The call for proposals for the Research Equipment Reserve Funds has posted. The hard deadline to submit to the research office is below. The internal deadline to submit your requests to the College is 14 March 2022, 5 PM. Please use the attached form and submit your request to the College of Science Research Development research.development@science.oregonstate.edu  and cc Vrushali Bokil.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/105mlYKg8Ui53E5_nKUkwpvibTbSpRzVT/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101477212121605210334&rtpof=true&sd=true

On behalf of the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (I&EC) Division of the American Chemical Society, I want to solicit abstracts for the ACS I&EC Division Graduate Student Award Symposium. This symposium will be featured at the ACS Fall National Meeting, in Chicago, August 21-25, 2022. The deadline for Abstract submission is March 14, 2022. As of this date, ACS is planning a hybrid in-person/virtual symposia, and more details will be provided by ACS on their website, www.acs.org, as they become available. We conducted a very successful virtual symposium in 2021 and so I am confident the 2022 event will be scientifically stimulating and personally rewarding for graduate students.

I ask that you distribute this announcement to your advanced degree students and their advisors and encourage those attending this ACS meeting to submit papers and compete for the monetary award and distinction described in the attached flyer. The I&EC Division features programming of great interest to the chemical sciences community, and through this symposium we wish to contribute to the professional development of your graduate students. 

Every graduate student lead author accepted for this Symposium will be awarded an ACS members meeting registration fee, as well as a ticket to the Awards Luncheon.  All submissions and presentations will be evaluated by a panel selected by the Division. The third place presentation will be awarded an additional $250.  The second place presentation will be awarded an additional $400. The first place presentation will be awarded $550. To be eligible for any award, the presenter must be a student at university, pursuing a graduate degree in the chemical sciences or engineering at the time of the symposium.

More details are given in the enclosed flyer. Again, I request your support in distributing this to your outstanding graduate students. We look forward to highlighting their outstanding work in this exciting symposium.

Regards,

Mike

Michael A. Matthews

Tel. 803.777.0556

Admin. Assistant 803.777.4259

Associate Vice President for Research

Vice Dean and Senior Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Programs

Professor of Chemical Engineering

College of Engineering & Computing

Swearingen Engineering Center

University of South Carolina

Columbia, SC 29208

Fax 803.777.4856

www.che.sc.edu

Nuclear Chemistry, Physics

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Position:

Full-Time 12-month Postdoctoral Scholar position located in the Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University. The postdoc will work in Nuclear Chemistry under the mentorship of Dr. Walter Loveland.  Research is in fission physics and the synthesis of heavy nuclei using multi-nucleon transfer reactions.  Stipend and benefits conform to postdoctoral standards at OSU https://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/postdocs

Qualifications:

Recent Ph.D. degree in nuclear physics or nuclear chemistry and experience in fission physics and/or heavy element reactions. 

Position Available: 

07/1/ 2022 with an initial appointment of one year, renewable up to one to three years.

 Application:

For full consideration, apply by 06/01/ 2022. Applicants must send: (1) Cover letter describing academic experience, qualifications and interest in the position; (2) Curriculum Vitae (CV) (3) Publication list; (4) summary of research experience;(5) names  and contact information for two references. Application should be sent electronically to lovelanw@oregonstate.edu.  Initial review of applications will begin 06/01/ 2022.

Chemical and Materials Science Research to Advance Clean Energy Technologies Like Solar, Next-Generation Batteries, and Carbon Capture and Storage

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $150 million in open funding for research projects focused on increasing efficiency and curbing carbon emissions from energy technologies and manufacturing. This funding will support research underpinning DOE’s Energy Earthshots Initiatives, which set goals for significant improvements in clean energy technology within a decade, including hydrogen, long duration storage, and carbon capture and sequestration. This research is fundamental to the climate solutions that will be critical to reaching President Biden’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

“Rapidly deploying existing climate technology while cranking up investments in early-stage climate research is the one-two punch we need to build long-term resilience to the climate crisis and meet our 2050 goals,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “From discovery to deployment, this research funding will draw on the talent of American colleges and universities to expedite the development of new technology that, paired with our current arsenal of climate solutions, will be key to tackling the climate crisis while creating good-paying jobs and bolstering American competitiveness.” 

Funding will support an array of research topics in basic chemical and materials research, including new clean energy approaches that are inspired by energy-efficient biological processes, such as photosynthesis that harnesses sunlight to synthesize the molecules plants need for life. This research is foundational to the development of solar and nuclear energy technologies, energy storage, carbon capture, novel manufacturing processes, and the use of critical minerals in energy technologies and manufacturing. This funding will also support research underpinning DOE’s Energy Earthshots Initiatives, including the Hydrogen Shot, which aims to decrease the cost of producing hydrogen; the Long Duration Storage Shot, which seeks to reduce the cost and increase the duration of grid-scale energy storage; and the Carbon Negative Shot, which targets the decrease of costs to remove and durably store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.   

DOE encourages applications led by, or in partnership with, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that are underrepresented in the Basic Energy Sciences portfolio and applications involving individuals from groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Applications are open to all accredited U.S. colleges and universities, national laboratories, nonprofits, and private sector companies. Contingent on congressional appropriations, total planned funding is up to $150 million, with up to $50 million in Fiscal Year 2022. 

The Funding Opportunity Announcement, sponsored by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences within the Department’s Office of Science, can be found here.

For more information about this funding opportunity and its connections to the Energy Earthshots, please register for a webinar on 
February 23, 2022 at 9:30 AM ET. 

Register now

There are three new open opportunities on the Halo platform. I’ve attached slides from the informational webinars held this week, along with my notes from the Q&A sessions. Please feel free to send me an email or call if you have questions about the presentations. 

Halo submissions are simple and short. Only non-confidential information is shared at this stage, and if advanced, you’ll loop in OSRAA and a Cayuse submission. Importantly, this stage initiates a relationship between the PI and the corporation, a pathway by which future research developments can be shared.

Deadlines for all three of these calls are March 31. Halo highly suggests submitting as soon as possible; submissions will be reviewed as quickly as they are received. Those received before the crowded last week before the deadline have an attention advantage. 

Joyn Bio

Plant-associated microbes for crop care

Seeking licensing agreements for new strains of plant-associated microbes (Bacteria, Fungi, Yeast, or other unicellular organisms) for generating engingeered microorganisms. 

Relevant research areas: Microbiology, Crop Science

Funding can range from $10,000 to $500,000 over the course of one year. 

Sonoco

Recyclable materials with vapor barriers for paper-based food packaging

Sonoco is seeking barrier materials, coatings, films, structures or components therein, for paper-based rigid can and flexible food packaging. The barriers must reduce oxygen and moisture vapor transmission while maintaining food freshness during transportation, shelf life and consumer use. Technology that improves surface or coating characteristics of the paper for subsequent barrier materials is also of interest.

Funding can range up to $100,000 for a 6-12 month project with potential follow on funding for 1-2 years.

Sustainable mold coating/technology for part release from metal mold

Coatings or technologies that promote the release of polyester or polyamide thermoformed or injection molded parts from metal molds without using Teflon. The solution should be durable and should not peel off from the surface of the metal mold at operating temperatures which may exceed 400°F.

Funding can range up to $100,000 for 6-12 month projects with the potential follow on funding for 1-2 years

Best,

Elizabeth

ELIZABETH OCAMPO

Director of Development, Foundation Relations

Dear Colleagues,

The search committee for the Director of Equity, Access and Inclusion is exciting to invite you to engage with our on-campus candidates. Please consider attending the presentations and providing your feedback for each of our candidates. They will both be presenting on ways to broaden the image of a scientist, which is a proposed action in the diversity action plan.

Candidate #1 – Kameron Kadooka
Friday, February 25 – 10 a.m.

In-person in Kidder 128 – Conference Room

On Zoom: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/92917932687?pwd=TUNNQ3A5YXY4eE9JL053SVFHaUE0UT09

Candidate #2 – Stella Hein

Monday, February 28 – 9 a.m.

In-person in Kidder 128 – Conference Room

On Zoom: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/95633877525?pwd=N3U4ZWF5WHd1MVQ3Q0dYbkhaMU5aZz09

Please contact me if you have any questions. We will follow up with those at the talk and on Zoom with a feedback form.

Please take a moment to look at the following alumni awards and send us your nominations.  Nominations need not be long – a few sentences will do nicely.  Please send nominations to science@oregonstate.edu and cc me.  

Thanks,

Roy

https://science.oregonstate.edu/resources-for/alumni

Lifetime Achievement in Science Award

This award honors the distinguished career and recognizes exceptional and significant contributions to science over the course of a lifetime either through research, scholarship or teaching.

Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award

This award is given annually to an alumnus/alumna whose exceptional achievements in business, education, public service or research that has brought honor, distinction and visibility to the College of Science at Oregon State University. Nominations are solicited from the departments in the College in consultation with the OSU Foundation and the OSU Alumni Association. Nomination packets will also be shared each year for consideration for the E. B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award and/or the Alumni Fellow Award, which is given every other year. In the future, the timing of this College award will be coordinated to coincide with these university awards.

Distinguished Service Award

This award recognizes the distinguished service of an alumnus, alumna or friend of the College of Science at Oregon State University. Nominations will be sought from the department chairs/heads in the College and from the OSU Foundation. This award will also be given annually, and the selected recipient will be nominated for the Dan Poling Service Award by the OSU Alumni Association.

Young Alumni Award

This award recognizes the exceptional achievements in career, public service and/or volunteer activities of a young alumnus/alumna. “Young” is defined as less than 10 years from the most recent degree. Consideration will be given to nominees who may have taken breaks during their career paths. If the nominee is qualified for the OSU Alumni Association Young Alumni Award (age 35 or younger), then the nomination will be forwarded to OSUAA. This award will be given annually with input and guidance from the department chairs in the College, OSUAA and the OSU Foundation.

Send us your nominations!

To nominate exceptional the College of Science alumni or friends for these awards, please submit send nominations to science@oregonstate.edu.

Dear Community Members, 

We know many of us are concerned and dismayed by the news of the reported physical assault, involving sexual orientation bias, that took place on our Corvallis campus. We know incidents like this can be traumatic. We are offering a Community Care Circle in support of anyone struggling or who wants to be in community in light of this violence. The Community Care Circle will take place Tuesday, February 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws. 

Please help us spread the word about this event by using the enclosed flyer, Instagram image, and monitor materials. This event is hosted by Diversity and Cultural Engagement-Pride Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, and the Office of Institutional Diversity. 

Accommodation requests related to disability should be made to Cindy Konrad at konrad@oregonstate.eduor call 541-737-9969. 

Additionally, two employee-only, virtual community care spaces are available, facilitated by the Employee Assistance Program. Please register for a session via the links below. Both sessions are limited to 30 employees. Accommodation requests related to disability should be made to Christina Schaaf at Christina.Schaaf@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-4960. 

Employee EAP Community Care Session, 2/22 12PM, Register Here

Employee EAP Community Care Session, 2/23 12PM, Register Here

In solidarity, 

Cindy Konrad 

Diversity and Cultural Engagement – Pride Center 

Ian Kellems 

Counseling and Psychological Services 

Teresita Alvarez-Cortez 

Office of Institutional Diversity