Ice Foundation Inc

TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR GENDER EQUITY PROGRAM IN PAKISTAN

REGULATORY REFORM SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (RESPOND)

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

RAMP: MENTORING AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREERS IN COASTAL SCIENCE (MROC2S) -THE SOUTHEASTERN US IS A HOTSPOT OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND HOSTS SOME OF THE MORE UNIQUE COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS IN NORTH AMERICA. THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE SOUTHEAST REGION ALSO FACE INCREASED THREATS FROM A FAST-GROWING POPULATION AND ABRUPT CHANGES IN CLIMATE. THE MENTORING AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREERS IN COASTAL SCIENCE (MROC2S) PROGRAM WILL STUDY HOW ORGANISMS AND ECOSYSTEMS RESPOND TO CHANGES IN CLIMATE CONDITIONS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO RESULT IN COMMUNITY SHIFTS AND IMPACTS TO ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN THIS REGION. THE MROC2S PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER A NETWORK OF SCIENTISTS, EDUCATORS, AND EXPERTS FROM VARIOUS SECTORS TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR PARTICIPANTS FROM GROUPS TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) AND THOSE WITH LIMITED RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN A COHORT SETTING, WITH THE INTENT OF DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF NATURAL RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS. THE MAIN GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE YEAR-ROUND MENTORING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND DIVERSE RESEARCH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN NATURAL RESOURCE SCIENCE FOR POSTBACCALAUREATE PARTICIPANTS. BY DOING SO, MROC2S AIMS TO DEVELOP A STRONG AND INCLUSIVE RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL SKILLS PROGRAM THAT PRODUCES A MORE DIVERSE STEM WORKFORCE. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ARE INTEGRATED INTO A BROAD NETWORK OF NATURAL RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS IN THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN AND GULF COAST REGIONS, WITH THE GOAL OF EXPOSING THEM TO CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS FIELD. NETWORK PARTNERS CONTRIBUTE TO A COMMON SCIENTIFIC THEME THAT CENTERS ON THE RESTORATION, CONSERVATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US. AS PARTICIPANTS, PROGRAM FELLOWS CONTRIBUTE TO THE RICH HISTORY OF COLLABORATIVE WORK AND LONG-TERM DATA COLLECTION THAT HELPS GUIDE AND INFORM RESEARCH EFFORTS IN THIS ECOLOGICALLY RESOURCE-RICH AND DIVERSE REGION OF THE US. USING LONG-TERM DATA FROM CORE SITES COUPLED WITH SKILL TRAINING AND MENTORING RESOURCES TO GUIDE THE RESEARCH, THE COLLABORATIVE NETWORK WILL LEAD TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PARTICIPANTS, ENABLING THEM TO PURSUE CAREERS IN COASTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE SCIENCE. FURTHERMORE, THE ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCES PROVIDED BY THE PROGRAM ARE GUIDED BY A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK THAT LEADS TO SCIENTIFIC INTEGRATION AND A SENSE OF BELONGING TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AMONG PARTICIPANTS. THIS FRAMEWORK INCORPORATES CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY TO FURTHER DEVELOP PARTICIPANTS? SCIENCE SELF-EFFICACY, IDENTITY, AND SENSE OF BELONGING. 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.

TESTING AND EVALUATING BODY WORN VIDEO TECHNOLOGY IN THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT

RECRUITING AND RETAINING TEACHER LEADERS IN PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY

PROJECT COPE

ENABLING LIFELONG SUCCESS IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE -THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-EDUCATED SCIENTISTS, MATHEMATICIANS, ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS BY SUPPORTING THE RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. OVER ITS SIX-YEAR DURATION, THIS PROJECT WILL AWARD A TOTAL OF 161 SCHOLARSHIPS TO 65 TALENTED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, WITH A DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED, WHO ARE PURSUING DEGREES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE GENERATING STIMULATING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO IMPROVE THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, INCREASING DEGREE COMPLETION, ENSURING THEIR TECHNICAL COMPETENCE, AND PREPARING THEM FOR REWARDING JOBS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FIELDS. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF LOW-INCOME, HIGH-ACHIEVING UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. A GROUP OF COMPUTER SCIENTISTS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS, AND EDUCATIONAL SPECIALISTS WILL BE ASSEMBLED TO ADAPT, IMPLEMENT, AND EVALUATE A SET OF EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULAR AND CO-CURRICULAR STUDENT SUPPORT ACTIVITIES. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL BE EVALUATED BASED ON THE SUCCESS, RETENTION, AND GRADUATION OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS IN STEM FIELDS. THIS PROJECT WILL ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS THAT WILL ASSIST OTHER EDUCATORS TO IMPROVE STEM EDUCATION. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF?S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME ACADEMICALLY TALENTED STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED WHO EARN DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS. IT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE STEM WORKERS, AND TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, RETENTION, TRANSFER, GRADUATION, AND ACADEMIC/CAREER PATHWAYS OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. 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.

TARGETED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL HOSPITALS PROGRAM - TITLE: TARGETED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL HOSPITALS PROGRAM: A COMMUNITY-ENGAGED APPROACH TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES THE GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC. (GSURSF) 261 FOREST DR., VEAZEY HALL, SUITE 300, STATESBORO, GA 30458 CO-PIS: BETTYE APENTENG, PH.D., 912-478-2416, BAPENTENG@GEORGIASOUTHERN.EDU; CHARLES OWENS, MSA, 229-322-8290, COWENS@GEORGIASOUTHERN.EDU REQUESTING $800,000 PER YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS THIS APPLICATION SEEKS FUNDING FROM THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA) THROUGH THE TARGETED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL HOSPITALS PROGRAM (TTARHP) TO PROVIDE IN-DEPTH AND TAILORED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO RURAL HOSPITALS AT RISK OF CLOSURE IN ORDER TO ASSIST THEM IN CONTINUING TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE TEAM, WHICH INCLUDES FACULTY FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS FROM THE COLLEGES OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC HEALTH, HAS OVER 80 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE PROVIDING DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO RURAL HOSPITALS AND COMMUNITIES. WITH THE SUPPORT OF OTHER INDUSTRY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND RURAL HEALTH STAKEHOLDERS, THE TEAM WILL COLLABORATE WITH PARTICIPATING RURAL HOSPITAL COMMUNITIES TO (A) ENGAGE HOSPITAL COMMUNITIES AND FEDERAL AGENCY STAKEHOLDERS IN DESIGNING, MARKETING LAUNCHING, AND IMPLEMENTING OF PROPOSED PROGRAM ACTIVITIES; (B) DELIVER TAILORED AND RESPONSIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HOSPITAL COMMUNITIES THAT FACILITATES THE ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH AND HOSPITAL NEEDS AND RESOURCES; (C) PROVIDE TAILORED AND RESPONSIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HOSPITAL COMMUNITIES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY-DRIVEN STRATEGIES TO ASSURE RESIDENTS IN RURAL AREAS CONTINUE TO HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES LOCALLY; (D) DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING, RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOURCES ON THE STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING ROBUST RURAL HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT LOCAL SERVICE DELIVERY AND; (E) MONITOR, AND EVALUATE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES, AND THE BROADER IMPACT OF THE TTARHP. WE PROPOSE A NOVEL LAYERED HOSPITAL SELECTION PROCESS THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT BOTH HOSPITAL FINANCIAL VULNERABILITY AND COMMUNITY VULNERABILITY. WE USE A TIERED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE STRUCTURE TO TARGET TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BASED ON HOSPITAL NEED, ALLOWING US TO SERVE A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF AT-RISK RURAL HOSPITALS IN THE UNITED STATES WHILE FOCUSING MORE INTENTLY ON THE MOST AT-RISK HOSPITALS. THIS APPROACH ALSO ENABLES HOSPITALS TO OPT-IN TO TA-RELATED ACTIVITIES THAT MATCH THEIR CAPACITY AND INTERESTS. ADDITIONALLY, OUR PROPOSAL IS NOVEL IN THAT IT TAKES A COMMUNITY-BASED AND COMMUNITY-DRIVEN APPROACH TO RURAL HEALTH PLANNING FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE RURAL HOSPITALS, EMPHASIZING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND COALITION BUILDING. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DELIVERED AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM WILL HELP RURAL HOSPITAL COMMUNITIES IMPLEMENT A PRIORITIZED STRATEGY FOR KEEPING ESSENTIAL SERVICES LOCAL BY BUILDING HOSPITAL CAPACITY IN EVIDENCE-BASED DECISION-MAKING, OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL IMPROVEMENT, STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AND COALITION BUILDING, PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL BE MARKETED TO HOSPITALS THROUGH DIRECT CONTACT WITH SELECTED HOSPITALS, A PROJECT-DEDICATED WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS, AND RURAL HEALTH RESOURCE PARTNERS, SUCH AS THE FEDERAL OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH POLICY, THE NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, STATE HOSPITAL ASSOCIATIONS, AND STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH. THE TEAM WILL WORK WITH PARTICIPATING HOSPITALS TO DOCUMENT SUCCESS STORIES AND PRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE TOOLKITS ON BEST PRACTICES TO A WIDER AUDIENCE USING A MULTIMODAL COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION STRATEGY.

FIRST IN THE WORLD

NEW GK12: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INITIATIVE IN RURAL SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

PROPOSAL TITLE: SAFE WATER TOGETHER, SCIENCE SERVING COMMUNITY INSTITUTION: INSTITUTE FOR WATER AND HEALTH AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: ASLI ASLAN, PHD TOTAL COST: $2,040,000 BUDGET PERIOD: 4 YEARS SAFE WATER TOGETHER IS A COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SAFE WATER IN COASTAL GEORGIA. LED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR WATER AND HEALTH (IWH) AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, THIS PROGRAM ENGAGES NETWORK PARTNERS FROM MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES, BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ACADEMIC FACULTY, AND, NOTABLY, LOCAL COMMUNITIES. IT ADDRESSES CURRENT CHALLENGES ORIGINATING FROM THE REGIONS RAPID GROWTH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AGING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, NATURAL AND MAN-MADE CONTAMINANTS, AND SALTWATER INTRUSION INTO THE FLORIDAN AQUIFER. SAFE WATER TOGETHER SEEKS TO UTILIZE CUTTING-EDGE WATER QUALITY DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES TO BETTER SERVE COASTAL GEORGIA RESIDENTS THIS PROGRAM WILL LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR ADDRESSING KEY WATER-RELATED CHALLENGES IN GEORGIA, SUCH AS NON-POINT SOURCES OF POLLUTION IN SURFACE WATER, SALTWATER INTRUSION TO GROUNDWATER DUE TO SEA-LEVEL RISE AND INCREASED WATER DEMAND, AND OUTDATED WASTEWATER TREATMENT IMPACTING MAJOR RIVER SYSTEMS. RECOGNIZING EACH COMMUNITY HAS ITS OWN PRIORITIES, THE SAFE WATER TOGETHER PROGRAM WILL CONDUCT A SERIES OF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES TO ENSURE THAT PROJECT OUTCOMES BEST ALIGN WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS. LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS WILL ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE AT ALL STAGES OF THE PROJECT AND CO-LEAD WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS DATA GAPS. THE DATA COLLECTED THEN WILL BE SHARED REAL-TIME ON A DASHBOARD TO FACILITATE DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING FOR LOCAL WATER RESOURCE MANAGERS. IWH WILL LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF DATA ANALYTICS AND VISUALIZATION TOOLS AND PROVIDE TRAINING TO THE PROJECT PARTNERS ON THE ENTIRE DATA LIFECYCLE FROM COLLECTION TO INTERPRETATION. BY WORKING ALONGSIDE COMMUNITIES AND IMPLEMENTING A ROBUST DISSEMINATION STRATEGY, THE SAFE WATER TOGETHER PROGRAM AIMS TO EMPOWER LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO TACKLE GLOBAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SAFE WATER. MOREOVER, IT WILL OFFER MEANINGFUL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL STUDENTS, EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE NECESSARY SKILL SETS FOR NEXT-GENERATION WATER PROFESSIONALS. THROUGH RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, THIS PROJECT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BY EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS TO THE PUBLIC AND INFORMING POLICY THROUGH HIGH-QUALITY DATA. IT WILL ADDRESS DATA GAPS, ENHANCE RESILIENCE, ADAPT TO CLIMATE IMPACTS, AND MEET THE RISING DEMAND FOR SAFE WATER IN COASTAL GEORGIA.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND A HOLISTIC SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR UNDERGRADUATES PURSUING DEGREES AND CAREERS IN SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND TECHNOLOGY -THIS PROJECT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-EDUCATED SCIENTISTS AND MATHEMATICIANS BY SUPPORTING THE GRADUATION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. A PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION, GEORGIA SOUTHERN ENROLLS APPROXIMATELY 22,000 STUDENTS A YEAR AND OFFERS SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES IN THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS. OVER 5 YEARS, THIS TRACK 2 PROJECT WILL PROVIDE FOUR YEARS OF SCHOLARSHIPS TO 36 UNIQUE FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING BACHELOR'S DEGREES IN BIOCHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, GEOSCIENCES, MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS, OR SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE. THE PROJECT AIMS TO INCREASE STUDENT PERSISTENCE IN STEM FIELDS BY LINKING SCHOLARSHIPS WITH HOLISTIC, EFFECTIVE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES INCLUDING ONE-ON-ONE FACULTY MENTORING, UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES, A FIRST-YEAR STEM SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM, A SPECIALIZED STEM CURRICULUM, AND A SEMINAR SERIES ON ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, CAREER PREPAREDNESS, AND WELL-BEING. WITH THE HELP OF A DEDICATED FACULTY MENTOR, EACH STUDENT SCHOLAR WILL CREATE A TAILORED STUDENT SUCCESS PLAN OUTLINING THE STEPS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE CAREER GOALS. THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BROADEN ACCESS, PARTICIPATION, AND SUCCESS IN STEM FIELDS AS WELL AS INFORM THE PUBLIC ON HOW MENTORING AND INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS SUPPORT RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF THIS STUDENT POPULATION. THE TWO GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE I) TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PARTICIPANTS WHO ATTAIN STEM DEGREES AND PROGRESS INTO STEM FIELDS AND II) TO INCREASE THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE ASPECTS OF SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT, FACULTY MENTORSHIP, AND PROJECT PROGRAMMING CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIRST GOAL. IN THE UNITED STATES, EARNING A STEM DEGREE AND SECURING SUBSEQUENT EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS CONTINUES TO PRESENT OBSTACLES FOR MANY STUDENTS. SPECIFIC TO GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS, THE RETENTION RATE OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS DECLINES EACH YEAR WITH A LOSS OF 29% AFTER THE FIRST YEAR AND A 4-YEAR GRADUATION RATE OF ONLY 39%. FACTORS SUCH AS LACK OF ROLE MODELS, MULTI-DIMENSIONAL MENTORSHIP (INCLUDING INTELLECTUAL, PERSONAL, EMOTIONAL, FINANCIAL), PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT, AND PERSONAL OR FAMILY'S AND FRIENDS' NEGATIVE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES HAVE ALL GENERALLY BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO AFFECT STUDENTS' PERSISTENCE IN STEM. HOWEVER, THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS, ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING, RESEARCH EXPERIENCES, TAILORED CURRICULUM, AS WELL AS ACADEMIC, CAREER, AND WELL-BEING PROGRAMMING ON STUDENT SUCCESS IN STEM FIELDS NEED CLOSER EVALUATION. THE PROJECT'S MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION IS TO WHAT DEGREE DO COMPONENTS OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDING SCHOLARSHIPS, FACULTY MENTORING, UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE, AND COHORT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IMPROVE THE RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS JOB PLACEMENT POST-GRADUATION? THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF THESE RESOURCES ON STUDENT SUCCESS IN INCREASING BOTH THE STUDENT YEARLY RETENTION AND 4-YEAR GRADUATION RATES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS TO AT LEAST 70%. THIS PROJECT WILL BE EVALUATED USING A MIXED METHODS APPROACH USING INFORMATION FROM STUDENT SURVEYS AND AN EXIT INTERVIEW, DATA COLLECTED FROM STUDENT SUCCESS PLANS, AS WELL AS RETENTION, GRADUATION, AND JOB PLACEMENT RATES. THE RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AS PRESENTATIONS AT RESEARCH CONFERENCES AND IN PUBLICATIONS IN STEM JOURNALS. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF'S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACADEMICALLY TALENTED, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WHO EARN DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS. IT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE STEM WORKERS AND TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, RETENTION, TRANSFER, GRADUATION, AND ACADEMIC/CAREER PATHWAYS OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. 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.

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION WORKFORCE

UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM

CHILD CARE ACCESS MEANS PARENTS IN SCHOOL (CCAMPIS) PROGRAM

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

TARGETED VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM

CATEGORY 4: OFFICER WELLNESS

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY UPWARD BOUND - HIRAM HIGH SCHOOL

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY UPWARD BOUND - ROCKMART HIGH SCHOOL AND CEDARTOWN HIGH SCHOOOL

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY UPWARD BOUND MATH SCIENCE - EAST PAULDING HIGH SCHOOL

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION WORKFORCE

TRAINING IN CHRONIC ILLNESS RESEARCH IN FLORIDA AND EUROPE

CATEGORY 3: OFFICER WELLNESS

GEORGIA INDUSTRIAL ASSESSMENT CENTER MAKING OUR WORKFORCE ENERGY ENGINEERS AND INDUSTRY ENERGY EFFICIENT

TRIO REGULAR STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES - ARMSTRONG/LIBERTY CAMPUSES

EXAMINING EDUCATIONAL MODELS FOR SOLDIERS TO IMPROVE MEDICAL READINESS.

SUPPORTING HEROES IN MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING (SHIFT) WAS ESTABLISHED TO OFFER TRAINING TO ICAC TASK FORCE MEMBERS AND OTHER JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS EXPOSED TO CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION MATERIAL TO MITIGATE TRAUMA AND OTHER NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE. THE SHIFT PROGRAM HAS REACHED 40,213 PEOPLE VIA 194 IN-PERSON TRAININGS, AS WELL AS, 203 VIRTUAL TRAININGS AND WEBINARS. THE SHIFT WEBSITE MAKES RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE 24/7 WITH 173,734 PAGEVIEWS SINCE ITS CREATION. THE INNOCENT JUSTICE FOUNDATION (TIJF) TOOK THE LEAD IN HELPING TO IDENTIFY THE NEEDS AND GOALS FOR THE MOST RECENT NATIONAL STRATEGY AS IT PERTAINS TO INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN AND SUPPORTING OFFICER WELLNESS. TRAINING OPTIONS INCLUDE VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON INTERACTIVE PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS, TEAMS, AND SUPERVISORY TRAINING FOR ICAC TASK FORCE MEMBERS AND OTHER EXPOSED INDIVIDUALS; TRAINING FOR JUDGES AND COURT PERSONNEL; SPECIALIZED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERSHIP OUTREACH, EDUCATION, AND MENTORING; FAMILY/SUPPORT CURRICULUM; CUSTOMIZED WELLNESS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION TRAINING FOR ICAC UNITS, INCLUDING PEER SUPPORT TRAINING FOR ICAC TEAMS, AND SUPPLEMENTAL WELLNESS TRAINING TOPICS. TRAININGS ARE EVALUATED WITH POST-TRAINING REPORTS DETAILING THE NUMBER OF TRAININGS PERFORMED; AMOUNT SPENT PER TRAINING AND STUDENT; NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS; AND PRE- AND POST-TEST DATA AND SPEAKER AND TRAINING EVALUATION FORMS. SIX-MONTH FOLLOW-UP DATA IS COLLECTED TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IMPLEMENTING TOOLS LEARNED FROM TRAINING AND RESOURCES.

UPWARD BOUND MATH AND SCIENCE PROGRAM

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY: HIRAM UPWARD BOUND

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY: ROCKMART CEDARTOWN UPWARD BOUND

DUE ROBERT NOYCE: BUILDING STEM TEACHERS THROUGH COHORTS, COMMUNITIES AND MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION READINESS SCHOLARSHIPS (MASTERS)

THE PIPELINE TO TEACHER PREPARATION IN CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS

TELBIO: TEACHING ENGLISH LEARNERS BIOLOGY

NURSING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY MCNAIR GRANT PROPOSAL 2017-2022

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

EXPANDING BI/MULTILINGUAL TEACHER PATHWAYS IN GEORGIA THROUGH KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY’S TESOL PROGRAMS

RONALD E. MCNAIR POST-BACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT

BUSINESS CTR - INCUBATOR

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY RONALD E. MCNAIR POSTBACCAULAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM

RECRUITING, RETAINING, GRADUATING, AND TRANSITIONING UNDERGRADUATES INTO SUCCESSFUL ENGINEERING CAREERS

TOTAL WATER USE AND SOURCE PARTITIONING IN WOODY BIOENERGY CROPS DETERMINED BY COUPLED MASS FLUX AND STABLE ISOTOPES SIGNATURES

THE YOUTH CRIME PREVENTION PROJECT NEIGHBORHOOD COORDINATION SCHOOL INITIATIVE, LED BY THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE (NYPD) FOUNDATION, NYPD, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS, AIMS TO SUPPORT AT-RISK YOUTH IN HARLEM. THROUGH A YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND ACADEMIC TUTORING, THE INITIATIVE SEEKS TO FOSTER POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILD TRUST BETWEEN YOUTH AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

TARGETED APPROACH TO OVERCOMING TREATMENT RESISTANCE IN ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM- AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

VORTEX LIGHT-DRIVEN STRUCTURED QUANTUM MATTER

MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS FOR POLARIZED AND IN-MEDIUM PARTON EVOLUTION IN THE NUCLEAR REALM

SUPPORTING HEROES IN MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING

EXPANDQISE: TRACK 1: EXCEPTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT TRANSITION AND SUPERSENSITIVE QUANTUM SENSING EMPOWERED BY ANTI-HERMITICITY AND SYMMETRIES -NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: AS AN EMERGING INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREA, QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (QISE) IS POISED TO REVOLUTIONIZE COMPUTING, COMMUNICATION, SIGNAL PROCESSING, NETWORKS, METROLOGY, SENSING, AND MORE. HOWEVER, DESPITE NOTABLE PROGRESS IN THIS FIELD, THE DECOHERENCE OF QUANTUM STATES INEVITABLY INTRODUCES IMPERFECTIONS AND ERRORS IN QUANTUM OPERATIONS. IN THIS PROJECT, THE TEAM AIMS TO TACKLE THIS CHALLENGE BY HARNESSING NON-HERMITIAN PHYSICS, ALONG WITH NON-HERMITICITY AND SYMMETRIES, TO PRESERVE AND ENHANCE NONCLASSICAL CORRELATIONS AND ENTANGLEMENT PROPERTIES IN TWO COMPLEMENTARY OPEN QUANTUM SYSTEMS WITH GROUNDBREAKING THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATIONS. THESE ADVANCEMENTS CAN HAVE EXEMPLARY APPLICATIONS IN SUPERSENSITIVE QUANTUM SENSING. MOREOVER, THE STUDY OF THESE TWO SYSTEMS UNVEILS NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS OF NON-HERMITIAN QUANTUM PHYSICS, WHICH FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFER FROM CLASSICAL OR HERMITIAN PHYSICS. THIS PROJECT ALSO PRIORITIZES STUDENT TRAINING, PARTICULARLY FOCUSING ON THOSE FROM UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES, THEREBY STRENGTHENING THE PIPELINE THAT SUPPLIES THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WORKFORCE IN QISE. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS PUBLIC LECTURES AND HIGH SCHOOL QUANTUM SUMMER RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS, CATER TO HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THUS FOSTERING BROADER ENGAGEMENT WITH QUANTUM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: INTEGRATED QUANTUM PHOTONICS AND SUPERCONDUCTING CIRCUITS ARE EMERGING AS TWO PRIMARY CONTENDERS FOR VARIOUS QISE TASKS. HOWEVER, THEIR QUANTUM PERFORMANCE IS HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO DECOHERENCE. THE CURRENT MAINSTREAM QISE RESEARCH FOCUSES ON CONTROLLING AND MITIGATING VARIOUS DECOHERENCE FACTORS TO PRESERVE THE COHERENCE OF QUANTUM STATES, YET, SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES PERSIST. IN THIS PROJECT, THE TEAM EXPLOITS THE EFFECTS OF ANTI-HERMITICITY AND SYMMETRIES SUCH AS PARITY-TIME SYMMETRY, AND THEIR INDUCED NONTRIVIAL PHASE TRANSITIONS. FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND TESTBEDS, WHICH LINK TWIN BEAMS OR TWO COUPLED QUBITS WITH PHASE-SENSITIVE AMPLIFICATION OR NATURAL DISSIPATION, WILL BE DEVELOPED. THESE TESTBEDS ENABLE STUDIES ON QUADRATURE AND QUANTUM-MECHANICAL PASSIVE PARITY-TIME SYMMETRIES, RESPECTIVELY. THE PROJECT EMPHASIZES THE NON-HERMITIAN EVOLUTION OF QUANTUM SYSTEMS WITH NONCLASSICAL CORRELATIONS AND ENTANGLEMENT, EXPLORING THEIR INTRICATE AND EVEN COUNTERINTUITIVE CONNECTIONS WITH NON-HERMITICITY AND SYMMETRIES. FURTHERMORE, THIS PROJECT EXPLORES THE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF THESE SYSTEMS IN SUPERSENSITIVE QUANTUM SENSING. THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES OF THIS PROPOSAL WILL DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLES OF GAIN AND LOSS IN SYMMETRY-UNDERLYING PHYSICS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS IN OPEN QUANTUM SYSTEMS. ADDITIONALLY, IT WILL PROVIDE EXPERIMENTAL INSIGHTS INTO SEVERAL OPEN QUESTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY SUBJECT TO FOCUSED DEBATE. MOREOVER, THE EXOTIC QUANTUM PHOTONIC PROCESSING, BASED ON CONTINUOUS VARIABLES AND DISCRETE VARIABLES, UNDER QUADRATURE AND PASSIVE PARITY-TIME SYMMETRIES, CAN OFFER ELEGANT SOLUTIONS TO KEY CHALLENGES THAT ARE INSURMOUNTABLE USING EXISTING HERMITIAN METHODOLOGIES. WHILE THE CURRENT EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH IS LIMITED TO DEMONSTRATING A FEW FUNDAMENTAL QUANTUM EFFECTS, DEVELOPED SYSTEMS AND TECHNIQUES FROM THIS GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH CAN BE DEPLOYED TO A WIDE RANGE OF CONTINUOUS-VARIABLES- AND DISCRETIZED-VARIABLES-BASED QISE STUDIES. THIS PROJECT IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES (MPS/OMA), AND THE TECHNOLOGY FRONTIERS PROGRAM (TIP/TF). 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.

THIS EDA INVESTMENT SUPPORTS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GEORGIA ENTERPRISE NETWORK FOR INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROJECT, TO INSTALL STANDARDIZED, INTERACTIVE CONFERENCE AND VIRTUAL RECEPTIONIST EQUIPMENT AT 27 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF GEORGIA. THE PROJECT WILL ALLOW EACH LOCATION TO CONNECT TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECOSYSTEM CENTERED AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND THE LOCAL EDA UNIVERSITY CENTER. ONCE COMPLETED, THE PROJECT WILL CONNECT EXISTING PROGRAMS OFFERED BY GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND ITS PARTNERS FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESSES WITH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, AND MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH WILL HELP BOLSTER ECONOMIC GROWTH AND RESILIENCY TO AN AREA THAT HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THE DECLINE IN THE COAL INDUSTRY.

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

PREPARING FUTURE SECONDARY STEM TEACHERS TO INTEGRATE AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES INTO THEIR HIGH-NEEDS CLASSROOMS USING REGIONAL REAL-WORLD CONTEXTS -THE PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL NEED OF PREPARING HIGH-QUALITY SECONDARY PRESERVICE BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, AND MATHEMATICS TEACHERS WHO CAN INTEGRATE AUTHENTIC CONTEXTS INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS. THE GOAL OF AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES IS TO MODEL HOW SCIENTISTS THINK ABOUT SOLVING A PROBLEM. AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES PROVIDE A REAL-WORLD CONTEXT WHEN LEARNING STATE-ADOPTED CONTENT STANDARDS. THESE EXPERIENCES ENGAGE STUDENTS IN BROADENING THEIR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS WHILE FURTHERING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF REGIONAL REAL-WORLD STEM ISSUES THEY WILL ENCOUNTER DURING THEIR STUDIES AND AFTER GRADUATION. FOR TEACHERS TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE AND IMPLEMENT AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES FOR THEIR STUDENTS, THEY WILL BENEFIT FROM BEING ENGAGED IN SUCH EXPERIENCES. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE TWO REAL-WORLD SUMMER EXPERIENCES WHERE PRESERVICE TEACHERS WILL WORK WITH UNIVERSITY FACULTY, RESEARCHERS, AND MENTOR TEACHERS TO DEVELOP CONTENT AND PEDAGOGICALLY RICH CURRICULUM TO IMPLEMENT IN THEIR CLASSROOMS AND FIELD EXPERIENCES. LIKEWISE, THEY WILL DEVELOP ASSESSMENTS TO EXPLORE THE IMPACT OF THE CURRICULUM. HIGH IMPACT TEACHING PRACTICES CAN LEAD TO HIGHER ENGAGEMENT IN STEM AND BUILD A STRONG STEM WORKFORCE TO ADDRESS NATIONAL AND GLOBAL PROBLEMS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS. THIS PROJECT AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, A PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY, INCLUDES PARTNERSHIPS WITH EVANS COUNTY CHARTER SCHOOL SYSTEM, SAVANNAH-CHATHAM PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY BOTANICAL GARDEN AND CENTER FOR STEM EDUCATION, AND SKIDAWAY ISLAND MARINE EXTENSION. THE PROJECT HAS FOUR FUNDAMENTAL GOALS. FIRST, THE PROJECT AIMS TO PROVIDE K-12 INTERNSHIPS FOR SIX FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE STEM MAJORS TO HELP GENERATE AND SUSTAIN THEIR INTEREST IN TEACHING. A SECOND GOAL IS TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS AND TO GRADUATE EIGHTEEN (18) HIGH-ACHIEVING UNDERGRADUATE BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, MATHEMATICS, OR PHYSICS MAJORS WHO ARE CERTIFIED TO TEACH IN THEIR MAJOR AREAS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL. A THIRD GOAL IS TO PLACE THESE GRADUATES IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THEN PROVIDE MENTORING AND OTHER INDUCTION SUPPORT FOR SIX YEARS FOLLOWING THEIR GRADUATION. FOURTH, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL CREATE, IMPLEMENT, STUDY, AND MAINTAIN AN INTEGRATED SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS REFLECTIVE TEACHING COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE MODEL. IN THE PROCESS, THE INVESTIGATORS WILL EXPLORE HOW FOCUSED SEMINAR EXPERIENCES, IN ADDITION TO PROGRAM COURSEWORK, CAN IMPACT PRESERVICE READINESS TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE CLINICAL PRACTICE AND FIRST-YEAR TEACHING. PROJECT OUTCOMES WILL PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO HOW A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE MODEL CAN LONGITUDINALLY IMPACT PROGRAM INNOVATION AND TEACHER RETENTION IN HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOLS. IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING AND INTEGRATING AUTHENTIC CONTEXTS IN SECONDARY STEM CLASSROOMS. THE PROJECT ALSO HAS POTENTIAL TO IMPACT HOW PRESERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE STRUCTURED, HOW LESSON PLANNING STRATEGIES ARE TAUGHT, AND HOW MENTORING STRATEGIES TO HELP PRESERVICE TEACHERS DEVELOP SKILLS AND DISPOSITIONS TO WORK IN HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOLS ARE DESIGNED. RESOURCES DEVELOPED AND PROJECT EVALUATION FINDINGS WILL BE DISSEMINATED VIA REGIONAL, STATE, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL SOURCES, INCLUDING STEM CONFERENCES, PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS, AND VARIOUS INTERNET APPLICATIONS. THIS TRACK 1: SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (NOYCE). THE NOYCE PROGRAM SUPPORTS TALENTED STEM UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS AND PROFESSIONALS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE K-12 STEM TEACHERS AND EXPERIENCED, EXEMPLARY K-12 TEACHERS TO BECOME STEM MASTER TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. IT ALSO SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RETENTION OF K-12 STEM TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 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.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAM

MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIONS OF LEARNING IN DYNAMICS AND CONTROL: EXPLORING THE SYNERGY OF LOW-COST PORTABLE LAB EQUIPMENT, VIRTUAL LABS, AND AI WITHIN STUDENT LEARNING ACTIVITIES -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY DEVELOPING DYNAMICS AND CONTROL LEARNING PACKAGES WITH FOUR OPEN-SOURCE COMPONENTS TO IMPROVE ENGINEERING EDUCATION. ENGINEERING STUDENTS TAKING DYNAMICS, VIBRATIONS, AND CONTROL THEORY COURSES OFTEN STRUGGLE TO ACQUIRE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF COMPLEX ENGINEERING CONCEPTS DUE TO THE HIGHLY MATHEMATICAL NATURE OF THE CONTENT, LACK OF PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, AND LIMITED TEACHING TOOLS. THIS ENGAGED STUDENT LEARNING LEVEL 2 PROJECT INTENDS TO DEVELOP LEARNING PACKAGES TO OFFER MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN HELP STUDENTS BRIDGE THEORY WITH PRACTICE, DEVELOP PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS, AND GAIN A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF VIBRATIONS AND CONTROL THEORY IN A PRACTICAL CONTEXT. THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE ADVANCEMENTS IN UNDERSTANDING OF STUDENT LEARNING BY EXPLORING WHAT WAYS THESE MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIONS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE FOR FACULTY AND STUDENTS. THE PROPOSED LEARNING PACKAGES INCLUDE FOUR MAIN COMPONENTS: (1) 3D PRINTED LAB EQUIPMENT DESIGNS; (2) VIRTUAL SIMULATIONS; (3) VIRTUAL ASSISTANT-BASED AI SUPPORT; AND (4) GUIDED LEARNING ACTIVITIES. THE PROJECT TEAM PLANS TO EXPLORE THREE RESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) TO WHAT DEGREE CAN LEARNING PACKAGES ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING CAPABILITIES AROUND DYNAMICS AND CONTROLS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF CAREFULLY DESIGNED AI-ASSISTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES USING HANDS-ON EQUIPMENT AND VIRTUAL SIMULATIONS? (2) WHY DO POTENTIAL USERS CHOOSE TO USE ONE OR MORE PARTS OF THE DYNAMICS AND CONTROL LEARNING PACKAGE? (3) WHICH ELEMENT OR COMBINATIONS OF ELEMENTS IN THE DYNAMICS AND CONTROLS LEARNING PACKAGE ARE MOST BENEFICIAL FOR ITS USERS? THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH NSF?S VISION TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION IN STEM, AND WITH ITS GOAL OF EMPOWERING STEM LEARNERS WHILE CREATING NEW KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE LEARNING PROCESS. THE NSF IUSE: EDU PROGRAM SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STEM EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS. THROUGH THE ENGAGED STUDENT LEARNING TRACK, THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE CREATION, EXPLORATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROMISING PRACTICES AND TOOLS. 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.

AT THE GSU AREA SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM (GSUASCP) AN ESTIMATED 29 UNDUPLICATED SCP VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE. OF THIS NUMBER 29 SENIOR COMPANIONS WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME ASSIGNMENTS. SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES DURING THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19 WILL INCLUDE SAFE, SOCIALLY DISTANT, SAFE FACE TO FACE VISITING OUTSIDE WHEN WEATHER PERMITS, TELEPHONE REASSURANCE, RUNNING CRITICAL ERRANDS FOR FOOD, MEDICATION OR OTHER ESSENTIAL NEEDS, AND SAFE ASSISTANCE WITH NUTRITION. WHEN THE COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED THE VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE FACE TO FACE VISITING INSIDE THE CLIENT'S HOME, COMPANIONSHIP, ASSISTANCE WITH INSTRUMENTAL ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (IADLS), HOMEMAKER ACTIVITIES, TRANSPORTATION, AND/OR RESPITE FOR CAREGIVERS. WE EXPECT 58 CLIENTS WILL RECEIVE A SENIOR COMPANION VOLUNTEER AS AN OUTPUT. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS HEALTHY FUTURES AND THE OBJECTIVE IS AGING IN PLACE. AT THE END OF THE THREE-YEAR GRANT, WE ANTICIPATE AN OUTCOME MINIMUM OF 75% POSITIVE RESPONSE (44 CLIENTS) FOR INCREASED SOCIAL TIES AND SOCIAL SUPPORT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A SENIOR COMPANION VOLUNTEER INDICATES PROGRESS TO INCREASE INDEPENDENT LIVING AND, IMPROVE HEALTH AND LONGEVITY. THE AMERICORPS SENIORS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $188,678 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $66,938.

ENHANCING ENGINEERING STUDENT MOTIVATION, ACADEMIC SUCCESS, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLE OF A LONG-TERM MULTI-CONSTRUCT TASK VALUE INTERVENTION -CULTIVATING A MORE ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL ENGINEERING STUDENT BODY WILL NOT ONLY PRODUCE MORE AND BETTER ENGINEERS BUT IT WILL ALSO BROADEN THE TALENT POOL IN SUPPORT OF OUR NATION?S STEM INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM. TWO SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES THAT ENGINEERING PROGRAMS FACE THOUGH ARE STUDENT RETENTION AND CAREER READINESS. EXPECTANCY-VALUE THEORY OFFERS A RELEVANT MOTIVATIONAL GROUNDING TO UNDERSTAND THESE CHALLENGES FACED BY ENGINEERING STUDENTS. THE PROJECT WILL ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A LONG-TERM, MULTI-CONSTRUCT TASK VALUE INTERVENTION (MTVI) INTENDED TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC AND CAREER SUCCESS BY CONNECTING STUDENT MOTIVATION TO ACADEMIC TASKS. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT INTERVENTIONS TO ENHANCE TASK VALUES STRONGLY INFLUENCE STEM OUTCOMES AND COULD ADDRESS RETENTION AND CAREER READINESS CHALLENGES. THIS RESEARCH WILL ENABLE THE EXPLORATION OF UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECT OF COMBINING MULTIPLE TASK VALUE INTERVENTIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE CONSEQUENCE OF REPEATED EXPOSURE OVER TIME, AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE INTERVENTIONS ON WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING AND CAREER-RELATED OUTCOMES. THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH NSF?S MISSION TO ENHANCE STEM LEARNING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND PROMOTE STEM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHILE PROVIDING FRESH SCIENTIFIC INSIGHTS INTO THE IMPACT OF MOTIVATIONAL INTERVENTIONS ON STEM EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. STUDENT SUCCESS AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE ARE INFLUENCED BY ACADEMIC OUTCOMES AND ACADEMIC EXPERIENCES (E.G., TASK VALUES, PARTICIPATION, ENGAGEMENT). THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL EMPLOY A LONGITUDINAL, ACTIVE-CONTROL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF THE MULTI-CONSTRUCT TASK VALUE INTERVENTION (MTVI) THAT IS GROUNDED IN SITUATED EXPECTANCY-VALUE THEORY. TARGETING FOUR TASK VALUES (I.E., UTILITY, INTRINSIC, ATTAINMENT, AND COST) THROUGH WRITING EXERCISES, STUDENTS ENROLLED IN AN INTRODUCTORY ENGINEERING COURSE WILL BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THE MTVI GROUP OR A CONTROL GROUP. MTVI STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS IN TARGET COURSES FOR THE REMAINING FOUR ACADEMIC YEARS. THIS APPROACH WILL PROVIDE LONGITUDINAL MOTIVATION DATA TO UNDERSTAND ENGINEERING STUDENTS? JOURNEY DURING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION. THE KNOWLEDGE TO BE GENERATED FROM THIS RESEARCH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO INFORM CHANGES AND TRANSFORM EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND STEM EDUCATION MORE BROADLY. THE FINDINGS, WHICH WILL BE DISSEMINATED WIDELY ACROSS ENGINEERING AND STEM EDUCATION COMMUNITIES, WILL BENEFIT UNIVERSITIES BY INFORMING EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURES, PRACTICES, AND CURRICULAR EXPERIENCES. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY NSF'S EDU 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. 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 SMART SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH TO IMPROVE PROSTATE CANCER PATIENT TREATMENT DECISIONS

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING TRAINEESHIP

ECOLOGICAL IMMUNOLOGY OF A FLEA VECTOR (CTENOCEPHALIDES FELIS) - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT FLEAS ARE OBLIGATE VECTORS OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS THAT CAUSE SEVERE DISEASES IN HUMANS, INCLUDING MURINE TYPHUS AND BUBONIC PLAGUE. TO RESIST OR LIMIT INFECTION, FLEAS POSSESS AN INNATE IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES DEFENSE AGAINST MICROBIAL INVASION AND COLONIZATION. HOWEVER, IN THEIR NATURAL HABITATS, FLEA POPULATIONS ARE MADE UP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT DIFFER NOT ONLY THEIR GENETIC BACKGROUND, BUT ALSO IN REGARD TO FACTORS SUCH AS SEX, AGE, DIET, INFECTION HISTORY, GUT MICROBIOTA, AND EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS. THESE NON-GENETIC FACTORS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCES ON THE OUTCOME OF INFECTION IN OTHER DISEASE VECTORS; YET, NO STUDIES TO DATE HAVE ADDRESSED THE IMPACT OF THESE ECOLOGICAL PARAMETERS ON FLEA IMMUNE RESPONSES. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AIMS TO FILL THESE KNOWLEDGE GAPS IN FLEA ECOLOGICAL IMMUNOLOGY, WITH THE PRIMARY GOALS BEING TO DETERMINE THE INTRINSIC FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE ANTIBACTERIAL RESPONSE IN ADULTS, AND TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF LARVAL ECOLOGY ON SUBSEQUENT INFECTIONS AS ADULTS. SPECIFICALLY, WE PROPOSE TO COMPARE THE STRENGTH OF IMMUNE DEFENSE MECHANISMS IN ADULT CAT FLEAS (CTENOCEPHALIDES FELIS) BASED ON SEX, AGE, AND INFECTION HISTORY (SPECIFIC AIM 1), AS WELL AS FOLLOWING LARVAL EXPOSURE TO FOOD QUANTITY, LARVAL DENSITY, AND INSECTICIDES (SPECIFIC AIM 2). THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE VARIABILITY OF FLEA IMMUNITY UNDER NATURAL CONDITIONS, WHICH CAN DIRECTLY AFFECT PATHOGEN TRANSMISSION DYNAMICS AND ALTER DISEASE PREVALENCE OUTCOMES WITHIN A VECTOR POPULATION. DATA ARISING FROM THIS PROJECT COULD AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL STRATEGIES TO CONTROL THE SPREAD OF FLEA-BORNE PATHOGENS TO HUMANS.

FY2015 STUDY OF THE U.S. INSTITUTES FOR STUDENT LEADERS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

CC*NETWORK-CAMPUS: ADVANCING HIGH-SPEED NETWORKING FOR STEM RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY -THIS PROJECT ESTABLISHES A CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH NETWORK AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY (KSU) ALONG WITH SCIENCE DMZS COMPRISING A DATA TRANSFER NODE SERVER. IT ALSO UPGRADES THE CAMPUS FIBER NETWORKING INFRASTRUCTURE, SWITCHING, AND ROUTING COMPONENTS. THIS NETWORKING INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDES 400GBIT/S CONNECTIVITY TO TEN BUILDINGS ON TWO KSU CAMPUSES. IT CONNECTS THEM TO A DEDICATED RESEARCH BACKBONE ROUTER AND A CORE ROUTER FOR BUFFERING AT THE RESEARCH EDGE. THESE ARE CONNECTED THROUGH REDUNDANT 40/100GBIT/S LINKS TO THE CAMPUS PERIMETER FIREWALL TO THE CAMPUS CORE NETWORK. THE NETWORKING COMPONENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR BOTH INTRA- AND INTER-CAMPUS COLLABORATIONS AND OPTIMIZED FOR LARGE-SCALE DATA TRANSFERS FROM AND TO COMPUTE AND STORAGE RESOURCES. THE PROJECT FOSTERS TWENTY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS PROJECTS RANGING FROM TRUSTWORTHY MACHINE LEARNING, AMPHIBIAN GENOMICS, ACTIVE ROBOT SENSING, GEO-ECONOMIC MULTIMODAL SYSTEMS TO BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. IT SUPPORTS PH.D. PROGRAMS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING AND DATA SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS ALONG WITH 20 MASTER?S DEGREE PROGRAMS SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, CIVIL ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, COMPUTER SCIENCE, AND CYBERSECURITY. TO TRAIN KSU?S FACULTY AND STUDENTS, THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH COMPUTING AT KSU ORGANIZES WORKSHOPS FOR THEIR FACULTY AND STUDENTS ON UTILIZING NATIONAL OPEN CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCES. THIS INITIATIVE ENABLES KSU TO ENGAGE IN NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DISCOVERIES BY LINKING IT TO NATIONAL AND GLOBAL RESEARCH PLATFORMS AND DATA REPOSITORIES. AVAILING OPEN SCIENCE CYBERINFRASTRUCTURES, FACULTY AND STUDENTS INCLUDING UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES WILL BENEFIT FROM NATIONAL TECHNICAL SERVICES. CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE PROFESSIONALS AT THE UNIVERSITY WILL DEVELOP EXPERTISE IN RESEARCH COMPUTING WHILE LEARNING AND ADOPTING THE STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES. 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.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS: SUPPORTING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAM

TRIO - TALENT SEARCH - TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM

THIS EDA INVESTMENT FUNDS THE COASTAL EMPIRE REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM STRATEGY PROJECT, TO STRENGTHEN THE REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM OF BUSINESS OUTREACH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO MORE EFFECTIVELY SERVICE THE NEEDS OF UNDERSERVED BUSINESSES IN THE REGION. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON FOUR THEMES FOR GUIDING ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH THEIR JOURNEY: DISCOVER, IDEATE, INCUBATE, AND CULTIVATE. CERES WILL BUILD ON WELL-ESTABLISHED PARTNERSHIPS AND ENABLE LEVERAGING OF EXISTING ASSETS TO HELP MARGINALIZED GROUPS BETTER ACCESS REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN AND BENEFIT FROM THE REGION'S GROWING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. CERES WILL ALSO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION AMONG THE REGION'S ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS TO BETTER SUPPORT THE UNDERSERVED BUSINESSES IN THE REGION, AND PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS TO PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES, MARKET DATA, AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. ONCE COMPLETED, THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE AT LEAST 250 POTENTIAL ENTREPRENEURS WITH SERVICES THROUGH CERES ACTIVITIES WITH AT LEAST 120 OF THEM LAUNCHING NEW BUSINESS VENTURES OR EXPANDING EXISTING BUSINESSES. BY 2025, THESE BUSINESSES WILL CREATE AT LEAST 120 JOBS. IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE PRIVATE INVESTMENT, COMMERCIALIZATION ACTIVITIES, AND REVENUE GENERATION.

ENGAGING EDUCATORS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY (ENERGY) -THIS THREE-YEAR RET SITE: ENGAGING EDUCATORS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY (ENERGY) SEEKS TO EDUCATE, INSPIRE, AND ENGAGE EDUCATORS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN THE EXCITING FIELD OF RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR THEIR CLASSROOMS THROUGH RESEARCH, PEDAGOGICAL ACTIVITIES, AND PROJECTS. PARTICIPANTS WILL WORK ALONGSIDE UNIVERSITY FACULTY, GRADUATE STUDENTS, AND INDUSTRIAL ADVISORS THROUGH THE SUMMER-TERM RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND ACADEMIC YEAR FOLLOW UP. THE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN ENGINEERING, COMPUTER SCIENCE, AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. RET PARTICIPANTS AND FACULTY WILL EXPLORE ENERGY-RELATED RESEARCH AND TRANSFORMATIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT REDUCE GREEN HOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS AND LEVERAGE CURRICULAR APPROACHES THAT ALLOW THEM TO DIRECTLY TRANSITION THIS KNOWLEDGE INTO HIGHLY INSPIRATIONAL STEM CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES FOR THEIR STUDENTS. RESEARCH FACULTY WILL DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF CLASSROOM PRACTICES, CURRICULA, PEDAGOGY, AND PRECOLLEGE AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS. RET PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ENCOURAGED AND SUPPORTED TO PRESENT AT STATE AND NATIONAL TEACHERS? CONFERENCES AND THE RET RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM ON CAMPUS. THE RET TEAM WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN K-14 OUTREACH PROGRAMS (E.G., SCIENCE TO-GO AND SCIENCE OLYMPIAD AT REGIONAL SCHOOLS). THE RET PROGRAM WILL EXPAND PARTICIPANTS? KNOWLEDGE ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY AND PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXAMPLES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP PEDAGOGICAL METHODS FOR INCORPORATING ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING INTO THEIR CURRICULA. DEDICATED LAB TIME AND VISITS TO REGIONAL INDUSTRIES INVOLVED IN CUTTING-EDGE ENGINEERING RESEARCH IN ENERGY-RELATED FIELDS WILL HELP TEACHERS INFORM AND EXCITE STUDENTS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC CAREERS AND EMBED ENERGY TOPICS IN THEIR STEM CURRICULUM. TOPICS INCLUDE RENEWABLE AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY (SOLAR AND WIND), ENHANCED ENERGY TRANSFER TECHNOLOGIES, THE DEVELOPMENT OF SENSORS AND CONTROLS FOR ENERGY APPLICATIONS AND SMART GRIDS CYBER-SECURITY, ENERGY PRODUCTION AND EFFICIENCY OF THE HAWTS ARRAY, INTERACTIONS BETWEEN FREE-STREAM TURBULENCE AND BOUNDARY-LAYER ON THE PARTICULATE TRANSPORT, THE EFFECT OF SMALL-SCALE TURBULENCE ON THE PARTICULATE DISPERSION AND DEPOSITION, THE EFFICIENCY OF PV SYSTEMS, FOCUSED ON THE SHADING PATTERNS ON PV PANELS AND ALGORITHMS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY FOR ENERGY CONVERSION, AND DATA SCIENCE, AI, AND CYBERSECURITY TO DETECT NETWORKS? MALICIOUS INTRUSIONS, SMART GRIDS, AND ENERGY NETWORKS. RET LESSONS WILL BE AVAILABLE WIDELY THROUGH THE ENERGY RET WEBSITE, THE TEACH ENGINEERING DIGITAL LIBRARY, AND THE UNIVERSITY?S DIGITAL COMMONS REPOSITORY. 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.

UNDERSTANDING AND TUNING THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN ELECTRONIC TOPOLOGY AND MAGNETISM IN MAGNETIC TOPOLOGICAL MATERIALS

UNKNOWN TITLE

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: TESTING ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESES FOR GRADIENTS IN LYME DISEASE IN THE EASTERN U.S.: CLIMATE, HOST COMMUNITY AND VECTOR GENE

OVERCOMING CONFUSION IN AI: INTEGRATING HUMAN - LIKE "GIST" INTO COMPLEX DYNAMICALLY EVOLVING HUMAN - AI SYSTEMS

HOSPICE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROJECT

AT THE GSU AREA SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM (GSUASCP) AN ESTIMATED 28 UNDUPLICATED SCP VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE. OF THIS NUMBER 28 SENIOR COMPANIONS WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME ASSIGNMENTS. SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE COMPANIONSHIP, ASSISTANCE WITH INSTRUMENTAL ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (IADLS), HOMEMAKER ACTIVITIES, TRANSPORTATION, RESPITE FOR CAREGIVERS, AND FINANCIAL LITERACY. FIFTY-SIX CLIENTS WILL RECEIVE A SENIOR COMPANION VOLUNTEER AS AN OUTPUT. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS HEALTHY FUTURES AND THE OBJECTIVE IS AGING IN PLACE. AT THE END OF THE THREE-YEAR GRANT, WE ANTICIPATE AN OUTCOME MINIMUM OF 80% POSITIVE RESPONSE (45 CLIENTS) FOR INCREASED SOCIAL TIES AND SOCIAL SUPPORT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A SENIOR COMPANION VOLUNTEER INDICATES PROGRESS TO INCREASE INDEPENDENT LIVING AND, IMPROVE HEALTH AND LONGEVITY. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $166,140 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $48,802.

PATCHING THE PIPELINE: SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ASSOCIATE-DEGREE TRANSFER STUDENTS IN THE SCIENCES

ENGAGING EDUCATORS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY (ENERGY)

UNIVERSITY CENTER

RUI: FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NA+/H+ EXCHANGERS IN MARINE AND FRESHWATER FISHES

SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM

NUCLEAR-MITOCHONDRIAL MISMATCH IN MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION AND DISEASE - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT MITOCHONDRIA ARE CRITICAL ORGANELLES THAT INTEGRATE MANY ASPECTS OF CELLULAR FUNCTION, MOST NOTABLY THE GENERATION OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF CELLULAR ENERGY VIA THE OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION (OXPHOS) PATHWAY. MITOCHONDRIA REQUIRE THE COORDINATION OF THEIR OWN SMALL GENOME OF 37 GENES WITH MORE THAN 1,000 NUCLEAR-ENCODED GENES IN ORDER TO FUNCTION PROPERLY, RESULTING IN A CLOSE MATCH BETWEEN NUCLEAR AND MITOCHONDRIAL-ENCODED GENES. MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASES, AMONG THE MOST COMMON GENETIC DISORDERS IN HUMANS, ARE THE RESULT OF MUTATIONS CAUSING A MISMATCH BETWEEN THESE NUCLEAR AND MITOCHONDRIAL-ENCODED GENES THAT LEAD TO MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION. DESPITE THE IMPORTANCE OF MITOCHONDRIA IN THE CELL AND THE IMPACT OF MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION ON HUMAN HEALTH, OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SPECIFIC GENETIC UNDERPINNINGS OF MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION REMAINS LIMITED. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AIMS TO ADDRESS THESE KNOWLEDGE GAPS BY UTILIZING A HIGHLY TRACTABLE GENETIC MODEL SYSTEM, NASONIA WASPS, TO DETERMINE HOW MUTATIONS THAT RESULT IN A NUCLEAR-MITOCHONDRIAL GENETIC MISMATCH NEGATIVELY IMPACT MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION AND ORGANISMAL HEALTH. THESE WASPS HAVE SIMPLE GENETICS, HAPLOID MALES AND DIPLOID FEMALES, THAT MAKE THEM IDEAL FOR DETERMINING THE GENETIC BASIS OF MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION. WE PROPOSE TO ANALYZE MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION USING ASSAYS THAT ARE USED TO DIAGNOSE MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE IN HUMANS, SPECIFICALLY THE FUNCTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL ENZYMES OF THE OXPHOS PATHWAY AS WELL AS OVERALL MITOCHONDRIAL RESPIRATION RATE IN MITOCHONDRIA ISOLATED FROM INTERSPECIFIC HYBRID STRAINS OF THESE WASPS. SPECIFIC AIM 1 WILL FOCUS ON ANALYZING HYBRIDS THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN SHOWN TO SUFFER FROM ~98% MALE JUVENILE MORTALITY WHEN THEY HAVE A NUCLEAR ALLELE AT A SINGLE LOCUS THAT IS MISMATCHED WITH THEIR MITOCHONDRIA, AS WELL AS ANALYZING HYBRIDS PRODUCED USING A STRAIN OF WASPS THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO SIGNIFICANTLY RESCUE THIS MORTALITY DUE TO HAVING THE NUCLEAR ALLELE THAT MATCHES THE MITOCHONDRIA. USING THESE TWO HYBRID TYPES, THIS AIM WILL MEASURE THE FUNCTION OF MITOCHONDRIA FROM HAPLOID MALE WASP LARVAE BEFORE THEY DIE IN ORDER TO DIRECTLY TEST THE MISMATCHED ALLELE’S IMPACT ON MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION, AS WELL AS IN DIPLOID ADULT FEMALES THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO SUFFER LESS MORTALITY, MIRRORING THE RECESSIVE NATURE OF MOST HUMAN MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASES. SPECIFIC AIM 2 WILL FOCUS ON IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL LOCI UNDERLYING HYBRID MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH MITOCHONDRIAL MISMATCH USING GENOME-WIDE SEQUENCING OF VERY LARGE POOLS OF SURVIVING ADULTS. EACH MITOCHONDRIALLY-MISMATCHED LOCI WILL THEN BE ISOLATED IN A SEPARATE WASP STRAIN WITH AN OTHERWISE MITOCHONDRIA-MATCHING NUCLEAR GENOME VIA MARKER-ASSISTED INTROGRESSION, AND THESE STRAINS WILL BE ASSAYED FOR MORTALITY AND MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF EACH MISMATCHED LOCUS ON MITOCHONDRIAL AND ORGANISMAL HEALTH. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO THE SPECIFIC IMPACTS OF MUTATIONS ON MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION AS WELL AS OUR BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENETIC UNDERPINNINGS OF MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION IN GENERAL. MOREOVER, THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE STRONG RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS ENGAGED IN IT WHILE STRENGTHENING THE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE STUDENTS.

REVSYS - EXPLOITING A LARGE EXISTING RESOURCE FOR BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AND HOST-PARASITE DATA: LINKING IMMATURE AND ADULT AMBLYOMMINE TICKS

AMVETS AIMS TO SUPPORT 125 ENROLLED VETS ANNUALLY IN THE SERVICE AREA OF SALT LAKE, SALT LAKE COUNTY) TO ACHIEVE STABLE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT LEAD TO STABLE HOUSING OUTCOMES. OUTREACH RECRUITMENT ENGAGEMENT OF ELIGIBLE VETS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT-RISK OF HOMELESSNESS ENGAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION WITH COC COMMITTEES, COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEMS, NON-PROFIT AND GOVERNMENT PARTNERS, VET SERVICES ORGS OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION WITH AJCS COLLABORATION AND REFERRALS WITH GPD, SSVF, HUD-VASH OUTREACH TO UNSHELTERED VETS AND ENCAMPMENTS INTAKE AND ASSESSMENT VITAL DOCUMENT AND D-214 ACQUISITION HOUSING ASSESSMENTS BENEFITS REFERRALS JOB PREPARATION SKILLS ASSESSMENT ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT TRAINING INDIVIDUALIZED EMPLOYMENT PLANS EDUCATION ENGAGEMENT CASE MANAGEMENT LINKAGES AND REFERRALS TO SUPPORT SERVICES EMERGENCY TEMPORARY TRANSITIONAL PERMANENT HOUSING REFERRALS JOB DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT EMPLOYMENT ADJUSTMENT SERVICES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH TRAINING ACCESS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH BACKGROUND CHECKS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND LICENSES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH WORKPLACE ATTIRE, TOOLS, AND MATERIALS JOB RETENTION FOLLOW-UP AND COACHING. AMVETS WILL SUPPORT COC S WITH ADDITIONAL SERVICES TO VETS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND WILL ALSO SERVE AS A COLLABORATIVE PARTNER AND SERVICES TO KEY VA PROGRAMS: GRANT AND PER DIEM (GPD), SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES (SSVF), AND HUD-VASH. THE AVAILABILITY OF HVRP SERVICES SUPPORTS VETS IN PARTNER PROGRAMS TO RECEIVE SERVICES FOCUSED ON MEANINGFUL AND SELF-SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT ABLE TO SUPPORT STABLE HOUSING AND TO MEET A VET S BASIC AND ECONOMIC NEEDS. $22.14 AS AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE AT PLACEMENT GOAL. THIS BENCHMARK WAS ESTABLISHED TO CONSIDER THE AVERAGE LIVING WAGE RATES OF EACH STATE SERVED BY THE PROPOSED PROJECT. WE PROPOSE AN OVERALL PLACEMENT RATE (EMPLOYED EXITED) OF 70.3%. THIS IS IN-LINE WITH OUR HISTORICAL OUTCOME RATES AT (70-75%). IN YEAR 1, AMVETS EXPECTS 74 PLACEMENTS FROM 106 EXITS AND HOLD A 3-YEAR AGGREGATE METRIC OF 201 PLACEMENTS FROM 286 EXITS (70.3%). WE ANTICIPATE THAT COST PER PLACEMENT WILL BE $8,466 IN YEAR 1, WITH A 3-YEAR COST PER PLACEMENT RATE OF $8,715. WE EXPECT TO SERVE 65% OF ENROLLED VETS WITH TRAINING SERVICES. WE PROPOSE A GOAL OF 45.8% FOR PARTICIPANTS IN UNSUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT IN Q2 AFTER EXIT FROM THE PROGRAM IN YEAR 1. THE TOTAL GOAL FOR THE 3-YEAR PERIOD IS SET AT 43.1%. WE PROPOSE A GOAL OF 22.3% FOR PARTICIPANTS IN UNSUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT IN Q4 AFTER EXIT FROM THE PROGRAM. WE PROPOSE MEDIAN QUARTERLY EARNINGS OF UNSUBSIDIZED EMPLOYEES IN Q2 AFTER EXIT AT $8,596. THIS ASSUMES THAT PLACED VETS ARE EARNING THE AVERAGE PER HOUR GOAL ($22.04) AT A MINIMUM OF 30-HOURS PER WEEK FOR 13-WEEKS. NO FORMAL AGREEMENTS OR PARTNERSHIPS ARE IN PLACE, BUT AMVETS WORKS WITH LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL ENTITIES, I.E. THE IDENTIFIED COC COMMUNITIES, LOCAL SSVF PROVIDERS, GRANT AND PER DIEM (US VETS, ACCESS HOUSING), VA MEDICAL CENTER, VA MEDICAL CENTER HOMELESS VETERANS COMMUNITY RESOURCE REFERRAL CENTER (CRRC), AND OTHER VETS SERVICE ORGS. AMVETS PARTNERS WITH THE AJCS ACROSS THE SERVICE AREA FOR CO-ENROLLMENT OF VETS SERVED BY HVRP. AMVETS CONNECTS WITH AN INTERNAL COLLECTIVE OF 25 FAITH ORGS AND A NETWORK OF 90 COMMUNITY-BASED AND NON-PROFIT ORGS SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO END HOMELESSNESS, ADDRESS POVERTY, HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, LEGAL, AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS FOR THOSE IN NEED. AMVETS DOES NOT RECEIVE ANY ADDITIONAL DOL OR DOL VETS FUNDING. AMVETS RECEIVES FUNDING FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES UNDER SSVF. AMVETS ALSO RECEIVES HUD FUNDS THROUGH THE COC COMPETITION TO SERVE SINGLES IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND YOUTH THROUGH TRANSITIONAL AND RAPID REHOUSING. THE ORG RECEIVES VARIOUS GRANTS FUNDING RESOURCES FROM TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS TO SERVE OTHER NEEDS AND FILL GAPS NOT SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT FUNDING.

PURPOSE OF PROJECT: THE PROJECT INTENDS TO SUPPORT 130 ENROLLED VETERANS ANNUALLY ACROSS THE SERVICE COMMUNITY OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE UNDER CATEGORY 1 (HVRP) AND WILL FOCUS ON SUPPORTING ALL VETERANS AND THE ABILITY TO SERVE WOMEN VETERANS, VETERANS WITH CHILDREN, AND VETERANS RETURNING FROM INCARCERATION.ACTIVITIES FUNDED BY GRANT: OUTREACH RECRUITMENT ENGAGEMENT OF ELIGIBLE VETERANS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT-RISK OF HOMELESSNESSINTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECT: THE PROJECT INTENDS TO SUPPORT 130 ENROLLED VETERANS ANNUALLY ACROSS THE SERVICE COMMUNITY OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA.OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT: THE FOLLOWING PROVIDES OUR METHODOLOGY IN IDENTIFYING THE GOALS IDENTIFIED FOR COMMENT IN THE FOA IN SERVICE TO 120 ENROLLED VETERANS ACROSS THE SERVICE AREA.-AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE AT PLACEMENT AMVETS SET $22.14 AS THE AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE AT PLACEMENT GOAL FOR THE PROGRAM. -PLACEMENT RATE OVERALL AMVETS PROPOSES AN OVERALL PLACEMENT RATE (EMPLOYED EXITED) OF 70.3%. -COST PER PLACEMENT AMVETS ANTICIPATES THAT COST PER PLACEMENT WILL BE $8,466 IN YEAR 1.-PERCENTAGE OF ENROLLMENTS RECEIVING TRAINING SERVICES: FRIENDSHIP PLACE EXPECTS TO SERVE 65% OF ENROLLED VETERANS WITH TRAINING SERVICES. -PERCENT UNSUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT AFTER EXIT (Q2) AMVETS PROPOSES A GOAL OF 45.8% FOR PARTICIPANTS IN UNSUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT IN THE SECOND QUARTER AFTER EXIT FROM THE PROGRAM IN YEAR 1.-PERCENT UNSUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT AFTER EXIT (Q4) AMVETS PROPOSES A GOAL OF 22.3% FOR PARTICIPANTS IN UNSUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER AFTER EXIT FROM THE PROGRAM. -MEDIAN QUARTERLY EARNINGS OF UNSUBSIDIZED AFTER EXIT (Q2) AMVETS PROPOSES MEDIAN QUARTERLY EARNINGS OF UNSUBSIDIZED EMPLOYEES IN Q2 AFTER EXIT AT $8,596. THIS INDICATOR ASSUMES THAT PLACED VETERANS ARE EARNING THE AVERAGE PER HOUR GOAL ($22.04) AT A MINIMUM OF 30-HOURS PER WEEK FOR 13-WEEKS.KEY PARTNERSHIPS: THERE ARE NO FORMALIZED AGREEMENTS OR PARTNERSHIPS IN PLACE, BUT AMVETS WORKS CLOSELY COLLABORATIVELY WITH MULTIPLE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL ENTITIES. THESE INCLUDE EACH OF THE IDENTIFIED COC COMMUNITIES, LOCAL SSVF PROVIDERS, GRANT AND PER DIEM (US VETS, ACCESS HOUSING), VA MEDICAL CENTER, VA MEDICAL CENTER HOMELESS VETERANS COMMUNITY RESOURCE REFERRAL CENTER (CRRC), AND OTHER VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. THE PROJECT PARTNERS WITH THE AMERICAN JOB CENTERS ACROSS THE SERVICE AREA FOR CO-ENROLLMENT OF VETERANS SERVED BY HVRP. AMVETS IS CONNECTED WITH AN INTERNAL COLLECTIVE OF 25 FAITH ORGANIZATIONS AND A VAST PROVIDER NETWORK OF MORE THAN 90 COMMUNITY-BASED AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO END HOMELESSNESS, ADDRESS POVERTY, HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, LEGAL, AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS ITEMS FOR THOSE IN NEED. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: N A RECIPIENT OF OTHER FUNDING: AMVETS DOES NOT RECEIVE ANY ADDITIONAL DOL OR DOL VETS FUNDING. AMVETS DOES RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES UNDER THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES (SSVF). AMVETS ALSO RECEIVES HUD FUNDS THROUGH THE COC COMPETITION TO SERVE SINGLES IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND YOUTH THROUGH TRANSITIONAL AND RAPID REHOUSING. THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVES VARIOUS GRANTS AND FUNDING RESOURCES FROM TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS TO SERVE OTHER UNIQUE NEEDS AND TO FILL GAPS NOT SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. AMVETS RAISES OVER $2.8 MILLION IN PRIVATE FUNDING EACH YEAR AND MORE THAN $250,000 OF IN-KIND GOODS AND SERVICES TO MEE THE NEEDS OF THE MORE THAN 4,900 INDIVIDUALS SERVED EACH YEAR.

CC* DATA STORAGE: HIGH VOLUME DATA STORAGE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY SHARED AS OPEN SCIENCE DATA FEDERATION DATA ORIGIN -THIS PROJECT DEVELOPS A HIGH-CAPACITY STORAGE SYSTEM WITH AROUND 4.3PB OVERALL USABLE STORAGE AS AN OPEN SCIENCE DATA FEDERATION (OSDF) DATA ORIGIN TO SUPPORT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES ON BOTH CAMPUSES OF KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY (KSU). 30% OF THE STORAGE IS TO BE ALLOCATED FOR HOSTING DATASETS OF EXTERNAL RESEARCHERS AND SHARING KSU SPAWNED DATASETS TO EMPOWER NATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS. THE PROJECT ENABLES A STORAGE PLATFORM FOR KSU?S RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS TO MAINTAIN AND SHARE THEIR DATASETS THRIVING THEIR COLLABORATIONS WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT DELETING FILES, TRANSFERRING TO ALTERNATE STORAGE DEVICES, OR MAILING HARD DRIVES WHILE AUGMENTING KSU?S RESEARCH EXPERTISE INTO THE NATIONAL DATA ECOSYSTEM. THIS STORAGE ARCHITECTURE CULTIVATES TWENTY-FOUR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROJECTS AT KSU IN A BROAD RANGE OF DISCIPLINES. THE PROJECT ALSO SUPPORTS NEW PH.D. PROGRAMS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING IN ADDITION TO THE FIRST PH.D. PROGRAM IN USA ON ANALYTICS AND DATA SCIENCE ALONG WITH 20 MASTER?S DEGREES IN AREAS INCLUDING CIVIL ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, COMPUTER SCIENCE, AND CYBERSECURITY. TO FACILITATE THE STORAGE SYSTEM EFFECTIVELY, KSU?S CENTER FOR RESEARCH COMPUTING ORGANIZES WORKSHOPS FOR THEIR FACULTY AND STUDENTS ON UTILIZING NATIONAL OPEN SCIENCE RESOURCES AND FINDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, INTEROPERABLE, AND REUSABLE (FAIR) PRINCIPLES. THIS EFFORT WILL ENABLE KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DISCOVERIES BY CONNECTING IT TO OSDF. THIS INTEGRATION INTO AN OPEN SCIENCE NETWORK WILL PRESENT NATIONAL TECHNICAL SERVICES AS KSU DEVELOPS RESEARCH COMPUTING AND DATA EXPERTISE WHILE CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE PROFESSIONALS AT KSU ADAPT THE STATE-OF-THE-ART STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES. 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.

PROJECT COPE

OTHER-TECH

THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT PROJECT IS TO DELIVER A SUCCESSFUL NATIONWIDE PEER MENTOR TRAINING PROGRAM, POWER IN PEERS, AND TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND THE REACH AND IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM WITH THE ADDITION OF NEW INITIATIVES, INCLUDING CONTINUING EDUCATION AND SUPPORT FOR CERTIFIED PEER SUPPORTERS AND THE INCLUSION OF NEW TOOLS FOR ADVANCING, STANDARDIZING, AND INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PRACTICE OF PEER SUPPORT IN THE PROFESSION. POWER IN PEERS IS A NATIONALLY STANDARDIZED PEER SUPPORT TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. THIS PROJECT WOULD ESTABLISH THE BLUE POWERLINE, A CONFIDENTIAL AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE RESOURCE TOOL THAT WOULD CONNECT LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL SEEKING PEER SUPPORT WITH A TRAINED PEER OF THEIR CHOOSING, EFFECTIVELY REMOVING ISSUES OF STIGMA THAT CURRENTLY ACT AS A BARRIER TO OFFICERS SEEKING SUPPORT.

SUPPORTING HEROES IN MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING (SHIFT)

SUPPORTING COMPUTATIONAL THINKING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS STUDENTS THROUGH DIAGRAMMATIC REASONING AND REPRESENTATIONAL LOGIC

ENGAGES PERSONS 55 AND OLDER IN SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

THE ACCESSIBLE CALCULUS PROJECT: ADVANCING EQUITY BY DEMOCRATIZING ACCESS TO ADVANCED MATHEMATICS -THIS PROJECT IS A THREE-YEAR RESEARCH COLLABORATION INVOLVING THE ALGEBRA PROJECT, THE CENTER FOR INNOVATION IN STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY, AND THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS. THE PROJECT AIMS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE WAY IN WHICH MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED, TAUGHT, AND PRACTICED IMPACTS ACCESS TO AND SUCCESS IN CALCULUS. THE PROJECT WILL WORK WITH TWO TEAMS OF MATH TEACHERS AND THEIR STUDENTS TO INTRODUCE AND DEVELOP THE CONCEPTS OF CALCULUS IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGH SCHOOL ALGEBRA II. THIS APPROACH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO RAISE THE LEVEL OF QUANTITATIVE LITERACY FOR ALL STUDENTS AND INCREASE THE POOL OF CALCULUS-READY AND HENCE STEM-READY STUDENTS. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE, STANDARDS-ALIGNED ALGEBRA II CURRICULUM BASED UPON THE ALGEBRA PROJECT?S POLYNOMIAL CALCULUS AND FIVE-STEP CURRICULAR PROCESS. THIS GEOMETRIC INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIAL AND INTEGRAL CALCULUS DOES NOT REQUIRE THE MECHANISMS OF ANALYSIS. AND THE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE FIVE-STEP PROCESS EMPHASIZES STUDENT VOICE, DRAWING ON NATURAL LANGUAGE TO DEVELOP MEANINGFUL, CONNECTED UNDERSTANDINGS OF ABSTRACT MATHEMATICAL IDEAS. A SECOND GOAL IS TO ENHANCE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF PARTICIPATING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS THROUGH THIS COLLABORATIVE CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT. BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WILL GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF MATHEMATICS, WHILE TEACHERS ALSO LEARN CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGIES AND CURRICULUM DESIGN. FINALLY, THE PROJECT AIMS TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS TO RECOGNIZE THEIR VOICE AND EXPERTISE, GAIN AGENCY AND A POSITIVE IDENTITY IN MATHEMATICS OR MATHEMATICS EDUCATION. DRAWING UPON THE TENETS OF PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH, THE YOUTH, TEACHER, AND EXPERT RESEARCHER TEAM WILL DEVELOP CASE STUDIES TO EXAMINE THE EMERGENCE OF VOICE, AGENCY, AND IDENTITY AMONG PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROJECT. IN ADDITION, THE EXPERT RESEARCH TEAM WILL DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS HAVE MASTERED THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF THE DIFFERENTIAL AND INTEGRAL CALCULUS, AND IDENTIFY THE CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE, BOTH IN FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, THAT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS CONSIDER VALUABLE. THIS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE RACIAL EQUITY IN STEM EDUCATION ACTIVITY (EDU RACIAL EQUITY). THE ACTIVITY SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND PRACTICE PROJECTS THAT INVESTIGATE HOW CONSIDERATIONS OF RACIAL EQUITY FACTOR INTO THE IMPROVEMENT OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE. AWARDED PROJECTS SEEK TO CENTER THE VOICES, KNOWLEDGE, AND EXPERIENCES OF THE INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITIES, AND INSTITUTIONS MOST IMPACTED BY SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES WITHIN THE STEM ENTERPRISE. THIS ACTIVITY ALIGNS WITH NSF?S CORE VALUE OF SUPPORTING OUTSTANDING RESEARCHERS AND INNOVATIVE THINKERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION'S DIVERSITY OF DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS, REGIONS, AND TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS. PROGRAMS ACROSS EDU CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TO THE RACIAL EQUITY ACTIVITY IN RECOGNITION OF THE ALIGNMENT OF ITS PROJECTS WITH THE COLLECTIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT THRUSTS OF THE FOUR DIVISIONS OF THE 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.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ELEMENTS: COMPUTATIONAL STORAGE VIRTUALIZATION FOR ACCELERATING DATA-DRIVEN SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS ON SUPERCOMPUTERS -WITH THE EMERGENCE OF COMPUTATIONAL STORAGE DEVICES AND SMART STORAGE SOLUTIONS, NEW SYSTEM-LEVEL SUPPORT IS NEEDED TO ENABLE DATA-DRIVEN SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS TO EFFICIENTLY ACCESS AND UTILIZE UNDERLYING COMPUTE AND STORAGE RESOURCES. THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTES BY CREATING A NEW BASIC TOOLCHAIN AND SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUCH SYSTEMS AND BY EVALUATING THEM WITH REPRESENTATIVE SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS AND DATA ANALYTICS. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPACT OTHER SCIENTIFIC DOMAINS BECAUSE DATA-DRIVEN SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS ARE USED IN MANY SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING DOMAINS, INCLUDING NATIONAL SECURITY, POWER SYSTEM RELIABILITY, AND FOOD SECURITY. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE RESEARCH TRAINING IN VERY LARGE SCALE INTEGRATION (VLSI) AND AI FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH AN EDUCATIONAL PATHWAY TO PURSUE ADVANCED DEGREES. THIS COLLABORATIVE AND INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT SEEKS TO BRING EXPERTS IN COMPUTER SYSTEMS, FIELD-PROGRAMMABLE GATE ARRAYS (FPGAS), HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING (HPC), AND DOMAIN SCIENTISTS TOGETHER TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A VIRTUAL COMPUTATIONAL STORAGE SYSTEM ?-HDF5. THE PROJECT IS DRIVEN BY REAL USE CASES AND BUILT ON STATE-OF-THE-ART HPC AND MACHINE-LEARNING CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE. THE PROJECT HAS THREE SPECIFIC GOALS. FIRST, THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AN HDF5-COMPATIBLE INTERFACE AND PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF COMPUTER KERNELS. SECOND, IT WILL IDENTIFY, DISPATCH, AND EXECUTE COMPUTE KERNELS ON FASTER DEVICES ACROSS MULTIPLE I/O LAYERS IN HPC SYSTEMS. THIRD, IT WILL EFFICIENTLY MANAGE CO-LOCATED RAW DATA AND PRE-PROCESSED DATA ON DISTRIBUTED AND HETEROGENEOUS STORAGE DEVICES. SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS USING ?-HDF5 FOR DATA MANAGEMENT CAN BENEFIT FROM ACCELERATED DATA INGESTION PIPELINES. ?-HDF5 ALSO MAKES COMPUTATIONAL STORAGE DEVICES MORE ACCESSIBLE TO USERS IN SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING COMMUNITIES. 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.

ASPNM CONDUCTS A VARIETY OF SINGLE- AND MULTI-DAY PROGRAMS FOR DISABLED VETERANS THROUGHOUT OF NEW MEXICO. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE SKIING, SNOWBOARDING, RAFTING, KAYAKING, ARCHERY, ROCK CLIMBING, & MORE.

THIS AWARD FUNDS THE APPROVED 2024-25 SCP PROGRAM. YOUR 2024?25 STATUTORY MATCH IS 10% AND YOUR BUDGETARY MATCH IS 10%. THIS AWARD IS APPROVED TO ADD $2,500 IN ONE-TIME ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR TRAVEL RELATED TO TRAINING IN FY 24.

REU SITE: INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN COASTAL PLAIN SCIENCE

CENTER FOR VETERAN STUDENT SERVICES AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

THE DESIGN AND STUDY OF ANTICANCER THERAPEUTICS INSPIRED BY NATURAL SUBSTRATES OF LAT1 - PROJECT SUMMARY CANCER’S UNCONTROLLED CELL PROLIFERATION IS SUPPORTED IN PART BY THE OVEREXPRESSION OF THE LARGE NEUTRAL AMINO ACID TRANSPORTER 1 (LAT1). LAT1 IS KEY IN MEETING THE UNUSUALLY HIGH NUTRIENT DEMAND OF CANCER CELLS FOR NATURAL- OCCURRING HYDROPHOBIC AMINO ACIDS. THE PROPOSED WORK IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE CURRENT DRUG TREATMENTS SUFFER FROM LIMITATIONS INVOLVING THE POOR SELECTIVITY FOR CANCER CELLS OVER HEALTHY CELLS, INEFFICIENT DRUG-UPTAKE, AND TREATMENT-RESISTANCE WHICH OFTEN OCCURS WITH PROGRESSION AND RECURRENCE OF THE DISEASE. FURTHERMORE, A MAJOR ROADBLOCK IN DRUG DEVELOPMENT FOR CANCEROUS TUMORS IS THE INABILITY OF MANY SMALL MOLECULES TO PENETRATE INTO TUMOR CELLS. AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR ADDRESSING THESE DRAWBACKS INVOLVES TARGETING DRUGS THAT ARE AMENABLE FOR UPTAKE VIA LAT1. THE EXPECTED OUTCOME IN DESIGNING STRUCTURES THAT CAN SERVE AS LAT1 SUBSTRATES IS TARGETED DELIVERY THROUGH ENHANCED DRUG SELECTIVITY FOR CANCER CELLS OVER HEALTHY CELLS. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP NOVEL 1,2,3-TRIAZOLE-BASED AMINO ACID CHEMOTHERAPEUTICS AS STRUCTURAL ANALOGUES OF NATURAL LAT1 SUBSTRATES. 1,2,3-TRIAZOLES ARE IMPORTANT SCAFFOLDS IN COMPOUNDS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING ANTICANCER ACTIVITY. IN ADDITION, THESE UNITS ARE OFTEN ATTACHED TO OTHER BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE MOLECULES TO ENHANCE POTENCY. ANTICANCER DRUG DESIGNS THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF THE 1,2,3-TRIAZOLE RINGS IN COMBINATION WITH THE UPTAKE EFFICIENCY THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA LAT1 ARE INNOVATIVE, NOVEL, AND WIDE OPEN FOR EXPLORATION. THE APPROACH TO THIS PROJECT WILL BE CARRIED OUT WITH TWO SPECIFIC AIMS, (1) THE DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS OF THE TRIAZOLE-BASED AMINO ACID-DRUG ASSEMBLIES AND (2) IN VITRO CHARACTERIZATION OF DRUG CANDIDATES. IN THE FIRST AIM, WE WILL DESIGN THREE CLASSES OF AMINO ACID ANALOGUES CONTAINING THE 1,2,3-TRIAZOLYL RINGS LINKED TO AROMATIC (AR) MOIETIES WITH KNOWN ANTICANCER ACTIVITY. THE CORE SKELETAL DESIGNS WILL CONSIST OF AN UNNATURAL AMINO ACID BACKBONE, THE NATURAL AMINO ACID TYROSINE, AND META-TYROSINE; THE LATTER TWO ARE HIGHLY COMPATIBLE WITH LAT1. BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE FINAL TRIAZOLE AMINO ACID-DRUG ASSEMBLIES AND THEIR PRECURSORS WILL BE USED TO DECIPHER THE STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIP FOR ANTICANCER ACTIVITY AND CELLULAR UPTAKE. THE SECOND AIM WILL FOCUS ON THE BIOLOGICAL STUDIES. THESE INVESTIGATIONS WILL USE CELL VIABILITY STUDIES TO PROBE THE ANTICANCER PROPERTIES OF THE COMPOUNDS DEVELOPED IN AIM 1. THE SECOND AIM WILL ALSO PROBE INTRACELLULAR DELIVERY; MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE CELLS POST DRUG ADMINISTRATION; AND SIGNALING PATHWAYS AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS THE MOLECULES ARE PREDICTED TO TARGET (P53 TUMOR SUPPRESSOR GENE FUNCTION AND REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS) PRODUCTION).

BRC-BIO: TOXICITY IN THE CITY: THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF HEAVY METALS ON THE BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY OF URBAN-ADAPTED BIRDS -URBANIZATION IS INCREASING GLOBALLY, AND ONE OF THE MAJOR WAYS IN WHICH HUMANS ARE ALTERING THE ENVIRONMENT IS THROUGH INCREASED POLLUTION. HEAVY METALS ARE ONE TYPE OF POLLUTANT THAT IS KNOWN TO CAUSE HARM TO ORGANISMS, INCLUDING HUMANS. FOR EXAMPLE, HEAVY METALS?WHICH INCLUDE ELEMENTS LIKE LEAD, MERCURY, CADMIUM, CHROMIUM, ARSENIC, AND MANY OTHERS?ARE TOXIC EVEN AT VERY LOW CONCENTRATIONS. HEAVY METALS ARE RELEASED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT BY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS CONSTRUCTION AND TRANSPORTATION, AND SO ARE COMMONLY BELIEVED TO BE FOUND IN GREATER CONCENTRATION IN URBAN OR HUMAN-IMPACTED AREAS THAN IN RURAL LOCALES. THIS PROJECT EVALUATES THAT ASSUMPTION BY MONITORING THE ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN THE BLOOD AND FEATHERS OF A COMMON BIRD, THE EUROPEAN STARLING, SAMPLED FROM LOCATIONS ACROSS 10 GEORGIA COUNTIES THAT RANGE FROM PREDOMINANTLY URBAN TO PREDOMINANTLY RURAL. THE RESEARCH ALSO FOCUSES ON UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF EXPERIENCED LEVELS OF HEAVY METALS ON THE PHYSIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF THE BIRDS, TO UNDERSTAND THE SUBLETHAL EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE. ULTIMATELY, THIS PROJECT WILL INFORM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF TYPICAL HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE, ITS ASSOCIATION WITH URBANIZATION, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT EXPOSURE FOR BIRD BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY WILL LEAD TO NEW HYPOTHESES ABOUT THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE IN HUMANS THAT INHABIT THE SAME AREAS. THE PROJECT WILL FURTHER BENEFIT SOCIETY BY TRAINING DIVERSE STUDENTS?INCLUDING UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS?THROUGH CREATING PAID RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN METROPOLITAN ATLANTA, AS WELL AS INCORPORATING RESEARCH INTO THE CLASSROOM AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY. THE RESEARCH TEAM WILL ENGAGE WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH VISITS TO CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE URBAN-TO-RURAL STUDY SITES TO SHARE RESEARCH FINDINGS AND TEST SCHOOL SOIL HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATIONS. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THREE KNOWLEDGE GAPS ON THE LINKS AMONG URBANIZATION, HEAVY METAL POLLUTION, ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY, AND PUBLIC HEALTH. PI GUINDRE-PARKER WILL CHARACTERIZE HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE ALONG AN URBAN-TO-RURAL GRADIENT BY SCREENING BLOOD AND FEATHER TISSUES OF FREE-LIVING EUROPEAN STARLINGS (STURNUS VULGARIS). STARLING POPULATIONS WILL BE SAMPLED ACROSS 10 COUNTIES IN GEORGIA THAT DIFFER IN THEIR DEGREE OF URBANIZATION, INCLUDING METROPOLITAN ATLANTA. NEXT, PI GUINDRE-PARKER WILL EXAMINE THE SUBLETHAL EFFECTS OF HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE ON THE PHYSIOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL COPING STYLES OF STARLINGS. METHODS INCLUDE IMMUNE AND ENDOCRINE ASSAYS TO CHARACTERIZE PHYSIOLOGY, AS WELL AS OPEN FIELD TESTS TO ASSESS BEHAVIOR. IMPORTANTLY, THIS WORK WILL EXPLORE HOW EXPOSURE TO MULTIPLE HEAVY METALS SIMULTANEOUSLY SHAPES ANIMAL PHENOTYPES UNDER FREE-LIVING CONDITIONS. FINALLY, PI GUINDRE-PARKER WILL INVESTIGATE WHETHER STARLINGS CAN SERVE IN BIOMONITORING HEAVY METALS VIA MAPPING RESULTS FROM STARLINGS ONTO PUBLISHED DATA IN HUMANS. HEAVY METAL POISONING CONTINUES TO BE A CONCERN IN MANY GEORGIA COUNTIES, INCLUDING IN METRO-ATLANTA, AND RESULTS FROM THIS WORK WOULD BENEFIT ONGOING INITIATIVES TO MONITOR HEAVY METALS IN THE STATE. THIS AWARD WOULD ALSO CREATE 2 FULLY FUNDED GRADUATE POSITIONS, 3 PAID UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH POSITIONS, AND WOULD ALLOW 144 BIOLOGY MAJORS TO PARTICIPATE IN CLASSROOM RESEARCH VIA COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES (CURE) IN PI GUINDRE-PARKER?S ANNUAL VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY COURSE. 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.

SMART COATINGS FOR DETECTION OF EARLY METAL CORROSION AND SELF HEALING CORROSION PROTECTION

RUI: STUDYING B-BODIES, A NOVEL TYPE OF NUCLEAR DOMAINS: FROM ORGANIZATION TO PRACTICAL EXPLOITATION.

REU SITE: RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN SOUTHEASTERN COASTAL PLAIN ECOSYSTEMS (RESCOPE) -THIS REU SITE AWARD TO GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY (GSU), LOCATED IN STATESBORO, GEORGIA, WILL SUPPORT THE TRAINING OF 10 STUDENTS FOR 10 WEEKS DURING THE SUMMERS OF 2023-2025. HOUSED AT GSU'S DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, THE UNIFYING THEME INVOLVES THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE STRESSORS ON ORGANISMS AND ECOSYSTEMS OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN. THE GOAL IS TO ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATES IN RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIQUE BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES OCCURRING IN THIS GEOGRAPHIC REGION AS WELL AS THEIR SUSTAINABLE USE AND MANAGEMENT. STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN HANDS-ON RESEARCH GUIDED BY FACULTY MENTORS, AS WELL AS IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS TARGETING GENERAL AND CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE ECOLOGY OF THE COASTAL PLAIN, SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS (ORAL AND WRITTEN), TECHNIQUES FOR LOCATING AND EVALUATING PRIMARY LITERATURE, AND ETHICAL PRACTICES IN SCIENCE. STUDENT RECRUITMENT IS TARGETED AT 1ST AND 2ND YEAR (FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE) STUDENTS ATTENDING INSTITUTIONS WHERE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES MAY BE MORE LIMITED, SUCH AS AT 2-YEAR COLLEGES AND PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS. STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO REGISTER IN THE NSF ETAP SYSTEM (ETAP.NSF.GOV) AND TRACKED AFTER THE PROGRAM TO DETERMINE THEIR CAREER PATHS. STUDENTS WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH ON HOW STRESSORS IMPACT ORGANISMS AND ECOSYSTEMS OF THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN WHILE LEARNING FIELD AND LABORATORY SKILLS THAT ARE BROADLY RELEVANT TO ECOSYSTEM-LEVEL SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. MANY WILL PRESENT THE RESULTS OF THEIR WORK AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES. THE GOAL IS TO FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT LEADS TO OPPORTUNITIES IN GRADUATE STUDIES AND CAREERS IN SCIENCE. ASSESSMENT OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE DONE THROUGH THE ONLINE SALG URSSA TOOL. STUDENTS WILL BE TRACKED AFTER THE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THEIR CAREER PATHS. STUDENTS WILL BE ASKED TO RESPOND TO AN AUTOMATIC EMAIL SENT VIA THE NSF REPORTING SYSTEM. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE BY VISITING HTTPS://SITES.GOOGLE.COM/GEORGIASOUTHERN.EDU/ICPS-REU/, OR BY CONTACTING THE PI (DR. J. CHECO COLON-GAUD AT JCCOLONGAUD@GEORGIASOUTHERN.EDU). 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.

MULTIMODAL INFERENCE OF HUMAN STATE TO TRACK COGNITIVE PROCESSES IN RISKY ENVIRONMENTS

REU SITE: PROPULSION, AERODYNAMICS, MATERIALS AND CONTROLS OF AERIAL VEHICLES

RUI: INVESTIGATING HOX GENE REGULATION OF PAIRED APPENDAGE PATTERNING IN THE BASAL ACTINOPTERYGIAN, POLYODON

SHF: SMALL: RUI: BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION INTERVIEWS: A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF REQUIREMENTS

NEW AWARD TO GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND SERVICE FOUNDATION, INC. FOR AWARD TITLED FEASIBILITY STUDY OF COAL REFUSE AND BIOMASS/TORREFIED BIOMASS CO-FIRED POWER PLANT: PERFORMANCE, COST AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

HOPSCOTCH 4 SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION: PROMOTING ELEMENTARY PRESERVICE TEACHER THREE-DIMENSIONAL LEARNING DURING SCIENCE CONTENT COURSES -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY CREATING NEW RESOURCES AND CURRICULA FOR FUTURE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS TO DEVELOP THEIR KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES, AND SELF-EFFICACY FOR INCORPORATING INVESTIGATION AND SCIENTIFIC REASONING INTO SCIENCE TEACHING. HAVING OPPORTUNITIES TO INVESTIGATE AND REASON ABOUT EVERYDAY PHENOMENA AND PROBLEMS ALLOWS ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO DEVELOP THEIR SCIENTIFIC SENSEMAKING. THIS SCIENTIFIC SENSEMAKING IS IMPORTANT FOR ENCOURAGING DECISION-MAKING AND POTENTIAL STEM CAREERS WITHIN THE U.S. POPULATION. TO CREATE THESE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENTIFIC SENSEMAKING FOR ALL CHILDREN, TEACHERS NEED KNOWLEDGE OF SCIENCE CONTENT AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO ENGAGE IN SCIENCE. TEACHERS ALSO REQUIRE ABILITY AND SELF-EFFICACY FOR SUPPORTING ELEMENTARY CHILDREN IN INVESTIGATION AND SCIENTIFIC REASONING. THIS IUSE ENGAGED STUDENT LEARNING TRACK 1 PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND STUDY AN INNOVATIVE TOOLKIT AND ASSOCIATED LEARNING MODULES. THE PURPOSE OF THE TOOLKIT AND LEARNING MODULES IS TO SUPPORT FUTURE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS TO ENGAGE IN SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS AND REASONING DURING UNDERGRADUATE CONTENT COURSES, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT FOR DEVELOPING FUTURE TEACHERS' SELF-EFFICACY IN AND KNOWLEDGE FOR EQUITABLE SCIENCE TEACHING. THE TOOLKIT AND LEARNING MODULES MODEL HOW LEARNERS CAN USE THEIR PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY ASSETS IN SCIENTIFIC SENSEMAKING AS THEY ENGAGE IN INVESTIGATION AND ARGUMENTATION. THE EXPLICIT EMPHASIS AND REFLECTION ON EXPANDING THE CONCEPTIONS OF WHAT CONSTITUTES SCIENCE AND WHO CAN ENGAGE IN SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION CAN CONTRIBUTE NEW UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO EMBED EQUITABLE SCIENCE TEACHING WITHIN UNDERGRADUATE SCIENCE CONTENT COURSES. THE MIXED METHODS CASE STUDY OF HOW FUTURE TEACHERS USE THE TOOLKIT WILL ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TEACHERS DEVELOP SELF-EFFICACY IN AND KNOWLEDGE FOR EQUITABLE ELEMENTARY SCIENCE TEACHING. THE PROJECT'S GOAL IS TO USE DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH METHODOLOGY TO DEVELOP AND IMPROVE THE HOPSCOTCH 4-SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION TOOLKIT AND SUPPORTING LEARNING MODULES FOR USE WITHIN TWO DIFFERENT INTEGRATED SCIENCE CONTENT COURSES FOR PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS. ONE OF THE INTEGRATED SCIENCE CONTENT COURSES FOCUSES ON LIFE AND EARTH SCIENCE CONCEPTS, AND THE OTHER FOCUSES ON PHYSICAL SCIENCE. THE PROJECT AIMS TO INTEGRATE THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS) THREE DIMENSIONS OF DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS, CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS, AND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES. THE TOOLKIT WILL EMBED EXPLICIT SUPPORTS FOR SCIENTIFIC REASONING WITH THE CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS, SUCH AS PATTERNS AND CAUSE/EFFECT, INTO TOOLS FOR THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES OF INVESTIGATIONS AND ARGUMENTATION. THE ASSOCIATED MODULES WILL CENTER ON A SET OF KEY DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHING IN LIFE, EARTH, AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE. THROUGH MIXED METHODS CASE STUDIES, THE PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE HOW THE TOOLKIT FACILITATES THE TEACHERS' ENGAGEMENT IN SCIENTIFIC SENSEMAKING, KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHING, AND SELF-EFFICACY RELATED TO EQUITABLE ELEMENTARY SCIENCE TEACHING. THE MIXED CASE STUDIES WILL USE PRE- AND POST-COURSE MEASURES OF THE FUTURE TEACHERS' ABILITIES AND KNOWLEDGE. THE RESEARCH STUDY WILL ALSO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND OBSERVE FOCAL PARTICIPANTS' INTERACTIONS WITH THE TOOLKIT AND SUPPORTING MODULES TO ANALYZE HOW TEACHERS INTERACT AND LEARN FROM THE MATERIALS. THE FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY WILL BE DISSEMINATED IN PUBLICATIONS AND WORKSHOPS WITH OTHER TEACHER EDUCATORS AND RESEARCHERS. ADDITIONALLY, THE HOPSCOTCH 4-SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION TOOLKIT WILL BE SHARED ON A WEBSITE FOR USE BY TEACHERS, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, SCIENCE EDUCATORS, AND UNIVERSITY FACULTY TO BE USED FOR OTHER UNDERGRADUATE COURSES AND TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THE HOPSCOTCH 4-SCIENTIFIC TOOLKIT, MODULES, AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS WILL IMPROVE UNDERGRADUATE STEM COURSES AND SUPPORT TEACHER EDUCATORS AND ELEMENTARY TEACHERS IN CREATING MEANINGFUL, EQUITABLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN SCIENCE. THE NSF IUSE: EDU PROGRAM SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STEM EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS. THROUGH THE ENGAGED STUDENT LEARNING TRACK, THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE CREATION, EXPLORATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROMISING PRACTICES AND TOOLS. 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.

IDENTIFICATION OF PERSISTENT IMPAIRMENTS IN POSTURAL CONTROL FOLLOWING CONCUSSION

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A HIGH-RESOLUTION MASS SPECTROMETER (HRMS) FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND TEACHING IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION OF GEORGIA

RUI: INVESTIGATING NOVEL MECHANISMS OF MAPKAP KINASE 2 (MK2) REGULATION

BRC-BIO: MAINTENANCE OF ALTERNATIVE REPRODUCTIVE TACTICS IN A PLETHODONTID SALAMANDER -UNDERSTANDING HOW VARIATION IS MAINTAINED IN POPULATIONS IS OF FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY. ALTERNATIVE REPRODUCTIVE TACTICS ARE DISCRETE DIFFERENCES IN REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR FOUND WITHIN A SINGLE POPULATION, AND THEY ARE OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY VARIATION IN REPRODUCTIVE MORPHOLOGY. ONE EXAMPLE IS ILLUSTRATED BY THE ?SEARCHING? AND ?GUARDING? MALES FOUND IN SOME SPECIES OF THE TWO-LINED SALAMANDERS, A GROUP OF SEMI-AQUATIC, LUNGLESS SALAMANDERS THAT ARE WIDESPREAD AND ABUNDANT IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON UNDERSTANDING THE BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THIS POLYMORPHISM IN URBAN STREAMS IN METRO ATLANTA. THROUGH DATA COLLECTED FROM FIELD SAMPLING, GENOMIC SEQUENCING, AND BEHAVIORAL TRIALS, THIS PROJECT WILL EVALUATE THE ROLES OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL HETEROGENEITY, ANTHROPOGENIC LANDSCAPE CHANGES, AND SPERM COMPETITION IN THE LONG-TERM COEXISTENCE OF REPRODUCTIVE VARIATION IN THESE AMPHIBIANS. THESE RESULTS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAINTENANCE OF GENOTYPIC AND PHENOTYPIC DIVERSITY IN POPULATIONS. FURTHERMORE, THIS AWARD WILL CREATE 12 PAID UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH POSITIONS AND ALLOW 45 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO ENGAGE IN AUTHENTIC, INQUIRY-DRIVEN RESEARCH THROUGH A TEAM RESEARCH COURSE AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY. THIS PROJECT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF A NEW AND TRACTABLE SYSTEM TO STUDY THE EVOLUTIONARY MAINTENANCE OF FIXED, MORPHOLOGICALLY DISTINCT, AND GENETICALLY DETERMINED ALTERNATIVE REPRODUCTIVE TACTICS IN WILD POPULATIONS. WITH UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, PI PIERSON WILL DEVELOP AND USE GENOTYPING ASSAYS TO CHARACTERIZE THE FREQUENCY OF ALTERNATIVE REPRODUCTIVE TACTICS IN TWO-LINED SALAMANDERS AND WILL COLLECT PAIRED ENVIRONMENTAL DATA FROM DOZENS OF STREAMS IN METRO ATLANTA. THEY WILL THEN EVALUATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TACTIC FREQUENCIES AND NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC LANDSCAPE FEATURES TO CONTRIBUTE TO BROADER THEORY FOCUSED ON THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HETEROGENEITY IN THE MAINTENANCE OF POLYMORPHISMS. NEXT, PI PIERSON AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP AND USE A NEW GENOMIC ASSAY TO DETERMINE PATERNITY OF CLUTCHES LAID FOLLOWING COURTSHIP TRIALS. THEY WILL THEN USE THESE DATA TO EVALUATE EVIDENCE FOR MULTIPLE PATERNITY, TACTIC-SPECIFIC SPERM COMPETITION ADVANTAGES, AND FIRST- OR LAST-MALE SPERM PRECEDENCE, WHICH WILL INFORM MORE GENERAL IDEAS ABOUT HOW TEMPORAL VARIATION IN REPRODUCTIVE OPPORTUNITIES CONTRIBUTES TO THE MAINTENANCE OF VARIATION IN REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIORS. 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.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION

THEORETICAL CALCULATIONS FOR PARTICLE PHYSICS AT HADRON COLLIDERS -THIS AWARD FUNDS THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF PROFESSORS NIKOLAOS KIDONAKIS AND MARCO GUZZI AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY. THE RESEARCH PROJECT IS IN THEORETICAL PARTICLE PHYSICS, AND IT IS RELEVANT TO THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER (LHC), WHICH IS CURRENTLY THE HIGHEST-ENERGY PARTICLE COLLIDER IN THE WORLD, AND TO FUTURE COLLIDERS. BY COLLIDING PROTONS AT HIGHER ENERGIES THAN HAVE EVER BEEN PREVIOUSLY EXPLORED, PHYSICISTS EXPECT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES OF MATTER AND THEIR INTERACTIONS. THE RESEARCH INVOLVES THEORETICAL CALCULATIONS THAT ARE SUFFICIENTLY PRECISE AND ACCURATE TO MAKE MEANINGFUL COMPARISONS WITH DATA FROM THE LHC. THE TOP QUARK IS THE HEAVIEST ELEMENTARY PARTICLE THAT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED AND IT HAS UNIQUE PROPERTIES, AND THUS IT IS OF CENTRAL IMPORTANCE FOR THE PHYSICS PROGRAM AT THE LHC. THE HIGGS BOSON IS INVOLVED IN THE MECHANISM FOR MASS GENERATION, AND THE DETERMINATION OF ITS PROPERTIES IS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY. THUS, THEORETICAL PREDICTIONS OF THE PRODUCTION RATES FOR THESE PARTICLES IS CRUCIAL FOR FURTHER PROGRESS IN OUR FIELD. FURTHERMORE, AN IMPROVED DESCRIPTION OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROTON IS ESSENTIAL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE DETAILS OF PROTON-PROTON COLLISIONS. THE RESEARCH WILL INVOLVE STATE-OF-THE-ART CALCULATIONS THAT WILL IMPROVE THEORETICAL PREDICTIONS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TOP QUARKS, HIGGS AND W, Z BOSONS, AND OTHER PARTICLES, IT WILL ADVANCE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE STRONG INTERACTIONS, AND IT WILL IMPROVE THE DESCRIPTION OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROTON. THE PROJECT WILL ADVANCE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY PROMOTING THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE IN ONE OF ITS MOST FUNDAMENTAL DIRECTIONS: THE DISCOVERY AND UNDERSTANDING OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND THEIR INTERACTIONS, AND THE SEARCH FOR NEW PHYSICS, THEREBY SERVING THE NSF MISSION OF PROMOTING THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. THE RESEARCH FINDINGS WILL BE WIDELY DISSEMINATED THROUGH PUBLICATION IN REFEREED JOURNALS AND PRESENTATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO HAVE SIGNIFICANT BROADER IMPACTS. IT WILL INVOLVE STUDENTS AS WELL AS A POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH, AND THEREBY PROVIDE CRITICAL TRAINING FOR JUNIOR PHYSICISTS IN THIS FIELD. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY WILL PROMOTE KNOWLEDGE OF PHYSICS TO THE PUBLIC. MORE TECHNICALLY, THE RESEARCH PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT FORMALISMS THAT CAN IMPROVE THEORETICAL PREDICTIONS OF HIGHER-ORDER QCD AND ELECTROWEAK CORRECTIONS FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF PROCESSES AT THE LHC AND FUTURE COLLIDERS AS WELL AS THE DETERMINATION OF PARTON DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS (PDF) IN THE PROTON. HIGHER-ORDER PERTURBATIVE CALCULATIONS OF QCD AND ELECTROWEAK CORRECTIONS AS WELL AS RESUMMATIONS OF SOFT-GLUON AND COLLINEAR CONTRIBUTIONS WILL BE PERFORMED FOR PROCESSES INVOLVING TOP QUARKS, SUCH AS TOP-ANTITOP PAIR PRODUCTION, SINGLE-TOP PRODUCTION, PRODUCTION OF TOP-ANTITOP PAIRS IN ASSOCIATION WITH Z BOSONS AND HIGGS BOSONS, AND OTHER PROCESSES IN THE STANDARD MODEL AND IN MODELS OF NEW PHYSICS. CALCULATIONS OF SOFT-GLUON CORRECTIONS TO CROSS SECTIONS AND DIFFERENTIAL DISTRIBUTIONS FOR THESE PROCESSES WILL BE PERFORMED AT NEXT-TO-NEXT-TO-LEADING ORDER (NNLO) AND NEXT-TO-NEXT-TO-NEXT-TO-LEADING ORDER (N3LO). AN IMPROVED CALCULATION OF THE MASSIVE CUSP ANOMALOUS DIMENSION, WHICH CONTROLS THE INFRARED BEHAVIOR OF QCD SCATTERING AMPLITUDES, WILL ALSO BE PERFORMED AT FOUR LOOPS. MOREOVER, THE CTEQ GLOBAL PDF ANALYSIS WILL BE EXTENDED TO THE NEXT GENERATION WHICH IS BASED ON A VARIETY OF NEW MEASUREMENTS FROM THE LHC RUN 2 AND RUN 3. THE PDF WILL BE DETERMINED AT NNLO IN QCD USING AN AMENDED VERSION OF THE FACTORIZATION THEOREM IN PROTON COLLISIONS FOR SELECTED PROCESSES, AND A NEW STRATEGY WILL BE DEVISED TO ACCOUNT FOR THEORETICAL UNCERTAINTIES IN THE GLOBAL ANALYSIS AND FLEXIBLE PDF PARAMETRIZATIONS. MOREOVER, THE IMPACT OF PARTIAL N3LO CONTRIBUTIONS TO DGLAP EVOLUTION WILL BE STUDIED, AND THE DEFAULT CTEQ FACTORIZATION SCHEME FOR HEAVY-FLAVOR TREATMENT IN DIS PROCESSES WILL BE EXTENDED TO N3LO IN QCD USING THE INFORMATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE LITERATURE. 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.

TAS::57 3600::TAS "(YIP) MULTI-CHROMATIC ULTRASHORT PULSE FILAMENTATION AND BULK MODIFICATION IN DIELECTRICS"

REU SITE: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN GREEN-ENGINEERED NEW TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES (URGENTT)

RUI: THE ROLE OF AQUAPORIN CHANNELS IN THE EEL INTESTINAL WATER INFLUX PATHWAY DURING SALINITY ACCLIMATION

MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF HYALOMMA TICK VECTORS OF CRIMEAN-CONGO HEMORRHAGIC FEVER VIRUS - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT TICKS ARE OBLIGATE BLOOD-FEEDERS, TEMPORARY ECTOPARASITES, AND VECTORS OF PATHOGENS TO HUMANS AND ANIMALS. CERTAIN SPECIES OF THE GENUS HYALOMMA ARE THE PRINCIPAL VECTORS OF THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES CRIMEAN-CONGO HEMORRHAGIC FEVER (CCHF), WHICH POSES A HEALTH RISK IN LARGE TERRITORIES OF EUROPE, ASIA, AND AFRICA AND FATAL TO AN ESTIMATED 30% OF AFFECTED HUMANS. HYALOMMA SPECIES ARE ALSO IMPORTANT VECTORS OF PATHOGENS CAUSING RICKETTSIOSES IN HUMANS AND BABESIOSES, ANAPLASMOSIS, AND THEILERIOSIS IN ANIMALS. THE RATIONALE FOR THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS THAT CORRECT IDENTIFICATION OF TICK SPECIES, PARTICULARLY IN THE IMMATURE STAGES, IS ESSENTIAL FOR SURVEILLANCE OF VECTORS AND PATHOGENS, EPIDEMIOLOGY, PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT OF TICK-BORNE DISEASES. HOWEVER, IDENTIFYING MAJOR HYALOMMA SPECIES-VECTORS IS CHALLENGING BECAUSE THE SYSTEMATICS OF SPECIES WITHIN GROUPS OF CLOSELY RELATED SPECIES REMAINS UNRESOLVED. ADDITIONALLY, IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES IN THE LARVAL AND NYMPHAL STAGES IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO THE LACK OF PROPER TAXONOMIC WORKS, IDENTIFICATION KEYS, AND MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS (E.G. REAL-TIME PCR ASSAYS).THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE TOOLS (MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR) THAT EFFECTIVELY IDENTIFY CLOSELY RELATED HYALOMMA SPECIES THAT ARE VECTORS OF CCHF VIRUS. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH TWO SPECIFIC AIMS: (1) RESOLVE THE SYSTEMATICS WITHIN GROUPS OF CLOSELY RELATED SPECIES OF HYALOMMA RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF CCHF VIRUS; SUCH AS H. MARGINATUM (5 SP.), H. TRUNCATUM (3 SP.) AND H. ANATOLICUM (2 SP.), THROUGH: 1A) USING MORPHOLOGICAL DATA BY EXAMINATION OF AVAILABLE SPECIMENS, ILLUSTRATION OF DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERS, AND APPLICATION OF MULTIVARIATE STATISTICS; AND 1B) USING BOTH HIGH THROUGHPUT ILLUMINA SHORT READ AND OXFORD NANOPORE LONG READ GENOMIC DATA, GUIDED ASSEMBLY AND ANNOTATION, AND COALESCENCE-BASED PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSES. (2) TO PRODUCE COMPREHENSIVE MORPHOLOGICAL TAXONOMIC KEYS AND A MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF CLOSELY RELATED HYALOMMA SPECIES-VECTORS OF CCHF VIRUS AT EACH PARASITIC STAGE BY: 2A) CONSTRUCTING FULLY ILLUSTRATED, WEB-BASED, INTERACTIVE, MULTI-ENTRY IDENTIFICATION KEYS USING MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS; AND 2B) USING THE GENOMIC SEQUENCE DATA FROM AIM 1B TO IDENTIFY DIAGNOSTIC GENE OR SEQUENCE REGIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIPLEX TAQMAN PROBE BASED REAL-TIME PCR ASSAY FOR THE ACCURATE IDENTIFICATION OF CLOSELY RELATED HYALOMMA SPECIES. THE IMPACT OF THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM IS THAT IT WILL DEVELOP EFFECTIVE IDENTIFICATION TOOLS FOR HYALOMMA SPECIES SERVING AS MAJOR VECTORS OF CCHF VIRUS, THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF GENOMIC, MORPHOLOGICAL, HOST, AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION. THESE TOOLS WILL BE USEFUL TO HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND SCIENTISTS IN NUMEROUS FIELDS, INCLUDING EPIDEMIOLOGY, VECTOR BIOLOGY, AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES. A PHD STUDENT AND AT LEAST 6 UNDERGRADUATES WILL BE TRAINED AND INSTRUMENTAL IN THE COMPLETION OF ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT STRENGTHENING THEIR PREPARATION FOR FUTURE EDUCATION AND CAREERS IN THE BIOMEDICAL FIELDS, INCLUDING VECTOR BIOLOGY, SYSTEMATICS, AND ZOONOTIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM - THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO SYSTEMICALLY ADDRESS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE SHORTAGE GAPS IN HIGH NEED AND RURAL AREAS IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THE PROGRAM WILL PARTNER WITH INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND PRIMARY CARE CENTERS TO INCREASE TRAINEE INTEREST AND COMPETENCE IN SERVING DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, FAMILIES, AND YOUNG ADULTS RESIDING IN MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. TRAINEES WILL RECEIVE YEAR-LONG EXPERIENTIAL, INTERPROFESSIONAL, AND DIDACTIC TRAINING TO ADDRESS INTEGRATIVE, TELEHEALTH, CULTURALLY COMPETENT, AND TRAUMA-FOCUSED CARE NEEDS OF CLIENT STAKEHOLDERS SERVED AT OUR PARTNERED AGENCIES. TRAINING ELEMENTS WILL BE REINFORCED BY ADVANCED SUPERVISION PRACTICES PROVIDED BY PROFESSIONALS ACROSS MULTIPLE FIELDS OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE. TRAINING AND SUPERVISION PRACTICES WILL BE FRAMED BY CULTURALLY COMPETENT MODELS, ESPECIALLY THOSE HIGHLIGHTING BEST PRACTICES IN SERVING LOWER-INCOME AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM ORIGINATED FROM A LONGSTANDING AND DIRE NEED FOR LICENSED PSYCHOLOGISTS IN UNDERSERVED AREAS IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. FROM A WORKFORCE SHORTAGE PERSPECTIVE, THE PROGRAM WILL SUPPORT TRAINEE SKILLS TO MINIMIZE BARRIERS ASSOCIATED WITH ESTABLISHING AND/OR FINDING EMPLOYMENT IN INTEGRATIVE HEALTHCARE CENTERS SERVING DISADVANTAGE COMMUNITIES. THE PROGRAM WILL ALSO COLLABORATE WITH PROFESSIONAL STAKEHOLDERS ALREADY PROVIDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE IN TARGETED COMMUNITIES. SPECIFICALLY, THE PROGRAM WILL BOLSTER PROFESSIONAL STAKEHOLDERS’ SKILLS TO SERVE IN SUPERVISORY, CONSULTATION, AND MENTORSHIP ROLES THROUGH COALITION BUILDING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION EFFORTS. IN CONJUNCTION, THE PROGRAM WILL DEVELOP PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT HOLISTIC AND INTERPROFESSIONAL CARE PRACTICES. THESE OPERATIONS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE RESOURCE-ORIENTED PLATFORM BY WHICH TRAINEES SET UP AND OFFER HIGH QUALITY SERVICES IN HIGH NEED AREAS. THE PROGRAM ALSO WILL OFFER HIGH QUALITY SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, FAMILIES, AND YOUNG ADULTS. IN THIS VEIN, THE PROGRAM WILL TRY TO REMOVE HEALTH DISPARITIES BY MAKING BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE MORE ACCESSIBLE, COST-EFFECTIVE, AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE. TRAINEES WILL OFFER EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED AND CULTURALLY COMPETENT TRAUMA-FOCUSED, TELEHEALTH, AND INTEGRATIVE CARE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN NEED, WHICH SHOULD MINIMIZE WAITLIST TIMES AND PROVIDE A WIDER RANGE OF SERVICES FOR CLIENT STAKEHOLDERS. TRAINEES WILL ENGAGE IN A FULL ROTATION OF EXPERIENTIAL WORK AT ONE OF OUR PARTNERED AGENCIES AND BE PROVIDED WITH QUALITY SUPERVISION, CONSULTATION, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, AND DIDACTIC TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF LICENSED PSYCHOLOGISTS, COUNSELORS, SOCIAL WORKERS, NURSES, PARAPROFESSIONALS, AND PSYCHIATRISTS. COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL STAKEHOLDERS WILL BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERPROFESSIONAL COALITION BUILDING, OUTREACH, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, AND CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOPS TO SUPPORT INTEGRATIVE CARE EFFORTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. CLIENT STAKEHOLDERS WILL BE OFFERED MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN ACCESSIBLE (I.E., TELEHEALTH), LOW-COST, AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY AND ASSESSMENT SERVICES. THE PROGRAM WILL SERVE CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN THE FINAL YEAR OF STUDY AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. STUDENTS WILL BE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE BASED ON THEIR INTEREST IN WORKING IN HIGH NEED AREAS. STIPENDS WILL BE OFFERED TO GRANT TRAINEES TO DEFRAY LIVING EXPENSES AND HELP THEM OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS IN HIGH NEED AREAS. THE GRANT PROGRAM WILL ALSO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE AND QUALITY SERVICES TO YOUTH PRESENTING WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL AND DISABILITY, SCHOOL-RELATED, MINORITY STRESS, TRAUMA HISTORY, AND LOW ACCESSIBILITY CONCERNS. CONSIDERING OUR DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF PREPARING TRAINEES TO WORK IN INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS SERVING MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS, WE REQUEST OUR APPLICATION BE CONSIDERED AS A FUNDING PRIORITY AND FUNDING PREFERENCE UNDER QUALIFICATION 1.

PRL3 INHIBITORS AS MIGRASTATICS AND THE MOLECULAR DETERMINANTS OF PRL3 DRUGGABILITY - PROJECT SUMMARY MORE THAN 90% OF CANCER MORTALITIES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH METASTASIS. DESPITE ADVANCES IN CANCER THERAPIES, THERE HAS NOT BEEN SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN METASTASIS-ASSOCIATED DEATHS AND THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF TARGETED TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR LATE-STAGE PATIENTS. IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING TO TARGET METASTASIS DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF UNDERLYING MECHANISMS THAT LEAD TO IT. THE PHOSPHATASE OF REGENERATING LIVER 3, PRL3, HAS EMERGED AS ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING CANCER TARGETS IN RECENT YEARS. IT WAS ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED AS A BIOMARKER FOR METASTASIS IN COLORECTAL CANCERS. INTERESTINGLY, IT HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN INCREASED INVASIVENESS AND METASTATIC POTENTIALS IN SEVERAL OTHER CANCERS. WHILE ITS BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS REMAIN TO BE ELUCIDATED, STUDIES IN CANCER MODELS, PATIENT DATA, AND KNOWN SUBSTRATES ALL INDICATE THAT IT HAS AN ACTIVE ROLE IN CELLULAR INVASIVENESS AND METASTASIS. PRL3, THEREFORE, PRESENTS AS A VALUABLE MOLECULAR TARGET IN METASTASIS. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP MIGRASTATICS THAT SPECIFICALLY TARGET PRL3. GIVEN INCREASING INTERESTS IN PHOSPHATASE DRUG DISCOVERY, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN LINKED TO CANCERS, SEVERAL PRL3 INHIBITORS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. THE PROMISCUITY, NON-SPECIFIC ACTION, AND CHEMICAL INSTABILITY OF THESE MOLECULES, HOWEVER, HAVE PREVENTED FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. MORE STRIKING, THOUGH, IS THAT NONE OF THESE INHIBITORS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO DIRECTLY BIND PRL3. THIS PROHIBITS THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH AFFINITY, SELECTIVE INHIBITORS BY RATIONAL DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION AS NO ATOMIC LEVEL INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AS TO HOW PRL3 INTERACTS WITH ITS INHIBITORS. OUR GROUP RECENTLY IDENTIFIED TWO INHIBITORS THAT DIRECTLY AND SPECIFICALLY BIND PRL3, THE FIRST SUCH INHIBITORS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO UNCOVER THE MOLECULAR DETERMINANTS OF PRL3 DRUGGABILITY AND TO IDENTIFY NOVEL MOLECULES WITH POTENTIAL TO BE DEVELOPED AS MIGRASTATICS. THE RATIONALE FOR THE PROPOSAL IS THAT STRUCTURAL INFORMATION IS CRITICAL FOR RATIONAL DRUG DESIGN, AND BINDERS ARE NECESSARY TO GET SUCH STRUCTURAL INFORMATION. FURTHERMORE, THIS WILL PROVIDE MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF ACTION FOR POTENTIAL MIGRASTATICS THAT WILL BE IDENTIFIED. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AIMS: 1) DETERMINE THE STRUCTURE OF PRL3 IN COMPLEX WITH INHIBITORS, 2) IMPROVE THE CURRENT MOLECULES THROUGH STRUCTURE ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS, AND 3) IDENTIFY NOVEL FRAGMENTS THROUGH A BINDING-FIRST SCREENING BY NMR. THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH IS SIGNIFICANT AS IT WILL DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOLECULAR TARGETED MIGRASTATICS WHICH HAS HIGH

TO SUPPORT REGIONAL US POLICIES BY EXPOSING AND MITIGATING ILLEGAL, UNREGULATED, AND UNREPORTED FISHING ACTIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN REGION BY THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA (PRC).

HIGHLY LUMINESCENT MULTINUCLEAR COINAGE METAL ARRAYS WITH A TWIST: A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN LIGHT-EMITTING MOLECULAR STRINGS AND COILS -WITH SUPPORT OF THE CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, MICHAEL STOLLENZ OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY WILL EXPLORE NOVEL MOLECULES CONTAINING INDIVIDUAL METAL ATOMS OF THE ELEMENTS COPPER, SILVER, AND GOLD THAT ARE ARRANGED IN A LINEAR FASHION AND ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER. THESE COMPLEXES ARE HIGHLY LUMINESCENT AND THE LUMINESCENCE PROPERTIES CAN BE CONTROLLED BY THE STRUCTURES OF THESE COMPLEXES. SUCH MOLECULAR STRINGS ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SERVE AS CONDUCTING MOLECULAR WIRES AND COILS FOR APPLICATIONS IN MINIATURIZED ELECTRONIC DEVICES ON THE SUBMICROSCOPIC SCALE. LUMINESCENT COMPLEXES WITH MULTIPLE COPPER, SILVER, AND GOLD IONS ARE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THIS REGARD, SINCE THEY CAN BE APPLIED IN MOLECULAR/ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES (OLEDS). FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF MOLECULAR STRINGS OF THIS NATURE, TAILORED SYNTHETIC METHODOLOGIES ARE REQUIRED TO TARGET AND CONTROL LINEAR ARRANGEMENTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL METAL IONS. STOLLENZ AND HIS GROUP WILL WORK TO DEVELOP A NEW METHODOLOGY FOR PRODUCING NOT ONLY STRICTLY LINEAR ARRAYS OF COPPER, SILVER, AND GOLD IONS, BUT ALSO ARRANGEMENTS THAT ARE SUBSTANTIALLY BENT AND THEREFORE REPRESENT MOLECULAR COILS. THE MAJOR GOAL IS TO INVESTIGATE HOW THE STRUCTURAL CHANGES AFFECT THE EMISSION PROPERTIES OF THESE COMPOUNDS. A LONG-TERM PROSPECT FOR SUCH MOLECULAR COILS, IF EMBEDDED IN ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS, IS TO UTILIZE THEM AS TINY ELECTROMAGNETS THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED IN NANOMACHINES AND OTHER NANOSCALED ELECTRONIC DEVICES. SUCH DEVICES CAN IN TURN BE APPLIED IN NANOROBOTS THAT DELIVER DRUGS INSIDE A HUMAN BODY. IF THESE DEVICES ARE LUMINESCENT, THEIR PATH CAN BE FOLLOWED BY FLUORESCENCE IMAGING. THE BROADER IMPACTS OF THIS WORK WILL INCLUDE THE MENTORING AND TRAINING OF UNDERGRADUATE AND MASTERS STUDENTS FROM THE SIGNIFICANT POPULATION OF UNDERSERVED GROUPS AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY. THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM FOCUSES ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW STRATEGIES TO MULTINUCLEAR COINAGE METAL ARRAYS AS MOLECULAR STRINGS AND COILS THAT SERVE AS KEY COMPONENTS IN MOLECULAR/ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES (OLEDS). THE UNDERLYING SYNTHETIC METHODS AIM TO PROVIDE A FUNDAMENTAL APPROACH TO CONTROL AGGREGATION OF LINEAR CLUSTER ASSEMBLIES AND TO PROVIDE A INSIGHT INTO THE COORDINATION CHEMISTRY OF MULTINUCLEAR COMPLEX ARRAYS IN GENERAL. SPECIFICALLY, A LIBRARY OF NEW BIS(AMIDINE) LIGANDS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF ACCOMMODATING AT LEAST FOUR COPPER CENTERS, ARRANGED IN A LINEAR FASHION, ARE BEING TARGETED. THE INCORPORATION OF CU(I) IONS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY EMPLOYING A CLEAN ORGANOMETALLIC CU(I) SOURCE, MESITYLCOPPER. BIS(AMIDINE) LIGANDS WITH ADDITIONAL TERMINAL N-DONOR GROUPS WILL BE SELECTIVELY PROTECTED BY MR (M = CU, AG, AU; R = CL, MES) COMPLEX FRAGMENTS. THESE HITHERTO UNKNOWN DINUCLEAR METALLOLIGANDS WILL BE UTILIZED AS BUILDING BLOCKS FOR NEW LINEAR OR BUNDLED HOMONUCLEAR CU(I) OR HETEROBIMETALLIC CU(I)/AG(I) OR CU(I)/AU(I) CLUSTER ASSEMBLIES WITH PROMISE AS LUMINESCENT MATERIALS. FINALLY, THIS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE IN-DEPTH TRAINING OF UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE RESEARCH STUDENTS AND POSTDOCS IN SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES (CRYSTALLOGRAPHY AND SPECTROSCOPY), ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS, SCIENTIFIC WRITING, LABORATORY SAFETY, AND DATA MANAGEMENT. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL PREPARE RESEARCH STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR AMBITIOUS CAREER GOALS IN SCIENCE OR INDUSTRY. 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.

IMAGINE: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EPIGENETIC POTENTIAL AND RANGE EXPANSION IN THE HOUSE SPARROW

SHIFT: SUPPORTING HEROES IN MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING TRAINEESHIP

THE PROPOSED PROJECT REPRESENTS A CONTINUATION AND EXPANSION OF A PROJECT THAT CURATES THE LIFE HISTORIES OF VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE U.S. MILITARY IN THE LATE 1940S AND 1950S AND SUBSEQUENTLY PARTICIPATED IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. BUILDING ON INITIAL WORK IN 2024-2025 WHICH FEATURED WORLD WAR II VETERANS IN GEORGIA, THIS PROPOSAL FOCUSES ON VIETNAM-ERA VETERANS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. KSU WILL DEVELOP AN IMMERSIVE PORTFOLIO OF EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH TOOLS EMPHASIZING COMMUNITY CONNECTION, INCLUDING STORYBOARDS AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS UPLOADED TO VLM, A TRAVELING VIETNAM-ERA MUSEUM EXHIBIT, A SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR OF A NCA CEMETERY, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT PROMOTE CONNECTION BETWEEN STUDENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND VETERANS. THIS PROJECT WILL PRESERVE THE STORIES OF VETERANS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO OUR NATION'S HISTORY IN AN EXTRAORDINARY MANNER AND PROMOTE STUDENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH STATE AND FEDERAL CEMETERIES IN THE SOUTHEAST.

REU SITE: NON-INVASIVE DEEP BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACES -THIS RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES (REU) SITE WILL ENABLE EIGHT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS EACH YEAR TO UNDERTAKE CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH TOPICS IN ROBUST INTELLIGENT NON-INVASIVE DEEP BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACE (BCI) SYSTEMS AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY (KSU). THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH A MULTI-MENTOR ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT. THE REU SITE WILL USE THE CREATIVE POTENTIAL OF BCI TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT AND BROADEN THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES IN THE COMPUTING AND ENGINEERING FIELDS. THE KSU REU PROGRAM FOCUSES ON RECRUITING STUDENTS FROM A BROAD RANGE OF DISCIPLINARY BACKGROUNDS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING RESEARCH CAREERS IN COMPUTER AND INFORMATION ENGINEERING. TO ACHIEVE THIS, THIS REU SITE WILL: (I) INVOLVE EIGHT STUDENTS PER SUMMER FOR A 10-WEEK LONG RESEARCH PROJECT IN BCI AND RELATED TECHNOLOGY WITH MENTORED RESEARCH PROJECTS CONDUCTED IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER SUBFIELDS, (II) PROVIDE TRAINING IN TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE COMMON IN THESE RESEARCH AREAS, (III) INSPIRE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS TO CONSIDER STEM AS A CAREER PATH AND PURSUE STEM CAREER AT THE GRADUATE LEVEL, (IV) SPECIFICALLY TARGET PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES, AND (V) ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHO HAVE LIMITED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AT THEIR HOME COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THE MENTORING TEAM FOR EACH REU STUDENT INCLUDES MEMBERS NOT ONLY FROM COMPUTER SCIENCE BUT ALSO FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, INCLUDING DATA SCIENCE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY. STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS ACTIVITIES TO BROADEN FUTURE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS GRADUATE STUDY, RESEARCH SCIENTISTS, OUTSTANDING SCIENCE AND ENGINEER POSITIONS, AND FACULTY CAREER PATH. IN ADDITION, REU STUDENTS WILL SUBMIT THEIR FINAL RESEARCH PAPERS TO TARGET CONFERENCES AND JOURNALS. THE INVESTIGATORS AND MENTORS ARE ALL WOMEN FACULTY AT KSU, WHICH CAN ATTRACT MORE UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS TO THIS PROGRAM. RECRUITED STUDENTS WILL BE OFFERED AN INNOVATIVE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY STEM CYBER-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND HANDS-ON PRACTICES. THROUGH THE KSU REU PROGRAM, EIGHT REU STUDENTS WILL FULLY WORK ON WHOLE-CYCLE RESEARCH PROJECTS AND MASTER PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH SKILLS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF EXPERIENCED FACULTY AND INDUSTRY MENTORS. THESE RESEARCH PROJECTS WILL HAVE A HIGH-LEVEL FOCUS ON BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACE (BCI)-RELATED TOPICS COVERING ADVANCED TOPICS IN ROBUST INTELLIGENCE, USING NON-INVASIVE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG) DATA. THIS REU SITE WILL (I) ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATES IN THE INTEGRATED DESIGN OF IOT DEVICES, HEALTHCARE, BIG DATA ANALYSIS, CYBER SECURITY, AND DEEP MACHINE LEARNING METHODS, (II) ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN STUDENT DATA MINING COMPETITIONS, (III) HELP THE REU STUDENTS ENHANCE THEIR PRESENTATION SKILLS, RESEARCH ABILITIES, AS WELL AS PATENT AND PUBLICATION PREPARATION, (IV) PROVIDE A TRANSFORMATIVE CAREER EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE ON THE BRINK OF MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR POST-UNDERGRADUATE CAREER DIRECTIONS, AND (V) PROVIDE STRONG INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. KSU REU PROGRAM WILL ORGANIZE FIELD TRIPS, WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, POSTER DAY EVENTS, AND VARIOUS SOCIAL ACTIVITIES TO ENRICH THE EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCES. THE RESEARCH CARRIED OUT BY THE PARTICIPATING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL ADVANCE THE STATE OF THE ART IN INCORPORATING BCI TECHNIQUES FOR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS SUCH AS HEALTHCARE (SPEECH AND MOTOR DISABILITY, MENTAL HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND DISEASE SPREADING), EMPATHY TRAINING, PRIVACY PRESERVING DATA ANALYTICS, AND MACHINE LEARNING. 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.

SALUD ES VIDA: REDUCING ACCESS BARRIERS TO CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING AMONG UNDERS

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

RUI: TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR DISCOVERY IN THE EXTREMOPHILE THERMUS THERMOPHILUS

THIS EDA INVESTMENT FUNDS THE FIRST YEAR OF A FIVE-YEAR UNIVERSITY CENTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AT THE GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY RESEARCH SERVICE FOUNDATION, INC. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TOOLS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, SPUR INNOVATION, AND PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO HELP INCREASE LONG-TERM REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AND ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION.

SYSTEMATICS OF MEDICALLY IMPORTANT DERMACENTOR TICK VECTORS

SHF: SMALL: RETHINKING VIRTUALIZATION AT THE EDGE TO SUPPORT HIGHLY-EFFICIENT AND LOW-POWER APPLICATIONS -SIMILAR TO CLOUD COMPUTING, EDGE COMPUTING ALSO NEEDS THE SUPPORT OF VIRTUALIZATION IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENT UTILIZATION. HOWEVER, SIMPLY MIGRATING TRADITIONAL MULTI-LAYERED VIRTUALIZATION FROM THE CLOUD TO THE EDGE ENVIRONMENT CANNOT FULLY UTILIZE THE FLEXIBILITY, DIFFERENTIATION, AND ELASTICITY IN EDGE PLATFORMS. FIRST, THERE EXISTS A SIGNIFICANT GAP OF HARDWARE CONSTRAINT AND ENERGY SENSITIVITY BETWEEN CLOUD AND EDGE SYSTEMS. SECOND, TOO MANY VIRTUALIZED LAYERS INTRODUCE INDIRECT AND UNNECESSARY EXPENSES, RESULTING IN UNREASONABLE SYSTEM STRUCTURE AND LOW EFFICIENCY. THIRD, THE SEMANTIC GAP BETWEEN THE EDGE RUNTIME AND VARIOUS VIRTUALIZATION LAYERS, AS WELL AS LACK OF COORDINATION, HINDERS THE ADOPTION OF VIRTUALIZATION ON EDGE SYSTEMS. THIS RESEARCH ADDRESSES THESE ISSUES AND SEEKS TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE, PREDICTABILITY, AND ENERGY-EFFICIENCY OF VIRTUALIZED EDGE SYSTEMS. THE RESEARCH WILL ALSO BE TIGHTLY INTEGRATED INTO COURSE TEACHING, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, AND FURTHER BROADEN ITS IMPACTS THROUGH INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATION, RECRUITING AND MENTORING MINORITY STUDENTS, AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES IN LOCAL K-12 SCHOOLS. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE REASONS FOR THE INEFFICIENCY OF VIRTUALIZATION IN EDGE COMPUTING AND EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL TO UNLEASH PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVE ENERGY CONSUMPTION. SPECIFICALLY, THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON A MULTI-LAYERED COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO VIRTUALIZED EDGE SYSTEMS AND ENTAILS TWO RESEARCH THRUSTS. FIRST, IT WILL RETHINK THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE EDGE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE LAYERS, SO THAT THE SOFTWARE-STACK EXECUTION ACTIVELY ADAPTS TO THE EDGE-HARDWARE DYNAMICS, INCLUDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION, REAL-TIME RESOURCE UTILIZATION, HARDWARE HETEROGENEITY, ETC. SECOND, IT WILL EMPOWER SOFTWARE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE VIRTUALIZED APPLICATION LAYER AND OS SYSTEM LAYER THAT CAN TRULY REALIZE THE EFFICIENCY AND FLEXIBILITY OF VIRTUALIZATION ON EDGE PLATFORMS. 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.

ENGAGES PERSONS 55 AND OLDER IN SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $322,383 TO THE GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND SERVICE FOUNDATION, INC TO SUPPORT THE SOUTH FLORIDA GEOGRAPHIC INITIATIVES PROGRAM. THE PROJECT WILL EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUBMARINE GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE AND SEAGRASSES AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS WITHIN FLORIDA BAY. PAGE 2 OF THIS AWARD SHOWS A $1.00 DECREASE TO RECIPIENT CONTRIBUTION AND A $1.00 INCREASE TO OTHER CONTRIBUTION, THUS CANCELING ONE ANOTHER. THIS IS A TEMPORARY WORK-AROUND SOLUTION AS EPA IMPLEMENTS A NEW NATIONAL GRANTS SYSTEM.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CUELEARN: ENHANCING SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLVING THROUGH INTELLIGENT SUPPORT -THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP CUELEARN, AN EDUCATIONAL WEB APPLICATION THAT WILL FOSTER EFFECTIVE PEER COLLABORATIONS TO IMPROVE MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM SOLVING AMONGST MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT LEARNING IS OFTEN BETTER AND LONGER LASTING WHEN STUDENTS ENGAGE IN WELL-SCAFFOLDED, SHARED, AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES. HOWEVER, EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES DO NOT OFTEN LEVERAGE THIS RESEARCH, WITH THE FOCUS MOST OFTEN BEING ON THE INDIVIDUAL RATHER THAN A GROUP. THE CUELEARN PROJECT WILL THUS DEVELOP, TEST, AND IMPLEMENT TWO INTELLIGENT STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE STUDENTS' COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING: 1) FACILITATING EFFECTIVE STUDENT COLLABORATIONS THROUGH THE CREATION OF EFFECTIVE PEER GROUPS WITHIN CUELEARN, AND 2) USING REAL-TIME SUPPORTS TO INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND HELP STUDENTS PERSIST PRODUCTIVELY. THE PROJECT'S KEY AIM IS TO DESIGN A SYSTEM THAT WILL EASILY FACILITATE QUALITY PEER COLLABORATION FOR ALL STUDENTS, WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING TEACHERS IN THEIR USE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR COLLABORATIVE WORK. THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON SOCIAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES BY AUTOMATICALLY ASSIGNING STUDENTS TO WORK WITH OPTIMIZED PEER GROUPS. MULTIPLE GROUPING STRATEGIES WILL BE TESTED THROUGH A SERIES OF OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES AND EXPERIMENTS TO IDENTIFY WHICH GROUPING STRATEGY WORKS BEST. FOR EXAMPLE, STUDENTS MAY BE GROUPED BASED ON THEIR INTENDED PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY, SO THAT STUDENTS WILL BE EXPOSED TO DIVERSE APPROACHES FROM PEERS WHO ARE USING DIFFERENT STRATEGIES. HOWEVER, INTELLIGENT STUDENT GROUPING METHODS MAY NOT BE EFFECTIVE FOR LEARNING BY THEMSELVES, UNLESS STUDENTS ARE ALSO PROVIDED WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT DURING PROBLEM SOLVING. MACHINE LEARNING APPROACHES WILL THEREFORE BE USED TO MONITOR ENGAGEMENT AND DETECT UNPRODUCTIVE FORMS OF PERSISTENCE IN REAL-TIME IN ORDER TO PROVIDE IN-THE-MOMENT SUPPORT AS NEEDED. CRITICALLY, THESE SUPPORTS WILL BE CO-DESIGNED WITH STUDENTS. AUTOMATED IDEAL GROUPING COMBINED WITH JUST-IN-TIME SUPPORTS ARE HYPOTHESIZED TO IMPROVE STUDENTS' PROBLEM SOLVING PERFORMANCE AND MATHEMATICAL BELIEFS. THROUGH ALL OF THESE DESIGN INNOVATIONS, THE PROJECT AIMS TO PROVIDE A NEW AND EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. THE DISCOVERY RESEARCH PREK-12 PROGRAM (DRK-12) SEEKS TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) BY PREK-12 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, THROUGH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE RESOURCES, MODELS AND TOOLS. PROJECTS IN THE DRK-12 PROGRAM BUILD ON FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN STEM EDUCATION AND PRIOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THAT PROVIDE THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR PROPOSED PROJECTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTEGRATING INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES INTO BIOLOGY TEXTBOOKS -THIS PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER RESEARCH FROM INTERDISCIPLINARY FIELDS TO CREATE A NOVEL APPROACH TO BIOLOGY AND BIOLOGY EDUCATION. THIS PROJECT DRAWS FROM THEORETICAL WORK ACROSS THE HUMANITIES AND EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE ACADEMY TO CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OUR LIVING WORLDS. CURRENTLY BIOLOGY EDUCATION CONTINUES TO RELY ON MEMORIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL FACTS. THOSE FACTS ARE OFTEN SIMPLIFIED AND NARROWLY DEVELOPED IN ONE DISCIPLINE. BY INTEGRATING KNOWLEDGE FROM CURRENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LITERATURE INTO BIOLOGY CURRICULUM, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL LEARN ADDITIONAL SKILLS FOR ENGAGING IN SCIENCE AND RESEARCH THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. THE DEVELOPED CURRICULUM AIMS TO SHIFT HOW ALL PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THEIR COMPETENCE AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND FULLY PARTICIPATE IN SCIENCE. THIS STUDY THEREFORE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPACT WHO BECOMES INTERESTED AND INVESTED IN BIOLOGY BY USING PARTICIPATORY WAYS OF LEARNING. THIS PEDAGOGICAL INTERVENTION WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE BENEFITS OF SCIENCE TO BE MORE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT SOCIETY. THE PROJECT OUTCOMES WILL BE OF INTEREST TO POLICY MAKERS, EDUCATORS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS. THE PROJECT IS BROKEN INTO THREE PARTS. THE FIRST PART PROVIDES THE BASIS AND RATIONALE FOR THE PROJECT BY ANALYZING CURRENT BIOLOGY TEXTBOOKS IDENTIFYING POINTS FOR INTERVENTION. PART TWO OF THE PROJECT CULLS RESEARCH ON THE SUBJECT MATTER OF BIOLOGY, BODIES AND ENVIRONMENTS, FROM INTERDISCIPLINARY ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC SOURCES THAT ARE TYPICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION. THE FINAL PART OF THE PROJECT INTEGRATES THESE KNOWLEDGES INTO EDUCATION MODULES TO BE TESTED IN CLASSES AND PUBLIC FORUMS. TO REALIZE ITS POTENTIAL AND ALLOW FOR FUTURE EXPANSION TO K-12 AND LARGER SEGMENTS OF THE PUBLIC, THE RESULTS WILL BE MADE BROADLY ACCESSIBLE TO EDUCATORS AND LAYPERSONS THROUGH OPEN ACCESS. THIS PROJECT MAY ALSO SERVE AS A MODEL FOR HOW MORE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCTED ACROSS TYPICAL DIVISIONS BETWEEN THE HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES. THIS PROJECT IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDIES PROGRAM IN SBE AND IMPROVING UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION (IUSE) PROGRAM IN EHR. 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.

CONTESTED VALUES AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS OF ARTISANAL ALCOHOL -ALCOHOL IS A UNIQUE COMMODITY, AS IT CAN BE BOTH A LIABILITY AND ASSET TO SOCIETIES WORLDWIDE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INVESTIGATE THE DYNAMICS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND DOWNSIDES ASSOCIATED WITH ARTISANAL ALCOHOL IN THE CONTEXT OF ECONOMIC RETRENCHMENT AND REGENERATION OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH CULTURAL ASSET MANAGEMENT. THE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCHERS AIM TO STUDY THE COMPLEXITIES OF ARTISANAL ALCOHOL AS A COMMONS PROBLEM THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BOTH EMPOWER AND IMPERIL LIVELIHOODS. THE RESEARCHERS EXPLORE IF AND HOW URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES FASHION AND PROTECT THEIR HERITAGE WHILE WORKING TO MITIGATE HARM TO THEIR PEOPLE. THIS STUDY HELPS TO CLARIFY HOW AND WHY ARTISANAL ALCOHOL CAN BECOME A CONTESTED SYMBOL OF PLACE, CULTURE, TRADITION, ECONOMICS, AND HEALTH. THE RESEARCHERS PARTNER WITH CRAFTERS OF ARTISANAL ALCOHOL, LOCAL ACADEMICIANS, STUDENTS, AND POLICYMAKERS TO UNCOVER KNOWLEDGE, DETERMINE BEST PRACTICES, BUILD LOCAL CAPACITIES, AND INFORM CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AND EFFECTIVE ALCOHOL-RELATED POLICIES. THE PROPOSED CASE STUDY EXPLORES ARTISANAL ALCOHOL?S HERITAGE IN THE FORM OF COMMUNITY IDENTITY, VALUE, HEALTH, AND SOCIAL RELATIONS, AND MOBILIZES COLLABORATIVE ETHNOGRAPHY TO INVESTIGATE ITS PLACE IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND SOCIETY. INTERVIEWS, SURVEYS, CONSUMPTION DIARIES, AND A SOCIOECONOMIC NETWORK OF SELF-PORTRAITS ARE USED TO GENERATE OPEN ACCESS ONLINE STORYMAPS AND PUBLICATIONS. THE PROJECT ALSO INCLUDES SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS AND EXAMINATION OF THE SOCIETAL IMPACTS OF ARTISANAL ALCOHOL TO DAILY LIFE. CAPACITY-BUILDING ENDEAVORS INCLUDE SUPPORT OF UNDERREPRESENTED INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITIES AND STUDENT TRAINING GOALS. ADVANCING THEORY IN THE FIELD OF ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY, THE STUDY REVEALS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE VALORIZATION AND CONTESTATION OF CULTURAL ASSETS, DEVELOPMENT, AND WELLBEING ARE INTERTWINED, AND THE STUDY ELUCIDATES HOW PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS MAY BE BETTER POSITIONED FOR CRISIS RESPONSE AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCY WHEN THEY ARE CLOSELY TIED ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND SPATIALLY. 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.

MRI-R2: ACQUISITION OF LEICA LASER SCANNERS, SURVEYING GPS SMARTSTATION, AND ISI INTELICAMERA (LASURCAM) INSTRUMENTATION

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A FLUORESCENCE ASSISTED CELL SORTER FOR RESEARCH AND TEACHING

EDA UNIVERSITY CENTER SUPPLEMENTAL

PARTICLE THEORY FOR HIGH-ENERGY COLLIDER PHYSICS

THE GEORGIA ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE FOUNDATION PROPOSES TO USE COPS OFFICE GRANT FUNDING FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTEMPTING TO GROW THE NUMBER OF STATE ACCREDITED/CERTIFIED AGENCIES IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA. THE GACP PROPOSES TO HAVE AT LEAST 50 MORE AGENCIES STATE ACCREDITED/CERTIFIED IN GEORGIA BY THE END OF THIS GRANT. WE ALSO PROPOSE TO HAVE ENOUGH AGENCIES IN THE PIPELINE TO CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS NORMALLY A THREE YEAR PROCESS, THAT WE WILL HAVE 100 AGENCIES ACCREDITED/CERTIFIED BY THE END OF THIS GRANT AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUING EFFECTS OF THIS GRANT GOING FORWARD EVEN AFTER THE FUNDING ENDS. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THOUGH A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES. WE WILL EMPLOY PART-TIME STAFF MEMBERS TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE PROGRAM AND THE ABILITY TO ASSIST MORE AGENCIES IN GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. WE WILL ALSO HOST NUMEROUS WORK SESSIONS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS/DISTRICTS OF THE STATE TO ASSIST AGENCIES IN COMPOSING AND UPDATING POLICIES THAT WILL BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE ACCREDITATION/CERTIFICATION STANDARDS. WE WILL ASSIST SMALL AGENCIES, ON A NEED BASIS, WITH DEFRAYING THE COST OF THE SOFTWARE THAT IS NEEDED TO EFFECTIVELY TRACK AGENCY COMPLIANCE AND STANDARDS. WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE ONLINE AND IN PERSON PRACTICAL SESSIONS THAT WILL ACTIVELY HELP OFFICERS TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.

THE ILLINOIS LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCREDITATION PROGRAM (ILEAP) WILL FOCUS STAFF SUPPORT TO ASSIST SMALL AND RURAL AGENCIES DURING THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS.  ILEAP WILL PROVIDE TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, REMOTE ASSESSMENTS, AND CREATE PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS THE STATE WITH RISK MANAGEMENT POOLS TO REDUCE LIABILITY FOR LEA.

DEVELOPING AND PILOTING A GAME DESIGN-BASED COMPUTER SCIENCE CURRICULUM

K-12 EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH - VETERANS LEGACY PROGRAM: KSU’S PROJECT WILL MENTOR AND SUPERVISE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AS THEY COLLECT INTERVIEWS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS OF WORLD WAR II VETERANS INTERRED IN THREE VETERAN CEMETERIES IN GEORGIA WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. STUDENTS WILL ALSO ASSIST IN THE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF CENSUS DATA TO VISUALIZE DEMOGRAPHIC, HOUSING, AND OCCUPATIONAL TRENDS. STUDENTS WILL CURATE THIS NARRATIVE AND DATA TO CREATE AN INSTALLATION IN THE UNIVERSITY’S MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND HOLOCAUST EDUCATION. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO DEVELOP LESSON PLANS AND CURRICULAR MATERIALS FOR A VARIETY OF STUDENT AGE RANGES AND LEARNING SETTINGS, AND OUTREACH MATERIALS TO INCLUDE POSTERS, VETERANS LEGACY MEMORIAL CONTENT, AND AN OUTREACH BOOKLET.

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A SINGLE-CRYSTAL X-RAY DIFFRACTOMETER FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ENHANCED STUDENT TRAINING SUPPORTING PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS IN GEORGIA -THIS AWARD IS JOINTLY SUPPORTED BY THE MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION AND THE CHEMISTRY RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION PROGRAMS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY (GSU) IS ACQUIRING SINGLE CRYSTAL DIFFRACTOMETER EQUIPPED WITH A HIGH-FLUX CU X-RAY SOURCE, A HYBRID PHOTON COUNTING (HPC) DETECTOR, AND A CRYOGENIC DEVICE TO SUPPORT THE RESEARCH OF GARY GUILLET AND COLLEAGUES CLIFFORD PADGETT, BRANDON QUILLIAN, AND ARPITA SAHA. IN GENERAL, AN X-RAY DIFFRACTOMETER ALLOWS ACCURATE AND PRECISE MEASUREMENTS OF THE FULL THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF A MOLECULE, INCLUDING BOND DISTANCES AND ANGLES, AND PROVIDES ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF A MOLECULE RELATIVE TO NEIGHBORING MOLECULES. THE STUDIES DESCRIBED HERE IMPACT MANY AREAS, INCLUDING ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, MAGNETIC MATERIALS, AND ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY. ORGANIC AND INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY. THIS INSTRUMENT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF TEACHING AS WELL AS RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING OF UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY AT THIS INSTITUTION AND THE SURROUNDING REGION. THE FACILITY SERVES AS A REGIONAL XRD RESOURCE BENEFITTING STUDENTS AND FACULTY FROM PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS WITHIN THE STATE OF GEORGIA WITH IMPACTS OUTSIDE GSU WITH INTERACTIONS WITH PUI AND HBCU INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY (HBCU), ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY (HBCU), UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA, AND GEORGIA COLLEGE. THE AWARD IS AIMED AT ENHANCING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS. RESEARCH ENABLED BY THE INSTRUMENT IS FOCUSED ON THE STUDY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE STRUCTURE OF NOVEL EXTENDED METAL ATOM CHAIN COMPLEXES THAT CONTAIN UNIQUE METAL-METAL BONDING INTERACTIONS, HALOGEN-BONDED ADDUCTS USING N-OXIDES, GREEN HYDROARYLATION CATALYSTS, AND MN CLUSTER COMPLEXES WITH SINGLE-MOLECULE MAGNETIC PROPERTIES. 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.

IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING USING LOW COST 3D PRINTED LABORATORY DEVICES IN ACTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

EXPLORING WAYS TO ENHANCE SCIENCE LEARNING FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS THROUGH IMPROVEMENT IN TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS

INCORPORATING COMPUTER PROGRAMMING INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS CURRICULA TO ENHANCE LEARNING FOR LOW PERFORMING, UNDERSERVED STUDENTS

THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE (ILACP) WILL FOCUS ENDEAVORS TO HELP SMALL AND RURAL AGENCIES BECOME ACCREDITED BY EXPANDING EFFORTS TO; INFORM AGENCIES ABOUT ACCREDITATION, OFFER TRAINING IN ACCREDITATION MANAGEMENT, PRESENT TRAINING ABOUT POWER DMS SOFTWARE TO ADMINISTER ELECTRONIC AND REMOTE ASSESSMENTS, AND PARTNER WITH RISK MANAGEMENT POOLS TO FURTHER LIABILITY REDUCTION IN THE PROFESSION. IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THESE ACTIVITIES, ILACP STAFF HAS TECHNOLOGY NEEDS IN THE FORM OF SURFACE TABLETS AND ASSOCIATED PERIPHERALS, LARGER REMOTE MEETING SOFTWARE, AND TRAVEL COSTS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ACCREDITATION TRAINING TO DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE. TRAINING ASSESSORS WILL COMPLETE FILE REVIEWS AND ON-SITE ASSESSMENTS TO HANDLE THE INFLUX OF ACCREDITED AGENCIES. ACCREDITATION MANAGER COACHES WILL ASSIST AGENCIES THROUGH THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS. ILACP WILL ALSO OFFER WEBINAR TRAINING FOR NEW DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES INTERESTED IN ACCREDITATION, AS WELL AS A WEBINAR SERIES TO ASSIST AGENCIES IN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING ACCREDITED, MAINTAIN THE COURSE TOWARDS PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION. ILACP WILL ALSO OFFER SMALL AND RURAL AGENCIES SCHOLARSHIPS TO COVER ACCREDITATION FEES. THE GROWTH AND SUSTENANCE FROM THREE YEARS OF GRANT SUPPORT WILL INCREASE THE ACCREDITED BODY OF AGENCIES THE ILACP PLANS TO USE THE ANNUAL ACCREDITATION FEES, AND PARTNER SUPPORT, TO CONTINUE TO DELIVER IN-PERSON TRAINING, REOCCURRING WORKSHOPS, WEBINARS, AND ACCREDITATION SUPPORT FOR NEW AND ACCREDITED DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS ASSESSOR TRAINING, STIPENDS, AND TECHNOLOGICAL BACKING.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CAS: A NOVEL MACHINE LEARNING-ASSISTED MATERIALS DESIGN CYCLE FOR BIO-BASED THERMOSETS -NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: CREATING NEW MATERIALS WITH DESIGNER PROPERTIES IS CRITICAL FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND OUR WAY OF LIFE. FROM A MATERIALS PERSPECTIVE, IT IS CHALLENGING TO PREDICT HOW A MONOMER STRUCTURE WILL ULTIMATELY YIELD DESIRABLE MATERIAL PROPERTIES. ON A BIOLOGICAL SIDE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO REWIRE THE METABOLISM OF CELLS TO EXPAND THE REPERTOIRE OF BIO-BASED MATERIAL BUILDING BLOCKS. THESE NEW BUILDING BLOCKS CAN UNLOCK NEW MATERIALS THAT MAY BE OTHERWISE UNFEASIBLE. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE CHALLENGE OF DESIGNING NOVEL BIO-BASED MATERIALS BY ENABLING HIGH-THROUGHPUT CHARACTERIZATION ENHANCED BY MACHINE LEARNING (ML). INTEGRATING ML AND MECHANISTIC MODEL DATA IS CRITICAL FOR ESTABLISHING MATERIALS DESIGN CRITERIA. THROUGH A UNIQUE CYCLE, WE CAN CREATE, BUILD, CHARACTERIZE, AND UNDERSTAND THE MONOMER-POLYMER FUNCTION RELATIONSHIP FOR A SPECIFIC CLASS OF MICROBIAL OIL-DERIVED POLYMERS. ULTIMATELY, THIS APPROACH ALLOWS FOR THE PREDICTION OF IDEAL STARTING MOLECULES TO PRODUCE DESIRED MATERIALS PROPERTIES. THE PROPOSED STUDIES ARE SIGNIFICANT SINCE THEY ADDRESS AN UNMET NEED IN THE FIELD TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH FOR MATERIALS PRODUCTION. MAJOR OUTCOMES OF THIS WORK INCLUDE: (1) HIGH-THROUGHPUT MONOMER PRODUCTION, (2) EXTENSIVE MATERIALS PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION, AND (3) DATA-DRIVEN MODELS FOR PREDICTING POLYMER PROPERTIES. THE OUTCOMES OF THIS WORK WILL HAVE THE BROADER IMPACT OF CREATING NOVEL, SUSTAINABLE PROCESSES FOR MATERIALS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF MATERIALS DESIGN PRINCIPLES. ADDITIONALLY, THIS COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH BETWEEN GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN ALLOWS STUDENTS TO BE EXPOSED TO A UNIQUE CROSS-OVER BETWEEN GENETIC ENGINEERING, ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, AND MATERIALS SCIENCE NOT TRADITIONALLY OFFERED AT THE PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS. STUDENT PARTICIPATION WILL DEMONSTRATE TO THE FUTURE GENERATION OF YOUNG SCIENTISTS THAT POSITIVE, IMPACTFUL, SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENT REQUIRES THE COMBINATION OF EFFORTS FROM DIVERSE FIELDS. THROUGH THE INCORPORATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, THEIR PARTICIPATION IN AN INTENSE SUMMER PROGRAM, AND EXPANSION OF OUR ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH THREE LOCAL SCHOOLS (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE DEAF POPULATION), THIS WORK WILL BROADEN PARTICIPATION OF ALL STUDENTS, INCREASING INTEREST IN STEM FIELDS. TECHNICAL SUMMARY: THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AIMS TO UTILIZE AN INTERLINKED SET OF CLOSED LOOP BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIAL-DESIGN CYCLES WHEREBY THE CYCLE ENCOMPASSES A DESIGN-BUILD-TEST-SYNTHESIZE-MEASURE-MODEL-ANALYZE PARADIGM. WE HAVE SELECTED MICROBIAL-PRODUCED TRIGLYCERIDES WITH VARIED FATTY ACID CHAINS AS IDEAL CANDIDATES TO TEST THIS APPROACH GIVEN THE GREAT CHEMICAL DIVERSITY POSSIBLE WITHIN THESE MOLECULES. POLYUNSATURATED TRIGLYCERIDES CAN UNDERGO FREE RADICAL CO-POLYMERIZATION TO YIELD THERMOSETS. CHEMICAL DIVERSITY IS OBTAINED BY PRODUCING MODIFIED CELLS AND ALLOWING FOR HIGH-PRODUCING, PARALLEL BIOPROCESSING TO OBTAIN BIO-BASED MONOMERS. UPON POLYMERIZATION AND CHARACTERIZATION, DATA-DRIVEN MODELING IS USED TO LINK MONOMER CHEMICAL COMPOSITION TO THE MATERIALS? GLASS TRANSITION TEMPERATURE, CROSSLINK DENSITY, AND STORAGE MODULUS. THIS INFORMATION IS USED TO TRAIN AN ALGORITHM VIA ML. COMBINING MATERIAL SCIENCES, SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY, AND ML ALLOWS FOR A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF COMBINATORIAL EFFECTS AND HOLDS POTENTIAL FOR A PARADIGM SHIFT IN BIO-BASED MATERIALS DESIGN. THE PROPOSED APPROACH AIMS AT ACHIEVING BIO-BASED MATERIALS WITH CROSSLINK DENSITIES HIGHER THAN 77.7 X 10-4 MOL/CM3, TG HIGHER THAN 85 ?C, AND STORAGE MODULI IN THE RUBBERY PLATEAU HIGHER THAN 2.2 GPA, AS THIS WILL ALLOW FOR UNPRECEDENTED MATERIAL PERFORMANCE FROM TRIGLYCERIDE-BASED CO-POLYMERS. THESE MATERIALS ARE SUITABLE FOR APPLICATIONS IN THERMAL INSULATION FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE AND AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES. THE OUTCOMES OF THIS WORK WILL HAVE THE BROADER IMPACT OF CREATING NOVEL, SUSTAINABLE PROCESSES FOR MATERIALS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF MATERIALS DESIGN PRINCIPLES. THIS COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH BETWEEN GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN INCORPORATES UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, OFFERS AN INTENSE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUMMER PROGRAM, AND EXPANDS ONGOING COLLABORATIONS WITH THREE LOCAL SCHOOLS (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE DEAF POPULATION). THIS WORK WILL BROADEN PARTICIPATION OF ALL STUDENTS, INCREASING INTEREST IN STEM FIELDS. 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.

CSBR: NATURAL HISTORY: MAKING A LARGE IMPACT ON A SMALL HERBARIUM: INTEGRATION OF UN-ACCESSIONED AND ORPHANED SPECIMENS TO SECURE AND PROMOTE WIDER

REU SITE: COLLABORATIVE MULTIDISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATIONS THROUGH UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES (CEMITURE)

IRES TRACK I: INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN FRANCE ON THERMAL TREATMENT OF BIOMASS (I-CEMITURE)

THE LAW ENFORCEMENT WELLNESS RESOURCE CENTER, INTRODUCED IN THE CURRENT PROPOSAL, WILL SERVE AS A NATIONWIDE HUB OF WELLNESS SERVICES PROVIDERS SPECIALIZED IN SERVING LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. DESIGNED TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE THE EXISTING APPROVED PROVIDER BULLETIN, ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED BY THE FOP, THE CURRENT PROPOSAL WILL INCORPORATE NEW RESEARCH, ADDING TOOLS AND TRAINING TO CREATE A MORE ACCESSIBLE AND ROBUST RESOURCE. IT INTRODUCES THE BLUE PROVIDER DEVELOPMENT SERIES, WHICH DELIVERS TOOLS FOR PROVIDERS SEEKING TO BUILD CULTURAL COMPETENCE, FOSTERING A NETWORK WHICH WILL DEVELOP CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PROVIDERS AND MEMBERS OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION.IN ADDITION, THE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE POLICE AGENCIES AND OFFICERS WITH NEW TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING AND ENGAGING WITH CULTURALLY COMPETENT SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

COMPETITION TO PREVENT HIGH-RISK DRINKING & VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

RURAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM

THE NATIONAL FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE LEMHWA TTA PROJECT SUPPORT THE DELIVERY OF  POWER IN PEERS NATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM. POWER IN PEERS IS A MODERN STANDARDIZED CURRICULUM IN LAW ENFORCEMENT PEER SUPPORT.  DEVELOPED BY THE NATIONAL FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE AS PART OF A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE COPS OFFICE OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THE POWER IN PEERS CURRICULUM PROVIDES A NATIONALLY STANDARDIZED MODEL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PEER SUPPORT TRAINING AND SERVICES MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE PROFESSION, IN BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED STATUS.

IRES TRACK II: SYSTEMS-BASED TRANSDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO CORAL REEF SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION -CORAL REEFS ARE ICONIC ECOSYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE AND SUPPORT TREMENDOUS BIODIVERSITY. MODERN CORAL REEF SCIENCE ENCOMPASSES BROAD SCIENTIFIC FIELDS, INCLUDING BIOLOGY, GEOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND PHYSICS, NECESSITATING A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THESE COMPLEX ECOSYSTEMS AND HOW THEY WILL RESPOND TO LOCAL AND GLOBAL ANTHROPOGENIC CHANGE. OUR GOAL IS TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS TO BRIDGE DIVERSE SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES TO GAIN A TRANSDISCIPLINARY UNDERSTANDING OF CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS. TO REACH THIS GOAL, WE WILL OFFER A SERIES OF THREE ADVANCED SCIENCE INSTITUTES (ASI) IN AUSTRALIA THAT WILL FOSTER THE COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT NECESSARY TO ADDRESS THE EXISTING AND EMERGENT NEEDS OF THE CORAL REEF SCIENTIFIC AND CONSERVATION COMMUNITIES. WE WILL MODEL THESE GRADUATE-LEVEL COURSES AFTER APPROACHES DEVELOPED FOR EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE, WHICH COMBINE TRADITIONAL DISCIPLINES TO BUILD A HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF EARTH AS A COMPLEX AND ADAPTIVE SYSTEM. BY INCORPORATING A TEAM OF DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS FROM VARIOUS DISCIPLINES IN CORAL REEF SCIENCE, THESE ASIS WILL HELP TO ADDRESS THE CURRENT SHORTAGE IN TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCHERS EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH THE COMPLEX PROBLEMS FACING CORAL REEFS AND OTHER MARINE ECOSYSTEMS. TRAINING THROUGH THESE ASIS WILL ADDRESS SPECIFIC AND MEASURABLE SOCIETAL NEEDS BY IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF STEM EDUCATION FOR U.S.-BASED, MARINE SCIENCE GRADUATE STUDENTS, ULTIMATELY ENHANCING THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO INFORM PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. A KEY PRIORITY WILL BE TO RECRUIT U.S.-BASED GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS (WOMEN, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, AND MINORITIES) TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND EQUITY IN STEM RESEARCH FIELDS. BY MEETING THESE GOALS, WE WILL INCREASE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF AMERICAN STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET, FOSTER INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION BETWEEN THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA, AND ENHANCE THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE IN STEM INDUSTRY, AGENCY, AND ACADEMIA. GIVEN THE UNPRECEDENTED PRESSURE FROM CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER ANTHROPOGENIC STRESSORS THAT CORAL REEFS AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT DEPEND ON THEM FACE, PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT AND NOVEL TECHNIQUES AT THE MARGINS OF TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED TO COUNTERACT THE DEGRADATION OF THESE ECOSYSTEMS. AS A RESPONSE TO THE SHORTAGE OF BROADLY TRAINED, TRANSDISCIPLINARY CORAL REEF SCIENTISTS, THESE ASI WORKSHOPS IN FAR-NORTH QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA WILL DEVELOP A SYSTEMS-BASED APPROACH TO TARGET STUDENT TRAINING IN A RANGE OF DISCIPLINES RELATED TO CORAL REEF SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION. STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH EXPERTS IN A RANGE OF FIELDS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ECOLOGY, BIOGEOCHEMISTRY, PHYSIOLOGY, ANIMAL BEHAVIOR, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL SCIENCE. STUDENTS WILL FIRST LEARN ABOUT SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE AND ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS ON NATURAL SYSTEMS AT THE SCHOOL FOR FIELD STUDIES (SFS), CENTRE FOR RAINFOREST STUDIES (CRS) IN THE ATHERTON TABLELANDS (7 DAYS), THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD WHERE LAND AND OCEAN-BASED UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES MEET (DAINTREE RAINFOREST AND GREAT BARRIER REEF). THE GROUP WILL THEN TRAVEL TO THE LIZARD ISLAND RESEARCH STATION (LIRS), A STATE-OF-THE-ART, ISLAND-BASED RESEARCH FACILITY IN THE NORTHERN GREAT BARRIER REEF (14 DAYS), WHERE STUDENTS WILL LEARN FROM AND BE GUIDED THROUGH INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS BY A DIVERSE GROUP OF AMERICAN AND AUSTRALIAN CORAL REEF SCIENTISTS. THROUGH LECTURES, CLASS WORK, FIELD IMMERSIONS, AND INDEPENDENT PROJECTS, THESE ASIS WILL ENGAGE STUDENTS IN HANDS-ON RESEARCH THAT FOSTERS A TRANSDISCIPLINARY UNDERSTANDING OF CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS. THIS PIONEERING PROGRAM WILL TEACH STUDENTS HOW HOLISTIC APPROACHES ARE CRITICAL TO ADDRESSING HUMAN IMPACTS ON ECOSYSTEMS WHILE PREPARING THEM TO ADDRESS THE NEXT BIG-PICTURE SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS. THE INTERNATIONAL LOCATION WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH VALUABLE NETWORKING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BROADENING THE STUDENTS? CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. 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.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES - DISABILITIES

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES - ARMSTRONG/LIBERTY CAMPUSES

SUPER-REPELLENT ANTIMICROBIAL COATINGS TO ENSURE FOOD SAFETY

LEMHWA

COLLABORATIVE RUI: REGULATION OF FLAGELLAR BIOGENESIS IN H. PYLORI

THIS AWARD FUNDS THE APPROVED 2024?25 SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM. YOUR 2024?25 STATUTORY MATCH REQUIREMENT IS 10% AND YOUR BUDGETED MATCH IS 11.19%.

REU SITE: COLLABORATIVE MULTIDISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATIONS THROUGH UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES (CEMITURE)

RUI: HIGHLY LUMINESCENT MULTINUCLEAR COINAGE METAL ARRAYS WITH A TWIST: A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN LIGHT-EMITTING MOLECULAR WIRES AND COILS

NOVEL DECOMPOSITION METHODS FOR RELIABILITY-BASED TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION

RUI: TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR DISCOVERY IN THE EXTREMOPHILE THERMUS THERMOPHILUS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ASSESSING THE ROLE OF SEAGRASS BIOGEOCHEMISTRY AND SEDIMENTARY ALKALINITY PRODUCTION IN COASTAL CARBON CYCLING AND MARINE CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL STRATEGIES -ALKALINITY REFERS TO SEAWATER?S ABILITY TO NEUTRALIZE ACIDS, SUCH AS THOSE THAT FORM WHEN ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE REACTS WITH SEAWATER. SEAWATER ALKALINITY CONTROLS HOW MUCH CARBON DIOXIDE THE OCEAN ABSORBS FROM AND RELEASES TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND IS THUS A KEY COMPONENT OF THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE. VEGETATED COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS SUCH AS MANGROVES, SEAGRASSES, AND TIDAL MARSHES COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF ALKALINITY TO THE COASTAL OCEAN BUT CURRENTLY WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH ALKALINITY IS PRODUCED IN THESE ENVIRONMENTS. SEAGRASSES ARE VEGETATED COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS THAT EXIST ON THE COASTLINES OF EVERY CONTINENT EXCEPT FOR ANTARCTICA. THIS RESEARCH WILL MEASURE HOW MUCH ALKALINITY IS BEING PRODUCED IN SEAGRASS ECOSYSTEMS AND WILL INVESTIGATE THE PROCESSES CONTROLLING ALKALINITY PRODUCTION. THE PROJECT WILL EVALUATE THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF EMERGING MARINE CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL (MCDR) TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE THE OCEAN CAN NATURALLY ABSORB FROM THE ATMOSPHERE BY ARTIFICIALLY INCREASING ALKALINITY IN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS. A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF ALKALINITY CYCLING IN THE COASTAL OCEAN IS NOT ONLY CRITICAL TO CONSTRAINING OCEANIC AND GLOBAL CARBON BUDGETS, BUT ALSO TO PREDICTING HOW THESE BUDGETS COULD BE PERTURBED BY ONGOING ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS AND EMERGING MCDR TECHNOLOGIES. THIS WORK WILL QUANTIFY SEDIMENT TOTAL ALKALINITY FLUXES AND INVESTIGATE THE BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES CONTROLLING THEM ACROSS TWO CONTRASTING SEAGRASS ECOSYSTEMS. A MULTI-ANALYTE APPROACH UNDER BOTH IN SITU AND LABORATORY SETTINGS USING MICROELECTRODE PROFILING, CHAMBER INCUBATIONS, AND PORE WATER ANALYSES IS PLANNED. THIS COMBINATION OF HIGH-RESOLUTION MEASUREMENTS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SEDIMENT ALKALINITY CYCLING IN SEAGRASSES ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ALKALINITY AND CARBON DYNAMICS WITHIN SEAGRASS ECOSYSTEMS. EXPERIMENTS WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF PROPOSED OCEAN ALKALINITY ENHANCEMENT STRATEGIES (ENHANCED SILICATE WEATHERING) ON SEDIMENTARY ALKALINITY PRODUCTION IN SEAGRASSES. THE PROJECT INCLUDES TRAINING IN INTERDISCIPLINARY OCEANOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENTS AND TECHNIQUES AND A GROUP MENTORING NETWORK FOR GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AS WELL AS PAID RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS THROUGH THE SANTA ROSA JUNIOR COLLEGE-BODEGA MARINE LABORATORY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. 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.

SATC: CORE: SMALL: RUI: IMPROVING PERFORMANCE OF STANDOFF IRIS RECOGNITION SYSTEMS USING DEEP LEARNING FRAMEWORKS

LEAPS-MPS:MOLECULAR DESIGN, SYNTHESIS, PROPERTIES, AND APPLICATION OF 2,5-BIS(2-(4-NITROPHENYL)ETHYNYL)THIOPHENE PHOTOLABILE PROTECTING GROUPS FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF HYDROXAMIC ACIDS

NEW START GRANT TITLE: ANALYSIS OF THE BI-ANISOTROPIC MAXWELL EQUATIONS ON DOMAIN WITH ROUGH BOUNDARIES

LEAPS-MPS: INVESTIGATION OF ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER INDUCED PLASMON SWITCHING ON GOLD NANOCRYSTALS AND ITS APPLICATION FOR SMART WINDOWS -IN THIS PROJECT, FUNDED BY THE CHEMISTRY DIVISION AT NSF, PROFESSOR GANG CHEN AND HIS STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA WILL PERFORM STUDIES THAT AIM TO INTEGRATE ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER WITH PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES TO BUILD A NEW TYPE OF SMART WINDOWS WITH IMPROVED PERFORMANCE. SMART WINDOWS, WHOSE TRANSMITTANCE/REFLECTION OF SUNLIGHT CAN BE SELECTIVELY ADJUSTED, CAN DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE THE COMFORTABILITY AND SECURITY OF LIVING, AND DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE ENERGY CONSUMPTIONS OF AIR CONDITIONING IN BUILDINGS AND AUTOMOBILE VEHICLES. THE PERFORMANCE OF SMART WINDOWS MAINLY DEPENDS ON CHROMIC MATERIALS, AND POLYMER ELECTROCHROMIC MATERIALS ARE OF GREAT COMMERCIAL VALUE BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH COLORATION EFFICIENCY, FAST RESPONSE SPEED, AND HIGH PROCESSABILITY. HOWEVER, ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMERS WILL DETERIORATE UNDER HIGH APPLIED ELECTROCHEMICAL POTENTIALS. THE DETERIORATION WILL AFFECT THEIR LONG-TERM CYCLABILITY AND LOWER THEIR COLOR CONTRAST, WHICH PREVENTS THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE POLYMER ELECTROCHROMIC MATERIALS. PROFESSOR CHEN AND HIS STUDENTS WILL TACKLE THIS CHALLENGE BY DEVELOPING HYBRID MATERIALS CONSISTING OF PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLE AND ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER THAT CAN BE USED TO FABRICATE SMART-WINDOW DEVICES WITH IMPROVED COLOR-SWITCHING CHARACTERISTICS. THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO EXPOSE SMART MATERIALS RESEARCH FOR A NEW GENERATION SO THAT THEY WILL TAKE A LEADING ROLE IN FUTURE SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION. PROF. CHEN PLANS TO INVOLVE GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS IN STEM FIELDS, AS WELL AS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE PROJECT TO BROADEN THE INTEGRATION OF RESEARCH AND PARTICIPATION-ORIENTED OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES, INCLUDING GOLD, SILVER, AND COPPER, HAVE STRONG LIGHT ABSORPTION AND SCATTERING AT THEIR PLASMON WAVELENGTHS, WHICH CAN BE SYNTHETICALLY TUNED FROM VISIBLE TO NEAR INFRARED. THE PLASMONIC PROPERTIES ARE STRONGLY DEPENDENT ON THEIR DIELECTRIC ENVIRONMENTS AND THEREAFTER CAN BE EASILY VARIED BY THE DIELECTRIC CHANGE BROUGHT BY THE TRANSITION BETWEEN BLEACHED AND COLORED STATES OF ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER. THE INTRODUCTION OF PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES IS EXPECTED TO LARGELY IMPROVE THE COLOR CONTRAST OF ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER UNDER DIFFERENT STATES AND THEREFORE AVOID ITS POSSIBLE ELECTROCHEMICAL DETERIORATION. THIS STUDY WILL FURTHER OUR UNDERSTANDING ON ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER-INDUCED PLASMONIC SWITCHING BEHAVIORS OF PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES. SMART-WINDOW DEVICES FABRICATED FROM PLASMONIC NANOPARTICLES/ELECTROCHROMIC POLYMER HYBRID NANOSTRUCTURES ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE IMPROVED COLOR-SWITCHING CHARACTERISTICS. THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS STUDY WILL ALSO BE USEFUL FOR DESIGNING MANY OTHER PLASMON-BASED OPTICAL DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING AND DIRECTING LIGHT FOR A WIDE RANGE OF AREAS SUCH AS INFORMATION DISPLAYS, ANTI-COUNTERFEITING INKS, AND PHOTOTHERMAL SYSTEMS FOR CANCER THERAPY. 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.

REU SITE: CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY

NURSE FACULTY LOAN PROGRAM

RUI: COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF VIBRATIONAL MOTION IN HYDROGEN-BONDED SYSTEMS

FY 17 VBOC OPTION YEAR AWARD

LEAPS-MPS: INVESTIGATION OF TOPOLOGICAL SPIN TEXTURE AND MAGNETOELECTRIC COUPLING IN NON-CENTROSYMMETRIC ORTHORHOMBIC OXIDES -ABSTRACT THIS AWARD IS FUNDED IN WHOLE OR IN PART UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 (PUBLIC LAW 117-2). NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: THIS PROJECT DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATERIALS THAT POSSESS TOPOLOGICAL SPIN TEXTURES, AND INVESTIGATE THEIR FORMATION, CONTROL MECHANISMS AND PROPERTIES. TOPOLOGICAL SPIN TEXTURES ARE NANOSIZED MAGNETS FOUND IN CERTAIN CLASSES OF MATERIALS AND CAN BE USED TO PRODUCE ENERGY-EFFICIENT, FAST-PACED, AND RELIABLE INFORMATION STORAGE, AND TRANSFER DEVICES. FURTHERMORE, THE WORKS PERFORMED THROUGH THIS PROJECT TRAIN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM A HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY IN MATERIAL SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES TO PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF A SCIENTIFICALLY SKILLED WORKFORCE. THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL BE TRAINED IN ALL ASPECTS OF MATERIAL PHYSICS RESEARCH FROM CONCEPTUALIZATION TO PUBLICATION SO THAT THEY CAN SERVE AS ROLE MODELS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THIS RESEARCH ALSO SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS WITH HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS SERVING MAJORITY UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN THE DIVERSE METRO ATLANTA AREA. THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTES TO INCREASING THE ENROLLMENT AND RETENTION OF STUDENTS FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN STEM EDUCATION. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: THIS LEAPS-MPS PROJECT FOCUSES ON UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE PLAYED BY CRYSTAL SYMMETRIES AND CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS ON THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE ESSENTIAL MAGNETIC AND SPIN-ORBIT INTERACTIONS THAT LEAD TO TOPOLOGICAL MAGNETISM AND THE ASSOCIATED MAGNETOELECTRIC BEHAVIOR OF NON-CENTROSYMMETRIC OXIDES. BY TAKING THE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF CHIRAL MMOTEO6 (M=MN, CO, FE, CU, NI) AND POLAR RTWO6 (R=RARE EARTH, T=FE, CR, V) OXIDES, THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATES THE FOLLOWING: (I) HOW DO THE TOPOLOGICAL CHARACTER, SIZE, AND STABILITY OF SPIN TEXTURES VARY WITH CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS WITHIN THE ISOSTRUCTURAL FAMILY OF MATERIALS? (II) CAN FERROELECTRIC POLARIZATION BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPIN TEXTURES AND MANIPULATED USING AN ELECTRIC FIELD? (III) WHAT ARE THE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCES IN THE MAGNETOELECTRIC BEHAVIOR OF POLAR AND CHIRAL MATERIALS? THIS WORK PROVIDES IMPORTANT INSIGHTS INTO INTERACTIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FORMATION OF NOVEL TOPOLOGICAL SPIN TEXTURES AND COUPLING OF SUCH SPIN STRUCTURES TO INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FIELDS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: COMPARING PRESERVICE STEM TEACHER PREPARATION USING VIRTUAL REALITY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SIMULATIONS VERSUS PEER TEACHING -THIS NSF IUSE: EDU PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL NEED FOR A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE STEM WORKFORCE BY PREPARING UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION STUDENTS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY TEACH ALL K-12 STUDENTS. THE PROJECT WILL SUPPORT FUTURE TEACHERS BY OFFERING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THROUGH VIRTUAL REALITY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SIMULATIONS AND SCAFFOLDED PEER TEACHING. THESE INNOVATIVE TEACHING EXPERIENCES ARE DESIGNED TO HELP FUTURE EDUCATORS DEVELOP THE SKILLS NEEDED TO FACILITATE DISCUSSIONS OF SCIENTIFICALLY RELEVANT REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS. THROUGH THIS WORK, THE PROJECT AIMS TO PREPARE UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION STUDENTS TO EFFECTIVELY TEACH SCIENCE IN K?12 SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT ALL STEM LEARNERS IN SOLVING REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS. THIS PROJECT INCLUDES PARTNERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA, SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY, AND DRAKE UNIVERSITY. TOGETHER, THESE INSTITUTIONS WILL INVESTIGATE HOW UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION STUDENTS CAN BE EFFECTIVELY PREPARED TO FACILITATE DISCUSSIONS OF SCIENTIFICALLY RELEVANT REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS. PROJECT GOALS INCLUDE DEVELOPING AND COMPARING TWO INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE MODALITIES - VIRTUAL REALITY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AVATAR SIMULATIONS AND SCAFFOLDED PEER TEACHING - AND EVALUATING THEIR IMPACT ON APPROXIMATELY 250 UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION STUDENTS ACROSS THE FIVE INSTITUTIONS. USING A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH, THE STUDY WILL COLLECT DATA THROUGH RUBRIC-BASED EVALUATIONS OF TEACHING PERFORMANCE AT THREE TIMEPOINTS, PARTICIPANT SURVEYS, AND MENTOR FEEDBACK. THE RESEARCH WILL FOCUS ON PRESERVICE TEACHERS PREPARING TO TEACH SCIENCE IN K?12 SCHOOLS. BY PREPARING FUTURE STEM TEACHERS TO ENACT SCIENCE INSTRUCTION THAT ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO SOLVE REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS, THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE EMPIRICAL SUPPORT FOR THE USE OF SCIENTIFICALLY RELEVANT REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS IN STEM TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS. AN EXTERNAL EVALUATOR WILL PROVIDE FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT PROJECT OBJECTIVES. FINDINGS WILL BE DISSEMINATED THROUGH PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS, NATIONAL STEM EDUCATION CONFERENCES, AND A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE PROJECT WEBSITE OFFERING OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. THE NSF IUSE: EDU PROGRAM SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STEM EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS. THROUGH THE ENGAGED STUDENT LEARNING TRACK, THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE CREATION, EXPLORATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROMISING PRACTICES AND TOOLS. PARTIAL FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT IS FROM THE ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. 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.

THIS AWARD FUNDS THE APPROVED 2022?24 ARP SENIOR DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM GRANT. YOUR 2022-24 STATUTORY MATCH REQUIREMENT IS 10% AND YOUR BUDGETED MATCH IS 9.2%. THE GSU AREA SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM (GSUASCP) PROPOSES TO HAVE 52 AMERICORPS SENIORS VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL CONDUCT NUTRITION AND FOOD SUPPORT OR EDUCATION TRAINING IN RURAL GEORGIA. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS HEALTHY FUTURES. AT THE END OF THE TWO-YEAR GRANT, AMERICORPS SENIORS VOLUNTEERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A CHANGE IN FOOD SECURITY AND CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE. THE AMERICORPS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $390,000 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $39,344 OF NON-FEDERAL RESOURCES.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: IRES TRACK I: U.S.-DENMARK PROGRAM FOR ADVANCED RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF AC/DC CONVERTERS WITH INNOVATIVE CONTROLS IN GLOBE-SPANNING SUPERGRID (INNOVATOR) -THIS INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS (IRES) AWARD PROVIDES EIGHTEEN U.S. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN AN EIGHT WEEK RESEARCH PROGRAM ON POWER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS AT AALBORG UNIVERSITY (AAU) IN DENMARK. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY (GSU) AND MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY WILL RECRUIT AND PROVIDE INITIAL TRAINING AND PREPARATION FOR COHORTS OF SIX U.S. UNDERGRADUATES EACH YEAR FOR THREE YEARS. THE PIS HAVE HAD PREVIOUS AND ONGOING COLLABORATIONS ON ADVANCED CONTROLS OF POWER ELECTRONIC CONVERTERS AND INTERACTED WITH THE CENTER OF RELIABLE POWER ELECTRONICS (CORPE) IN AAU ENERGY (FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY TECHNOLOGY). SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE CURRENTLY LEADING THE RESEARCH ON THE PRACTICAL USE OF RENEWABLES IN SMART GRIDS. AAU?S POWER PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND YOUNGEST IN EUROPE, CONSISTENTLY RANKED NO. 1 ACROSS THE CONTINENT. AAU ENERGY AND CORPE ARE RANKED AMONG THE BEST FOR RESEARCH IMPACT MEASURES. IT IS AN IDEAL PARTNER FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT?OFFERING U.S. STUDENTS A UNIQUE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN ALL AREAS OF POWER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS. THIS RESEARCH BENEFITS SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT BY 1) INCREASING THE PENETRATION OF RENEWABLES, 2) INCREASING CAREER INTEREST IN THE FIELD OF POWER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS FOR MODERN POWER GRIDS, AND 3) IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF THE U.S. POWER ENGINEERING WORKFORCE. THEORIES CONFIRMED BY PROJECT RESEARCH MAY BE TAILORED AND BROADLY DEVELOPED FOR OTHER SYSTEMS IN THE POWER AND ENERGY INDUSTRY. GSU AND MSU ARE READY, WILLING, AND SINGULARLY ABLE TO RECRUIT UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES, INCLUDING WOMEN, AFRICAN AMERICANS, NATIVE AMERICANS, AND LATIN AMERICAN, TO PARTICIPATE IN STEM RESEARCH AND TEACHING. MOREOVER, THE WOMEN LEADING THE POWER/ENERGY SYSTEM RESEARCH AT CORPE ARE EXCELLENT ROLE MODELS IN AN AREA WHERE WOMEN REMAIN UNDERREPRESENTED. STUDENTS WILL BE ENGAGED IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY TOPICS?ADVANCED CONTROLS AND RELIABILITY ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OF POWER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS IN MODERN POWER GRIDS WITH THE INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLES?TRAINED TO CONDUCT INNOVATIVE STEM PROJECTS WITH BROAD IMPACTS ON THE ENERGY SECTOR?S RELIABILITY, RESILIENCE, AND EFFICIENCY. THEY WILL BE EXPOSED TO CUTTING-EDGE LABORATORIES, UNIQUE RELIABILITY ANALYSIS TOOLS, AND INTERNATIONAL TRAINING TO PREPARE THEM FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CAREERS. THIS PROGRAM WILL FACILITATE A UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE TRANSFER MECHANISM, HELP STUDENTS BUILD INTERNATIONAL TIES AND CONFIDENCE, AND PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE NSF AND DANISH NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION COLLABORATIONS. LOOKING TO THE POWER SYSTEM WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE, OUR STUDENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND ANALYZE DIFFERENT POWER SYSTEMS AS THEY MAY BE INVOLVED IN VARIOUS PROJECTS WORLDWIDE WHILE WORKING AT NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES WITH TECHNICAL TEAMS IN THE U.S. ALSO, POWER SYSTEMS ARE RAPIDLY AND INCREASINGLY GLOBALIZING AND MODERNIZING IN RESPONSE TO GLOBAL POLICIES DRIVEN BY CLIMATE CHANGE. IN THE IRES WORK, STUDENTS WILL CONDUCT COHORT-BASED RESEARCH PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH AC/DC POWER ELECTRONIC CONVERTERS [VOLTAGE-SOURCE CONVERTERS (VSCS)] IN A POSSIBLE GLOBE-SPANNING SUPERGRID (GS2G)?AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF THE ENERGY SECTOR TO INTEGRATE RENEWABLES TO RESPOND TO URGENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS CAUSED BY GLOBAL WARMING AT AN ALARMING RATE AND INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS. UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF SMART GRIDS, THEY ASSESS AND IMPROVE THE RELIABILITY OF VSCS WITH INNOVATIVE CONTROLS IN GS2G. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL ADVANCE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO 1) ENHANCING THE STABILITY AND PERFORMANCE OF VSCS IN GS2G, 2) INTEGRATING RENEWABLES INTO POWER AND ENERGY SYSTEMS VIA GS2G?S AC/DC GRIDS, 3) ACHIEVING MORE RELIABLE ENERGY EXCHANGE AND SECURE POWER TRANSFER THROUGH VSCS, AND 4) EMPLOYING STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES TO TEST VSC PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY. IN THIS COLLABORATION, STUDENTS WILL RIGOROUSLY INVESTIGATE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF VSCS WITH ADVANCED CONTROLS AND RELIABILITY ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES FOR GS2G?S VSCS. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (OISE), AND THE NON-LEAD PORTION IS CO-FUNDED BY 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.

RURAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM

RUI: ANIONIC MULTITOPIC N-HETEROCYCLIC CARBENES: BUILDING BLOCKS FOR MOLECULAR AND SUPRAMOLECULAR ARCHITECTURES

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A MALDI-TOF MASS SPECTROMETER

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CYBERTRAINING: PILOT: BROADENING CI WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR QUANTUM-BASED MACHINE LEARNING RESEARCH IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING -QUANTUM-BASED MACHINE LEARNING (QML) APPLIES QUANTUM COMPUTING (QC) TO MACHINE LEARNING (ML), WHICH REVOLUTIONIZES COMPUTATIONAL TASKS BY LEVERAGING THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF QUANTUM MECHANICS, LEADING TO MORE EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (S&E). HOWEVER, THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF QML RESEARCH WORKFORCE FOR S&E. IN ADDITION, QML IS ABSENT IN MOST COLLEGES' CURRICULA, AND THERE IS A NEED FOR HANDS-ON QML TRAINING MATERIALS. TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES, KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY AND FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY (HBCU) WILL COLLABORATIVELY BUILD QML RESEARCH, EDUCATION CAPACITY, AND WORKFORCE IN S&E. IN THIS PROJECT, THE INVESTIGATORS WILL DEVELOP OPEN-SOURCE, HANDS-ON QML TRAINING MATERIALS ON A DEDICATED OPEN REPOSITORY, INCLUDING NINE TRANSFERABLE MODULES WITH HANDS-ON LABS THAT COVER KEY CONCEPTS OF QC AND QML IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (CS) AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING (IE), INTEGRATE THE MODULES INTO EXISTING CS AND IE COURSES, AND HOST FACULTY WORKSHOPS AND STUDENT TRAINING CAMPS TO TRAIN FACULTY AND STUDENTS WITH THE DEVELOPED HANDS-ON QML TRAINING MODULES. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, THE PROJECT AIMS TO (1) TRAIN AND EMPOWER S&E FACULTY AND STUDENTS WITH QML SKILLS AND ENHANCE THEIR REAL-WORLD RESEARCH CAPABILITY WITH ADVANCED QUANTUM CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE AND (2) BUILD DIVERSE AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY COMMUNITIES OF COLLABORATIVE QML RESEARCH IN S&E. 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.

RUI: MEASUREMENT AND MODELING OF RAINFALL INTERCEPTION LOSS FROM GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY'S URBAN FOREST.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SATC: EDU: QUINTET: QUANTUM INTERNET EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYNTHESIZER -EDUCATORS AND LEARNERS IN THE FIELD OF SECURE QUANTUM COMMUNICATIONS AND QUANTUM NETWORKING FACE A UNIQUE CHALLENGE. IN ORDER TO BE PROFICIENT IN THESE AREAS, ONE MUST DRAW FROM A BROAD SET OF DISCIPLINES. EFFECTIVE TRAINING IN SUCH INTERDISCIPLINARY EMERGING AREAS POSES SEVERAL STRUCTURAL AND PEDAGOGICAL CHALLENGES. THE LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN THESE AREAS OFTEN REQUIRES EDUCATORS TO COLLECT AND CURATE MATERIALS FROM SEVERAL SOURCES. MANUALLY DEVELOPING COURSES AND IDENTIFYING RELEVANT STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES (SLOS) CAN BE A CONSIDERABLE BURDEN FOR EDUCATORS. IN ADDITION, LEARNING FROM COURSES CREATED THIS WAY CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR STUDENTS. TRADITIONAL APPROACHES ARE NOT ADEQUATE FOR TEACHING INTERDISCIPLINARY AREAS, SINCE THEY DO NOT PROVIDE THE HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES NEEDED TO STUDY INTERACTIONS AMONG DISCIPLINES. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE ABOVE CHALLENGES BY DEVELOPING AND DISSEMINATING A STATE-OF-THE-ART EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING-BASED PLATFORM, QUINTET: QUANTUM INTERNET EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYNTHESIZER. THE QUINTET PLATFORM WILL INCLUDE: (1) EIGHT COURSE MODULES ON CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM NETWORKING, NETWORKING ALGORITHMS, QUANTUM INTERNET COMPONENTS AND QUANTUM ROUTING, CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY, AND CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM NETWORK SECURITY; (2) A LEARNING OBJECTS REPOSITORY (LOR) CONSISTING OF LEARNING OBJECTS THAT MEET SLOS, INCLUDING MODULAR INTERACTIVE WIDGETS, RELEVANT TEXT, VIDEOS, EXERCISES, AND QUIZZES AND TESTS TO SYNTHESIZE LESSONS; (3) USE OF KOLB?S FOUR PHASES OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, INCLUDING HANDS-ON, VIRTUAL QUANTUM NETWORK EXPERIMENTATION AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING, WHICH OFFERS MULTIPLE EQUIVALENT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SAME CONCEPT FOR INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE LEARNING; (4) NEW ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY THAT USES DATA COLLECTION EMBEDDED WITHIN LESSON PLANS AND QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENTS THAT ALLOW INSTRUCTORS AND LEARNERS TO REVIEW THEIR PERFORMANCE THROUGH REFLECTION ZONES AND ACTIVE EXPERIMENTATION; AND (5) A DESIGN IN ALIGNMENT WITH FAIR (FINDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, INTER-OPERABLE, AND REUSABLE) PRINCIPLES AND INSTRUMENTED WITH A RICH SET OF METADATA THAT ALLOWS EFFICIENT RETRIEVAL AND CUSTOMIZATION OF COURSE MODULES FOR A VARIETY OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE SECURE AND TRUSTWORTHY CYBERSPACE (SATC) PROGRAM, WHICH FUNDS PROPOSALS THAT ADDRESS CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY, AND IN THIS CASE SPECIFICALLY CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION. THE SATC PROGRAM ALIGNS WITH THE FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE NATIONAL PRIVACY RESEARCH STRATEGY TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE GROWING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF CYBER SYSTEMS WHILE ENSURING SECURITY AND PRIVACY. 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.

RUI: CAS: DEVELOPMENT OF NEW OCTAHEDRAL RUTHENIUM(II) OLEFIN HYDROARYLATION CATALYSTS SUPPORTED BY A SINGLE BIDENTATE SUPPORT LIGAND -WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, PROFESSOR BRANDON QUILLIAN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY, GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY-ARMSTRONG CAMPUS WILL PURSUE A PROJECT IN FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH TO DEVELOP TRANSITION METAL-BASED CATALYSTS CAPABLE OF CONVERTING FAIRLY INERT PETROLEUM RESOURCES INTO VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS BY A ?GREENER? METHOD AS COMPARED TO CONTEMPORARY METHODS, WHICH OFTEN SUFFER FROM MULTIPLE DEFICIENCIES SUCH AS HIGH REACTION TEMPERATURES, NON-SELECTIVITY, LARGE WASTE STREAMS AND THE INABILITY TO RECOVER CATALYSTS. THE TARGETED, HIGHLY VALUED, INDUSTRIALLY IMPORTANT PRODUCTS ARE CURRENTLY PRODUCED YEARLY ON MULTI-TON SCALES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PLASTICS, MEDICINES AND DETERGENTS. BORROWING FROM PREVIOUS ADVANCES IN THIS VEIN OF RESEARCH, THE INVESTIGATOR AIMS TO PROVIDE NEW KNOWLEDGE TO THE CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY TO FURTHER IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS THAT MAY LEAD TO MORE EFFICIENT PROCESSES, THEREBY PRESERVING PETROLEUM RESOURCES. THIS PROJECT WILL SUPPORT THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF TWO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM DIRECT SUPERVISION FROM THE EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATOR. THESE STUDENTS WILL BE TRAINED IN THE STATE-OF-ART METHODS, TECHNIQUES, AND INSTRUMENTATION, AS WELL AS BUILD SOFT SKILLS REQUIRED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT. THIS TRAINING IS INTEGRAL TO DEVELOPING THESE STUDENTS INTO RESEARCH SCIENTISTS TO SUPPORT THE INCREASING NEED FOR QUALIFIED SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) GRADUATES. MOREOVER, THIS PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES DUE TO THE RICH DIVERSITY OF GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND THE INVESTIGATOR?S ARDENT COMMITMENT TO MENTORING THESE STUDENTS TO PREPARE THEM FOR CAREERS IN THE SCIENCES. THE PROJECT DEALS WITH FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH AIMED AT DEVELOPING WELL-DEFINED, HOMOGENOUS, RUTHENIUM(II) OLEFIN HYDROARYLATION CATALYSTS SUPPORTED BY A BIDENTATE DONOR LIGAND (BIPYRIDINE DERIVATIVES) AND OTHER SUPPORT LIGANDS (LABILE AND ANCILLARY LIGANDS). THESE CATALYSTS ARE EXPECTED TO COUPLE NON-ACTIVATED OLEFINS AND ARENES USING METAL-MEDIATED C-H ACTIVATION AND SUBSEQUENT FUNCTIONALIZATION THROUGH OLEFIN INSERTION TO FACILITATE THE ADDITION OF ARYL C-H BONDS ACROSS OLEFIN C=C BONDS TO PRODUCE ALKYLARENES. THE PROPOSED CATALYSTS ARE HIGHLY MODULAR AND EASY TO PREPARE, ALLOWING FOR SYSTEMATIC ALTERATION OF THE SYSTEM TO OPTIMIZE CATALYSIS. A CATALYTIC OLEFIN HYDROARYLATION STRUCTURAL-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIP STUDY WILL BE PERFORMED AS A FUNCTION OF STERICS AND ELECTRONICS ON SEVERAL CATALYST VARIANTS TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SYSTEM. THE SUBSTRATE SCOPE OF THE REACTION WILL BE GAUGED USING VARIOUS ARENES WITH BOTH ELECTRON-WITHDRAWING AND ELECTRON-DONATING GROUPS, AND CYCLIC AND HIGHLY SUBSTITUTED OLEFINS. THE PRODUCTS AND INTERMEDIATES OF THESE STUDIES WILL BE CHARACTERIZED USING MODERN SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS SUCH AS NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE AND INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY AS WELL AS MASS SPECTROMETRY, GAS AND LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY, CYCLIC VOLTAMMETRY, AND SINGLE CRYSTAL X-RAY DIFFRACTION. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE OUTCOMES OF THIS STUDY WILL INCREASE UNDERSTANDING ON HOW TO BEST SYNTHESIZE THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS AND WHAT CONSTITUTES THE NECESSARY FEATURES FOR VIABLE CATALYSIS, AND BY PROXY, THE STERIC AND ELECTRONIC LIMITS OF THE SYSTEM. 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.

MRI: ACQUISITION OF AN ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENT FOR BIOFUELS EMISSIONS RESEARCH

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: IUSE: EDU: INNOVATIVE AND INCLUSIVE UNDERGRADUATE XR ENGINEERING EDUCATION TO CULTIVATE FUTURE METAVERSE WORKFORCE -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY ESTABLISHING AN INTERDISCIPLINARY MIXED REALITY (XR) ENGINEERING CURRICULUM THAT PREPARES UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FOR FLOURISHING CAREERS AS XR PROFESSIONALS AND RESEARCHERS. THE RAPIDLY EVOLVING FIELD OF XR TECHNOLOGY PRESENTS U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WITH A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES, AS THE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ENDEAVOR TO TAP INTO THE POTENTIAL OF THE XR DOMAIN. THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO ADVANCE XR ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND FOSTER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WITH CRAFTED LEARNING MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO CREATE XR APPLICATIONS ACROSS DIVERSE INDUSTRIES, TACKLE SOCIETAL CHALLENGES, AND UNLOCK INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITIES. THE PROJECT WILL EMPLOY EVIDENCE-BASED PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES, SUCH AS LEARNING-BY-DOING AND LEARNING-BY-TEACHING, WHILE INTEGRATING RECENT ADVANCES IN XR TECHNOLOGY. THE PROPOSED CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED WITH ADAPTABILITY IN MIND, ENABLING ITS IMPLEMENTATION AS A NEW STEM PROGRAM, MINOR, OR CERTIFICATE, THEREBY EXPANDING PARTICIPATION AND BOLSTERING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY FOR STEM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THE CURRICULUM WILL INITIALLY BE LAUNCHED AS A PILOT PROGRAM AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY AND GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, TWO MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS. THE STUDY WILL BE CONDUCTED USING BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS, ENCOMPASSING A REVIEW OF EXISTING LITERATURE, SURVEYS, EXPERT INTERVIEWS, AND FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES ENCOMPASS A COMPREHENSIVE XR ENGINEERING CURRICULUM, ENRICHED LEARNING MATERIALS, AND ENGAGING ACTIVITIES THAT BOOST STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION WHILE PROMOTING INCREASED STEM PARTICIPATION AMONG WOMEN AND MINORITY STUDENTS. THE PROJECT RESULTS WILL BE DISSEMINATED TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS, PARTICULARLY HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE LOCAL AREA TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE XR EDUCATION ECOSYSTEM AND BROADEN THE IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED WORK. THE NSF IUSE: EDU PROGRAM SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STEM EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS. THROUGH ITS ENGAGED STUDENT LEARNING TRACK, THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE CREATION, EXPLORATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROMISING PRACTICES AND TOOLS. 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.

RUI: LINEAR TRIMERS OF FE, CO, AND NI WITH UNIQUE STRUCTURAL, MAGNETIC, AND ELECTROCHEMICAL PROPERTIES

ERI: DRIVING RISK-INITIATED VEHICLE-TO-EVERYTHING COMMUNICATIONS (DRIVECOMM) -CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ARE NO LONGER A FUTURISTIC DREAM FROM SCIENCE FICTION, BUT THEY ARE ALREADY EMERGING AS A REALITY IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE. THROUGHOUT THE SHORT YET RICH HISTORY OF EVOLUTION OF CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, A SALIENT PARADIGM IS TO ACCOMPLISH THE EFFICIENT DATA EXCHANGE AMONG VEHICLES, WHICH HAS MADE VEHICLE-TO-EVERYTHING (V2X) COMMUNICATIONS A HOUSEHOLD NAME. DESPITE THE RAPID EVOLUTION OF V2X COMMUNICATIONS, SUCCESSFUL EXCHANGE OF SAFETY MESSAGES STILL REMAINS AN AMBITIOUS TASK MAINLY DUE TO THE HIGH MOBILITY AND DYNAMICITY OF VEHICULAR SYSTEMS. THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS THAT AS MORE VEHICLES ARE CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUSLY DRIVEN, THE NUMBER OF EXCHANGED MESSAGES WILL EXPLODE, WHICH WILL LIKELY DETERIORATE THE CHANCE OF SUCCESSFUL MESSAGE DELIVERY. AS AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, WE PROPOSE TO CAREFULLY DEFINE THE PRIORITY OF THE TRANSMITTED INFORMATION AND PRIORITIZE CHANNEL ACCESS AMONG VEHICLES ACCORDINGLY. PREDICATED ON THE SIGNIFICANCE, THIS PROJECT WILL FORM A SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARDS THE OVERARCHING VISION OF PERSISTENT AND RELIABLE OPERATIONS OF CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WILL GO HAND-IN-HAND WITH EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY THINKING. SPECIFICALLY, THE OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT (I.E., A TESTBED AND FURTHER ACADEMIC FINDINGS) WILL ACT AS THE RESEARCH TEAM'S MAIN RESOURCE IN MODERNIZATION OF THE COURSES, PROMOTION OF UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES RECRUITMENT, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH, AND FURTHER COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL/NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS ON RESOLVING PRACTICAL ISSUES IN DEPLOYMENT OF CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES. THE KEY INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THIS PROJECT LIE IN THE FOLLOWING INNOVATIVE ASPECTS: 1) QUANTIFICATION OF A METRIC CAPTURING THE HOLISTIC IMPACTS OF MULTIPLE RISK-DETERMINING FEATURES IN CONCERT; 2) FORMULATION OF THE METRIC COMPUTATION MECHANISM AS A COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION PROBLEM WITH A TIME CONSTRAINT; 3) PROPOSITION OF A PRACTICAL METHODOLOGY OF SOLVING THE PROPOSED COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION PROBLEM; 4) DEVELOPMENT OF A TESTBED IMPLEMENTING THE PROPOSED RISK-BASED PRIORITIZATION AMONG SAFETY MESSAGE TYPES DEFINED IN CURRENT V2X USE CASES. WE WILL DRAW FROM THESE TECHNIQUES TO PROVE THEORETICAL PERFORMANCE BOUNDS FOR THE PROPOSED V2X COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK AND UNDERSTAND ITS PRACTICAL PERFORMANCE LIMITS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE MATHEMATICAL TECHNIQUES AND EMPIRICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THIS PROJECT WILL INFORM AND ENABLE FUTURE RESEARCH IN A BROAD CLASS OF PROBLEMS ON CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS. 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.