NASA EPSCoR Announces Education Research Program Award Recipients
Two groups of South Dakota faculty have been awarded $750,000 each in major research grants from the NASA EPSCoR. South Dakota was one of seven states to have two proposals awarded for funding. NASA has selected approximately $19 million to colleges and universities nationwide to conduct research and technology development in areas of importance to NASA’s mission. In addition, the awards enable faculty development and higher education student support.
One of the awarded projects entitled, “Development of an Advanced Photovoltaic Materials Research Cluster in South Dakota,” is led by South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDSMT) professor Steve Smith. The group will focus on developing materials and device concepts for next generation solar cells, which have high potential in the future solar electric generation. The project also consists of SDSMT professors Phil Ahrenkiel, Zhengtao Zhu, and SDSU professors Qiquan Qiao, David Galipeau, and Xingzhong Yan.
Asked how the project will contribute to South Dakota’s future Smith replied, “Several of the participants in the project have ties to industry who were strong supporters of the proposed work, so we believe that some of the technology developed in the course of the project may find its way into commercial use. The solar cell industry has, in spite of the recent recession experienced significant growth, so that’s growth potential for South Dakota as well.”
SDSMT professor, Haiping Hong, heads the project entitled “Improved Thermal Management Systems using Advanced Materials and Fluids.” The proposed project is to develop a thermal management system concept and methodology to enhance thermal conductivity significantly for coolant applications. The project also includes SDSMT professors Jan Puszynski and Wayne Krause and South Dakota State University (SDSU) professor Xingzhong Yan.
“The fluids can be used in the NASA (air) flight cooling systems, automotive engine cooling systems, and any other current cooling systems based on water and ethylene glycol,” commented Hong.
NASA EPSCoR is designed to assist states in establishing an academic research enterprise directed toward a long-term, self-sustaining and competitive capability that will contribute to its economic viability and development. The program helps develop partnerships between NASA research assets, academic institutions and industry. The selected proposals support all four of NASA’s mission directorates: aeronautics, exploration systems, science and space operations.
A total of 27 proposals were selected from universities in Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and West VirginiaVermont and West Virginia
South Dakota NASA EPSCoR Awards Research Seed Grants
Seven research groups at South Dakota Board of Regents institutions have been awarded seed grants totaling $180,000 from South Dakota NASA EPSCoR. The purpose of the seed grants is to strengthen research collaborations between the state’s universities and NASA’s 10 field research centers. Three of the projects attempt to develop NASA research interest in the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) at the Homestake Mine.
NASA EPSCoR strengthens the research capabilities of states that have not in the past participated equally in competitive aerospace and aerospace-related research activities. EPSCoR provides eligible jurisdictions with funding to develop a more competitive research base within their jurisdiction and member academic institutions. Seven federal agencies conduct EPSCoR programs. South Dakota NASA EPSCoR is under the direction of Dr. Edward Duke, a professor at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT).
- Chaoyang Jiang, Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota (USD), “Robust and Lightweight SERS Active Nanocomposites for Materials Detection in Planetary Explorations,” Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center
- Donna Kliche and Paul Smith, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, and Roger W. Johnson, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, SDSM&T, “Modification of the Maximum Likelihood and L-Moment Methods for the Gamma Distribution as Applied to Raindrop Size Distribution (RSD) Data,” Earth Sciences Office, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
- Nian Zhang and Brian T. Hemmelman, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SDSM&T, “Fault-Tolerant Fuzzy Logic Chip on the Reconfigurable FPGA System,” Integrated Risk Assessment and Management, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
- Andre G. Petukhov, Department of Physics, and William M. Roggenthen, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, SDSM&T, and Dongming Mei, Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, USD, “Atomic Interferometry based Subterranean Gravimetry at DUSEL,” Advanced Aerospace Materials and Devices, NASA Ames Research Center, and Department of Physics, Stanford University
- Sookie S. Bang, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, SDSM&T, and Cynthia M. Anderson, Center for the Conservation of Biological Resources/Western South Dakota DNA Facility, Black Hills State University, “Metagenomic Analysis and Bioprospecting of the Microbial Communities in Homestake DUSEL following Mine Dewatering,” Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, and USDA
- Matthew Hansen, Geographic Information and Science Center of Excellence, and Sharon Clay, Plant Science Department, South Dakota State University, and James Stone, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, SDSM&T, “Evaluating Time-Series Remotely Sensed Data Sets in the Estimation of Crop Yields and the Resulting Environmental Impacts via Life-Cycle Analysis,” NASA Ames Research Center, USDA, and Argonne National Laboratory
- Dimitris Anagnostou, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SDSM&T, “Development of Multi-functional Multiband Antennas for Cryospheric Applications and for Signal Propagation Measurements in Tunnels at the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory,” Microwave Instruments Technology Branch and Cryospheric Sciences Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center