May 3, 2022 Newsletter

May 3, 2022

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Research News

ISU Team Receives XPRIZE Carbon Removal Milestone Award

An Iowa State research team that helped develop a demonstration-scale pyrolyzer capable of sequestering thousands of tons of carbon dioxide a year has received a prestigious milestone award from XPRIZE Carbon Removal. The milestone prize provides $1 million to the carbon removal team at the Bioeconomy Institute to advance using pyrolysis to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Read more…

Campus Faculty and Staff Share Insights, Ideas at Research Day 2022

For the first time since March 2019, the Iowa State research community convened in person to collaborate, exchange ideas, and celebrate the university’s research success at Research Day 2022. This year’s event was focused on faculty peer-to-peer learning and how to leverage the insights of some of the university’s most successful Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Initiative (PIRI) recipients. Read more…

ME/HCI Graduate Student to Advance VR Research With Prestigious NSF Grant

Roselynn Conrady, Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering and human computer interaction, has been accepted into the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. She is one of just five students from Iowa State to receive this honor. The fellowship includes three years of financial support, including an annual stipend. Conrady is studying ways to help mitigate the stress response of neurodiverse populations. Read more…

Iowa State Research Shows Environmental Benefits of Local Food Production

A new study examining a range of environmental impacts of vegetable production and distribution found local production offers significant benefits overall when compared to the large-scale methods that represent most of current vegetable sales to supermarkets. An article on the research findings by scientists at Iowa State was selected as Editor’s Choice for 2021 in the “Journal of Sustainability.” Read more…

Announcements

OVPR Now Accepting Applications for CEAH Director Position

The Office of the Vice President for Research is now accepting applications for the position of Director for the Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities. The CEAH director’s position is a part-time commitment for a three-year term, beginning June 30, 2022, with the potential for reappointment. The director guides CEAH’s operations and development in consultation with the OVPR, the CEAH Advisory Council and deans from the colleges of Design and Liberal Arts and Sciences. View the full job listing here. The application deadline is May 6, 2022.

Register Now For Summer 2022 I-Corps Cohort

The National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored I-Corps program gives campus innovators – faculty and graduate students, alike – the entrepreneurial tools and skills they need to bring their big ideas from the research bench to the marketplace. The I-Corps program at Iowa State is now part of the new Great Lakes I-Corps Hub and will accept registrations through May 18 for the Summer 2022 cohort, which starts May 20.

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

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Investigation

The College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) have issued a Request for Proposals to investigate the possible transmission of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) from wild birds to commercial and backyard poultry flocks. Up to $100,000 can be requested for a single project; all proposed activities must be completed with a 12-month period. The detailed call for proposals can be viewed here. The submission deadline is 5 p.m. Central Time, May 20, 2022.

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

Crafting a Strong Pitch for The Conversation
May 4 — 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. — Zoom

The Conversation U.S. (TCUS) invites scholars to “Crafting a Strong Pitch,” a Zoom workshop for scholars at member schools who are interested in learning more about pitching and writing for the outlet. The objective of the session is to provide a better understanding of The Conversation’s pitch process, what makes a great pitch and how to concisely convey a story idea to TCUS’s editors. 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

“The greatest challenge of the 21st century is satisfying the demand for water, energy and food in a sustainable way. My research uses a computational approach to understand the interactions and tradeoffs between water, energy and climate systems. This can help to identify the adaptation strategies so communities can be better prepared for their climate change vulnerabilities.”

Lu Liu, assistant professor, Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

“I’ve waited more than a decade to do this study. The results suggest that the ACT-based program is an effective treatment for reducing criminal behavior, and most importantly, that the women who are survivors of the domestic violence report that the man who caused harm has significantly decreased his abusive behavior because of the ACT program.”

Amie Zarling, associate professor, Human Development and Family Studies

“Almost everyone I have spoken to appreciates the importance of rural broadband. They are all very generous in offering their support. I am also deeply grateful for their general support and love for ISU, too. We need to be strategic, so we don’t let this opportunity slip away. How can we make sure we can contribute in the best way possible?”

Hongwei Zhang, professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering