FY23 Game Changer Funded Projects

Program Outcome Summary:

With the support of Kent State University President, Dr. Todd Diacon, the Division of Research and Economic Development (RAED) was able to utilize up to $1MM of F&A funds that are returned to RAED and are primarily used to cover start up costs. The Game Changer Program Application Call received 33 proposals requesting over $4.2MM. There proposals represented a thrilling breadth quality of proposals submitted from a range of disciplines and interdisciplinary teams. The quality of proposals provided a high level of confidence that this investment will pay dividends and will serve as another building block of our continued growth.

Although the Game Changer Program had an initial budget of $1MM to fund proposals, through cost-sharing of applicants and commitments by other units, we were able to fund over $2MM ($2,061,791.55) in projects. A list of the funded project summaries is below. 

A Multimodal and Future-Expandable Nonlinear Optical (NLO) Microscope for Live Cell, Live Tissue, Lipid, Nano-DNA, and Complex Soft Matter Materials Imaging – A True Game Changer for KSU

The unique coupling of nonlinear optical (NLO) with 3-D scanning (confocal) microscopy will generate a wide and currently at KSU unavailable set of unique imaging tools and data for biological, medical and materials research alike. The unique and future-expandable capabilities of this microscope, based on the Leica Stellaris 8 CRS, include among others the direct visualization of chemical bonds to target events and structures which are largely inaccessible with traditional methods, 3-D visualization of the orientational order in soft matter, dynamic studies with the specimen maintained as close to physiological conditions as possible - all with minimal sample preparation and without labelling using fluorescent dyes that may perturb the sample. To be housed in the lower level of the ISB, this microscope will be overseen and maintained by members and leadership of AMLCI and BHRI and will be accessible to all researchers at KSU and beyond as a Service Center (aka: fee-for-use facility).

Torsten Hegmann                                                                                                                                                    Contact: thegmann@kent.edu

Centralized Compute and Storage Environment

Kent State University currently does not operate a centrally provided research compute environment, leaving Kent State Researchers lacking access to compute and storage resources needed to be competitive in award opportunities. The Azure cloud computing environment offerings provides promise as a growth area, given its ability to create fully customizable specific to researchers needs. This newly proposed cluster is designed to integrate with new environments that have been recently implemented or are being planned due to recent grant awards. As well as enable game-changing research as faculty will be able to apply for, and potentially be awarded significantly larger scale grants than past applicants.

Jim Raber                                                                                                                                                      Contact: jaraber@kent.edu

Hyperspectral Autonomous Airplane Lab: Game-Changing KSU’s multi-disciplinary research with Airborne Advanced Imaging and Extended Endurance Capabilities

The game changer funding procures a large, fixed-wing, electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) drone with multiple sensor packages for taking data while in flight.  The inclusion of UAV platforms carrying advanced sensors as a mobile spectroscopic research laboratory greatly increases our capacity and ability to conduct exciting, groundbreaking, and transformative research across several disciplines to include aeronautics, computational sciences and big data, aerospace and mechatronics engineering, architecture, environmental sciences, geography, earth science, and agricultural sciences.  As a fixed-wing platform, this aircraft doubles the on-station time of typical quadcopter drones, enabling us to expand our test matrices.  Furthermore, fixed-wing platforms are quieter in flight than their rotary-wing counterparts, allowing us to conduct research with less acoustic pollution to the environment.  It is an integral component for establishing a Center for Advanced Air Mobility at the Kent State University airport.

Blake Stringer                                                                                                                                            Contact: dstring1@kent.edu

KSU Gamechanger Funding: Microwave Digestion System

A microwave digestion system will be purchased and housed in the Department of Earth Sciences. This system will allow solid phase samples, including sediments, rocks, and soils to be completely digested in a quick, affordable, and safe manner. The additional sample preparation capability will lead to the production of high quality preliminary geochemical data for proposals in the fields of ocean chemistry, marine geology, paleoclimatology, soil science, environmental remote sensing, environmental mineralogy, structural geology, volcanology, ecosystem ecology, and ecotoxicology. 

Allyson Tessin                                                                                                                                              Contact: atessin@kent.edu

Kent State University Student Life Study

Kent State University Student Life Study will establish a population-based research project that will enroll and follow >10,000 KSU students. Through the use of cutting-edge smartphone data collection approaches and sophisticated research methodology, this massive project will create a first-of-its-kind resource that can be leveraged by investigators throughout the university. College students face tremendous challenges, from financial burdens to changes in workforce needs, to competing demands and social pressures. It is increasingly clear that today’s undergraduate students are at substantially increased risk for life-long psychiatric and health conditions, most-often diagnosed during this stage of life. This program will better understand our students as well as build the research resources of our University all while improving the lives of students simultaneously.

Karin Coifman & John Gunstad                                                                                                                          Contact: kcoifman@kent.edu  jgunstad@kent.edu

Technical Textile Applications Revolutionizing Industries from Fashion to Architecture to Nursing

The game changer funding allows for the purchase of two digital knitting machines and one technical embroidery machine. These will be housed in the newly renovated School of Fashion’s technology-focused research labs located prominently on the first floor in Rockwell Hall. These labs, scheduled to be open in Spring 2023, will support research and development of textile. Our fashion-based textile knowledge has the potential to revolutionize emerging manufacturing processes not only in the fashion industry but in a wide range of industries. The knits that these machines can produce have far reaching potential as evidenced by industry-led reports and analysis for 2019-2025 with an anticipation for significant growth in the future.

Linda Ohrn-McDaniel                                                                                                                                            Contact: lohrn@kent.edu