ODU RESEARCHERS RECEIVE BIG BOOST
The Office of Research at Old Dominion University has awarded more than $1 million for instrument and equipment purchases in fiscal 2008 to promote research by faculty members.
Mohammad Karim, ODU vice president for research, said this spending package will cap a two-year, $4.6 million push by his office to better equip the university's laboratories and other faculty work spaces. Karim announced the 2008 awards, which fund 20 projects involving more than 40 different faculty members, on Thursday, Jan. 17.
"Additionally, during the same two years, our colleges will spend $3.2 million for procuring research equipment, and all told for this period, the university will spend $10.6 million to bolster its research agenda," Karim said. ODU has declared a goal to increase its research expenditures in order to become one of the country's top 100 public, research universities. "This investment shows that we intend to meet that goal," he added.
Karim said the funding reflects economic-development goals of the commonwealth. He is a member of the Virginia Research & Technology Advisory Commission (VRTAC), which drew up a blueprint last year for research investment by the state. The plan identifies three primary areas for investment, (1) energy, conservation and the environment; (2) future microelectronics; and (3) lifespan biology and medicine. Additionally, the areas of nanotechnology and modeling, simulation and visualization (MS&V) were endorsed by VRTAC because these two specialties are utilized in a large number of research fields.
The Office of Research's latest announcement of funding for instruments and equipment points out that $240,000 is awarded in the category of energy and environment; $493,745 in lifespan biology; $232,245 in microelectronics and materials science; as well as $31,110 in robotics and $18,550 in transportation studies.
The largest single award was $200,000 for a high-performance digital nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer that will be used for work of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, which is headquartered at ODU and directed by Patrick Hatcher, the Batten Endowed Chair in Physical Sciences.
Other awards were:
$40,000, eddy correlation systems, to the Department of Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (Richard Zimmerman, chair, David Burdige and Brian Ward).
$34,700, Bertec force plants, to the Department of Exercise Science, Sport, Physical Education and Recreation (James Onate, et al.).
$10,745, environmental shock and vibration recorder, to the Department of Exercise Science, Sport, Physical Education and Recreation (James Onate, et al.).
$50,000, temperature-controlled growth chamber, to Department of Biological Sciences (Lisa Horth, Ian Bartol and Alan Savitzky).
$57,000, fluorescence activated cell sorter, to the Department of Biological Sciences (Chris Platsoucas, dean of the College of Sciences, Chris Osgood, Robert Ratzlaff and Alex Greenwood).
$10,000, microplate spectrophotometer, to the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics (Stephen Beebe).
$60,000, high-speed spectroflurometer, to the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics (Stephen Beebe).
$27,800, vibarian cages, Animal Care Facility (Daniel Sonenshine).
$84,000, movement research equipment, to the School of Physical Therapy (Steven Morrison).
$60,000, real-time quantitative PCR system, to the School of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences (Patricia Hentosh, et al.).
$75,000, electrophoresis systems, to the School of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences (Patricia Hentosh, et al.).
$24,500, environmental microbiology lab, to the School of Community and Environmental Health (H. "Anna" Jeng, et al.).
$37,000, liquid nitrogen-cooled charge coupled device (CCD), to the Department of Physics (Mark Havey, et al.).
$18,000, pumps for chiller stabilization, to the Department of Physics (Gail Dodge).
$60,000, supercritical point dryer system with chiller, to the Department of Mechanical Engineering (Zhili Hao).
$62,500, reactive ion etcher, to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, (Sacharia Albin).
$54,745, nanoindenter enhancement, to the Applied Research Center (A.A. Elmustafa).
$31,110, long range Servo camera and controller, to the Vision Lab (Vijayan Asari).
$18,550, bridge structural monitor, load cell system with hydraulic jack, to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Zia Razzaq).