Category: News

The Division of Research has awarded nearly $1.9 million through its R-Initiative programs to support projects involving 67 faculty members from 27 departments.

The funding fosters cross-disciplinary, team-focused research and lays a foundation for future success with support for faculty and infrastructure investments to make that work possible.

“The R-Initiative proposals were competitive and we are pleased to invest in research across the colleges,” said Tanju Karanfil, vice president for research. “Research at Clemson achieved a lot of success in recent years, culminating in our designation as a Carnegie R1 university. We want to build on the momentum created by the faculty, students and staff to do even greater things. These R-Initiatives help us do that.”

The R-Initiative funds are part of the ClemsonForward strategic plan, representing the “R” of the REAL priorities – Research, Engagement, the Academic core and the Living environment.

The $1.9 million investment amounts to a 26 percent increase in R-Initiative funding from the previous fiscal year.

Grants were awarded under the following R-Initiative programs:

Clemson Faculty SUCCEEDS (Strategic University Challenge for Competitive Excellence and Expertise in Discovery and Scholarship) positions interdisciplinary faculty teams to successfully compete for significant external funding ($1.5 million or more) that will enhance the stature and distinction of the university in all key areas of research, scholarship and creative activities. VIEW GRANT RECIPIENTS

Clemson SEED (Support for Early Exploration and Development) provides two tiers of funding support to eligible Clemson faculty in either the initiation of research activities or the completion of a scholarly project or product. VIEW GRANT RECIPIENTS

Clemson Research Fellows provides grants to assist regular faculty, academic departments, centers and institutes in the hiring and training of qualified research faculty and post-doctoral researchers. VIEW GRANT RECIPIENTS

Clemson Major Research Instrumentation (CU-MRI) program provides financial support to researchers for the purchase of major research equipment or to replace or upgrade major research equipment that will likely impact funding, scholarship and research productivity, and the probability of increased extramural funding. VIEW GRANT RECIPIENTS

The Clemson University Research Foundation welcomes Dr. Alan Alfano and Clarissa Williams to its team.

Alan will be working as a technology commercialization officer (TCO) with Clemson inventors on biomedical, bioengineering, and life sciences technologies, among others. Clarissa will serve as CURF marketing manager, working to help CURF launch new marketing initiatives.

Alan completed a dual BS degree from Towson University (molecular biology/chemistry) in 2009, and subsequently earned his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, School of Medicine (molecular medicine) in 2015. His thesis work focused on drug resistance and metastatic spread of aggressive prostate cancer. During his time as a Ph.D. student at UMSOM, Alan also completed a technology development internship with UMVentures (UMB Technology Transfer Office), where he assisted senior staff in conducting commercial analysis and targeted marketing of selected technologies.

Following completion of his Ph.D. work at UMSOM, Alan completed a post-doctoral Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute Technology Transfer Center (NCI-TTC). As a fellow at NCI TTC, Alan worked to perform a variety of invention development activities for clinicians and researchers at the NIH/NCI Center for Cancer Research. His primary subject areas of invention management/expertise include: oncology (general), experimental transplants, immunology and immunotherapeutics (e.g. novel antibodies, CARs, ADCs, RITs, etc.), vaccine development, radiation oncology, molecular diagnostics, genetics, and software/digital solutions.

Through his work in disease research, and his biotech business experience at UMB and NCI, Alan has developed skills that will enable him to learn and adapt quickly in his new role as a TCO with CURF. Please welcome him; he is looking forward to working with you!

Clarissa comes to CURF with a wealth of knowledge in branding, social media management, website development, and graphic design. Before accepting the marketing manager position with CURF, Clarissa was the training and communications coordinator at Clemson University in the Office of Sponsored Programs. While there, she redeveloped the office website, managed social media platforms, and coordinated a number of campus-wide events.

Clarissa completed a BA degree in English from Clemson University in 2013 and later received her MS in Marketing, also from Clemson University, in 2017. Through her education and years working in the marketing industry, Clarissa has developed skills that will allow her to successfully adapt to her new role as marketing manager at CURF so that she is able to build the CURF brand by increasing engagement and awareness on and offline.

Beginning mid-August 2018, principal investigators (PI’s) and faculty of sponsored projects awarded to Clemson University will see an improved method of verifying pay charged toward sponsored project and federal land grant activities. The new system, Sponsored Compensation Verification System, incorporates the exceptional feedback received by our project team from faculty, staff, and current certifiers of the Clemson Link to Employee Activity Reports (CLEAR) system. The CLEAR system is expected to be retired during late summer.

A few of the major and widely anticipated changes of the new system include:

• Reports will be produced bi-annually for approval rather than three times per year.
• The new report will represent real dollars rather than percentages.
• PI’s will approve personnel paid on a project-by-project basis rather than individually by person.
• Graduate students will no longer be responsible for approving their own reports.
• PIs will approve reports for all employees on each sponsored project for which they are responsible (inclusive of related cost-share funds 10, and 15).

Additional communications, including reference to quick guides and frequently asked question documents, will be provided to assist in the transition to the new system in advance of the systems’ launch in mid-August.  Meanwhile if you have any questions or comments, please email Tracy Walters or Karen Lantgios for additional information.

The Division of Research is accepting applications for grants to assist in the purchase of major research equipment or in the hiring of research faculty and post-doctoral researchers.

Funding is available through the Clemson Research Fellows and Clemson Major Research Instrumentation programs, two of four R-Initiative funding opportunities available this semester to spur collaborative research and boost scientific discovery.

Clemson Research Fellows provides grants to assist regular faculty, academic departments, centers and institutes in the hiring and training of qualified research faculty and post-doctoral researchers. Researchers may be hired to promote collaborative and creative interdisciplinary activities, research and demonstration projects with the goal of pursuing a large funding opportunity, building a major research program or a research center. These grants ($30,000 to $50,000 per year for each position) may run for a maximum of two years. At the end of the two-year period, the researcher position is expected to be fully supported by externally funded grants or the department. The deadline to apply is April 18.

Clemson Major Research Instrumentation(CU-MRI) program provides financial support to researchers for the purchase of major research equipment or to replace or upgrade major research equipment that will likely impact funding, scholarship and research productivity, and the probability of increased extramural funding. The equipment will have a useful life of at least five years and cost more than $50,000. The deadline to apply is May 1.

For details, guidelines and instructions for applying, visit the R-Initiatives webpage. Questions should be directed to Diana Thrasher in the Division of Research at dianas@clemson.edu or 864-656-6444.

The University Industry Demonstration Partnership, of which Clemson University is a member, hosts a free webinar at 1 p.m. Thursday to introduce university faculty to opportunities available via the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program.

Preliminary proposals for the NSF program are due in April, so register for this webinar and get started. This webinar will be presented by NSF Program Director Andre Marshall.

NSF’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) Program was initiated in 1973 to develop long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. NSF invests in these partnerships to promote research programs of mutual interest, contribute to the nation’s research infrastructure base, enhance the intellectual capacity of the engineering or science workforce through the integration of research and education, and facilitate technology transfer. There are currently more than 65 IUCRCs consisting of more than 180 university sites and more than 1,200 industry members.

A new faculty award developed by the Research Advisory Board will celebrate faculty members who have received national and international recognition at the highest level.

The Advisory Board, consisting of representatives from each college and the University Libraries, has been working with Tanju Karanfil, vice president for research, to develop a mechanism to induct the university’s highest-achieving faculty into a university honors society that will be recognized and celebrated annually. Recipients of this new University Research, Scholarship, and Artistic Achievement Award (URSAAA) will be lifetime URSAAA members and will be invited to participate in an annual celebration with their peers.

The URSAAA webpage includes detailed information on criteria for the award, along with information on recommending yourself or another faculty member for the inaugural class. Recommendations are due April 16. Recipients will be announced and celebrated at the 2018 Research Symposium in May.

A seasoned business executive and product-development professional has been tapped to lead the Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF).

As CURF executive director, Chris Gesswein is charged with commercializing innovative Clemson technology and intellectual property and nurturing private-sector partnerships that will advance scientific discovery at Clemson and support economic growth. Gesswein, who joined CURF in 2014 as director of licensing for technology transfer, has served as interim director since 2017.

“CURF serves as the intersection of university research and the economy. Chris’s business savvy and understanding of research-and-development will benefit Clemson faculty, industry and the South Carolina economy,” said Tanju Karanfil, vice president for research.

Prior to joining CURF, Gesswein served as vice president of business development at Ultradian Diagnostics, a start-up he helped nurture to a clinical stage medical device company while overseeing fundraising, regulatory compliance and research grants management. He has more than 20 years of experience bringing various technologies from concept to market working as a new product development and technology transfer specialist for early-stage startups as well as large multi-national companies. Gesswein also operated a consulting business to assist mid-market life-sciences companies and has been a co-author on approximately 21 federal SBIR/STTR and state technology-development grants.

Gesswein received his master’s degree in biotechnology and molecular biology from Johns Hopkins University and his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University. He has an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and is a member of the American Association of Clinical Chemistry, the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the Association of University Technology Managers and the Licensing Executive Society.

“With a deep understanding of business, product development and research, Chris is well positioned to lead a great team at CURF and was an easy, unanimous choice by the board to move the organization forward,” said CURF board Chairman George Acker.

The Clemson University Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporation organized exclusively for charitable, educational or scientific purposes to promote the research enterprise at Clemson University.

Through an agency agreement with the university, the foundation is commercializing intellectual property through technology transfer; licensing agreements and new venture formations; and assisting with research development through a Foundation-sponsored technology maturation program and participation in early-stage research grants and sponsored research activities.

The Division of Research will award grants through the Clemson Research Fellows program to assist faculty, academic departments, centers and institutes in the hiring and training of qualified research faculty and post-doctoral researchers.

Applications are due April 18 and awards will be announced May 31. Full details are available online.

Through Clemson Research Fellows, researchers may be hired to promote collaborative and creative interdisciplinary activities, research and demonstration projects with the goal of pursuing a large funding opportunity or building a major research program or a research center. These grants ($30,000 to $50,000 per year for each position) may run for a maximum of two years. At the end of the two-year period, the researcher position is expected to be fully supported by externally funded grants or the department.

Clemson Research Fellows is one of four R-Initiative funding opportunities available this semester. The R-Initiative funds are part of the ClemsonForward strategic plan, representing the “R” of the REAL priorities – Research, Engagement, the Academic core and the Living environment.

For details, guidelines and instructions for applying, visit the R-Initiatives webpage. Questions should be directed to Diana Thrasher in the Division of Research at dianas@clemson.edu or 864-656-6444.

Clemson University faculty are encouraged to apply for internal funding under the Clemson SEED program to support the initiation of research or the completion of a scholarly project or product. 

Clemson SEED (Support for Early Exploration and Development) provides two tiers of funding. Priority consideration is given to faculty who may not have large start-up packages or significant financial research support and resources.

In Tier-1 awards, projects or products for completion can include finalizing peer-reviewed publications, scholarly books, chapters in books, or showings as in the case of the visual and performing arts.

Tier-2 initiation awards must include a proposal to an external funding agency as one of its deliverables. Initiation activities can include establishing baseline data, completing a phase of a research project that will lead to greater funding opportunities or developing research partnerships with collaborators at other institutions.

The deadline to apply for a Clemson SEED grant is March 7. Full details are available online.

Last year’s SEED grants supported work by faculty in every college. A full list of last year’s recipients is available online here.

Clemson SEED is one of four R-Initiative funding opportunities available this semester. The R-Initiative funds are part of the ClemsonForward strategic plan, representing the “R” of the REAL priorities – Research, Engagement, the Academic core and the Living environment.

For details, guidelines and instructions for applying, visit the R-Initiatives webpage. Questions should be directed to Diana Thrasher in the Division of Research at dianas@clemson.edu or 864-656-6444.

A shifting landscape of federal research funding and declining corporate research and development budgets make university and industry collaborations highly attractive.

Learn how to establish and manage these collaborations in a webinar series offered to the university community by the Division of Research’s Office of Industry Contracts with support from the Watt Family Innovation Center and the Clemson University Research Foundation.

Representatives from the Office of Industry Contracts and the Clemson University Research Foundation will be available for questions or further discussion at the end of each webinar.

To help faculty pursue opportunities for industry collaboration, CURF is offering an opportunity for faculty who attend the webinar to receive a travel stipend valued at $250 to be used to support registration or travel expenses (airfare, lodging) to an upcoming industry-related conference or meeting. A drawing for the stipend will be held at the end of each webinar. Those eligible are faculty or research faculty who attend the webinar and are present at the time of drawing.  The stipend will be in the form of travel reimbursement and CURF will require pre-approval of the designated conference/meeting.

The webinar series – “Working at the University-Industry Interface: Effective Strategies for Active Researchers” created by Academic Impressions and the University-Industry Demonstration Partnership – will guide you through the nuances and complexities of research collaborations between university and industry. Over seven sessions, experts at research universities and global corporations carefully cover the most critical considerations for creating win-win relationships:

1. Navigating the benefits and challenges
2. Managing expectations and creating relationships
3. Establishing contacts and handling proprietary information
4. Preparing proposals and budgets
5. Addressing compliance and contracting issues
6. Negotiating intellectual property (IP)
7. Leveraging government involvement

The sessions are ideal for faculty researchers, research center directors, research administrators, technology transfer officers, and any additional stakeholders who cultivate, negotiate or manage industry partnerships.

Upcoming Webinar Sessions

Preparing Proposals and Budgeting
Wednesday, March 21, 1 – 2:15 p.m.
Location: Room 238, Strom Thurmond Institute
Speakers: Abby Benson, assistant vice chancellor for research and innovation, University of Colorado Boulder; and Gaylene Anderson, U.S. director, contracts and alliance management, Boehringer Ingelheim
REGISTER

Addressing Compliance, Contracting and Consulting, and Outside Activities
Wednesday, April 4, 1 – 2:15 p.m.
Location: Room 238, Strom Thurmond Institute
Speakers: Katie Morris, university director, research contracting, Indiana University; and Charles Adelsheim, contracts and licensing manager, research and strategic collaborations, Varian Medical Systems
REGISTER

Managing Intellectual Property (IP) Issues
Wednesday, April 25, 1 – 2:15 p.m.
Location: Room 238, Strom Thurmond Institute
Speakers: Dushyant Pathak, associate vice chancellor for technology management and corporate relations, University of California, Davis; and Mary Jo Meyer, director, intellectual property management, Givaudan
REGISTER

Benefiting from University-Industry Collaborations with Government Engagement
Wednesday, May 2, 1 – 2:15 p.m.
Location: Room 238, Strom Thurmond Institute
Speakers: Theresa Mayer, vice president for research and innovation, Virginia Tech; and Chris Ramming, research manager, VMware
REGISTER