USD Researchers Receive NSF RII Track-4 Awards

Two University of South Dakota (USD) researchers have been selected to receive Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track 4 awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

• Jing Liu, an Assistant Professor in USD’s Department of Physics received a $153,309 award for his research entitled: Development of high-purity Ge detector technology with LBNL for dark matter and neutrino physics.
• Guojian Wang, a Research Assistant Professor in USD’s Department of Physics was awarded $155,558 for his research entitled: The distribution and origin of deep level charge trapping centers in large size high-purity germanium crystals.

The RII Track-4 is awarded from the NSF’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to provide opportunities for non-tenured investigators to further develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the nation’s premier private, governmental or academic research centers. Through these visits, the EPSCoR Research Fellows learn new techniques, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and shift their research toward transformative new directions.

The experience gained through the fellowship is intended to provide a foundation for research collaborations that span the recipient’s entire career. These benefits to the Fellows are also expected to in turn enhance the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions.