) MEASUREMENT SENSORS NEEDED FOR SCIENTIFIC 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.

OUR FLIGHT TESTS WILL VALIDATE THE CFD MODELS WE HAVE DEVELOPED ALLOWING THEIR USE TO ESTIMATE FULL-SCALE LIQUID VOLUME FRACTIONS.

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION SKILL BUILDING FOR UNDERGRADUATES

BRC-BIO: DEVELOPMENT OF TWO BIOCHEMICAL TOOLS TO STUDY POTATO VIRUS Y INFECTION IN PLANTS -THE IMPACT OF PATHOGENS, SPECIFICALLY VIRUSES, ON LIVING SYSTEMS, HAS NEVER BEEN MORE GREATLY APPRECIATED THAN DURING THE AGE OF COVID-19. THERE IS GREAT PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING HOW VIRUSES INFECT ANIMAL HOSTS AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT A COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, HOST-PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS IN PLANT SYSTEMS ARE LESS WELL UNDERSTOOD, DESPITE THE CONSIDERABLE IMPACT OF PLANTS ON OUR LIVES. THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON POTATO VIRUS Y (PVY) THAT CAN CAUSE AN 80% LOSS IN THE YIELD OF POTATOES (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM), THE FOURTH-MOST IMPORTANT CROP WORLDWIDE. TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THIS VIRUS CIRCUMVENTS HOST IMMUNITY AND SPREADS THROUGH THE HOST, THE PI PROPOSES TO DEVELOP EASY-TO-USE BIOCHEMICAL TOOLS TO DETECT AND MODIFY THIS PLANT PATHOGEN AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MOLECULAR DRIVERS OF VIRAL INFECTIVITY. DETECTING VIRAL SPREAD WILL ENABLE IDENTIFYING EARLY OUTBREAKS OF THIS PLANT DISEASE TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT ON THE ASSOCIATED AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY. UNDERSTANDING THE MOLECULAR DRIVERS OF VIRAL INFECTIVITY WILL AID IN DEVELOPING RESISTANT COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS. THE PROJECT ALSO PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR INTRODUCING UNDERGRADUATES TO VIRAL BIOLOGY USING MODEL ORGANISMS AND TO CLASSIC BIOCHEMISTRY TECHNIQUES IN THE CONTEXT OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. BUILDING UPON THE PI?S PRIOR WORK WITH PLANT MODELS AND INVESTIGATING HOST-VIRAL INTERACTION, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE TWO BIOCHEMICAL TOOLS TO ADDRESS TWO MAJOR HURDLES TO STUDYING HOW PVY ESTABLISHES INFECTION IN PLANT HOSTS: THE INABILITY TO TRACK THE VIRUS AS IT SPREADS THROUGH THE HOST AND THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF SPECIFIC VIRAL SEQUENCES TO CIRCUMVENTING HOST IMMUNITY. THE FIRST TOOL, A SYNTHETIC PVY VIRAL CLONE, WILL FACILITATE THE TARGETED DESIGN OF CHIMERIC VIRUSES, ENABLING THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE GENETIC DETERMINANTS OF VIRAL INFECTION. THE SECOND TOOL, AN ENZYMATIC REPORTER PROBE, WILL ENABLE VIRAL DETECTION EARLIER IN INFECTION. TOGETHER, THESE TOOLS WILL ENABLE INVESTIGATING THE VIRUS-HOST INTERACTIONS PVY USES TO HIJACK THE HOST AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE PLANT. UNDERSTANDING THE PROTEIN- PROTEIN INTERACTIONS THAT ENABLE PVY TO ESTABLISH INFECTION IS ESSENTIAL TO DEVELOPING RESISTANT CULTIVARS. TO BUILD RESEARCH CAPACITY, THE PROJECT WILL ENGAGE STUDENTS IN CROSS-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AS PART OF LABORATORY-BASED AND COURSE-BASED ACTIVITIES. 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.

CYTOSKELETAL REGULATION AND YAP/TAZ ACTIVITY IN DIFFERENTIATING RETINAL NEURONS

THE PROPOSED EFFORT EXTENDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODAL PROPELLANT GAUGING (MPG) PROJECT TO ADDRESS PROPULSION SYSTEMS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE LUNAR GATEWAY MISSION ARCHITECTURE.

THE WISCONSIN SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM (WSGC) SEEKS TO ENGAGE FIRST- AND SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS IN HIGHLY CHALLENGING, NASAINSPIRED ENGINEERING AND SCIEN

THE GRANTS TO REDUCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING ON CAMPUS PROGRAM (CAMPUS PROGRAM) IS AUTHORIZED BY 34 U.S.C. 20125. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO COMBAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING ON CAMPUSES. THESE COMPREHENSIVE EFFORTS ARE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE VICTIM SERVICES (INCLUDING LEGAL SERVICES), IMPLEMENT PREVENTION AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN SECURITY AND INVESTIGATION STRATEGIES TO PREVENT, PROSECUTE, AND RESPOND TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING. THE CAMPUS PROGRAM SUPPORTS ACTIVITIES THAT DEVELOP CAMPUS-BASED COORDINATED RESPONSES AMONG CAMPUS VICTIM SERVICES, CAMPUS LAW ENFORCEMENT, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, HOUSING OFFICIALS, ADMINISTRATORS, STUDENT LEADERS, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND DISCIPLINARY BOARDS, ENHANCE VICTIM SAFETY AND THE PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE, AND HOLD OFFENDERS ACCOUNTABLE. TO BE EFFECTIVE, THESE RESPONSES MUST BE LINKED TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, PROSECUTORS OFFICES, COURTS, AND NONPROFIT, NONGOVERNMENTAL VICTIM ADVOCACY AND VICTIM SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS. CARTHAGE COLLEGE IS A PRIVATE, FAITH-BASED INSTITUTION LOCATED IN KENOSHA, WI. WITH THIS NEW AWARD, CARTHAGE COLLEGE, IN COLLABORATION WITH WOMEN & CHILDREN'S HORIZONS AND KENOSHA POLICE DEPARTMENT, WILL: 1) CREATE A COORDINATED COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAM TO OVERSEE ALL PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES; 2) PROVIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING BYSTANDER INTERVENTION AND ONGOING PREVENTION ACTIVITIES TO ALL STUDENTS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING; 3) PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING TO ALL CAMPUS LAW ENFORCEMENT ON HOW TO EFFECTIVELY RESPOND TO THESE CRIMES; 4) PROVIDE ACCESS TO 24-HOUR CONFIDENTIAL VICTIM SERVICES AND ADVOCACY; AND 5) CONDUCT ONGOING TRAINING TO ALL PERSONNEL IN THE CAMPUS RESOLUTION PROCESS.

THE FIRST NATIONS LAUNCH (FNL) PROGRAM IS A YEAR-LONG DESIGN-BUILD-FLY PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS FROM TRIBAL COLLEGES AND AMERICAN INDIAN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SOCIETY (AISES) STUDENT CHAPTERS THAT CHALLENGES STUDENT TEAMS TO LAUNCH A HIGH-POWERED ROCKET IN A CHALLENGE COMPETITION. THE FNL PROGRAM ADDRESSES A CRITICAL NEED WITHIN THE NASA COMMUNITY SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INCLUSIVE DIVERSE AND ENGAGED WORKFORCE TO CARRY OUT NASA MISSIONS. THE FNL PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUPPORTED THROUGH SEAP MUREP AND OTHER FUNDING RESOURCES THROUGH KSC S OFFICE OF EDUCATION FOR NINE CONSECUTIVE YEARS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO ENGAGE NATIVE AMERICAN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN CULTURALLY RELEVANT HIGHLY CHALLENGING NASA-INSPIRED ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. THE SECONDARY OBJECTIVE OF FNL IS TO ENGAGE NATIVE AMERICAN PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH AEROSPACE INDUSTRY AND TRIBAL LEADERSHIP AS MENTORS AND ADVISORS FOR STUDENTS SEEKING NEXT STEP OPPORTUNITIES. THIS PROPOSAL REQUESTS FUNDING TO SUPPORT PROJECT AND TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR 22 TEAMS OF 4-6 STUDENTS AND 1 ADVISOR DURING THE PERIOD OF NOVEMBER 1 2018 AUGUST 31 2019. THE HIGH-POWERED ROCKET LAUNCH COMPETITION TAKES PLACE AT CARTHAGE COLLEGE IN KENOSHA WI AND RICHARD BONG RECREATIONAL PARK IN KANSASVILLE WI FROM APRIL 25-28 2019.

COMMUNITY ALLIANCE FOR STEM TEACHING (CAST): BUILDING CAPACITY FOR RECRUITING AND PREPARING FUTURE STEM TEACHERS THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH

BUBBLE TRAPPING AND ULLAGE FORMATION IN AN ACOUSTIC FIELD

THE MODAL PROPELLANT GAUGING EXPERIMENT SEEKS TO DEMONSTRATE THE INFUSION POTENTIAL OF A NON-INVASIVE INEXPENSIVE AND ROBUST METHOD FOR GAUGING BOTH SETTLED AND UNSETTLED PROPELLANT AT GAUGING RESOLUTIONS OF 1% FOR SETTLED PROPELLANTS AND 2-4% FOR UNSETTLED SLOSHING PROPELLANTS. THE PROPOSED WORK REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF THE PREVIOUSLY FUNDED PROGRAM OBJECTIVES TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE NEEDS IN THE ORION/SLS EXPLORATION MISSION ARCHITECTURE. SPECIFICALLY WE ADDRESS TWO CENTRAL OBJECTIVES IN THE PROPOSED WORK. (1) WE INTEND TO DEMONSTRATE 1% ZERO-G GAUGING RESOLUTIONS OF BAFFLE-SETTLED REALISTIC PROPELLANT SIMULANT IN MODEL PROPELLANT TANKS WITH INTERNAL PROPELLANT MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES. (2) WE INTEND TO VERIFY A CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS OF THE MPG APPROACH WHICH IS THAT THE MASS-LOADING OF TANK WALLS (AND THEREFORE THE MODAL FREQUENCIES) IS UNIQUELY DETERMINED BY THE ADHERED LIQUID LAYER. IN ORDER TO MEET THE PROPOSED OBJECTIVES TWO DISTINCT EXPERIMENTS WILL BE CARRIED OUT. THE FIRST OBJECTIVE WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED USING THE MPG PARABOLIC FLIGHT RIG WITH BAFFLE-SETTLED PROPELLANT SIMULANT. WE LL USE ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL (IPA) TO BETTER REPRESENT THE BOND NUMBER AND OTHER LIQUID-STRUCTURE PARAMETERS OF CRYOGENIC PROPELLANTS IN REAL TANKS. THE EXISTING COMPOSITE OVERWRAPPED VESSEL (COPV) TANKS WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH PROPELLANT MANAGEMENT DEVICES AND RING BAFFLES TO ACCURATELY REPRODUCE THE INTERNAL STRUCTURES OF THE ORION PROPELLANT TANKS. THE BAFFLES WILL BE DESIGNED AND TESTED TO PRODUCE SETTLED LIQUIDS WITHIN SECONDS AFTER THE ONSET OF ZERO-G PORTION OF THE PARABOLIC FLIGHT TRAJECTORY. THE TEST PLAN FOR OBJECTIVE 1 IS TO ACQUIRE 24 DATA POINTS AT 1% FILL-FRACTION INTERVALS AT 5 DATA POINTS PER FILL LEVEL (4X PARABOLIC FLIGHTS). THE SECOND OBJECTIVE WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY ESTABLISHING A ZERO-G EQUILIBRIUM LIQUID SURFACE AT THREE DIFFERENT FILL FRACTIONS IN SIMPLIFIED MODEL TANKS. WE WILL CORRELATE THE MODAL FREQUENCY SPECTRUM AT EACH FILL FRACTION TO THE ADHERED LIQUID LAYER MASS USING CAMERAS TO VERIFY SURFACE EQUILIBRIUM AND TO MEASURE ADHERED LIQUID MASS FRACTION AND BY USING OUR STANDARD MODAL SENSORS AND COMPUTATIONAL HARDWARE TO MEASURE MODAL RESPONSE. WE HAVE CARRIED OUT COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD) CALCULATIONS TO DETERMINE THE TANK SIZE AND FILL FRACTION SUCH THAT AN EQUILIBRIUM SURFACE CAN BE OBTAINED WITHIN THE FIRST MINUTE OF THE 2.5 MINUTES OF ZERO-G AFFORDED BY THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD SUBORBITAL VEHICLE. THE REMAINING 1.5 MINUTES WILL BE USED TO ACQUIRE MODAL DATA OF THE THREE TANKS WITH SETTLED LIQUID SURFACES.THE TEST PLAN FOR OBJECTIVE 2 IS TO UTILIZE A DOUBLE-LOCKER PAYLOAD EXPERIMENT ON BLUE ORIGIN S NEW SHEPARD VEHICLE. WE PROPOSE A SINGLE FLIGHT WITH AN EXPERIMENT CONSISTING OF THREE 6-INCH DIAMETER MODEL TANKS AT THREE DIFFERENT FILL FRACTIONS FOR WHICH SETTLED SURFACES CAN BE ACHIEVED IN<1 MINUTE OF CLEAN 0-G. PROPELLANT IS THE PRIMARY LIFE-LIMITING RESOURCE ON SPACECRAFT. ACCURATE GAUGING OF PROPELLANT VOLUME IN A MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE NASA EXPLORATION SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE STUDY (ESAS) FINAL REPORT AS AN AREA REQUIRING SIGNIFICANT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. THE MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT RENDERS DIRECT VOLUME MEASUREMENT USING TRADITIONAL BUOYANCY- AND LEVEL-BASED TECHNIQUES INEFFECTIVE. INSTEAD INDIRECT METHODS ARE CURRENTLY USED TO ESTABLISH PROPELLANT VOLUME. THESE METHODS INCUR CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONAL MASS AND EXPENSE TO MISSION ARCHITECTURES. ADDITIONALLY TRADITIONAL METHODS OF PROPELLANT GAUGING SUFFER FROM DECREASING ACCURACY AS THE TANK EMPTIES SO THAT MASS-GAUGING ACCURACY IS LOWEST AT THE END OF MISSION LIFE WHEN GAUGING ACCURACY IS MOST IMPORTANT. FINALLY PREVIOUS WORK ON MPG HAS ATTRACTED IMMEDIATE INFUSION INTEREST FROM ORION PROGRAM MANAGERS AND THEIR SUPPORT FOR THIS PROPOSAL HAS HELPED SHAPE THE DIRECTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY MATURATION PLAN FOR THIS PROJECT.

THE MAGNETO-ACTIVE SLOSH CONTROL (MASC) PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER TWO EXISTING EFFORTS IN ACTIVE SLOSH SUPPRESSION AND IN-SPACE PROPELLANT GAUGING TO BOTH REDUCE GAUGING ERRORS IN SPACECRAFT AND LAUNCH VEHICLES AND ELIMINATE DESTABILIZING LIQUID SLOSH DURING VEHICLE MANEUVERS. THE MODAL PROPELLANT GAUGING (MPG) EFFORT IS A NONINVASIVE APPROACH TO PROPELLANT GAUGING THAT HAS DEMONSTRATED SUB-1% GAUGING RESOLUTION IN SETTLED LIQUIDS AND 2-4% RESOLUTION IN UNSETTLED (SLOSHING) LIQUIDS ABOARD PARABOLIC FLIGHTS. MPG IS CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED FOR INFUSION INTO THE SLS/ORION EM3 ARCHITECTURE. THE CURRENT PROJECT IS AN EFFORT TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE GAUGING RESOLUTION OF MPG IN SLOSHING PROPELLANT THROUGH THE INCLUSION OF A FREE-FLOATING DIAPHRAGM THAT CAN BE POSITIONED AUTONOMOUSLY WITHIN THE LIQUID USING SMALL MAGNETIC FIELD GRADIENTS AND WHICH CAN BE STIFFENED BY ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE OVER ITS UN-ACTIVATED STATE USING STATIC MAGNETIC FIELDS. WHEN INTEGRATED WITH THE MPG FLIGHT RIG THE DIAPHRAGM A MAGNETO-ACTIVE PROPELLANT MANAGEMENT DEVICE (MAPMD) CAN BE AUTONOMOUSLY CONTROLLED SUCH THAT IT REMAINS NEAR THE LIQUID SURFACE OF THE CYLINDRICAL TANK AT ALL FILL LEVELS AND CAN STIFFEN IN RESPONSE TO SLOSH SURGES. THE MAPMD IS A PATENTED TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY AND HAS DEMONSTRATED EFFECTIVE SLOSH SUPPRESSION IN 1-G LABORATORY TESTING. THE DIAPHRAGM CONSISTS OF A METALLIC ALLOY MESH EMBEDDED IN A FLEXIBLE POLYMER MATRIX. THE PARTICULAR METALLIC ALLOY BELONGS TO A CLASS OF MATERIALS THAT EXHIBIT UNUSUALLY LARGE MAGNETOSTRICTION ELONGATION UNDER APPLIED MAGNETIC FIELDS. WHEN THE MESH IS EXPOSED TO AN EXTERNAL STATIC MAGNETIC FIELD THE FIBERS OF THE MESH EXPAND CAUSING THE MESH TO STIFFEN. THE ACTIVATED (RIGID) MESH SUPPRESSES SLOSH WAVES IN AN UNDERLYING LIQUID. UNDER A GRAVITATIONAL FIELD THE MAPMD FLOATS ON THE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID. IN MICROGRAVITY THE POSITION AND MOTION OF THE DIAPHRAGM CAN BE CONTROLLED AUTONOMOUSLY BY A SET OF FIELD COILS EXTERNAL TO THE TANK THAT BOTH SENSE THE POSITION OF THE DIAPHRAGM AND PROVIDE FIELD GRADIENTS TO DRIVE THE DIAPHRAGM INTO POSITION AT THE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID. IN COMPUTER SIMULATIONS THE FIELD GRADIENT CONTROL (FGC) METHOD OF POSITIONING THE MAPMD HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO EFFECTIVELY CONTROL THE DIAPHRAGM BUT REQUIRES PARABOLIC FLIGHTS TO ESTABLISH OPERATIONAL VALUES OF KEY PARAMETERS. MPG IS A WELL-TESTED TRL6 TECHNOLOGY PREVIOUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM TO DEMONSTRATE THE NON-INVASIVE MEASUREMENT OF PROPELLANT IN ZERO-G USING SURFACE ACOUSTIC WAVES PROPAGATING ON THE EXTERIOR OF A PROPELLANT TANK. THE PRESENCE OF LIQUID ADHERED TO THE INNER TANK WALL MASS-LOADS THE TANK AND THEREBY MODIFIES ITS RESONANT MODE FREQUENCIES. USING A REALTIME MODAL ANALYSIS IMPLEMENTATION THE MPG TECHNOLOGY CAN TRANSLATE THESE MODAL SHIFTS INTO ESTIMATES OF CONTAINED LIQUID MASS PROVIDING A FUEL GAUGE THAT REQUIRES NO INTERNAL HARDWARE OR TANK MODIFICATIONS OPERATES IN REAL-TIME AND ADDS LITTLE MASS TO TANK SYSTEMS. THE INTEGRATION OF ACTIVE SLOSH SUPPRESSION INTO THE MPG ARCHITECTURES PROMISES TO ADDRESS A KEY NASA TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP GOAL OF INSPACE PROPELLANT GAUGING OF UNSETTLED (SLOSHING) PROPELLANT WITH AN ACCURACY OF AT LEAST 2%. WITH CURRENT PROPELLANT MARGINS OF 10% OR MORE REQUIRE TO ACCOMMODATE UNCERTAINTIES IN GAUGING THE MASC EFFORT REPRESENTS A SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC BENEFIT ACROSS COMMERCIAL SPACE INDUSTRIES WHILE PROVIDING ENHANCED MISSION FLEXIBILITY. IF MASC CAN BE DEMONSTRATED TO SCALE WELL TO LAUNCH VEHICLES THE INCREASED SAFETY MARGINS AFFORDED BY REDUCED PROBABILITY OF SLOSH-INDUCED INSTABILITIES WILL BE OF SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT TO COMMERCIAL LAUNCH PROVIDERS AND TO THE SLS/ORION PROGRAM.

MRI TRACK 1: ACQUISITION OF AN ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE FOR NANOSCALE CHARACTERIZATION AND FORCE INVESTIGATION -THIS MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION (MRI) GRANT SUPPORTS THE ACQUISITION OF AN ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE FOR CARTHAGE COLLEGE. THE INSTRUMENT WILL BE USED FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN THE ENGINEERING, CHEMISTRY, AND NEUROSCIENCE DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS FOR COLLABORATIONS WITH LOCAL INDUSTRY. AN ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE CONSISTS OF A SHARP PROBE AT THE END OF A CANTILEVER. IT CAN IMAGE SURFACE FEATURES AT SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER SIZES THAN ORDINARY LIGHT MICROSCOPES AND MAY BE USED TO MEASURE OTHER PROPERTIES, SUCH AS HARDNESS AND ADHESION, WHICH ARE OTHERWISE IMPRACTICAL TO MEASURE AT THESE SCALES. THIS INSTRUMENT WILL BE USED TO STUDY MULTIPLE SYSTEMS, INCLUDING ATOMICALLY THIN MATERIALS FOR USE AS MORE EFFICIENT LUBRICANTS, NANOSCALE STRUCTURES THAT CAN ACT AS SENSORS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS, NEURONS OF STRESSED AND NON-STRESSED RATS TO STUDY BEHAVIORALLY-LINKED BIOLOGICAL CHANGES, AND REGENERATIVE ZEBRAFISH RETINAL CELLS AS MODELS FOR TREATING EYE DISEASES OR INJURY. ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY WILL ALSO ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROOF COATINGS TO REDUCE THE HEATING OF BUILDINGS DUE TO SUNLIGHT. AS AN UNDERGRADUATE-FOCUSED INSTITUTION WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF UNDERREPRESENTED AND FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS, THE INSTRUMENT WILL PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIVERSE STUDENT RESEARCHERS AT THE COLLEGE. ADDITIONAL STUDENTS AT BOTH THE UNDERGRADUATE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE INSTRUMENT THROUGH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTREACH, INCLUDING AN ENGINEERING NANOTECHNOLOGY COURSE, A CHEMISTRY ADVANCED INTEGRATED LABORATORY COURSE, AND HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING VISIT DAYS. THE GOAL OF THIS GRANT IS TO ACQUIRE AN ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE THAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY EXPAND NANOMECHANICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT CARTHAGE COLLEGE AND COOPERATING COMPANIES AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. THE ACQUIRED INSTRUMENT WILL BE USED FOR MORE THAN TOPOGRAPHY MEASUREMENTS BUT AS A METHOD FOR INVESTIGATING NANOSCALE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES. FRICTION MEASUREMENTS WILL BE USED TO INVESTIGATE THE SYNTHESIS METHODOLOGY'S IMPACT ON TWO-DIMENSIONAL MATERIAL BEHAVIOR. MODULUS MAPPING AND FORCE SPECTROSCOPY ACROSS COLLOIDAL CRYSTALS WILL REVEAL INSIGHTS INTO BONDING BETWEEN NANOPARTICLES. MODULUS MAPPING ACROSS NEURONAL CELLS OF RAT BRAINS WILL TEST FOR RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INDUCED STRESS RESPONSE AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN CELLS. FORCE SPECTROSCOPY WILL ALLOW FOR TESTING OF FORCE TRANSDUCTION SIGNALING IN ZEBRAFISH RETINAL CELLS. ROUGHNESS AND ADHESION MEASUREMENTS WILL TEST THE ABILITY OF NEW SILICONE FORMULATIONS TO REMAIN INTACT AND REFLECTIVE OF SUNLIGHT UNDER REAL-LIFE CONDITIONS. THIS INSTRUMENT IS CRITICAL FOR THE NANOMECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION NEEDS OF EACH OF THESE DIVERSE PROJECTS? OBJECTIVES. 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.

FORESTS CURRENTLY ABSORB AS MUCH AS 30 PERCENT OF ANNUAL GLOBAL ANTHROPOGENIC CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS. THIS NATURAL CARBON SEQUESTRATION IS A CRITIC

RUI: THE BIOGEOGRAPHY OF FOREST CHANGE: DROUGHT AND CROWN FIRE IN PONDEROSA PINE FORESTS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST

THE MODAL PROPELLANT GAUGING (MPG) EXPERIMENT IS DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE MASS GAUGING RESOLUTION OF A NOVEL IMPLEMENTATION OF EXPERIMENTAL MODAL ANALYSIS EMA. THE CENTRAL OBJECTIVES OF THE MPG EXPERIMENT ARE TO RECORD THE MODAL RESPONSE OF A MODEL PROPELLANT TANK AT DIFFERENT FILL LEVELS UNDER UNSETTLED MICROGRAVITY CONDITIONS AND RECORD THE MODAL RESPONSE OF THE PROPELLANT TANK DURING SIMULATED PROPELLANT TRANSFER. PHASE II OF THE MODAL PROPELLANT GAUGING MPG PROJECT WILL ASSESS THE GAUGING RESOLUTION OF THE MPG TECHNIQUE AT LOW FILL FRACTIONS FOR UNSETTLED SLOSHING PROPELLANT SIMULANT. PHASE II WILL UTILIZE A FULL FIDELITY PROPELLANT TANK WITH FLIGHT HERITAGE AND WILL EXTEND THE GAUGING ANALYSIS TO ACCOMMODATE CHANGES IN TANK PRESSURE DURING LOW GRAVITY PROPELLANT TRANSFER OPERATIONS. FINALLY PHASE II WILL ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF SLOSH MEASUREMENT AND AUTOMATED UNCERTAINTY ASSIGNMENTS TO GAUGING ESTIMATES. THE EMA TECHNIQUE IS AN INEXPENSIVE NON INVASIVE AND COMPUTATIONALLY ROBUST METHOD OF ASSESSING PROPELLANT MASS THROUGH ITS EFFECT ON STRUCTURAL RESONANCE MODES IN THE PROPELLANT TANK. EMA IS A COMPUTATIONAL TECHNIQUE THAT EXTRACTS THE RESONANT MODES OF THE STRUCTURE FROM REAL TIME VIBRATIONAL DATA OBTAINED FROM SENSORS AFFIXED TO THE STRUCTURE. THE NATURAL RESONANCES OF A STRUCTURE DEPEND ON THE STIFFNESS AND THE EFFECTIVE MASS OF THE STRUCTURE AND SO THE EMA TECHNIQUE CAN BE USED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVE MASS OF THE PROPELLANT TANK. THE EFFECTIVE MASS OF THE TANK IS IN TURN DEPENDENT ON THE MASS LOADING OF THE STRUCTURE BY ITS LIQUID CONTENTS. EMA USES THE SHIFTS IN RESONANT FREQUENCIES OF THE TANK AS LIQUID LEVEL CHANGES TO CALCULATE THE CHANGE IN EFFECTIVE MASS OF THE TANK AND THEREBY THE CHANGE IN LIQUID MASS. PROPELLANT IS THE PRIMARY LIFE-LIMITING RESOURCE ON SPACECRAFT. ACCURATE GAUGING OF PROPELLANT VOLUME IN A MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE NASA EXPLORATION SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE STUDY ESAS FINAL REPORT AS AN AREA REQUIRING SIGNIFICANT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. THE MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT RENDERS DIRECT VOLUME MEASUREMENT USING TRADITIONAL BUOYANCY- AND LEVEL BASED TECHNIQUES INEFFECTIVE. INSTEAD INDIRECT METHODS ARE CURRENTLY USED TO ESTABLISH PROPELLANT VOLUME. THESE METHODS INCUR CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONAL MASS AND EXPENSE TO MISSION ARCHITECTURES. ADDITIONALLY TRADITIONAL METHODS OF PROPELLANT GAUGING SUFFER FROM DECREASING ACCURACY AS THE TANK EMPTIES SO THAT MASS-GAUGING ACCURACY IS LOWEST AT THE END OF MISSION LIFE WHEN GAUGING ACCURACY IS MOST IMPORTANT.

MICROGRAVITY PROPELLANT GAUGING USING MODAL ANALYSIS: PHASE III

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE IN THE AMERICAS

THE MODAL PROPELLANT GAUGING (MPG) EXPERIMENT IS DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE MASS GAUGING RESOLUTION OF A NOVEL IMPLEMENTATION OF EXPERIMENTAL MODAL ANALY

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN ASTRONOMY AND THE OUTDOORS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH RUI: EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECT OF TEMPLATING AGENTS ON THE SIZE, SHAPE AND CHIRAL RECOGNITION OF BIFURCATED AMINO ACID BASED AMPHIPHILIC MOLECULAR ASSEMBLIES -WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE MACROMOLECULAR, SUPRAMOLECULAR AND NANOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, EUGENE BILLIOT, FERESHTEH BILLIOT AND MARK OLSON OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY CORPUS CHRISTI (TAMUCC), ALONG WITH THEIR COLLABORATOR KEVIN MORRIS AT CARTHAGE COLLEGE, WILL SYNTHESIZE AND CHARACTERIZE A NOVEL CLASS OF ?BRANCHED? AMINO ACID-BASED SURFACTANTS. THE GOAL OF THE RESEARCH IS TO UNDERSTAND THE MOLECULAR FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AGGREGATION AND SELF-ASSEMBLY OF THESE MOLECULES INTO STRUCTURES THAT WILL INTERACT WITH AND RECOGNIZE MOLECULES OF BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE. SYNTHESIS OF THE SURFACTANTS WILL USE A GREEN CHEMISTRY APPROACH WHERE MATERIALS WILL BE PREPARED FROM AMINO ACID-BASED STARTING MATERIALS INSTEAD OF POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS POLYAROMATIC HYDROCARBONS. FURTHERMORE, SINCE THE SURFACTANTS ARE AMINO ACID-BASED, THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE BIOCOMPATIBLE. THE RESEARCH WILL HELP FILL A VOID IN THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT IS CRITICAL FOR THE PROPER DESIGN AND SELECTION OF MORE EFFICIENT CHIRAL SELECTORS. IN ADDITION, SINCE ENANTIORECOGNITION OF THE SYSTEMS UNDER STUDY IS BASED UPON AMINO ACID-SCAFFOLDING, THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THESE STUDIES WILL BE POTENTIALLY TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER AMINO ACID-BASED SYSTEMS SUCH AS PROTEINS. THIS PROJECT IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN TWO PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS, WITH ONE OF THOSE TWO INSTITUTIONS, TAMUCC, BEING A HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION (HSI). THUS, THE RESEARCH TO BE FUNDED BY THIS GRANT WILL SERVE AS A TOOL FOR THE RESEARCH TEAM TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND MENTOR STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED AND ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED BACKGROUNDS AND TO ENCOURAGE THESE STUDENTS TO PURSUE POST BACCALAUREATE DEGREES IN SCIENCE. THE RESEARCH IS FOCUSED ON INVESTIGATING AND ELUCIDATING THE FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR (A) SELF-ASSEMBLY, (B) FUNCTION, (C) HIGHER ORDERED STRUCTURE AND (D) MOLECULAR RECOGNITION OF AMINO ACID-BASED MACROMOLECULAR ASSEMBLIES (AABMAS). A COMPARISON OF THE PROPERTIES OF ?LINEAR? AABMAS TO NOVEL ?BIFURCATED? AABMAS WILL BE MADE AND HOW THEY ARE AFFECTED BY FACTORS SUCH AS SURFACTANT CONCENTRATION, SURFACTANT TYPE (LINEAR VS BIFURCATED), PH, AND TYPE OF COUNTERION/TEMPLATING AGENT AFFECT THE SIZE, SHAPE, PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, AND ENANTIOMERIC RECOGNITION OF AABMAS. THE AABMAS WILL BE STUDIED IN BOTH THEIR MONOMERIC AND POLYMERIC FORMS. THE AABMAS MICELLES WILL BE CROSSLINKED BY EXPOSURE TO CO60 GAMMA RADIATION OR 185 NM VACUUM UV RADIATION. THE EFFECT OF PH, COUNTERION/TEMPLATING AGENT, AND SURFACTANT CONCENTRATION ON POLYMERIZATION, SELF-ASSEMBLY, FUNCTION, HIGHER ORDER STRUCTURE AND MOLECULAR RECOGNITION WILL BE STUDIED. A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES SUCH AS NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE (NMR), FLUORESCENCE, SMALL ANGLE NEUTRON SCATTERING (SANS), SMALL ANGLE X-RAY SCATTERING, CRYO-TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, DYNAMIC LIGHT SCATTERING METHODS, AS WELL AS CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS (CE) WILL BE UTILIZED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE AABMAS FORMED. THERMODYNAMIC STUDIES WILL BE CONDUCTED TO YIELD INSIGHT INTO THE BINDING INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE CHIRAL MOLECULAR RECOGNITION UNITS OF THE SURFACTANTS/POLYMER MICELLES AND THE CHIRAL ANALYTES THAT WILL BE TARGETED FOR CHIRAL SEPARATIONS USING TITRATION MICROCALORIMETRY. 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: RUI: TOWARD STRUCTURE-BASED MODELS OF CHIRAL RECOGNITION BY AMINO ACID BASED MACROMOLECULAR ASSEMBLIES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CARRIERS CHARGE STATE AND DIAGNOSTIC USE OF THE LONG-MYSTERIOUS DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR BANDS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: THE PIPELINE NETWORK

MT DAK CONSERVATION OF PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES FROM BLM-MANAGED LANDS IN CARTER COUNTY, MONTANA

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: RESEARCH: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF LEARNING THROUGH MAKING INSTRUMENT (LMI) -MAKERSPACES ARE INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS THAT FACILITATE MULTIMODAL LEARNING THROUGH ITERATIVE PRACTICE, COLLABORATION, DESIGN, BUILDING, PROTOTYPE, AND MANAGEMENT. THEY HAVE PROLIFERATED AMERICA?S COLLEGE CAMPUSES, WITH INITIAL CREATION COSTS IN THE THOUSANDS TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. WHILE EMERGING DATA DEMONSTRATE THE TREMENDOUS IMPACT MAKERSPACES MAY CREATE IN THE ENGINEERING LEARNING EXPERIENCE ESPECIALLY FOR LEARNING ENGINEERING-RELEVANT SKILLS, DATA ALSO DEMONSTRATE THAT MAKERSPACES FAIL TO MEET ASPIRATIONS OF BEING EGALITARIAN, OPEN, INCLUSIVE, AND WELCOMING SPACES FOR ALL. CURRENTLY, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE LEARNING IMPACT OF A MAKERSPACE AND TO COMPARE DIFFERENT MAKERSPACES STRUCTURES OR MAKERSPACES AT DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS WITH DIFFERENT POPULATIONS OF STUDENTS. DRAWING UPON QUALITATIVE RESEARCH THAT IDENTIFIED THE MODES AND CONTENTS OF LEARNING IN UNIVERSITY MAKERSPACES, THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE AND VALIDATE AN INSTRUMENT THAT MEASURES STUDENT LEARNING IN MAKERSPACES: THE LEARNING THROUGH MAKING SURVEY INSTRUMENT. THE LEARNING THROUGH MAKING INSTRUMENT WILL PROVIDE A TOOL FOR RESEARCHERS AND EDUCATORS TO ASSESS THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF MAKERSPACES, COMPARE ACROSS DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS, EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT APPROACHES, DOCUMENT THE LEARNING IMPACTS, AND ULTIMATELY FACILITATE UNDERSTANDING HOW MAKERSPACES CAN ENHANCE ENGINEERING EDUCATION. THIS INSTRUMENT WILL ASSIST EDUCATORS IN UNDERSTANDING LEARNING GAPS THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH OBSTACLES FOR WOMEN, STUDENTS OF COLOR, INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, AND FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS PROVIDING EDUCATORS WITH DATA CRITICAL FOR DESIGNING MORE INCLUSIVE MAKERSPACES AND ASSOCIATED CURRICULUM THAT BROADEN PARTICIPATION AND CULTIVATE MORE INCLUSIVE LEARNING COMMUNITIES. THE LEARNING THROUGH MAKING INSTRUMENT WILL BE DEVELOPED AND VALIDATED FOR COLLEGIATE STUDENTS PROVIDING A SPRINGBOARD FOR QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH ON LEARNING IN MAKERSPACES AND WILL FACILITATE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS APPLICABLE FOR K-12 STUDENTS. THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A SURVEY FOR MEASURING LEARNING IN UNIVERSITY MAKERSPACES AND SIMILAR ENVIRONMENTS. THE PROPOSAL TEAM?S PRIOR WORK, THE LEARNING THROUGH MAKING TYPOLOGY WILL BE A PARTIAL BASIS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEARNING THROUGH MAKING INSTRUMENT. DATA FOR INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATIONS WITH DIVERSE ENGINEERING STUDENTS WILL OCCUR AT VERY DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING SAN JOSE STATE, TEXAS STATE, TEXAS A&M, PURDUE UNIVERSITY, GEORGIA TECH, AND JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY. THE SELECTION INCLUDES TWO HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS IN TWO DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY; A COMPREHENSIVE, MID-ATLANTIC, REGIONAL, UNDERGRADUATE-FOCUSED UNIVERSITY OFFERING ONLY A GENERAL ENGINEERING DEGREE; RESEARCH-FOCUSED UNIVERSITIES; AND A TOP SCHOOL FOR GRADUATING BLACK AND WOMEN ENGINEERS THAT ALSO HAS DUAL-DEGREE PROGRAMS PROVIDING ACCESS TO STUDENTS FROM HBCUS. THESE UNIVERSITIES ALSO PROVIDE A CONTRASTING SET OF MAKERSPACES. AN INITIAL POOL OF ITEMS WILL BE GENERATED, EXPERTS WILL EVALUATE THE POOL OF ITEMS, AND EVIDENCE OF RELIABILITY ALONG WITH STRUCTURAL VALIDITY WILL BE SOUGHT BY EXPLORATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS AND THEN CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS. STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING INDICATE THAT FAIRNESS OF ASSESSMENTS IS JUST AS CRUCIAL AS VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY, AND FAIRNESS WILL BE EVALUATED AS A KEY PART OF THIS RESEARCH. WE SEEK TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH QUESTIONS: TO WHAT EXTENT ARE MEASUREMENT CONSTRUCT SPECIFICATIONS AND ACTUAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS ALIGNED? TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THERE MEASUREMENT INVARIANCES BETWEEN GENDER AND MINORITY GROUPS? ARE THERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE MEAN SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS THAT INDICATE CERTAIN GROUPS ARE LEARNING DIFFERENTLY IN MAKERSPACES? 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.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN ASTRONOMY AND THE OUTDOORS

LOW GRAVITY PROPELLANT MASS GAUGING IS IDENTIFIED IN NASA S EXPLORATORY SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE STUDY AS A PRIMARY RESEARCH CHALLENGE. THE FUTURE OF MAN

STEM QUESST

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: REU PILOT: SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY BOOTCAMP

MRI: ACQUISITION OF AN EYE TRACKING SYSTEM

COLLECTION AND CONSERVATION OF PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES IN CARTER COUNTY, MONTANA