Undergraduates Selected for Science Research Funding

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ten University of Arkansas students engaged in innovative undergraduate research have received grant funding from the Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). This program is funded by the National Science Foundation and administered in Arkansas through the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority. Eight of the students are from the College of Engineering, and two are from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; nine of the students are members of the Honors College.

Under the guidance of their faculty mentors, the students have tackled projects ranging from the fabrication and testing of experimental solar cell devices that more efficiently convert sunlight into energy to the use of nanotechnology to detect biomarkers that assist in medical diagnosis.

EPSCoR, whose mission is to assist the National Science Foundation in strengthening research and education throughout the United States, provides funding to Arkansas and 26 other states, as well as the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. EPSCoR grants are selected from student proposals for State Undergraduate Research Fellowships, and funding amounts are similar. Individual awards for 2011 ranged from $1,250 to $2,750, with the university providing matching funds for each student. Faculty mentors received $750 for each of the students they support. Most of the students also applied for and received up to $750 for travel costs associated with their research.

“These grant awards provide the latest evidence that our undergraduate students are engaged in substantive research,” said Bob McMath, dean of the Honors College. “In addition to the thrill of asking and answering real questions, these students develop research partnerships with their faculty mentors that are valuable throughout their career. We’re grateful for the funding support from EPSCoR that furthers undergraduate research here at the University of Arkansas.”

The 2011 EPSCoR recipients from the University of Arkansas: