The seeds of new research were planted this year for 13 UCCS faculty members, each of whom was awarded one of the Committee on Research and Creative Works’ annual seed grants.
The grants are funded through the Office of Research and aim to expand research excellence for both tenured and tenure-track faculty. Each year, the committee works to fund a diverse portfolio of scholars across the university’s academic programs, with a special focus on collaborations, projects from early-career faculty and research on hot topics. This year, the committee awarded nearly $90,000 in funds.
“The CRCW seed grants are such an important way that the campus supports faculty research efforts,” said Jessi Smith, associate vice chancellor of research. “Having funding to support pilot testing for a project, to support a student research assistant, to travel to a field site or buy equipment is a small investment the campus can make that has a big impact.”
The payoffs for the seed grants are more than monetary – in fact, they can help research to grow deep roots. Grants can allow pre-tenure-track faculty to establish research programs and assist faculty members in becoming nationally competitive when seeking funding from sources external to the university.
The 2021 awardees include:
Brynn Adamson, Health Sciences
Evaluating the Impact of Introducing the 4-Quadrant Stability Model into Exercise Instruction: Effects on Function among Adults with Multiple Sclerosis
Christine Biermann, Geography and Environmental Studies
& Emily Mooney, Biology
Tracking Change in the Mountains: Alpine Insects and Treeline Ecosystems as Indicators of Climatic Shifts
Justin Cole, Mathematics
Approximation of Topological Insulators in Photonic Lattices
Elizabeth Daniels, Psychology
Social Media and Sexualization among Adolescent Girls from Diverse Backgrounds
Dylan Harris, Geography and Environmental Studies
Seeing the Changing Climate in Changing Cultures in Georgia & Colorado
Shannon Johnson, Social Work
A Pilot Survey of Moral Injury, Mental and Behavioral Health, Empathy, and Policing Attitudes among Active Duty Police Officers
Karin Larkin, Anthropology
Chasing the Cure: Archaeology and Material Culture of the Navajo Era of Cragmor Sanatorium
Byeong Lee, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Co-optimization for Deep Learning Neural Networks
Deborah Pina-Thomas, Nursing
Does HMDs Virtual Reality Simulations Effect Mental Health Nursing Students’ Levels of Empathy for Clients Experiencing Auditory Hallucinations?
Matt Quinlan, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Secondary Hydrodynamic Instabilities and their Role in Liquid Injection Atomization
Diana Selmeczy, Psychology
The Development of Adaptive Help-Seeking in Children
Diane Stutey, Counseling and Human Services
Pet Therapy: Supporting Students’ Mental Health and Wellness