Create. Collaborate. Impact.
This is our motto at the Division of Research. Solutions to complex global problems require new knowledge created by collaborative, interdisciplinary teams of scientists with unique perspectives and ideas. We are building these teams at Clemson. I want to thank everyone who is engaging in collaborative research, seeking new discoveries, and working to make Clemson a leader in transformational research.
Funding agencies are rewarding our collaborative efforts:
- Clemson joins a team of researchers at nine other universities in the new MADE in SC program supported by a recent $20 million federal grant. The Clemson team, led by Dr. Raj Bordia, will support education at all levels and will develop materials for next generation computing systems, materials that can self-heal, and biomaterials that can interact with the human body to improve health care outcomes. Six academic departments at Clemson alone are part of the project.
- In another grant, a Clemson team led by Dr. Sarah Harcum received $6 million to lead researchers in three states on a project that seeks lower-cost treatments for some of the world’s most debilitating ailments. At Clemson, the project involves faculty from bioengineering, sociology and anthropology, and genetics and biochemistry.
- In a $2 million federal grant received this year, faculty from engineering will work with colleagues in psychology and education to reimagine the training of civil engineers in a way that allows students to work on projects with real-world impact. The endeavor, led by Drs. James R. Martin and Sez Atamturktur, will result in a national model of engineering curriculum.
This kind of interaction among academic disciplines is critical to impactful research that meets the evolving societal needs of the 21st Century. To facilitate more of this interdisciplinary collaboration, the Office of Research Development and I invite faculty from all colleges to participate in the formulation of a proposal to become an Engineering Research Center with the National Science Foundation. I want to thank everyone for participating in our first ERC meeting and encourage you all to remain engaged or to attend an upcoming ERC event if you haven’t already. We need researchers from across humanities, social sciences, science and engineering to bring their ideas to this process. For more information, watch this video. Please come meet your colleagues from across campus and begin sharing ideas for transformational research. Or, if you have a major interdisciplinary research project in mind, share your ideas with me at vpr@clemson.edu.
I also encourage you to attend the first event of the ORD Speaker Series created to provide valuable insight on working successfully with the National Science Foundation. These events will give you the tools to become more competitive on grant proposals. This is one of many events ORD is planning to provide useful resources to faculty. A series of CAREER Academy workshops for junior faculty begin Nov. 10. Check the ORD website for information on these events and other opportunities.
As we work to become a perennial Carnegie R-1 institution, we have added a number of R-Initiatives to mentor young faculty, graduate more doctorates, fund more research, increase our competitiveness for large grants of global significance, and promote collaboration across all of Clemson’s campuses. I want to thank everyone for the strong participation in these programs. In 2016-2017, more than one-quarter of Clemson faculty participated as PIs or Co-PIs in the first round of internal funding opportunities – an investment of about $1.5 million – available through R-1 initiatives. Additionally, we awarded $170,000 through our Doctoral Dissertation Completion Awards program, which provides financial support to students as they complete their dissertations. I am excited for these promising students to receive their doctorates in May 2018.
I look forward to your participation in our R-1 Initiatives this spring and hope to see you at an ERC meeting or another upcoming event. Let’s keep the momentum going!
Go Tigers!
Tanju