RCSA Announces 3 Cottrell Plus SEED Awards for 2018
Research Corporation for Science Advancement announces three winners of its competitive Cottrell Plus SEED (Singular Exceptional Endeavors of Discovery) Awards for 2018. They are:
- Julio C. de Paula, Lewis and Clark College
Applications of Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy to Chemical Analysis: Free Resources for Undergraduate Education
- David L. Patrick, Western Washington University
Shape Engineered Organic Single-Crystals
- Hai Lin, University of Colorado Denver
Combining Artificial Neural Networks and Quantum Chemistry for Simulations of Proton Transfer through Channels and Transporters
The Cottrell Plus SEED Award supports the very first instances of exceptionally creative new research or educational activities with potential high impact.
“SEED awards offer the opportunity to start new promising activities and test new out-of-the-box ideas,” notes RCSA Senior Program Director Silvia Ronco. “Risky, interdisciplinary and exploratory projects are strongly encouraged. No preliminary data are required. Award size is $50,000 for research projects or $25,000 for educational activities.”
For the 2018 competition, eligibility was limited to chemists who received their Cottrell Scholar designations in 2011 or earlier. SEED accepts Chemistry proposals in even-numbered years and Physics and Astronomy proposals from Cottrell Scholars in odd-numbered years.
De Paula’s $25,000 education award will support a project to integrate education and research activities involving undergraduates in the production of a free, online textbook in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The textbook will highlight applications of atomic and molecular spectroscopy to chemical analysis across a number of disciplines, including archaeometry, environmental science, biomedicine, biochemistry, food science and astronomy. “Undergraduates participating in the generation of content will learn how to do, teach, and communicate science as part of a team that includes not only scientists but also artists, librarians and language experts,” according to de Paula.
Lin’s $50,000 award will aid in his efforts to develop advanced computing methods that combine artificialneural networks and quantum chemistry to conduct accurate molecular dynamics simulations for the study of how a proton (a positively charged hydrogen ion, also known as “H+”) will “dance” from one place to another while changing partners (such as water, halide ions, and titratable residues) along the way. “The development of high-quality and fast-to-compute potentials for H+ relay in complex environments will open the door to accurate and reliable computer simulations of H+ migration through various channels and transporters,” Lin notes. “The outcomes from this SEED project will help us better understand drug resistance in influenza virus and in turn assist the development of new therapeutics in the battle against flu.”
Patrick’s $50,000 award will help him to focus on developing ways to grow organic (carbon-based) single-crystals to produce intricate shapes. He and his students will use a 2-dimensional vapor-liquid-solid deposition technique on substrates patterned with micron-scale obstructions to control growth of the crystalline-lattice shapes. “The goal of this research is to better understand growth mechanisms in these new types of engineered crystals, explore the limits of control, and begin to develop a set of design principles,” he said. If Patrick’s work is successful, it could open the door to new generations of molecular devices with tailored electronic, optical and photonic properties.
The SEED Award is one of four Cottrell Plus Awards available to the 419 Cottrell Scholars selected over the past 24 years by Research Corporation for Science Advancement. “Cottrell Plus Awards are aimed at advancing the skills, knowledge and experience of Cottrell Scholars toward attaining leadership roles in their institutions. With Cottrell Plus, RCSA is extending its commitment to Cottrell Scholars throughout their careers, a unique aspect of the Cottrell Scholar Program,” RCSA’s Ronco said.
The competitive Cottrell Plus Awards portfolio includes:
- Cottrell STAR (Science Teaching and Research);
- Cottrell IMPACT (recognizing the work of Cottrell Scholars who've had a national impact in science through their leadership and service activities);
- Cottrell SEED (Singular Exceptional Endeavors of Discovery) ;
- Cottrell FRED (Frontiers in Research Excellence and Discovery).
Outstanding early career candidates at research universities and primarily undergraduate institutions are admitted to the ranks of Cottrell Scholars through a stringent peer-review process based on their innovative research proposals and education programs. Cottrell Scholars engage in an annual networking event, providing them an opportunity to share insights and expertise.
