A total of $230,000 has been awarded to faculty members for eight one-year research projects focused on topics ranging from tonsillectomies to data visualization.
The seed grants will enable researchers to plan or launch new interdisciplinary projects and support research that should lead to external collaborations or funding, says Bogdan Vernescu, vice provost for research.
“These projects include researchers from across the university and will set the stage for larger, more expansive projects in the future,” Vernescu says. “We know that seed grants can provide much-needed support for bold, early-stage scholarly inquiry, and it’s a pleasure to congratulate all the recipients.”
Three photonics projects were each awarded $70,000 from the Gapontsev Family Collaborative Venture Fund to pursue interdisciplinary collaborations that focus on lasers and laser applications. The fund was established by the family of Valentin Gapontsev, founder of IPG Photonics, who received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from WPI in 2001 in recognition of his contributions to the field of photonics and the photonics industry. This year’s grants represent the second of three years of funding from the Gapontsev family. Their gift of $645,000 supports “Beyond These Towers,” the university’s fundraising effort, which includes a commitment to faculty research.
In addition, five projects were each awarded $4,000 from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research to pursue early-stage, cross-disciplinary activities that relate to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) at WPI. The grants will enable teams to design research studies or scholarly or creative works that could lead to collaborations with external partners, external funding, or longer-term projects.
