Western Michigan University

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF INSTITUTIONAL PORTION

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING

GRAND RAPIDS SOUTHEAST PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT (GRSEPNP)

HIGH-IMPACT LEADERSIHIP FOR SCHOOL RENEWAL

HIGH IMPACT LEADERSHIP (HIL2.0) FOR SCHOOL RENEWAL

ENABLING ADVANCED ELECTRODE ARCHITECTURE THROUGH PRINTING TECHNIQUE

EVALUATE: EVALUATION LEARNING AND RESOURCE HUB FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION

EVALUATE: THE EVALUATION HUB FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION -RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF SYSTEMATIC AND EFFECTIVE EVALUATION AND CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES IN THE EDUCATION OF THE SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE, THE EVALUATION HUB FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION: EVALUATE SUPPORTS A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO PROVIDE EVALUATION SUPPORT SERVICES AND MATERIALS/RESOURCES FOR THE NSF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION (ATE) PROGRAM AND ITS COMMUNITY OF PIS, EVALUATORS, PROJECT STAFF, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. THE EVALUATE HUB SEEKS TO ADVANCE AND SUSTAIN A COMMUNITY IN WHICH EVALUATION IS DRIVEN BY PRINCIPLES; IS VALUED, SYSTEMATIC, AND EFFECTIVE; AND IS USED TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF TECHNICIANS IN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL FIELDS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH PROGRAMMATIC EVALUATION ACTIVITIES, EVALUATE WILL ALSO CONDUCT A SERIES OF STUDIES TO ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EVALUATION AND EVALUATION PRACTICE, WHICH FOCUS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN EDUCATION AND EVALUATIVE ACTIVITIES; AND THE USE OF EVALUATION FOR IMPROVEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THE PROJECT AIMS TO ADDRESS DOCUMENTED NEEDS OF THE ATE COMMUNITY FOR CURRENT AND EMERGING EVALUATION OF THE ATE PROGRAM AND TECHNICIAN EDUCATION, MORE BROADLY. IN ADDITION, IT SEEKS TO BUILD ON, ENHANCE, AND ADVANCE THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF EVALUATE THROUGH ITS PROGRAMMING, RESOURCES/SERVICES, AND RESEARCH. FOUR GOALS GUIDE THE EXECUTION OF THIS EFFORT. FIRST, IS TO ENHANCE THE NUMBER, DIVERSITY, PROFICIENCY, AND VISIBILITY OF POTENTIAL ATE EVALUATORS THROUGH INCREASING THE POOL AND DIVERSITY OF QUALIFIED EVALUATORS FOR ATE. SECOND, IS TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND USE OF EVALUATION BY ATE PROJECT AND CENTERS. THIRD, IS TO ENHANCE THE EMPIRICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE ATE PROGRAM?S ACTIVITIES, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND OTHER ATE-RELATED ACTIVITIES. FOURTH, AND FINALLY, IS TO ADVANCE INNOVATION IN EVALUATION METHODS AND DEVELOP AN EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE BASE ABOUT ATE EVALUATION. EVALUATE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: 1) ADMINISTRATION OF THE ATE ANNUAL PI SURVEY; 2) INVESTIGATION OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION EFFORTS ACROSS THE ATE COMMUNITY; 3) CREATION OF AN ATE OUTCOMES BANK AND SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES; 4) ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ATE EVALUATION AMBASSADORS/CHAMPIONS PROGRAM; 5) ESTABLISHMENT OF A BADGING OR CREDENTIALING PROCESS ASSOCIATED WITH QUALIFICATIONS FOR ATE EVALUATORS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE EVALUATORS; AND 6) CREATION AND DISSEMINATION OF EVALUATION RESOURCES, MATERIALS, AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE PIS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON THE EDUCATION OF TECHNICIANS FOR THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FIELDS THAT DRIVE THE NATION'S ECONOMY. 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 PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

NEW; SISGR - ADVANCED INSTRUMENTATION FOR ULTRAFAST SCIENCE AT THE LCLS; PI: NORA BERRAH

GAINING EARLY AWARENESS AND READINESS FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS (GEAR-UP) - GEAR-UP

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

ABERRANT SIGNALING IN B-1 CELLS

UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTER

EARLY READING FIRST

WMU URBAN TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM

BLIND PEDESTRIANS' ACCESS TO COMPLEX INTERSECTIONS

TRANSITION TO COLLEGE MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

REGULATORS OF TRANSLATION ELONGATION FACTOR EEF1A

GENESSEE APPROPRIATE TRAUMA-INFORMED SCREENING, ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT PROJECT

FIRST IN THE WORLD

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAM

TRAUMA INFORMED CHILD WELFARE SYSTEMS

ENGLISH LEARNERS AND TEACHER EDUCATION (ELATE)

CVI TRAINING FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

MULTI-INPUT INTEGRATED SMART CHARGER-INVERTER SYSTEM WITH GALVANIC ISOLATION THE OBJECTIVE OF THE WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY MULTI-INPUT INTEGRATED SMART CHARGER-INVERTER SYSTEM WITH GALVANIC ISOLATION PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A CHARGER-INVERTER SYSTEM CAPABLE OF DELIVERING APPROXIMATELY 150 KILOWATT (KW) TRACTION POWER WHILE SERVING AS BATTERY CHARGER.

THE DEVELOPMENTAL PATHWAY OF FETAL-DERIVED B CELLS - ABSTRACT STEM CELL THEORY STATES THAT ALL THE BLOOD CELLS ARE DERIVED FROM HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS (HSCS) AND IS A CENTRAL CONCEPT OF HEMATOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY. BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT THERAPY FOR BLOOD DISORDERS IS ROOTED IN THE CONCEPT THAT DONOR HSCS CAN REPLACE ALL BLOOD CELLS IN THE RECIPIENT'S BODY. HOWEVER, RECENT RESEARCH HAS CHALLENGED THE STEM CELL THEORY BY SHOWING THAT SOME TISSUE-RESIDENT IMMUNE CELLS DEVELOP FROM ENDOTHELIAL CELLS (EC) OF THE EMBRYO IN AN HSC-INDEPENDENT MANNER AND THESE IMMUNE CELLS MAY NOT BE REPLACED BY HSCS. FURTHERMORE, IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF CONVENTIONAL B CELLS (B-2 CELLS) ALSO ORIGINATE FROM FETAL EC PROGENITORS IN THE EMBRYO AND PERSIST INTO OLD MICE. THESE STRIKING RESULTS HIGHLIGHT A HUGE KNOWLEDGE GAP IN THE HEMATOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY FIELDS BECAUSE HSC-INDEPENDENT B-2 CELL DEVELOPMENT HAS YET TO BE RECOGNIZED. SINCE B CELLS PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES IN PROTECTING AGAINST INFECTIONS AND IN THE PATHOLOGY OF AUTOIMMUNE AND OTHER DISEASES, IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE DEVELOPMENTAL PATHWAYS OF HSC- INDEPENDENT B-CELLS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS COMPARED TO HSC-DERIVED COUNTERPARTS. HOWEVER, IT IS CHALLENGING TO CLARIFY THE ORIGINS OF THESE B-CELLS SINCE THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAVES OF HEMATOPOIESIS FROM ECS IN THE EMBRYO, IN WHICH HSCS AND HSC-INDEPENDENT BLOOD PROGENITORS SEEM TO BE PRODUCED SIMULTANEOUSLY. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA AND OTHER STUDIES SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE WAVES OF B-CELL DEVELOPMENT; 1) INNATE-IMMUNE B-1 CELL DEVELOPMENT, 2) COMMON PROGENITORS FOR INNATE B-1 AND CONVENTIONAL B-2 CELLS, AND 3) B-2 DOMINANT PROGENITORS DERIVED FROM HSCS. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO DETERMINE THE FUNCTIONAL DIFFERENCES OF B-CELLS BASED ON THEIR ORIGINS AND TO ESTABLISH A REVISED B-CELL DEVELOPMENT MAP FROM EMBRYO TO ADULT, USING COMBINATIONS OF VARIOUS LINEAGE TRACING AND IN VIVO BARCODING MOUSE MODELS. TO PURSUE THESE GOALS, AIM 1 WILL UTILIZE HSC-LABELING MICE (100% LABELING OF HSCS IS ACHIEVED) AND THE HSC-DERIVED LYMPHOID CELL DEPLETION MODEL SO THAT HSC-INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT B-CELL SUBSETS WILL BE SEPARATED. THEN, THESE HSC-INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT B-CELL SUBSETS WILL BE SORTED AND EXAMINED FOR 1) ANTIBODY AND CYTOKINE SECRETION, CLASS SWITCHING UPON IN VITRO STIMULATION, AND THEIR IGM REPERTOIRE, 2) IN VIVO REPSONSE TO S. PNEUMONIAE INFECTION, AND 3) RESPONSE TO PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION. IN AIM 2, PRELIMINARY DATA IDENTIFIED THE EARLIEST INNATE-IMMUNE RESTRICTED B-PROGENITORS IN THE EARLY FETAL LIVER. ALSO, SCRNA-SEQUENCING OF THE NEONATAL SPLEEN REVEALED THREE SEPARATE B-PROGENITOR CLUSTERS, SUPPORTING OUR HYPOTHESIS. THUS, THE EC-LINEAGE TRACING MOUSE MODEL THAT CAN MARK HSC-INDEPENDENT BLOOD PROGENITORS WILL BE COMBINED WITH IN VIVO BARCODING, WHICH WILL ENABLE VISUALIZATION OF THE CLONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HSCS AND FETAL- AND HSC-DERIVED B-PROGENITORS. THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THIS PROPOSAL WILL REVISE THE CURRENT PARADIGM OF B-CELL DEVELOPMENT AND WILL BE UTILIZED TO UNDERSTAND PATHOLOGY NOT PREVIOUSLY RECOGNIZED IN THE ABSENCE OF RECOGNIZING THE EXISTANCE OF VARIOUS FETAL-DERIVED B CELL SUBSETS.

THE ROLE OF BIOLOGICAL SEX IN THE SELF-RENEWAL OF B1 CELLS INTO OLD AGE IN MICE AND HUMANS - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT BY THE YEAR 2050 THE WHO PREDICTS THERE WILL BE 2 BILLION PEOPLE AGED 60 YEARS AND OVER. AS THE POPULATION OF AGED INDIVIDUALS RISES SO WILL AGING-ASSOCIATED DISEASES. TO CREATE BETTER PREVENTION STRATEGIES FOR DISEASES IN THE ELDERLY, WE NEED TO ADDRESS FUNDAMENTAL BIOLOGICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING IMMUNE SYSTEM DETERIORATION DURING THE AGING PROCESS. SPECIFICALLY, THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER DEFECTS IN NATURAL IMMUNITY IN THE AGED ARE DUE TO CHANGES IN SELF-RENEWAL OF A SUBSET OF B CELLS, B1 CELLS, WHICH PRODUCE NATURAL ANTIBODIES (NABS). NABS ARE GENERATED IN THE ABSENCE B1 CELL STIMULATION AND CONSTITUTE A KEY MODALITY OF SEROLOGICAL IMMUNITY PROVIDING MANY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS WITHIN IN IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NABS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR DISTINCT GERMLINE-LIKE PROPERTIES THAT RESULT FROM DEVELOPMENT OF B1 CELLS DURING FETAL LIFE WITH PERSISTENCE INTO ADULTHOOD. OUR STUDIES DEMONSTRATE NABS ARE LESS EFFECTIVE AT PROVIDING PROTECTION IN AGED MALES YET, PROTECTION IS MAINTAINED IN AGED FEMALES. IF EFFECTIVE NABS ARE MAINTAINED OVER A LIFETIME, THESE ESSENTIAL PROTEINS COULD AID IN PRODUCING AN INCREASE IN BOTH HEALTH-SPAN AND LIFESPAN; YET IT IS UNKNOWN HOW PROTECTIVE NABS ARE MAINTAINED IN AGED FEMALES BUT NOT AGED MALES. THIS LOSS IN NAB PROTECTION AGAINST INFECTION IN AGED MALES IS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR BY A CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT OF ANTIGEN SPECIFIC ANTIBODY, BUT INSTEAD, IS DUE TO THE LOSS OF ANTIBODY GERMLINE-LIKE FEATURES, WHICH DOES NOT OCCUR IN AGED FEMALES, WHERE B1 CELL DERIVED ANTIBODY REMAINS GERMLINE-LIKE. OUR PRELIMINARY AND PUBLISHED RESULTS SUGGEST THESE FINDINGS ARE A RESULT OF BETTER PERSISTENCE OF B1 CELLS THAT ORIGINATE IN FETAL LIFE WITH ADVANCING AGE IN FEMALES AS OPPOSED TO MALES. THE REASON FOR THIS IS UNKNOWN BUT IT IS SPECULATED THAT B1 CELL SELF-RENEWAL IS RESPONSIBLE. WE HYPOTHESIZE AGE AND SEX-ASSOCIATED DEFECTS IN THE PROTECTIVE CAPACITY OF NATURAL IGM RESULTS FROM LOSS OF ADULT B1 CELL SELF-RENEWAL IN AGED MALES BUT NOT AGED FEMALES. TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, WE WILL UTILIZE ADVANCED GENETIC TECHNIQUES THAT PROVIDE THE MEANS FOR THE FIRST TIME TO SEPARATELY TRACK B1 CELLS ORIGINATING IN FETAL LIFE FROM THOSE ARISING IN ADULT LIFE, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME TO MEASURE THE STAGE AT WHICH B1 CELLS ARE IN CELL CYCLE, ACCORDING TO SEX AND AGE. WE WILL 1) DETERMINE HOW BIOLOGICAL SEX INFLUENCES LONG TERM PERSISTENCE OF MOUSE B1 CELLS GENERATED DURING DIFFERENT PHASES OF LIFE; 2) EXAMINE SEX SPECIFIC REGULATION OF MOUSE B1 CELL CYCLE PROGRESSION AND SELF-RENEWAL WITH INCREASING AGE; AND 3) EVALUATE THE ROLE OF SEX IN SPECIFYING HUMAN B1 CELL CYCLE DYNAMICS AND HUMAN B1 CELL NATURAL ANTIBODY FUNCTION. THIS PROJECT WILL ELUCIDATE MECHANISMS OF DIFFERENTIAL B1 CELL SELF-RENEWAL IN AGED MALES AND FEMALES, WHICH WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL INFORMATION FOR DESIGNING NOVEL APPROACHES TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY NATURAL IMMUNITY INTO OLD AGE BY FAVORING SELF - RENEWAL OF EARLY APPEARING B1 CELLS.

PROJECT CLEANMI. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PIONEER THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF A STATE-OF-THE-ART DIRECT AIR CAPTURE (DAC) SYSTEM AIMED AT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) EMISSIONS.

EVALUATE: PROMOTING ATE EXCELLENCE THROUGH EVALUATION

COMMUNITY UTILIZATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM REGISTERS IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE

WESTERN MI PARK EXPANSIO

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE ASSISTANCE MIGRANT PROGRAM (WMU-CAMP)

ATE EVALUATION RESOURCE CENTER

CAMP

EVALUATE

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE-ENABLED HIGH-QUALITY PERCEPTION DATA TO ACHIEVE ENERGY EFFICIENT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE OPERATION THROUGH COMPUTATION REDUCTIONS AND OFFLOADING DE-EE0009657 WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

GAINING EARLY AWARENESS AND READINESS FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS (GEAR UP) PROGRAM

EFFECTIVE ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS COLLABORATION TO ENHANCE STUDENT SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT - RESIDENCY TRAINING IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

SPECIAL EDUCATION RESEARCH

TAS::89 0222::TAS; NEW; GREEN MANUFACTURING: ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN AND ENERGY CONSCIOUS PROGRAM AT WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY; JOHN PATTEN, PI

HEALTH CAREERS OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM - WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY (WMU) HEALTH CAREER OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM (HCOP) ACADEMY WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO EDUCATIONALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS WITH THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING A DIVERSE AND COMPETENT OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (OT) WORKFORCE. CONSIDERED ONE OF THE KEY ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS, OT INVOLVES THE USE OF ASSESSMENTS AND INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE INJURIES, ILLNESSES, OR DISABILITIES. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS (OTS) SEEK TO PROMOTE OPTIMAL FUNCTIONING AND INDEPENDENCE, WORKING THROUGHOUT VARIOUS HEALTHCARE SETTINGS, INCLUDING HOSPITALS, SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES, REHABILITATION CLINICS AND HOME HEALTH AGENCIES. THE U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS PROJECTS EMPLOYMENT OF OTS TO INCREASE 14 PERCENT FROM 2021 TO 2031, MUCH FASTER THAN THE AVERAGE FOR ALL OCCUPATIONS. THE PROFESSION, HOWEVER, IS SERIOUSLY LACKING IN RACIAL, ETHNIC AND GENDER DIVERSITY. APPROXIMATELY 89.3% OF PRACTITIONERS ARE FEMALE AND 87.1% ARE CAUCASIAN DEMONSTRATING INADEQUATE REPRESENTATION OF THE U.S. POPULATION. ALTHOUGH THE MEDIAN SALARY FOR OTS IN 2022 WAS $93,801, A GRADUATE DEGREE IS REQUIRED FOR PRACTICE, THUS PRESENTING SERIOUS CHALLENGES FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED INDIVIDUALS. MOREOVER, THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ASSOCIATED WITH ALLIED HEALTH EDUCATION INCLUDING OT IS A MAJOR DETERRENT LIMITING RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY WITHIN THESE PROGRAMS. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF OT STUDENTS OF COLOR ARE HAMPERED BY ADDITIONAL FACTORS INCLUDING LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PROFESSION, POOR MINORITY REPRESENTATION, AND “FEELING LIKE AN OUTSIDER,” ALL OF WHICH WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE WMU HCOP ACADEMY. THIS 5-YEAR PROJECT WILL ANNUALLY RECRUIT DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS FROM A) LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS; B) WMU UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS; AND C) WMU GRADUATE STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN OT. STUDENTS WILL ENGAGE IN BOTH STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED ACTIVITIES PROPELLING THEM TOWARD A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN OT. THESE INCLUDE ONGOING MEN TORING, CLINICAL EXPERIENCES, COURSEWORK AND SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES WITH HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS. THE HCOP NATIONAL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM WILL RECRUIT 32 STUDENTS FROM THE VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL LEVELS AND OFFER: 1) AN INTRODUCTION TO OT FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH MENTORING AND EXPOSURE TO PATIENT POPULATIONS COMMONLY TREATED SUCH AS SPINAL CORD INJURY; 2) SUPERVISED JOB SHADOWING FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT WMU-RUN CLINICS SERVING PEDIATRIC THROUGH GERIATRIC PATIENTS, REPRESENTING MOSTLY UNDERINSURED INDIVIDUALS; 3) MENTORSHIP FOR BOTH WMU UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS MATCHED WITH A CLINICIANS FROM LOCAL AND NATIONAL NETWORKS; 4) INTENSIVE COURSEWORK FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS USING A NEWLY RELEASED TEXTBOOK, DIDACTICS AND HANDS-ON LEARNING FOCUSING ON FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY; KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION DURING MONTHLY DISCUSSIONS OF UNDERLYING ANATOMY RELATED TO SPECIFIC CASES FROM STUDENTS’ CLINICAL PLACEMENTS; 4) SUBSTANTIAL ASSISTANCE FOR WMU OT GRADUATE STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR THE NATIONAL BOARD FOR CERTIFICATION, A REQUIREMENT FOR PRACTICE. OTHER STRUCTURED PROGRAMS THE WMU HCOP ACADEMY INCLUDE A SUMMER CLINICAL TRAINING COURSE INTRODUCING CORE OT PRINCIPLES TO 25 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS INTERESTED IN HEALTH PROFESSIONS. STUDENTS WILL GAIN REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES CONDUCTING OT ASSESSMENTS WITH COMMUNITY-DWELLING BLACK ELDERS. A YEAR-LONG EXPLORATION OF JUSTICE, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN OT USING EVIDENCE-BASED MODELS WILL BE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS AT THE PREMATRICULATION LEVEL, PRECEDING THEIR ENTRY INTO THE WMU OT GRADUATE PROGRAM. UNSTRUCTURED ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL AND STATE OT CONFERENCES AND SERVICE DAYS WITH HOMELESS POPULATIONS MODIFYING ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS WHEELCHAIRS. OVERALL, THE WMU HCOP PROGRAM HAS TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL TO STRENGTHEN THE ACADEMIC TRAJECTORY FOR DESERVING, DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, THEREBY CREATING A CRITICAL NEW BLUEPRINT TO CHANGE THE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE OT FUTURE WORKFORCE.

HUMAN B1-LIKE CELLS AND PNEUMOCOCCAL DEFENSE IN THE ELDERLY

TURNAROUND SCHOOL LEADERS PROGRAM

EFFICACY OF "DUAL FOCUS" MUTUAL AID FOR PERSONS WITH CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH INTERPROFESSIONAL NETWORKING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (Y-MIND) - THE MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OF YOUNG PEOPLE IS AN INCREASINGLY PRESSING CONCERN IN THE UNITED STATES. DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND LIMITED ACCESS TO CARE FOR MICHIGANDERS, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO BUILD WORKFORCE CAPACITY. TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, THE RESILIENCY CENTER FOR FAMILIES AND CHILD (RCFC) AT WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY (WMU) PROPOSES THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH INTERPROFESSIONAL NETWORKING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (Y-MIND) PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WMU'S COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, AND COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. THE Y-MIND PROGRAM AIMS TO SUBSTANTIALLY EXPAND THE WORKFORCE AND INCREASE ACCESS TO MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THE PROGRAM WILL BE MODELED AFTER THE MICHIGAN LEADERSHIP EDUCATION IN NEURODEVELOPMENTAL AND RELATED DISABILITIES (MI-LEND) PROGRAM, WHICH HAS EXTENSIVE HISTORY IN PREPARING THE WORKFORCE FOR MEETING THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO BUILD CAPACITY TO FOSTER RESILIENCY, WELL-BEING, AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCING MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHALLENGES BY TRAINING STUDENTS IN CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SERVICES WITH AN INTERPROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE. THE PROGRAM WILL SERVE WMU GRADUATE STUDENTS ACROSS DIFFERENT HEALTH-RELATED DISCIPLINES, SUCH AS MEDICINE, NURSING, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL WORK, AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING SERVICES. IN ADDITION, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A PRE-ALLIED HEALTH OR PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM WOULD RECEIVE A SCALED VERSION OF THE Y-MIND, AT THEIR CURRENT LEARNING LEVEL, AND IMPLEMENT CONTENT INTO AN INTERPROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP. THE Y-MIND INTERPROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR WMU STUDENTS FOCUSES ON EIGHT KEY TENETS: RECRUITING AND SUPPORTING DIVERSE STUDENTS, PROVIDING INTERDISCIPLINARY UNDERSTANDING OF MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, TEACHING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES, FACILITATING INTERNSHIPS IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, ORGANIZING A STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT, TRAINING IN CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS, PROGRAM EVALUATION, AND CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT BASED UPON STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES WILL BE ASSESSED THROUGH QUIZZES, ACTIVITIES, AND PROJECTS, INCLUDING A CAPSTONE PROJECT THAT FOCUSES ON APPLYING THE KNOWLEDGE TO THEIR FUTURE CAREER, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM. IN ADDITION, GOAL ATTAINMENT SCALING WILL BE USED TO ACCESS AGGREGATE MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION ACROSS THE ENTIRE PROGRAM. DURING THIS FIRST YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION, FACULTY FROM WMU DEPARTMENTS AND COLLEGES WILL WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE AND DELIVER A SERIES OF LEARNING MODULES ON TREATING INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. THESE FACULTY WILL WORK WITH WMU STUDENTS WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT WITH A MENTOR, 2-4 ASYNCHRONOUS MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LEARNING MODULES PER MONTH, ENGAGEMENT WITH A CAREGIVER OF A YOUTH WITH MENTAL AND/OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS, AND MONTHLY DISCUSSION FORUMS WITH AN INTERPROFESSIONAL GROUP OF FACULTY. AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, THE Y-MIND TEAM WILL HAVE DEVELOPED A MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONTENT AND DELIVERED A STRUCTURE THAT CAN BE USED FOR FUTURE COHORTS OF STUDENTS. THIS WILL HELP EXPAND THE WORKFORCE CAPACITY FOR MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN MICHIGAN AND BEYOND.

ENZYME/DEEP EUTECTIC SOLVENT ENHANCED KRAFT PULPING TO REDUCE ITS CARBON INTENSITY

TRIO STUDENT SUCCESS PROGRAM

NEAR THRESHOLD EXCITATION & IONIZATION OF OPEN-SHELL ATOMS

IDENTIFYING AND UNDERSTANDING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND AMINO ACID METABOLISM

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INVESTIGATING PRODUCTIVE USE OF HIGH-LEVERAGE STUDENT MATHEMATICAL THINKING

FAMILY ASSESSMENT, SPECIALIZED TREATMENT FOR ADVANCED RESILIENCY IN FAMILIES (FASTER) - WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY'S CHILDREN'S TRAUMA ASSESSMENT CENTER (CTAC), A THRICE FUNDED NCTSN SITE, PROPOSES THE FAMILY ASSESSMENT AND SPECIALIZED TRAUMA TREATMENT TO ADVANCE RESILIENCY IN CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (FASTER) PROJECT. CTAC WILL PARTNER WITH THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (MDHHS) TO DEVELOP, PILOT, AND IMPLEMENT A FAMILY RESILIENCY-BASED TRAUMA ASSESSMENT MODEL, IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN EVIDENCE-BASED TRAUMA TREATMENT, TRUST BASED RELATIONAL INTERVENTION (TBRI), FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. FASTER'S OVERARCHING GOALS ARE TO 1) INCREASE PERMANENCY FOR CHILDREN, AND 2) IMPROVE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING. CTAC WILL PARTNER WITH TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY'S KARYN PURVIS INSTITUTE, THE HOME OF TBRI, TO IMPLEMENT TBRI TO FAMILIES RECEIVING RESILIENCY-BASED TRAUMA ASSESSMENTS AT CTAC. IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, CTAC WILL DISSEMINATE TBRI TO ITS FOUR TRAUMA ASSESSMENT CENTER PARTNERS (EASTER SEALS OF MICHIGAN, CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES OF UPPER MICHIGAN, GREAT LAKES RECOVERING CENTER OF THE UPPER PENINSULA, AND CHILDREN'S TRAUMA ASSESSMENT GROUP). IN YEARS 3-5 THE ASSESSMENT CENTERS WILL PROVIDE STATEWIDE ACCESSIBILITY FOR FAMILY TRAUMA ASSESSMENT AND TBRI. CTAC WILL INITIALLY (YEARS 1-2) SERVE CHILD WELFARE POPULATIONS FROM KENT COUNTY (SECOND LARGEST URBAN POPULATION IN MICHIGAN) AND JACKSON COUNTY (A MIDSIZE COUNTY WITH DOUBLE THE STATEWIDE CHILD MALTREATMENT SUBSTANTIATION RATES). OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: 1) DEVELOPING A REPLICABLE RESILIENCY-BASED FAMILY TRAUMA ASSESSMENT PRODUCT, 2) ENGAGING FAMILIES IN FAMILY ASSESSMENT, 3) MDHHS FUNDING CONTRACTS FOR STATEWIDE FAMILY TRAUMA ASSESSMENTS, 4) CONDUCTING TBRI FAMILY INTERVENTIONS, 5) COLLABORATING WITH NCTSN SITES, AND 6) DEVELOPING AN ADVISORY BOARD OF PARENTS AND YOUTH FORMERLY INVOLVED IN CHILD WELFARE. IN YEAR 1, 175 PEOPLE (100 CHILDREN, 75 ADULTS) WILL BE SERVED; YEAR 2, 228 INDIVIDUALS (130 CHILDREN, 98 ADULTS) WILL BE SERVED; YEARS 3 THROUGH 5, 508 INDIVIDUALS (250 CHILDREN, 258 ADULTS) WILL BE SERVED EACH YEAR; WITH FIVE YEAR TOTALS OF 1927 INDIVIDUALS (980 CHILDREN, 947 ADULTS) BEING SERVED. FASTER'S EVALUATION WILL INCLUDE PROCESS AND FIDELITY MEASURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDING AN EVALUATION OF HOW THE FAMILY ASSESSMENT IS INTEGRATED ACROSS THE ASSESSMENT SITES. ADDITIONALLY, THE EVALUATION INCLUDES A FOCUS ON OUTCOMES, UTILIZING THE NOMS MEASURES AS WELL AS SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF TBRI. THE EVALUATION DESIGN IS DESCRIPTIVE AND WILL ADD TO THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR FAMILY-FOCUSED ASSESSMENT, SERVICE PLANNING, AND INTERVENTIONS INTENDED TO ADDRESS TRAUMA.

ADVANCING THE USE OF ORAL FLUID TO MONITOR THERAPEUTIC AND ILLICIT DRUGS IN OUTPATIENT CLINICAL AND FIELD SETTINGS

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY UPWARD BOUND KALAMAZOO

SEX DETERMINES AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE REPERTOIRE AND FUNCTION OF NATURAL ANTIBODIES PROTECTIVE AGAINST STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE WITH INCREASING AGE

WMU STEM WORKFORCE COLLABORATORY

PROJECT TEACHING FOR EQUITY AND ACHIEVEMENT OF MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS (TEAMS)

WMU UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM VAN BUREN

AUGMENTING THE ON-SCENE MEDIC (ATOM): DEVELOPMENT OF A HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY APPLICATION TO REDUCE PREHOSPITAL PEDIATRIC MEDICATION ERRORS - PROJECT SUMMARY THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE DYNAMIC COGNITIVE AID APPLICATION FOR USE THROUGH A HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY (HMD), TO REDUCE ERROR RATES ASSOCIATED WITH PEDIATRIC MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION (PMA) BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS). THIS OBJECTIVE WILL BE ACHIEVED BY EXAMINING CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH PMA, USING A DESIGN THINKING PROCESS TO DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE APPLICATION, EXAMINING USABILITY OF THE PROTOTYPE, AND TESTING THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. ERRORS ASSOCIATED WITH PMA IN EMS ARE ALARMINGLY HIGH. NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THERE IS A 31% ERROR RATE ACROSS ALL DRUGS ADMINISTERED TO CHILDREN BY EMS. MEDICATIONS SUCH AS MIDAZOLAM AND FENTANYL HAVE EVEN HIGHER RATES AT 61% AND 65%, RESPECTFULLY, WITH MANY BEING 10-FOLD ERRORS. SADLY, PREVIOUS STRATEGIES HAVE HAD LITTLE IMPACT ON REDUCING ERROR RATES BELOW 31%. SYSTEM CHANGES HAVE FAILED DUE TO INCONSISTENCIES IN EMS SYSTEMS, AND CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICATION SHORTAGES. PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED COGNITIVE AIDS HAVE FALLEN SHORT OFTEN DUE TO THE FACT THEY GENERALLY ACT AS SIMPLE REFERENCE TOOLS AND DO NOT ADDRESS ALL CAUSES OF ERROR ASSOCIATED WITH PMA. AS A RESULT, WE ARE PROPOSING THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN PROCESS EVER TAKEN TO COMBAT THIS ISSUE, UTILIZING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, TO IMPLEMENT A DYNAMIC COGNITIVE AID TO HELP PROVIDERS IMPROVE DOSING ACCURACY DURING PMA. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT PMA ERRORS IN EMS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BY THIS APPLICATION DUE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE AND RIGOROUS DESIGN THINKING PROCESS WE WILL UTILIZE FOLLOWED BY A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO TEST SAFETY AND EFFICACY. OUR INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM WILL COMBINE THE FIELDS OF PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, EMS, ENGINEERING, COMPUTER SCIENCE AND USER INTERFACE/USER EXPERIENCE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH THE SUPPORT AND EFFORT OF TWO MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN MICHIGAN. IN SA1 WE WILL DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE APPLICATION. THIS WILL BEGIN WITH IDENTIFYING USER AND CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH PMA, AND EXAMINE FAILURE MODES, ROOT CAUSES, AND A TASK ANALYSIS OF THE PROCEDURE. WE WILL THEN PROCEED INTO A COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN THINKING PROCESS TO DEVELOP THE APPLICATION. DURING THIS PROCESS WE WILL ALSO CREATE A DESKTOP PROGRAM THAT WILL ALLOW EMS AGENCY ADMINISTRATORS TO ADD NEW MEDICATIONS TO THE HMD APPLICATION. IN SA2, WE WILL EXAMINE USABILITY OF THE HMD APPLICATION AND ASSOCIATED DESKTOP PROGRAM IN A SIMULATION-BASED ENVIRONMENT WITH A SAMPLE OF END USERS, EXAMINING TASK DURATION, COGNITIVE LOAD AND ERROR RATES AND MAKE ANY NECESSARY REFINEMENTS. IN SA3, WE WILL TEST THE HMD APPLICATION IN A SIMULATION-BASED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO EXAMINE ITS SAFETY AND EFFICACY FOR USE IN EMS. THIS WILL RESULT IN A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE TOOL TO MITIGATE THIS ALARMING ISSUE IN THE VULNERABLE EMS PEDIATRIC POPULATION.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

OPIOID WORKFORCE EXPANSION PROGRAM- PROFESSIONAL

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

TRIO STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES--TEACHER PREPARATION

IMPROVING EVALUATIONS OF STEM PROGRAMS: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF KEY DESIGN PARAMETERS

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING RESEARCH SCHOLARS: CAPACITY BUILDING IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION

FAMILY COUNSELING AND SUPPORT FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER/QUESTIONING, INTERSEX+ YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES (SHORT TITLE: LGBTQI+ FAMILY SUPPORT) - PROJECT SUMMARY: WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY’S CHILD TRAUMA ASSESSMENT CENTER (WMU/CTAC), IN COLLABORATION WITH OUTFRONT KALAMAZOO, OUTCENTER BENTON HARBOR, KALAMAZOO FAMILY AND CHILD COUNSELING, MICHIGAN SAFE SPACE, INTEGRATED SERVICES OF KALAMAZOO (ISK) COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND PAM POLEY, LMSW, SEEKS FUNDING THROUGH SAMHSA’S LGBTQI+ FAMILY SUPPORT GRANT TO IMPLEMENT THE PILOT PROJECT AFFIRMING AND ACCEPTING LGBTQIA+ YOUTH AND FAMILIES (AALF) IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN (SW MI). THIS PROJECT WILL PREVENT HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL RISKS AND PROMOTE WELLBEING FOR LGBTQI+ YOUTH IN MICHIGAN IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR FAMILIES/CAREGIVERS, CULTURES, AND COMMUNITIES BY ESTABLISHING LGBTQI+ FAMILY COUNSELING AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS AND TRAINING PROVIDERS ON FAMILY COUNSELING AND SUPPORT INTERVENTIONS. POPULATION OF FOCUS: THE POPULATION OF FOCUS FOR THIS PROJECT ARE LGBTQI+ YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES/CAREGIVERS IN THE 8-COUNTY GEOGRAPHIC CATCHMENT AREA OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SW MI; ALLEGAN, BARRY, BRANCH, CALHOUN, CASS, KALAMAZOO, ST. JOSEPH, AND VAN BUREN. THIS AREA IS HOME TO 811,320 PEOPLE WHO ARE 82.6% WHITE, 6.66% BLACK, 1.63% ASIAN, 0.62% AI/AN, 2.96% OTHER, AND 6.92% MULTIPLE RACES. DATA FROM THE TREVOR PROJECT’S 2022 NATIONAL SURVEY ESTIMATES THE FOLLOWING DEMOGRAPHICS FOR LGBTQI+ YOUTH IN MICHIGAN; 70% WHITE, 6% BLACK, 3% ASIAN, 1%, AI/AN, 7% OTHER, AND 13% MULTIPLE RACES; 31% IDENTIFY AS A GIRL/WOMAN, 26% IDENTIFY AS A BOY/MAN, 35% IDENTIFY AS NONBINARY, BIGENDER, GENDERFLUID, AND GENDERQUEER, AND 8% IDENTIFY AS QUESTIONING; 24% ARE GAY OR LESBIAN, 31% ARE BISEXUAL, 32% ARE QUEER OR PANSEXUAL, 10% ARE ASEXUAL, AND 3% ARE QUESTIONING. THE SURVEY ALSO REPORTED THAT 60% OF THIS DEMOGRAPHIC WANTED MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN THE PAST YEAR AND WERE NOT ABLE TO GET IT, AND 45% OF THIS DEMOGRAPHIC SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED SUICIDE IN THE PAST YEAR. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: THE GOAL OF AALF IS TO PREVENT OR AMELIORATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE CONDITIONS AND DISORDERS AND BUILD HEALTHY FUTURES FOR LGBTQI+ YOUTH BY INCREASING FAMILY ACCEPTANCE AND SUPPORT IN SW MI. TO FULFILL THIS GOAL, WMU/CTAC WILL; (1) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PUBLIC AWARENESS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TO ENGAGE FAMILIES OF LGBTQI+ YOUTH IN SW MI; (2) PROVIDE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT TO LGBTQI+ YOUTH/FAMILIES IN SI MI THROUGH STEPS IDENTIFIED IN THE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND COMMUNICATIONS PLAN TO LINK THEM TO TRAUMA-INFORMED COUNSELING AND SUPPORTS THROUGH CTAC AND ITS PARTNERS; (3) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT SCREENING AND REFERRAL PROTOCOLS TO IDENTIFY LGBTQI+ YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE IN NEED OF COUNSELING SERVICES; (4) IDENTIFY AND COORDINATE REFERRAL PATHWAYS WITH THE 8 AALF COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR LGBTQI+ YOUTH IN SW MI; (5) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR CTAC PERSONNEL FOR THE FAMILY ACCEPTANCE PROJECT (FAP), AFFIRM CAREGIVER AND AFFIRM YOUTH EBPS; (6) BEGIN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FAP AND AFFIRM CAREGIVER/YOUTH TO PROMOTE ACCEPTANCE OF LGBTQI+ YOUTH; (7) ENHANCE THE EXISTING LGBTQI+ YOUTH AND FAMILY ADVISORY GROUP TO ENSURE THAT MEMBERSHIP IS REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUTH, THEIR FAMILIES, AND SERVICES ACROSS THE CONTINUUM; AND (8) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT TRAINING IN INTEGRATING TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE. CONTACT: AMY PERRICONE, CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR WMU/CTAC; AMY.L.PERRICONE@WMICH.EDU

AGEP: BPR: UNDERSTANDING URM STEM GRADUATE STUDENTS IDENTITY INTEGRATION AND ASSIMILATION INTO A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

COMBINED PRIORITY FOR PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT

PREPARING QUALIFIED PERSONNEL IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM OVER ADAPTED PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION AND SUPPORTS

UPWARD BOUND

NEW; TITLE: MICHCARB A GEOLOGICAL CARBON SEQUESTRATION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR MICHIGAN; PI: DAVID BARNES

SYNOPTIC WEATHER FORECASTING AND WEB-BASED INFORMATION DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING CROP DISEASE RISK IN MULTIPLE REGIONS OF THE U.S.

COLLEGE ASSISTANCE FOR PARENTING AND EDUCATION

INTERDISCIPLINARY PREPARATION IN AUTISM SERVICES (IPAS)

OPIOID-IMPACTED FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM - PROJECT TITLE: SUPPORTING UNDERSERVED PEER PROFESSIONALS IN OPIOID RECOVERY AND TREATMENT (SUPPORT) PROPOSED PROGRAM: THE SUPPORT PROGRAM IS A MULTI-COMPONENT PROGRAM THAT IS WELL-POSITIONED TO ADDRESS THE SHORTAGE OF PEER PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE TRAINED AND SKILLED TO WORK WITH FAMILIES EXPERIENCING OPIOID AND OTHER SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (OUD/SUD) THROUGHOUT MICHIGAN, A STATE WHEREIN 37 OF 83 COUNTIES ARE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS (HPSA). PARTICIPANTS WILL MONITOR THEIR IMPLEMENTATION OF BEST PRACTICES IN PROVIDING FAMILY SUPPORT, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION SITES USING GOAL SCALING SOLUTIONS, AN HRSA-FUNDED DIGITAL PLATFORM. WITH CAPACITY AND EXPERTISE AND SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF ALL OBJECTIVES WITH PREVIOUSLY FUNDED HRSA OPIOID WORKFORCE EXPANSION PROGRAM (OWEP) AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAMS, THE SUPPORT TEAM IS PREPARED TO OFFER THIS SAME EXPERTISE IN SUPPORTING THE PARAPROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE. ADDRESSED NEEDS: ALTHOUGH MICHIGAN WAS AMONGST THE FIRST STATES TO CERTIFY BOTH CERTIFIED PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS AND CERTIFIED RECOVERY COACHES, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION REMAIN DIFFICULT. UP TO 40% OF PEER PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS ARE UNFILLED AT COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS. EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER PATHWAYS FOR PEER PROFESSIONALS ARE NOT ALWAYS PRESENT. PROGRAMS THAT PAIR INTERPROFESSIONAL TRAINING NEEDED FOR ALL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, DIDACTIC CONTENT FOR SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN OUD/SUD AND MENTORING FOR PEER PROFESSIONALS TO DEVELOP CAREER PATHWAYS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZATIONS IS NEEDED. SUPPORT IS INTENTIONAL IN INCORPORATING THESE THREE COMPONENTS AND ENGAGING WITH PROFESSIONALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN POLICY DEVELOPMENT TO PARTNER WITH FAMILIES WITH OUD/SUD. SERVICES PROVIDED: SUPPORT WILL PROVIDE THREE MAIN COMPONENTS TO UP TO 30 LEVEL I PRE-SERVICE PARTICIPANTS IN EACH YEAR: 1) VIRTUAL COURSEWORK IN WESTERN MICH IGAN UNIVERSITY’S SPECIALTY PROGRAM FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE (SPADA), 2) SPECIFIC ON-DEMAND TRAININGS MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING, SBIRT, ETHICS AND ANTI-RACISM IN PEER PRACTICE, AND 3) PEER PROFESSIONAL MENTORING FROM CERTIFIED PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS AND CERTIFIED RECOVERY COACHES IN CAREER NAVIGATION. FOLLOWING LEVEL I COMPLETION, ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR LEVEL II IN-SERVICE TRAINING IN MENTAL HEALTH HPSA SITES. FUNDING PREFERENCE ELIGIBILITY: AS A NEW PROGRAM, SUPPORT MEETS 6 OF THE 7 FUNDING PRIORITY AREAS. SUPPORT CURRICULUM AND CLINICAL TRAINING FOCUSED ON MUCS, AND THE PROGRAM’S CLINICAL FACULTY HAVE EXPERIENCE, PHYSICALLY WORK, AND PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF PROGRAMMING IN AND FOR MUCS. TRAINEE ASSISTANCE AND A COMPREHENSIVE LEVEL II IN-SERVICE AND GRADUATE JOB PLACEMENT PROCESS IS FOCUSED ENTIRELY ON MUC PLACEMENT TO ENHANCE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PEER PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE IN MICHIGAN HPSAS/MUCS.

COMBINED PRIORITY FOR PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

COMBINED PRIORITY FOR PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT

TRIO - STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES - STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

BUILDING SCIENCE IDENTITY, SENSE OF BELONGING, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS TO INCREASE THE SUCCESS OF UNDERGRADUATE CHEMISTRY TRANSFER STUDENTS

COMBO TVI CVI: WHERE O&M AND TVI STUDENTS COLLABORATE TO GAIN EXPERTISE IN CORTICAL VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

SPECIAL EDUCATION-PERSONNEL PREPARATION TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES - LOW INCIDENCE

PARTNERING TO EFFECTIVELY REDUCE THE IMPACT OF VIOLENCE IN KALAMAZOO

NEW CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED PROJECT AWARDED TO WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY FOR ITS PROJECT ENTITLED: "SUSTAINABLE ENERGY CENTER: BIOFUELS FROM ALGAE

NURSING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

NURSING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

SPECIAL EDUCATION-PERSONNEL PREPARATION TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES - COMBINED PRIORITY FOR PERSONNEL PREPARATION

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAM

ACCELERATING SYSTEMIC CHANGE NETWORK: PROMOTING KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY PERSONNEL PREPARATION: EDUCATING STUDENTS TO WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE VISION IMPAIRMENTS IN THE STATE-FEDERAL VR SERVICE SYSTEM

VISION REHABILITATION THERAPY PERSONNEL PREPARATION: EDUCATING STUDENTS TO WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE VISION IMPAIRMENTS IN THE STATE-FEDERAL VR SERVICE SYSTEM

STUDY OF EXOTIC LIGHT NUCLEI WITH FEW NUCLEON TRANSFER REACTIONS

PROBING COMPLEXITY USING THE ALS AND LCLS

ADVANCING CARBON CAPTURE, UTILIZATION AND STORAGE (CCUS) IN THE MICHIGAN BASIN THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO REDUCE THE RISKS OF COMMERCIAL-SCALE STORAGE, ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF CARBON CAPTURE, UTILIZATION, AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGY WITHIN COMMUNITIES, AND ENSURE THE LONG-TERM, SAFE, AND EQUITABLE STORAGE OF CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) WITHIN THE MICHIGAN BASIN. THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT ARE A DATABASE OF GEOMECHANICAL AND LITHOLOGICAL DATA, A WELLBORE INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT TOOL, AND AN INTEGRATED USER-FRIENDLY TOOL FOR GEOLOGIC AND SOCIETAL CONSIDERATIONS ASSESSMENTS. ANY DATA PRODUCTS GENERATED AS A RESULT OF FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SHALL BE PROVIDED TO THE NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY (NETL) FOR INCLUSION IN THE ENERGY DATA EXCHANGE (EDX), HTTPS://EDX.NETL.DOE.GOV/.

BETTER LONG CANE DESIGN AND BIOMECHANICS FOR BLIND CANE USERS

PREVENTION OF INJURIES AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN: TAILORING A HOME SUPERVISION INTERVENTION FOR LOW-INCOME CAREGIVERS

EMSC TARGETED ISSUE GRANTS

STUDY OF LIGHT EXOTIC NUCLEI USING NUCLEON TRANSFER REACTIONS WITH EXOTIC BEAMS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: FACILITATING CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE STEM: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY, MULTIMETHOD METASYNTHESIS MAPPING A DECADE OF GROWTH -RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THE USE OF EVIDENCE-BASED, STUDENT-CENTERED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES HELPS TO INCREASE LEARNING, RETENTION, AND EQUITY IN UNDERGRADUATE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS COURSES. HOWEVER, IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT COMMONLY USED CHANGE EFFORTS HAVE NOT MADE RESEARCH-BASED INSTRUCTION THE NORM IN U.S. INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. OUTCOMES FROM THIS SYNTHETIC RESEARCH WILL BE USED TO GUIDE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE UNDERGRADUATE STEM INSTRUCTION TO GENERATE AND SUPPORT IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONAL CHANGE WITHIN UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE DEPARTMENTS AND ACROSS INSTITUTIONS. THIS SYNTHETIC RESEARCH REVIEWS THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL INTERVENTIONS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS COURSES AT THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL BETWEEN THE YEARS 2010 AND 2021. THE REVIEW ALSO INCLUDES ALL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE INSTRUCTION. THE SPECIFIC FOCUS IS ON EFFORTS TO BETTER SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING OF STEM CONTENT THROUGH INSTRUCTIONAL CHANGE. THE REVIEW WILL USE A META-SYNTHESIS TO IDENTIFY THEMES AND ADVANCES IN THE LITERATURE USING A FRAMEWORK SYNTHESIS APPROACH. THE LITERATURE SEARCH PROCESS IS INFORMED BY CURRENT RESEARCH ON SEARCH STRATEGIES AND REPRESENTS BEST PRACTICE IN SYNTHESIS METHODS. THE PROJECT USES AI-ASSISTED APPROACHES TO IDENTIFY GENERAL THEMES IN THE LITERATURE. WHILE THIS IS AN EMERGING AREA OF RESEARCH IN SYSTEMATIC REVIEW, THE PLAN ALSO BUILDS IN A TEST OF THE AI-ASSISTED CODING AGAINST HUMAN QUALITATIVE CODING. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY NSF'S EHR CORE RESEARCH (ECR) PROGRAM. THE ECR PROGRAM EMPHASIZES FUNDAMENTAL STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH THAT GENERATES FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE FIELD. INVESTMENTS ARE MADE IN CRITICAL AREAS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL, BROAD, AND ENDURING: STEM LEARNING AND STEM LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN STEM, AND STEM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE ACCUMULATION OF ROBUST EVIDENCE TO INFORM EFFORTS TO UNDERSTAND, BUILD THEORY TO EXPLAIN, AND SUGGEST INTERVENTION AND INNOVATIONS TO ADDRESS PERSISTENT CHALLENGES IN STEM INTEREST, EDUCATION, LEARNING AND PARTICIPATION. 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.

CAREER: MOLECULAR MECHANISMS REGULATING NEURAL REGENERATION IN PLANARIANS

PLANNING CLUSTER RANDOMIZED TRIALS: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF DESIGN PARAMETERS FOR STUDIES OF SCIENCE TEACHER INTERVENTIONS

INELASTIC X-RAY SCATTERING STUDIES OF EXCITATIONS IN THE ELECTRON GAS

REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - REHABILITATION COUNSELING

CAREER: MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF OXIDANT SPECIFICITY IN BACTERIAL FLAVOPROTEIN AMINE OXIDASES -WITH THIS CAREER AWARD, SUPPORTED BY THE CHEMISTRY OF LIFE PROCESSES PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, FREDERICK STULL FROM WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY IS STUDYING THE EVOLUTION OF OXIDANT SPECIFICITY IN BACTERIAL FLAVOPROTEIN AMINE OXIDASES. FLAVOPROTEIN AMINE OXIDASES ARE ENZYMES THAT CATALYZE CRITICAL REACTIONS THROUGHOUT CELLULAR METABOLISM, AND MOST ARE THOUGHT TO TRANSFER ELECTRONS FROM THEIR ORGANIC SUBSTRATES TO MOLECULAR OXYGEN. IT WAS RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT CERTAIN BACTERIAL FLAVOPROTEIN AMINE OXIDASE ENZYMES BREAK THIS MOLD BY TRANSFERRING ELECTRONS FROM THEIR SUBSTRATES TO CYTOCHROME C PROTEINS INSTEAD OF DIRECTLY TO MOLECULAR OXYGEN. THIS PROJECT IS EVALUATING IF THIS USE OF CYTOCHROME C IS MORE WIDESPREAD AMONG BACTERIAL FLAVOPROTEIN AMINE OXIDASES THAN PREVIOUSLY REALIZED AND SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE DIVERGENT FUNCTIONS EVOLVED IN THIS WIDESPREAD ENZYME FAMILY. THE BASIC SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED FROM THIS PROJECT COULD BE USED TO ACHIEVE REACTIONS THAT ARE USEFUL FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY. THE GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT WILL GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN SPECTROSCOPY, TRANSIENT KINETICS AND ENZYME ENGINEERING. SELECTED ENZYMES FROM THIS PROJECT ARE TO BE USED TO DEVELOP A HYPOTHESIS-DRIVEN LABORATORY COURSE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS THAT DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTES TO THE SCIENTIFIC GOALS OF THIS PROJECT. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF A PLATFORM FOR FACILITATING THE ENGAGEMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE WORK-STUDY RECIPIENTS IN HANDS-ON RESEARCH. FREDERICK STULL AND HIS TEAM HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT NICOTINE OXIDOREDUCTASE AND PSEUDOOXYNICOTINE AMINE OXIDASE, BOTH MEMBERS OF THE FLAVOPROTEIN AMINE OXIDASE (FAO) SUPERFAMILY, ARE NOT ACTUALLY OXIDASES. THESE TWO ENZYMES TRANSFER ELECTRONS FROM THEIR SUBSTRATES TO A CYTOCHROME C PROTEIN INSTEAD OF O2, MEANING THAT THEY ARE DEHYDROGENASES. THIS PROJECT WILL TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT MANY OTHER BACTERIAL FLAVOPROTEIN AMINE OXIDASES ALSO USE CYTOCHROME C AS AN OXIDANT INSTEAD OF O2, SEVERELY UNDERMINING THE OXIDASE PARADIGM ASCRIBED TO THE FAO ENZYME FAMILY. THE OXIDANT SPECIFICITY OF SELECT BACTERIAL FAOS THAT ARE PREDICTED TO BE CYTOCHROME C-UTILIZING DEHYDROGENASES, AS WELL AS CLOSELY RELATED OXIDASES, WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY TRANSIENT KINETICS. EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION, PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS AND ANCESTRAL RECONSTRUCTION WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY THE STRUCTURAL FEATURES THAT DICTATE FLAVIN-OXIDANT REACTIVITY IN BACTERIAL FAOS. INFORMATION FROM THIS STUDY WILL LIKELY PROVIDE NEW INSIGHT INTO HOW FLAVOENZYMES CONTROL THE REACTIVITY OF THEIR FLAVIN COFACTORS. 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.

ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY: FACILITATING LEARNING AND IMPROVEMENT OF PROPRIOCEPTION (OMFLIP)

REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - REHABILITATION OF INDVS. WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE VISION IMPAIRMENTS

REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - REHABILITATION COUNSELING

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: LEVERAGING MIPOS: DEVELOPING A THEORY OF PRODUCTIVE USE OF STUDENT MATHEMATICAL THINKING

SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION OF MIGRATION IN CLUPEIFORMES (HERRING, SARDINES, SHAD, ANCHOVIES, AND THEIR ALLIES)

STEADYRX: SMARTPHONE ART ADHERENCE INTERVENTION FOR DRUG USERS

REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - REHABILITATION OF INDVS. WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE VISION IMPAIRMENTS

EMSC TARGETED ISSUE GRANTS

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: INTEGRATION OF CORROSION FATIGUE AND STRESS CORROSION CRACKING INTO UNIGROW MODEL

WINDOWS ON THE UNIVERSE: NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS OBSERVABLES OF SUPERNOVAE AND NEUTRON STARS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EVALUATING THE UPTAKE OF RESEARCH-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES IN UNDERGRADUATE CHEMISTRY, MATHEMATICS, & PHYSICS

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A PHYSICAL PROPERTIES MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH

INVESTIGATION AND PREDICTION OF STRUCTURAL ORDERING IN MONOCRYSTALLINE NITRIDES THROUGH CLASSICAL AND GENERATIVE MACHINE LEARNING AND TUNABLE ENERGETICS

COLLEGE ASSISTANCE FOR PARENTING AND EDUCATION TO GRADUATION (CAPE 2017)

FROM STARS TO ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. PHOTOTIONIZATION, PHOTOEXCITATION, OPACITIES, AND SPECTRA OF LOW IONIZATION FE-PEAK SPECIES.

CAREER: CHARACTERIZING THE MECHANISM OF COPPER EXCHANGE IN COPPER TRANSFER PROTEINS

INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES AND IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS IN ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EFFECT OF GUIDANCE SURFACES ON TRAVELERS WITH VISION AND MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS

CAREER: FROM FUNDAMENTAL INTERACTIONS TO EMERGENT PHENOMENA: GEOMETRICAL ASPECTS OF NUCLEAR DYNAMICS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: LEARNING ACROSS THE EXPERT-NOVICE CONTINUUM: COGNITION IN THE GEOSCIENCES

MECHANISM OF A HYPOTHIOCYANOUS ACID REDUCTASE - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THE INNATE IMMUNE SYSTEM DEPLOYS A SUITE OF OXIDANTS TO COMBAT INFECTION BY BACTERIAL PATHOGENS AND CONTROL THE HUMAN MICROBIOME. AMONG THESE ARE HYPOTHIOCYANOUS ACID (HOSCN), A POTENT THIOL-SPECIFIC OXIDANT CAPABLE OF KILLING MANY BACTERIA. UNLIKE OTHER IMMUNE-DERIVED OXIDANTS, HOSCN IS NON-TOXIC TO HUMAN CELLS AND IS CONSTANTLY PRODUCED IN SALIVA, TEARS AND EPITHELIAL FLUIDS LINING THE RESPIRATORY TRACT AS A DEFENSE AGAINST BACTERIAL COLONIZATION. WE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT MANY HUMAN-COLONIZING BACTERIA EXPRESS A FLAVIN-DEPENDENT HOSCN REDUCTASE (HAR) THAT RAPIDLY NEUTRALIZES HOSCN UPON REDUCTION WITH NAD(P)H, PROVIDING RESISTANCE AGAINST HOSCN TOXICITY. HAR IS A MEMBER OF THE FLAVOPROTEIN DISULFIDE REDUCTASE (FDR) FAMILY, ALBEIT WITH AN UNUSUAL FUNCTION, AS THESE ENZYMES TYPICALLY CATALYZE THE REVERSIBLE REDUCTION OF DISULFIDE-CONTAINING SUBSTRATES. HAR IS ALSO FOUND IN MAJOR HUMAN PATHOGENS LIKE STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS, STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE AND ESCHERICHIA COLI O157:H7, FOR WHICH ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IS A GROWING THREAT, AND DELETION OF THE HAR GENE DRAMATICALLY ATTENUATES S. PNEUMONIAE COLONIZATION IN MOUSE MODELS, ESTABLISHING HAR AS AN IMPORTANT VIRULENCE FACTOR. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ELUCIDATE THE CHEMICAL AND CATALYTIC MECHANISMS OF HAR. THE FIRST AIM INVOLVES MUTAGENESIS AND STOPPED-FLOW KINETICS TO IDENTIFY REACTION INTERMEDIATES AND DETERMINE THE ROLE OF HAR-SPECIFIC ACTIVE SITE RESIDUES IN THE MECHANISM OF HOSCN REDUCTION BY HAR. THE SECOND AIM UTILIZES TRANSIENT KINETICS AND MEASUREMENT OF KINETIC ISOTOPE EFFECTS TO DEFINE THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT OCCUR DURING HAR’S REACTION WITH NAD(P)H. THE THIRD AIM SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM BEHIND HAR’S ABILITY TO USE BOTH NADPH AND NADH AS A REDUCTANT, WHICH IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL AMONG FDR FAMILY ENZYMES. PROTEIN ENGINEERING WILL BE USED TO GENERATE HAR VARIANTS WITH ALTERED NADPH/NADH SPECIFICITY, AND THESE WILL BE USED TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT HAR’S LAX PYRIDINE NUCLEOTIDE SPECIFICITY IS CRITICAL FOR ITS ABILITY TO PROVIDE RESISTANCE AGAINST HOSCN. TOGETHER, THESE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WILL GENERATE FUNDAMENTAL INSIGHTS INTO A WIDESPREAD BACTERIAL DEFENSE MECHANISM AGAINST THE INNATE IMMUNE SYSTEM, PAVING THE WAY FOR DEVELOPING INHIBITORS TARGETING HAR FUNCTION. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL ENRICH THE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT AT A REGIONAL UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION, EXPOSING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO MERITORIOUS RESEARCH INVOLVING ENZYMOLOGY AND TRANSIENT KINETICS.

MATERIALS WORLD NETWORK: RATIONAL DESIGN OF METALLIC AND BIMETALLIC NANOPARTICLES FOR OPTO-ELECTROCHEMICAL BIOSENSING

PFI-RP: COMMERCIALIZATION OF AUTOMOTIVE LANE LINE DETECTION SOFTWARE FOR SNOW-COVERED ROADS -THE BROADER IMPACT/COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL OF THIS PARTNERSHIPS FOR INNOVATION ? RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS (PFI-RP) PROJECT IS IMPROVED TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND USABILITY FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC DURING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO DEVELOP AND COMMERCIALIZE NEW COMPUTER VISION AND MACHINE LEARNING TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER APPLICATIONS, FACILITATING ENGAGEMENT FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IN ADDRESSING INCLEMENT WEATHER DRIVING PROBLEMS AND ENABLING ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGAGEMENT FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES. ACHIEVEMENT OF SAFE VEHICLE OPERATION IN ADVERSE WEATHER HAS FURTHER IMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WIDESPREAD DEPLOYMENT OF AUTOMATED VEHICLES AND FEATURES INCLUDING IMPROVED EFFICIENCY TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE, IMPROVEMENTS IN GROUND VEHICLES FOR MILITARY APPLICATIONS, AND A STRONGER TRANSPORTATION NETWORK DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT. STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES WILL BE RECRUITED AND RECEIVE TRAINING IN TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH EXISTING UNIVERSITY-WIDE ORGANIZATIONS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT SEEKS TO DEVELOP AUTOMATED VEHICLE COMPUTER VISION FOR ADVERSE WEATHER WHICH, DESPITE BEING COMMONLY IDENTIFIED AS A NEEDED PRODUCT, HAS RECEIVED RELATIVELY LITTLE ATTENTION IN THE MARKETPLACE. THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY UTILIZES AUTOMOTIVE CAMERAS, COMPUTER VISION, SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES, AND REFINED METHODS OF MACHINE LEARNING WITHOUT AN OVERRELIANCE ON DEEP LEARNING. THE TRANSLATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF COMPUTER VISION ALGORITHMS INTO A FULLY AUTOMATED VEHICLE SYSTEMS WITH EMBEDDED HARDWARE REQUIRES A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH REQUIRING ACADEMIC, INDUSTRIAL, AND ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCE. THE FOUR KEY TECHNICAL BARRIERS INCLUDE DATA SCALE-UP, MODULE IMPROVEMENTS, VEHICLE INTEGRATION, AND USE OF EMBEDDED HARDWARE. BECAUSE THE IDENTIFIED MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT IS DESIGNED FOR SAFE AUTOMATED DRIVING IN SNOW, THE TEAM IS PURSUING WINTER SEASON MILESTONES THAT INCLUDE LARGE DATASET COLLECTION, MODULE IMPROVEMENTS WITH AN ASSOCIATED VEHICLE INTEGRATION DEMONSTRATION, AND A COMPLETE MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT DEMONSTRATION WITH POTENTIAL BUSINESS PARTNERS AND CUSTOMERS. THE PROJECT GOAL IS SUCCESSFUL COMMERCIALIZATION OF AN AUTOMOTIVE LANE LINE DETECTION SOFTWARE FOR SNOW-COVERED ROADS. 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.

MONITORING DEEP AQUIFER RESPONSE TO CLIMATIC VARIABILITY USING GRACE DATA

ROS SIGNALING IN WOUND HEALING VS TISSUE REPAIR - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT PROPER WOUND HEALING IS CRITICAL FOLLOWING SURGERY AND INJURY, WHILE COMPROMISED HEALING IS A FACTOR IN DISEASES SUCH AS DIABETES, OBESITY, TOBACCO ABUSE, AND MALNUTRITION. AS WELL, TISSUE RESTORATION AFTER HEALING IS LIMITED, SUCH THAT MOST REPAIR LEADS TO SCAR FORMATION AND LOSS OF FUNCTION. WITH MILLIONS AFFECTED AND BILLIONS IN ASSOCIATED CARE COSTS YEARLY, IMPAIRED WOUND HEALING, CHRONIC WOUNDS AND FIBROSIS-RELATED DISEASES REPRESENT A CRITICAL HEALTH BURDEN. DATA REVEALS THAT THE PRESENCE OF REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS), BYPRODUCTS OF AEROBIC METABOLISM CONTAINING OXYGEN THAT ARE HIGHLY REACTIVE, ARE CRITICAL TO WOUND HEALING OUTCOMES. ROS ARE ALSO NECESSARY FOR CELL SIGNALING AND PLAY A ROLE IN HOST DEFENSE AND INJURY SIGNALING. BUT THE CURRENT EVIDENCE IS CONTRADICTORY, SUGGESTING BOTH POSITIVE (REQUIRED FOR REPAIR AND IMMUNE RECRUITMENT) AND NEGATIVE (PROMOTING CELL DAMAGE) ROLES FOR ROS. FURTHERMORE, IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER WOUND HEALING AND REGENERATION ARE SEPARABLE PROCESSES. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGESTS THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WOUND-SPECIFIC AND REGENERATIVE-SPECIFIC ROS SIGNALING PATHWAYS AND DEMONSTRATES THE USEFULNESS OF PLANARIANS TO PARSE THE ROLES OF ROS IN TISSUE REPAIR. WHILE ALL MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS POSSESS WOUND RESPONSES AND REPAIR MECHANISMS, THE SIGNALING THAT PROMOTES HEALING AND REGENERATION VERSUS SCARRING REMAINS A MYSTERY. THIS PROPOSAL’S LONG TERM GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW ROS SIGNALING MAY BE MANIPULATED TO REGULATE BOTH WOUND HEALING AND TISSUE REPAIR, IDENTIFYING NEW TARGETS FOR TREATMENT AND REFINING CURRENT THERAPIES FOR BETTER PATIENT OUTCOMES. THIS PROPOSAL’S OBJECTIVE IS TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENCES IN ROS LEVELS AND SIGNALING THAT SWITCH INJURY-INDUCED ROS RESPONSES FROM CONTROL OF WOUND HEALING TO TISSUE REPAIR. WE HAVE TWO HYPOTHESES: 1) THAT DISTINCT ROS-INITIATED SIGNALING PATHWAYS REGULATE WOUND HEALING VERSUS TISSUE REPAIR, AND 2) THAT THE LEVEL AND TIMING OF ROS PRESENT AT THE WOUND SITE DETERMINES WHETHER WOUND HEALING OR REGROWTH OCCURS. THESE WILL BE TESTED WITH TWO SPECIFIC AIMS: AIM 1) TO IDENTIFY WOUND-ONLY VERSUS REGENERATIVE-SPECIFIC EXPRESSION OF ROS-MEDIATED GENES, DETECTING ANY EPISTATIC INTERACTIONS; AND AIM 2) TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT ROS LEVELS ON REGENERATION (PROLIFERATION AND TISSUE GROWTH) AND WOUND HEALING (ACTIN-MEDIATED REEPITHELIZATION). IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE AREA MECHANISM, THIS WORK IS DESIGNED TO BE COMPLETED MAINLY BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS—IN ORDER TO FOSTER FUTURE INDEPENDENCE AND TRAIN THEM IN COMMON TECHNIQUES (SUCH AS MICROSURGERY, CLONING, IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION, IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY, AND RNA INTERFERENCE). THESE STUDIES WILL ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF IMPAIRED WOUND HEALING AND FIBROSIS, AND UNCOVER FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF HOW ROS IS UTILIZED DURING REPAIR.

BACTERIAL REGULATION OF ACID RESISTANCE AND AMINO ACID METABOLISM - PROJECT SUMMARY BACTERIA HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COLONIZED ALMOST EVERY NICHE ON THIS PLANET, AND THEIR SUCCESS IS DRIVEN IN LARGE PART BY THEIR ABILITY TO ADAPT TO AND SURVIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. ONE EXAMPLE IS EXCESSIVE PROTONS (OR ACIDITY, LOW PH), WHICH CAN DAMAGE LIPIDS, NUCLEIC ACIDS, AND PROTEINS. BACTERIA THAT COLONIZE THE HUMAN BODY CONTEND WITH MANY DIFFERENT PH GRADIENTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM. ONE WAY THAT BACTERIA SURVIVE THIS STRESS IS BY USING AMINO ACID CATABOLISM TO DE-ACIDIFY THEIR ENVIRONMENT. WE DISCOVERED THAT THE BACTERIAL SECOND MESSENGER C-DI-GMP REGULATES BOTH AMINO ACID METABOLISM AND ACID RESISTANCE IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL BACTERIA E. COLI AND SHIGELLA. ONE OF THESE AMINO ACIDS IS ISOLEUCINE, AND WE HAVE FOUND THAT E. COLI, BUT NOT SHIGELLA, CATABOLIZES ISOLEUCINE TO RESIST ACID STRESS. BACTERIAL ISOLEUCINE-MEDIATED ACID RESISTANCE HAS NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED. IN THIS APPLICATION, WE WILL INVESTIGATE HOW ISOLEUCINE CONTRIBUTES TO ACID RESISTANCE, HOW C- DI-GMP REGULATES ACID RESISTANCE IN THESE TWO ORGANISMS, AND HOW THESE PATHWAYS ARE IMPACTED BY THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS OF PATHOADAPTATION. METHODOLOGIES PROPOSED HERE ARE ACCESSIBLE FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS, WHO WILL COMPLETE THE EXPERIMENTS OUTLINED IN THIS PROPOSAL. BECAUSE MANY BACTERIA USE AMINO ACID METABOLISM TO RESIST ACID STRESS, AND BECAUSE C-DI-GMP SIGNALING IS SO WIDELY CONSERVED, FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY WILL BE WIDELY GENERALIZABLE FOR OTHER GASTROINTESTINAL BACTERIA. UNDERSTANDING HOW GASTROINTESTINAL BACTERIA ADAPT TO PH STRESS IS CRITICAL FOR MANY ASPECTS OF HUMAN HEALTH, INCLUDING PROTECTING OUR FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN, PROMOTING SYMBIOTIC BACTERIA, AND CONTROLLING HUMAN PATHOGENS.

IUCRC PHASE I WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY (PARTNER SITE): CENTER FOR PLASTIC, PAPER, AND HYBRID-PACKAGING END-OF-LIFE SOLUTIONS (C3PS) -THE CENTER FOR PLASTIC, PAPER, AND HYBRID-PACKAGING END-OF-LIFE SOLUTIONS (C3PS) WILL ADDRESS SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS RELATED TO THE FATE OF PACKAGING MATERIALS LIKE PLASTICS AND PLASTIC-PAPER HYBRIDS AT THEIR END-OF-LIFE (EOL). PACKAGING IS NECESSARY FOR PROTECTING A PRODUCT?S INTEGRITY, SAFETY, AND QUALITY DURING TRANSPORTATION, STORAGE, AND USE. IT ALSO PRODUCES ABOUT 57 MILLION TONS PER YEAR OF PLASTICS, PAPER, AND PLASTIC-PAPER HYBRIDS IN THE US ALONE CREATING AN GLOBAL, URGENT NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH THAT ADDRESSES THE FULL LIFE CYCLE OF PLASTIC, INCLUDING ITS PRODUCTION, DESIGN, AND END-OF-LIFE DISPOSAL. SUCH CONSIDERATIONS ARE THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF C3PS. C3PS WILL RE-DESIGNING PACKAGING MATERIALS FOR IMPROVED RECOVERY AND RECYCLABILITY, BIODEGRADABILITY AND COMPOSTABILITY AND WASTE REDUCTION THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFECYCLE. THE CENTER WILL ALSO ENSURE THAT NEW AND RE-DESIGNED PLASTIC, PAPER AND HYBRID-PACKAGING MATERIALS CAN BE INTEGRATED WITH EOL DISPOSAL SYSTEMS. THESE EFFORTS WILL HELP TO ESTABLISH THE UNITED STATES AS A GLOBAL LEADER IN SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING THROUGH ZERO-WASTE, CIRCULAR, AND LOW-CARBON SYSTEMS. THE CENTER WILL GENERATE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE BY GENERATING NEW DATA, PROCESSES, AND MATERIALS TO PROMOTE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM INNOVATIONS FOR A ZERO-WASTE PACKAGING ECOSYSTEM THROUGH STRONG COLLABORATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS. C3PS IS DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING A DIVERSE SKILLED WORKFORCE THROUGH EDUCATION AND HANDS-ON TRAINING, THUS EQUIPPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PROFESSIONALS AND TECHNICAL LEADERS TO SPEARHEAD ADVANCEMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE, ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE PACKAGING. THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES, C3PS SUPPORTS THE MISSION OF NSF TO PROMOTE THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE AND ADVANCE NATIONAL HEALTH, WELFARE, AND PROSPERITY C3PS GOAL IS TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING OF MATERIALS THAT CAN BE REUSED OR RECYCLED IN A WAY THAT AVOIDS WASTE OR PRODUCE WASTE THAT ARE PRESENT NO HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. THIS INVOLVES CREATING A PACKAGING ECONOMY THAT IS CIRCULAR, NAMELY ONE THAT REDUCES WASTE AND KEEPS MATERIALS IN USE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE WITH ZERO WASTE STREAMS ALL OF WHICH ARE BENIGN. THE CENTER?S RESEARCH IS STRUCTURED AROUND TWO PRIMARY AREAS OF FOCUS. THE FIRST SEEK TO CREATE ZERO-WASTE, SAFE PLASTIC PACKAGING SOLUTIONS VIA THE DESIGN OF RECYCLABLE AND BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS, AND IMPROVED, COST-EFFECTIVE PLASTIC RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES. THE SECOND FOCUS AREA EMPHASIZES THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAFE, RECYCLABLE, AND BIODEGRADABLE PAPER AND PAPER-PLASTIC HYBRID MATERIALS FOR PACKAGING, NEW RECYCLING METHODS FOR EMERGING PAPER-PLASTIC HYBRID PRODUCTS, DEVELOPING RECYCLABLE PAPER ADDITIVES, AND VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM RECYCLED PAPER. C3PS WILL FOSTER COLLABORATION ACROSS THE ENTIRE PACKAGING VALUE CHAIN FROM RAW MATERIALS TO NEW PRODUCTS AND MANUFACTURING APPROACHES, TO ENSURE THAT INDUSTRY ADOPTS NEW SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS ON A LARGE SCALE. TO DRIVE INNOVATIONS, C3PS WILL BRING TOGETHER EXPERTS IN PACKAGING, MATERIALS SCIENCE, PREDICTIVE MODELING, BIODEGRADATION, MANUFACTURING, RECYCLING, REGULATORY SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES. C3PS WILL HELP TO SPUR SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS MINIMIZING PACKAGING WASTE AND FOSTERING A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR PACKAGING MATERIALS. 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 PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

SPECIAL EDUCATION-PERSONNEL PREPARATION TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES - COMBINED PRIORITY FOR PERSONNEL PREPARATION

BIORETS: RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR TEACHERS IN THE BIOLOGY OF PLANTS, ANIMALS, MICROORGANISMS, AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS -THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS BIORETS PROGRAM AT WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY IS TO PROVIDE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN WITH AUTHENTIC RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND TRANSFORMATIVE CURRICULAR IMPROVEMENT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THIS BIORETS SITE OFFERS AN INTENSIVE SEVEN-WEEK SUMMER EXPERIENCE FOR 12 TEACHERS PER YEAR IN JUNE TO AUGUST. TEACHERS WILL CONDUCT AUTHENTIC RESEARCH REVOLVING AROUND A UNIFYING THEME: HOW BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS INTERACT WITH OTHER ORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. THE SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE WILL BE COMPLEMENTED WITH FACULTY RESEARCH SEMINARS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS, DEMONSTRATIONS OF HANDS-ON LABORATORY TEACHING MODULES, LUNCH TIME DISCUSSIONS ON RESEARCH AND CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT, WRITTEN CURRICULAR MATERIALS, POSTER PRESENTATIONS ON RESEARCH AND CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT, AND AFTER-SUMMER CLASSROOM VISITS. AN EXTERNAL EVALUATION TEAM WILL ASSESS PROGRAM PROGRESS, DETERMINE PROGRAM IMPACTS ON TEACHER PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR STUDENTS, AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR IMPROVEMENT. THE BROADER IMPACTS OF THIS BIORETS PROGRAM INCLUDE: (1) BROADEN PARTICIPATION OF UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM); (2) ADVANCE DISCOVERY AND UNDERSTANDING IN THE BIOLOGY OF PLANTS, ANIMALS, MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS; (3) ENHANCE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION; (4) DISSEMINATE CURRICULAR MATERIALS CREATED DURING THE BIORETS SESSION TO A WIDE AUDIENCE. THIS BIORETS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE A SUPPORTIVE ATMOSPHERE FOR TEACHER PARTICIPANTS TO PERFORM CAPTIVATING, AUTHENTIC, AND INDEPENDENT SUMMER RESEARCH. THE HANDS-ON RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND COMPLEMENTARY FACULTY RESEARCH SEMINARS ARE EXPECTED TO DEEPEN TEACHERS? RESEARCH LITERACY AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. IN ADDITION, TEACHERS WILL EXPERIENCE TEAMWORK AND EXPERIMENTS THAT LEAD TO THE GENERATION OF NEW RESEARCH IDEAS AND APPROACHES. TEACHERS? SUMMER RESEARCH PROJECTS ARE ORGANIZED INTO SIX TOPICS: (1) PLANT-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS, (2) ANIMAL-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS, (3) MICROBE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS, (4) PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS, (5) ANIMAL-MICROBE INTERACTIONS, AND (6) PLANT-ANIMAL INTERACTIONS. SUCH PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED TO HELP TEACHERS TO GAIN A HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE MULTIFACETED INTERACTIONS AMONG LIVING ORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS, AND TO IDENTIFY THEIR OWN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE OVERALL RESEARCH THEME. COMPONENTS OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE IMPLEMENTABLE IN COLLEGE LABORATORY CLASSROOMS; THEREFORE, THE TEACHERS WILL NOT ONLY LEAVE WITH DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE RESEARCH TOPIC AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD BUT ALSO WITH A SET OF PRACTICAL TEACHING MODULES TO TRANSFER TO THEIR OWN CLASSROOMS. FACULTY MENTORS, GRADUATE STUDENTS, AND LAB COORDINATORS AT WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH TEACHER PARTICIPANTS TO TRANSLATE THEIR RESEARCH EXPERIENCES INTO CURRICULAR CHANGES. SUCH CHANGES ARE EXPECTED TO ENRICH TEACHERS? CLASSROOM TEACHING PRACTICES, INSPIRE A LARGER NUMBER OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, INCLUDING UNDER-REPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS, TO CONSIDER HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAREERS IN STEM, ESPECIALLY IN BIOLOGICAL 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.

ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DOLOMITE & ROCK FABRIC, MICHIGAN BASIN

EMIT FOR LITHOLOGIC MAPPING MINERAL EXPLORATION AND TECTONIC INVESTIGATIONS IN ARID LANDS

INVESTIGATION OF IONIC LIQUID MONOPROPELLANT PLASM USING OPTICAL DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INCREASING THE IMPACT OF TUES PROJECTS THROUGH EFFECTIVE PROPAGATION STRATEGIES: A HOW-TO GUIDE FOR PIS

23-GRACEFO23-0024 CLIMATIC AND ANTHROPOGENIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGIC SYSTEMS IN ARID LANDS: GRACE-BASED INSIGHTS AND REMEDIES

THIS PROPOSAL SETS OUT TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING ASTROPHYSICALLY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: WHERE ARE OXYGEN SILICON AND IRON FOUND IN THE UNIVERSE? WHAT ARE THEIR ABUNDANCES AND PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL FORMS? A COMPLETE SET OF ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND SOLID-STATE PHOTOABSORPTION DATA. WE PROPOSE TO GENERATE SUCH DATA THROUGH A COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING THEORETICAL TECHNIQUES. FIRSTLY R-MATRIX CALCULATIONS WILL BE CARRIED OUT TO OBTAIN THE K-SHELL PHOTOABSORPTION OF ATOMIC SILICON AND THE L-SHELL OF IRON; IN THIS RESPECT ATOMIC OXYGEN HAS ALREADY BEEN EXTENSIVELY TREATED BY US. SECONDLY THE UK MOLECULAR R-MATRIX (UKRMOL) PACKAGE WILL BE USED TO COMPUTE THE PHOTOABSORPTION OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN (O2) CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2). AND THIRDLY WE WILL IMPLEMENT MULTIPLE SCATTERING THEORY IN TANDEM WITH AN ATOMIC R-MATRIX TREATMENT FOR EACH ATOM TO COMPUTE PHOTOABSORPTION CROSS SECTIONS FOR CONDENSED-MATTER SYSTEMS SUCH AS OXIDES SILICATES AND OTHER COMPOUNDS COMPRISING INTERSTELLAR DUST AND ICE. A FINAL MODEL WILL BE DEVELOPED IN A FASHION CONSISTENT WITH THE PHOTOABSORPTION IN ALL ENVIRONMENTS - ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND SOLID-STATE. TO THIS END A CONSISTENT MODEL FOR ALL CASES IS DEVELOPED THAT (1) PRESERVES THE OSCILLATOR STRENGTH SUM RULE PER ELECTRON AND (2) EXHIBITS THE EXPECTED IDENTICAL ABSORPTION AWAY FROM THE INNER-SHELL THRESHOLDS. SUCH A MODEL ALLOWS FOR A CONTROLLED MEASURE OF THE QUANTITATIVE DIFFERENCES IN THE NEAR-EDGE STRUCTURE OF ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND SOLID-STATE X-RAY SPECTRAL OBSERVATIONS. FOR OXYGEN THE ATOMIC NEUTRAL AND IONIC CROSS SECTIONS ARE NOW WELL ESTABLISHED FROM OUR RECENT WORK AND WE WILL USE THE UKRMOL CODES TO COMPUTE K-SHELL PHOTOABSORPTION CROSS SECTIONS FOR O2 CO AND H2O. FOR MORE COMPLICATED SYSTEMS WE WILL PERFORM R-MATRIX CALCULATIONS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL ATOMS AND UTILIZE MULTIPLE SCATTERING THEORY TO COMPUTE THE PHOTOABSORPTION CROSS SECTION.FOR SI ATOMIC R-MATRIX CALCULATIONS WILL BE PERFORMED FOR THE K-SHELL ATOMIC CROSS SECTIONS AND THEN MULTIPLE SCATTERING THEORY WILL BE USED TO TREAT MORE COMPLEX SYSTEMS. FOR THE MORE COMPLEX CASE OF IRON L-SHELL ABSORPTION WE WILL PERFORM LARGE-SCALE ATOMIC R-MATRIX CALCULATIONS USING THREE APPROACHES: A NON-RELATIVISTIC LS-COUPLED HAMILTONIAN A BREIT-PAULI HAMILTONIAN AND A DIRAC-FOCK HAMILTONIAN THE LATTER TWO TO INCLUDE THE IMPORTANT FINE-STRUCTURE SPLITTING OF THRESHOLDS. MULTIPLE SCATTERING THEORY WILL BE USED WITH THE ATOMIC R-MATRIX INFORMATION TO TREAT PHOTOABSORPTION IN SOLID-STATE ENVIRONMENTS AND A CONSISTENT ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND SOLID-STATE ABSORPTION MODEL WILL BE DEVELOPED. BY DETERMINING ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND SOLID STATE CROSS SECTIONS ON THE SAME FOOTING WE WILL USE AVAILABLE EXPERIMENTAL AND ASTRONOMICAL (CHANDRA) OBSERVATIONS IN THE CASE OF ATOMIC OXYGEN AND EXPERIMENTAL CROSS SECTIONS IN THE CASE OF SILICATES TO CALIBRATE THE EXACT POSITION OF ALL K-SHELL THRESHOLDS AS WELL AS THE ABSOLUTE CROSS SECTIONS. MOREOVER CURRENT EXPERIMENTAL CROSS SECTIONS FOR A FEW SILICATE COMPOSITIONS WILL HELP US STUDY THE EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL BINDING ON THE POSITION AND SHAPE OF THE CROSS SECTIONS ACROSS INNER-SHELL THRESHOLDS. THUS WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SELF-CONSISTENT CROSS SECTIONS FOR ALL FORMS OF OXYGEN SILICON AND IRON IN THE X-RAY REGION ACCESSIBLE TO CHANDRA AND XMM-NEWTON. THE DERIVED DATA AND ANALYTICAL MODEL WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE ASTROPHYSICS COMMUNITY AND WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE XSTAR DATABASE FOR X-RAY SPECTRAL MODELING ANALYSIS. FROM OBSERVED X-RAY SPECTRA NEAR THE K-EDGE OF O AND SI AND THE L-EDGE OF FE WE WILL INFER THE COMPOSITIONS OF EACH OF THESE THREE ELEMENTS AND HELP ANSWER THE QUESTION POSED INITIALLY: IN WHAT FORMS AND ABUNDANCES ARE OXYGEN SILICON AND IRON FOUND IN THE UNIVERSE?

FROM A JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES ARISE MASTERS OF FEW: UNCOVERING THE EVOLUTIONARY PATTERNS AND PROCESSES DRIVING MULTIGENE FAMILY FUNCTIONAL DIVERSIFICATION -SPECIALIZED METABOLITES ARE NOT ONLY THE SPICE OF LIFE, THEY MEDIATE NEARLY ALL ORGANISMAL INTERACTIONS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT. DUE TO THEIR IMPORTANCE, THIS PROPOSED WORK AIMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE >200,000 CHEMICALS PRODUCED BY PLANTS AND MICROORGANISMS EVOLVED. KNOWLEDGE OF THE HISTORICAL GENETIC MECHANISMS ALLOWING FOR EXISTING METABOLITES TO BE PRODUCED SHOULD ALLOW FOR THE GENERATION OF NOVEL METABOLITES BY PROTEIN ENGINEERING FOR APPLICATIONS IN AGRICULTURE, MEDICINE, BIOENGINEERING AND PHARMACEUTICALS. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THESE RESEARCH GOALS, THE NEXT GENERATION OF DIVERSE SCIENTISTS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT WILL BE TRAINED AND COLLECT DATA. AT LEAST 100 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL BE ENGAGED IN AUTHENTIC RESEARCH EXPERIENCES THAT GENERATE NOVEL DATA SO THAT THEIR FINDINGS RELATED TO PROTEIN EVOLUTION AND SPECIALIZED METABOLITE BIOSYNTHESIS CAN BE PUBLISHED IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS. THIS EXPERIENCE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE PROBABILITY OF STUDENT RECRUITMENT INTO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CAREERS. THE ORIGINS OF GENOMIC COMPLEXITY ARE UNCLEAR BUT AT LEAST PARTLY DEPEND ON GENE DUPLICATION TO GENERATE MULTIGENE FAMILIES. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE FACTORS THAT PROMOTE MULTIGENE FAMILY FUNCTIONAL DIVERSIFICATION AFTER GENE DUPLICATION, A TOPIC OF BROAD APPLICABILITY TO THE THOUSANDS OF ENZYMES INVOLVED IN REACTIONS REQUIRED FOR LIFE. TO DO THIS, THE SABATH ENZYME FAMILY OF METHYLTRANSFERASES, WHICH PRODUCE CRITICAL MOLECULES FOR PLANT DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENSE, WILL BE STUDIED. ANCESTRAL SEQUENCE RESURRECTION WILL BE EMPLOYED TO DIRECTLY STUDY THE ANCESTRAL ENZYMES THAT GAVE RISE TO MODERN-DAY ENZYMES. FIRST, >10,000 ENZYME ASSAYS WILL BE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE WHETHER PROTEIN FUNCTIONAL DIVERGENCE IS ASYMMETRICAL THROUGHOUT ENZYME FAMILY DIVERSIFICATION BY RESURRECTING ANCIENT PRE- AND POST-DUPLICATION ENZYMES. SECOND, THE HYPOTHESIS THAT TWO DESCENDANT GENES ARE BETTER THAN ONE ANCESTRAL GENE IN TERMS OF BIOCHEMICAL FUNCTION WILL ALSO BE TESTED. TO DO THIS, THE AMOUNT OF BIOCHEMICAL PRODUCTS PRODUCED BY PRE- AND POST-DUPLICATION ENZYMES WILL BE MEASURED. THIRD, ANCESTRAL PROTEIN CRYSTAL STRUCTURES WILL BE GENERATED FOR MULTIPLE ANCESTRAL AND DESCENDANT ENZYMES IN THIS FAMILY AND ANALYZED IN A COMPARATIVE CONTEXT TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO ACTIVE SITE CONFIGURATIONS CONCOMITANT WITH EVOLUTIONARY CHANGES IN ENZYME SUBSTRATE PREFERENCES. 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.

X-RAY AND TRANSPORT STUDIES OF HIGHLY CORRELATED SYSTEMS

CYBERTRAINING: IMPLEMENTATION: SMALL: PROMOTING AI READINESS FOR MACHINE-ASSISTED SECURE DATA ANALYSIS (PAIR4MASDA) -DEMOCRATIZATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TECHNOLOGIES, SUCH AS LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS AND CHATBOTS, HAS ACCELERATED THE NEED FOR AN AI READY WORKFORCE. TO MEET THIS CHALLENGE, THE PROJECT AIMS TO INSTILL AI READINESS IN A BROAD SPECTRUM OF USERS AND RESEARCHERS OF ADVANCED CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE (CI), SO THEY CAN PRODUCTIVELY AND HARMONIOUSLY USE AI FOR SECURE BIG DATA ANALYSIS. THE PROJECT DIRECTLY INVOLVES EIGHTEEN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FACULTY MEMBERS, TEN INDUSTRY EXPERTS, AND OVER A THOUSAND STUDENTS ACROSS PARTNER UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES, INCLUDING SEVERAL MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS. BY PROMOTING AI READINESS ACROSS DIVERSE POPULATIONS WITH ACCESSIBLE AND RELATABLE LEARNING MATERIALS AND HOLISTIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE PROJECT AIMS TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LEFT BEHIND VIA BOTTOM-UP EMPOWERMENT. COLLECTIVE IMPACT GUIDES THE TEAM'S CONCERTED EFFORT TO BROADEN PARTICIPATION FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS SUCH AS WOMEN, MINORITIES, AND VETERANS. ALL TRAINING MATERIALS HAVE REPRODUCIBILITY BUILT IN BY DESIGN TO FACILITATE ADOPTION BY A BROAD RANGE OF LEARNERS, INCLUDING THOSE NOT CURRENTLY ATTENDING COLLEGE OR OTHERWISE HAVING LIMITED ACCESS TO COMPUTATIONAL OR TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. ADVANCED CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE (CI) ENABLED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) WITH BIG DATA ANALYSIS IS AN IMPORTANT ENABLER FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (S&E) RESEARCH. HOWEVER, AS RECENT MISHAPS INVOLVING CHATBOTS SHOW, AI CAN PRODUCE CONVINCING BUT INCORRECT OR EVEN HARMFUL RESULTS. AI CANNOT YET BE TRUSTED WITH FULL AUTONOMY, ESPECIALLY IN MISSION CRITICAL APPLICATIONS. THERE IS AN EMPHASIS ON MACHINE ASSISTED SECURE DATA ANALYSIS, WITH HUMAN IN THE LOOP TO ENHANCE SAFETY, SECURITY, AND RELIABILITY. RESPONDING TO REPEATED CALLS FOR A MULTI-FACETED APPROACH TO AI TRAINING, THE PROJECT STUDIES AI READINESS ALONG THREE DIMENSIONS: TECHNICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL. EXPECTATION CONFIRMATION THEORY IS EXTENDED WITH DECISION QUALITY AND COUPLED WITH PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIES. THIS DEVELOPMENT BOTH ADVANCES KNOWLEDGE AND PROVIDES A THEORETICAL BASIS FOR PRECISE AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES. A COMPREHENSIVE SUITE OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING MODULES FORMS THE CORE OF A SET OF CUSTOMIZABLE TRAINING MATERIALS. CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ARE DISTILLED INTO BITESIZE UNITS KNOWN AS FLEXIBLE MICRO MODULES (FMMS) TO RAPIDLY UPSKILL LEARNERS, WHO IN TURN CREATE THEIR OWN PERSONALIZED TOOLKITS. AN ADDITIONAL LAYER IS BUILT ON TOP TO GIVE LEARNERS MULTIMODAL IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES USING EXTENDED REALITY (XR) TECHNOLOGIES. THESE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES HELP LEARNERS BETTER COMPREHEND DIFFICULT CONCEPTS AND INTERNALIZE COMPLEX SEQUENCES OF TASKS. THIS AWARD BY THE NSF OFFICE OF ADVANCED CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE IS JOINTLY SUPPORTED BY THE DIVISION OF GRADUATE EDUCATION (DGE) WITHIN THE NSF DIRECTORATE FOR STEM EDUCATION (EDU) AND INFORMATION AND INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS (IIS) DIVISION WITHIN THE COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (CISE) DIRECTORATE. 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.

THE SPECTRA OF LOW IONIZATION IRON-PEAK (LIFEPS) SPECIES IS ARGUABLY THE MOST POWERFUL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN UV, OPTICAL, AND INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF G

CHILD CARE

REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - REHABIITATION OF INDVS. WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE VISION IMPAIRMENTS

REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - REHABIITATION OF INDVS. WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE VISION IMPAIRMENTS

A BIO-CULTURAL INVESTIGATION OF INTERGENERATIONAL EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS

SBIRT TRAINING WITH STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE HLTH. PROF. WEST MICHIGAN

FACILITATING IMPROVEMENT IN UNDERGRADUATE STEM INSTRUCTION: PROVIDING A RESEARCH-BASED FOUNDATION FOR THE EMERGING CLASS OF CHANGE INITIATIVES INVOLV

IMPROVING THE STEM WORKFORCE BY IMPROVING COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCIENCE TEACHERS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EXPANDING A NATIONAL NETWORK FOR AUTOMATED ANALYSIS OF CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE ASSESSMENTS TO REVEAL STUDENT THINKING IN STEM

MRI: ACQUISITION OF AN X-RAY DIFFRACTION SYSTEM FOR NANOSTRUCTURED AND ADVANCED MATERIALS RESEARCH AND RESEARCH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - REHABILITATION COUNSELING

MECHANISTIC BASIS FOR THE LOW O2-DEPENDENT ACTIVITY OF A NICOTINE-DEGRADING ENZYME - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT DESPITE WIDESPREAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE NEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF TOBACCO USE, IT IS VERY CHALLENGING FOR TOBACCO USERS TO CEASE USING TOBACCO PRODUCTS DUE TO THE ADDICTIVE PROPERTIES OF NICOTINE. A NOVEL PHARMACOKINETIC STRATEGY THAT INVOLVES THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NICOTINE-DEGRADING ENZYME, NICA2 FROM PSEUDOMONAS PUTIDA S16, HAS RECENTLY BEEN SHOWN TO BE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AT REVERSING THE SYMPTOMS OF NICOTINE DEPENDENCE IN RODENT MODELS. NICA2 IS A MEMBER OF THE FLAVIN-CONTAINING AMINE OXIDASE FAMILY OF ENZYMES, WHICH INVARIABLY USE O2 AS AN OXIDANT, AND NICA2 IS THEREFORE ALSO ASSUMED TO BE AN OXIDASE. HOWEVER, THE ENZYME HAS DISPLAYED VERY POOR O2-DEPENDENT CATALYTIC ACTIVITY, AND THIS LOW ACTIVITY HAS REQUIRED THE USE OF UNACCEPTABLY HIGH DOSES OF NICA2 (10 MG/KG OR GREATER) IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SYMPTOMATIC RELIEF OF NICOTINE SEEKING BEHAVIOR IN ANIMAL MODELS. WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT O2 IS NOT THE NATURAL OXIDANT FOR NICA2, EXPLAINING WHY THE ENZYME HAS DISPLAYED SUCH LOW ACTIVITY WITH O2; NICA2 IS ACTUALLY A DEHYDROGENASE THAT USES A NOVEL CYTOCHROME C PROTEIN (CYCN) AS ITS IMMEDIATE ELECTRON ACCEPTOR, MAKING NICA2 A REMARKABLE EXCEPTION TO THE “OXIDASE” PARADIGM OF THE FLAVIN-CONTAINING AMINE OXIDASE CLASS OF ENZYMES. THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO ELUCIDATE THE MECHANISTIC UNDERPINNINGS OF NICA2’S USE OF CYCN INSTEAD OF O2. IN THE FIRST AIM, EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION COMBINED WITH GENETIC SELECTIONS WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY THE STRUCTURAL FEATURES RESPONSIBLE FOR RESTRICTING NICA2’S CAPACITY TO USE O2 AS AN ELECTRON ACCEPTOR. THE SECOND AIM IS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE MECHANISM OF ELECTRON TRANSFER BETWEEN NICA2 AND CYCN. SITE-DIRECTED MUTAGENESIS AND PRE-STEADY STATE KINETICS WILL BE USED TO DEFINE THE ELECTRON TRANSFER PATHWAY BETWEEN THE REDOX CENTERS IN THE TWO PROTEINS AND SITE-SPECIFIC CHEMICAL CROSSLINKING WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE BINDING INTERFACE BETWEEN NICA2 AND CYCN. THE THIRD AIM WILL IDENTIFY THE DOWNSTREAM TERMINAL ELECTRON ACCEPTOR(S) THAT REOXIDIZE CYCN IN P. PUTIDA S16. THE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED THROUGH THESE EFFORTS WILL PROVIDE A STRONG FRAMEWORK FOR THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF NICA2-BASED TOBACCO-CESSATION THERAPIES, WHICH COULD ULTIMATELY REDUCE THE MASSIVE HEALTH BURDEN ASSOCIATED WITH TOBACCO USE. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO STRENGTHEN THE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT AT A REGIONAL UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION THAT HISTORICALLY HAS NOT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING FROM THE NIH AND WILL EXPOSE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO MERITORIOUS RESEARCH INVOLVING AN ARRAY OF GENETIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES.

EVIDENCE OF NEUROGENESIS IN AN ADULT MAMMALIAN RETINA INITIATED BY AN ALPHA7 NACHR AGONIST - IN ADULT ZEBRAFISH, MÜLLER GLIA ARE THE SOURCE OF NEW RETINAL NEURONS (57). WHILE ADULT MAMMALS ALSO POSSESS MÜLLER GLIAL CELLS, THEY DO NOT TYPICALLY POSSESS THE SAME REGENERATIVE ABILITIES FOUND IN ZEBRAFISH. HOWEVER, RECENTLY, THIS LAB HAS PROVIDED EVIDENCE THAT MÜLLER GLIA INDUCE MÜLLER GLIA-DERIVED PROGENITOR CELLS (MDPC) IN ADULT RODENTS. SPECIFICALLY, EYE DROP TREATMENT WITH THE SELECTIVE ALPHA7 NICOTINIC ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTOR (NACHR) AGONIST, PNU-282987, HAS BEEN SHOWN TO CAUSE DEDIFFERENTIATION OF MÜLLER GLIA AND NEUROGENESIS IN THE ADULT RODENT RETINA (15-19). THIS CURRENT R15 GRANT PROPOSAL IS DESIGNED TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT PNU-282987- INDUCED NEUROGENESIS OF RETINAL NEURONS IN ADULT MICE OCCURS THROUGH INDIRECT ACTIVATION OF MÜLLER GLIA. TWO SPECIFIC AIMS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THIS HYPOTHESIS. THE FIRST SPECIFIC AIM IS DESIGNED TO QUANTIFY THE SPECIFIC RETINAL CELL POPULATIONS THAT UNDERGO MITOSIS AND PROLIFERATION AFTER APPLICATION OF PNU-282987 IN THE ADULT MAMMALIAN RETINA USING FLOW CYTOMETRY. PREVIOUS RESULTS FROM THIS LAB DEMONSTRATED THAT EYE DROP APPLICATION OF PNU-282987 INDUCED NEUROGENESIS OF PHOTORECEPTORS AND RGCS THAT ORIGINATED FROM MÜLLER GLIA (19). SPECIFIC AIM #1 IS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE AND QUANTIFY WHAT SPECIFIC RETINAL CELL POPULATIONS ARE AFFECTED BY EYE DROP APPLICATION OF PNU-282987 USING FLOW CYTOMETRY. DOES PNU-282987 INDUCE NEUROGENESIS IN ALL RETINAL CELLS? THE FORTESSA FLOW CYTOMETER WILL BE USED TO DETECT AND COUNT MARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS RETINAL CELLS, CELL COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROGENITOR CELLS, MÜLLER GLIA AND MITOTICALLY ACTIVE MARKERS BEFORE AND AFTER PNU- 282987 TREATMENT. THE SECOND SPECIFIC AIM IS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE TRANSCRIPTOME GENE CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN PRIMARY CULTURES OF MULLER GLIA THAT LEAD TO FORMATION OF PROGENITOR CELLS AFTER TREATMENT WITH AN ALPHA7 NACHR AGONIST. IN THIS PROPOSAL, PRIMARY CELL CULTURES OF RPE AND MÜLLER GLIA WILL BE OBTAINED FROM ADULT MICE TO DETERMINE WHICH MÜLLER GLIA GENES ARE AFFECTED BY EYE DROP APPLICATION OF PNU-282987. PRIMARY MULLER GLIA CELLS WILL BE CULTURED IN CONDITIONED MEDIA OBTAINED FROM PRIMARY CULTURES OF RPE CELLS OBTAINED FROM ADULT MICE THAT ARE TREATED WITH PNU-282987. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT PNU-282987 BINDS TO ALPHA7 NACHRS ON RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM TO RELEASE SIGNALING MOLECULES ONTO MULLER GLIA THAT INDUCE DEDIFFERENTIATION. AFTER MRNASEQ ANALYSIS, UP- OR DOWN-REGULATED GENES WILL BE COMPARED WITH PUBLISHED LITERATURE OF MÜLLER GLIA GENES INVOLVED IN DEVELOPMENT AND DEDIFFERENTIATION. IDENTIFIED GENES WILL BE QUANTIFIED AND VERIFIED WITH RT-PCR, RNASCOPE TECHNOLOGY (ACDBIO) AND IMMUNOCYTOCHEMISTRY. ONCE SPECIFIC GENES ARE IDENTIFIED AND POTENTIAL PATHWAYS ARE PROPOSED, GENE KNOCKOUT (KO) STUDIES AND GENE OVEREXPRESSION STUDIES WILL BE PERFORMED IN PRIMARY MULLER GLIA USING CRISPR TECHNOLOGY TO DEMONSTRATE THE NECESSITY OF THESE GENES IN MULLER GLIA-DERIVED NEUROGENESIS INDUCED BY PNU-282987 IN ADULT MICE. THE RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS IN THE RETINA WHERE NEURONS ARE LOST DUE TO AGING OR DISEASES SUCH AS GLAUCOMA, MACULAR DEGENERATION OR RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA AND COULD CHALLENGE CURRENT IDEAS THAT MAINTAIN THE ADULT MAMMALIAN CNS IS INCAPABLE OF REGENERATION.

EVIDENCE OF BRDU POSITIVE NEURONS IN ADULT MAMMALIAN RETINA AFTER TREATMENT WITH AN ALPHA7 NACHR AGONIST

ENGINEERING BAND GAP ENERGY THROUGH STRUCTURAL MOTIFS IN NITRIDE SEMICONDUCTORS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: REFERENTIAL ALARM CALLING AS A WINDOW INTO THE MECHANISMS AND EVOLUTION OF A COMPLEX COGNITIVE PHENOTYPE

BIORETS: RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR TEACHERS IN THE BIOLOGY OF PLANTS, ANIMALS, MICROORGANISMS, AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS -THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS BIORETS PROGRAM AT WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY IS TO PROVIDE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN WITH AUTHENTIC RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND TRANSFORMATIVE CURRICULAR IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THIS BIORETS SITE OFFERS A 7-WEEK SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR 8 TEACHERS EACH YEAR. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT A TOTAL OF 24 SCIENCE TEACHERS WILL BE TRAINED IN THE PROGRAM DURING THE SUMMERS OF 2025-2027. TEACHERS WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH CENTERING ON A UNIFYING THEME: HOW ORGANISMS INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. THE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE WILL BE COMPLEMENTED WITH FACULTY RESEARCH SEMINARS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS, DEMONSTRATIONS OF HANDS-ON TEACHING MODULES, LUNCHTIME DISCUSSIONS, WRITTEN LESSON PLANS, POSTER PRESENTATIONS, AND CLASSROOM VISITS. THE BROADER IMPACTS OF THIS BIORETS PROGRAM INCLUDE: (1) INSPIRE STUDENTS' INTERESTS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM); (2) ADVANCE DISCOVERY AND UNDERSTANDING IN THE BIOLOGY OF PLANTS, ANIMALS, MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS; (3) ENHANCE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION; (4) DISSEMINATE CURRICULAR MATERIALS CREATED DURING THE BIORETS SUMMER SESSION TO A WIDE AUDIENCE. THE HANDS-ON RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND COMPLEMENTARY FACULTY RESEARCH SEMINARS OF THIS PROGRAM ARE EXPECTED TO DEEPEN TEACHERS' RESEARCH LITERACY AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. TEACHERS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE TEAMWORK AND EXPERIMENTS THAT LEAD TO THE GENERATION OF NEW RESEARCH IDEAS AND APPROACHES. THE RESEARCH PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED TO HELP TEACHERS TO GAIN A HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE MULTIFACETED INTERACTIONS AMONG LIVING ORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. COMPONENTS OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN COLLEGE AND K-12 CLASSROOMS. THEREFORE, THE TEACHERS WILL NOT ONLY LEAVE WITH DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE RESEARCH TOPIC AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD BUT ALSO WITH A SET OF PRACTICAL TEACHING MODULES FOR THEIR OWN CLASSROOMS. FACULTY MENTORS, GRADUATE STUDENTS, AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT WMU WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH TEACHER PARTICIPANTS TO TRANSLATE THEIR RESEARCH EXPERIENCES INTO CURRICULAR CHANGES. SUCH CHANGES WILL ENRICH TEACHERS' CLASSROOM TEACHING PRACTICES AND INSPIRE A LARGER NUMBER OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CONSIDER HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAREERS IN STEM, ESPECIALLY IN BIOLOGICAL 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

ELECTROSPRAY LUMINESCENCE IMAGING: DIRECT OBSERVATION OF ION EMISSION AND FRAGMENTATION

TAU-BINDING B CELLS IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

CHILDCARE ACCESS MEANS PARENTS IN SCHOOL - CHILD CARE

DIFFERENT ROLES OF FETAL- AND ADULT-DERIVED IGA SECRETING CELLS AGAINST GI INFECTION - ABSTRACT IGA IS THE MOST ABUNDANT IMMUNOGLOBULIN PRODUCED IN THE LAMINA PROPRIA (LP) OF THE INTESTINE AND PROTECTS THE HOST AGAINST MICROBIAL INVASIONS INTO INTESTINAL MUCOSA BY COATING AND EXCLUDING THEM. SELECTIVE IGA DEFICIENCY IS THE MOST COMMON IMMUNODEFICIENCY, AND MORE THAN 50% OF PATIENTS ARE ASYMPTOMATIC. HOWEVER, OTHER PATIENTS DEVELOP VARIOUS DISEASES SUCH AS INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, ALLERGIES, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, AND RECURRENT INFECTIONS. DESPITE THE ESSENTIAL ROLES OF IGA, IT STILL REMAINS UNKNOWN WHAT CAUSES THE DIFFERENT CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF THIS DISEASE. ONE OF THE BARRIERS TO UNDERSTANDING THE PATHOLOGY OF SELECTIVE IGA DEFICIENCY IS A GAP OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE HETEROGENEITY OF DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGIN OF THE IGA-SECRETING CELLS. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO FILL THIS KNOWLEDGE GAP AND TO DETERMINE THE ROLES OF IGA+ CELLS OF DIFFERENT ORIGINS IN THE MUCOSAL IMMUNITY. THERE ARE TWO KNOWN PATHWAYS IN PRODUCING IGA SECRETING CELLS: T-CELL INDEPENDENT (TI) AND T-CELL DEPENDENT (TD) PATHWAYS. TI-IGA IS A LOW-AFFINITY POLYCLONAL ANTIBODY THAT COATS BACTERIA AND MAINTAINS THE MICROBIOME HOMEOSTASIS, WHILE TD-IGA UNDERGOES SOMATIC HYPERMUTATION AND REACTS AGAINST SPECIFIC ANTIGENS. THE PRECURSORS OF THESE TI- AND TD-IGA HAVE BEEN CONTROVERSIAL, BUT IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN DEMONSTRATED THAT TI IGA+ CELLS ARE DERIVED FROM PERITONEAL B-1B CELLS WHILE TD IGA+ CELLS ARE FROM GERMINAL CENTER B-2 CELLS. IT IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED THAT THESE B-1B AND B-2 CELLS ARE ULTIMATELY PRODUCED BY HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS (HSCS) THAT RESIDE IN THE BONE MARROW (BM). HOWEVER, OUR AND OTHERS' PRIOR WORK HAS SHOWN THAT B-1B CELLS ARE ALSO PRODUCED BY HSC-INDEPENDENT FETAL PROGENITORS DURING EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT. OUR LINEAGE TRACING DATA INDICATED THAT IGA+ CELLS IN THE LAMINA PROPRIA (LP) ARE DERIVED FROM EMBRYONIC DAY (E) 7.5 ENDOTHELIAL CELLS (ECS), THREE DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST HSC PRODUCTION IN THE EMBRYO. OUR LINEAGE TRACING SYSTEM USING EC-DERIVED (CDH5CREERT2) AND HSC- DERIVED (FGD5CREERT2) ENABLES US TO SEGREGATE IGA+ CELLS IN THE LP OF DIFFERENT ORIGINS. THUS, THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS OF THIS PROJECT IS THAT IGA+ CELLS IN THE LP CONSISTS OF CELLS WITH DIFFERENT ORIGINS: FETAL (EC)- AND HSC- DERIVED AND THAT IGA+ CELLS OF DIFFERENT ORIGINS HAVE DIFFERENT ROLES AGAINST GUT INJURY AND INFECTIONS. TO TEST OUR HYPOTHESIS, IN AIM1, WE WILL EXAMINE TI- AND TD- CLASS SWITCHING OF FETAL- AND HSC-DERIVED B CELLS. WE WILL ALSO VISUALIZE THESE FETAL- AND HSC-DERIVED TI- AND TD- IGA+ CELLS USING SCRNA-SEQUENCING AND BCR REPERTOIRE- SEQUENCING AND WILL DISPLAY THE MOLECULAR DIFFERENCES OF THESE CELLS. IN AIM 2, WE WILL EXAMINE THE PROTECTIVE ROLES OF FETAL- AND HSC-DERIVED IGA+ CELLS AGAINST GI INFECTION WITH C. RODENTIUM. THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THIS PROPOSAL WILL ESTABLISH A NEW PARADIGM OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGIN OF IGA+ CELLS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS IN THE GUT HOMEOSTASIS AND INFECTIONS.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INVESTIGATING THE FACTORS SHAPING MARINE-DERIVED FRESHWATER FISH RADIATIONS IN TROPICAL RIVERS OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA -THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE OVER 30,000 SPECIES OF FISHES IN THE WORLD OCCUR EITHER IN MARINE OR FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, NOT BOTH. HOWEVER, OVER THE COURSE OF MILLIONS OF YEARS, SELECT LINEAGES OF FISHES HAVE CROSSED THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN MARINE AND FRESHWATERS, ESTABLISHED PERMANENT RESIDENCE, AND DIVERSIFIED IN THE NEWLY COLONIZED ENVIRONMENT. A SUBSET OF THE FISH GROUPS THEN UNDERWENT REMARKABLE EVOLUTIONARY EXPANSION UPON COLONIZING FRESHWATERS, DIVERSIFYING INTO AN ARRAY OF DIFFERENT SPECIES THAT PLAY DIFFERENT ECOLOGICAL ROLES. AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA ARE UNIQUE BECAUSE THEIR FRESHWATER FISH COMMUNITIES ARE PRIMARILY COMPRISED OF LINEAGES DERIVED FROM MARINE ANCESTORS, AND AT LEAST SEVEN SUCH LINEAGES UNDERWENT SPECTACULAR DIVERSIFICATION. THIS PROJECT WILL EXPLORE HOW VARYING RATES OF EVOLUTION, AGES OF DIFFERENT FISH GROUPS, AND THE INTERACTIONS AMONG FISH COMMUNITIES HAVE INFLUENCED THE EVOLUTIONARY OUTCOMES OF COLONIZING FRESHWATERS IN THE AUSTRALIA-NEW GUINEA REGION. THE STUDY ALSO AIMS TO DETERMINE THE GENETIC MECHANISMS UNDERLYING ADAPTATION TO FRESHWATER ENVIRONMENTS, FINDINGS OF PARTICULAR RELEVANCE TO A CHANGING PLANET. THE PROJECT WILL TRAIN UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN MODERN BIODIVERSITY SCIENCE, AND THROUGH STUDENT EXCHANGES, PROVIDE BENEFITS TO US AND NEW GUINEAN STUDENTS. HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS WILL BE TRAINED TO READ, INTERPRET, AND TEACH THE EVOLUTIONARY TREE OF LIFE, SKILLS THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO K-12 CURRICULUM. FINALLY, AN ELECTRONIC GUIDE THE FISHES OF NEW GUINEA WILL BE DEVELOPED AND MADE FREELY AVAILABLE. WHILE MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN IDENTIFYING THE DRIVERS OF ADAPTIVE RADIATION IN RELATION TO COLONIZATION OF ISLANDS BY TERRESTRIAL ANIMALS (E.G., FINCHES, ANOLES) OR LAKES BY FISHES (E.G., CICHLIDS, STICKLEBACKS), TRANSITIONS INTO RIVERS BY MARINE GROUPS HAVE RARELY BEEN EXAMINED IN THIS CONTEXT. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A UNIQUE 'NATURAL EXPERIMENT'??THE DEPAUPERATE PRIMARY FRESHWATER FISH COMMUNITY IN RIVERS OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA??TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH MARINE-TO-FRESHWATER TRANSITIONS RESULTED IN ADAPTIVE RADIATIONS. MORE SPECIFICALLY, IT AIMS TO IDENTIFY THE FACTORS THAT PROMOTED OR CONSTRAINED LINEAGE, PHENOTYPIC, AND GENOMIC EVOLUTION OF MARINE-DERIVED FRESHWATER GROUPS IN THE REGION. THE PROJECT WILL INTEGRATE GENOMIC, MORPHOLOGICAL, PALEONTOLOGICAL, AND ECOLOGICAL DATA FROM MORE THAN 400 FISH SPECIES REPRESENTING 16 FAMILIES IN THE AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA REGION TO STUDY DIVERSIFICATION PATTERNS ASSOCIATED NOT ONLY WITH TRANSITIONS ACROSS THE MARINE-FRESHWATER BOUNDARY BUT ALSO ALONG THE BENTHIC-PELAGIC AXIS. PHYLOGENOMIC ANALYSES IN COMBINATION WITH PHYLOGENETIC COMPARATIVE METHODS WILL BE USED TO STUDY HOW THE CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE OF HABITAT TRANSITIONS INFLUENCED THE OUTCOME OF LINEAGE DIVERSIFICATION AND MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF FRESHWATER RADIATIONS. COMPARATIVE GENOMIC APPROACHES BASED ON WHOLE GENOMES WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY LOCI RELATED TO FUNCTIONAL ADAPTATIONS, INCLUDING SIGNATURES OF MOLECULAR ADAPTATION AND CONVERGENCE, AS WELL AS GENE FAMILY EXPANSIONS AND CONTRACTIONS. ULTIMATELY THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE AN EVOLUTIONARY FRAMEWORK TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS REGULATING ADAPTIVE RADIATIONS ACROSS ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENTS. IT WILL INCLUDE STUDENT TRAINING IN FISH BIODIVERSITY AT A VARIETY OF LEVELS. THIS PROJECT IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE SYSTEMATICS AND BIODIVERSITY SCIENCE PROGRAM AND THE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (EPSCOR). 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.

COHERENT STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE LUMINESCENT GOLD CLUSTERS FOR PHOTONIC APPLICATIONS -WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MACROMOLECULAR, SUPRAMOLECULAR, AND NANOCHEMISTRY (MSN) PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, RAMAKRISHNA GUDA OF WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY IS WORKING TO CREATE HIGHLY LUMINESCENT GOLD NANOCLUSTERS FOR OPTICAL APPLICATIONS. IN LARGE PIECES, GOLD IS METALLIC AND DOES NOT EMIT LIGHT. HOWEVER, WHEN IT IS BROKEN DOWN TO TINY CLUSTERS WITH ONLY A SMALLER NUMBER OF ATOMS, SUCH GOLD CLUSTER WILL EMIT LIGHT. WHILE THESE LUMINESCENT GOLD CLUSTERS ARE PHOTOSTABLE AND LESS TOXIC THAN MANY SEMICONDUCTORS, THEIR LUMINESCENCE IS NOT AS BRIGHT. DR. GUDA AND HIS STUDENTS WILL WORK TO RATIONALLY DESIGN AND SYNTHESIZE GOLD CLUSTERS THAT LUMINESCENCE WITH GREATER QUANTUM EFFICIENCIES AND OVER A BROAD RANGE OF COLORS. THEIR DISCOVERIES COULD LEAD TO NANOCLUSTERS FOR LIGHT HARVESTING AND OPTICAL SENSING APPLICATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, AS WELL AS INTRODUCE NANOSCIENCE TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS THROUGH EDUCATION WORKSHOPS. ATOMICALLY PRECISE QUANTUM-SIZED GOLD NANOCLUSTERS OFFER DISCRETE ELECTRONIC STATES, DISTINCTIVE PHOTOLUMINESCENCE AND EXCLUSIVE EXCITED-STATE RELAXATION THAT MAKE THEM IDEAL CANDIDATES FOR VARIOUS PHOTONIC APPLICATIONS. ACHIEVING HIGHLY LUMINESCENT GOLD NANOCLUSTERS IS CHALLENGING AND IS IMPEDING THEIR PROGRESS AS PHOTONIC MATERIALS. THE GUDA RESEARCH TEAM WILL SYNTHESIZE GOLD CLUSTERS WITH INCREASED THE RIGIDITY OF GOLD ATOMS AT THE CLUSTER SURFACE, WITH THE GOAL OF AMPLIFYING PHOTOLUMINESCENCE. THE OPTICAL ACTIVITY OF GOLD CLUSTERS IS EXPECTED TO BE FURTHER IMPROVED BY JUDICIOUSLY FUNCTIONALIZING THE SURFACE WITH ORGANIC CHROMOPHORES TO ACHIEVE EFFICIENT ENERGY TRANSFER FROM A SURFACE-BOUND CHROMOPHORE TO GOLD CLUSTER OR VICE-VERSA. A COMBINATION OF ULTRAFAST TIME-RESOLVED ABSORPTION AND PHOTOLUMINESCENCE TECHNIQUES WILL BE USED TO UNRAVEL THE MECHANISM OF EXCITED-STATE RELAXATION IN THESE HYBRID STRUCTURES AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO DESIGN CLUSTERS WITH ENHANCED OPTICAL ACTIVITY. THE MECHANISTIC STUDIES ARE EXPECTED TO SHED LIGHT ON INTRINSIC ENERGY AND CHARGE TRANSFER INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CHROMOPHORES AND ATOMICALLY PRECISE GOLD CLUSTERS. 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.

TRAUMA INFORMED JUVENILE JUSTICE ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND - FIPSE

GP-EXTRA: FOSTERING INTEREST IN EARTH SCIENCE TEACHING THROUGH THE REFLECTIVE PRACTICE OF SCIENCE

NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS WITH HEAVY IONS

INTERMINGLING OF CIRCULATING B CELLS AND CEREBRAL SPINAL FLUID B CELLS WITH ADVANCING AGE - THE BROAD, LONG TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ELUCIDATE THE ROLE THAT THE B CELL ARM OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM PLAYS IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF AGING FROM THE STAND-POINT OF, AND HYPOTHESIS THAT, B CELLS AND THE ANTIBODIES THEY MAKE PLAY A PATHOGENIC ROLE. THE SPECIFIC FOCUS OF THE PRESENT APPLICATION IS TO ELUCIDATE THE IMMUNOGLOBULIN REPERTOIRE OF B CELLS PRESENT IN HUMAN CEREBRAL SPINAL FLUID (CSF) SAMPLES IN COMPARISON WITH B CELLS CIRCULATING IN THE PERIPHERY TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THERE IS B CELL INTERMINGLING BETWEEN THE PERIPHERY AND THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) IN OLD AGE. THIS WORK IS DESIGNED TO TEST A NOVEL AND UNEXPLORED MECHANISM UNDERLYING THE DYSCRASIAS OF AGING AND ASSOCIATED NEURODEGENERATION. B CELLS EXIST IN THE CNS OF HEALTHY PEOPLE AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR PRESENCE IN CEREBRAL SPINAL FLUID (CSF). WHERE DO THESE B CELLS COME FROM AND HOW DO THEY END UP IN THE CNS? B CELLS IN THE PERIPHERY CIRCULATE THROUGHOUT THE BODY BUT ONE PLACE THEY DO NOT ENTER IS THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (PROTECTED BY THE BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER). OR DO THEY? WE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE BY ANALYZING ANTIBODIES PRODUCED BY INDIVIDUAL B CELLS, BECAUSE ANTIBODY SEQUENCE CAN ACT AS AN ADDRESS OR IDENTIFIER FOR EACH B CELL. WE FOUND THAT CNS B CELLS CONSTITUTE A POPULATION SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM PERIPHERAL B CELLS IN HEALTHY YOUNG HUMAN VOLUNTEERS. A RECENT STUDY OF YOUNG MICE BY ANOTHER GROUP CONFIRMED THAT CNS B CELLS ARE COMPLETELY SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM PERIPHERAL B CELLS IN THESE ANIMALS…BUT, OF GREATER CONSEQUENCE, THE SAME STUDY REPORTED THAT IN OLD MICE, THE ANTIBODY REPERTOIRES OF CNS AND PERIPHERAL B CELLS OVERLAPPED TO A SIGNIFICANT EXTENT, INDICATING TRANSLOCATION/MIGRATION OF PERIPHERAL B CELLS TO THE CNS. IT IS NOW IMPERATIVE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE SAME OCCURS IN OLD PEOPLE, AS THIS COULD CONSTITUTE A MECHANISM WHEREBY AUTOREACTIVE B CELLS GAIN ACCESS TO THE CNS AND PROMOTE INFLAMMATION, WHICH IS CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN COGNITIVE AGING AND THE PATHOGENESIS OF NEURODEGENERATIVE ILLNESS. THE UNKNOWN DEGREE TO WHICH PERIPHERAL B CELLS CONTRIBUTE TO THE POPULATION OF CNS B CELLS IN OLD PEOPLE REPRESENTS A KEY GAP IN KNOWLEDGE WHOSE RESOLUTION IS LIKELY TO HAVE IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR CONCEPTS REGARDING NORMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND DISEASE PATHOLOGY. WE PROPOSE TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT B CELLS IN THE CSF ARE RELATED TO PERIPHERAL B CELLS IN OLD PEOPLE. WE WILL EVALUATE THE PHENOTYPIC NATURE OF CSF VS PERIPHERAL BLOOD B CELLS BY IMMUNOFLUORESCENT STAINING IN OLD AND YOUNG PEOPLE. WE WILL EVALUATE OVERLAP BETWEEN CSF AND PERIPHERAL BLOOD B CELLS BY PCR AMPLIFICATION AND THEN SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF B CELL-EXPRESSED ANTIBODIES FROM SAMPLES OBTAINED FROM THE SAME INDIVIDUALS AT THE SAME TIME. THIS WORK WILL PROVIDE COMPLETELY NEW INFORMATION CONCERNING THE HYPOTHESIS THAT B CELLS MOVE FROM THE PERIPHERY TO THE CNS IN OLD AGE, AND IN SO DOING CONTRIBUTE TO AGE- ASSOCIATED DEGENERATION AND DISEASE INITIATION AND/OR EXACERBATION. IF TRUE, A NEW PARADIGM WILL FORM FOR FUTURE STUDIES IN BASIC AND CLINICAL NEUROIMMUNOLOGY.

REGULATION OF INFLAMMATORY PATHWAY BY EPOXYISOPROSTANE-CONTAINING LIPIDS

PRECLINICAL ABUSE LIABILITY SCREENING OF DESIGNER PSYCHOSTIMULANT MIXTURES

PREVENTION OF RGC LOSS IN AN IN VITRO EXCITOTOXIC MODEL AND AN IN VIVO MODEL OF G

FAIM PROTEOSTASIS IN ALS - SUMMARY THE BROAD, LONG TERM OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO ELUCIDATE THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH ABNORMAL PROTEIN AGGREGATION IS HANDLED AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL, AND TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ABNORMAL PROTEIN AGGREGATION/DISAGGREGATION AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE. THE SPECIFIC FOCUS OF THE PRESENT PROPOSAL IS TO STUDY THE INTER-RELATIONSHIPS AMONG A UNIQUE PROTEOSTATIC AGENT (FAIM), ABNORMAL PROTEIN AGGREGATION, AND ALS DISEASE. THE CLINICAL PICTURE OF ALS IS GRIM, WITH MOTOR NEURON LOSS, PROGRESSIVE PARALYSIS, AND DEATH, ALL OCCURRING DURING A BRIEF COURSE OF 2-5 YEARS DURATION. THE ETIOLOGY OF ALS REMAINS UNKNOWN, AND NO INCITING INSULT OR PRECEDING ILLNESS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. ELUCIDATION OF ALS PATHOGENESIS IS HAMPERED BY THE SPORADIC NATURE OF MOST CASES, ALTHOUGH A MINORITY (FAMILIAL ALS OR FALS) IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO MUTATION IN ONE OF SEVERAL GENES SUCH AS THE GENE ENCODING SOD1. IMPORTANTLY, REGARDLESS OF SPORADIC OR FAMILIAL ORIGIN, ALL CASES OF ALS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY THE PRESENCE OF ABNORMAL PROTEIN AGGREGATES. BECAUSE SUCH AGGREGATES ARE KNOWN TO BE TOXIC, THIS DYSFUNCTIONAL PROTEIN BEHAVIOR IS THOUGHT TO BE A KEY PATHOGENIC ELEMENT IN ALS. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT DISCOVERY OF AN AGENT THAT PREVENTS OR REVERSES PROTEIN AGGREGATION COULD CONSTITUTE A MEANS TO AMELIORATE DISEASE IN ALS. FAIM MAY BE SUCH AN AGENT. ALTHOUGH ORIGINALLY CLONED AS FAS APOPTOSIS INHIBITORY MOLECULE, WE RECENTLY REPORTED THAT FAIM MANIFESTS IMPORTANT PROTEOSTATIC ACTIVITY. IN THE FACE OF VARIOUS FORMS OF STRESS, FAIM INHIBITS ENDOGENOUS PROTEIN AGGREGATION AND, IN KEEPING WITH THIS, FAIM COUNTERACTS LOSS OF VIABILITY IN STRESSED CELLS AND ANIMALS. MOREOVER, FAIM SPECIFICALLY INHIBITS AGGREGATION OF MUTANT SOD1 AND DISAS- SEMBLES ESTABLISHED MUTANT SOD1 AGGREGATES IN CELL-FREE SYSTEMS. WE NOW PROPOSE FURTHER STUDY OF FAIM IN RELATION TO ALS. 1) WE WILL EXAMINE THE CAPACITY OF FAIM TO INFLUENCE AGGREGATION OF ALS-ASSOCIATED MUTANT SOD1 PROTEIN IN HUMAN MOTOR NEURON CELLS DIFFERENTIATED FROM HEALTHY CONTROL IPSC IN WHICH FAIM HAS BEEN DELETED OR OVEREXPRESSED. 2) WE WILL EXAMINE THE CAPACITY OF FAIM TO IMPROVE ALS, BY STUDYING DISEASE ONSET, SEVERITY AND OUTCOME, PLUS TISSUE HISTOLOGIC EXAMINATION, IN MUTANT SOD1 ALS DISEASE MODEL MICE IN WHICH FAIM HAS BEEN DELETED OR OVEREXPRESSED, BOTH GENERALLY AND IN NEURONS. THESE STUDIES WILL LIKELY SHOW THAT FAIM CAN OPPOSE MUTANT PROTEIN AGGREGATION IN HUMAN NEURONS AND CAN IMPROVE ALS DISEASE IN MICE. SUCH RESULTS WOULD PROVIDE PROOF-OF- PRINCIPLE AND SUPPORT FOR THE HYPOTHESIS THAT FAIM CAN BENEFIT OTHER FAMILIAL, AND NON-FAMILIAL, FORMS OF ALS THROUGH ITS PROTEOSTATIC ACTIVITY. FURTHER, SUCH RESULTS WOULD FUEL IMPORTANT CONTINUED STUDY OF FAIM IN CELLULAR STRESS CONDITIONS AND IN OTHER NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES. THIS WORK COULD SUGGEST A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC ROLE FOR FAIM IN AMELIORATING ALS AND POSSIBLY OTHER NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES.

REPROGRAMMING BCR SIGNALING

IGM VS IGG NATURAL ANTIBODIES THAT BIND PATHOGENIC APOLIPOPROTEIN B100

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ASSESSING TEACHERS' PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN CAPACITY AND MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM USE

OLFACTORY BULB CELL GENESIS AND SURVIVAL IN A MODEL OF REVERSIBLE DEAFFERENTATION

REU SITE: INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION

CRITICAL REVIEW OF EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM REPOSITORIES FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREA

CUX1 AND CELL CYCLE REGULATION IN KIDNEY DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE

CONTROLLING FOR ENDOGENEITY BIASES IN ESTIMATING AA EFFECTS ON DRINKING OUTCOMES

REU SITE FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT DEVICES AND SYSTEMS (R-SEEDS) -THE REU SITE FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT DEVICES AND SYSTEMS (R-SEEDS) AT WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY (WMU) AIMS TO ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN ENERGY-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, DESIGN, AND DEVELOPMENT. THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES (I.E., TECHNOLOGIES THAT REQUIRE LESS ENERGY TO PERFORM THE SAME FUNCTION) IS A VERY EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO COMBAT POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE, IMPROVE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF INDUSTRIES AND BUSINESSES, AND REDUCE COSTS. THIS THREE-YEAR PROGRAM WILL SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A WORKFORCE CAPABLE OF CONDUCTING INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY. IT WILL INSPIRE A NEW GENERATION THAT IS CONSCIOUS OF THE EFFECT OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND CAN RESEARCH AND DEVELOP ENERGY-EFFICIENT SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES. THE PROGRAM WILL ALSO TRAIN AND EDUCATE A DIVERSE WORKFORCE OF NEW RESEARCHERS, RESULTING IN MORE TECHNOLOGICAL PROSPERITY IN THE US. TEN PARTICIPANTS EACH YEAR WILL BE ENGAGED IN 10-WEEK INTENSIVE TEAM-BASED PROJECTS, WORKING ON CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH. THIS EXPERIENCE WILL PREPARE THEM FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS AND HIGH-DEMAND JOBS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY. THE REU SITE FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT DEVICES AND SYSTEMS (R-SEEDS) AT WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY (WMU) AIMS TO ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN ENERGY-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, DESIGN, AND DEVELOPMENT. THE THREE-YEAR R-SEEDS PROGRAM WILL OFFER RESEARCH PROJECTS IN A BROAD RANGE OF EXCITING ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING TOPICS, SUCH AS COMPUTER ARCHITECTURES AND SYSTEMS, ELECTRIC GRID COMPONENT DESIGN, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, NANOSATELLITES, PLASMA-ASSISTED COMBUSTION, INDUSTRIAL CARBON CAPTURE, NEUROBIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING, AND MICROPLASMA STERILIZATION. TEN STUDENTS EACH YEAR WILL LEARN THE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES IMPOSED BY IMPLEMENTING ENERGY-EFFICIENT SYSTEMS AND WAYS TO OVERCOME THOSE CHALLENGES. THE PROGRAM WILL FURTHER TRAIN STUDENTS TO PREPARE THEM FOR A CAREER IN ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE THROUGH SEVERAL WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY, RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES AND TOOLS, RESEARCH ETHICS, RESEARCH AS A CAREER, GRADUATE STUDIES, AND PRESENTATION AND WRITING SKILLS. ALL ACTIVITIES WILL BE SUPERVISED BY ACADEMIC ADVISORS FROM THREE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS: ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING, AND CHEMICAL AND PAPER ENGINEERING, WITH SUPPORT FROM INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS. THE PARTICIPANTS WILL ENGAGE WITH THE ADVISORS? RESEARCH GROUP, AND ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRY COLLABORATORS. 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.

THE LINEAGE AND CLONAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE PRIMITIVE BLOOD

MECHANISMS AND APPLICATIONS OF PROTEIN ANALYSIS BY DESORPTION ELECTROSPRAY IONIZATION-MASS SPECTROMETRY (DESI-MS)

MCA: INCORPORATING CARBON USE EFFICIENCY INTO STRATEGIES FOR ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION -THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES ONCE CONTAINED THE LARGEST TALLGRASS PRAIRIE ECOSYSTEM ON EARTH. THROUGH AGRICULTURAL AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, MOST OF THIS ECOSYSTEM - AND THE BENEFITS IT PROVIDED TO SOIL HEALTH, CARBON STORAGE AND BIODIVERSITY - WERE LOST. TODAY, ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION IS AN IMPORTANT WAY THAT LAND MANAGERS AND SCIENTISTS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO RETURN ECOSYSTEMS SUCH AS TALLGRASS PRAIRIES TO THE NORTH AMERICAN LANDSCAPE, ALONG WITH THE BENEFITS THEY PROVIDE. TYPICAL RESTORATION STRATEGIES FOCUS ON SEEDING NATIVE PLANTS. THAT APPROACH OVERLOOKS THE MILLIONS OF SOIL MICROORGANISMS THAT WERE ALSO DISRUPTED THROUGH TILLING AND FERTILIZATION. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MANY PROCESSES FALL SHORT OF THEIR POTENTIAL IN RESTORED SYSTEMS BECAUSE THE AMOUNTS AND TYPES OF MICROORGANISMS IN THE SOIL REMAIN PERMANENTLY ALTERED. CRITICALLY, THIS AFFECTS HOW MUCH CARBON CAN BE RETAINED IN THE RESTORED SOIL. REFRAMING RESTORATION GOALS SO THAT THEY FOCUS ON MANAGING ECOSYSTEMS THAT ACT AS OPTIMAL CARBON SINKS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD BALANCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND REVERSING THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. THE FIRST STEP TO ACCOMPLISHING THIS GOAL REQUIRES GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW BASIC MANAGEMENT CHOICES AFFECT SOIL MICROBIAL CARBON USE. THIS PROJECT LEVERAGES AN EXISTING NSF-FUNDED STUDY THAT INCLUDES TWO METRICS (LAND AREA AND NUMBER OF PLANT SPECIES) AND WILL EXAMINE THE EFFICIENCY WITH WHICH SOIL MICROORGANISMS USE CARBON IN THESE DIFFERENT TREATMENTS. THIS MID-CAREER ADVANCEMENT AWARD (MCA) WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR A SCIENTIST AT A CRITICAL CAREER JUNCTURE TO ADVANCE THEIR RESEARCH BY LEARNING NEW TECHNIQUES FOR MEASURING AN IMPORTANT TRAIT OF MICROORGANISMS. RESULTS OF THIS WORK WILL BE COMMUNICATED BROADLY WITH SIX REGIONAL LAND MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN. THE MAIN GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW PLANT RICHNESS AND RESTORATION AREA INFLUENCE CARBON USE EFFICIENCY (CUE), SOIL BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL COMMUNITY COMPOSITION, FUNCTION AND HETEROGENEITY IN RESTORED PRAIRIES. THESE GOALS WILL BE ADDRESSED USING THE CONSERVATION LANDS EXPERIMENT (CLE), AN ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECT AT KELLOGG BIOLOGICAL STATION LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH (LTER) SITE. THE CLE MAINTAINS 12 SITES RANGING FROM 0.3 ? 3.2 HECTARES, WHICH WERE PLANTED WITH LOW- AND HIGH-RICHNESS PLANT SEED MIXES IN 2015. IT IS AN IDEAL EXPERIMENT IN WHICH TO TEST APPLIED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW RESTORATION STRATEGIES INFLUENCE MICROBIAL DIVERSITY AND HETEROGENEITY USING A SPATIALLY-EXPLICIT SAMPLING DESIGN. NEXT-GENERATION DNA SEQUENCING AND ANALYSES, PUTATIVE FUNCTIONAL PATHWAY PREDICTION AND OTHER COMMON SOIL METRICS ARE STANDARD PROCEDURES FOR THE PI, BUT THE VALUE OF THESE VARIABLES WILL BE ENHANCED WHEN COUPLED WITH RATE-BASED MEASUREMENTS OF CARBON FLUXES. THIS PROJECT EXPANDS THE PI?S RESEARCH EXPERTISE BY PROVIDING TIME AND RESOURCES TO LEARN 18O-ISOTOPE-BASED CUE ASSAYS WITH AN EXPERT COLLEAGUE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION ARE EXPECTED TO LEAD TO INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS THAT HAVE REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS AND INVOLVE NON-PROFIT LAND MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS. ULTIMATELY, OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE NEW RESTORATION STRATEGIES THAT MAXIMIZE BELOWGROUND RESTORATION FOR CARBON STORAGE, WHILE REMAINING TRACTABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE. 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.

EXPERIMENTAL ONCOLYTIC VIROTHERAPY AND COLORECTAL CANCER

THIS PROJECT WILL CONDUCT FIELD MEASUREMENTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC AND BIOGENIC VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND OXIDATION PRODUCTS, INCLUDING ORGANIC NITRA

DETERMINING THE MOLECULAR LANDSCAPE NECESSARY FOR HAIR CELL DIFFERENTIATION

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A MINIATURE COAXIAL ION TRAP MASS ANALYZER FOR PORTABLE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

PARALLEL ALGORITHMS FOR BIG DATA FROM MASS SPECTROMETRY BASED PROTEOMICS

RECOVERY OF FUNCTIONAL VISUAL PATHWAYS IN THE ADULT MAMMALIAN BRAIN USING AN ALPHA7 NACHR AGONIST AFTER BLAST EXPOSURE

BIOINSPIRED SELECTIVE ANION INCARCERATION BY NANOJARS

NATURE ORIGIN AND GEOHAZARDS OF ACTIVE DEFORMATION IN THE SUEZ RIFT EGYPT CONSTRAINTS FROM INSAR ANALYSIS AND AGE DATING

FURTHERING THE WORK OF STEM UNDERGRADUATE TRANSFORMATION: MODELING INSTRUCTIONAL CHANGE TEAMS

IMPROVED SIMULATIONS OF ASTROPHYSICAL PLASMAS: COMPUTATION OF NEW ATOMIC DATAWE PROPOSE TO CONTINUE