Sponsored Research and Programs

Brooke Odle, Assistant Professor of Engineering, has been named an American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) Up and Comer! 

The purpose of the ASB Up and Comer award is to recognize outstanding faculty in the field of biomechanics—not only their past contributions but also their strong potential to influence the field.  With this award, Dr. Odle will receive $1,000 as well as the ability to connect with a mentor to provide training and expertise in OpenSim, a software system that allows users to develop musculoskeletal structures and create simulations of movement. 

Congratulations, Brooke, on your award!  

Jeff Christians, Assistant Professor of Engineering, has received a $238,828 award from the National Science Foundation.  The project is titled RUI: Exploring Nonperorskite Phase Growth Mechanisms in Halide Perovskites. 

The purpose of this project is to explore how to better develop halide perovskites for long-term durability for use in the next generation of photovoltaics.  This materials research will include opportunities for undergraduate research experiences as well as educational outreach to high schools students through ExploreHope. 

Congratulations, Jeff, on your new award!

Roger Baumann, Assistant Professor of Sociology, has received a $17,960 award from the Social Sciences Research Council Religion, Spirituality, and Democratic Renewal Fellowship Program.  The project is titled American Evangelicals, Islam & the Competition for Religious Authority.

This project will analyze evangelical Christian leaders and their positions on Islam and Muslims and how they are featured in public discourse about American pluralism versus populism and religious-political boundaries between groups in the American public sphere. 

Congratulations, Roger, on your highly competitive award!

Charlotte Witvliet, the Lavern ’39 and Betty DePree ’41 VanKley Professor of Psychology, was recently featured on The Hidden Brain! Dr. Witvliet was featured due to her research on the benefits of forgiveness, for both your mind and body.

To listen to Dr. Witvliet’s episode, titled The Power of Mercy, please visit: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5EqtCJlhcnSlPhOjxs9CRm?si=WaCLkk5STW-uryECATOUKg&dl_branch=1.

KUDOS on the feature, Charlotte!

Trygve Johnson, The Hinga Boersma Dean of the Chapel, has received a $12,150 award from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship 2021 Worshipping Communities Grant Program. 

This project will explore the content and metaphor of spiritual friendship as it relates to worship practices and justice in order to promote continued spiritual growth for our student communities that highly values friendship and peer relationships.   

Congratulations, Trygve, on your new award!

Deborah Van Duinen, Associate Professor of Education, received a National Endowment for the Arts/Arts Midwest award for $20,000 in support of the 2021 Big Read and $15,000 from the Michigan Humanities Council/National Endowment for the Humanities in support of the 2021 Little Read.

Read more about our latest award in the official press release.

Congratulations, Deborah, on your latest grants!

Marsely Kehoe, Grants and Training Manager in the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs, has received a $34,000 award from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation Digital Arts History Grants Program.  Carrie Anderson, Assistant Professor of Art History at Middlebury College, is a co-principal investigator.  The project is titled Visualizing Textile Circulation in the Dutch Global Market, 1602-1795.

This project will deepen the scholarly knowledge of historic textiles though the development of an online Visual Textile Glossary, which will unite three different data types (textual, visual, and material) and provide users with open access to data, images, and dynamic visualizations. 

Congratulations on your award, Marsely and Carrie!

Kelly Ronald, Assistant Professor of Biology, and Sarah Grimes, Biology Undergraduate, received a $3,000 award from the Garden Club of America Undergraduate Fellowship Program.

Through this fellowship, Sarah will work with her mentor, Dr. Ronald, to understand how the auditory and visual sensory physiology of the house sparrow are impacted by anthropogenic disturbances.

Congratulations, Sarah, on your fellowship!

Susan Ipri Brown, Director of ExploreHope and Assistant Professor of Engineering Instruction, and Michelle Gibbs, Director of the Office of Sustainability, received a $43,544 award from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust Great Lakes Stewardship Program. The project is titled Nurturing Stewardship Through Peer Mentoring.

This project will partner Hope College students with local K-12 students to engage in hands-on stewardship projects. Hope students will expand their leadership skills and commitment to stewardship while mentoring younger students in place-based education projects and cultivating the youth’s lifelong passions for the environment.

Congratulations on your new award, Susan and Michelle!

Considering a proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF)? NSF’s Science Matters blog featured five tips for applicants in preparating their Broader Impacts Statements–an essential component of any NSF proposal.

There is no one size fits all approach to Broader Impacts; it looks different for each project. But in this blog post, NSF Program Officers from across various directorates and programs provide advice to applicants in developing these statements. Not all considerations will be applicable to your project, but it’s all great advice.

And, if interested, consider subscribing to the NSF Science Matters blog!