Research at North Carolina A&T

1. Research at North Carolina A&T Sponsored Funding and Research Annual Report FY 2012

2. FY 2012 research highlightsAccomplishments, milestones, recognition • NSF Engineering Research Center for Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials receives additional three years, $12 million • “About 20 percent of funded ERCs begin to wind down at this point because they’re not meeting goals, [Leon Esterowitz, NSF program director] said, but the project in Greensboro is going extremely well.” The Business Journal, August 19, 2011.

3. FY 2012 research highlightsAccomplishments, milestones, recognition • ARO awards $3.5 million for nanoengineering research • Three A&T nanoengineering professors at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering received research grants totaling $3.5 million. A&T news release, January 6,2012 • N.C. A&T leads UNC system in STEM growth • The number of N.C. A&T students graduating in the STEM disciplines is accelerating at almost twice the rate of the UNC system as a whole. The Business Journal, June 22, 2012.

4. Sponsored funding overview • Sponsored funding totaled $51.3 million in FY 2011

5. FY 2012 Sponsored FundingBy colleges and schools

6. FY 2012 Sponsored FundingBy colleges and schools • Concentration: 92% of funding went to four units. • School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences • Division of Academic Affairs • School of Engineering • College of Arts & Sciences • Growth potential: Five academic units each accounted for 2% or less of total. • Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering • School of Business and Economics • Education • School of Technology • School of Nursing

7. FY 2012 Sponsored FundingBy types of funders

8. FY 2012 Sponsored FundingBy types of funders • Concentration: 75% of funding came from three funders • U.S. Department of Agriculture • U.S. Department of Education • National Science Foundation • Growth potential: Major funding agencies under $1 million • U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development • U.S. Department of Energy • U.S. Department of Transportation • U.S. Department of Homeland Security

9. FY 2012 Sponsored FundingBy types of activity

10. FY 2012 Sponsored Funding5 largest new research grants

11. FY 2012 Sponsored Funding5 largest supplemental research grants

12. FY 2012 Sponsored Funding5 largest non-research awards

13. Research overviewDivision of Research & Economic Development • Led by Dr. Barry L. Burks, Vice Chancellor. • Ph.D., Experimental Nuclear Physics, UNC-Chapel Hill • Total sponsored funding for FY2012: $51.3 million • North Carolina A&T ranks third in research funding in the UNC System, a position it has held each year since FY2005. • Behind UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University

14. Research Clusters

15. Division of ResearchResearch Centers • Center for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures • Center for Aerospace Research • Center for Autonomous Control and Information Technology • Center for Composite Material Research • Center for Cooperative Systems • Center for Energy Research and Technology • Center of Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies • Center for Human-Machine Studies • Interdisciplinary Center for Entrepreneurship & E-Business • International Trade Center • NOAA Interdisciplinary Scientific Environmental Technology Cooperative Science Center

16. Focus on emerging fieldsApplying traditional strengths to high-impact issues • Bioengineering & biomedical research • Energy & environmental sciences • Functional foods and food technologies • Nanoengineering • National defense & homeland security • Social & behavioral sciences

17. Bioengineering & biomedical researchNSF Engineering Research Center • Developing technology for biocompatible, biodegradable medical implants • Magnesium and magnesium alloys • Reconstruction and regeneration • Craniofacial, orthopedic and cardiovascular applications • “Smart structures” with embedded sensors to receive signal triggering dissolution process when device has served its purpose

18. Bioengineering & biomedical researchNSF Engineering Research Center • N.C. A&T leads team that includes University of Pittsburgh, University of Cincinnati, Hannover Medical School (Germany) • Five-year, $18 million project, renewable for an additional five years. • Now beginning Year 5; funding in place for years 6-8. • Director: Dr. Jagannathan Sankar, Department of Mechanical Engineering

19. Bioengineering & biomedical research Bioengineering/Industrial & Systems Engineering • Nanotechnology in drug delivery and tissue engineering, Dr. Salil Desai, Industrial and Systems Engineering

20. Bioengineering & biomedical research Bioengineering Program • Department of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering • B.S. and M.S. degrees offered; Ph.D. program in development • Research focus • Biomaterials and biomechanics • Bioimaging, biosignals and biosensors

21. Bioengineering & biomedical research Biomedical research • Genetic and phenotype basis of Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral-vascular disease among African Americans, Dr. Goldie Byrd, Biology • Tumor virology and molecular carcinogenesis and toxicology, Dr. PerpetuaMuganda, Biology • Cancer research and education partnership with Wake Forest University • Project to synthesize and evaluate novel benzylidenes as prostate cancer chemopreventive agents, Dr. Marion Franks, Chemistry • Project to understand glioblastoma cell mobility and resistance to therapeutics, Dr. Patrick Martin, Biology

22. Functional foods & food technologiesCenter of Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies • Enhancing the safety of foods. • Extending their shelf life. • Identifying and preserving their health-promoting nutrients. • Located at North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis.

23. Functional foods & food technologiesCenter of Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies • Dr. Jianmei Yu • Elimination of peanut allergens (clinical trials under way) • Dr. Shengmin Sang • Ginger extract: bioavailability and lung cancer preventive effect • Diabetes: Dietary flavonoids as reactive carbonyl scavengers to prevent the formation of advanced glycation end products • Dr. Leonard Williams • MRSA: Determining the mode of action of selected phytochemicals and bioactive compounds against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (E. coli O157: H7)

24. Energy & environmental sciencesNSF CREST Biofuels Center • Fundamental research in advanced thermochemical biomass conversiontechnology for the efficient, economic production of liquid transportation fuels and hydrogen. • Three focus areas • Gasification • Nanocatalysts for the conversion of syngas to biofuel and hydrogen • High-purity hydrogen • Cross-cutting economics research and an education initiative also are included.

25. Nanoengineering Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering • Partnership between North Carolina A&T and UNC Greensboro. • A&T degree programs: PhD in Nanoengineering, MS in Nanoengineering • Located at Gateway University Research Park, South Campus

26. NanoengineeringJoint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering • Nanobioelectronics • Sample project: Cell-based Toxicity Assay-on-Chip for the Next-Generation CMOS Technology • Nanobiotechnology • Sample project: High Performance Computational Modeling and Enabling Technologies for Nano and Bio Systems and Interfaces • Nanomaterials • Sample projects: Nano to Continuum Multi-Scale Modeling of Cementitious Materials under Dynamic Loading • A Study of GaAsSb (gallium arsenide antimonide) Nanowires by Molecular Beam Epitaxy for Near Infrared Applications

27. National defense & homeland securityCenter for Advanced Studies in Identity Sciences • Also known as the Director of National Intelligence Science and Technology Center of Academic Excellence in Advanced Biometrics. • Applying “genetic and evolutionary biometrics” to reduce the number of data points and amount of computing power required for more accurate facial recognition. • Research focus includes face recognition, age progression, age estimation, and ocular recognition. • A&T leading consortium of Clemson, Shaw, UNC Charlotte and UNC Wilmington. • Funded by the Army Research Laboratory ($8.93 million, 5 years). • Director: Dr. Gerry Dozier, Chair, Department of Computer Science.

28. National defense & homeland securityBattle command systems research • Center of Excellence for Battlefield Capability Enhancements, led by Dr. Shanthi Iyer, Department of Nanoengineering (JSNN) • Center for Human-Centric Command & Control Decision Making, led by Dr. Celestine Ntuen, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

29. National defense & homeland securityCybersecurity • Center of Excellence in Information Assurance Education • BEACON: Center for the Study of Evolution in Action brings together biologists, computer scientists, and engineers to study evolution as it happens and apply this knowledge to solve real-world problems, including computer security.

30. National defense & homeland securityAdditional research areas • Composite Materials Research • Spin-off company: Advaero Technologies, supplies high-strength, low-weight replacement parts for U.S. Marines CH-46 helicopter • Environmental Security • Physical, chemical, microbial remediation of soil and water • Food Security, Border Security, Infrastructure Protection

31. Social & behavioral sciencesDepartment of Human Development & Services • N.C. A&T Southeastern Center of Excellence in Trauma-Informed Care • Long-term clinic plan • Gender focus: Violence against women and girls • Cultural focus: Reducing disparities in exposure to, and impact of, violence and trauma through services that are culturally informed • Master’s program in Community Counseling (Clinical Mental health) • Master’s program in Rehabilitation Counseling • Ph.D. program in Rehabilitation Counseling in development • Funded by $1 million grant from U.S. Department of Education

32. Social & behavioral sciences Department of Leadership Studies • Ph.D. program • Established in 2005 • 31 graduates to date • Mostly part-time students • Quad-Continental Energy & Health Consortium • Regional center for leadership in healthcare

33. Staying in touchHere’s where you can follow Aggie Research • Website: http://research.ncat.edu • The Aggie Research blog: http://aggieresearch.wordpress.com/ • Facebook: www.facebook.com/aggieresearch • Twitter: @aggieresearch • In print: Evolution