ACES+, the continuation of Academic Careers in Engineering & Science (ACES) program, has announced the recipients of the 2013 ADVANCE Opportunity Grant Awards. Thirteen proposals from faculty across five schools and colleges, representing academic disciplines ranging from music to physics to pharmacology, have been awarded a total of $42,570.
“We’re thrilled to have the support of President Barbara R. Snyder and Provost Bud Baeslack to continue these awards,” said Lynn Singer, deputy provost and vice president for academic affairs. “And, as he did in 2012, Vice President of Research Robert Miller provided additional funding.”
ADVANCE Opportunity Grants are competitive annual awards selected by the ACES+ ADVANCE Opportunity Grant Oversight Committee, chaired by Ica Manas-Zloczower, associate dean for the Case School of Engineering.
The committee reviewed 38 proposals in 2013, up from 30 last year. Opportunity grants, first launched in 2004 under the National Science Fund (NSF)-ADVANCE grant, provide small amounts of supplemental support of current or proposed projects and activities where funding is difficult to obtain through other sources. All Case Western Reserve faculty members are eligible to apply.
“Receiving an Advance Opportunity Grant was critical to my success in obtaining external funds for my research,” said Jonatha Gott, associate professor, Center for RNA Molecular Biology, and a 2011 recipient. “The funds allowed me to generate the convincing preliminary data that I needed to be competitive.”
The following faculty received awards for 2013:
- Shu Chen, associate professor, pathology, neurology and environmental health science, School of Medicine, was awarded $5,000 for the project, Validation of Prdx3 as a Novel Neuroprotective Gene for Parkinson Disease.
- Marta Copertari, assistant professor, Department of Modern Languages and Literature, College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded $2,000 to publish The State of Things: Latin American Cinema in the New Millennium.
- Claudia de Rham, assistant professor, Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded $1,580 for childcare during travel to workshops and conferences as an invited plenary speaker.
- Sharona Hoffman, Edgar A. Hahn Professor of Law, professor of bioethics, School of Law, received $2,500 to begin writing a book.
- Assistant Professor Lisa Koops, Department of Music, College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded $2,000 for her on-going research project, A Phenomenology of Enjoyment during Musical Play of Children Age 4 to 7 years.
- LaShanda Korley, Climo Assistant Professor, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case School of Engineering, was awarded $2,000 to attend the Global Grand Challenges Summit in London.
- Chris Mihos, professor and chair, director of the Warner and Swasey Observatory, Department of Astronomy, College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded $2,000 of seed funding to establish a new research program and field of study of the Ancient Supernova.
- Jacqueline Nanfito, associate professor, Department of Modern Languages and Literature, College of Arts and Sciences, received $2,000 to attend a symposium on translingual cultural production in Australia.
- Ruth Siegel, professor, director of the Pharmacological Sciences Consortium Core Image Analysis Facility, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, was awarded $6,000 for new research to identify molecular changes underlying diabetes-induced peripheral neuropathy.
- Amy Wilson, assistant professor, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, received $3,000 to attend the Advanced Training Institute in Structural Equation Modeling.
- Jo Ann Wise, professor, Center for RNA Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, was awarded $9,900 toward research in the regulation of early meiotic gene expression by targeted RNA turnover.
- Xiong (Bill) Yu, associate professor of civil engineering, Case School of engineering, received $2,000 to attend the Global Grand Challenges Summit in London.
- Peter Yang, associate professor, Department of Modern Languages and Literature, College of Arts and Sciences, received $2,500 for his book, Needs and Paths for a Green Transformation.
The 2013 ADVANCE Opportunity Oversight Committee Members were:
- Ica Manas-Zloczower, chair
- Helen Salz, vice-chair
- Jagdip Singh
- Jaclene Zauszniewski
- Karen Beckwith
- Elizabeth Tracy