Jackson State University

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM

UNKNOWN TITLE

HBCU - INSTITUTIONAL AID

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND-INSTITUTIONAL PORTION

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM

CARES ACT CERTIFICATION AND AGREEMENT

UNKNOWN TITLE

RCMI CENTER FOR HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH

CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

THE PHIT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY EXPANSION

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM

HBCU - INSTITUTIONAL AID

MISSISSIPPI ACADEMY FOR SCIENCE TEACHING-- PROJECT MAST

DELTA MISSISSIPPI CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN MATERNAL HEALTH - PROJECT SUMMARY: OVERALL MATERNAL MORTALITY IN THE UNITED STATES IS HIGHER THAN IN PEER NATIONS AND HAS NOT DECREASED SINCE 1990. BEYOND MORTALITY, SEVERE MATERNAL MORTALITY IMPACTS FAR TOO MANY WOMEN. NOT ONLY ARE THESE HIGH RATES ALARMING, BUT NOTABLE RACIAL/ETHNIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES EXIST. THESE INEQUITIES ARE HIGHLY REGIONAL, WITH WOMEN LIVING IN THE RURAL SOUTHEAST PART OF THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, HAVING THE HIGHEST RATES OF MATERNAL MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE DISPARITIES HAVE PROVEN TO BE STUBBORNLY RESISTANT TO INTERVENTIONS, NECESSITATING AN INNOVATIVE MULTIFACETED APPROACH FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY PRACTICE, BUILDING TRUST, AND PRIORITIZING PATIENT VOICES. TO MEET THIS NEED, THIS PROPOSAL AIMS TO ESTABLISH THE JSU- MISSISSIPPI DELTA RESEARCH CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR MATERNAL HEALTH WITH THE GOAL OF ADDRESSING PREVENTABLE MATERNAL MORTALITY, DECREASING SEVERE MATERNAL MORBIDITY, AND PROMOTING MATERNAL HEALTH EQUITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA COMMUNITY. THIS RESEARCH CENTER WILL CONDUCT TWO MULTI-LAYERED RESEARCH PROJECTS. RESEARCH PROJECT 1 WILL DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN EVIDENCED-BASED COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HOME VISITING PROGRAM GROUNDED IN EXTENSIVE PATIENT AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION. RESEARCH PROJECT 2 WILL EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A MULTILEVEL AND MULTISECTORAL COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH LITERACY STRATEGY TO INCREASE TRUST AND ENGAGEMENT IN POSTPARTUM HEALTHCARE AMONG WOMEN IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON BLACK WOMEN, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. THESE RESEARCH PROJECTS BOTH HAVE THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF PARTNERING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO DETERMINE AND MEET THE NEEDS OF PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA AND ADDRESS THE DISPARITIES WITHIN MATERNITY CARE. SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF THE RESEARCH PROJECTS, AN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM FOR EARLY-STAGE INVESTIGATORS, UTILIZING COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERS, WILL ADDRESS THE INTERPERSONAL AND STRUCTURAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT MATERNAL OUTCOMES. OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP COMPONENT WILL ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL, SUSTAINED, COLLABORATIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT THROUGHOUT THE CENTER WITH THE GOAL OF ESTABLISHING MEANINGFUL AND EQUAL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND TRAINING. TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES, WE HAVE BROUGHT TOGETHER AN EXPERIENCED TEAM WITH DIVERSE EXPERTISE AND PERSPECTIVES, COMBINING KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES FROM JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY, THE MISSISSIPPI STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SIX DIMENSIONS (A MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH CONSULTING COMPANY), THE HARVARD TH CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AND VARIOUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS. BY ESTABLISHING AN EQUAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY IN ALL PARTS OF THE PROCESS – INCLUDING INTEGRATION WITH CLINICAL PRACTICES AND HOSPITALS, CONNECTION WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES, AND REGULAR INPUT FROM PATIENTS – WE ENVISION THAT THIS RESEARCH CENTER WILL OVERCOME STRUCTURAL AND INTERPERSONAL BARRIERS TO HIGH-QUALITY, CULTURALLY COMPETENT MATERNAL CARE AND ULTIMATELY IMPROVE MATERNAL MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY FOR WOMEN RESIDING IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA. 1

ELEVATING GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM (FUTURE ACT)

CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

HIGHER EDUCATION - INSTITUTIONAL AID - HBCU - INSTITUTIONAL AID

RII TRACK-2 FEC. COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ON SYNERGIZED TRANSFORMATIONAL SOLAR CHEMICAL LOOPING AND PHOTO-ULTRASONIC RENEWABLE BIOMASS RE

RESEARCH INITIATIVE FOR SCIENTIFIC ENHANCEMENT OPTION II AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERS

SUPPORT FOR "STRATEGIC CYBER SCIENCE, WARFARE, SECURITY, APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT AND HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (SCS)"

INTERDISCIPLINARY NANOTOXICITY CENTER

ELIMINATING HEALTH DISPARITIES THROUGH MULTI-TRANS-DISCIPLINARY APPROACHES

PHASE II CREST INTERDISCIPLINARY NANOTOXICITY CENTER

HBCU - INSTITUTIONAL AID

LOUIS STOKES MISSISSIPPI ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (LSMAMP) PATHWAYS ALLIANCE

UNKNOWN TITLE

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY - FY23 CONGRESSIONAL COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU)'S CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (CESTEME)

TRANSFORMING THE CLIMATE AND ADVANCING STEM WOMEN AT JSU AN HBCU IN THE SOUTH (JSUADVANCE)

JSU-UCSB PARTNERSHIP FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN MATERIALS SCIENCE

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS SCHOLARS TEACHER ACADEMY RESIDENT SYSTEM

ACE IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT ? TOWARD EQUITY IN STEM (PROJECTEST): LINKING FACULTY AND STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF SUCCESS THROUGH NOVEL, CONTINUOUS, EVIDENCE-BASED ASSESSMENT -IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS IN THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES - UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM (HBCU-UP) PROVIDE SUPPORT TO DESIGN, IMPLEMENT, STUDY, AND ASSESS COMPREHENSIVE INSTITUTIONAL EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS AND THE QUALITY OF THEIR PREPARATION BY STRENGTHENING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. THIS IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU) PROVIDES AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO BROADEN OUTCOMES FOR STEM STUDENTS. THE PROJECT WILL EXPLORE THE LINKS BETWEEN STEM FACULTY AND STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF TALENT AND POTENTIAL FOR STEM SUCCESS THROUGH INNOVATIVE ASSESSMENT OF PRACTICES AND OUTCOMES. THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON LINKING EVIDENCE-BASED TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES WITH STUDENT OUTCOMES AND EXPERIENCES TO HELP ASSESS AND REFINE COURSE ACTIVITIES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES. JSU?S PROJECTEST IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE FACULTY IMPLEMENTATION OF PEDAGOGY AND MENTORING STRATEGIES BY ESTABLISHING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO NEW ASSESSMENT TOOLS THAT EXTEND FACULTY KNOWLEDGE OF RACE, CULTURE, SOCIAL, AND HISTORICAL FACTORS THAT IMPACT STUDENT INTEREST AND ENGAGEMENT IN STEM FIELDS. FACULTY-STUDENT TEAMS WORK TOGETHER ON ASSESSMENT METRICS TO EXAMINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES WITH COURSE ACTIVITIES. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE THE USE OF NOVEL, FINE-GRAINED ASSESSMENT TOOLS, INCREASE STEM LEARNING OUTCOMES, SELF-EFFICACY, AND SENSE OF BELONGING AMONG STEM STUDENTS, OFFER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES THAT SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STEM WORKFORCE SKILLS, AND DISSEMINATE MODELS OF FACULTY AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT TO A BROADER AUDIENCE. AN EXPLORATORY RESEARCH PROJECT CALLED CAVE SCIENTIA WILL EXAMINE THE POTENTIAL LINKS BETWEEN STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENTS IN ADMISSIONS AND PLACEMENT AND HOW THOSE ASSESSMENTS IMPACT FACULTY PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR OWN STANDING AND EFFECTIVENESS IN STEM AND HOW THEY IMPACT STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE AND ADVANCE WITHIN A STEM DISCIPLINE. THIS PROJECT PROMISES TO HAVE WIDE-REACHING BROADER IMPACTS AT THE INSTITUTION AND LARGER HBCU COMMUNITY. THE PROJECT IS GUIDED AND INFORMED BY AN ON-GOING EVALUATION, AS WELL AS BY INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES. 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.

REGIONAL ENSEMBLING SYSTEM FOR ATMOSPHERIC DISPERSION FORECASTING.

JSU-UCSB PARTNERSHIP FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN MATERIALS SCIENCE

LOUIS STOKES ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION PHASE IV

HBCU - INSTITUTIONAL AID

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, AND MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS

HETEROGENEOUS INTEGRATION OF 2D-3D MATERIALS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT ELECTRONICS

BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH TRAINING AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY

FIRST IN THE WORLD - DEVELOPMENT

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY FUTURE ACTS PART F GRANT

LOUIS STOKES MISSISSIPPI ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

JSU-UCSB PARTNERSHIPS FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN MATERIALS (PREM) SCIENCE

JSU-UCSB PARTNERSHIP FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN MATERIALS SCIENCE -AFRICAN AMERICANS REPRESENT 98 PERCENT OF THE MINORITY POPULATION IN MISSISSIPPI AND 37 PERCENT OF ITS CITIZENS, GIVING IT THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION PER CAPITA OF THIS MINORITY GROUP IN THE NATION. AS AN HBCU (HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES) AND THE ONLY URBAN UNIVERSITY IN MISSISSIPPI, THE JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU) PREM (PARTNERSHIPS FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN MATERIALS) HAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN AFRICAN AMERICANS STUDENTS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. JSU-PREM PROGRAM IN ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA (UCSB) MATERIALS RESEARCH SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CENTER (MRSEC), WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM TO BECOME NEXT GENERATION MATERIALS SCIENTISTS THROUGH INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN EMERGING RESEARCH AREAS. THE PREM PROGRAM WILL DEVELOP A MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL, INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAM TO SOLVE DAILY LIFE PROBLEMS BY CREATING INNOVATIVE MATERIALS USING QUANTUM AND SMART SOFT MATERIAL-BASED TECHNOLOGY. THE PARTNERSHIP WILL PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS FROM JSU AND OTHER LOCAL MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITIES, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND K-12 SCHOOLS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE A COMPREHENSIVE STEM EDUCATION WITH COMPONENTS RANGING FROM MATERIALS RESEARCH EXPERIENCES AT UCSB OR JSU TO FORMAL AND INFORMAL LESSONS, CONFERENCES WITH WORLD RENOWNED SCIENTISTS AND NANO-EXHIBITIONS. AN ANTICIPATED FAR-REACHING AND LASTING EFFECT OF THE CURRENT PREM PROJECT IS ITS IMPACT ON TRAINING AND MENTORING OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN AREAS OF RESEARCH THAT HAVE EXCELLENT LONG-TERM JOB PROSPECTS. THIS PROJECT IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED WITH CO-FUNDING FROM THE HBCU-UP PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF EQUITY FOR EXCELLENCE IN STEM (EES) IN THE DIRECTORATE FOR STEM EDUCATION (EDU). THE MATERIALS RESEARCH OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF NEW MATERIALS, LEVERAGING CUTTING-EDGE WORLD CLASS RESEARCH CAPABILITIES AND A HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT SHARED BY JSU AND UCSB MEMBERS. JSU-UCSB PREM WILL PROVIDE INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE COLLABORATIVE MATERIAL SCIENCE PROJECTS BY BRINGING TOGETHER A GROUP OF INTERDISCIPLINARY FACULTY MEMBERS FROM JSU AND UCSB. THE PROPOSED PARTNERSHIP WILL FOSTER INNOVATION BY CREATING COGNITIVE MODELS, FACILITATION TECHNIQUES AND SMART TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH THEORY-EXPERIMENT-COUPLED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MATERIALS, ADDRESSING CRITICAL SOCIETAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. THIS PREM WILL CREATE A NUMBER OF ROBUST COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH GROUPS IN EMERGING RESEARCH TOPICS FOCUSING ON THE NSF BIG IDEAS: 1) MULTIFUNCTIONAL VAN DER WAALS QUANTUM MATERIALS, WITH AN AIM TO USE QUANTUM CONTROL DESIGN OF NEW MATERIAL TO ENABLE FAR REACHING TECHNOLOGY IN OPTO-ELECTRONICS, SENSING, COMMUNICATION AND NATIONAL SECURITY; 2) BIOMIMETIC HIERARCHICAL NANOARCHITECTURE BASED SOFT MATERIALS, WITH AN AIM TO USE ?RULES OF LIFE? TO ENABLE DESIGN OF BIO-INSPIRED MATERIALS WITH A BROAD RANGE OF FUNCTIONS, WHICH CAN HAVE APPLICATIONS IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN AEROSPACE, TRANSPORTATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. RESEARCH GROUPS WILL BE COMPOSED OF JSU AND UCSB FACULTY MEMBERS WHO, WITH THEIR STUDENTS, FORM A HIGHLY COHESIVE TEAM OF RESEARCHERS ABLE TO INVESTIGATE FUNDAMENTAL SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS AND PATHWAYS TO REACH SIGNIFICANT TECHNOLOGICAL GOALS THAT CAN ONLY BE PROPERLY EXPLORED IN A COLLABORATIVE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY MODE. THE PARTNERSHIP WILL ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF JSU AS A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN ADVANCED QUANTUM AND SOFT MATERIALS RESEARCH WHILE SIGNIFICANTLY BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES AT UCSB. 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.

IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT-INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE THROUGH FACULTY ADVANCEMENT IN INSTRUCTION AND MENTORING-ICFAIM

CONGRESSIONAL EARMARK JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY FY 22 CONGRESSIONAL COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING

UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTER

SUPPORT OF CHEMICAL MEATERIALS AND COMPUTATIONAL MODELING (CMCM)

TAS::89 0313::TAS

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU) WILL DEVELOP MULTI-DIMENSIONAL PROGRAMS IN CYBERSECURITY, AIMING TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF CYBER-SCIENTISTS DEDICATED TO SECURING THE U.S. INFRASTRUCTURE.

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, ANALYSIS, AND RESPONSE FOR COASTAL HAZARDS (ARCH)

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM (JPS SOUTH)

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROJECT

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU) SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, & MATHEMATICS (STEM) STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES (SSS) PROJECT

CHIRAL MICROCHIP ELECTROPHORESIS - MASS SPECTROMETRIC METHODS FOR METABOLIC STUDI

AWARD PURPOSE.WORC PURPOSE: IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE JUSTICE40 INITIATIVE, THE PURPOSE OF THE WORC INITIATIVE GRANTS IS TO CREATE ECONOMIC MOBILITY, ADDRESS HISTORIC INEQUITIES FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, RURAL AREAS, AND OTHER UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, AND PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES FOR WORKERS WHO LIVE OR WORK IN THE APPALACHIAN, DELTA, AND NORTHERN BORDER REGIONS, ENABLING THEM TO REMAIN AND THRIVE IN THESE COMMUNITIES. PROJECT TITLE: JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITYS (JSU) CYBERSECURITY AND DATA SCIENCE FOR ARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCE (AI) CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS FOR NEW ENTRANTS, INCUMBENT WORKERS, AND DISTANCELEARNERSGRANTEE REGION: DRADELIVERABLES EXPECTED OUTCOMES.PARTICIPANTS: 150PARTICIPANTS OBTAINING NEW OR ENHANCED EMPLOYMENT: 113INTENDED BENEFICIARIES.TARGET POPULATION: NEW ENTRANTS, INCUMBENT WORKERSAREAS TO BE SERVED: JACKSON, MS METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA - COPIAH, HINDS, HOLMES,MADISON, RANKIN, SIMPSON, AND YAZOO COUNTIESACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED.SUMMARY OF PROJECT: MISSISSIPPI IS VASTLY UNDERPREPARED TO ADDRESS CURRENT AND FUTURE CYBERSECURITY AND DATA SCIENCE RELATED OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES RELATED TO GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. THE LQ FOR INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYSTS (SOC 15-1212), WHICH INCLUDES CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS, IS 0.50. THIS SUGGESTS THAT MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYS HALF THE CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS AS WOULD BE EXPECTED GIVEN THE NUMBER OF CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED NATIONWIDE. SIMILARLY, THE REGIONAL LQ FOR DATA SCIENTISTS (SOC 15-2050) IS 0.26 SUGGESTING THE METRO EMPLOYS A QUARTER OF THE DATA SCIENTISTS AS EXPECTED GIVEN THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT RATE. WHILE TOTAL EMPLOYMENT IN MISSISSIPPI IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN RELATIVELY STAGNANT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, CYBERSECURITY, DATA SCIENCE, AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT EMPLOYMENT IS EXPECTED TO REALIZE AN ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF 2.3 OVER THE SAME PERIOD. JSU AIMS TO FILL THIS DEMAND BY DEVELOPING TWO NEW CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS IN CYBERSECURITY AND DATA SCIENCE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO BE OFFERED ONLINE FOR DISTANCE LEARNERS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON NEW ENTRANTS TO THE WORKFORCE ESPECIALLY GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND INCUMBENT WORKERS SEEKING TO RETRAIN OR UPSKILL INTO NEW SECTORS OR OCCUPATIONS. THESE 15-18 CREDIT HOUR PROGRAMS WILL ALLOW INDIVIDUALS INCREASED ACCESS TO ATTAIN ENTRY AND MID-LEVEL SKILLS FOR JOBS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT, CYBERSECURITY, AND DATASCIENCE. THE ONLINE NATURE OF THIS PROGRAM WILL IMPROVE AND EXPAND ACCESSIBILITY FOR MISSISSIPPI RESIDENTS SEEKING SKILLS TRAINING FOR IN-DEMAND OCCUPATIONS, WHILE ALSO OFFERING PARTICIPANTSACCESS TO CAMPUS RESOURCES AS NEEDED. THE ONLINE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IS EASILY SCALABLE ANDACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS WELL BEYOND THE PROJECT SERVICE AREA, THROUGHOUT THE DRA (DELTA)REGION.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES.THE RECIPIENT INTENDS TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

SUPPORT FOR "BIOGEOCHEMISTRY OF DEPLETED URANIUM IN RANG SOILS CONTROLLING ITS FATE/MIGRATION AND DEVELOPING COUPLED ELECTROKINETIC-PHYTOREMEDIATION

UPWARD BOUND

RONALD E. MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM (MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM)

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTER

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY TIGER NAVIGATORS UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY TIGER ACHIEVERS UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY TIGER SURVIVORS UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

PROBING MATERIALS FOR EFFECTIVE HYDROGEN STORAGE-A COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY BASED APPROACH WITH AN EMPHASIS ON HYDROGEN SPILLOVER TECHNIQUE

THE PROPOSAL AIMS TO ELEVATE JSU-TV BY UPGRADING ITS EQUIPMENT TO MEET INDUSTRY STANDARDS, IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS, AND ESTABLISHING CLEARMETRICS FOR SUCCESS.

RONALD E. MCNAIR POST-BACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY TALENT SEARCH (JPS NORTH)

JSU INTRA AND INTERCAMPUS TRANSPORT

JSU SUPPORT FOR CONTINUOUS RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

CBA (HIV) PREVENTION SERVICES FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS

MCNAIR GOING BEYOND THE BACHELORS" HBCU SCHOLARS PROGRAM @ JSU - DOWNTOWN CAMPUS"

MCNAIR SCHOLARS COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAM @ JSU - UNIVERSITIES CENTER

RONALD E. MCNAIR POST-BACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU) TEACHER PREPARATION STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES (TPSSS) PROJECT

2023 LSAMP BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE: MISSISSIPPI LSAMP - HOST SITE: JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY -THE LOUIS STOKES ALLIANCES FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (LSAMP) PROGRAM ASSISTS UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS MATRICULATING INTO AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING HIGH QUALITY DEGREE PROGRAMS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) DISCIPLINES IN ORDER TO DIVERSIFY THE STEM WORKFORCE. PARTICULAR EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON TRANSFORMING UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION THROUGH INNOVATIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STRATEGIES, AND RELEVANT EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES IN SUPPORT OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM DISCIPLINES: BLACKS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS, HISPANIC AND LATINO AMERICANS, AMERICAN INDIANS, ALASKA NATIVES, NATIVE HAWAIIANS, AND NATIVE PACIFIC ISLANDERS. THESE STRATEGIES FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF WELL-PREPARED STUDENTS, HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND MOTIVATED TO PURSUE GRADUATE EDUCATION OR CAREERS IN STEM. THE NEED FOR CULTIVATING STEM TALENT HAS BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED. FOR THE UNITED STATES TO REMAIN GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE, IT IS VITAL THAT IT TAPS INTO THE TALENT OF ALL ITS CITIZENS AND PROVIDES EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATIONAL PREPAREDNESS IN STEM AREAS THAT UNDERPIN THE KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY. THE LOUIS STOKES MISSISSIPPI ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (LSMAMP), LED BY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU), WILL SUPPORT COHORT 16 OF ITS BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE (BD) PROGRAM. A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM EXISTS THAT DEVELOPS A COHORT OF TWELVE BD FELLOWS TO NOT ONLY COMPLETE THEIR M.S. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS, BUT ALSO THE STEM DOCTORAL DEGREE. THE TWO-YEAR PROGRAM WILL CONSIST OF DIDACTIC LEARNING WITH ENGAGED FACULTY-LED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN HANDS-ON LABORATORY TRAINING AT STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT HOUSED IN CORE MULTI-USER RESEARCH LABORATORIES THE INSTITUTION AND IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL, PRIVATE AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE STEM SPEAKER SERIES, COMMUNITY SERVICE, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS. FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE EVALUATION RESULTS WILL BE DISSEMINATED BROADLY TO SUPPORT REPLICATION OF THE MODEL TO OTHER GRADUATE PROGRAMS SEEKING TO DIVERSIFY STEM GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND THE NATION'S STEM WORKFORCE. 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.

LSAMP BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE

BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE: MISSISSIPPI-LSAMP, COHORT 14

BRIDGE TO DOCTORATE: MISSISSIPPI-LSAMP, COHORT 13

PROJECT CALIPSO

COMBINED PRIORITY FOR PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT

UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

TEACHER RESIDENCY ACADEMY ALLIANCE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ACCESS TO RESEARCH AND GRADUATE EDUCATION

LOUIS STOKES RENEWAL STEM PATHWAYS AND RESEARCH ALLIANCE: THE LOUIS STOKES MISSISSIPPI ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (LS-MAMP) STEM PATHWAY AND RESEARCH ALLIANCE -THE LOUIS STOKES ALLIANCES FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION PROGRAM ASSISTS UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS MATRICULATING INTO AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING HIGH QUALITY DEGREE PROGRAMS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) DISCIPLINES TO DIVERSIFY THE STEM WORKFORCE. PARTICULAR EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON TRANSFORMING UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION THROUGH INNOVATIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STRATEGIES, AND RELEVANT EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES IN SUPPORT OF POPULATIONS UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM DISCIPLINES: AFRICAN AMERICANS, HISPANIC AMERICANS, AMERICAN INDIANS, ALASKA NATIVES, NATIVE HAWAIIANS, AND NATIVE PACIFIC ISLANDERS. THESE STRATEGIES FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF WELL-PREPARED STUDENTS HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND MOTIVATED TO PURSUE GRADUATE EDUCATION OR CAREERS IN STEM. FOR THE UNITED STATES TO REMAIN GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE, IT IS VITAL THAT IT TAPS INTO THE TALENT OF ALL ITS CITIZENS AND PROVIDES EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATIONAL PREPAREDNESS IN STEM AREAS THAT UNDERPIN THE KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY. THE LOUIS STOKES MISSISSIPPI ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (LS-MAMP) STEM PATHWAY AND RESEARCH ALLIANCE HAS FORMED AN ALLIANCE IN RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR A MORE DIVERSE AND SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE. THAT NEED STILL EXISTS AND IS PARTICULARLY ACUTE IN MISSISSIPPI. THE INSTITUTIONS THAT MAKE UP THE ALLIANCE ARE RENOWNED FOR THEIR COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT AND INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS AND INCLUDE JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (THE LEAD INSTITUTION), THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY, ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY, THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, TOUGALOO COLLEGE, DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND HINDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, THE ALLIANCE WILL PROVIDE MENTORING, PROACTIVE INTERVENTIONS, COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER PROGRAMS, CONFERENCES, EXPERT SPEAKERS, SUMMER INTERNSHIPS, ADVISING, FACULTY RESEARCH, AND OTHER INITIATIVES AIMED AT RETAINING AND GRADUATING HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED STUDENTS IN STEM FIELDS. IN ADDITION, LS-MAMP RESEARCH PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE BROADENING PARTICIPATION BODY OF KNOWLEDGE BY HELPING TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT OF INTERVENTIONS OR SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF INTERVENTIONS ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT OUTCOMES SUCH AS RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES, TIME TO DEGREE COMPLETION, CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AND LABOR MARKET OUTCOMES. THE ALLIANCE TEAM IS ALSO COMMITTED TO DISSEMINATING LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH PRACTICE AND RESEARCH TO AUDIENCES WITHIN THE STATE, REGION AND NATIONWIDE, SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION'S STRATEGIC GOAL TO EMPOWER STEM TALENT TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING BY IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR MINORITIZED STUDENTS IN STEM AND HELPING BUILD A DIVERSE AND EXCELLENT STEM WORKFORCE. 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.

HBCU-RISE: IMPROVING RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR 3D PRINTABLE NANOCOMPOSITES FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATION -WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CENTERS OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (CREST) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCU) RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (RISE) PROGRAM, JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY (URM) PARTICIPANTS TO BECOME NEXT GENERATION STEM INNOVATORS THROUGH RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ON DESIGN OF MATERIALS. THE PURPOSES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO (A) SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE AND EXPAND THE INSTITUTION'S RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL CAPABILITY ON THE 3D PRINTING OF NANOCOMPOSITES AND (B) TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF URM STUDENTS THAT JOIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF US SCIENTISTS. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE MINORITY PARTICIPANTS FROM JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY AND OTHER LOCAL K-12 SCHOOLS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE A COMPREHENSIVE STEM EDUCATION WITH COMPONENTS RANGING FROM STEM RESEARCH EXPERIENCES TO FORMAL AND INFORMAL LESSONS AND CONFERENCES. JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY INTERDISCIPLINARY FACULTY MENTORS WILL COLLABORATE ON A RESEARCH PROJECT PERTAINING TO THE RATIONAL DESIGN OF 3D PRINTABLE NANOCOMPOSITES, WHICH WILL PROVIDE TREMENDOUS BENEFIT FOR SOCIETY IN TERMS OF DEPLOYING NEXT-GENERATION DEVICES. THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE (I) DESIGNING NEW STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT GENERATION NANOCOMPOSITE MATERIALS USING NATURE-INSPIRED PEPTIDES AND (II) DEVELOPMENT OF 3D PRINTED NATURE-INSPIRED NANOCOMPOSITES. THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ALSO ALIGN WELL WITHIN THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENTAL PLAN OF JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY TO BECOME ONE OF THE REGION?S FOREMOST CENTERS ON NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS MANUFACTURING. THE CREST HBCU-RISE AWARDS SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH CAPABILITY AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT OFFER DOCTORAL DEGREES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES. 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.

ENHANCING LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO SCHOOLS THROUGH VISUAL DATA AND THE MISSISSIPPI GOOGLE EARTH ENTERPRISE SYSTEM

CENTER FOR NATURAL DISASTER AND COASTAL RESILIENCE

NSF ENGINES DEVELOPMENT AWARD: ADVANCING FOOD SECURITY AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE (MS) -THIS REGIONAL INNOVATION ENGINES DEVELOPMENT AWARD IS FOCUSED ON ALLEVIATING FOOD INSECURITIES AND ASSOCIATED HEALTH DISPARITIES IN THE 41-COUNTY TARGET SERVICE REGION THAT INCORPORATES SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. THE REGION INCLUDES SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST DEMOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE AND ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED COUNTIES. TWENTY-FIVE OF THE REGION?S COUNTIES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY PERSISTENT POVERTY, ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (USM), JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU) WILL LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM (SIE) FOOD INDUSTRY ECOSYSTEM TO UNLOCK TALENTS OF THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMMATICALLY, ESTABLISH CONVERGENT FOOD INDUSTRY CLUSTERS, AND ALIGN NODES OF INNOVATION TO INSPIRE, GROW AND LAUNCH NEW EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND BUSINESSES BY CREATING A SUSTAINABLE CYCLE OF INNOVATION. THE RESOURCES, EXPERTISE, AND EXPERIENCE OF JSU AND USM, COMBINED WITH THEIR REGIONAL INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, ARE WELL-POSITIONED TO BUILD AN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM TO ALIGN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TO ADDRESS GAPS IN THREE INTERRELATED AREAS OF INTEREST: 1) AGRICULTURE AND FOOD ACCESS; 2) ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE FOR SMALL-AND MID-SIZED FARMS; AND 3) AGRICULTURAL SUPPLY CHAIN. THE VISION OF THIS NSF ENGINE DEVELOPMENT AWARD IS TO DEVELOP AN INNOVATIVE ECOSYSTEM THAT: IMPROVES HEALTH AND NUTRITION, REDUCES POVERTY, CREATES A DIVERSE TALENT POOL OF SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKERS, AND IMPROVES ECONOMIC DIVERSITY AND RESILIENCE ACROSS THE TARGETED SERVICE REGION. USE-INSPIRED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WILL ADDRESS AND BE GUIDED BY THE FIVE DIMENSIONS OF ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD: AFFORDABILITY, AVAILABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, ACCOMMODATION, AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE GOALS WILL BE CENTERED AROUND IMPROVING THE RESILIENCE AND HEALTH OUTCOMES OF ALL MISSISSIPPIANS BY PREPARING STAKEHOLDERS TO ASSESS, MANAGE, AND MITIGATE THE COMPLEX AND DEVASTATING REALITIES OF GENERATIONAL POVERTY AND PERSISTENT FOOD INSECURITY. THE AWARD CAN CREATE NEW JOBS THAT ADVANCE ECONOMIC EQUITY WITHIN THE REGION BY FOCUSING ON CREATING HIGH-QUALITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES, STRATEGIC WORKFORCE INVESTMENT AND TRAINING, SMALL-BUSINESS CREATION, AND REGIONAL CLUSTERING OF TARGET FIRMS. THIS NSF ENGINE DEVELOPMENT AWARD WILL ENABLE THE PROJECT TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND ITS MULTI-SECTORAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL CONSTITUENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONCRETE PLANS FOR TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, RURAL ENGAGEMENT, INTERVENTION PLANS, AND RECRUITMENT EFFORTS AROUND STEM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH QUANTITATIVE METRICS FOR SUCCESS, AND AN ANALYSIS OF NEEDS FROM EACH STAKEHOLDER AND A PLAN TO ADDRESS THEM IN PREPARATION FOR AN NSF ENGINE PROJECT. 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.

HBCU-RISE: RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE CHEMICAL DESIGN OF ADVANCED CARBON NANOMATERIAL BASED QUANTUM DOTS FOR BIO IMAGING

PHASE TRANSITION AND FERROELECTRICITY IN THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL QUANTUM MATERIALS AND THEIR HETEROSTRUCTURE

JSU-RISE: RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE CHEMICAL DESIGN OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL CARBON NANOTUBES

I-C-STEM IN MY FUTURE A STRATEGIES PROPOSAL

COHORT 12: JSU BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE

LSAMP BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE COHORT 11

BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE

2011-2016 LSAMP BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE PROGRAM AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (COHORT 9)

BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE COHORT 8: BD SITE: JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY

LSAMP BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE

2008 MISSISSIPPI LOUIS STOKES ALLIANCES FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (LS-MAMP) BRIDGE TO THE DOCTORATE: COHORT 6

RURAL HEALTH OUTREACH SPECIAL INITIATIVE

COMPUTATIONAL STUDIES ON THE INFLUENCE OF STONE-WALES DEFECTS AND ALKALI METAL IONS IN CARBON NANOTUBE BASED SENORS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: E-RISE RII: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI NANO-BIO AND IMMUNOENGINEERING CONSORTIUM -THIS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN SEVEN INSTITUTIONS ESTABLISHES THE MISSISSIPPI NANO-BIO AND IMMUNOENGINEERING CONSORTIUM (NIEC) TO ENHANCE BIOMATERIALS RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN MISSISSIPPI. PARTNERING INSTITUTIONS INCLUDE ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY, JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY, TOUGALOO COLLEGE, THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI, THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. NIEC WILL DEVELOP NEW MATERIALS, TEST THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, AND EVALUATE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN TREATING DISEASES, WITH A FOCUS ON ADDRESSING HEALTH DISPARITIES IN MISSISSIPPI AND THE REGION, ENSURING LONG-TERM BENEFITS TO THE STATE, REGION, AND COUNTRY. THE PROJECT'S GOALS INCLUDE SYNTHESIZING AND CHARACTERIZING NOVEL BIOMATERIALS APPROPRIATE FOR SAFE CLINICAL USE, EDUCATING AND RETAINING A DIVERSE GROUP OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS IN MISSISSIPPI, AND SECURING SUSTAINED FUNDING TO ADVANCE THIS WORK. BY BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH NETWORK, PROMOTING INCLUSIVITY, AND SUPPORTING LOCAL BIOTECH STARTUPS, NIEC SEEKS TO IMPACT SCIENCE, HEALTHCARE, AND THE STATE'S ECONOMY, CREATING HIGH-TECH, WELL-PAYING JOBS IN MISSISSIPPI AND FOSTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH. THE PROJECT AIMS TO CREATE A ROBUST PIPELINE OF NEXT-GENERATION MATERIALS BY FOSTERING A COLLABORATIVE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAM CENTERED AROUND THREE RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS (RFAS): (I) DEVELOPING BIOMIMETIC MATERIALS TO MODULATE NANO-IMMUNO INTERACTIONS VIA PROTEIN CORONA ENGINEERING, (II) DESIGNING POLYMER NANOCARRIERS FOR EFFICIENT NUCLEIC ACID COMPLEXATION AND RELEASE, AND (III) DEVELOPING PATHOGEN RESILIENT BIOINSPIRED POLYMERIC SCAFFOLDS FOR TISSUE REGENERATION. LEVERAGING NIEC'S EXPERTISE IN NANOMATERIALS SYNTHESIS, PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION, AND COMPUTATIONAL MODELING, THESE RFAS WILL FORM AN INTEGRATED DESIGN LOOP THAT WILL ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERFACE BETWEEN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND NANOMATERIALS, ESTABLISHING GENERALIZABLE STRUCTURE-PROPERTY-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS THAT SUPPORT THE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE TRANSLATION OF INNOVATIVE BIOMATERIALS INTO CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE THREE BIOMATERIALS RFAS, AN EVALUATION OF STATE POLICIES AND REGULATIONS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY IN MISSISSIPPI WILL BE CONDUCTED. THIS PROJECT WILL MEASURABLY IMPACT THE PREPARATION OF A DIVERSE RESEARCH-READY WORKFORCE THAT CAN FOSTER THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN MS THROUGH (I) LEVERAGING EXISTING UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, POSTDOCTORAL, AND EARLIER CAREER FACULTY TRAINING; (II) STRATEGICALLY HIRING FACULTY, PROVIDING SEED GRANTS, AND OFFERING MENTORING FOR JUNIOR FACULTY AND POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS; AND (III) PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND ITS COMMERCIALIZATION. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE NSF EPSCOR RESEARCH INCUBATORS FOR STEM EXCELLENCE (E-RISE) RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THE E-RISE RII PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE BROAD NETWORKS OF INDIVIDUALS, INSTITUTIONS, AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) RESEARCH CAPACITY AND COMPETITIVENESS IN A JURISDICTION WITHIN A FIELD OF RESEARCH ALIGNED WITH THE JURISDICTION'S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PRIORITIES. 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.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: IMPROVING ACCESS TO CAREER AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TALENTED, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS THROUGH THE FLEXIBLE INTERNSHIPS-RESEARCH-EDUCATION MODEL

MINORITY ADVANCEMENT THROUGH RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IN SCIENCE VIA OUTREACH PROGRAM (MARRS OP)

REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - REHABILITATION COUNSELING

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE FOR COASTAL HAZARDS (ARCH)

PHASE I/II- JSU SCIENCE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

ENHANCEMENT OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, ANALYSIS, AND RESPONSE FOR COASTAL HAZARDS

HIV/SUBSTANCE ABUSE AWARENESS PREVENTION PROJECT (H-SAPP)

EXPANDING THE NETWORK OF STEM SCHOLARS THROUGH THE ADVANCE WOMEN OF COLOR SUMMER WRITING RETREAT

JSU ACHIEVERS UBMS PROGRAM

JSU UBMS CONQUERORS PROGRAMS

JSU UBMS NAVIGATORS PROGRAM

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY TIGER CONQUERORS UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

JSU WORKING RCO LONG TERM REHABILITATION

PROBING MATERIALS FOR EFFICIENT HYDROGEN STORAGE AND SEARCH FOR MATERIALS CHARACTERIZED BY HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH A COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY BASED APPR

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: UNRAVELLING THE GENETIC BASIS FOR HEAVY-METAL UPTAKE AND TOLERANCE IN NERIUM OLEANDER THROUGH TRANSCRIPTOMIC KALEIDOSCOPE -THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENETIC BASIS FOR PLANTS' UPTAKE AND TOLERANCE OF HEAVY METALS REMAINS LIMITED. THIS STUDY AIMS TO INVESTIGATE THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH NERIUM OLEANDER, COMMONLY KNOWN AS OLEANDER, ABSORBS AND WITHSTANDS HEAVY METALS IN ITS SURROUNDINGS. BY ANALYZING THE PLANT'S GENETIC COMPOSITION AND INVESTIGATING GENE ACTIVATION AND SUPPRESSION, SCIENTISTS SEEK TO UNRAVEL THE MECHANISMS THAT ENABLE NERIUM OLEANDER TO THRIVE IN POLLUTED AREAS. THIS RESEARCH HOLDS SOCIETAL RELEVANCE AS IT TACKLES ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS SUCH AS POLLUTION AND ITS IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS. WHAT SETS THIS RESEARCH APART IS ITS INNOVATIVE APPROACH OF EMPLOYING TRANSCRIPTOMICS, WHICH INVOLVES STUDYING GENE ACTIVITY, TO GAIN INSIGHTS INTO HOW NERIUM OLEANDER COPES WITH HEAVY-METAL CONTAMINATION. BY ELUCIDATING THE GENETIC FOUNDATION OF HEAVY-METAL UPTAKE AND TOLERANCE, THIS STUDY COULD HAVE FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, PHYTOREMEDIATION (THE USE OF PLANTS TO REMEDIATE POLLUTED SITES), AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES. THIS PROJECT THUS, REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SCIENTIFIC ENDEAVOR THAT COULD YIELD VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE TO ADDRESS URGENT ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. OVERALL, THIS RESEARCH CONTRIBUTES TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING, OFFERS SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS, AND PROMOTES THE WELL-BEING OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY. THE GENETIC MECHANISMS THAT REGULATE HEAVY-METAL UPTAKE AND TOLERANCE IN PLANTS IS POORLY UNDERSTOOD. THIS STUDY AIMS TO EXPLORE THE GENETIC BASIS BEHIND NERIUM OLEANDER'S REMARKABLE ABILITY TO ABSORB AND WITHSTAND HEAVY METALS IN CONTAMINATED ENVIRONMENTS. SPECIFICALLY, THE STUDY SEEKS TO INVESTIGATE HOW NERIUM OLEANDER CAN EFFECTIVELY TAKE IN AND ENDURE HEAVY METALS LIKE CADMIUM, LEAD, AND ZINC WITHOUT EXPERIENCING DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH INCLUDE UNRAVELING THE MOLECULAR PATHWAYS AND GENE REGULATORY NETWORKS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO HEAVY-METAL UPTAKE AND TOLERANCE IN THIS PLANT SPECIES. TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, A COMPREHENSIVE TRANSCRIPTOMIC ANALYSIS WILL BE CONDUCTED. RNA SAMPLES FROM PLANTS SUBJECTED TO HEAVY-METAL STRESS, AS WELL AS CONTROL CONDITIONS, WILL BE SEQUENCED, ENABLING THE IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF GENE EXPRESSION PATTERNS. BY COMPARING THE TRANSCRIPTOMES OF STRESSED AND NON-STRESSED PLANTS, DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED GENES ASSOCIATED WITH HEAVY-METAL UPTAKE AND TOLERANCE WILL BE DISCOVERED. THE PROJECT WILL INVOLVE FUNCTIONAL ENRICHMENT ANALYSIS, AIMING TO IDENTIFY KEY TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS AND SIGNALING PATHWAYS INVOLVED IN THE PLANT'S RESPONSE TO HEAVY-METAL STRESS. BY INTEGRATING DIVERSE DATA SETS AND EMPLOYING VARIOUS BIOLOGICAL APPROACHES, A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENETIC MECHANISMS UNDERLYING HEAVY-METAL UPTAKE AND TOLERANCE IN NERIUM OLEANDER WILL BE ACHIEVED. THE FINDINGS OF THIS RESEARCH WILL NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE BROADER FIELD OF PLANT STRESS RESPONSES BUT ALSO PROVIDE A FOUNDATIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN PHYTOREMEDIATION?THE USE OF PLANTS TO MITIGATE POLLUTION. THIS STUDY REPRESENTS A CRUCIAL STEP TOWARDS UNRAVELING THE GENETIC COMPLEXITIES OF HEAVY-METAL TOLERANCE IN PLANTS AND MAY PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE ADVANCEMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION STRATEGIES. 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.

COMBINED PRIORITY FOR PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT

SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF NATURAL PRODUCT ANALOGUES

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

EXPANDQISE: TRACK 1: JSU-UNL COLLABORATION ON QUANTUM SENSING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOR MINORITY PARTICIPANTS -DEVELOPING NOVEL QUANTUM BIOSENSORS WITH UNPRECEDENTED SPATIAL RESOLUTION AND SENSITIVITY HAVE POTENTIAL TO BE USED FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY AND NEXT-GENERATION MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS DEVICES. FOR DESIGNING AND EXPLOITING THE POTENTIAL OF NITROGEN?VACANCY (NV) DIAMOND-BASED QUANTUM SENSORS FOR MONITORING ?LOCALIZED BIOLOGICAL EVENTS? IN LIVE CELLS UNDER PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS, THIS EXPANDING CAPACITY IN QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (EXPANDQISE) PROJECT AIMS TO FORM AN INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE TEAM EFFORT OF RESEARCHERS FROM JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU), A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY (HBCU) SERVING INSTITUTION, AND UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN (UNL). WITH THE RAPIDLY GROWING EXCITEMENT IN BOTH ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY FOR QUANTUM SENSORS, THE VISION OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY (URM) PARTICIPANTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS FRONTIER THROUGH INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. AFRICAN AMERICANS REPRESENT 98 PERCENT OF THE MINORITY POPULATION IN MISSISSIPPI AND 37 PERCENT OF ITS CITIZENS, GIVING IT THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION PER CAPITA OF THIS MINORITY GROUP IN THE NATION. AS AN HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY (HBCU) AND THE ONLY URBAN UNIVERSITY IN MISSISSIPPI, JSU HAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN AFRICAN AMERICANS STUDENTS IN QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (QISE) RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. JSU-UNL COLLABORATION ON QUANTUM SENSING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION DEVELOPS AND EXPANDS UNL'S RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL CAPABILITIES ON QUANTUM SENSING RESEARCH, WHICH PREPARES AFRICAN AMERICANS AND WOMEN TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE FUTURE GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS FOR OUR NATION. THIS PROJECT PROVIDES MORE THAN 80 GRADUATE, UNDERGRADUATE, AND K12 MINORITY PARTICIPANTS FROM JSU AND OTHER LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND K-12 SCHOOLS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE A COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING IN QUANTUM BIOSENSING THROUGH QISE COURSE AND DIAMOND QUANTUM MICROSCOPE, WHICH IS IN THE HORIZON OF NSF'S MISSION TO TRAIN THE WORKFORCE THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO PROGRESS AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF EMERGING QUANTUM SENSOR TECHNOLOGY. AN ANTICIPATED FAR-REACHING AND LASTING EFFECT OF THIS PROJECT IS ITS IMPACT ON TRAINING AND MENTORING AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN QISE AREAS OF RESEARCH THAT HAVE EXCELLENT LONG-TERM JOB PROSPECTS. THE QISE RESEARCH OBJECTIVE FOCUSES ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF QUANTUM SENSING TECHNOLOGY BY USING NV CENTERS IN DIAMOND FOR REAL TIME MONITORING OF CYTOCHROME-C (CYT-C) RELEASE DURING CELL APOPTOSIS. SPECIFICALLY, THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS FOCUS ON ELUCIDATING THE FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES WHICH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO REVOLUTIONIZE DIVERSE APPLICATIONS FOR SENSING. THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES INCLUDE DEVELOPING MULTIFUNCTIONAL BIOCOMPATIBLE DIAMOND-BASED QUANTUM SENSORS FOR QUANTITATIVE DETECTION OF CYT-C RELEASE UPON CELL APOPTOSIS. THE MAIN RESEARCH THRUSTS INCLUDE (I) DEVELOPING MULTIFUNCTIONAL BIOCOMPATIBLE DIAMOND-BASED QUANTUM SENSORS AND (II) DESIGNING QUANTUM SENSING USING NV DOPED DIAMOND CHIPS AND NANODIAMONDS FOR REAL TIME MONITORING OF CYT-C RELEASE DURING CELL APOPTOSIS. THIS RESEARCH TACKLES FUNDAMENTALLY NEW QUESTIONS IN THE DESIGN AND PROCESSING OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL BIOCOMPATIBLE NANODIAMOND-BASED QUANTUM SENSORS, WHICH MAY EXHIBIT MANY UNPRECEDENTED PROPERTIES FOR NUMEROUS PROMISING BIOSENSING APPLICATIONS. THE JSU-UNL COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH HELPS IN ADVANCING THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING OF NV DIAMOND, WHICH CAN HAVE EMERGING APPLICATIONS IN CYT-C SENSING IN LIVE CELL. THE LONG-TERM OUTCOME OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO ESTABLISH SCIENTIFIC DESIGN CRITERIA FOR QUANTUM MATERIAL-BASED MULTIFUNCTION COMPATIBLE SENSOR FOR IN VIVO IMAGING CYT-C WHICH PROVIDES A FUNDAMENTAL ADVANCE FOR IMPACTING QUANTUM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES. THE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: (1) IMPROVING RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE IN QUANTUM SENSING CAPABILITY AT JSU BY DEVELOPING DIAMOND QUANTUM MICROSCOPE, (2) DEVELOPING COLLABORATIVE MS/PHD ADVISING PROGRAM FOR URM STUDENTS WITH A STRONG FOCUS ON QUANTUM SENSING, (3) INITIATING SUMMER RESEARCH FOR UNDERGRADUATE (REU) PROGRAM AT JSU FOR URM PARTICIPANTS ON QISE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, (4) BUILDING QISE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR URM K-12 PARTICIPANTS, AND (5) DESIGNING NEW QISE COURSE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE HANDS-ON AND PROJECT-BASED LEARNING MODULES. THIS PROJECT IS CO-FUNDED BY THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM (HBCU-UP), WHICH PROVIDES AWARDS TO STRENGTHEN STEM UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH AT HBCUS. THIS AWARD WAS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE DIRECTORATE FOR ENGINEERING, DIVISION OF CIVIL, MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING INNOVATION AND THE DIRECTORATE FOR MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES, OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. 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.

INCLUSIVE STRATEGIES: PEDAGOGIES AND LEARNING FOR UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS USING NOVEL TOOLS IN ONLINE STEM EDUCATION (PLUTO-STEM)

ACCELERATING COLLABORATION AND CURRICULUM EXCELLENCE FOR LONGITUDINAL STUDENT SUCCESS (ACCELSS)

BIO-DEFENSE RESEARCH ON ATTENUATION OF NEW PATHOGENIC STRAINS

JSU DOE EPSCOR

GATEKEEPER TO GATEWAY: TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO GROW ENROLLMENT AND RETENTION (TIGER) OF MINORITY STUDENTS (MS) IN STEM (TIGER-MS)

THEORETICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF INTERACTIONS OF LIGANDS WITH VARIOUS HEMOPROTEINS

EXTREEMS-QED: LABORATORY FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND MATHEMATICS LEARNING THROUGH QUANTITATIVE EXPLORATION OF DATA (LISA-QED)

ASSESSMENT OF PAVEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAM

INTERACTION OF EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE WITH MULTIVALENT CATIONS AND EFFECTS ON ITS STRUCTURE AND BIOAVAILABILITY IN SOILS

DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF INSECT-SIZE MICRO AERIAL VEHICLES WITH FLAPPING WINGS

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: PHYTOREMEDIATION USING VETIVER GRASS TO ADDRESS HEAVY METALS AND PFAS IN CONTAMINATED SOIL AND WASTEWATER -PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS) AND HEAVY METALS ARE PERSISTENT CONTAMINANTS THAT POSE SERIOUS RISKS TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH, ESPECIALLY IN LANDFILL AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS WHERE CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT METHODS OFTEN FAIL TO REMOVE THEM EFFECTIVELY. HEAVY METALS SUCH AS CADMIUM (CD), MERCURY (HG), CHROMIUM (CR), NICKEL (NI), LEAD (PB), ZINC (ZN), AND ARSENIC (AS) ARE OFTEN FOUND IN LANDFILL LEACHATE. THESE METALS CAN CAUSE SEVERE ENVIRONMENTAL HARM AND CREATE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES WHEN THEY POLLUTE SURFACE OR GROUNDWATER BODIES. THIS PROJECT EXPLORES AN INNOVATIVE, NATURE-BASED SOLUTION USING VETIVER GRASS (CHRYSOPOGON ZIZANIOIDES), A FAST-GROWING PLANT WITH A DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO ABSORB HARMFUL CONTAMINANTS FROM SOIL AND WATER. VETIVER GRASS OFFERS A LOW-COST, ENERGY-EFFICIENT, AND RESILIENT APPROACH TO TREATING CONTAMINATED WASTEWATER AND LANDFILL LEACHATE WHILE ADDRESSING CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS RELATED TO PFAS AND HEAVY METALS. THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS SEVERAL UNKNOWNS TO EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF VETIVER GRASS, INCLUDING VETIVER?S ADAPTABILITY IN HIGHLY TOXIC ENVIRONMENT, ADJUSTING ITS ROOT AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE TO ACCUMULATE HEAVY METALS AND CONTAMINANTS IN IT. A ROBUST, DATA-DRIVEN FRAMEWORK THAT EVALUATES BOTH THE EFFICACY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF VETIVER-BASED PHYTOREMEDIATION SYSTEMS WILL BE DEVELOPED. THE INTEGRATION OF MECHANISTIC AND MACHINE LEARNING MODELS WILL ENABLE PREDICTIVE CAPABILITIES, OFFERING INSIGHTS INTO SITE-SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS AND LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES. THE SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF VETIVER?S PHYTOREMEDIATION CAPABILITIES AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE NATURE-BASED REMEDIATION PRACTICES THAT CREATE ALTERNATIVE TO CHEMICAL-BASED TREATMENTS. THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO EVALUATE AND OPTIMIZE THE PERFORMANCE OF VETIVER GRASS IN PHYTOREMEDIATION APPLICATIONS TO REMOVE PFAS AND HEAVY METALS FROM WASTEWATER, LEACHATE, AND CONTAMINATED SOILS. THE PROJECT ADDRESSES THREE FUNDAMENTAL SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS: (1) WHAT IS THE ABSORPTION RATE AND STORAGE CAPACITY OF VETIVER GRASS FOR HEAVY METALS AND PFAS IN VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS? (2) HOW ARE THESE CONTAMINANTS DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN VETIVER?S ROOTS AND SHOOTS POST-UPTAKE? (3) HOW DO CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATIONS AND CLIMATIC FACTORS INFLUENCE VETIVER?S PHYTOREMEDIATION EFFICIENCY? (4) WHAT IS THE LONG-TERM FATE OF THE CONTAMINANTS UPTAKE BY VETIVER GRASS? EXPERIMENTS WILL BE CONDUCTED USING HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS AND SOIL MEDIA. THE CONTAMINANT UPTAKES WILL BE QUANTIFIED THROUGH ADVANCED ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES, INCLUDING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY (GC-MS), LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY?MASS SPECTROMETRY (LCMS/MS), AND INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA OPTICAL EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY (ICP-OES). THE RESEARCH WILL EXAMINE THE INFLUENCES OF MICROBIAL INTERACTIONS AND SOIL TYPE ON VETIVER?S REMEDIATION CAPACITY ALONGSIDE THE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION STUDIES FOR LANDFILL APPLICATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL SYNTHESIZE DATA ACROSS VARIED CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP PREDICTIVE MODELS FOR OPTIMIZING VETIVER-BASED PHYTOREMEDIATION SYSTEMS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS STUDY WILL ESTABLISH VETIVER GRASS AS A VIABLE, SUSTAINABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR PFAS AND HEAVY METAL REMEDIATION IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTS. 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.

PROJECT PARTNERING IN LANGUAGE, LITERACY, AND READING SERVICES (PILLARS) IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FULLY CREDENTIALED SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS.

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH - COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: FATE AND TRANSPORT OF NEONICOTINOID INSECTICIDES IN THE ENVIRONMENT

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE, ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE FOR COASTAL HAZARDS

HIGH-ENERGY AND LIGHTWEIGHT LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES WITH POROUS SEMICONDUCTING AMORPHOUS CHALCOGENIDE-BASED XERO-AND AEROGELS

LEAD OPTIMIZATION AND MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF DUAL-ACTING ANTITRYPANOSOMAL AGENTS - PROJECT SUMMARY PATHOGENIC PROTOZOANS CAUSE SEVERAL NEGLECTED, PERSISTENT, AND EMERGING TROPICAL DISEASES. THESE DISEASES IMPACT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, AND THEY POSE SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH, INCLUDING THAT OF THE UNITED STATES. THE KEY PROBLEMS OF TROPICAL DISEASES ARE LIMITED ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE DRUGS, INADEQUATE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS, AND DEVELOPMENT OF DRUG RESISTANCE TO EXISTING DRUGS BY THE ETIOLOGICAL AGENTS. HENCE, CONTINUED EFFORT TO CONTROL, ELIMINATE, AND PROVIDE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OPTIONS IS CRUCIAL. IN THIS SC1 PROJECT, OUR EFFORTS WILL BE DEVOTED TO INVESTIGATING NEW CHEMICAL ENTITIES THAT CAN SERVE AS DRUG LEADS FOR HUMAN AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS (HAT) AND CHAGAS DISEASE. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO INVESTIGATE CHEMICAL ENTITIES THAT CAN SUPPRESS THE DEVELOPMENT OF DRUG RESISTANCE BY PROTOZOAN PARASITES TO CLINICALLY USED NITROAROMATIC DRUGS. WE ENVISION THAT THE STUDIES OUTLINED IN THIS PROJECT WILL PROPEL PRECLINICAL STUDIES OF NEW GENERATION ANTITRYPANOSOMAL AGENTS THAT POSSESS MULTIPLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION. IN ADDITION, WE EXPECT THAT SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT WILL PRODUCE INNOVATIVE AND FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE ON ANTITRYPANOSOMAL AGENTS.

EXPLORING HIGH PERFORMANCE HETEROGENEOUS COMPUTING VIA HARDWARE/SOFTWARE CO-DESIGN

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: EXPLORING EFFECTIVENESS OF AUTOMATIC ASSESSMENT OF COGNITIVE AND METACOGNITIVE PROCESSES IN ENGINEERING LEARNING THROUGH NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING MODELS -TIMELY ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS' LEARNING IS CRUCIAL FOR ADDRESSING THEIR NEEDS. HOWEVER, CURRENT ASSESSMENT METHODS SUCH AS MULTIPLE-CHOICE OR CALCULATION TESTS MAY NOT TRULY REVEAL STUDENTS? INTERNAL THINKING PROCESSES, BECAUSE STUDENTS MAY GUESS ANSWERS OR FOLLOW THE STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURES OF EXAMPLES WITHOUT CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING. EXISTING RESEARCH SHOWS THAT ASKING STUDENTS TO WRITE DOWN JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THEIR ANSWERS, AND PLAN AND REFLECTION ON THEIR LEARNING CAN PROMOTE THEM TO DEVELOP DEEPER CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND APPLY COGNITIVE AND METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES IN THEIR LEARNING. NONETHELESS, THIS APPROACH IS NOT WIDELY ADOPTED DUE TO THE TIME-CONSUMING NATURE OF ASSESSING FREE-TEXT RESPONSES. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP A RUBRICS-BASED AUTOMATIC ASSESSMENT TOOL TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS' MISCONCEPTIONS AND LEARNING DEFICIENCIES FROM THEIR FREE-TEXT RESPONSES, ALLOWING INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS TO INSTANTLY ADJUST THEIR TEACHING AND LEARNING, AND EVENTUALLY ENABLING PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTIONS TAILORED TO INDIVIDUAL LEARNERS? NEEDS, WHICH PARTICULARLY BENEFITS STUDENTS AT HBCUS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE BASE FOR DELIVERING RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH UNDERGRADUATES AND TEACHERS AND OUTREACH VARIOUS AUDIENCES, INCLUDING PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, INCREASING THE LITERACY OF THE PUBLIC ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. THIS RESEARCH PROPOSES INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES TO FINE-TUNE AND CALIBRATE THE PRE-TRAINED LANGUAGE MODEL, THROUGH SELF-SUPERVISED LEARNING AND FEW-SHOT LEARNING, FOR AUTOMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF TEXTS BASED ON USER-SPECIFIED RUBRICS, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON LEARNERS' COGNITIVE AND METACOGNITIVE PROCESSES. THE PROPOSED MODEL INTEGRATES THREE NOVEL ATTRIBUTES FOR IMPROVING SIMILARITY COMPARISON BETWEEN TEXTS AND RUBRIC KEYWORDS: (1) ACROSS-ATTENTION BETWEEN COMPARED TEXTS FOR INCREASING THE SENSITIVITY OF COMPARISON; (2) JOINT EMBEDDING OF WORDS, PHRASES, AND SENTENCES FOR IMPROVING THE ACCURACY OF COMPARISON; (3) INCORPORATION OF THEMATIC RELEVANCE FOR ENHANCING THE BREADTH OF COMPARISON. GIVEN THE ASSESSMENT RUBRICS, THE MODEL CAN CLASSIFY TEXTS TO REVEAL STUDENTS? THINKING OR OTHER TRAITS IN MULTIPLE FINER GRANULAR PERSPECTIVES. IT IS FLEXIBLE FOR ADDING NEW ASSESSMENT PERSPECTIVES AND MORE TRANSPARENT THAN THE OVERALL ASSESSMENT, AND ALLOWS INVOLVING HUMAN JUDGMENT, LEADING TO MORE RELIABLE ASSESSMENT ACCEPTABLE FOR PRACTICE, AND ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE ON ADAPTING PRE-TRAINED LANGUAGE MODELS FOR PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTIONS. THE DATASET COLLECTED FROM DIVERSE STUDENTS AND SPECIFIC STRATEGIES WILL BE ADOPTED TO MITIGATE THE POTENTIAL BIASES OF THE PROPOSED MODEL. 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.

SUPRAMOLECULAR RECOGNITION AND SENSING OF HAZARDOUS ANIONIC CONTAMINANTS WITH UREA AND THIOUREA BASED SYNTHETIC RECEPTORS

MINORITY SCIENCE IMPROVEMENT

STUDENTS PROMOTING INTEREST IN COMPUTING SUPPORTED BY EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS (SPICES)

EXAMINING BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO HIV TESTING ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

PCR-FREE UPLC-MS/MS BASED QUANTITATIVE ASSAY OF MICRORNAS - PROJECT SUMMARY ABERRANT EXPRESSION OF MICRORNAS HAS BEEN FOUND ASSOCIATED WITH PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS. OVER THE PAST YEARS MANY PUTATIVE MIRNA-BASED DISEASE BIOMARKERS HAVE BEEN REPORTED, BUT NONE OF THEM HAS BEEN FULLY VALIDATED (E.G., FOR FDA APPROVAL). THIS IS LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF AN ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY THAT OFFERS ACCURATE, REPEATABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE QUANTIFICATION OF MICRORNAS PRESENT AT VERY LOW LEVELS IN BIOLOGICAL SPECIMEN. THE CURRENT GOLDEN STANDARD FOR MICRORNA ASSAY (I.E., QUANTITATIVE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION, RT-QPCR) OFFERS “A RELATIVE QUANTIFICATION” AND IS VERY HIGH IN ASSAY COST (>$15 OF CONSUMABLES /PER ASSAY). AFTER ALL, ALL PCR-BASED QUANTITATIVE ASSAYS DEPLOY A CALIBRATION CURVE ESTABLISHED BETWEEN FLUORESCENCE SIGNAL AND THE LOGARITHM OF MICRORNA CONCENTRATION (INSTEAD OF MICRORNA CONCENTRATION), WHICH BY NATURE PRODUCES LESS ACCURATE QUANTITATION RESULTS AND EXPONENTIALLY AMPLIFIES THE UNCERTAINTIES CONTAINED IN FLUORESCENCE SIGNAL MEASUREMENTS. THE GOAL OF THE RESEARCH IS TO ELIMINATE CURRENT LIMITATIONS IN QUANTITATIVE ASSAY OF MICRORNAS, THUS FOSTERING THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND FULL VALIDATION OF THESE EMERGING DISEASE BIOMARKERS. WE PROPOSE HEREIN A NOVEL ANALYTICAL STRATEGY FOR “ABSOLUTE QUANTIFICATION” OF TARGET MICRORNAS BASED ON ROBUST AND POPULAR ULTRA-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-TANDEM MASS SPECTROMETRY (UPLC-MS/MS) IN COMBINATION WITH AFFINITY MAGNETIC SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION AND ISOTHERMAL SIGNAL AMPLIFICATION. THE STRATEGY INVOLVES THE FOLLOWING PCR- FREE WORKFLOW: 1) TARGET MICRORNA IS EXTRACTED /ENRICHED FROM A BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE BY USING AN SSDNA PROBE- MAGNETIC BEAD CONJUGATE; 2) SOLID SURFACE POLYADENYLATION OF TARGET MICRORNA CAPTURED BY POLY(A) POLYMERASE WITH 13C-LABELED ADENINE; AND 3) UPLC-MS/MS DETERMINATION OF 13C-LABELED ADENINE AFTER ACID HYDROLYSIS OF THE EXTENDED TARGET MICRORNA. THE QUANTITATIVE ASSAY IS EXPECTED TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING ASSAY CHARACTERISTICS: HIGH SENSITIVITY (LOQS < 1PM, A PHYSIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT LEVEL), HIGH ACCURACY (RECOVERY = 95%), GOOD REPEATABILITY (RSD = 5%), THE CAPABILITY OF SINGLE BASE MISMATCH DISCRIMINATION, NO NEED FOR A TOTAL RNA ISOLATION IN THE ASSAY, AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS (A TOTAL COST OF CONSUMABLES < $1.5 PER ASSAY. IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ANALYTICAL METHOD WILL HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON MICRORNA BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. THE PROJECT PROPOSED FITS THE RESEARCH CONCENTRATION AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY AND WILL BE ABLE TO DRAW STUDENTS FROM THE CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY PROGRAMS. THE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS WILL ACQUIRE LAB SKILLS INCLUDING CELL CULTURE, BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE PREPARATION, INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS, AND SCIENTIFIC DATA PROCESS /PRESENTATION THROUGH RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. IN GENERAL, THE PROJECT WILL HELP TO DEVELOP AND TO SUSTAIN RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AT JSU (AN HBCU), AND THUS CONTRIBUTE TO THE DIVERSITY OF OUR FUTURE RESEARCH WORKFORCE.

CBA TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY & EFFECTIVENESS OF HIV PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS

EXPOSURE TO TRAUMA AND POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A 500 MHZ NMR SPECTROMETER AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A MULTI-BEAM SEM/FIB FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY MATERIALS STUDY AND TRAINING

HIT TO LEAD OPTIMIZATION OF NON-PEPTIDIC INHIBITORS OF ALPHAVIRAL CYSTEINE PROTEASE - PROJECT SUMMARY EMERGING VIRAL INFECTIONS CAUSED BY MOSQUITO-BORNE ALPHAVIRUSES SUCH AS VENEZUELAN/WEST- ERN/EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS (VEEV, EEEV OR WEEV) AND CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS ARE LOOM- ING THREATS TO PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS AROUND THE WORLD. THERE ARE NO VACCINES OR THERAPEUTICS AP- PROVED FOR HUMAN USE AGAINST ALPHAVIRUSES, AND WE HAVE LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOLECULAR PATHOGENICITY OF MOST ALPHAVIRUSES. IF REGIONAL OR TRANSNATIONAL OUTBREAK OF ALPHAVIRUS INFECTIONS OCCUR IN THE FUTURE, LOSS OF LIFE AND LOSS OF ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY CAN BE MINIMIZED OR PREVENTED IF THERAPEUTIC OR PROPHYLACTIC AGENTS ARE AVAILABLE. IN THIS APPLICATION, WE PROPOSE AN INVESTIGA- TION INTO A NEW SERIES OF MOLECULES THAT INHIBIT THE PROTEASE DOMAIN OF THE NON-STRUCTURAL PROTEIN 2 (NSP2) OF VEEV, BLOCKS THE REPLICATION OF VEEV IN HUMAN CELLS, AND ARE AMENABLE TO SYSTEMATIC STRUCTURAL CHANGES THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR DRUG DEVELOPMENT. THE MAIN GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE: (A). TO INVESTIGATE COVALENT AND MECHANISM-BASED REVERSIBLE INHIBITORS OF NSP2 USING MULTIPARAMETER STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY STUDIES RELATIONSHIPS (SAR) STUDIES ALONG WITH COMPLEMENTARY METABOLIC AND BIOAVAILABILITY STUDIES; AND (B). TO INVESTIGATE THE MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE MOLECULES AND NSP2 USING CRYSTALLOGRAPHY AND MOLECULAR MODELLING, WHICH WILL FACILITATE TARGET-SPECIFIC OP- TIMIZATION OF DRUG LEAD CANDIDATES. THE PROJECT GOALS WILL FACILITATE THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE COM- POUND SERIES TOWARDS PRECLINICAL INVESTIGATION AS FIRST-IN-CLASS NSP2 INHIBITORS THAT HAVE ANTI-AL- PHAVIRAL ACTIVITIES AT PHYSIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT CONCENTRATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, THE MOLECULES WILL ALSO SERVE AS VALUABLE MOLECULAR TOOLS TO ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF NSP2 IN THE PATHOGENICITY OF ALPHAVIRUSES.

MINORITY SCIENCE IMPROVEMENT

CAREER: CLIMATE RESILIENT LANDSLIDE REPAIR ON EXPANSIVE SOIL USING VETIVER GRASS

COMPUTATIONAL STUDIES ON CARBON NANOCLUSTERS

MINORITY SCIENCE IMPROVEMENT

RESEARCH INITIATION AWARD: NOVEL PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELLS BASED ON INTERFACE MANIPULATION

PROJECT HELLO IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FULLY CREDENTIALED SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS.

A HILS SYSTEM FOR THE SIMULATION OF MAV FLIGHT

CAREER: HARNESSING CONTINUOUS GROWTH MECHANISM TO SYNTHESIZE WATER-SOLUBLE MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES FOR MAGNETIC PARTICLE IMAGING -NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: THIS CAREER AWARD SUPPORTED BY THE BIOMATERIALS PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AIMS TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTINUOUS GROWTH MECHANISM OF WATER-SOLUBLE MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES (MNPS) AND HARNESS THE GROWTH MECHANISM TO SYNTHESIZE MNPS FOR MAGNETIC PARTICLES IMAGING (MPI) APPLICATION. THE PROJECT SERVES THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY PROMOTING THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE AND ADVANCING PUBLIC HEALTH. THE MPI IS A PROMISING AND NOVEL IMAGING MODALITY BECAUSE IT CAN GENERATE POSITIVE CONTRAST SIGNALS DIRECTLY FROM MNPS WITHOUT USING HARMFUL IONIZING RADIATION. THE MPI HAS UNLIMITED TISSUE PENETRATION DEPTH, LOW BACKGROUND SIGNALS, AND HIGH SENSITIVITY. NEVERTHELESS, THE MPI IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE FOR CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. ONE MAJOR OBSTACLE IS A LACK OF MPI-SPECIFIC MNPS AS TRACERS. HIGH-PERFORMANCE MNPS ARE CRITICAL TO MATERIALIZE THE POTENTIAL OF MPI IN CLINICAL TRANSLATION. THIS PROJECT IS INSPIRED BY PROFESSOR YONGFENG ZHAO?S PILOT STUDY DEMONSTRATING THAT WATER-SOLUBLE MNPS CAN BE SYNTHESIZED IN A CONTINUOUS GROWTH MANNER. THE RESULTING MNPS SHOW HIGH MPI PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, THE MECHANISM OF THE CONTINUOUS GROWTH IS STILL UNKNOWN, AND THE CORRELATION BETWEEN WATER-SOLUBLE MNPS AND MPI PERFORMANCE IS NOT ESTABLISHED. ADDRESSING THESE QUESTIONS WILL ACCELERATE THE DESIGN, SYNTHESIS, AND MANUFACTURING OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE MNPS FOR MPI. THE KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED FROM THIS PROJECT WILL STIMULATE THE CONTROLLED SYNTHESIS OF WATER-SOLUBLE MNPS AND CLEAR THE ROADBLOCK FOR THE APPLICATION OF MPI IN HEALTHCARE. THIS PROJECT WILL INTEGRATE THE PROPOSED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WITH EDUCATION PLANS TO TRAIN UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS FOR ADVANCED DEGREES. THE OUTREACH PLAN IS TO DISSEMINATE THE RESEARCH FINDINGS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC DURING THE ANNUAL SCIENCE MAKER EVENT IN THE MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF NATIONAL SCIENCE. TECHNICAL SUMMARY: THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO OBTAIN A HOLISTIC MOLECULE-LEVEL UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTINUOUS GROWTH MECHANISM OF WATER-SOLUBLE MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES (MNPS) IN POLYOLS, AIMED TO ENHANCE MAGNETIC PARTICLES IMAGING (MPI) PERFORMANCE OF MNPS. THE RESEARCH PROJECT IS MEANINGFUL BECAUSE MPI IS AN EMERGING TRACER IMAGING MODALITY THAT CAN OVERCOME MANY LIMITATIONS OF EXISTING IMAGING TECHNIQUES. THE PROPERTIES OF MNPS DICTATE THEIR SENSITIVITY AND RESOLUTION, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE FURTHER APPLICATION OF MPI. TO ACHIEVE THIS OVERARCHING GOAL, THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO 1) EXPLORE THE CONTINUOUS GROWTH MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLED SYNTHESIS OF WATER-SOLUBLE MNPS; 2) UNRAVEL A LIVING GROWTH PROFILE OF MNPS IN POLYOLS; 3) MANIPULATE THE REACTION PARAMETERS FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF WATER-SOLUBLE MNPS; 4) EXPAND THE MECHANISM TO SYNTHESIZE WATER-SOLUBLE MNPS WITH DOPANTS; AND 5) STUDY THE MPI PROPERTIES OF MNPS SYNTHESIZED IN POLYOLS. THIS PROJECT WILL ACCELERATE THE SELECTION, SYNTHESIS, AND MANUFACTURING OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE MNPS FOR MPI. THE EDUCATION PLAN IS TO INTEGRATE THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WITH AN EDUCATION INITIATIVE THAT IS DESIGNED TO SYSTEMATICALLY TRAIN MINORITY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE STEM AREA AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU) TO OBTAIN ADVANCED DEGREES. THE PROJECT WILL BE INTEGRATED WITH A COURSE OFFERED AT JSU THROUGH THE BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY (BNL). JSU STUDENTS WILL INTERACT WITH RESEARCH SCIENTISTS FROM BNL AND LEARN STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES ON MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION. THIS RESEARCH WILL BE PRESENTED AS PART OF THE ?YOU BE THE CHEMIST? COMPETITION AND HELP FOSTER AND ENHANCE THE PASSION FOR STEM AMONG MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE BIOMATERIALS 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.

HYBRID NANOCOMPOSITE COATINGS FOR IMPROVED IMPACT RESISTANCE AND BOND DURABILITY

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISTRESS AND CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN THE JACKSON HEART STUDY

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: SELF-HEALING INFRASTRUCTURE WITH NATURAL-BASED ENHANCEMENTS (SHINE): INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS DEVELOPMENT FOR RESILIENT EARTHEN INFRASTRUCTURE -THE SELF-HEALING INFRASTRUCTURE WITH NATURE-BASED ENHANCEMENTS (SHINE) PROJECT AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY AIMS PERFORM RESEARCH THAT LOOKS TO IMPROVE THE DURABILITY AND RESILIENCE OF EARTHEN INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH INNOVATIVE, SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS. THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATES THE USE OF BIOPOLYMER-TREATED EARTHEN MATERIALS WITH SELF-HEALING CAPABILITIES, ALLOWING SOIL STRUCTURES TO RECOVER FROM DAMAGE WHEN EXPOSED TO MOISTURE. BY INTEGRATING BIOPOLYMERS?NATURAL MATERIALS WITH UNIQUE BONDING PROPERTIES, SHINE SEEKS TO DEVELOP SELF-REPAIRING SOILS THAT ENHANCE INFRASTRUCTURE STABILITY, REDUCE MAINTENANCE COSTS, AND IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. BEYOND ADVANCING ENGINEERING SCIENCE, SHINE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BY ENGAGING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN RESEARCH, INCORPORATING FINDINGS INTO UNDERGRADUATE AND K-12 STEM EDUCATION, AND FOSTERING COLLABORATIONS WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGES. THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH NSF?S MISSION TO PROMOTE SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS WHILE ENHANCING NATIONAL RESILIENCE AGAINST NATURAL DISASTERS, IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY, AND SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AN INNOVATIVE STRATEGY FOR BIOPOLYMER-TREATED EARTHEN MATERIALS THAT EXHIBIT SELF-HEALING PROPERTIES, IMPROVING THE LONG-TERM STABILITY OF CRITICAL SOIL-BASED INFRASTRUCTURE. THE RESEARCH INVESTIGATES THE MECHANISMS OF SELF-HEALING BIOPOLYMERS IN SANDY, SILTY, AND CLAYEY SOILS UNDER VARYING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING MOISTURE FLUCTUATIONS, SEEPAGE, AND EXTERNAL EROSION FORCES. THE HYPOTHESIS IS THAT BIOPOLYMERS CREATE A DYNAMIC, REVERSIBLE BONDING NETWORK THAT ENABLES SELF-REPAIR WHEN SOIL STRUCTURES EXPERIENCE DAMAGE. THE PROJECT INVOLVES MACRO- AND MICRO-SCALE EXPERIMENTS TO ASSESS SELF-HEALING PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING UNCONFINED COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TESTS, SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY IMAGING, AND EROSION FUNCTION APPARATUS TESTS. IT ALSO EVALUATES THE LONG-TERM DURABILITY OF BIOPOLYMER-TREATED EARTHEN MATERIALS UNDER BIODEGRADATION, WET-DRY CYCLES, AND UV EXPOSURE. THE RESEARCH FINDINGS SEEK TO PROVIDE NEW INSIGHTS INTO NATURE-BASED SOIL STABILIZATION METHODS, OFFERING A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL CHEMICAL STABILIZERS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO INTEGRATE RESEARCH INTO STEM EDUCATION, TRAINING UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS, AND FOSTERING COLLABORATIONS WITH THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND K-12 EDUCATORS. THE OUTCOMES WILL CONTRIBUTE TO ENHANCING THE RESILIENCE OF EARTHEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING PRACTICES. 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.

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH HERITAGE TOURISM

15.932 PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES ON THE CAMPUSES OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS). SAM.GOV OPPORTUNITY P22AS00384 BENEFICIARIES ARE HBCUS. IN 1988, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ESTABLISHED THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCU) PRESERVATION GRANT PROGRAM TO DOCUMENT, PRESERVE, AND STABILIZE STRUCTURES ON HBCU CAMPUSES. THE HBCU GRANT PROGRAM EXISTS TO REPAIR HISTORIC STRUCTURES ON CAMPUSES OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR AS CONTRIBUTING TO A NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT. PROJECTS MUST MEET MAJOR PROGRAM SELECTION CRITERIA AND ALL WORK MUST MEET THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIORS STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION. THIS PROJECT IS AWARDED TO JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY FOR PRESERVATION OF MAUSOLEUMS, IDENTIFICATION OF LOCATION OF REMAINS, AND REINFORCEMENT OF PATHWAYS AND LANDSCAPING TO THE HISTORIC SITE OF MT. OLIVE CEMETERY.

DESIGNED BY RENOWNED JACKSON ARCHITECT, W S HULL, AYER HALL WAS THE FIRST ACADEMIC BUILDING ERECTED ON THE RELOCATED CAMPUS OF JACKSON COLLEGE IN 1903 INITIALLY BUILT TO SERVE AS A MEN S DORMITORY, SINCE 1912 THE BUILDING HAS HOUSED A CHAPEL, PRESIDENT S OFFICE, LIBRARY, RECITATION ROOMS, CLASSROOMS, AND OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY AYER HALL IS NOW THE HOME OF THE MARGARET WALKER CENTER ARCHIVES AND MUSEUM, DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION, INTERPRETATION, AND DISSEMINATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS REPLACING THE ROOF, MOLD REMEDIATION, AND UPGRADING THE HVAC SYSTEMS

HBCU CNSRTM TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITIES

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: SPONTANEOUS NUCLEATION STRATEGY FOR HIGH-QUALITY PEROVSKITE FILMS -NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY SOLAR ENERGY IS BELIEVED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING RENEWABLE ENERGIES TO SOLVE THE ENERGY CRISIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS CLEAN, FREE, AND HAS NO CARBON EMISSIONS. SOLAR CELLS CAN CONVERT SUNLIGHT DIRECTLY TO ELECTRICITY TO POWER ELECTRONIC DEVICES BY THE PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECT. CURRENTLY, STATE-OF-THE-ART SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES, FOR EXAMPLE, SILICON SOLAR CELLS CANNOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF LOW COST AND HIGH ENERGY CONVERSION EFFICIENCY TO ENABLE BROAD USE. ALTERNATIVELY, PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELLS (PSCS) REPRESENT A FAMILY OF PROMISING PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS FOR LOW-COST AND HIGH ENERGY CONVERSION EFFICIENCY. TO DATE, PSCS HAVE ACHIEVED A CERTIFIED POWER CONVERSION EFFICIENCY OF 25.7% SINCE 2009. THE PEROVSKITE FILMS ARE PREDOMINANTLY PREPARED BY THE ANTISOLVENT-ASSISTED METHOD. THE ANTISOLVENT-ASSISTED METHOD IS NOT SUITABLE FOR PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN TERMS OF HIGH REPRODUCIBILITY, LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION, AND LARGE-SIZE DEVICES. THIS EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH (EIR) PROJECT ADDRESSES THE USE OF VOLATILE SOLVENTS TO PREPARE HIGH-EFFICIENCY PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELLS BY A NON-ANTISOLVENT METHOD. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH METHOD EXHIBITS SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL IN THE FABRICATION OF HIGH-QUALITY PEROVSKITE FILMS BECAUSE THE FILM GROWTH IS CAUSED BY SOLVENT VOLATILIZATION VIA A SPONTANEOUSLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPERSATURATED NUCLEATION STRATEGY. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE PEROVSKITE PRECURSOR PREPARED AND ADJUSTED BY VOLATILE SOLVENTS AND ADDITIVES TO CONTROL THE HIGH-QUALITY PEROVSKITE FILM GROWTH VIA A NON-ANTISOLVENT METHOD. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO STUDY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOLVENT-SOLUTE CHEMISTRY AND PSC DEVICE PERFORMANCE IN THE NON-ANTISOLVENT METHOD. TECHNICAL SUMMARY THIS EIR PROJECT, BASED ON ADJUSTABLE PEROVSKITE FILM GROWTH BY NON-ANTISOLVENT METHODS AND ADVANCED CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES, WILL PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO TAILORING THE SOLUTE-SOLVENT CHEMISTRY IN CRYSTAL GROWTH IN THE PRESENCE OF VOLATILE SOLVENTS AND DEVELOP PEROVSKITE FILM GROWTH PRINCIPLES BY NON-ANTISOLVENT METHODS. THE PROPOSED INVESTIGATIONS WILL PROVIDE THE BRIDGE BETWEEN FILM GROWTH AND CELL PERFORMANCE COMPREHENSIVELY INCLUDING CHEMISTRY BONDING, COORDINATION, NUCLEATION AND GROWTH, AND CELL PERFORMANCE. THIS PROJECT WILL 1) PROBE THE IODOPLUMBATES EVOLUTION DURING THE PRECURSOR PREPARATION AND PEROVSKITE CRYSTAL NUCLEATION PROCESS DURING THE SOLVENT VOLATILIZATION AND INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IODOPLUMBATES, SOLVENTS, AND ADDITIVES IN THE SOLUTION. 2) INVESTIGATE FILM GROWTH IN TERMS OF FILM COVERAGE, THICKNESS, DEFECTS, CRACKS, AND PINHOLES AS A FUNCTION OF SOLVENT VOLATILIZATION, PRECURSOR AGING, AND IODOPLUMBATE COORDINATION COMPLEXES. 3) STUDY THE PHASE TRANSITION FROM WET FILMS TO SOLID PEROVSKITE FILMS AND THE PHOTOVOLTAIC PROPERTIES OF THE PEROVSKITE FILMS. 4) OPTIMIZE THE ORIENTED PEROVSKITE CRYSTAL GROWTH TOWARD HIGH QUALITY, FEW DEFECTS, LARGE GRAINS, LARGE AREA, AND HIGH REPRODUCIBILITY FILMS. THIS PROJECT WILL LEAD TO A REVOLUTION OF PEROVSKITE FILM FABRICATION BY NON-ANTISOLVENT METHODS VIA SOLUTE-SOLVENT INTERACTIONS. 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.

CC* NETWORKING INFRASTRUCTURE: JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY (JSU)-RESEARCH NETWORK

INVESTIGATION OF EFFECTS OF SCAFFOLDING CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING THROUGH QUESTION PROMPTS IN PROJECT-BASED SERVICE LEARNING

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: STEREOSELECTIVE SYNTHESIS OF SPIRO-OXEPIN CORE: TOWARD THE TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF PSAMMAPLYSIN NATURAL PRODUCT AND ANALOGUES FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDY

REHABILITATION LONG-TERM TRAINING - JOB DEVELOPMENT AND JOB PLACEMENT SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

P20AP00185

HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES FOR MODELING THE DYNAMICS AND DISPERSION OF ICE CHUNKS IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN

GP-EXTRA: INCREASING MINORITIES IN THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES THROUGH GEOSCIENCE EXPERIENCES (IMAGE-PROJECT)

SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP IN QUANTITATIVE MICROBIAL RSIK ASSESSMENT

ACQUISITION OF A TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPE SYSTEM TO STRENGTHEN JSU NANOMATERIAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOR MINORITY PARTICIPANTS ON DOD MISSI

DEVELOPMENT OF EFFICIENT SOLAR CELLS USING COMBINATION OF QSPR AND DFT APPROACHES

TARGETED INFUSION PROJECT: FEMALES ADVANCING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (FAST)

DIRECTED GRANTS

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: DIRECT SYNTHESIS OF WATER SOLUBLE IRON OXIDE NANOPARTICLES WITH HIGH RELAXIVITY AND INTERACTION WITH SMALL MOLECULES

RESEARCH FOCUSED INITIATIVE

ACQUISITION OF AEROSOL PARTICLE ANALYZERS FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY, COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM AT JACKSON ST

COMMUNITY RESILIENCE ENGAGING ADVANCED TRAINING AND EDUCATION (C.R.E.A.T.E.)

INCREASING AWARENESS OF NATURAL DISASTERS THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEWLY EMERGING TECHNOLOGY IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

CAREER: DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR CHALCOGENIDE AND OXYCHALCOGENIDE AEROGELS: SYNTHETIC BUILDING BLOCKS, MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING, AND EMERGENT PROPERTIES -NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION IS FUELED BY THE INTEGRATION OF SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNOLOGY, WITH MATERIALS INNOVATION AT ITS CORE. DEVELOPING NEW MATERIALS, UNDERSTANDING THEIR PROPERTIES, AND ENGINEERING THEM FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR ADDRESSING CRITICAL CHALLENGES IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. THIS CAREER AWARD, WHICH IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE SOLID STATE AND MATERIALS CHEMISTRY PROGRAM IN NSF?S DIVISION OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND THE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (EPSCOR), FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING ADVANCED MATERIALS AND UNCOVERING THEIR PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES. EVENTUALLY, THESE MATERIALS MAY SUPPORT POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR SEPARATING TOXIC METALS FROM WATER AND IMPROVING ENERGY STORAGE IN LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES. AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY, THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AND HIS TEAM DESIGN AND SYNTHESIZE POROUS, NANOPARTICLE-BASED METAL (POLY)SULFIDES AND MIXED ANIONIC METAL-SULFIDE-OXIDE MATERIALS. THEY INVESTIGATE THE FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE BEHIND THE DESIGN OF THIS NOVEL CLASS OF FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, NAMELY CHALCOGENIDE AND OXYCHALCOGENIDE GELS. DEVELOPING THESE MATERIALS WITH PRECISELY TUNABLE PROPERTIES ALLOWS ESTABLISHING DESIGN RULES FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE AND SELECTIVE BINDING WITH DIVERSE METAL IONS, WHICH COULD LEAD TO MATERIALS CAPABLE OF SELECTIVELY BINDING AND REMOVING CHEMICALLY DISTINCT TOXIC METALS FROM WASTEWATER, CONTRIBUTING TO CLEANER WATER RESOURCES. THE MATERIALS ARE SYNTHESIZED UNDER SCALABLE CONDITIONS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, USING ABUNDANT, SUSTAINABLE, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ELEMENTS, FURTHER ENHANCING THEIR APPLICABILITY. BEYOND ADVANCING THE FUNDAMENTAL MATERIALS CHEMISTRY UNDERSTANDING FOR NEW SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES, THIS CAREER AWARD PROJECT ENGAGES UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY AND MISSISSIPPI K-12 IN CUTTING-EDGE MATERIALS RESEARCH, SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND APPLICATION. BY FOSTERING DIVERSE STEM TALENT, THIS PROJECT BUILDS THE WORKFORCE NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN THE UNITED STATES' LEADERSHIP IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. TECHNICAL SUMMARY: AEROGELS ARE A UNIQUE CLASS OF RANDOMLY ORDERED POROUS MATERIALS COMPOSED OF INTERCONNECTED COLLOIDAL-SCALE NANOPARTICLES. CHALCOGEL, A CHALCOGENIDE-BASED AEROGEL, INTRODUCES A NEW CHEMISTRY OF AEROGELS WITH INCOHERENT STRUCTURES OF METAL-CHALCOGENIDES, IDEAL FOR CATALYSIS, ENERGY STORAGE AND CONVERSION, AND SEPARATION. DESPITE ITS SIGNIFICANT CHEMICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL APPEAL, THE COMPOSITIONAL DIVERSITY, FORMATION MECHANISMS, AND LOCAL STRUCTURES OF CHALCOGELS REMAIN POORLY UNDERSTOOD. EXPANDING RESEARCH IN THIS AREA COULD UNLOCK SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN THIS EMERGING FIELD. THIS CAREER AWARD, WHICH IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE SOLID STATE AND MATERIALS CHEMISTRY PROGRAM IN NSF?S DIVISION OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND THE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (EPSCOR), ADVANCES THE SYNTHESIS OF SELF-ASSEMBLING CHALCOGENIDE-CONTAINING GEL BY: (A) INTRODUCING NOVEL CHALCOGENIDE-BASED BUILDING BLOCKS, (B) COMBINING KNOWN AND NEW BUILDING BLOCKS OF CHALCOGENIDES WITH ION-EXCHANGEABLE CATIONS AND (C) INTEGRATING THE CHALCOGENIDE BUILDING BLOCKS WITH OXOANIONS TO CREATE OXYCHALCOGEL, A NEW CLASS OF MIXED-ANIONIC GEL. MOREOVER, THIS CAREER AWARD PROJECT ALSO PURSUES A COMPREHENSIVE MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF SYNTHESIS, LOCAL STRUCTURE, AND PROPERTIES BY: (A) INVESTIGATING THE SEQUENTIAL STRUCTURAL EVOLUTION OF CHALCOGELS THROUGH IN-SITU RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, (B) EMPLOYING STATE-OF-THE-ART CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES TO DELINEATE THE LOCAL STRUCTURES OF AMORPHOUS CHALCO- AND OXYCHALCOGELS, AND (C) ESTABLISHING SYNTHESIS-COMPOSITION-STRUCTURE RELATIONSHIPS. BASED ON THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE, THIS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AND HIS RESEARCH GROUP DEVELOP MATERIALS WITH PRECISELY TUNABLE PROPERTIES AND ESTABLISH DESIGN RULES FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE AND SELECTIVE BINDING WITH DIVERSE METAL IONS. ULTIMATELY, THIS CAREER AWARD PROJECT ADVANCES THE FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE OF CHALCOGENIDE-BASED GELS WHILE DEMONSTRATING THEIR APPLICATIONS IN LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT. MOREOVER, THIS CAREER AWARD PROMOTES THE STEM WORKFORCE WITH UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY AND MISSISSIPPI'S K-12 STUDENTS, THEREBY CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY, STATE, AND COUNTRY. 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.

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: PROCESSES AND INTERACTIONS IN HYBRID PLASMONIC SYSTEMS

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: CAS: DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR ENABLING THE ADSORPTION OF HEAVY METAL CATIONS AND OXOANIONS IN LAYERED DOUBLE HYDROXIDES THROUGH TARGETED FUNCTIONALIZATION

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

INVESTIGATING IMPROVING SAFETY OF AUTONOMOUS EXPLORING INTELLIGENT AGENTS WITH HUMAN-IN-THE-LOOP REINFORCEMENT LEARNING

ADVANCING THE RESEARCH PROFILE OF SMALL AND MID-SIZED HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THROUGH A VIRTUAL PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER

FIE EARMARK GRANT AWARDS

CAREER: MOLECULAR RECOGNITION OF ANIONS WITH NOVEL MACROCYCLIC CHEMOSENSORS

UNIVERSITY CENTER

IDENTIFICATION, OPTIMIZATION AND STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION OF ANTIPROTOZOAL AGENTS AND MOLECULAR TARGET

ROLE OF WATER IN DENTAL HARD TISSUES - SUMMARY WATER IS ONE OF THE THREE MAJOR CONSTITUENTS OF DENTAL HARD TISSUES, BUT THE STRUCTURE OF WATER AND HOW WATER INTERACTS WITH OTHER COMPONENTS IN DENTAL HARD TISSUES DURING TEETH FORMATION, DEGRADATION, AND LESION REMAIN UNCLEAR. NUCLEAR MAGNETIC SPECTROMETRY (NMR) AND INFRARED ABSORPTION (IR) ARE THE METHODS THAT CAN DIRECTLY PROBE WATER FROM BIOLOGICAL TISSUES. HOWEVER, THEIR PERFORMANCES ARE LIMITED BECAUSE NMR ONLY MEASURES THE AVERAGE EFFECT OF THE SAMPLE, WHILE IR REQUIRES SPECIAL PREPARATIONS TO TISSUES LIKE TEETH AND COULD ALTER THE PROPERTIES OF THE TISSUES. RECENTLY, WE DEMONSTRATED THAT FLUORESCENCE COMPRESSED RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY HAS THE CAPABILITY OF PROBING WATER IN DENTAL HARD TISSUES AND SHOWED THAT THE SPECTRAL PROFILES OF WATER ARE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN DENTIN AND ENAMEL. THE PROFILES VARIED EVEN WITHIN ENAMEL AT DIFFERENT TESTING SPOTS. THOSE RESULTS INDICATE THAT RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROLE OF WATER IN DENTAL HARD TISSUES WITH DETAILS THAT MAY IMPACT THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS OF DENTAL PROBLEMS. THE MAJOR AIM OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO USE RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY TO IDENTIFY HOW THE CHANGES IN WATER CONTENT AND STRUCTURE IN DENTAL HARD TISSUES MAY CORRELATE WITH DENTAL TISSUE PATHOLOGIES. AIM 1 WILL DETERMINE THE BEST AVAILABLE RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY CONFIGURATIONS FOR PROBING WATER CONTENTS IN DENTAL HARD TISSUES. THREE COMMON FLUORESCENCE SUPPRESSION APPROACHES, I.E., NEAR-INFRARED EXCITATION COMBINING INGAAS DETECTOR, UV RESONANCE RAMAN, AND TIME-GATED RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY WILL BE COMPARED TO DETERMINE HOW THE SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO OF THE WATER-RELATED RAMAN SIGNALS CAN BE MAXIMUMLY ENHANCED. WE EXPECT TO INCREASE THE SYSTEM SENSITIVITY BY ONE ORDER OR MORE. AIM 2 WILL INVESTIGATE THE CHANGES IN WATER AMOUNT AND STRUCTURE CHANGES REFLECTED BY RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY AND IDENTIFY IF THESE CHANGES ARE CORRELATED WITH OTHER CHEMICAL/PHYSICAL CHANGES IN DENTAL HARD TISSUES. TEETH WITH VARIOUS DEGREES OF DEMINERALIZATION AND DECOMPOSING OF ORGANICS WILL BE PREPARED TO SHOW DEFERENT LEVELS OF CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONAL CHANGES. RAMAN SPECTRA WILL BE ACQUIRED FROM THESE SIMULATED SAMPLES AND USED AS REFERENCES FOR PROBING COMPOSITIONAL VARIATIONS IN TEETH WITH NATURALLY DEVELOPED CARIES. RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY WILL ALSO BE COMBINED WITH MICRO-MECHANICAL TESTING TO IDENTIFY CORRELATIONS BETWEEN WATER CONTENTS AND STRUCTURE CHANGE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTY CHANGES.

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH - COLLABORATIVE: HIERARCHICAL MULTILAYERED BLOCK COPOLYMER DIELECTRICS WITH Z-GRADIENT NANOFILLER FOR CAPACITIVE ENERGY STORAGE AND GATE DIELECTRIC

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: FINE STRUCTURE OF EXCITON LEVELS IN LEAD CHALCOGENIDE NANOCRYSTALS