 Funding Opportunity for Non-Tenured Faculty/Researchers |
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The NSF EPSCoR Research Track-4 call for proposals has been released! The Track-4 Program provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of non-tenured investigators and to further develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the nation's premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. Through collaborative research visits at the host site, fellowship awardees will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations or advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions.
 In recent years, five junior faculty members from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina have received $1.3 million from the NSF EPSCoR Track-4 Program. The host sites for these faculty members are: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Oregon Health and Science University, and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Click here to see the listing and abstracts of all NSF EPSCoR funded awards to South Carolina, including the Track-4 awards.
NSF will hold a webinar on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 3 p.m. for those interested in the Track-4 Program. Click here to register.
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Highlights
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For Non-Tenured and Research Faculty Only
Three Proposals per Institution
Max. Award Amount
$300,000
Max. Award Duration
24 months
Proposal Deadline
May 12 by 5 p.m.
NSF EPSCoR Track-4 Solicitation
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Program Highlights
Oral Presentations (Concurrent Sessions)
MADE in SC:
Two Sessions on Materials Assembly and Design Excellence in South Carolina
Stimulus Research Program:
- Tissue Engineering and Regeneration (Dr. Wayne Carver, University of South Carolina, Session Chair)
- Next Generation Technology to Address the Food-Energy Water Nexus (Dr. Scott Husson, Clemson University, Session Chair)
- Porous Battery Electrodes (Dr. Apparao Rao, Clemson University, Session Chair)
- Intersection of Epigenetic Regulation and Mitochrondrial Function in Autism (Dr. Jeff Twiss, University of South Carolina Session Chair)
Special Sessions:
- Autonomous Vehicle Platooning and Security (Dr. Nathan Huynh, University of South Carolina, Session Chair)
- AI and the Future of Work: the Good, the Bad or the Ugly? (Dr. Amit Sheth, University of South Carolina, Session Chair)
Poster Presentations
Poster Presentations Session (All day)
Student Professional Development
- Professional Development (Dr. John Wheeler, Furman University, Session Chair)
- Communicating Science (Dr. Maria Gelabert, Winthrop University, Session Chair)
Exhibit to Recruit Students for STEM Graduate Programs and Industry
Luncheon Speaker:
Dr. Pedro J.J. Alvarez, Ph.D., P.E., NAE
George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Nanoengineering and Professor of Chemistry
Founding Director of the NSF ERC on Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT)
Rice University.
Dr. Alvarez is also available to meet with faculty on the morning of Friday, April 3rd. Those interested in meeting with Dr. Alvarez should indicate so when registering for the Conference.
New Deadline: Deadline to Submit Poster Abstracts: 5 PM, Monday, March 2, 2020
Submit your Poster Abstract by accessing the SC EPSCoR Portal (Don't forget to also register for the Conference!)
Click here to REGISTER to attend the Conference (no registration fee, but limited seating)
Click here if you with to request exhibit space (STEM Graduate Programs and Industry)
Conference Contact: April Heyward, SC EPSCoR Program Manager
Click on the documents below for the Call for Poster Session Abstracts and for Exhibiting.
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Research Focus On:
Dr. Timothy Hanks
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 Dr. Hanks is Professor and Chair of the Furman University Department of Chemistry. He is a Thrust co-Leader in Thrust 3 (Rational Design of Interactive Biomaterials) of Made in SC. The Hanks’ lab designs and synthesizes nanoparticles, fibers and films based on highly conjugated polymers and polymer composites. Of particular interest is understanding the interactions of these materials with biological systems and the resulting cellular responses.
Biofouling is the unwanted accumulation of organic matter on surface in an aqueous environment. Ocean structures and vessels rapidly experience the deposition of microorganisms that form biofilms. These, in turn, provide anchorage for macrofouling organisms, which cause added stress on static structures and excessive fuel consumption on vessels. Medical implants can undergo a similar process that can lead to infections and rejection of the implant. The Hanks’ group is developing coatings from polypyrrole and polyaniline that are surface-modified with hydrophilic polymer brushes. These have been found to be highly resistant to the deposition of adhesive proteins, as well as bacterial and diatoms. Current work involves patterning of the films with a blend of biocidal and antifouling brushes, the preparation of antifouling nanoparticles for blending into conventional paints and controlling surface roughness of the coatings.
A second area of interest is the preparation of liposomes prepared from long-chain fatty acids that contain two conjugated acetylenes midway down the chain.
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