Award Data

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Phase I proposal seeks support to evaluate the feasibility of developing an extracellular matrix (ECM) biologic scaffold as a repair device for atrial septal defects (ASD). ASDs are one of the most common forms of congenital heart disease and account for approximately 30-40% of all congenital heart defects seen in adults. Closure of an ASD can be performed ...

The future of nuclear fusion relies in part on the development of effective plasma facing components (PFCs) that can withstand the intense heat loads, forces, and neutron bombardment of long-pulse, high-power reactor operation. Current PFC designs for the next-generation International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which will require thousands of PFCs, involve beryllium (Be) armor bon ...

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are one of the most efficient and cleanest power generating systems under development. A key component in the SOFC generator is the cathode-air heat exchanger or recuperator, which ensures that the cathode air (and, thereby, the cells) is at a sufficient temperature to permit ion mobility and improve overall SOFC system efficiency by reducing stack losses. However, ...

The project designs, tests, and evaluates the Teach ME system. The Teach ME system embodies universal design for learning principles by using smart sensor technology to create manipulative activities for all students and specifically addresses the needs of students with cognitive disabilities. Research identifies a family of radio frequency (rf) passive tags, both regular and anti-collision, and ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to culture human embryonic stem cells generated a great deal of excitement about their vast potential for treating a variety of human diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, neurological, retinal and skin disorders to name a few. Unlike adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells have indefinite growth potential and the potential to develop into any t ...

There is a troubling decline in the number of US citizens training to become scientists and engineers. There are insufficient numbers of qualified science teachers in the middle schools, where interest in science must be kindled. Technology enhanced learning environments (TELEs), which could improve science education, are not being widely deployed. This Phase I project will customize a TELE to a) ...

Up until the early twentieth century, several commodity chemicals were produced by the pyrolysis of hardwoods (e.g., methanol, acetic acid, acetone) or the extraction of softwoods (turpentine, terpenes, rosins, pitches, and tars). The expected long term increase in petroleum and natural gas prices will cause a gradual but steady return to biomass feedstocks over the next several decades. Other dri ...

There is a troubling decline in the number of US citizens training to become scientists and engineers. There are insufficient numbers of qualified science teachers in the middle schools, where interest in science must be kindled. Technology enhanced learning environments (TELEs), which could improve science education, are not being widely deployed. This Phase I project will customize a TELE to a) ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to conceive and maintain a pregnancy is a desire most couples expect to fulfill in their lifetime. However, infertility affects between eight and fifteen percent of the American population. One of the most common causes of female infertility is anovulation, or the inability to stimulate and release an egg from the ovary. Although there are a number ...

There is a growing demand for power electronics that can operate under the high temperature and high power conditions that will be encountered in applications such as Hybrid Electric Vehicles. As the coolant temperature used to dissipate heat from the electronics increases, the operation of power semiconductor devices such as Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) becomes severly limited, in ...