Awards by Sponsor:
July 1, 2014, through July 31, 2014

SPONSOR	NO. OF AWARDS	AWARDS AMOUNT
National Institutes of Health	68	$12,789,089
National Science Foundation	29	$5,694,137
Department of Education	2	$517,926
Department of Defense	23	$2,174,245
Department of Energy	13	$1,836,968
Department of Agriculture	9	$656,027
Department of Labor	1	$418,945
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	7	$700,588
Other Federal	23	$4,254,346
Total Federal	175	$29,042,271
Industry	191	$4,955,852
State of Ohio	19	$2,614,114
Private Agencies	47	$2,109,464
Colleges and Universities	5	$188,545
Other Non-Federal	2	$127,556
Total Non-Federal	264	$9,995,531
TOTAL	439	$39,037,802

Mark receives NSF/USAID collaborative global research award

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced 39 new research collaborations that advance the scientific and technical capacity of both the U.S. and countries in critical areas of development. The projects, spanning 23 countries, are funded through the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Science program, a joint initiative designed to foster collaborative global research. Through the competitively awarded program, USAID directly supports researchers in developing countries who work with NSF-funded U.S. scientists. Bryan Mark, associate professor of geography and earth sciences, is the U.S. partner on a project with the Instituto Geofisico del Peru that will focus on glacier retreat and water resource sustainability in the Peruvian Andes. 

CAR unveils expanded driverless vehicle facility

The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) has unveiled its expanded driverless vehicle research facility. The facility will house Ohio State’s fleet of intelligent and autonomous vehicles and provide laboratory and office space. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on August 1, 2014, during the first annual meeting of the Crash Imminent Safety University Transportation Center (CriS UTC) housed at Ohio State. The CriS UTC is one of 33 U.S. Department of Transportation centers aimed at advancing research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing the U.S. The university has been involved in driverless vehicle research programs since 1996.

Lower receives $3 M grant to further studies on implant related infections

Devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators and prosthetic cardiac valves save lives, but about four percent of the estimated one million patients receiving implants each year in the U.S. suffer infections caused by a bacterial biofilm that forms on the surface of the device. Steven Lower, professor of earth sciences, will continue his research on why some patients get infections from cardiac implants, thanks to a $3 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Researchers have found that some strains of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus have genetic variants in the proteins on their surfaces that make them more likely to form biofilms. Because biofilms resist antibiotics, the only treatment is surgical replacement of the contaminated device, which adds up to more than a $1 billion in health care costs each year. Lower’s research could lead to a better understanding of the fundamental mechanism that permits Staphylococcus aureus to bind to prosthetic materials and provide important advances in the treatment and prevention of infections of cardiac devices.

$1.7 M grant to further research in liver function

Clark Anderson, professor of internal medicine, has received a five-year, $1.7 million grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) to continue research on the liver’s clearance functions to investigate how scavenger cells of liver blood vessels remove and destroy small blood-borne particles such as viruses and small immune complexes. The goals of the study, “Immune Complex Elimination by Sinusoid Endothelial FcgRIIb: Mechanism and Disease” will be to test the hypothesis that Rllb of liver sinusoid endothelial cells (LSEC) eliminates small immune complexes from the blood in a way that is efficient, fast and robust; and to show that these receptors control the manifestation of immune complex-mediated disease. Co-investigators are Latha Ganesan, research scientist in internal medicine, and John M. Robinson, professor of physiology and cell biology.

Food science team wins 2014 new product competition

A team of students from the Department of Food Science and Technology received first place in the DairyMinded 2014 New Product Competition. The competition, sponsored by the Dairy Research Institute, aims to inspire the next generation of food scientists to pursue careers in dairy product research and development. University teams created new dairy-based foods to satisfy baby boomers' needs in the areas of taste, healthfulness and affordability. The Ohio State team received the $8,000 first place prize for their entry, Trifle Au Lait, a portion-controlled, layered snack. Team members were Anastasia Purgianto, Hardy Castada, Liz Green, Sara Burcham, Alex Milligan and Ty Thammakulkrajang.

Drug discovery to target aggressive breast cancer

Researchers at Ohio State have been awarded $100,000 through the Pelotonia Idea Grants Program to conduct drug discovery research on Mps1, a protein that is extremely active in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC, one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, is resistant to most available therapies. Robert Brueggemeier, faculty emeritus, College of Pharmacy; Chenglong Li and Pui-Kai Li, associate professors in the College of Pharmacy; and Harold Fisk, associate professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, plan to design, develop and evaluate a compound that inhibits Mps1 for use in the treatment of TNBC. They will also examine therapies featuring a combination of Mps1 inhibitors and current treatment regimens to produce the most effective results. The team's goal is to advance development of a drug that can be tested in human trials.

$2 M NSF grant funds new materials research collaboration

A $2 million, four-year award from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Division of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) will allow researchers from Ohio State to create and understand a new class of materials based on two-dimensional (2D) derivatives of germanium (Ge) and tin (Sn). The study will focus on controlling and modulating the thermal conductance and thermoelectric properties of germanium and tin by manipulating the materials’ thermal properties on the atomic level. Joshua Goldberger, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, is principal investigator. Joseph Heremans, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and physics, is co-investigator. The multi-institutional collaboration includes scientists from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Boston College and the University of Texas-Austin.

Dormady to study economic resilience

Noah Dormady, assistant professor in the John Glenn School of Public Affairs, is part of a multi-institutional team that has been awarded nearly $500,000 from the National Science Foundation’s Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation division to study dynamic economic resilience – the ability of local and regional economies to recover from natural or man-made disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes or terrorist attacks. The study will employ several analytic strategies to examine how business owners' decisions and broader economic conditions impacted the economic recovery of New York City following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The research is being conducted through the Homeland Security's National Center for Risk and the Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events at the University of Southern California, the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Glenn School.

Six Discovery Themes Initiative proposals selected to move forward

The Discovery Themes Initiative (DTI) continues to gain momentum. Thirty-three proposals were received in response to the second request for proposals issued in February – representing more than 625 individuals and all 14 colleges. Six proposals, focusing on compelling challenges and associated big ideas in the areas of Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases, Materials for a Sustainable World and Food to Improve Health, were selected to move forward by a panel of internal and external reviewers. The DTI executive team will work with the proposal leadership teams and respective college leaders to refine implementation plans, including faculty recruitment.

Innovator of the Year call for nominations

To support and stimulate entrepreneurial activity among researchers, three university-wide awards will be presented this year to Ohio State's most successful entrepreneurs. Nominations are sought in the following categories: Innovator of the Year, Early Career Innovator of the Year, and Student Innovator of the Year. One award will be given in each category. The deans from each college may submit a maximum of TWO nominations for each category (a total of six nominations per college). Nominations must be received by September 15, 2014.

BETHA grant competition call for proposals

All full-time Ohio State faculty from any college or discipline are invited to submit proposals for the 2015 Battelle Engineering, Technology and Human Affairs (BETHA) Endowment grant competition. The Battelle Memorial Institute-Ohio State partnership fosters programs that examine the relationship between science and technology and its impact on broader social and cultural issues. Emphasis is placed on educational and public service projects rather than pure research. Interdisciplinary collaborations within the university and collaborations with other institutions are especially encouraged. Projects that address engineering-related topics or feature collaborations between engineering and the social sciences or arts and humanities are particularly welcomed. Typically three to six annual awards are made, ranging from $10,000 to $60,000. The deadline for receipt of proposals is Tuesday, November 25, 2014, at 5 p.m.

Distinguished Scholar Award call for nominations

The Distinguished Scholar Award (DSA) program annually recognizes six faculty members who demonstrate scholarly activity, research or creative works which represent exceptional achievements in their fields and who have brought distinction to themselves and to Ohio State. Award recipients receive a $20,000 research grant and a $3,000 honorarium to pursue their scholarly activity. Nominations are made by departmental committees. Individuals wishing to nominate a candidate should contact their department chair. The deadline for receipt of nominations is Wednesday, October 15, 2014, at 5 p.m.

Science and Technology Center program internal intent deadline extended

The Office of Research has extended the internal intent deadline for those interested in submitting a proposal to the National Science Foundation's Science and Technology Center (STC) program until September 22, 2014. The STC program supports innovative, potentially transformative research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards. STCs conduct world-class research through partnerships among academic institutions, national laboratories, industrial organizations, and/or other public/private entities, and via international collaborations, as appropriate.