April 19, 2022 Newsletter

April 19, 2022

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Research News

Innovation at Work: Unconventional Methods Help Boost Rural Quality of Life

Who would have thought that a city in the Czech Republic would inspire a study of Iowa small towns? That city is Ostrava, and the study is led by Kimberly Zarecor, professor of architecture, who found that the city’s ability to persevere despite economic change and population decline is translatable to rural Iowa. Jennifer Drinkwater, associate professor of art and visual culture, was invited to the project for her expertise in social capital. Read more…

Iowa State Chemistry Student Named 2022 Goldwater Scholar

Nethmi Hewage, Iowa State junior in chemistry, has been named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering in the U.S. The scholarships are awarded by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in STEM research. Read more…

Incoming Iowa State ME Graduate Student Named Research Fellow for NSF Program

With an abundance of undergraduate research experience under her belt, Bella Guyll — who completed her B.S. in mechanical engineering (ME) in 2021 and who will begin her doctoral studies in ME in Fall 2022 — has been accepted into the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program. She is one of just five students from Iowa State University to receive this honor. Read more…

Brown, Schulte Moore Named Co-Directors of Bioeconomy Institute

The Office of the Vice President for Research has announced that Robert Brown, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and Gary and Donna Hoover Chair in Mechanical Engineering, and Lisa Schulte Moore, Professor of Natural Resource Ecology and 2021 MacArthur Fellow, will serve as co-directors of the nationally renowned Bioeconomy Institute. Read more…

Announcements

Research Collaboration Catalysts Seeking Nominations

Grants Hub and the Office of the Vice President for Research are seeking nominations for the 2022-23 Research Collaboration Catalysts program, designed to train the university’s next generation of interdisciplinary research team leaders. The program is based on Team Science principles and participating faculty will use evidence-based training, tools and resources to develop leadership skills and learn how to manage challenges specific to interdisciplinary research. Nominations are due May 13, 2022 and open to tenure-eligible and research term faculty who have demonstrated potential to lead high-impact interdisciplinary research teams. Interested candidates are encouraged to discuss their potential nomination with their supervisors. More information, including nomination instructions, is online in CyBox.

Don’t Forget to Help us Achieve Gold-Level Sustainability Status

Once every three years the Association of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) reviews and renews institutions for the association’s STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Ratings System) international sustainability accreditation program. As part of the university’s ongoing Live Green commitment, Iowa State University is seeking to regain its previously awarded Gold-level rating, while striving to achieve the program’s pinnacle Platinum status. We need your help, though. Please complete this data collection form to share how your research and scholarship addresses the concept of sustainability.

Internal Funding Opportunities

Publication Subvention Grants Program: Open Access and Scholarly Works

Applications are currently being accepted for Publication Subvention Grants for Open Access Journals and Publication Subvention Grants for Scholarly Works. Award amounts for open access journal grants will be provided for up to one half of publication costs, with a maximum of $1250 per award. A maximum of three awards per fiscal year for any individual will be approved. Award amounts for scholarly works grants are variable, recently in the range of $1,000-$10,000 for the publication of print or digital media. Applications for both opportunities will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

External Funding Opportunities

Regents Innovation Fund

The Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations (EDIR) is now accepting applications for FY23 Regents Innovation Fund (RIF) proposals. The funding is intended to support a wide-range of stages in technology development, from the initial research concept (prior to intellectual property disclosure), to proof of concept, to licensing and commercialization. The deadline for receipt of applications is May 23, 2022. Prior to initiating the application process, applicants are encouraged to contact Peter Hong with the ISU Startup Factory (petehong@iastate.edu) to discuss their idea.

John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition

The 2022 John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition application portal is now open. The seventeenth annual statewide competition will award $100,000 in cash prizes to Iowa startups and entrepreneurial ventures. Iowa businesses that have been in operation for four years or less, or are not yet cash flow positive, are eligible to apply. This competition is open to businesses including, but not limited to, technology, bio-technology, green technologies, medical, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, engineering, and education industries. The deadline for first round submissions is May 16, 2022, second round submissions for select applicants is July 18, 2022, with final awards announced on September 15, 2022.

Training and Development

Broader Impacts Identity
April 28 — 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. — Memorial Union Room 3580

Join this session to explore the notion of a broader impacts (BI) identity that represents the long-term impact and legacy BI efforts will have on society. Focus will be on the idea of intertwining research identity and BI identity to chart out an overall Impact Identity. The session will take participants through a series of interactive, hands-on, individual and small-group activities to create an impact inventory and start forging an impact identity. Register here. 

2022 Midwest Big Data Summer School
May 16-19 — 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. — Memorial Union

The Midwest Big Data Summer School for Early Career Researchers is designed as an intensive curriculum aimed at practitioners and researchers to get them started in data-driven research and development. Register here.

Voices in Research

“Our hybrid conversion technology will employ a closed carbon loop approach to convert waste plastics into biodegradable polymers at much improved carbon and energy efficiencies, thereby, promoting both environmental sustainability and circular carbon economy. These concepts and methods will be used for feedstock preparation and conversion, reactor design, and process optimization.”

Xianglan Bai, associate professor, Mechanical Engineering

“It’s not easy to study streams. They are dynamic biologic systems that tend to vary rapidly over space and time. Different types of streams also have unique characteristics, including their own unique history of prior nutrient loadings. This likely affects how streams respond to land-use changes within their watershed – sometimes in surprising ways. Our results helped answer some questions, but also raised new ones.”

Marshall McDaniel, associate professor, Agronomy

“Soil health is good for the farm and good for the business, but can be hard to pay for in the short term. Carbon markets can offer additional money that helps farmers do things that’s in their interests long term. We’re envisioning a future where we have a healthier planet and expanded opportunities in agriculture.”

Lisa Schulte Moore, professor, Natural Resource Ecology and Management