Awards by Sponsor:
October 1, 2016, through October 31, 2016
| SPONSOR |
NO. OF
AWARDS |
AWARDS
AMOUNT |
| National Institutes of Health |
45 |
$8,400,088 |
| National Science Foundation |
7 |
$1,024,755 |
| Department of Education |
7 |
$1,633,113 |
| Department of Defense |
22 |
$4,552,327 |
| Department of Energy |
14 |
$5,226,922 |
| Department of Agriculture |
14 |
$1,431,706 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
4 |
$211,532 |
| Other Federal |
24 |
$2,273,190 |
| Total Federal |
137 |
$24,753,633 |
| Industry |
228 |
$3,937,007 |
| State of Ohio |
8 |
$976,863 |
| Private Agencies |
47 |
$2,884,337 |
| Colleges and Universities |
4 |
$35,591 |
| Other Non-Federal |
5 |
$281,856 |
| Total Non-Federal |
292 |
$8,115,654 |
| TOTAL |
429 |
$32,869,287 |
|
Gillison elected to National Academy of Medicine
 Maura Gillison, professor of medical oncology, was elected as a member of the prestigious National Academy of Medicine (NAM) for her distinguished contributions to the fields of cancer biology, tumor virology and epidemiology. Election to the NAM, one of the country’s highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Gillison is a head and neck medical oncologist and molecular epidemiologist whose research focuses on the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in head and neck malignancies. |
Four faculty among 2016 class of AAAS Fellows
Four Ohio State faculty members have been elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications. Ohio State’s newly elected Fellows are: James W. Cogdell, professor of mathematics; Barbara Sue Ryden, professor of astronomy; Shari R. Speer, professor of linguistics; and Guo-Liang Wang, professor of plant pathology. With the addition of these new honorees, Ohio State boasts more than 100 AAAS Fellows. |
Advancing the equity of women of color in research
 Ohio State is among more than 50 institutions that have joined the Collaborative to Advance Equity through Research, a national initiative to increase understanding and highlight the status of women and girls of color – a growing demographic in the United States that remains underrepresented in academic research. Sharon Davies, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, and  Wendy Smooth, associate professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, are leading Ohio State’s participation in the national effort. The collaborative, comprised of universities, colleges, seminaries, research agencies and other organizations, is led by the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University in collaboration with the White House Council on Women and Girls. |
Graduating seniors receive inaugural President’s Prize
Two graduating seniors were selected to receive the inaugural President’s Prize, the highest university recognition bestowed on exceptional students committed to social change. KayMesha Knox, English, and Margaret Griffin, social work, will each receive a $50,000 living stipend and up to $50,000 in startup funding. Knox is working to create pathways for teenagers from low-income families to pursue post-secondary education. Griffin is working to fight food insecurity by improving the availability of farm produce for children living in areas with poor access to fresh foods. |
Looking at contraceptive need and barriers in Malawi
 Alison Norris, assistant professor of epidemiology, was one of 56 researchers from 11 countries awarded a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Grand Challenges is a family of initiatives that foster innovation to solve key global health and development problems. Norris' research will focus on reproductive health and contraceptive use among women and men in Malawi. The research findings will be used to develop an easy-to-implement counseling tool for clinicians and community health workers who are talking with women and couples about family planning. |
Using RNA nanoparticle optimization to treat cancer
 Peixuan Guo, professor of pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry, received a $2.79 million grant from the National Cancer Institute Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer to identify and optimize RNA nanoparticles for cancer targeting and treatment. Guo’s research aims to dissect the intracellular pathways taken by RNA nanoparticles and enhance their endosome escape capabilities; inspect the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and bio-distribution of RNA nanoparticles; and evaluate the immune responses to RNA nanoparticles to minimize non-specific side effects. He hopes to promote RNA nanoparticles as a new generation of drugs for the treatment of cancers. |
Chemist named to women's international power list
 Susan Olesik, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry, was named one of 2016’s Top 50 Women in Analytical Science. The Analytical Scientist magazine published its first all-women power list, featuring 50 talented scientists from around the world, representing academia, industry and analytical instrument manufacturers. The women selected represent their field’s scope and impact. |
Microbiologist leads climate change study
 Virginia Rich, assistant professor of microbiology, along with Scott Saleska, from the University of Arizona, are co-leading an international team of 13 researchers to understand how thawing permafrost impacts climate change. The $3.75 million study is funded by the Department of Energy’s Genomic Science Program. Permafrost-associated soils cover nearly a quarter of the planet’s land surface and contain more than a third of the world’s soil carbon. Climate change is causing the soils to thaw, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. The researchers are working to understand how microbial, chemical and plant-linked mechanisms interact to affect carbon-release. Additional partners on the project include the Pacific Northwest National Lab, the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the University of Queensland and the University of Stockholm. |
Accelerating research on vehicle optimization
Ohio State will receive $5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to optimize fuel efficiency by leveraging electric-hybrid engine controls with Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF®) cylinder deactivation and vehicle interconnectivity and automation. Along with industry partners, Ohio State’s team, led by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), will develop a transformational vehicle dynamics and powertrain controls solution that leverages the novel cylinder deactivation approach developed by Tula Technology combined with electrification to significantly improve vehicle energy efficiency. Project leaders include Giorgio Rizzoni, Luvent Guvenc, and Marcello Canova, all from mechanical and aerospace engineering; and Abhishek Gupta of electrical and computer engineering. |
Physics professors named 2016 APS fellows
 Ilya Gruzberg, Christopher Hill and Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin were elected to the 2016 class of American Physical Society (APS) Fellows. Gruzberg, professor of physics, was recognized for contributions to the theory of critical phenomena near Anderson localization-delocalization transitions in disordered electronic systems, including the integer quantum Hall transition and its variants in different symmetry classes. Hill, professor of physics, was recognized for contributions to silicon tracking detectors at hadron colliders and for the development of novel analysis techniques, particularly those used in the searches for beyond the standard model particles with long lifetimes. Johnston-Halperin, associate professor of physics, was recognized for pioneering studies of the magnetic, spintronic and electronic properties of organic and inorganic materials, including groundbreaking work with organic based ferromagnets. |
Nurses elected into Researcher Hall of Fame
 Sonia Duffy and Rita Pickler, professors of nursing, were inducted into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.  The selection recognizes nurse researchers who have achieved significant and sustained national or international recognition and whose research has improved the profession and the people it serves. Duffy's research focuses on health behavior change among cancer patients and other groups. Pickler's research centers on improved care for preterm infants. |
Making aviation fuel from a common weed
 The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy have invested $1.1 million in a project that will transform the common weed pennycress into an economically viable and sustainable source of jet fuel. Ana Alonso, associate professor of molecular genetics, is the study’s principal investigator. Erich Grotewold, professor of molecular genetics, and Ajay Shah, assistant professor of food, agricultural and biological engineering, are co-principal investigators. Alonso will use plant metabolomics to enhance pennycress’ carbon flow and produce more fatty acids that can be transformed into biofuel. Grotewold will establish plant-gene regulatory network structures to understand the mechanisms underlying combinatorial gene regulation. Shah will assess plant viability, conducting multivariate techno-economic analyses to see what works, what does not and how to make it better. |
Bielicki advances to round two of Carbon XPRIZE
 Jeff Bielicki, assistant professor of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering, is a member of team TerraCOH, that has advanced to Round 2 in the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition, a $20 million global contest to develop breakthrough technologies to convert CO 2 emissions from power plants and industrial facilities into valuable products such as building materials and alternative fuels that contribute to the fight against climate change. TerraCOH's goal is to produce zero-carbon, low-cost electrical power using their proprietary Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Plume Geothermal - CPG™ technology. Finalists will be announced in December 2017. Winners will be announced in March 2020. |
Launching a statewide lung cancer research initiative
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute is launching a new statewide clinical research initiative called “Beating Lung Cancer - in Ohio” (BLC-IO). Led by Peter Shields and David Carbone, professors of internal medicine, and Mary Ellen Wewers, faculty emerita of health behavior and health promotion, the study takes aim at lung cancer, a major cause of death among men and women. Researchers will evaluate the impact of advanced gene testing and expert advice on lung cancer treatment and patient survival and work to improve smoking cessation rates among smokers with lung cancer and their family members. |
Student team places third in international competition
 Ohio State's Biomolecular Design Team (OhioMOD) placed third among 24 registered teams at BIOMOD, an annual biomolecular design competition for students. Sponsored by The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, BIOMOD is a cross-disciplinary research institute at Harvard University which focuses on developing new bioinspired materials and devices for applications in health care, manufacturing, robotics, energy and sustainable architecture. The Ohio State team included students from mechanical and aerospace engineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering and biomedical engineering. Their project focused on characterizing the stability of DNA nanostructures in physiological conditions. |
FOCUS ON DISCOVERY THEMES
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Spreading the word about antibiotic resistance
The extensive use and misuse of antibiotics is causing some organisms to develop resistance to life-saving drugs, and could severely limit the ability of doctors to treat bacterial infections. The problem is compounded when antibiotics are unnecessarily prescribed to treat colds, sore throats, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections that are usually caused by viruses, which do not respond to antibiotics. The Discovery Themes Infectious Diseases program has produced a 30 second public service announcement and a 60 second video to focus attention on this growing problem, considered by many to be among the world’s most pressing public-health issues. The videos, released to coincide with the Center for Disease Control’s Get Smart About Antibiotics week (Nov. 14-20), highlight Ohio State’s strengths in addressing the global challenge of antibiotic resistance. |
CITI training update
A Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) refresher course has been added to the university's CITI course offering list. The GCP and ICH CITI courses align with the new NIH policy issued on September 16, 2016 stating that NIH-funded investigators and staff should be trained in GCP. The policy, which takes effect January 1, 2017, applies to all NIH-funded investigators and staff “who are involved in the conduct, oversight, or management of clinical trials." Contact Ellen Patricia for additional information. |
New F&A rate agreement
The university has completed negotiations with the Department of Health and Human Services on a four-year F&A rate agreement. The agreement establishes the rates that will apply through the end of FY 2020. Investigators should begin using the new rates in proposals immediately. Additional information is provided on the Office of Sponsored Programs website. |
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