Research Core Pages

An Update from the Office of Research: October 2024

stuxbury — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 21:47:27 +0000

An Update from the Office of Research: October 2024 stuxbury Mon, 09/30/2024 - 17:47

External Awards Received

U-M Principal Investigator: Junho Hong
Project Title: RT-LAB based distributed resources modeling and machine learning based power system protection method design
Direct Sponsor: Pohang University of Science & Technology (Postech)
Prime Sponsor (if applicable): Republic of South Korea
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $42,322.00

This project focuses on improving the reliability and protection of power grids by developing a system to collect and analyze data when faults occur. The goal is to create realistic fault scenarios, such as line failures or equipment breakdowns, and test how the power grid responds to these issues. By gathering detailed data from these tests, researchers aim to develop advanced algorithms that can automatically detect faults more effectively. The final step involves integrating these algorithms into a user-friendly platform, ensuring that they can be easily accessed and utilized to enhance the overall performance of the power grid.

U-M Principal Investigator: Hugo Casquero Penelas
Project Title: Computationally-efficient quadratic spline discretizations for Reissner-Mindlin shells and solids
Direct Sponsor: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.,
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $95,000.00

The project will develop unstructured quadratic splines to mesh both volumetric solids and surfaces. Among other engineering applications, this research can be applied to the design, analysis, and optimization of the structural parts of an automobile, with the goal of maximizing the safety of the vehicle's occupants.

U-M Principal Investigator: Jaerock Kwon
Project Title: Active Inference-based Deep Learning Technology for Automatic Perception and Control of Autonomous Vehicles
Direct Sponsor: Hanyang University
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $49,205.00

This project will enhance the intelligence of self-driving cars by teaching them to perceive and react to their environment more like humans do. The goal is to develop vehicles that can better understand and adapt to complex driving situations, making them safer and more reliable on the road. The system will utilize advanced artificial intelligence techniques to help self-driving cars mimic human thought processes. It will be designed to constantly predict potential road scenarios. The project will also create learning algorithms that enable the car to comprehend its environment and make decisions based on its observations and experiences, similar to how humans learn from their senses and interactions with the world. This will enable the car to adapt to new situations it has not encountered before.

Announcements

��-Dearborn Office of Research Competitive Campus Grants Accepting Applications

The fall cycle of the Office of Research Competitive Campus Grants is now open for applications, with a submission deadline Tuesday, October 15, 5:00 pm.

Research Initiation & Development Grants (RID)
RID Grants aim to assist faculty and research staff with the development of innovative, collaborative research proposals that will advance the ��-Dearborn mission. The program supports proposals which will help place the principal investigator (PI) and the research team in a strong position to receive additional, external funding from federal agencies, foundations, and/or industry.
Budget floor: $10,000; Budget ceiling: $20,000
Guidelines & Application

��-Dearborn Scholars Grants (SCH)
SCH Grants support research, scholarship and creative activities in the arts. This program is intended for projects with funding needs not usually addressed by other support programs within or outside the University.
Budget floor: $6,000; Budget ceiling: $10,000
Guidelines & Application

We regret to inform you that due to budgetary constraints, we will not be able to reopen the Thematic Research Planning Grants for our FY2025 Campus Grants Fall Cycle.

Fiscal Year 2024 Research & Scholarship Productivity Data
The ��-Dearborn data below provides a brief overview of research & scholarship productivity at our campus, highlighting key metrics that reflect faculty commitment to academic excellence. The data showcases achievements in securing research and sponsored awards dollars and statistics on journal publications and conference proceedings & presentations. It illustrates the active engagement of our faculty in disseminating knowledge and contributing to their research and scholarly fields. Together, these metrics demonstrate the vitality of the ��-Dearborn research and scholarly environment.

Research and Sponsored Awards ($)

College	FY23	FY24	Avg per fac ($)
CASL	$835,000	$237,530	$4,032
CECS	$6,100,000	$11,083,979	$104,780
CEHHS	$750,000	$243,629	$26,148

Research and Scholarship Results Dissemination

Scholarly Work	CASL	CECS	CEHHS	COB	Total
Books	9	1	1	0	11
Book Chapters	18	3	11	4	36
Journal Papers	104	184	25	37	350
Conf Proceedings and Presentations	141	141	89	48	419

Refereed Journal Publications

College	Total	#of T/TT fac	# per faculty
CASL	104	133	0.78
CECS	184	82	2.24
CEHHS	25	19	1.32
COB	37	37	1.00

Conference Proceedings and Presentations

College	Total	#of T/TT fac	# per faculty
CASL	141	133	1.06
CECS	141	82	1.72
CEHHS	89	19	4.68
COB	48	37	1.30

Research Events in September

NEH Workshop, Program Officers Meetings
- Wayne State University is hosting a free in-person National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant application workshop on Oct. 23, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The workshop will be conducted by Dr. Mark Silver, senior program officer in the Division of Research Programs. James Nelson, director of grants at Michigan Humanities, will also give a brief presentation on state-level grant and program opportunities.
- Register to attend. Space is limited, and priority for individual appointments will be given to those who submit a one-page, single-spaced project statement by Oct. 9 to research@wayne.edu. Appointments for one-on-one meetings are in person and will be available on Oct. 23, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., and Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to mid-afternoon. To request a one-on-one meeting, please complete the registration.
Public Engagement Workshops and Community of Practice
- The Public Engagement and Research Impacts team is hosting a fall workshop series to support researchers in developing public engagement skills to translate their research, scholarship or creative practice for societal impact. Participants will learn about public engagement frameworks, explore how to communicate across disciplines and beyond academia, and gain tools for fostering effective and equitable partnerships.
People and Relationships First: Oct. 10, 1 - 3 p.m.; Michigan Union, Pond Room
Envisioning Impacts: Nov. 20, 10 a.m. - noon; Michigan Union, Pond Room
Storytelling for Community Building: Dec. 6, 10 a.m. - noon.; Virtual

The fall community of practice will focus on research communication – especially communication of research agendas and societal impacts to broad audiences. These dynamic and hands-on sessions will give participants an opportunity to apply new communication skills by drafting and revising a pitch for an explainer or op-ed piece.

Language and Style: October 30, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Sticky Messaging and Audience Engagement, December 11; 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Learn How to Think Like a Grant Reviewer: MICHR Mock Study Section
- Practice thinking like an NIH grant reviewer on a mock “study section.” As one of six grant reviewers, you will discuss actual twelve-page K and R grants. You will practice for the real K or R grant review process with your peers in this workshop facilitated by two faculty co-chairs who have served on real study sections.
- Oct. 16, 3 p.m. -5:30 p.m., Virtual
Creating Ethical Research Relationships with Minority Serving Institutions
- With increased emphasis from funders on such partnerships, this session will cover key topics such as the establishment and success of diverse research partnerships, the importance of equity in these relationships, and real-world challenges faced due to equitable concerns.
- Oct. 18, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Ann Arbor
- Link to register

Research Resource Highlight:

Every month, the Office of Research features a resource and/or tool that is available for researchers. This month we are featuring Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR)'s services and website.

MICHR is leading the way in building the field of translational science to extend life and reduce the impact of illness and disability. MICHR is part of a national consortium funded by the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award program.

MICHR's website is designed to help the U-M research community easily navigate MICHR’s wealth of offerings. Whether you are looking for help building or educating a team; designing, funding, and implementing a study, or disseminating results; the website will guide you to the tools, resources, and offerings you need.

Featured MICHR’s services:

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

MTRAC Life Sciences Translation Research Funding RFP
The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) for Life Sciences Innovation Hub is a statewide program supporting translational research projects in life sciences with high commercial potential, with the ultimate goal of positively impacting human health. Innovators from all U-M schools, other institutions of higher education, non-profit research centers and Michigan hospital systems are eligible to submit projects for funding consideration.

Applicants are anticipated to be 12-24 months from a university “exit” in the form of a license into a start-up company or to an existing revenue-generating company. Technologies must at least have an invention disclosure on file with Innovation Partnerships. Apply by Oct. 10 for up to $250,000 in direct costs with cost share requirement.

Use the updated U-M Research Commons to look up internal (to U-M) funding opportunities and Limited Submission opportunities open to Dearborn researchers.

Contact the ��-Dearborn Office of Research if you would like more information about submitting a proposal to any of the programs.

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Mon, 09/30/2024 - 21:47

In this month’s update from the Office of Research, you can view research and scholarship productivity metrics by college -- plus, see which of your colleagues’ work is getting funded and learn about opportunities to support your own work.

Office of Research update: July 2024

stuxbury — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:26:12 +0000

Office of Research update: July 2024 stuxbury Mon, 07/08/2024 - 08:26

External Awards Received

The Office of Research is pleased to announce and would like to congratulate our Dearborn faculty members on receipt of the following external funding:

U-M Principal Investigator: Areen Alsaid, Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Project Title: Longitudinal Vehicle Operation
Direct Sponsor: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
Awarded Amount: $399,595.00
This project aims to enhance customer safety and comfort by integrating various longitudinal vehicle operation (LVO) features such as adaptive cruise control, proactive driving assist, and BEV one-pedal driving. The primary objective is to assess how these LVO features interact and empirically evaluate their impact on driver performance in diverse scenarios. The project will also generate design recommendations and evaluate human-machine interface (HMI) concepts to ensure a cohesive and user-friendly experience for drivers.

U-M Principal Investigator: Joe Zhou, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Project Title: Supplement: Fuel Cell Testing and Modeling: Sample Analysis and Engineering Services for Fuel Cell System Development
Direct Sponsor: Hyzon Motors USA Inc.
Awarded Amount: $134,504
Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells operate by converting hydrogen into electricity through a chemical reaction, with water as the sole byproduct. This project aims to ensure the optimal performance and reliability of Hyzon's fuel cell systems. By leveraging end-of-test (EOT) cells from durability-tested short stacks, along with beginning-of-test (BOT) cells for baseline comparisons, this collaborative effort focuses on analyzing specific sections of the cell, including the cross sections of the bipolar plate and the membrane electrode assembly (MEA).

U-M Principal Investigator: Maggie Wang, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Project Title: Integrated Three-level GaN Inverter and PMsyn RM Motor for Electric Passenger Vehicles and Medium/heavy duty Trucks
Direct Sponsor: University of Tennessee - Knoxville (U.S. Dept of Energy prime)
Awarded Amount: $300,000
The objective of this project is to develop and integrate an 800V/200kW Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based three-level high-power-density inverter and Permanent Magnet assisted synchronous Reluctance Motor (PMsynRM). The inverter will meet the performance targets of high power efficiency, high power density, and low cost, and conform with related vehicle standards. The novel PMsynRM using alternative magnet material and liquid cooling will achieve more than 55kW/l at <$3.3/kW. Together, this innovative, integrated electric traction motor and drive will meet the aggressive, >33 kW/L volume density and <$6/kW cost system targets.

U-M Principal Investigator: Wencong Su, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Project Title: HEVI-LOAD Augmentation for National-Scale Infrastructure Assessment
Direct Sponsor: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (U.S. Dept of Energy prime)
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $25,000.00

Dr. Su will assist the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory team (LBNL) to enhance the HEVI-LOAD model fidelity to identify optimal grid interconnection topology and configuration to support future high-power charging medium and heavy-duty (MHD) electric vehicles (EVs). This work will support the development of a national-scale charging infrastructure assessment for future MHD EVs.

Announcements

Mardigian Library Support for Data Management Plans
Data management plan support available from the ��-Dearborn Mardigian Library. Data management planning is often required by funders in the form of a document called a Data Management Plan (DMP) that will describe the handling (collection, storage and archiving) of data collected during your project. A DMP may also need to include plans for the dissemination of your data, (sometimes referred to separately as a Data Sharing Plan). To help faculty navigate data management planning, the ��-Dearborn Mardigian Library offers both a subject guide on Research Data Management as well as a DMP review service.

The ��-Dearborn Mardigian Library’s Research Data Management subject guide covers definitions, online tools for creating a DMP, guidance from ICPSR, example plans and more. Read the Research Data Management subject guide to learn more about DMPs.

��-Dearborn librarians are also available to help answer questions and offer support to faculty improving their DMPs as a part of their DMP review service. To contact a librarian for a DMP review, fill in their DMP review request form.

REMINDER: New NSF Requirements for Biosketch, Current & Pending Forms
The newest NSF PAPPG is in effect for all proposals submitted effective May 20 includes a requirement to use an updated version of both the Current & Pending Support form as well as the Biosketch form from the SciENcv tool. In addition, significant changes have been made to the biographical sketch required for all senior personnel. The biosketch will no longer include the section for “synergistic activities” and instead this will become a separate required document. Instructions for the new Synergistic Activities document are available in our shared folder of Standard NSF Proposal guides & templates resource for faculty.

Effective Oct. 23, 2023, NSF requires all biosketch and current & pending support documents for senior personnel to be prepared using SciENcv. SciENcv offers researchers the option to create a new Current & Pending form or Biosketch for proposals submitted after 5/17/24. It will also allow you to migrate your data from the old form to the new form. In addition, the 3-page limitation of the biographical sketch has been removed–there is no longer any page limitation for this section of the proposal.

Resources for Using SciENcv
U-M Library Services has put together a guidance page to help you get started. You can also request a one-on-one Zoom session with Dearborn Office of Research staff to walk you through this process. Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is a researcher profile system for all individuals who apply for, receive or are associated with research investments from federal agencies.

Any researcher can register for SciENcv and create multiple biosketches, for different research projects or different funding agencies. You can find much more information about how to use SciENcv on their FAQs page. The central Office of Research and Sponsored Programs has recorded workshops available on how to create a biosketch in SciENcv specifically focused on NSF and NIH. These resources are available linked below:

NSF Biosketch and SciENcv Webinar (July 2020)
- Slide Deck (MLibrary Presentation)
- NSF Biosketch Webinar Transcript
- How to Create Your NSF Biosketch in SciENcv Step-by-step (MLibrary Handout)
NIH Biosketch and SciENcv Webinar (May 2020)
- Slide Deck (MLibrary Presentation)
- NIH Biosketch Webinar Transcript
- Biosketch and SciENcv Step-by-Step (MLibrary Handout)

If you have questions about SciENcv, need additional support, or would like to schedule one-on-one assistance with setting up your SciENcv profile and documents, please email our office at DBN-research@umich.edu.

Research Events in July

MICHR, The Study’s Funded! Now What? Tips to Navigate Study Start Up
- In this workshop, you will learn best practices in preparing for a new study before you submit an IRB application or for beginning a new phase of the research.
- Thursday, July 18, 2024 from 10 a.m. - noon ET (Virtual)
NSF, Shaping the Future of Mathematics Learning and Education: A Scoping Workshop
- This free, online-only event brings together expertise in the Science of Learning, education research, data science and AI to engage a community of interdisciplinary scientists, education researchers and education practitioners, with shared goals of advancing K-12 mathematics learning and education through innovative use of data science and AI.
- Tuesday, July 23 and 24 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET (Virtual). Registration required.

Research Resource Highlight

Every month, the Office of Research features a resource and/or tool that is available for researchers. This month we are featuring Michigan Research Cores.

The University of Michigan Research Cores website provides a catalog of equipment available in core facilities across campus that are available for use by a researcher or investigator. The Medical School Office of Research, in partnership with the University of Michigan Biosciences Initiative, developed this university-wide research core services directory in response to feedback from research faculty that the University offers rich core infrastructure but it is hard to easily identify the breadth of cores available that can support their research.

To learn more about the Research Cores, sign up for the quarterly At The Core Newsletter, delivering news, events, and more directly to your inbox.

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

Use the updated U-M Research Commons to look up internal (to U-M) funding opportunities and Limited Submission opportunities open to Dearborn researchers.

Contact the ��-Dearborn Office of Research if you would like more information about submitting a proposal to any of the programs.

Off

Mon, 07/08/2024 - 12:25

See whose work is getting funded, browse new funding opportunities, learn about services that can advance your work and check out this month’s research events.

An Update from the Office of Research: November 2023

stuxbury — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:44:33 +0000

An Update from the Office of Research: November 2023 stuxbury Mon, 11/06/2023 - 05:44

The Office of Research congratulates faculty members on securing external funding:

U-M Principal Investigator: Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ya Sha (Alex) Yi
Project Title: MetaSurface Lens
Direct Sponsor: PhotSorb Science and Technology, Inc.
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $462,592

The proposed research will not only advance the basic science and technology of current subwavelength metalens but also pave the way for the development of its manifold application that may enable unprecedented levels of imaging, sensing and photovoltaics in performance oriented and extremely small form factors.

U-M Principal Investigator: Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Xuan (Joe) Zhou
Project Title: Battery Workforce Challenge
Direct Sponsor: American Society for Engineering Education
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $152,052

The Battery Workforce Challenge is a new three-year student competition that will kick off in fall 2023 and will challenge universities and vocational schools from across North America to design, build, test, and integrate an advanced EV battery pack into a Stellantis vehicle.

Sponsored by Argonne National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Stellantis and other government and industry sponsors, ��-Dearborn will team up with Henry Ford College to execute the competition requirements, helping to prepare a diverse workforce for future battery engineering and manufacturing careers. Students will also learn valuable project management, communications, teamwork and problem-solving skills that will provide them an unparalleled educational experience and ready them for careers in the battery industry. The competition holds diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as a top priority and will integrate initiatives throughout all aspects of this program and will establish program requirements that foster a diverse team environment.

Announcements

Competitive Campus Grants Update

The Office of Research is currently reviewing Competitive Campus Grant Applications submitted prior to the Oct. 16 deadline. Award decisions are anticipated in mid-January. If you submitted an application, we appreciate your patience as we go through our review process.

The next cycle of FY24 Competitive Campus Grants for this fiscal year will open in early January with a deadline of Feb. 15, 2024 by 5 p.m. We will continue to accept applications for the Open Invitation Campus Grants until the end of the fiscal year, through June 30, 2024 or until funds are exhausted. For more information about all of our campus grants programs and eligibility information, please visit our campus grants webpage. If you have questions, email us at umdearborn-orsp@umich.edu.

Arts Research: Incubation & Acceleration - Funding Opportunity & Presentation

The new Arts Research: Incubation & Acceleration program seeks to elevate and expand arts research and creative practice across U-M’s campuses and schools. The program will support projects centered in the arts that ask creative questions and move toward new ideas and knowledge; invite new forms of collaboration and interaction both within and beyond the arts; and imagine new approaches to problems and ideas in the arts and society.

Applications are particularly encouraged from interdisciplinary research teams structured to provide mutual benefit to those in the arts and in other research sectors, and from individuals working in creative practice to imagine new horizons of artistic possibility. Faculty applying for individual projects are eligible for up to $25,000, and research teams are eligible for up to $50,000. First round applications are due Dec. 11 by 5 p.m. Learn more and apply.

��-Dearborn faculty interested in the program are invited to attend a presentation by Clare Croft, Faculty Director of Arts Research / Creative Practice for an overview of the new program and to answer questions on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to noon. RSVP for the presentation.

Early-Career Funding Opportunities for Junior Faculty

Junior faculty are invited to attend this seminar that will highlight funding opportunities specifically for early-career faculty from all disciplines. Attendees will learn how to position themselves as scholars, researchers and grant writers. The presenters will outline funding opportunities from federal agencies and foundations and how to determine if a research idea is a good match for a specific program/opportunity. This seminar is presented by Vessela Vassileva-Clarke, director of Research Development and Blythe Murphy, director of Foundation Relations.

IRB Liaison & Upcoming Human Subjects Information Session

Elizabeth Molina is the IRB-HSBS staff liaison for ��-Dearborn. She holds regularly-scheduled virtual sessions for anyone interested in learning more about working with human subjects and/or the IRB application and approval process. The next session this fall semester will be held on Nov. 15 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Any ��-Dearborn faculty, staff, or students with questions about the IRB process can also contact Molina by email at molinael@umich.edu, by phone at 734-936-1943 or by dropping into the monthly Zoom sessions offered. Additional information about working with human subjects can be found at the IRB Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences website.

Call for Applications: 2024 Public Engagement Faculty Fellowship

The Public Engagement Faculty Fellowship works in partnership with units across the university to foster ethical, effective faculty public engagement at the University of Michigan. The fellowship supports faculty on all three campuses by providing an opportunity to develop skills and incubate project ideas, while also encouraging recognition of and experimentation with all forms of public engagement. The program brings together an interdisciplinary, intergenerational group of faculty members interested in building community and learning from each other and campus experts to effectively engage the public for larger societal impacts.

There are two phases to the program: an intensive Studio Experience phase focused on community-building, reflection, and learning, and a Project Support phase with the opportunity to request in-kind support and funding for an ambitious public engagement project.

Applications for the 2024 cohort are due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

For questions, fill out this inquiry form, contact peff.admin@umich.edu or join one of the following coffee hours on Zoom:

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 4-4:50 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 16, 3-3:50 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 20, 11-11:50 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 28, 12-12:50 p.m.

Reminder: Resources for Using SciENcv

Effective Oct. 23, NSF requires all biosketch and current & pending support documents for senior personnel to be prepared using Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv), a researcher profile system for all individuals who apply for, receive or are associated with research investments from federal agencies. Fillable PDF forms will no longer be accepted.

SciENcv allows researchers to document their education, employment, research activities, publications, honors, research grants, & other professional contributions to create multiple SciENcv profiles in official biographical sketch formats funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). In addition, the SciENcv application can be used to create the official NSF Current and Pending Support document.

U-M Library Services has put together a guidance page to help you learn more about getting started with ScieENcv. You can also request a one-on-one Zoom session with Dearborn Office of Research staff to walk you through this process. Any researcher can register for SciENcv and create multiple biosketches, for different research projects or different funding agencies. You can find much more information about how to use SciENcv on their FAQs page.

Resources are linked below:

Research Events in November

Arts Initiative ARIA Program Presentation with Clare Croft - Wednesday, Nov. 8, 11 a.m.-noon, virtual
��-Dearborn Offices of Research & Foundation Relations, “Early-Career Funding Opportunities for Junior Faculty,” Thursday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., virtual
U-M Office of Research Development, “Finding Funding: Identifying Opportunities & Scoping the Grants Landscape,” Friday, Nov. 10, noon-1 p.m. virtual
MIDAS, “U-M Annual Data Science & AI Summit 2023,” Monday, Nov. 13 - Tuesday, Nov. 14, in-person, Rackham Building, 915 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor
IRB, “Virtual On-the-Road Session” - Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2-3:30 p.m., virtual
Rackham International Research Awards Information Session - Monday, Nov. 13, 1-2:30 p.m., hybrid
Rackham International Research Awards Information Session - Tuesday, Nov. 28, 1-2:30 p.m., hybrid

The Office of Research website is also updated regularly with research-related events and announcements, so we would encourage you to bookmark our landing page and subscribe to our Research News email list.

Research Resource Highlight: Finding Funding

Every month, the Office of Research features a resource and/or tool that is available for researchers. This month we are featuring resources for finding funding.

The ��-Dearborn Office of Research maintains several resources for identifying funding opportunities, including:

Monthly lists of funding opportunities, organized by college on our announcements webpage
Hanover Research Grant Calendars, organized by research focus, also on our announcements webpage
Our find funding webpage with helpful links to government agencies, foundations, charities & philanthropy, and industry sources of funding.
The ��-Dearborn’s Office of Research newsletter where internal, external and industry funding opportunities are shared.

In addition, faculty are encouraged to utilize the centrally available resources for finding funding including:

The U-M Library’s Research Funding and Grants Guide with links to sign up for various internal and external email lists.
The Office of the Vice President for Research resources for researchers: find funding webpage.
OVPR's Office of Research Development’s recently shared list of upcoming and recurring National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) and National Endowment for Arts grant opportunities.
OVPR’s Research Blueprint newsletter

Off

Mon, 11/06/2023 - 10:43

A colleague lands a $450,000-plus grant, resources help faculty find funding and more. Check out the November update from the Office of Research.

Office of Research update: October 2023

stuxbury — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 01:01:58 +0000

Office of Research update: October 2023 stuxbury Sun, 10/01/2023 - 21:01

The Office of Research is pleased to announce and would like to congratulate our Dearborn faculty members on receipt of the following external funding:

U-M Principal Investigator: Lei Chen
Project Title: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of an Accelerating Rate Calorimeter System for Multidisciplinary Research, Education and Outreach
Direct Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $432,400.00

The project establishes a new experimental facility at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. The main element of the facility, the accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC), will be provided to the participating universities new opportunities to conduct research, education, and outreach in the area of management of thermal behavior of automotive batteries. The thermal behavior is a significant concern for the ongoing transition of the automotive technology to electric vehicles. The problems of degradation of battery’s performance at low and high temperatures, the danger of battery thermal runaway, overheating of fast chargers, etc. continue to be major challenges.

The universities participating in the project are major feeders of engineering workforce and hubs of fundamental and applied research for the automotive industry in the Southeast Michigan, which includes the Big Three automakers and many of their suppliers. The new facility will stimulate growth of research in the area of vehicle electrification and battery technology. The facility will be incorporated in instruction of at least ten graduate and undergraduate courses, thus helping to build skills of future engineers, who will lead the nation’s transition to electric mobility. Expanded research opportunities for students will be created. The facility will also enable outreach activities to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the Detroit area to inspire STEM interest in K-12 students.

U-M Principal Investigator: Adam Sekuler
Project Title: Metro Detroit Community Engaged Filmmaking
Direct Sponsor: Community Foundation For Southeast Michigan
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $30,536

As part of a course at ��-Dearborn, this project engages students in the Dearborn community by producing a series of documentaries in collaboration with visiting filmmakers and Dearborn’s Arab American community.

U-M Principal Investigator: Michael Dabkowski
Project Title: Math Matches Summer Program
Direct Sponsor: City of Westland
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $3,000

Professor Dabkowski will provide Math Matches instruction for two weeks for the JBCVC Learning Lab.

Announcements

Competitive Campus Grants Fall Cycle Applications Due by 5 p.m. Oct. 16

��-Dearborn tenured/tenure-track faculty can apply for the first cycle of Competitive Campus Grant programs for fiscal year 2024. The following Competitive Campus Grant applications are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 16.

Research Initiation and Development (RID) Grants aim to assist faculty and research staff with the development of innovative, collaborative research proposals that will advance the ��-Dearborn mission. The program supports proposals which will help place the principal investigator (PI) and the research team in a strong position to receive additional, external funding from federal agencies, foundations and/or industry.
- Budget floor: $10,000; Budget ceiling: $20,000
��-Dearborn Scholars (SCH) Grants are intended to support research, scholarship and creative activities in the arts. This program is intended for projects with funding needs not usually addressed by other support programs within or outside the university.
- Budget floor: $6,000; Budget ceiling:$10,000
Thematic Research Planning (TRP) Grants are open to teams working closely together to solve problems that transcend the traditional boundaries associated with research programs, departments and colleges. Single PI proposals will *not* be considered — at least two different ��-Dearborn academic units should be involved, in addition to external partners. The aim of the program is to provide support for the development of competitive proposals to preliminary identified (by the team) external funding opportunities.
- Budget floor: $15,000; Budget ceiling: $30,000

More information about the campus grants program and eligibility can be found on our Campus Grants webpage.

IRWG Funding Opportunities — Deadlines Extended to Nov. 1

The Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG) hast extended the application deadline to Nov. 1 to their Faculty Seed Grant and Catalyze Research Award programs. University of Michigan faculty with research projects related to gender have the opportunity to apply for funding from IRWG through the following grant programs:

Faculty Seed Grants (Open Topic) support disciplinary and interdisciplinary faculty projects on women, gender, and sexuality. Support may be requested for individual activities, such as research assistance, research-related travel, or research materials or used to support collaborative projects, such as pilot studies or initial research efforts. IRWG affiliated tenure-track, non-tenure track, clinical faculty, research faculty, and librarians at the University of Michigan are eligible to apply.
Catalyze Research Award: Gender & Firearms grants invite applications for faculty research projects exploring gender and firearms, broadly understood. Funds may be requested for new projects or to add a gender or firearm injury prevention component to an existing study. Tenure-track, non-tenure track, clinical faculty, research faculty, and librarians at the University of Michigan are eligible to apply.

More information about funding opportunities from IRWG can be found on their funding webpage.

MICHR Funding Opportunity: Statewide Building Capacity for Research and Action Request for Proposals Fall 2023

The Community Engagement (CE) program within the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research at the University of Michigan provides funding to academic and community partners engaged in clinical and translational research. The CE Program is issuing an opportunity to fund community-engaged research partnerships and projects addressing community-identified health priorities within the state of Michigan, the Statewide Building Capacity for Research and Action (SBCRA).

Applicants may request 1) up to $5,000 for activities to develop or sustain partnerships, 2) up to $10,000 for pilot research projects with local impact, or 3) up to $15,000 for pilot research projects addressing regional and/or statewide needs. Regional projects should impact two or more counties in Michigan, and statewide projects should impact two or more regions. Examples of activities that can be funded under SBRCA include, but are not limited to:

Building relationships between partners (e.g., exploring the involvement of potential partners, determining how the partnership will adopt and use CEnR5 or CBPR6 principles)
Developing a steering committee (e.g., defining roles and responsibilities, developing communication, and decision-making guidelines)
Conducting assessment(s) to inform research plans (e.g., collecting data through focus groups or community meetings to inform the research question)
Analyzing existing data to help inform future research (e.g., conducting collaborative analysis, review, interpreting previously collected data)

View the application. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions mid-December 2023. For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact Community Engagement at MICHR-CommunityEngagement@umich.edu.

IRB Liaison & Upcoming Human Subjects Information Session

Effective Feb. 1, 2023, Elizabeth Molina became the new IRB-HSBS staff liaison for ��-Dearborn.

Elizabeth will hold regularly-scheduled virtual sessions for anyone interested in learning more about working with human subjects and/or the IRB application and approval process. The next session this fall semester will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 18. .

Any ��-Dearborn faculty, staff, or students with questions about the IRB process can also contact Elizabeth by email at molinael@umich.edu, by phone at 734-936-1943 or by dropping into the monthly Zoom sessions offered. Additional information about working with human subjects can be found at the IRB Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences website.

MIDAS AI Summit and Tutorials

MIDAS and the Michigan AI Laboratory will jointly offer a training series to researchers across disciplines who are incorporating Generative AI in their research. Each half-day session will consist of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on tutorials for using Generative AI in research. Learn more on the Transforming Your Research with Generative AI - Tutorials webpage. Current planned sessions include:

Oct. 18: Code Smarter, Not Harder: Harnessing Generative AI for Research Programming Efficiency
Oct. 27: Integrating Generative AI into Your Research Workflow
Nov. 29: Making Generative AI Better for You: Fine-tuning and Experimentation for Custom Research Solutions

Reminder: Resources for Using SciENcv

Effective Oct. 23, NSF will require all biosketch and current & pending support documents for senior personnel to be prepared using SciENcv. The fillable pdf forms will not be accepted after this date. We recommend that you take the time to register with ScieENcv and begin to create your documents in that system if you expect to be involved in a proposal to NSF in the near future.

U-M Library Services has put together this guidance page to help you get started. You can also request a one-on-one Zoom session with Dearborn Office of Research staff to walk you through this process. Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is a researcher profile system for all individuals who apply for, receive or are associated with research investments from federal agencies. SciENcv allows researchers to document their education, employment, research activities, publications, honors, research grants, & other professional contributions to create multiple SciENcv profiles in official biographical sketch formats funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). In addition, the SciENcv application can be used to create the official NSF Current and Pending Support document.

Any researcher can register for SciENcv and create multiple biosketches, for different research projects or different funding agencies. You can find much more information about how to use SciENcv on their FAQs page. The central Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and U-M Library have resources and previous workshops available on how to create a biosketch in SciENcv specifically focused on NSF and NIH. These resources are available linked below:

U-M Library SciENcv Guide (including step-by-steps for creating NSF and NIH biosketches)
NSF Biosketch and SciENcv Webinar (July 2020)
- Slide Deck (MLibrary Presentation)
- NSF Biosketch Webinar Transcript
- How to Create Your NSF Biosketch in SciENcv Step-by-step (MLibrary Handout)
NIH Biosketch and SciENcv Webinar (May 2020)
- Slide Deck (MLibrary Presentation)
- NIH Biosketch Webinar Transcript
- Biosketch and SciENcv Step-by-Step (MLibrary Handout)

Research Events in October:

U-M Library, “Digital Scholarship 101: Planning Your Project” - Wednesday, Oct. 11, 3-4:30 p.m., virtual
Graham Sustainability Institute, “Clean Energy Mixer” - Wednesday, Oct. 11, 3:30-5 p.m., in-person at Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project, 2000 Suite, 2301 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor
MIDAS, “Code Smarter, Not Harder: Harnessing Generative AI for Research Programming Efficiency” - Wednesday, Oct.18, 9:30 a.m.-noon, in-person at 10th Floor, Weiser Hall, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor
IRB, “Virtual On-the-Road Session” - Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2-3:30 p.m., virtual
MICHR, “The Hidden Curriculum: Preparing for a Study” - Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2-4PM, virtual
MIDAS, “Integrating Generative Image AI into Your Research Workflow” - Friday, Oct. 27, 9-11:30 a.m., in-person at 10th Floor, Weiser Hall, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor

The Office of Research website is also updated regularly with research-related events and announcements, so we would encourage you to bookmark our landing page and subscribe to our Research News email list.

Research Resource Highlight: OVPR’s Visualization for Research Toolkit

Every month, the Office of Research will feature a resource and/or tool that is available for researchers. This month we are featuring the Office of the Vice President for Research’s Visualization for Research Toolkit.

Last month, OVPR’s Office of Research Development hosted a workshop, “Visualization for Research, Part I” presented by Steve Alvey that discussed best practices for developing conceptual figures and other visualizations that communicate research in clear, compelling ways. This was the first part in a series of research visualization workshops.

As part of the workshop, resources were shared that included a Visualization for Research Toolkit (requires ��ICH Dropbox account to access). The toolkit includes starter samples of shapes & lines, text, colors and a six-color data viz palette that can be used in research visualizations. If you missed the workshop and want to learn more, you can watch the recording and/or view the slides (via ��ICH Dropbox account). Subscribe to the Research Blueprint for future resources and events offered by OVPR.

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

The Office of Research publishes a list of selected funding opportunities, organized by college, every month on our website under Announcements. In addition, yearly grant calendars organized by subject area provided by Hanover Research are available there as well. Contact the ��-Dearborn Office of Research if you would like more information about submitting a proposal to any of the programs.

Off

Mon, 10/02/2023 - 01:01

The Office of Research shares recently awarded funding, along with upcoming workshops and approaching grant deadlines — like the Oct. 16 deadline for the fall cycle of the Competitive Campus Grants program.

Office of Research update: September 2023

stuxbury — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 03:33:31 +0000

Office of Research update: September 2023 stuxbury Mon, 09/04/2023 - 23:33

The Office of Research is pleased to announce and would like to congratulate our Dearborn faculty members on receipt of the following external funding:

U-M Principal Investigator: Taehyung Kim, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Project Title: PFI (MCA): Smart Monitoring and Fault Identification for Resilient and Reliable Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Direct Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Award Amount: $350,000

This Mid Career Advancement (MCA) project will provide a cost-effective and intelligent solution to accurately detect and recover from failures in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It will fill a current technology gap in the UAV industry by developing fault identification and compensation modules that offer economic value for potential commercialization. Upon completion, the next-generation UAVs could potentially implement intelligent fault detection and compensation techniques for electric propulsion systems to make sure that the UAVs can successfully complete their missions even with faults. The project will substantially improve the reliability of UAVs based on smart monitoring and fault mitigation techniques, minimizing additional hardware costs.

U-M Principal Investigator: Wencong Su, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Project Title: PFI (MCA): Enhancing Grid Reliability and Stability with Distributed Energy Resources
Direct Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $349,897

This project seeks to develop multidisciplinary and integrated approaches to collectively improve low-inertia grid reliability and stability in the face of uncertainties and to explore a commercialization roadmap. The research will: (1) Establish a fundamental knowledge base of understanding the practical challenges of low-inertia power grids with high penetration of grid-forming inverter-based energy resources, (2) Design a holistic assessment framework and visualization tool to qualify the causal reliability relation between diverse grid-forming inverter-based energy resources and their collective impact on system reliability, (3) Develop a self-adaptive, robust, and stability-aware grid-forming controller capable of learning power grid behaviors, and (4) Leverage the existing power system testbeds to validate the real-world performance of the proposed stability-aware grid-forming controllers and enable research resource sharing among the resources-constrained research and education community in Southeast Michigan.

U-M Principal Investigator: Lei Chen, Mechanical Engineering
Project Title: Collaborative Research: Fundamental understanding of interface dynamics in solid electrolyte batteries with liquid metal anode
Direct Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $261,619

Dr. Chen and team propose an innovative approach to study a novel solid electrolyte lithium-ion battery, the first to utilize a liquid metal electrode and a solid electrolyte, forming a liquid-solid interface at room temperature. Their objective is to understand how the transition between this liquid-solid interface and the solid-solid interface occurs during lithium-ion insertion and removal processes. Insight gained from this investigation will foster the development of new techniques that incorporate liquid metal electrodes in solid electrolyte batteries.

Announcements

Competitive Campus Grants Fall Cycle Applications

The first cycle of Competitive Campus Grant programs for fiscal year 2024 are available to apply to by ��-Dearborn tenured/tenure-track faculty. The following Competitive Campus Grant applications are due by 5:00 PM, October 16, 2023:

Research Initiation and Development (RID) Grants aim to assist faculty and research staff with the development of innovative, collaborative research proposals that will advance the ��-Dearborn mission. The program supports proposals which will help place the principal investigator (PI) and the research team in a strong position to receive additional, external funding from federal agencies, foundations, and/or industry.
- Budget floor: $10,000; Budget ceiling: $20,000.
��-Dearborn Scholars (SCH) Grants are intended to support research, scholarship and creative activities in the arts. This program is intended for projects with funding needs not usually addressed by other support programs within or outside the University.
- Budget floor: $6,000; Budget ceiling: $10,000.
Thematic Research Planning (TRP) Grants are open to teams working closely together to solve problems that transcend the traditional boundaries associated with research programs, departments and colleges. Single PI proposals will *not* be considered- at least two different ��-Dearborn academic units should be involved, in addition to external partners. The aim of the program is to provide support for the development of competitive proposals to preliminary identified (by the team) external funding opportunities.
- Budget floor: $15,000; Budget ceiling: $30,000.

More information about the campus grants program and eligibility can be found on our Campus Grants webpage.

Graham Sustainability Institute’s Catalyst Grants - LOIs due Sept. 18
A new round of catalyst grant funding is available for faculty at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses to pursue projects that address critical sustainability challenges by:

developing new, user-driven, collaborative research ideas, or
translating existing research for real-world application.

Catalyst Grants provide up to $10,000 over eight months. Approximately four grants will be awarded per cycle. Projects may address any sustainability topic. Applications are welcome from STEM fields as well as the social sciences, professional schools, and the humanities.

Faculty from the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses are eligible to serve as Principal Investigator (PI) and should submit application materials through the online portal. A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required by Sept. 18.

U-M Arts Initiative Seeks Collaborative Project
The U-M Arts Initiative seeks large-scale collaborative projects to activate the campus; increase arts engagement for students, faculty, staff, and the region; and catalyze discovery through interdisciplinary partnerships. The Initiative is interested in a broad scope of projects that may be local, regional, national, or international and that reflect collaboration, involve multiple units/organizations, promote engagement and the growth of new and diverse audiences, and align with the mission of the University and Arts Initiative. Several projects will be selected each year that reflect a diversity of artistic, intellectual, and expressive modes, as well as audiences.

Grant amounts for this program range from $20,000 to $100,000. Applications will be accepted from all U-M personnel with authorization by their unit.

MICHR’s Clinical and Translational Science Pilot Award - LOIs due Sept 25
The Clinical and Translational Science Pilot Award aims to support new and innovative research projects relevant to clinical & translational science (CTS). CTS is a field of investigation focused on understanding a scientific or operational principle that underlies a step of the translational process, with the goal of developing generalizable principles to accelerate translational research. This opportunity is open to faculty and staff from all campuses, schools, and colleges at the University of Michigan.

Projects should propose addressing a common cause of inefficiency or failure in research projects at any stage of translation (T1-T4). Many of these causes are shared across targets, diseases, and therapeutic areas; therefore, outcomes are expected to produce foundational knowledge that will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of translational research and ultimately improve health. Full details are available on

A brief Letter of Intent (LOI) is required and can be submitted via ��MS Competition Space by September 25, 2023. Those with responsive LOIs will be invited to submit a full application.

To learn more about this funding opportunity, register for an informational webinar to be held on September 12^th from 12-1 pm or visit the MICHR website for more details. If you have questions, please email the MICHR Pilot Grant Program at MICHR-PilotGrants@umich.edu.

OVPR Research Visualization Workshop Series
Researchers are invited to join Steve Alvey, graphics specialist in OVPR’s Office of Research Development, on September 19 from 12-1 pm, for a virtual presentation on the best practices for developing conceptual figures and other visualizations that communicate research in clear, compelling ways. This is the first in a series of research visualization workshops; future sessions will include tips on working with designers and how to maximize emotional impact (the “wow factor”) in research figures.

In the first workshop, learn the fundamentals of design, including effective use of color and typography, that help grant proposals or presentations come together. Simple and appealing visuals also help broad audiences better understand complex data, ideas and impact. The presenter will provide examples of proposal graphics that exemplify best practices. Registration form.

IRB Liaison & Upcoming Human Subjects Information Session
Effective February 1, 2023, Elizabeth Molina became the new IRB-HSBS staff liaison for ��-Dearborn.

Elizabeth will hold regularly-scheduled virtual sessions for anyone interested in learning more about working with human subjects and/or the IRB application and approval process. The first session this fall semester will be held on Sept. 20 from 2-3:30 PM.

Any ��-Dearborn faculty, staff, or students with questions about the IRB process can also contact Elizabeth by email at molinael@umich.edu, by phone at 734-936-1943, or by dropping into the monthly Zoom sessions offered. Additional information about working with human subjects can be found at the IRB Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences website.

MIDAS AI Summit and Tutorials
MIDAS and the Michigan AI Laboratory will jointly offer a training series to researchers across disciplines who are incorporating Generative AI in their research. Each half-day session will consist of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on tutorials for using Generative AI in research. . Learn more on the Transforming Your Research with Generative AI - Tutorials webpage. Current planned sessions include:

Oct. 2: Writing, Planning and Literature Review: Enhancing Professional Productivity with Generative AI
Oct. 18: Code Smarter, Not Harder: Harnessing Generative AI for Research Programming Efficiency
Oct. 25: Integrating Generative AI into Your Research Workflow
Nov. 2: Making Generative AI Better for You: Fine-tuning and Experimentation for Custom Research Solutions

Reminder: Resources for Using SciENcv
Effective Oct. 23, NSF will require all biosketch and current & pending support documents for senior personnel to be prepared using SciENcv. The fillable pdf forms will not be accepted after this date. We recommend that you take the time to register with ScieENcv and begin to create your documents in that system if you expect to be involved in a proposal to NSF in the near future.

Any researcher can register for SciENcv and create multiple biosketches, for different research projects or different funding agencies. You can find much more information about how to use SciENcv on their FAQs page. The central Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and U-M Library have resources and previous workshops available on how to create a biosketch in SciENcv specifically focused on NSF and NIH. These resources are available linked below:

U-M Library SciENcv Guide (including step-by-steps for creating NSF and NIH biosketches)
NSF Biosketch and SciENcv Webinar (July 2020)
- Slide Deck (MLibrary Presentation)
- NSF Biosketch Webinar Transcript
- How to Create Your NSF Biosketch in SciENcv Step-by-step (MLibrary Handout)
NIH Biosketch and SciENcv Webinar (May 2020)
- Slide Deck (MLibrary Presentation)
- NIH Biosketch Webinar Transcript
- Biosketch and SciENcv Step-by-Step (MLibrary Handout)

Research Events in September:

��MS Office of Research, “Researchpalooza 2023” - Wednesday, September 13, 11 - 2PM, in-person: 1150 West Medical Center Drive Driveway
MICHR Workshop, “Conducting and Obtaining Valid Informed Consent” - Wednesday, September 13, 1:30 - 3:30PM, virtual
Innovation Partnerships, “Celebrate Invention 2023” - Thursday, September 14, 3 - 6PM, in-person: Michigan Union, 2nd Floor, 530 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
OVPR Office of Research Development Workshop, “Visualization for Research, Part I” - Tuesday, September 19, 12 - 1PM, virtual
IRB, “Virtual On-the-Road Session” - Wednesday, September 20, 2-3:30PM, virtual

Research Resource Highlight: ��-Dearborn Office of Research

Every month, the Office of Research will feature a resource and/or tool that is available for researchers. This month we would like to remind faculty about the resources and services available from the ��-Dearborn Office of Research.

We encourage all faculty to familiarize themselves with the different resources and sections of our website, including:

Research Development Services: The Research Development team and services aim to connect researchers to resources and increase the investigators’ competitiveness in obtaining extramural research funding. Faculty can make one-on-one consultation requests, utilize free Consultation and Writing Services, and explore resources for finding funding.
Campus Grants Program: The Campus Grants program is an important part of research development efforts at ��-Dearborn, and supports a wide range of research and scholarly activities for our faculty. Campus Grants funds also provide investments for interdisciplinary research. The Campus Grants webpage is frequently updated with our available grant programs, guidelines and due dates, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions section and examples of Previously Funded Projects.
Pre-Award Administration: The Pre-Award Administration team and services aim to provide the highest level of service possible in assisting faculty with assembling all the elements of their proposal package and ensuring there are no administrative errors. It is important for all faculty to submit a New Proposal Request Form at least 20 business days prior to a sponsor’s deadline. The webpage also provides an overview of the Proposal Routing & Submission process and Budget Preparation guidance.
Post-Award Support: The Post-Award Support (PAS) team is charged with supporting the ��-Dearborn campus by providing and continuously improving post-award research administration efforts for all units who have federal and non-federal externally sponsored projects (and related cost-share), internally funded research grants, and other project/grants that are classed as research (e.g. gifts). Learn more about PAS and how to contact them on our webpage.
More Help: This webpage is intended to provide basic information and guidance on common regulatory compliance requirements related to Human Subjects, Export Controls, and Disclosure of Outside Interests, and will continue to be developed to include other frequently asked about research topics.

Our website is also updated regularly with research-related events and announcements, so we would encourage you to bookmark our landing page and subscribe to our Research News email list. The Office of Research looks forward to assisting you on your future research endeavors!

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

Research

Research Core Pages

Office of Research

Off

Tue, 09/05/2023 - 03:32

Check out whose work is getting funded, find new funding opportunities, and learn about ways ��-Dearborn can support your next project in the September update from the Office of Research.

Office of Research update: July 2023

stuxbury — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 12:54:22 +0000

Office of Research update: July 2023 stuxbury Mon, 07/10/2023 - 08:54

External funding

The Office of Research is pleased to announce and would like to congratulate our Dearborn faculty members on receipt of the following external funding:

U-M Principal Investigator: Youngki Kim, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering
Project Title: Development of a Heat Pump Control Algorithm for Enhanced Driving Range of Electric Vehicles
Direct Sponsor: Hyundai Motor Company and Kia
Awarded Amount: $158,541

The objective of this research is to develop a real-time implementable MPC-based control algorithm for the energy-efficient heat-pump operation of electric vehicles during cold ambient conditions. The goal is to improve the driving range of electric vehicles by reducing the energy consumption by the thermal management system (TMS) while satisfying operational constraints and passenger thermal comfort.

U-M Principal Investigator: Zhen Hu, assistant professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Project Title: ERI: Design of Reliable Autonomous Engineering Systems with Active Failure Prevention
Direct Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Awarded Amount: $199,710

The objective of this project is to create a design framework using computer simulations to design reliable autonomous engineering systems (AES) that can proactively prevent catastrophic failures during operation. It is envisioned that AES in the future should have the capability of not only autonomously accomplishing a mission, but also proactively preventing failures in operation (i.e., active failure prevention). Through simulation-based design under uncertainty, this research will incorporate post-design active failure prevention into the early design stage of AES, thus reducing the probability of failure when the designed AES is put into operation. This research will enable the design of AES with assured reliability and accelerate the development of AES by reducing the reliability certification effort in the design process.

U-M Principal Investigator: Georges Ayoub, associate professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Project Title: ERI: Durability of Biocompatible Elastomers under Extreme Environments: Unveiling the Aging Mechanisms
Direct Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Awarded Amount: $200,000

Growing use of plastic materials across many industries (medical, automotive, energy storage, etc.) has prompted the need to develop a knowledge base to support their successful use and processing. One issue with these materials is that their chemical and/or physical degradation, commonly known as aging, sets limits to their use in applications requiring good fatigue and/or impact performance. To avoid in-service failure, this research seeks to understand the endurance of biocompatible elastomers. The project goal is to find a correlation between the mechanical and dynamic properties resulting from in-service aging and from accelerated aging conditions for environmentally aged biocompatible elastomers. This project will work to discover the effect of thermal aging on the static, viscous, and fatigue behavior of elastomers; is the effect of aging on the fatigue induced crazing and cracking initiation, propagation, and coalescence; and how aging affects the chain reptation mechanism.

U-M Principal Investigator: Zhen Hu, assistant professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Project Title: Likelihood-Free Calibration Approaches for Correlation of CAE Model and Tests with Incomplete Information
Direct Sponsor: Ford Motor Company
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $50,000.00

The goal of this research is to develop a method that improves the accuracy of predictions made by a computer simulation model called CAE. This method uses Bayesian statistics and doesn't rely on actual physical tests. Thus, we can reduce the number of tests needed to certify the CAE model and speed up the process of developing new products. One important part of this method is creating a mathematical function called the likelihood function. It connects the observations we make in the real world with the predictions made by the CAE model and takes into account the uncertainties in the model. Sometimes, it's difficult to calculate this function because we don't have all the necessary information. This research solves this problem by using a machine learning-based approach that doesn't require calculating the likelihood function directly.

U-M Principal Investigator: Areen Alsaid, assistant professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Project Title: Estimating inattention in L3 through affect and context
Direct Sponsor: Ford Motor Company
Awarded Amount: $10,434

Monitoring systems can mitigate the consequences of drive inattention, however, existing systems will not be effective in highly automated vehicles. Signals that current monitoring systems rely on will become obsolete, so there is a need to monitor the driver’s state through other measures. An under-examined predictor of drivers’ inattention is affect, which has considerable influence on cognitive functions and is a very contextualized cognitive state that does not translate from one application domain to another. This research aims to discover how driving context impacts the affective state of the driver, and how affect influences drivers’ attention. The outcomes of this research will be a model utilizing physiological signals fused with context to detect affect, and consequently inattention.

U-M Principal Investigator: Abdallah Chehade, assistant professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Project Title: Building dependencies between product failures using warranty data
Direct Sponsor: Ford Motor Company
Awarded Amount: $200,001

The objective is to utilize a historical database of warranty data to identify causal and sequential dependencies between component failures in order to support better design reliability and manufacturing reliability advancements for future components. This project will also explore real-time analysis models to help provide proactive maintenance requests and mitigation strategies to avoid expensive and/or unsafe sequential failures.

U-M Principal Investigator: Alireza Mohammadi, assistant professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Project Title: Embedded Implementation of VRU Stability and Motion Predictors
Direct Sponsor: Ford Motor Company
Awarded Amount: $33,522

Dr. Mohammadi and his partners recently developed a method for predicting the stability of cyclists, who constitute a significant portion of the vulnerable road users (VRUs) in severe and fatal car-cyclist accidents. The objective of this project is to enable implementation of this novel stability prediction for the motion of VRUs in cell phone-based embedded applications for utilization in vehicle communication applications and driver assistance systems.

U-M Principal Investigator: Georges Ayoub, associate professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Project Title: Leveraging AI Chatbot in Advance Manufacturing Engineering Technologies
Direct Sponsor: Ford Motor Company
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $33,278

The objective of this research is to explore potential use cases of AI chatbots in the field of manufacturing engineering, which could include office applications, data analysis, and coding applications in an industrial manufacturing environment. The investigation aims to comprehend the near-term potential usage of AI chatbots in these areas and establish a technical framework approach to mitigate any potential cybersecurity risks or IP-sharing concerns.

U-M Principal Investigator: Francine Dolins, associate professor of Psychology
Project Title: Development of simulated 3-D virtual reality testing for baboon AD/dementia and spatial cognition research
Direct Sponsor: Texas Biomedical Research Institute
Prime Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Total Sponsor Authorized Amount: $33,389

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), other neurodegenerative disorders, and aging present with varying levels, patterns, and progressions of spatial cognitive decline. A frequent early symptom is getting lost, which may involve a failure to recognize, remember, or integrate information about landmarks or other cues to present location and intended target. Understanding the normative functioning and pathology is vital to identifying the “earliest diagnostic criteria” in AD and other neurodegenerative disorders, and to developing translational models to test real-world therapies. Nonhuman primates (NHPs), as human’s closest relatives, show numerous derived characteristics in brain physiology and cognitive abilities. They play a key role in translating animal findings to reliable AD diagnostics and therapeutics. Baboons reach geriatric ages sooner than humans. In relation to large-scale spatial and navigational problems, baboons are among the most terrestrial of NHPs, and thus experience the world in a more human-like manner. We will test a large number of baboons in their family groups, of all age-sex classes, in their home surroundings, and on a voluntary basis. The purpose of this project is to develop a non-invasive VR system for widespread use in the baboon model of spatial cognition, aging, and AD/dementia. The utilization of both VR and comparator real world platforms provides a strong indication of our commitment to naturalistic testing methods and ecological relevance, a common concern in both human and translational research.

Announcements

FY24 Open Invitation Campus Grants Accepting Applications

Fiscal year 2024 Open Invitation Campus Grants are now accepting applications. Faculty can apply for the following Open Invitation Campus Grants:

Faculty Research Mini Grants provide up to $1,000 for non-salary resources that enable faculty research and other scholarly activities.
Faculty Research Publication & Dissemination Grants provide up to $500 per year for peer-reviewed scholarly publication costs, limited to:
- Journal page charges (including surcharges for graphics)
- Publisher required expenses related to book publication
- Reprints (hardcopy or electronic) of your publication
- Conference poster and presentation printing costs
- Copy editing for peer-reviewed scholarly publications, limited to editing required by the publisher
Research Assistant Grants provide funding to hire a student to assist full-time ��-Dearborn faculty members with work on research and scholarly projects. The program provides two levels of support:
- $750 for work leading to a scholarly product (data, book chapter, publication, etc.)
- $1,500 requires that a related proposal for external funding will be submitted within one year
Special Circumstance Research Grants provide support for non-salary resources that enable faculty research and other scholarly activities *not* supported by the Faculty Research Mini Grant or other Open Invitation Grants.

Fiscal year 2024 Competitive Campus Grants will launch in the fall semester. For more information about all of our Campus Grants programs (competitive and open invitation) and eligibility information, please visit our Campus Grants webpage or email us at umdearborn-orsp@umich.edu.

U-M's Research Data Stewardship Policy

The recently announced Research Data Stewardship Policy providing guidance on management, retention, ownership, and sharing of U-M research data will go into effect beginning Jan. 1, 2024.

An accompanying procedural guidance document summarizes a number of resources and best practices for implementing the policy, such as defining the rights and responsibilities of researchers, providing guidance about what to do when researchers leave the university, and offering more detailed information about data reuse, storage and archiving.

More information on the policy and updated FAQs can be found on the FAQ page of the Research Data Stewardship portal.

Good to Know: Tools to Screen for Predatory Publishing & Conferences

Think. Check. Attend. and Think. Check. Submit. are online tools that aim to assist researchers and scholars to judge the legitimacy and academic credentials of conferences, publishers and journals.

Think. Check. Attend. provides guidelines that help researchers to differentiate between an authentic conference and the ones they should avoid. Their online tools and resources will help scholars to recognize the characteristics of a trusted conference to attend and submit their abstracts through a number of steps and a checklist.

Think. Check. Submit. helps researchers identify trusted journals and publishers for their research. Through a range of tools and practical resources, this international cross-sector initiative aims to educate researchers, promote integrity, and build trust in credible research and publications.

MTRAC Life Sciences Innovation Hub accepting applications

Made possible by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, U-M Innovation Partnerships and U-M Fast Forward Medical Innovation, MTRAC Awards offer mid-stage translational funding to enable biomedical researchers from non-profit universities, research institutions and hospital systems across the state of Michigan to develop innovative technologies with high commercial potential. Applicants are anticipated to be 12-24 months from a University “exit” in the form of a license into a start-up company or to an existing revenue-generating company. Technologies must have an invention disclosure on file with the Innovation Partnerships. Awards will be up to $250K in direct costs with a cost share requirement. Apply by Oct. 12.

Reminder: Resources for Using SciENcv

Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is a researcher profile system for all individuals who apply for, receive or are associated with research investments from federal agencies. SciENcv allows researchers to document their education, employment, research activities, publications, honors, research grants, & other professional contributions to create multiple SciENcv profiles in official biographical sketch formats funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). In addition, the SciENcv application can be used to create the official NSF Current and Pending Support document.

Any researcher can register for SciENcv and create multiple biosketches, for different research projects or different funding agencies. You can find much more information about how to use SciENcv on their FAQs page. The central Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and U-M Library have resources and previous workshops available on how to create a biosketch in SciENcv specifically focused on NSF and NIH. These resources are available linked below:

U-M Library SciENcv Guide (including step-by-steps for creating NSF and NIH biosketches)
NSF Biosketch and SciENcv Webinar (July 2020)
- Slide Deck (MLibrary Presentation)
- NSF Biosketch Webinar Transcript
- How to Create Your NSF Biosketch in SciENcv Step-by-step (MLibrary Handout)
NIH Biosketch and SciENcv Webinar (May 2020)
- Slide Deck (MLibrary Presentation)
- NIH Biosketch Webinar Transcript
- Biosketch and SciENcv Step-by-Step (MLibrary Handout)

Research events in July:

Teaching and Technology Collaborative Workshop, “Data, Data Everywhere! Managing and Organizing Data” - Thursday, July 13, noon-1 p.m., virtual
MIDAS, “Generative AI for Research - a Faculty Workshop Faculty” - Tuesday, July 25 & Wednesday, July 26, Central Campus Classroom Building, Room 0460, 1225 Geddes Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Hanover Research Webinar, “Developing Great Proposal Aims and Objectives” - Thursday, July 27, noon, virtual

The Office of Research website is also updated regularly with research-related events and announcements, so we would encourage you to bookmark our landing page and subscribe to our Research News email list.

Research Resource Highlight: U-M Research Computing Package (��RCP)

Every month, the Office of Research will feature a resource and/or tool that is available for researchers. This month we are featuring the University of Michigan Research Computing Package (��RCP), provided by U-M’s Advanced Research Computing (ARC) division of ITS.

The U-M Research Computing Package (��RCP) is a package of no-cost supercomputing resources for researchers on all U-M campuses. ��RCP was developed by ITS to meet needs across a diversity of disciplines and to provide options for long-term data management, sharing and protecting sensitive data, and more competitive cost structures that give faculty and research teams more flexibility to procure resources on short notice.

University researchers, including ��-Dearborn faculty, have access to:

10TB Turbo NFS & CIFS/SMB
100TB Data Den Archive
80,000 HPC Hours on Great Lakes or Armis (PHI).
16 GB of RAM for Secure Enclave Services.

View the ��RCP Requesting Resources Guide to learn how to request ��RCP services. You can also contact the ARC Help Desk at arc-support@umich.edu.

Upcoming funding opportunities

Off

Mon, 07/10/2023 - 12:53

See which of your colleagues earned external funding grants, learn about research resources like upcoming virtual seminars and information regarding new policies, and consider applying for a fiscal year 2024 campus grant.

Office of Research update: September 2022

stuxbury — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 22:39:24 +0000

Office of Research update: September 2022 stuxbury Mon, 09/05/2022 - 18:39

The Office of Research is pleased to announce and would like to congratulate our Dearborn faculty members on receipt of the following external funding:

Aditya Viswanathan, assistant professor of Mathematics, was awarded a grant of $93,600 by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in support of his collaborative project (with Dartmouth College) "Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Imaging with Phase Retrieval and Uncertainty Quantification". SAR imaging - which has been used in applications such as remote sensing, sea ice monitoring, disaster relief, defense and intelligence gathering, and archaeology - allows us to build detailed and accurate images of a scene of interest by transmitting pulses of radio waves from a moving platform (such as an aircraft or satellite) and processing their delayed and attenuated echos. The process of constructing these images, however, is challenging - with the acquired data often being highly incomplete, corrupted by high levels of measurement error, and subject to artifacts such as motion and out-of-focus blurs. This project seeks to utilize contemporary mathematical and statistical techniques to develop new state-of-the-art SAR image reconstruction algorithms which are computationally efficient, robust to errors and artifacts, and compatible with the next generation of enhanced, extreme-scale imaging hardware.

Shan Bao, associate professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, received $65,794 from Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America for her project “How to Improve the Safety of Children on the U.S. Road? Insights from a Crash Data Analysis.” Injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in children and adolescents, and this problem has become an increasing concern for U.S. society with a growing trend. This project is designed to perform a comprehensive analysis on identifying typical children-involved crash scenarios and examining the relevant factors describing the context and potential causes of these crashes on the U.S. road when the involved child(ren) was either a passenger in a motor vehicle or a pedestrian/cyclist on the road. The results of this study will provide a systematic summary of the typical crash scenarios involving children and the relevant causation factors, as well as potential crash mitigation technology design recommendations.

Matthew Heinicke, associate professor of Biology, received $20,238 for his project Assessing the systematics and diversity of Haemosporida in African reptiles. The project, funded by the National Science Foundation and awarded through a collaboration with Villanova University, will study how host/parasite interactions affect the biodiversity of a particular type of parasitic organism and a major host organism it commonly affects. Haemosporidians are microscopic single-celled organisms that live as symbionts or parasites infecting a wide variety of vertebrates. A few types that cause diseases are well-known, including those causing malaria in humans. However, the group is otherwise poorly studied. This project will study interactions between haemosporidians and a major group of host organisms, reptiles in Angola. Angola is the focal region because it has a wide range of environments from desert to rainforest, and many species of reptile live there. Work at ��-Dearborn will focus on the reptile side of this relationship. DNA samples obtained from Angolan reptiles will be used to determine the evolutionary history, levels of genetic diversity, and number of unique species of Angolan reptiles. Colleagues at other universities will generate complementary data for the haemosporidians that infect these reptiles. With data from both groups the researchers can test whether unique haemosporidian strains infect each reptile species, and whether the two groups are co-evolving, meaning that closely related reptile species have closely related haemosporidian parasites.

Hugo Casquero, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, was awarded $70,000 by Honda Motor Co., Ltd for his study “Crashworthiness simulations using thin-walled solid BEXT meshes.” Dr. Casquero-Penelas will work to develop isogeometric analysis to achieve a seamless integration between computer-aided design and finite-element analysis. This fundamental research will be applied to the design and analysis of the structural skeleton of vehicles to maximize occupant safety.

Announcements

Competitive Campus Grants Fall Cycle Applications

The first cycle of the Competitive Campus Grants for fiscal year 2023 are available to apply to by ��-Dearborn tenured/tenure-track faculty. The following Competitive Campus Grant applications are due by 5 p.m., Oct. 17, 2022:

Research Initiation and Development (RID) Grants provide financial support of up to $25,000 for research projects. This program supports projects designed to lead to a proposal for external funding with a strong potential of being awarded.
- Budget floor: $10,000; Budget ceiling: $25,000.
��-Dearborn Scholars (SCH) Grants are intended to support research and scholarship, including creative activities in the arts. This program is primarily for projects with funding needs not addressed by other support programs within or outside the University.
- Budget floor: $8,000; Budget ceiling: $15,000.
Thematic Research Planning (TRP) Grants will support the development of collaborative cross-disciplinary research proposals that address the FY 23 priority research areas:
- - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  - Sustainability
  - Biomedical, Health and Healthcare
- Budget floor: $15,000; Budget ceiling: $30,000.

More information about the campus grants program and eligibility can be found on our Campus Grants webpage.

Research Events in September & October:

MICHR, “Conducting and Obtaining Valid Informed Consent” - Thursday, Sept. 15, 12 - 2 p.m., virtual
Teaching and Technology Collaborative, “Crafting Research Impact Statements” - Friday, Sept. 16, 12 - 1 p.m., virtual
RDSI, “Research Data Stewardship Initiative Informational Webinar” - Wednesday, Sept. 21, 1 p.m., virtual
Mardigian Library, “Using Library Materials in Your Classroom” - Thursday, September 22, 1PM and Monday, Sept. 26, 2 p.m., in-person located in Mardigian Library, ML 1211. Registration not required
Research Data Stewardship Initiative Fall 2022 Seminar Series, “RDSI October Seminar” - Friday, Oct. 7, 12 - 1 p.m., virtual
MICHR, “MICHR Mock Study Section” - Wednesday, Oct. 19, 3 - 5:30 p.m., virtual. Registration closes on Sept. 26.

Research Resource Highlight: The Office of Research

Every month, the Office of Research will feature a resource and/or tool that is available for researchers!

This month we are featuring our very own ��-Dearborn Office of Research website to remind you of the information and services available to ��-Dearborn faculty.

Over the past year, the Office of Research has reorganized and updated many of our webpages with updated information, services and new initiatives. We encourage all faculty to familiarize themselves with the different resources and sections of our website, including:

Research Development Services: The Research Development team and services aim to connect researchers to resources and increase the investigators’ competitiveness in obtaining extramural research funding. One-on-one consultation requests, Consultation and Writing Services, and resources for finding funding are just a few examples of the services available to ��-Dearborn faculty.
Campus Grants Program: The Campus Grants program is an important part of research development efforts at ��-Dearborn, and supports a wide range of research and scholarly activities for our faculty. Campus Grants funds also provide investments for interdisciplinary research. The Campus Grants webpage is frequently updated with our available grant programs, guidelines and due dates, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions section and examples of Previously Funded Projects.
Pre-Award Administration: The Pre-Award Administration team and services aim to provide the highest level of service possible in assisting faculty with assembling all the elements of their proposal package and ensuring there are no administrative errors. It is important for all faculty to submit a New Proposal Request Form at least 20 business days prior to a sponsor’s deadline. The webpage also provides an overview of the Proposal Routing & Submission process and Budget Preparation guidance.
Post-Award Support: The Post-Award Support (PAS) team is charged with supporting the ��-Dearborn campus by providing and continuously improving post-award research administration efforts for all units who have federal and non-federal externally sponsored projects (and related cost-share), internally funded research grants, and other project/grants that are classed as research (e.g. gifts).
More Help: This newly developed webpage is intended to provide basic information and guidance on common regulatory compliance requirements related to Human Subjects, Export Controls, and Disclosure of Outside Interests, and will continue to be developed to include other frequently asked about research topics such as animal care & use, indirect costs and intellectual property. We encourage faculty to check back in on this page as more topics are added.

Our website is also updated regularly with research-related events and announcements, so we encourage faculty to bookmark our landing page and subscribe to our Research News email list. The Office of Research looks forward to assisting you on your future research endeavors!

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

Undergraduate Research

Office of Research

Off

Mon, 09/05/2022 - 22:37

Check out whose work is getting funded, find new funding opportunities, and learn about ways ��-Dearborn can support your next project in the September update from the Office of Research.

How a new program plans to connect underserved populations to STEM futures

stuxbury — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 16:59:11 +0000

How a new program plans to connect underserved populations to STEM futures stuxbury Wed, 10/13/2021 - 12:59

��-Dearborn faculty noticed that talented students who struggled in introductory science and math courses — like Calculus I or General Chemistry — were less likely to go beyond the first year of college than those who did well.

Looking into that a little more, they discovered these students studying to go into a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) field were often Pell Eligible, which is a federal need-based funding for lower income families.

“First to second year retention rates for the first time in any college (FTIAC) Pell Eligible students in STEM majors lagged behind those of their non-Pell eligible counterparts on campus. Looking at the same populations, Pell Eligible students also had lower graduation rates,” Mathematics and Statistics Professor Joan Remski said. “Many of our students work, are responsible for family care, live in underserved areas and are first in their families to go to college. They want an education, but don’t have the time or the experience to work through a challenging course. We needed a plan to better support these students.”

Photo of Professor Joan Remski

So Remski, Biochemistry Professor Marilee Benore and Chemistry Professor Daniel Lawson created a STEM Scholars program — and the National Science Foundation (NSF) liked the approach. The team was awarded $1.44 million in NSF grants to carry out their vision.

“There are existing, proven interventions and high impact practices for STEM retention like conducting research, being part of a cohort, and attending supplemental instruction sessions. Those things are more accessible for students who don't have competing priorities outside of their studies,” Benore said. “We wanted to adapt those practices to better fit with the needs of our commuter students who have a large number of outside responsibilities.”

Over the next three years, 56 STEM-focused undergraduate first-year students — 18 for the first two years and 20 for the third — will be selected to study together, have remote supplemental instruction, get tutors built into classes like Calculus I and General Chemistry, gain professional development through optional workshops, and conduct research through a Research Rotations program that’s time-flexible.

Photo of Professor Marilee Benore

The STEM Scholars, which will begin its first cohort in Fall 2022, must be Pell eligible and have a minimum 3.0 high school GPA, placement into campus’ Calculus I or higher, and a major in a STEM-focused program. Included majors are Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Computer & Information Science, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Environmental Science, Bioengineering and Chemistry. Majors were chosen based on industry need, student interest and where in the STEM pipeline ��-Dearborn loses the most students.

Students who qualify and are accepted into the STEM Scholars program will be awarded grants and scholarships toward tuition and fees for four academic years as long as they remain in one of the selected STEM majors and maintain a 2.5 GPA. This means through a combination of the NSF-funded grant and other federal and institutional grant funding, they can essentially earn a STEM undergraduate degree for free.

The STEM Scholars program is a cross-campus collaboration. In addition to Remski, Benore and Lawson, the project management team includes Computer and Information Science Professor Brahim Medjahed, Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Samir Rawashdeh, Mathematics Associate Professor Yunus Zeytuncu, Computer and Information Science Assistant Professor Anys Bacha, Mathematics Associate Professor Alan Wiggins and Victoria J Bigelow, evaluation coordinator in U-M’s School of Education. Enrollment Management and Business Affairs are also instrumental with the program.

Photo of Professor Daniel Lawson

Lawson said STEM education is important in all aspects of life and looks forward to welcoming the first class of STEM Scholars. Program applications will be available online in December.

“What part of today’s society doesn’t deal with STEM? It’s the basis of all modern technology and culture. No matter what you do, math and science will be a part of it,” he said. “The more opportunities we can give so that these fields accurately represent all people — not just those who can afford specialized education — the better off we will all be.”

Since most of ��-Dearborn’s students remain in the area following graduation, focusing efforts on engaging these students may lead to greater contributions to Michigan’s much-needed STEM workforce. While many local jobs are centered around the auto industry, there are also opportunities in manufacturing, computing, data analysis and health-related fields.

Will having additional flexibility and built-in resources make a difference for campus’ students? The STEM Scholars project team thinks so — and they plan to prove it. At the end of each year during the six-year NSF grant’s funding, they will report to the foundation on how the new practices are impacting student success.

Remski said the gap in educational attainment among students with resources and those without is not just a ��-Dearborn problem — it’s a universal one.

Remski, Benore and Lawson hope by tailoring high-impact practices to a commuter campus that serves many first-generation and underrepresented students, there’s discovery of effective retention methods that other institutions can implement. The Center for Education Design, Evaluation, and Research (CEDER) at the University of Michigan School of Education will serve as the external evaluator on the project.

“We will measure the impact of these activities in terms of their ability to increase student participation, as well as evaluate the effectiveness,” Remski said. “Hopefully, if the practices show they are effective, more resources can be allocated to closing the retention and graduation rate gap that we are currently seeing. I’m excited to learn what makes the most difference for our students.”

In the short-term, they’ll tackle the first-year retention rate gap seen between Pell-eligible and non Pell eligible students. Their goal is to see an 85% retention among the STEM Scholars. The long term plan? To close the graduation gap and have ��-Dearborn Wolverines in low-income situations enter professionally fulfilling STEM careers that create economic stability for themselves and their families.

“We know our students are hard workers. We know they are talented. We know they want the best for their families. And they want educational opportunities, but sometimes life gets in the way,” Benore said. “We want to see them succeed and you get results by staying student centered. And that’s exactly what this plan is.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury. If you are a member of the news media and would like to learn more about the STEM Scholars program, please drop us a line at ��Dearborn-News@umich.edu.

Accessibility or Affordability

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Research Core Pages

Student Success

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Office of Research

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Off

Wed, 10/13/2021 - 16:57

The National Science Foundation awards campus faculty with $1.44 million to create a STEM Scholars program that tailors impactful education practices — like research, cohorts, professional development and more — for lower-income, high talent students to b

Graphic illustrating the STEM Scholars program

How can we support Black students in the early stages of their STEM journeys?

lblouin — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 17:29:48 +0000

How can we support Black students in the early stages of their STEM journeys? lblouin Wed, 09/01/2021 - 13:29

We can’t say we were surprised when we heard in August that ��-Dearborn Assistant Professor DeLean Tolbert Smith had been awarded a prestigious $700,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award. Her work on underrepresented groups in college engineering programs is fascinating stuff, and the new NSF grant, which is aimed at supporting early-career faculty who are emerging leaders in their fields, is going to allow her to dig deeply into another set of understudied questions in that space.

Smith’s take on this topic has always struck us as fresh: “A deficit perspective of underrepresentation in STEM often leads scholars to focus and place blame on communities of color and the need for them to have the same resources as white communities,” Smith explained during a recent conversation. “No doubt, we should be striving to fix the inequalities related to capital. But what I’m interested in is looking at the ways that Black families are already acting as cultural assets, and identifying those practices and elevating them so more families can actively support young people who are showing interest in STEM subjects.”

Part of the reason Smith is interested in studying family dynamics is that many Black students who go on to work in STEM careers often count early non-classroom, family-based experiences as critical parts of their journeys. Yet Smith says we still don’t have a thorough understanding of what early engineering experiences within Black families look like, especially the specific dynamics and practices that proved pivotal to stoking students' interest and success. The gap in knowledge about this stage of the “STEM pathway” means that most programs aimed at tackling underrepresentation tend to focus on late-stage educational experiences. But Smith says college recruitment of Black students during their senior years of high school, or programs aimed at supporting them once they get to campus, are destined to be inadequate for “getting engineering programs to look like America” if no one invested in a kid’s STEM interest back in middle school or earlier. “That’s the time we know that girls and boys are declaring to themselves or to their families that they have confidence or discomfort in math and science,” she says. And the challenge is we simply don’t have an adequate picture of what their early STEM lives really look like.

One of the most interesting parts of Smith’s new study is that it doesn’t rely on qualitative interviews of adults reflecting on their childhood experiences. Rather, she intends to map these experiences as they’re actually happening. To do this, she's partnered with the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) to recruit 45 Black middle school students, plus a family member, to participate in a 20-hour weekend STEM and innovation program at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. But she’s augmenting the standard curriculum with culturally relevant material, like stories of undersung Black innovators and inventors. After the families complete the program, they’ll use what they’ve learned to design original projects for the Invention Convention, a global K-12 innovation program. And here’s the really cool thing: Any time the students and their families work on their designs and inventions at home, Smith is going to ask them to record their sessions. This will allow her to capture hundreds of hours of fly-on-the-wall footage of students and families in their midst of their STEM journeys.

So what does Smith hope this intimate portrait of Black STEM family life can provide? Since it’s such an understudied space, all kinds of things really. In particular, though, she’ll be looking to see whether families are deploying lessons they’ve learned from the curriculum as they move through their design processes — including the historical lessons of Black innovators. And she’s also excited to observe how families without someone directly tied to a STEM field might leverage a variety of human resources to give students the support they need. A tech-savvy older sister, a neighbor who’s great at fixing things, a buddy who’s good at math, a parent who’s a strong motivator, and a story of a famous Black inventor, could be a recipe of support that’s more complex but plenty effective — and possibly more replicable for other families.

“Unfortunately, the history of the United States includes the systemic belittling of the experiences and intellect of Black people to make us think that we are not intelligent and cannot contribute in innovative or creative ways,” Smith explains. “And over time, this contributes to the underrepresentation of Black people in certain creative and technical fields. With regard to STEM, that now means you have many Black families who might not know or be directly connected to someone working in STEM. And so I hope that by restoring families’ historical connection to Black innovators, we can create a kind of pseudo-mentorship. A student might not know an engineer yet, but they can draw on the example of someone like Madam CJ Walker or Eijah McCoy and see themselves in that long lineage of innovation.”

###

Story by Lou Blouin. If you’re a member of the media and would like to interview Assistant Professor DeLean Tolbert Smith about this topic, drop us a line at ��Dearborn-News@umich.edu and we’ll put you in touch.

Inclusion or Diversity

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Student Success

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College of Engineering and Computer Science

Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering

Off

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 17:26

DeLean Tolbert Smith’s latest research is digging into the role families and non-classroom experiences can play in tackling STEM’s equity problems.

Photo credit: Allison Shelley/Alliance for Excellent Education via Flickr

��-Dearborn research shows truck platooning is a concept that’s ready for the road

lblouin — Fri, 28 May 2021 18:12:18 +0000

��-Dearborn research shows truck platooning is a concept that’s ready for the road lblouin Fri, 05/28/2021 - 14:12

If you read our recent series on the future of autonomous vehicles, you know that Associate Professor Sridhar Lakshmanan isn’t overly bullish about the timeline for driverless technologies. The veteran autonomous vehicle researcher is not even really sure that the car companies have yet made a compelling case to consumers, and from a technology perspective, he thinks we’re at least a decade away from anything like personal driverless cars appearing on roadways. In the same breath, however, Lakshmanan is quite optimistic that certain applications of autonomous and semi-autonomous technologies are a near future proposition. A case in point: A recent collaboration between researchers at ��-Dearborn and Auburn University which Lakshmanan says clearly demonstrates an immediate market case for driverless technology.

The three-year U.S. Department of Energy-funded project, which is scheduled to conclude this September, focuses on an idea known as truck platooning. In today’s incarnation of the trucking industry, most drivers make solo runs down the highway. But in one of the team’s research platoons, a truck operated by a human driver leads three driverless trucks, which essentially mimic the first truck’s behavior in a high-tech game of follow the leader. For example, if the lead human driver brakes or speeds up, his or her truck sends an instantaneous radio message to the others to do the same so they can all maintain the ideal set spacing of 50 meters.

While it’s an interesting technology problem, Lakshmanan says the DOE’s particular interest was whether the drafting effect of platooning could result in substantial fuel savings. After 450 hours and 20,000 miles of testing on tracks and public roads in Alabama, Michigan and Quebec, the results look promising: Lakshmanan says the platoons averaged 12 percent better fuel economy. That could save the trucking industry millions of dollars in fuel every year and take a big bite out of the industry's enormous carbon footprint. “Autonomy is a really exciting proposition, but the reality is there isn’t always a clear market case for using autonomous technologies,” Lakshmanan says. “But if you’re a fleet operator running thousands of trucks, the financial savings are very substantial.” Using today’s prices for diesel, the team’s $10,000 sensor kit would pay for itself right around the 200,000-mile mark of a single truck’s 750,000-mile expected lifespan.

Notably, driverless vehicles, even ones led by a human driver, are still not legal on public roads, so deploying a platoon of semi-autonomous trucks would require changes to current regulations. But interestingly, Lakshmanan says a problem they encountered during their research led to a technology that could be implemented right now. The original controllers for their platoon trucks were designed to work on flat stretches of highway, where they performed well in Alabama. But when they drove the trucks at U-M’s American Center for Mobility test track, which features grade changes and several curves on grade, they noticed the vehicles tended to get bunched up. “Essentially what was happening was the factory cruise control on the leader truck would result in the truck slowing down as it came up the hill, and then braking as it came around the corner down the slope as it tried to maintain the set speed. And by the time the fourth truck did this, we noticed it was getting too close to the third truck,” Lakshmanan explains.

Notably, this didn’t happen when the human driver turned off the cruise control and instead anticipated the change in slope and got a running start at a hill to better maintain speed and fuel economy. This ultimately led to an improved controller — one with a “look ahead” feature that makes the cruise control better equipped to anticipate changes in terrain. But they also discovered this feature has benefits outside the truck platoon format. A solo truck equipped with the look ahead feature averaged 8-10 percent better fuel economy. And that’s something that could be deployed on trucks right now — without any major changes to regulations.

Outside of fuel economy, the team also rigorously tested the platoons in numerous so-called edge cases — less frequent highway situations that human drivers navigate with ease but prove tricky for machines. Interestingly, the platoon’s arsenal of sensors for highway navigation is pretty lean by autonomous vehicle standards: There’s no expensive vision system or lidar. Instead, they rely on the human intelligence supplied by the driver, and an overlapping system of high-powered GPS, the radar from the factory-installed adaptive cruise control, and an instantaneous vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications system, which was ��-Dearborn’s contribution to the project. One by one, the team designed experiments to compromise each of these systems: jamming the V2V systems with real-world radio interference; running the trucks through areas where GPS coverage was spotty. And in each edge case, the platoon navigated the situations safely. “We discovered that if one system went down temporarily, the others were sufficient,” Lakshmanan says. “So with that kind of redundancy, it’s a very resilient system. And because we don’t have to use the more expensive sensors, it’s a far more affordable solution for a fleet operator.”

All this suggests to Lakshmanan that truck platooning is an idea whose time has come. As they wrap up the final work on their current project, they’re now hoping to collaborate with the State of Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and a commercial fleet operator for a real-world pilot. “With these kinds of results, we definitely feel like we’ve scratched the surface on something big. Now it’s time to dig deeper.”

###

Interested in a career working with autonomous vehicles? One of Lakshmanan’s graduate students on this project now works in the connectivity group with Ford Motor, Co. as a result of this research. As one of the country’s leaders in AV research, we have many options for both undergraduate and graduate students. If you want to reach out to Professor Lakshmanan directly, his email is lakshman@umich.edu.

Research

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Technology

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Off

Fri, 05/28/2021 - 18:10

A collaboration between ��-Dearborn and Auburn University has demonstrated a clear market case for an application of semi-autonomous technology in the trucking industry.

A graphic showing a platoon of three semi trucks connected with wavy lines symbolizing their wireless connectivity.

Research Core Pages

An Update from the Office of Research: October 2024

External Awards Received

Announcements

Research Events in September

Research Resource Highlight:

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

Office of Research update: July 2024

External Awards Received

Announcements

Research Events in July

Research Resource Highlight

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

An Update from the Office of Research: November 2023

Announcements

Competitive Campus Grants Update

Arts Research: Incubation & Acceleration - Funding Opportunity & Presentation

Early-Career Funding Opportunities for Junior Faculty

IRB Liaison & Upcoming Human Subjects Information Session

Call for Applications: 2024 Public Engagement Faculty Fellowship

Reminder: Resources for Using SciENcv

Research Events in November

Research Resource Highlight: Finding Funding

Office of Research update: October 2023

The Office of Research is pleased to announce and would like to congratulate our Dearborn faculty members on receipt of the following external funding:

Announcements

Research Events in October:

Research Resource Highlight: OVPR’s Visualization for Research Toolkit

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

Office of Research update: September 2023

The Office of Research is pleased to announce and would like to congratulate our Dearborn faculty members on receipt of the following external funding:

Announcements

Research Events in September:

Research Resource Highlight: ������-Dearborn Office of Research

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

Office of Research update: July 2023

External funding

Announcements

U-M's Research Data Stewardship Policy

Good to Know: Tools to Screen for Predatory Publishing & Conferences

MTRAC Life Sciences Innovation Hub accepting applications

Reminder: Resources for Using SciENcv

Research events in July:

Research Resource Highlight: U-M Research Computing Package (������RCP)

Upcoming funding opportunities

Office of Research update: September 2022

Announcements

Research Events in September & October:

Research Resource Highlight: The Office of Research

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

How a new program plans to connect underserved populations to STEM futures

How can we support Black students in the early stages of their STEM journeys?

������-Dearborn research shows truck platooning is a concept that’s ready for the road

Research Resource Highlight: ��-Dearborn Office of Research

Research Resource Highlight: U-M Research Computing Package (��RCP)

��-Dearborn research shows truck platooning is a concept that’s ready for the road