Sponsored Research and Programs

Maria Burnatowska-Hledin, the Frederich Garrett and Helen Floor Dekker Professor of Biomedicine and Chemistry, recently received a $154,000 award from the American Heart Association for the project titled Regulation of VACM-1/CUL5 signaling in the endothelium by a novel peptide ligand.  The project runs from 1 January 2019 through 31 December 2020.

Dr. Burnatowska-Hledin’s research group will examine how an isolated, sequenced, and synthesized novel peptide will interact with the protein VACM-1/CUL5, which may be involved in the degradation of cellular proteins.  This work may lead to new therapeutic strategies for heart diseases and improve the treatment of disorders such as sepsis.  Undergraduate researchers will play a central role in this work.

Congratulations on your highly competitive award, Maria!

Paul DeYoung, the Kenneth G. Herrick Professor of Physics, recently received a $240,000 award from the National Science Foundation for the project titled RUI: Nuclear Physics at Hope College with Undergraduates: New Science Enhancing the STEM Workforce.  The project will run from 1 August 2019 through 31 July 2022.

Dr. DeYoung’s research group will examine the properties of nuclei as determined by the nuclear force.  The specific subtleties of the nuclear force can be extracted from the structure of neutron-rich nuclei near the neutron dripline.  The abundance of the elements in the universe, especially those with atomic number greater than iron, depend on the nuclear properties of a wide variety of neutron-rich nuclei, many of which are formed in supernovas and neutron star mergers. Nuclear physics techniques and technology will be combined with the Hope College accelerator to characterize a wide variety of samples ranging from electro-deposited films to superconductors to environmental samples.  Undergraduate researchers will play central roles in these efforts.

Congratulations on your award, Paul!

Brent Krueger, Professor of Chemistry, recently received a $400,400 grant from the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation Program for the project titled MRI: Acquisition of a High Performance Computing Cluster for Undergraduate Chemistry Research and Teaching by the Midwest Undergraduate Computational Chemistry Consortium (MU3C).  The project will run 1 August 2019 through 31 July 2022.

This project involves a collaborative effort among 22 investigators at 17 college and universities affiliated with MU3C.  Jason Gillmore, Professor of Chemistry here at Hope, Daniella Kohen of Carleton College, Keith Kuwata of Macalester College, and Erin Speetzen of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, all serve as co-principal investigators on the project.

This project will enable Hope College and MU3C to purchase 40 compute nodes for quantum chemical calculations and four GPU nodes for molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations.  This project will enable all MU3C faculty to tackle significant computational chemistry research that would not otherwise be possible.  During the project period, participating faculty will train over 140 undergraduates to engage in meaningful research experiences using the computer cluster.

Congratulations on your award, Brent and colleagues!

Jordan VanHemert, Assistant Professor of Music, recently received a new award from the Co-Op Press Commission Assistance Grant Program.  The award will run through 1 December 2020.

In collaboration with composer Sy Brandon, Jordan and the Hope College Saxophone Ensemble will develop and perform an original piece of music of five to ten minutes in length.  The premiere of this work is tentatively scheduled for the Hope College Saxophone Day in January 2020; additional venues may be added upon completion of the piece and as events become available.

Welcome to Hope, Jordan, and congratulations on the new award!

Jason Gillmore, Professor of Chemistry, recently received a $70,000 grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Undergraduate Research Grant Program for the project titled Increasing Structural Diversity of Long-Wavelength Azo Dyes to Tune Wavelength and Synthetic Handles.  The project will run from 1 August 2019 through 31 August 2022.

This project will increase our fundamental understanding of the chemical synthesis from coal tar starting materials and novel azo dyes into higher value functional molecules and materials.  Since this award is provided under the Undergraduate Research Program, undergraduate students will participate in the project and play a significant role in the research.

Congratulations, Jason, on your new award!

Recently, NSF released its 2020 Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) for comment by the research community.   In the current draft PAPPG (with a tentative implementation in January 2020), NSF will require investigators to generate their biographical sketches through SciENcv.

What is SciENcv?
SciENcv stands for Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae.  The system is designed to assist researchers with assembling their professional information for biographical sketches required for grant proposals.

What is the intended purpose of SciENcv?
It’s intended to reduce the administrative burden of researchers in assembling a biographical sketch or CV for every grant proposal.  Additionally, SciENcv will assemble a file which is compliant with the various agency proposal requirements.

Are tutorials available for use of SciENcv?
Yes.  A SciENcv Tutorial is available on YouTube.

Will applicants still be able to upload a biographical sketch as a PDF directly into FastLane/Research.gov?
No.  From the PAPPG, it appears the only way to generate a biographical sketch as of January 2020 for NSF proposals will be through SciENcv.

Will additional trainings/updates be available?
Yes.  The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs plans to host a training session on SciENcv during the Fall 2019 semester.  Please watch this blog for additional details at a later date.

Anna-Lisa Cox, Visiting Scholar in the Department of History, recently received the prestigious Archie Green Fellowship Award through the Library of Congress.  The Fellowship supports research documenting occupational folklife in contemporary America and to generate new and significant digital archival collections.

Anna-Lisa will pursue original fieldwork and research on the project titled Multigenerational and First-Generation African-American Farmers of the Midwest.  She will complete approximately 25 multi-generational oral history interviews to document family histories and contemporary work experiences of African-American farmers that established farms in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin in the 1790s.  This works builds upon Anna-Lisa’s recent book, The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America’s Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality, one of Smithsonian’s Best History Books of 2018!

Congratulations, Anna-Lisa, on your new award!

Barbara Vincensi, Associate Professor of Nursing, recently received a $2,500 grant award from the Perrigo Company Charitable Foundation for the project titled Hope College Nurse Managed Wellness Center.

The purpose of this award is to support nursing care through health promotion and wellness through regular drop-in health clinics and health promotion activities at Waverly Meadows, a low-income, vulnerable senior housing community.

Congratulations, Barbara, on your recent award!

Daryl Van Tongeren, Associate Professor of Psychology, recently received a $234,699 grant from the John Templeton Foundation for the project titled Using Intellectual Humility to Navigate Existential Challenges.  The project will run from 1 July 2019 through 30 June 2021.

The purpose of this project is to explore how intellectual humility in the face of existential issues enables individuals to adapt to existential concerns and integrate these experiences into their schemas of self and world in ways that are open, authentic, and growth-focused.  The project also involves collaborations with researchers at the University of North Texas, Georgia State University, and the University of Kentucky.

Congratulations, Daryl, on your achievement!

Michelle Gibbs, Director of the Office of Sustainability, and Susan Ipri Brown, Director of ExploreHope and Instructor of Engineering, recently received a $9,979 grant from the PepsiCo Recycling Zero Impact Fund!  The project is titled Hope College Hope Advocates for Sustainability: Changing Waste Habits.

This award will support several sustainability efforts on campus, including additional recycling stations, information on recyclable and compostable materials, and education on the importance of incorporating environmentally friendly decisions into everyday life.

Congratulations on your accomplishment, Michelle and Susan!