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Kentucky Gains Ground in Business Churning Metrics
April 7, 2008
In a recent survey by the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI)*, Kentucky showed significant improvement when compared to other states concerning business churning. Business churning is a yearly measure combining the creation of new companies and the death of existing companies as a share of a state's total firms. Since 2000, Kentucky has moved up 15 spots from 48th to 33rd nationally. This places it among the top 5 most improved states as reported by SSTI. The full text for this article can be found by clicking here.
Former participants in the Kentucky NSF EPSCoR program have played an integral part in Kentucky's business churning success through securing federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards. EPSCoR funded PIs and co-PIs have secured nearly $2.4 million in SBIR funding since 1997. These monies have provided for the creation and sustainability of 9 business ventures within Kentucky.
Kentucky companies recently formed through EPSCoR participants' SBIR support include Mersive Technologies and Lumenware, LLC. Mersive Technologies is a spin-off of a 2005 Kentucky NSF EPSCoR award in visualization technology. In March 2008, it was awarded an SBIR Phase II award for an additional $500,000 to continue its work and growth. Mersive’s software enables new displays at much higher resolution for a fraction of the cost, aimed at revolutionizing the way we work, play, and interact. Lumenware, LLC is currently developing, branding and marketing Axis Technology, used in information-sensitive industries such as healthcare and banking. Lumenware, LLC is currently seeking investors to launch a worldwide distribution of their secure, mobile technology.
*SSTI's current rankings are found at http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/013008t.htm.
Student Symposium Creates Opportunities for Underrepresented STEM Students
March 16, 2008
On Friday, February 29th and Saturday, March 1st, 70 students converged upon downtown Lexington at the Radisson hotel for a two-day symposium sponsored by the Kentucky-West Virginia Alliance for Minority Participation. The event was organized by Dr. Ingrid St. Omer, University of Kentucky engineering professor and co-principal investigator of the Kentucky-West Virginia Alliance for Minority Participation, and Mr. Michael Lee, Executive Director of the Alliance. Throughout the symposium, students had opportunities to present their original research and meet students and administrators from several schools, colleges and universities throughout Kentucky and West Virginia. Among the activities available at the symposium, entitled Challenging, Leading and Providing Opportunities for Success in STEM were sessions on graduate school opportunities, interviewing techniques and networking.
Students were offered an in-depth look into graduate school selection, preparation and financing opportunities by Dr. Marcus Huggans, senior recruiter and programs specialist for the National Graduate Education for Minorities (GEM) Consortium. The Consortium's mission is to increase the number of minority students earning graduate degrees in science and engineering. To help accomplish this goal, it offers fellowships that provide financial support to students in emerging/burgeoning populations who wish to pursue graduate study in engineering and natural and physical sciences at the nation's top universities and research institutions.
Special guests Dr. Joe Martin, founder of RealWorld University, and Dr. Aprille Ericsson, an aerospace engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, MD, gave keynote addresses at the Saturday afternoon luncheon and Friday night banquet, respectively. Both speakers offered motivational presentations, encouraging students to reach their maximum potential personally and professionally. Dr. Ericsson commented, "I feel it is important to create an early mathematical and/or scientific interest in young people and maintain it throughout their later years; therefore, I work with all age groups: elementary, junior high school, high school and college."
For additional information about the Kentucky-West Virginia LSAMP program, visit http://www.kynsfepscor.org/outreach.html. Kentucky NSF EPSCoR is a proud financial partner supporting KY-WV LSAMP programming and its students. Alliance members in the state of Kentucky are the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Centre College, Kentucky State University, Western Kentucky University and Bluegrass Community and Technical College.
Kentucky among Top States Receiving Science and Engineering Dollars, Research and Development Funds
March 16, 2008
Kentucky continues to show marked improvement in attracting federal science and engineering (S&E) dollars to its colleges and universities. Recent data from the National Science Foundation (NSF) documents Kentucky's rise in overall state national rankings, by 5 positions, from 33rd in 1998 to 28th in 2005. (For complete NSF data from which these rankings were derived, click here.) Kentucky was the only state ranked in the top 30 in 2005 to have advanced as many positions. A retrospective look from 1998 to 2005 shows that Kentucky’s growth is all the more exceptional considering only two other states in the top 30 advanced more than one position during this time. (Tennessee advanced 3 positions and Ohio advanced 2 positions.)
A similar NSF data source detailing federally financed academic research and development (R&D) expenditures at universities and colleges also demonstrates Kentucky's progress. In 1985, Kentucky received .35% of all available federal academic R&D monies according to webcaspar.nsf.gov. That percentage had grown to .79% in 2006; the most current year for which data is available. The chart below illustrates its growth in relation to other EPSCoR states from 1985-2006. The average percentage of R&D monies received by EPSCoR states during that time, excluding Kentucky, grew from .384% to .47%. In comparison, Kentucky's share grew from .35% to .79%. In terms of overall percentage increase, the EPSCoR states' average (excluding Kentucky) grew by 22.4% while Kentucky saw phenomenal growth of 125.7%.
Click here to download the PDF file.
KY NSF EPSCoR Initiative Provides Large Return on Investment
February 12, 2008
In 2002, Kentucky NSF EPSCoR invested nearly 2.4 million dollars through its Research Infrastructure Initiative program in developing an Environmental Research and Training Laboratory (ERTL) at the University of Kentucky. The mission of the lab is to provide high quality data to support research, education and industry. This mission is accomplished by educating users in advanced analytical techniques with an emphasis on quality assurance and control, resulting in academic products that support not only their research, but future career efforts as well. Since its inception, the facility has had a great impact; proving its value at both the university and state level.
At the university level, this investment is helping produce scholars with significant theoretical and practical knowledge. Departmental figures show that the ERTL facility has provided in-depth, hands-on training to an average of 95 participants per year over the last two and a half years. Tricia Coakley, one of the lab managers, says "ERTL is the place where students come first," and student users echo those sentiments as well. A substantial part of ERTL's mission is to make its users proficient in producing their own quality controlled data so they can use those skills later in their careers or in their education. Data from 2005 states that of the 35 accepted peer-review research publications associated with the ERTL, 21 were first-authored by students.
Statewide, this investment is also helping on multiple levels including supporting research and generating revenue for operating expenses. 2005 figures show that ERTL is supporting funded research totaling $8 million per year and is generating an estimated $2.4 million in indirect costs. Currently, ERTL has the only functioning isotope-ratio mass spectrometer in the state and researchers have open access to a wealth of other cutting-edge instrumentation in one facility. These capabilities entice top-quality faculty, staff and students to the institution, where their research contributes to the state's pursuit of national recognition on an educational and industrial level. The ERTL's reach across Kentucky is broad. Currently, it serves 6 colleges on UK's campus along with other regional institutions, state and local governments, K-12 schools and industrial users. The ERTL facility at the University of Kentucky has built considerable scientific infrastructure that will prove long-lasting in the state's continued pursuit of national competitiveness and educational prominence.
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Kentucky NSF EPSCoR Broadens Students' Horizons
February 1, 2008
When Vivian Ojogun, doctoral candidate in the University of Kentucky's Chemical & Materials Engineering program, began investigating professional job opportunities, she didn't expect EPSCoR to play a part in her success. However, when she met with a representative from a prominent laboratory, she found out that company was particularly interested in her experience provided through the UK Environmental Research and Training Lab (ERTL). The ERTL was founded through a Kentucky NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Initiative grant in 2002. Vivian's role in the lab is as a Graduate Assistant to the Organics Scientist, John May, overseeing quality control, setting up experiments for other lab users and maintaining equipment. "As an engineer [there], I would be working with the same equipment contained in the ERTL lab. Most other candidates wouldn't have this sort of experience," she says.
Vivian's research outside the ERTL investigates the thermodynamic properties of fluorinated systems. She determines the capabilities of fluorinated surface active agents (sufactants), found commonly in lotions and soap, related to their function as drug delivery vehicles and in material synthesis. While working in the ERTL, she is required to teach other students principles and practices that relate to achieving top quality research, providing another avenue to refine her skills. She also credits the ERTL staff for providing help to students, including her, solve problems and expand their aptitude for "lateral" thinking across their disciplines.
Ms. Ojogun encourages other students to get involved in EPSCoR projects as well. "Go for it…..150%!" she says. Undergraduate and graduate students who take advantage of EPSCoR programming have the opportunity to network with professionals in their fields and receive an added research dimension to their educational experience. Interested students may contact Jessica Creech, Diversity and Evaluation Coordinator, at jessica.creech@uky.edu for more information about how to become involved at their institution.
Kentucky EPSCoR Funded Facilities Rank among Top Ten Nationwide, Attract Millions in Follow-On Funding
September 14, 2007
Abbie Gregg, Inc., a cleanroom consultant firm, has listed the University of Louisville (UofL) as one of the top 10 university cleanroom facilities in the country. Further, Small Times Magazine listed the UofL Micro/NanoTechnology Center, which houses the cleanroom, as a top 10 university facility in the May/June 2007 Issue. Kentucky NSF EPSCoR has enabled UofL to purchase state-of-the-art instrumentation, attract outstanding new faculty, hire excellent staff and support top quality graduate students. The new faculty recruits have received National Science Foundation (NSF) funding in their 1st or 2nd year, including NSF Career Awards, and the prestigious Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Early Career Awards. Among those receiving NSF support is Dr. Cindy Harnett, UofL's the first female professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Her current $400,000 NSF Career Award, which began in summer 2007, is a five year project establishing a wireless sensor network for monitoring conditions in lakes, streams and other underwater environments. Students from both UofL and Eastern Kentucky University are active in this research project.
The origins of UofL's achievements are found in EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Initiative (RII) awards. University of Louisville professors Rob Keynton and Bruce Alphenaar, together with Kevin Walsh (Director, UofL Cleanroom), Bob Cohn (Director, UofL Nanotechnology Core Facility) and other colleagues at UofL, received complementary NSF EPSCoR Infrastructure awards in March of 2002 and May of 2005 to build and strengthen UofL's Bio, Nano, and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Core Facility and to create a nationally competitive nanotechnology research and education center. Collectively, these two awards offered a $6 million budget over six years. Faculty associated with the UofL Micro/NanoTechnology Center have been successful in securing over $33.6 million ($11.3 M due to the first Research Infrastructure Initiative award and $22.3 M to date due to the second RII award) in additional external/federal funding since the NSF EPSCoR program began supporting the Center. In addition, six technical start-up companies have formed as a result of the resource growth in this new facility. They are: Assenti, LLC, OrthoData Technologies, LLC, Sentinel, LLC, UltraTrace Detection, LLC, NaugaNeedles, LLC, and Cardiovascular Sensing Technologies, LLC.
EPSCoR Helps Boost Federal R&D Obligations and Expenditures for Kentucky Universities and Colleges
July 17, 2007
Kentucky is showing verifiable progress in its pursuit of competitiveness on a national scale. Two recent reports from independent sources confirm Kentucky's progress in attracting federal Research and Development (R&D) dollars.
A 1999-2003 report from the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) details federal obligations to colleges and universities nationwide. This report confirms that federal obligations for Kentucky have increased in that time by 84.72%. This nearly doubles the national growth average of 47.61% in that same period. The most recent rankings show Kentucky ranking 29th nationally. The state has climbed four spots in the rankings since 2002--making it the only state in the country to do so.
EPSCoR states are collectively gaining ground in competitiveness for federal obligations. According to the same SSTI information, the top five performers are exclusively NSF EPSCoR states. Further, fourteen of the top fifteen (in terms of percentage growth) are EPSCoR jurisdictions. For states' performance details nationwide, click here to view the full SSTI listing.
Also, a 2005 NSF survey of R&D expenditures at colleges and universities shows Kentucky's percentage of the national total to be about .76% -- more than double the percentage received 20 years ago when Kentucky first joined EPSCoR. The figure below shows Kentucky's progress over that time and compares the state's growth with other groupings of EPSCoR states based on 1985 allocation averages. While all the EPSCoR groupings have shown growth and improvement during that time, Kentucky's growth has been exceptional and is quickly approaching the average percentage distribution of the top EPSCoR jurisdictions as measured by this metric.
Click here to download the full page .pdf file.
University of Kentucky Supercomputer Ranks First Among EPSCoR States, Eighth Nationally
July 14, 2007
A 2007 ranking of Supercomputers from top500.org places the University of Kentucky first among public universities in EPSCoR states and eighth among public universities nationwide. UK has surpassed the likes of other well equipped public and private universities such as Brigham Young University, Virginia Tech, and Harvard University. The list, released at the June 2007 International Supercomputing Conference in Dresden, Germany, ranks UK's supercomputer 66th in the world among all competitors from both public and private institutions and research centers. Top500's rankings are based on the machines' performance using Linpack benchmark computer code.
UK's state-of-the-art IBM System Cluster 1350 offers a peak performance of 16 teraflops of calculation capacity, handling up to 16.3 trillion calculations per second. The Center for Computational Sciences currently houses and maintains the system. It was formed in 1987 from EPSCoR funds, requested by a Computational Sciences focus group at the University. The high-powered machine has been utilized among its faculty in many noteworthy research projects. Three of them are detailed below:
Peter Spielmann, associate professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry, is investigating how DNA repair systems recognize damage within cells. He is currently completing a project titled Synthetic Probes of Protein Prenylation with a $1.2 million multi-year grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Madhu Menon, associate director of the Center for Computational Sciences, conducts computational simulations that allow him to identify and predict the optimal atomic structures of nanowires. In 2007, Dr. Menon received an award for $119,000 from the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program to purchase a SGI Altix computational device to aid in his research.
Christopher Jaynes, former professor of computer science, is investigating wide-area video surveillance. In 2005, Jaynes received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant for $100,000 to form Mersive Technologies and continue his research in the private sector. To read more about Dr. Jaynes’ SBIR award, click here.
Zoologist Builds Genomics Program at UK
July 1, 2007
Focused EPSCoR investments continue to develop infrastructure in Kentucky and throughout the nation by supporting high caliber research activities. These initial investments are paying off in the form of additional follow-on funding grants that EPSCoR scientists bring to their state and institution. Dr. S. Randal Voss, Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center at the University of Kentucky (UK), is a brilliant example of EPSCoR's impact and potential for success.
Beginning with his pursuit of a Ph.D. in Zoology at Clemson University, he has benefited from numerous EPSCoR funds. As a graduate student, Dr. Voss received a research assistantship that was created through an award from South Carolina EPSCoR. This opportunity allowed him to conduct research using state-of-the-art equipment in the area of biotechnology. This opportunity further led to his receiving a NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant and Clemson's prestigious R.C. Edwards Award that recognizes outstanding graduate student research. Since receiving his first EPSCoR award, Voss has received over 5 million dollars in follow-on funding. Voss, himself, is surprised by that total. "Until now, I'd never really done the math," he said.
Dr. Voss was recruited to UK through a Kentucky NSF EPSCoR start-up package and has been at the institution since 2002. According to Voss, the opportunity to build a program in Genomics at UK enticed him to make the move from Colorado State University. The Genetic Stock Center (which serves national and international interests) and its participation in the Salamander Genome Project put Voss on the cutting edge of biomedical research on: regeneration, vision, neural transmission, renal function, embryogenesis, heart development and olfaction.
Upon his arrival at UK, Dr. Voss brought with him a NSF Career Development Award to integrate genomics in research and teaching. He has already formed collaborations with researchers at UK and across the state, including Dr. Steven Richter who recently accepted a position at Eastern Kentucky University. Dr. Voss is collaborating with researchers from high-profile places like the Salk Institute, UC-Irvine, UC-Davis, and U. Washington. He is also in collaboration with researchers from smaller institutions like Mount Union College in Ohio and Minot State U. in North Dakota; another EPSCoR state. He is currently funded by the NSF, NIH, and the Kentucky Spinal Cord and Injury Research Trust.
EPSCoR Helps Catapult UK in National Ranking
March 1, 2007
The University of Kentucky's (UK) Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry is currently 12th in a nationwide ranking of public medical schools by department. It has vaulted to this position from 20th in only 2003. This information is provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which has more than doubled its funding to UK over the last four years.
Financial support from KY NSF EPSCoR, from 2002-2005 via an RII Infrastructure Initiative in biochemistry/proteomics, was instrumental in helping to bring about this success. Two UK researchers, Drs. Zhu and Chi, were recruited to the university with KY NSF EPSCoR start-up packages as part of the EPSCoR initiative to develop a nationally recognized center-of-excellence in proteomics research. The NIH rankings reveal outstanding progress toward this goal. Their participation was also essential in securing an additional $10 million in funding via a NIH COBRE (Center Of Biomedical Research Excellence) grant. Successfully attracting competitive research funding from the National Science Foundation has also provided substantial momentum and support to the researchers.
Prior to EPSCoR funding, the Biochemistry department ranked nearly 30th among public colleges and universities nationwide. However, after receiving the award, it's moved into the top twelve. This example of EPSCoR as a catalyst for ensuring long-term competitiveness is the model for effectiveness in all EPSCoR endeavors.
New Research Scholars Program Aimed at Increasing Student Participation
February 16, 2007
A new program launched by Kentucky NSF EPSCoR is designed to increase undergraduate and graduate participation in science, technology, engineering and math majors at institutions throughout the state. Students from any post-secondary school in the state are eligible to participate. The Kentucky NSF EPSCoR Research Scholars Program provides financial support for primarily underrepresented students conducting research in areas congruent with RII initiatives. Currently, these areas change on a rotating, three year basis. Through May 2008, EPSCoR is funding research in nanotechnology, visualization and virtual environments, metabolomics and environmental science. Researchers in these projects are based at Kentucky State University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Eastern Kentucky University.
Current RSP awardees are active at the local, state, national and international level in their fields. They have made presentations at national and international conferences, contributed to published articles and were able to devote additional time to research through RSP grant money. For more information on how you can apply to this program, visit the funding link on this website.
Environmental Research Institute (ERI) Impacts the Region
January 30, 2007
Undergraduates, graduate students and community members received a hands-on education in environmental studies through the research activities taking place at the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) at Eastern Kentucky University. Project leaders Dr. Alice Jones and Dr. Danita LaSage have been instrumental in providing practical and pertinent research opportunities for EKU students that impact their communities. From June through September 2006, more than 30 volunteers and researchers performed "The Big Dip" - logging over 7,000 miles and collecting 900 water samples in southeast Kentucky to assess the health of local rivers and streams. Results showed that two-thirds of the samples possessed extreme values of pH, conductivity or iron.
"The Big Dip" project kicked off in June with a four day environmental field camp at Lilly Cornett Woods forest preserve in Letcher County. Researchers from three Kentucky universities were joined by nine eastern Kentucky high school teachers enrolled in a summer "Ecology for Teachers" class. Also joining them were twelve area high school students from Appalshop's Appalachian Media Institute (AMI) who produced a short documentary film and joined in the research. Plans are already being made to hold another field camp in June 2007 and to expand the "Big Dip" project into adjacent watersheds.
To learn more about EKU's Environmental Research Institute, go to EKUcast 04: EKU Environmental Research Institute
Follow-on Funding Success Through SBIR
January 28, 2007Kentucky researchers funded by NSF EPSCoR have achieved considerable success in securing follow-on funding for economic development. Among the notables are four projects receiving over $1 million from the NSF and NIH Phase I and II SBIR grant programs. Researchers are working in the areas of visual imaging, biometric authentication, and disease prevention.
Along with developing technologies that are cutting edge for industries such as health care, law enforcement, and electronics, these projects are also creating jobs to keep highly educated, well trained professionals in Kentucky. Chris Jaynes, Principal Investigator for NSF SBIR initiative Mersive Technologies, is actively recruiting and training Ph.D. recipients from Kentucky. Mersive's goal is to develop digital capabilities that will merge functionality, accessibility and affordability in creating large, high resolution visual displays. Mersive was created using a $100,000 SBIR Phase I grant.
Other follow-on funding includes $100,000 awards to Mostert Research Group (Paul Mostert - PI) for 3-D visualization research and Lumenware LLC (Charles Martin - PI) for biometric authentication processes research. An NIH SBIR Phase II award for $750,000 was awarded to Assenti, LLC (Doug Jackson - PI) for intraocular pressure sensor development for glaucoma prevention.
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EPSCoR Scientist Featured in Semiconductor International
December 15, 2006
Zhi Chen, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Kentucky (UK), was recently published in the leading trade journal, Semiconductor International. The March 2006 issue of the journal features Chen's research on conventional gate dielectrics. According to the article, Chen's research found that "RTP anneals in nitrogen and deuterium (D) can improve the insulating qualities of gate insulators so that their direct tunneling current is reduced by 10,000 - 100,000x. The RTP steps enhance a previously unknown phonon-energy-coupling effect (PECE), discovered by the researchers."
Dr. Chen, along with researchers at the University of Louisville and Kentucky State University, are currently funded for a $5.7 million project through Kentucky NSF EPSCoR. Their research focus for this award centers on nanotechnology in four main areas: electronics, sensors, materials and bio-technology