RESEARCH ACCESS
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Expanding the Capacity for
Research & Innovation
March 11, 2009
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Project Profile: Integrated Payment Systems
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From left to right: Project PIs John Collura, Kevin Fu, Marguerite Zarrillo, Wayne Burleson
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Integrated Payment Systems (IPS) represent a key technology for electronic commerce in a wide range of sectors. Examples of current payment systems include smart-cards, highway passes, and RFID tags. However, in order to gain broad acceptance, these systems must be secure and preserve privacy, with challenges arising because of the low-cost, low-power and distributed nature of the systems. A team of researchers from UMass Amherst and UMass Dartmouth are helping to shape policy discussions about how these systems should be designed and implemented, as well as conducting the research to develop the hardware and software systems that will drive them. [READ MORE]
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Conflict of Interest Q & A Lunch Is March 16
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Two high level UMass officials will answer your questions about the UMass Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy at a lunch workshop at UMass Amherst on March 16. Tom Chmura is Vice President for Economic Development in the UMass President's Office. He leads the COI Committee for the UMass system. Elizabeth Rodriguez is an attorney with the General Council's office at the UMass President's Office. She interprets the COI policy. This is a special event in the OGCA Brown Bag series. Staff in the UMass Amherst Office of Research and Engagement often get questions about what constitutes conflict of interest with respect to externally funded activities. The Federal financial disclosure policy provides that a conflict of interest exists when it can be reasonably determined that an investigator's personal financial concerns could directly and significantly influence the design, conduct, or reporting of government-funded research. UMass conflicts policies also govern issues such as UMass conduct of corporate sponsored research for companies in which faculty may have a financial interest. A COI includes not only an actual or potential conflict, but also the appearance of such a conflict to the taxpayers of the Commonwealth. A Feb. 2009 article, "UMass Conflict of Interest Policy Frequently Asked Questions," is here. The workshop will be on March 16 from noon until 2 p.m. at the UMass Amherst Campus Center building, room 803. Light lunch will be provided. RSVP to Carol P. Sprague, Director, UMass Office of Grant & Contract Administration, 545-0698. [Go to top.] |
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Staff Profile: Paula Sturdevant Rees
Paula Sturdevant Rees is the director of the UMass Amherst Water Resources Research Center (WRRC). She helps the campus community by helping educate students to work in the field of water resources. On April 7, WRRC will put on the sixth annual Water Resources Research Conference at UMass Amherst. Rees is also Director of Education and Outreach Programs for the UMass Amherst Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA), a multi-sector partnership among academia, industry, and government dedicated to engineering revolutionary weather-sensing networks. [READ MORE] | |
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| Mass. Life Sciences Center Launches New Program |
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) was established by the Massachusetts legislature in June 2006 to promote the life sciences within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The MLSC makes financial investments in public and private institutions for life sciences research and economic development. Jesse Mager of UMass Amherst Veterinary and Animal Sciences received a first round award for a project starting 1/1/2009 and ending 12/31/2011. Along with a second round solicitation for New Investigator grants, the Center launched a new Life Sciences Internship Challenge which is open to any student enrolled in a four-year Massachusetts public or private college or university who has completed at least their junior year of study. Please notify your students of this new opportunity. See funding opportunities below for more information. |
Maximize Stimulus Outcomes for Research |
President Obama recently signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 into law appropriating more than $21 billion to research and development. Since competition for these funds will be fierce, it's important for researchers at UMass Amherst to be responsive and proactive to the act's many appropriations. Although the specific mechanisms for the fund's distribution are still being worked out within the many agencies affected, there are some things that researchers at UMass Amherst can do now to improve the chances that some of these funds make their way to the campus. In a recent memo, UMass Amherst Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement Paul Kostecki discussed some of the things researchers can do in this regard. The memo is available here. |
Campus Power Outages -- What Researchers Can Do
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The recent startup of the campus's new Central Heating Plant (CHP) as well as occurrences of extreme and violent weather spotlights the need for research equipment to be protected in the event of a power failure. According to Patrick Daly, director of the campus's Physical Plant, the group is working hard to remedy CHP-related power outages so that the risk for losing research materials and data will be decreased. "We understand how important this is to the campus research community," says Daly. "We've already solved a number of the issues with the CHP's electrical distribution systems that caused the recent power outages and the few bugs that remain will be resolved by the end of the spring semester." According to Daly there are actions that faculty and departments can take in order to further decrease risk to equipment due to power outages. "For faculty in newer buildings with standby generators we strongly recommend purchasing uninterruptable power supplies (UPS) for sensitive equipment that can keep the equipment going for 1 minute," says Daly. "This is how long it usually takes the emergency/standby generators to start and pick up load." The UPS devices will work for power bumps due to the CHP or those caused by outside conditions. For researchers in older buildings without emergency generators Daly recommends purchasing UPS devices that can keep their equipment powered for 10 seconds to safeguard against the short power bumps. "For equipment in these buildings, however, the UPS will not help in extended power outages," says Daly. "As we commission and debug the Central Heating Plant, power outages of the magnitude we experienced last summer should become rare. In those instances, situations will have to be dealt with on a case by case basis." Last summer the region had a series of rainstorms and thunderstorms that caused numerous power outages and floods including a five hour campus wide power outage on July 18 and a rainstorm that flooded 20 buildings on July 22. Daly and his staff are in communication with other administrative divisions regarding the situation. Questions are welcomed. For more information on purchasing protective equipment, contact Ray Jackson, Assistant Director for Utilities at 545-0605.
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| Funding Opportunities |
New Investigator Grant Program Award: $100,000Application Deadline: April 17The MLSC has launched a second round of applications for the Center's New Investigator grant program. The program seeks to spur innovative research and advance the careers of new investigators who are working on cutting-edge life sciences research at Massachusetts institutions. Details are here. Life Sciences Internship Challenge Award:$4,800 for 8 weeksApplication Deadline: OpenThe MLSC has launched the Life Sciences Internship Challenge, a workforce development program focused on enhancing the talent pipeline for life sciences companies and research institutions in Massachusetts. The new program will provide Summer 2009 internships to at least 100 undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors who are considering career opportunities in life sciences - in either an industry or academic setting. Details here. INTERNAL FUNDING
2009-2010 Isenberg Scholar Awards
Award: up to $10,000
Application Deadline: March 31, noon Applicants must be full time UMass Amherst grad students who are from: the College of Engineering, the College of Natural Science and Mathematics, the Isenberg School of Management, or any other School or College provided their degree program has a physical, chemical, or biological science or engineering foundation. Successful applicants must demonstrate that they have: completed at least one semester of graduate study with a GPA of 3.5 or better; interest in and a commitment to the integration of management with science or engineering. Isenberg Scholars will be expected to enroll in a graduate level course in Technology Management in Fall 2009 (or a suitable equivalent) and to carry out a related follow-on program of study in Spring 2010. Details are here.
Public Service Endowment Grant Application Deadline: April 17Award size: up to $15,000The Public Service Endowment Grant is intended to enhance the public service mission of UMass Amherst. Funds support delivery of public services through special projects. For the purposes of this program, public service is defined as: "having to do with the outreach of the University to society at large, while extending the resources of the campus to individuals and groups who are not part of the academic community and while bringing an academic institution's special competence to bear on the solution of society's problems. It can take place on or off campus and can be related to either the governmental or private sectors of our national life. The emphasis on public service is in converting knowledge into readily usable forms for immediate applications." This year's RFP has a special emphasis on projects related to outreach and engagement in Greater Springfield, and a new online application process, available April 1. Details are here.
FOUNDATION FUNDING Faculty interested in applying for the following foundation-sponsored opportunities are encouraged to contact Susan Worgaftik (413-547-2956) for assistance or more information. The application deadline is listed before each funding opportunity.
March 30: Migraines Migraine Research Foundation April 30: Cancer Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Various deadlines: Water Water Research Foundation |
| Announcements |
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CVIP Technology Development Award Winner Announced
Hang Xiao, Assistant Professor of Food Science, received a 2009 CVIP Technology Development Award for a project entitled "Colon Specific Delivery Systems Based on Nanolaminated Dietary Fiber Coatings." This project will attempt to demonstrate the ability to orally deliver foods, dietary substances and pharmaceuticals to the colon without breakdown in the upper gastro-intestinal tract.
Northeast Consortium for Hydrologic Synthesis Fellowship Opportunities
Summer Synthesis Institute 2009 in New York City. The Institute provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in truly interdisciplinary research - looking at the historical interactions between human systems, forest ecosystems, and hydrology in the Northeastern United States. Details are here.
Summer at Highland
In its third year, Summer@Highland is designed to provide selected student entrepreneurs with the environment and resources for advancing their startup initiative/company to the next level. Participating entrepreneurs/teams will receive a financial stipend and complimentary work space in either our Lexington, Massachusetts or Menlo Park, California office. Application deadline for consideration in the 2009 program Thursday, April 9, 2009. Full details on this year's program and an application form are here.
Water Conference Is April 7
The Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center Sixth Annual Water Resources Research Conference, "Water Dependencies in New England: Systems, Stresses and Responses," will be held at UMass Amherst April 7. The conference is still acccepting posters and exhibitors. Details are here.
Ignite Clean Energy (ICE) Competition
Headed into its fifth year, the Ignite Clean Energy (ICE) Competition has the purpose of stimulating the growing clean energy industry. It provides start-up companies & entrepreneurs with: resources to develop business skills, networking opportunities with industry professionals and a chance to attract potential investors. Submission deadline for student teams: March 2-16th Noon EST, for professional teams: May 26-June 5 Noon EST. Please visit Ignite Clean Energy for more information about the competition.
Research Staff Changes
 Melinda V. LeLacheur started on March 3 as Administrative Assistant to Bruce McCandless, Director of the UMass Amherst Office of Research Affairs. Melinda replaces Bev Strakose, who recently retired after many years of service to the campus. Congratulations Bev and welcome Melinda! Melinda can be reached at 545-5283 or melindal@ora.umass.edu$1.3 Million in MCC Funding Boosts Creative Economy
The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) announced on February 17th the release of more than $1.3 million in grants to stimulate new economic activity, create jobs, and revitalize communities by investing in arts and cultural projects across Massachusetts. The grants come through MCC's Adams Arts Program for the Creative Economy. This year, Adams grants will support 37 projects in every region of Massachusetts. These funds fuel a creative sector that has a $4.2 billion total impact on the state's economy and provides more than 109,000 jobs. Details here.
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering
A new NSF report provides information about the participation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering education and employment. To view the report click here.
Campus to host Fifth Annual Sustainable Energy Summit, May 1-2
UMass is partnering with Co-op Power to host the fifth annual Sustainable Energy Summit this year at the Campus Center. Please sign up now to sponsor, exhibit, present, and support this great event! Click here for the sign up form. As part of a wide-ranging program on home energy efficiency, alternative energy, and community-owned renewable power, the Sustainable Energy Summit will feature workshops on campus sustainability and clean energy research frontiers. For more information on campus sustainability and clean energy research click here.
Sun Microsystems offering discounts
Sun Microsystems is offering discounts on IT products through its Matching Grant Program until June 19. New to this year's program, Sun has added software suites to the Matching Grant Program to further help educational institutions realize dramatic savings and record-setting performance. Sun has powerful database (MySQL) and application server platforms (GlassFish), both of which are included in this year's program. Details here. New Editon of "Passport UMass" AvailableA new issue of the e-mail newsletter "Passport UMass" is here. The UMass Amherst International Programs Office works with incoming international students and scholars, and manages study abroad and exchange programs and processes for students, faculty and staff. At the UMass Amherst office of Research Liaison & Development, Rick Taupier is Assistant Director for International Relations. |
| Events |
March 12, 25; April 2, 8, 15, 23, 29; May 6: noon - 1 p.m., OGCA Brown Bag Lunch Series, Research Administration Building, Room 104, 70 Butterfield Terrace, UMass Amherst; March 12: Post-Award Changes (Sabbatical, No-Cost Extension Procedure, Change of institution, Dealing with cost changes that occur after funding is secured); March 25: NIH National Research Service Awards (NRSA) Fellowships; April 2: Funding from Industry; April 8: Award Close Out; April 15: NIH JIT (Just-in-time) Information Preparation; April 23: Effort Reporting; April 29: Re-budgeting Sponsored Projects; May 6: SBIR/STTR. To confirm attendance or for further information, please contact Helen Bishop by e-mail or at 545-0698.
March 12: Mass High Tech 6th annual Women to Watch event, which recognizes women in tech and life sciences who are go-getters, hard working, inspirational and motivational to their peers. Cosponsored by UMass Amherst and Qteros. 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Charles Hotel, Cambridge, MA. Details here.
March 26: UMass Amherst Center for Research on Families Tay Gavin Lecture by Alex Zautra, Professor of Psychology, University of Arizona, "Resilience: More than a Metaphor." Zautra is author of Emotions, Stress and Health, published by Oxford University Press. 4-5:30 p.m., 521B Tobin Hall.
March 26: Best Local Job Fair, a chance to meet and network with local employers, hosted by www.MassLive.com, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Holyoke. Details here.
March 27; April 3, 24; May 8: UMass Amherst INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) Interdisciplinary Speaker Series, Fridays, 11 a.m. - noon, Isenberg School of Management, room 112. Open to the public. March 27: "Supply Chain Disruptions." Speaker: Prof. June Dong of the Department of Management and Marketing at the School of Business at SUNY Oswego and a UMass PhD '94. April 3: "Honest Signals and Reality Mining," Professor Alex Pentland Toshiba Professor of Media Arts & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; April 24: "Traffic Assignment by Paired Alternative Segments (TAPAS)," Prof. Hillel Bar-Gera of the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management of Ben-Gurion University in Israel, who is visiting Purdue University this term; May 8: "How Green Growth Can Revive the Economy," Prof. Robert Pollin of the Department of Economics and the Co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at UMass Amherst. For more information on the series click here. March 30: The Fifth Early-Stage Life Sciences Technology Conference, 1-7 p.m., Boston. Details are here. April 7: Sixth Annual Water Resources Conference. (Call for poster abstracts submission deadline March 20.) Campus Center building, UMass Amherst. Keynote speaker: Konstantine P. Georgakakos, Director, Hydrologic Research Center, Adjunct Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Free registration for grad students. The keynote at 3:30 p.m. is free and open to the public. April 8: PFIZER Seminar #2 - Nanotherapeutics in Humans. Networking from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., presentation from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Western New England College, Sleith 100, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA. Open to the public and free of charge. Reserve your spot in advance by contacting Terri Wilson at 860-547-1995 or toll free: 877-723-2266 or e-mail her.
April 16-17: YouTube and the 2008 Election Cycle in the United States -- an interdisciplinary conference. UMass Amherst. Details are here.
For a complete list of campus events, check out www.umass.edu/umhome/events
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Feb. Grants & Contracts Snapshot |
Each month ACCESS includes a selection of grants and contracts awarded to faculty from across campus to provide a sense of what's going on in research at UMass Amherst. These listings reflect only a small fraction of the total sponsored activity for any given month. Since this is just a snapshot in time and grant/contract terms vary, actual award totals may be higher than the amounts listed.
William Richards Adrion
Computer Science
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Title: BPC-AE: Commonwealth Alliance for Information Technology Education Extension
Total Award: $1,911,928
Sofiya Alhassan
Kinesiology
Sponsor: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Title: The Effects of a Structured Physical Activity Program in Preschoolage Children
Total Award: $50,000
Douglas Alan Cox
Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences
Sponsor: Natural Resources Conserv Services (NRCS)
Title: Development of Water and Energy Standards for Massachusetts Greenhouses and NRCS Personnel Training
Total Award: $30,000
Anthony Dinsmore
Physics
Sponsor: American Chemical Society
Title: Phase Transitions in Mixtures of Micelles and Polyelectolytes: Electrostatic Assembly of Soft Colloids
Total Award: $100,000
Donald L. Fisher
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Sponsor: Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation
Title: Arbella Cares (Curriculum for Advanced Roadway Education and Safety)
Total Award: $122,500
Laurie R. Godfrey
Anthropology
Sponsor: Conservation International
Title:
Biology
of Two Sympatric Dwarf Lemur Populations (Cheirogaleus spp.) in the
High-Altitude Forests of Tsinjoarivo, Eastern madagascar
Total Award: $4,200
Michael A. Henson
Chemical Engineering
Sponsor: Unilever Research U.S., Inc.
Title:
GOALI:
Integrated Product and Process Design for Emulsified Products
Total Award: $30,000
Angelika H.E.S. Kratzer
Linguistics
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Title:
Doctoral
Dissertation Research: Semantics of Nez Perce Verbal Inflection
Total Award: $12,000
Michael P. Krezmien
Student Dev & Pupil Personnel Services
Sponsor: University of Maryland
Title:
School-based
Referrals to Police and the Courts: Understanding the Nature and Extent of
the Practice
Total Award: $75,802
Anna Liu
Mathematics and Statistics
Sponsor: National Security Agency
Title:
Generalized
Spline Mixed-Effects Models: Implementation, Testing, and Applications
Total Award: $14,965
Klaus Nusslein
Microbiology
Sponsor: Coop State Res, Educ and Ext Service
Title:
Collaborative
Research: Amazon Rainforest Microbial Observatory: Functional Diversity,
Taxonomic Diversity, and Response to Ecosystem
Total Award: $800,000
Eric Polizzi
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Title:
CAREER:
New Computational Paradigms for Large-Scale Ab-Initio Simulations of Emerging
Electronic Materials and Devices
Total Award: $76,260
Amy T. Schalet
Sociology
Sponsor: Ford Foundation
Title:
Advancing
Sexuality Education, Health and Policy Using a New ABCD for Adolescent
Sexuality
Total Award: $200,000
Rebecca Spencer
Psychology
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Title:
Age-Related
Decline in Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation
Total Award: $242,816
R. Thomas Zoeller
Biology
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Title:
PCB
Disruption of Thyroid Hormone Action During Development
Total Award: $345,167
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