Seven research groups at South Dakota Board of Regents institutions have been awarded seed grants totaling $180,000 from the South Dakota NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (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 & Technology (SDSM&T). The researchers or research groups receiving 2009 seed grants from South Dakota NASA EPSCoR are listed below.
- 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
Useful Links:
NSF Website
SD NASA EPSCoR Website
NASA Website
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