Faculty research seed money awarded The Faculty Research Seed Money Fund, a grassroots faculty initiative at the University, was established in Fiscal Year 1999-2000 to help faculty members gather data to strengthen their research proposals to competitive funding organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and others. Forty-two Faculty Research Seed Money proposals were received in December 2008. The proposals were initially reviewed by eight disciplinary area subcommittees. The subcommittees ranked the proposals based on academic strength and the likelihood that information gathered through the projects would make the researchers more competitive in the national funding arena. Attracting more national funding to the University and increasing the level of faculty research at UND are overarching goals of the Seed Money program. The subcommittees submitted recommendations to the Faculty Research Seed Money Committee which made awards in the amount of $300,000 at its meeting on March 27, as follows: Basic Medical Sciences Porter, James E., Pharmacology, Physiology and Therapeutics, $40,000, “Genomic Expression Analysis of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling Mechanisms Against Programmed Cell Death” Behavioral Sciences Ruthig, Joelle C., Psychology, $32,042, “Cardiovascular and Functional Health Crises, Preventative Health Behaviors, and Health Outcomes in Later Life: Applying a Health Congruence Framework” Engineering and Technology Ames, Forrest E., Mechanical Engineering, $10,000, “Influence of Turbulence on Low Reynolds” Neubert, Jeremiah J., Mechanical Engineering, $10,000, “Visually Modulated Motion” Noghanian, Sima, Electrical Engineering, $20,000, “Microwave Breast Imaging” Health Sciences Roerig, James L., Clinical Neuroscience, $40,000, “A Preliminary Comparison of the Blood Levels of Medications in Obese Subjects” Humanities and Fine Arts Knight, Andrew J.; Robinson, Sarah A.; Music; Communication Sciences and Disorders; $18,535, “Developing a Music Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology Collaborative Treatment Model for Children with Auditory Processing Disorder” Mathematics and Natural Sciences Darland, Diane C., Biology, $11,939, “Impact of Environmental Toxins, Cadmium and Cocaine, on Neural Development in Zebrafish” Newman, Robert A., Biology, $34,600, “Population Biology of Amphibian-Parasite Interactions on Agricultural Landscapes” Ralph, Steven G., Biology, $11,939, “Identification and Functional Characterization of Candidate Insect Resistance Genes in Poplar Trees Using Forward Genetics” Professional Disciplines Schneider, Stuart A., Information Systems and Business Education, $37,500, “The Effect of Text Messaging on the Development and Maintenance of Relationship Over A Student's Academic Tenure“ Social Sciences Evanson, Tracy A., Family and Community Nursing, $33,445, "rural Nurses' Training Needs for Intimate Partner Violence” Congratulations to all faculty receiving awards! -- Barry I. Milavetz, Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Vice President for Research and Economic Development, barrymilavetz@mail.und.nodak.edu, 701/777-4278