Grants Make Research a Reality
By: Marga H. Row
In the last few decades, research grants at Penn State Berks have increased exponentially.
Sixty percent of the 115 full-time faculty members conduct research in addition to their teaching duties, and much of this research is funded through grants from external agencies. In the 2012/13 academic year, Penn State Berks had twenty-one active grants that totaled $1,252,605 in funding over the period of three years, from July 2010–June 2013.
A total of twelve proposals were submitted between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, requesting a total of $1,213,129. Of the twelve proposals submitted, eleven are pending. Penn State Berks recieved four awards in fiscal year 2012/13. These awards include:
Dr. Robert Forrey, The National Science Foundation awarded Dr. Robert Forrey, Professor of Physics, a $230,695 grant for his project titled “RUI: Quantum Mechanical Studies of Hydrogen and Helium Interactions: Applications in Astrophysical, Ultracold, and Industrial Environments.” Forrey will conduct theoretical research using full-dimensional quantum mechanics to calculate fundamental properties of atomic and molecular systems that contain hydrogen and helium. The astrophysical studies will include the origin of molecular hydrogen and its critical role in the formation of the first generation of stars in the universe. The ultracold studies will include the formation and dynamics of van der Waals molecules in magnetic traps at temperatures near absolute zero. The industrial studies will include chemical reactions on the surfaces of metallic clusters, which are relevant to heterogeneous catalysis, hydrogen storage, and fuel cell development for enabling a hydrogen economy. The grant is effective from September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2015.
Dr. Robert Forrey, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded Dr. Robert Forrey a $10,593 grant for the project titled, “A Universal Relation for Inelastic Molecular Collisional Rates in Support of NASA FIR/Submm Observations of Molecular Gas.” Forrey is the lead investigator for Penn State’s portion of a collaboration involving the University of Georgia, the University of Kentucky, UNLV, and the Royal Observatory of Belgium. The project aims to develop a comprehensive database of inelastic rate coefficients for all molecules contained in the JPL Catalog of Molecular Spectroscopy. The availability of this database would increase the scientific return from NASA space science missions including Spitzer, Herschel, SOFIA, and JWST. This grant is effective from January 25, 2013 to January 24, 2015.
Dr. Leonard Gamberg, The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Dr. Leonard Gamberg, Associate Professor of Physics, a $120,00 grant for his research project titled “Transverse Spin and Momentum Structure of Hadrons in QCD.” Gamberg’s research in subatomic particle physics focuses on the role basic elementary particles play in the fundamental understanding of the internal structure of the nucleon and other hadrons. Using quantum chromodynamics (QCD), he exploits the underlying symmetries of the theory to characterize the nuclear interaction of quark and gluons. A major goal of the research is to map out the transverse spin and momentum substructure of the nucleon in terms of its constituents, and shed light on how these quark and gluon degrees of freedom bind together to form the proton and neutron. His theoretical work is closely tied to experiments carried out at laboratories such as the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News, VA. The grant is effective November 15, 2013 through November 14, 2015.
Dr. Janelle Larson, Division Head of Engineering, Business, and Computing and Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics, has been awarded $11,371 for a project titled “Sustainable Technologies for Orange and Purple Sweet Potatoes (STOPS) in Ghana” through a grant the Penn State College of Agricultural Science received from Tuskegee University. The grant is part of a USAID project. This project seeks to identify bottlenecks in the value chain (production, processing, distribution, and consumption) and develop a means to address these constraints. Larson’s role in this project will be value chain analysis. Project findings will inform the development of technologies and institutional innovations to enhance sustainable, nutritional health of women and children, and equitable food security. This grant is effective from June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014.