State grants support university researchers


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News Release

Contacts: Robert T. Tad Perry, Executive Director

tadp@sdbor.edu

Janelle Toman, Director of Information & Institutional Research

janellet@sdbor.edu

 

T: 605.773.3455

F: 605.773.5320

www.sdbor.edu

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Tuesday, May 27, 2008

 

State grants support university researchers

 

PIERRE, S.D. – Six faculty members at South Dakota public universities this week earned state grants to support their individual research projects. The grants, totaling nearly $500,000, are part of South Dakota’s continuing efforts to become a recognized leader in research and technology development.

 

“We have elevated our research profile by recruiting researchers to staff the 2010 research centers and to work in new Ph.D. programs, but we also must support research opportunities for existing faculty members too,” Gov. Mike Rounds said. “These competitive grants will add considerable value to work under way on our campuses.”

 

This is the fourth year the state has financially supported grant awards to build a higher level of competitive research at the six public universities. “Faculty with new or ongoing research interests were encouraged to apply,” said Scott Meyer, system vice president of research for the South Dakota Board of Regents. “We redesigned the grant program this year to increase the size of the grant award. While that meant we funded fewer projects, the size of this award can make a real impact on the work being done.”

 

Gov. Rounds’ 2010 Initiative in economic development calls for the state to “become a recognized leader in research and technology development by 2010.” Since the launch of the 2010 Initiative, the state has been highly focused on the role university research can play in South Dakota’s economic development. The competitive grants announced today complement other strategies to increase university-based research, including the 2010 research centers and new doctoral programs in the sciences, engineering, and technology.

 

 

 

20087 Competitive Research Grant Program

 

These are the faculty members who received a Competitive Research Grant and their research topic:

 

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

  • Dr. Lance A. Roberts – “Recycled Plastic Deep Foundation System for Lightly Loaded Structures in Expansive Shale”
  • Dr. Linxia Gu – “Stent-induced Arterial Strain and Stress as a Determinant of Coronary Restenosis”

 

South Dakota State University

  • Dr. Omathanu P. Perumal – “Zein Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Applications”
  • Dr. Youngjae You – “Novel Drug Delivery Strategy: Visible/Near IR-controlled Drug Release”

 

University of South Dakota

  • Dr. Dongming Mei – “Liquid Argon-based Direct Dark Matter Searches at Homestake”
  • Dr. Haoran Sun – “Fluorinated Materials for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells”

 

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