March 8, 2022 Newsletter

March 8, 2022

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Research News

2022-2023 Iowa State Brown Graduate Fellowship Cohort Announced

Twelve Iowa State graduate students have been selected to receive $120,000 in Brown Graduate Fellowship Program funding to support strategic university research over the next year. The annual program is used to advance Iowa State research in the areas of study covered by the Valentine Hammes Family and Leopold Hammes Brown Family Trust, including science, agriculture, and space science. Read more…

Board of Regents Approves Center for Wireless, Communities and Innovation at Iowa State

The Iowa Board of Regents has approved formation of the new Center for Wireless, Communities and Innovation (WiCI) at Iowa State. The mission of the WiCI Center is to advance the frontier of wireless and applications as well as the platforms and practice of research, education, innovation and community empowerment. The center will crystalize the vision of making Iowa a leader in wireless and broadband technology innovation. Read more…

Iowa State Designer Turns Sound Into Graphics in Partnership With Maestro Guitar Pedals

An Iowa State designer is expanding his research – creating visuals out of sound – in a new partnership with Gibson Guitar’s pedal brand Maestro.To launch a new family of Maestro guitar pedals, D/CAL Agency reached out to associate professor of graphic design Alex Braidwood. The company is now using the visuals online, across social media and in print ads. Their goal is to turn the experience into a live event. Read more…

Announcements

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, we want to regain our previously awarded Gold-level rating, while striving to achieve the program’s pinnacle Platinum status. We need your help, though. By March 15, 2022, please complete this data collection form to share how your research and scholarship addresses the concept of sustainability.

Anti-Trafficking Law Impacts Lodging providers, Iowa State employees

Iowa State employees must add a step to their to-do list for reserving lodging during travel in the state. As of Jan. 1, all in-state lodging providers must complete the state Department of Public Safety’s human trafficking prevention training to receive public funds for state employee lodging, conferences, meetings, banquets, or any state-funded event. The law, Iowa Code 80.45A, — which applies to all state agencies — was passed in 2020 and impacts approximately 1,500 businesses in Iowa that pay Iowa hotel/motel taxes. If a lodging provider is not certified when state funds are used, employees will not be reimbursed for expenses. Additional information, including an FAQ, is available on the controller’s department website with links also on the finance service delivery and procurement  services websites.

Internal Funding Opportunities

Midwest Big Data Hub Digital Ag Seed Funding

The Midwest Big Data Hub is focused on building networks and collaborations to advance progress and strengthen data ecosystems. The Digital and Precision Ag arm of the Midwest Big Data Hub is offering Digital Ag seed funds to catalyze the formation of diverse teams across institutions in three focus areas: carbon capture, cybersecurity, and environmental sustainability. Each team must have two equal partners as co-leads: one person from the arts/humanities/social sciences and one person from the STEM disciplines. Proposals are due April 1, 2022.

Training and Development

Research Day 2022
March 30 — 8:45 a.m. – 3:25 p.m. — Memorial Union

Research Day 2022 has been reimagined to be even more relevant and meaningful to Iowa State research faculty. This year’s program features the insights and perspectives of recent Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Initiative (PIRI) recipients and will provide greater opportunities to connect with colleagues across campus, while also diving deeper into issues that are key to interdisciplinary research success. Don’t miss out . . . Register now!

Protecting Human Research Subjects
April 6 — 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. — Virtual

In this session, participants will discuss risk in human subjects research and approaches for minimizing or mitigating risk. Presenters will also examine confidentiality and data security measures to protect research subjects. Register here.

Voices in Research

“While there’s no definitive answer as to why humans sleep, one theory is that sleep provides the body an opportunity to restore different systems. Because resistance exercise is a powerful stimulus that causes stress to the muscle tissue, that stimulus may send a stronger signal to the brain that this person needs to sleep and to sleep deeply to repair, restore and adapt the muscle tissue for the next time they need it.”

Angelique Brellenthin, assistant professor, Kinesiology

“As people age, they experience many different kinds of problems: physical, psychological and social. This is our first project, but I believe it could make a huge impact on rural Iowa. Even though there is a lot of information on aging in place and home modifications, who is going to give this information to our older populations? Our team sees amazing potential to share this in all 99 counties in Iowa. They all need this information.”

Daejin Kim, assistant professor, Interior Design

“One of our goals with this book was to outline some of the human costs that are on our doorstep and how core psychological concepts can be used to reduce both the amount of global warming and human violence problems that arise from the climate crisis. Heat stress primes people to act more aggressively. We can see this play out on a larger scale across geographic regions and over time.”

Craig A. Anderson, professor, Psychology