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October was an exciting month for research at UC. Two major gifts were awarded to support some very high-tech science.
A $420 million in-kind donation of software from PACE (Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education) will allow students and faculty to design and visualize buildings, hybrid vehicles, and efficient factories and could even lead to the development of innovative medical devices.
The PACE contribution represents the largest in-kind gift ever given the university, and UC is the first (and only) educational institution in Ohio to receive such recognition.
Read more about PACE.
A $20 million gift from an anonymous donor will support UC’s numerous initiatives in space exploration research. The gift is the largest bequest by an individual in UC’s history.
The bequest establishes the Thomas Jefferson Endowed Chair in Space Exploration and the Alan B. Shepard Endowed Chair in Space Exploration. And a substantial portion of the funds are earmarked to create a Space Exploration Research Fund to support student educational programs.
Read more about space exploration at UC.
As always, we welcome your feedback and encourage you to check out research.uc.edu for the latest research magazine, news and announcements.
Sandra Degen, PhD
Vice President for Research
NEWS/GRANTS
New Grant Program Supports Several Stages of Technology Development
A new grant program has been established that will provide support to researchers as they transition from early stage technology development through the commercialization pipeline and into new company formation. “Imagining grants” are worth up to $40,000 each, and will be awarded on a competitive basis for six to 10 projects annually. An information session is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 28, at Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation Building Room 2024. The grants are made possible through CincyTechUSA’s new Third Frontier-funded Entrepreneur Signature Program. Winners must use funding to conduct pre-commercialization activities related to establishing proof of concept and/or the need for the business. To register for the sessions, e-mail barbara.leitow@uc.edu or call (513) 558-5054, ext. 102. Questions about the grants should be directed to Dorothy Air at dorothy.air@uc.edu or (513) 558-6054.
Ohio Announces Programs to Support Research
The Ohio Innovation Partnership (OIP) Program—a state initiative designed to recruit scientists and students into the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) disciplines—recently announced a request for proposals for the Research Scholars program. This program, with a budget $150 million per year, aims to recruit scientists and their teams to state universities and colleges. Up to $50 million can be requested with each application. Jane Henney, MD, senior vice president and provost for health affairs, and Tony Perzigian, PhD, senior vice president and provost for baccalaureate education, are leading this effort at UC.
Interdisciplinary Grant Competition Open for Applications
The University Research Council is now accepting applications for the fall 2007 Interdisciplinary Faculty Research Support Program. These awards—worth up to $25,000 each—are intended to support pilot research projects that are part of a collaborative effort between faculty in two or more disciplines. The goal of the program is to establish collaborative research efforts that will result in competitive research proposals to national funding agencies. Individuals who have previously collaborated may apply but they must clearly explain how the proposal addresses a new or seed money area of research. Successful applicants are expected to present records of prior activity that indicate a devotion to scholarship and the potential for high-quality achievement. The deadline for proposals is Dec. 14, 2007. For more information, e-mail Linda Minton at linda.minton@uc.edu. For more information about all 2007–08 UCR grant opportunities, visit uc.edu/ucresearch/funding_opportunities.html.
Task Force on IRB Roles and Responsibilities
The Office of Research’s newly created Task Force on IRB (Institutional Review Board) Roles and Responsibilities—a group of more than 15 faculty and two student representatives—is responsible for fully exploring the IRB review process and defining IRB member roles and responsibilities. The group will look at committee composition and responsibilities for the three IRBs and recommend additional research expertise that needs to be included on each committee. The task force will also review IRB committee processes and make recommendations for improvement, and will suggest changes to improve communication between the IRB office and individual investigators. The task force is lead by Nelson Vincent, EdD, associate dean in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services. For a full listing of task force members, visit uc.edu/ucResearch/Task_Force_on_IRB.html.
New Grants Awarded in October
Writing winning grants is tough. We understand the hard work that goes into preparing a proposal and want to make sure that effort doesn’t go unnoticed. Check out your great work—and that of your colleagues—at uc.edu/ucresearch/new_grant_winners.html.
A CLOSER LOOK
‘Nano’ Getting Bigger at UC
UC’s Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, a collaborative effort involving arts and sciences, engineering and medicine, conducts interdisciplinary research on nanoscale materials and devices that could advance technology and economic development in Ohio. Led by Thomas Mantei, MD, professor in the College of Engineering, the center comprises three centers of excellence: nanoscale materials science, BioMEMS and nanobiosystems, and nanophotonics. For more information, visit www.eng.uc.edu/ucnanoinstitute/.
SPOTLIGHT
Cheri Westmoreland, EdD
Cheri Westmoreland, EdD, director of the McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program at UC, heads up the research office’s Undergraduate Research Council Committee. Westmoreland received her masters in college student personnel services from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and her EdD from UC. For nearly 25 years she has held positions focused on recruiting, advising, supervising and mentoring students. As chair of the Undergraduate Research Council Committee, Westmoreland works to highlight the research work of undergraduate students across the university and seeks funding that will support students interested in attending professional conferences to present their work.
EVENTS
Research Orientation: Introduction to Sponsored Research Services
Nov. 2 and Nov. 9
Presented by Deborah Galloway
9 to 10 a.m.
Nov. 2—Faculty Club Conference Room, 8th Floor, Varsity Village
Nov. 9—Rieveschl Auditorium, Vontz Center for Molecular Studies
Target audience: new researchers
Research Orientation: Introduction to Biosafety at UC
Nov. 16 and 30
Presented by Gary Dean, PhD
9 to 10 a.m.
Nov.16—Faculty Club Conference Room, 8th Floor, Varsity Village
Nov. 30—Rieveschl Auditorium, Vontz Center for Molecular Studies
Target audience: new researchers
SAVE THE DATE—State of Research at UC
Join the Office of Research and your colleagues to learn more about 2007 research data and highlights during one of the two scheduled State of Research presentations.
Dec. 6, 2 p.m.
Rieveschl Auditorium, Vontz Center for Molecular Studies
Dec. 7, 2 p.m.
Room 450, Lindner Center
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Current Research Update
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