Contact: James Carscadon
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi's leading research university will receive $8 million in funding from the National Science Foundation to lead a transformative science and technology capacity-building effort across the state.
Heather Jordan (left), an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Mississippi State University, works with students from Harned Hall on insect farming. (Photo by Megan Bean)
A four-year NSF grant to Mississippi State University announced last week will establish the Mississippi Research Alliance as a central hub in the state's research ecosystem, leveraging existing strengths, expanding networks, and creating new opportunities to advance research and development. The funding is part of NSF's established program to promote competitive research, the Collaborative Research Infrastructure Improvement Program for Optimizing Research Ecosystems (E-CORE RII).
“Our state is home to some of the best research institutions and most talented researchers, but they are too often disconnected from one another. This grant will centralize the efforts of Mississippi's four universities and improve the research ecosystem across our state. I fought to increase the funding sources that made this grant possible, and I am pleased to see Mississippi State University leading this effort,” said Senator Roger Wicker.
In addition to MSU, Mississippi Valley State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi are collaborating institutions. The grant will fund a new portal for research equipment sharing and a statewide researcher directory to help form interdisciplinary team networks. Funding will also support faculty start-up packages, equipment purchase and voucher grants, seed grants for collaborative activities, equipment voucher grants and travel awards for networking and training.
Katie Echols, executive director of research initiatives and innovation for MSU's Office of Research and Economic Development, is Mississippi's EPSCoR director and principal investigator on the grant. CO-PIs include Tonia Lane, director of MSU's Institute for Image Analysis and Technology, Victor Bii, assistant professor of bioinformatics and program coordinator at MVSU, Nathan Hammer, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UM, and Alex Flynt, associate professor of biology, environmental and geosciences at USM.
“The Mississippi Research Federation will be transformative for Mississippi by strengthening and connecting our entire research ecosystem,” said Julie Jordan, vice chancellor for Research and Economic Development at Michigan State University. “By connecting brilliant talent and cutting-edge resources across the state, we will foster a network of innovation that will lead to breakthrough discoveries and advancements that will impact the lives of all Mississippians. I thank the state's congressional delegation for supporting this investment in Mississippi's future.”
“NSF EPSCoR programs are essential to creating opportunity and investing in innovation in every region of the United States,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “These new E-CORE and E-RISE grants will positively impact our nation by expanding the breadth of STEM research, research infrastructure, and workforce development while advancing research and education opportunities within and beyond EPSCoR jurisdictions.”
The newly formed alliance will be led by university representatives, industry leaders, government officials, K-16 educators, nonprofits and other stakeholders. NSF has the option to renew the $8 million award for an additional four years after the first grant cycle ends.
For more information about MSU research, visit www.research.msstate.edu
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