Research at North Carolina A&T
Sponsored Funding and Research
Annual Report FY 2012
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Explore. Discover. Become.
FY 2012 research highlights
Accomplishments, 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.
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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FY 2012 research highlights
Accomplishments, 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.
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Sponsored funding overview

Sponsored funding totaled $51.3 million in FY 2011
Sponsored Funding, FY 2001-2012
(in millions)
$70.0
$57.7
$60.0
$50.0
$39.3 $41.0
$40.0
$51.3
$45.8
$32.9
$30.0
$20.0
$44.4
$48.2
$60.1 $60.5
$23.8
$18.4
$10.0
$0.0
2001
2002
2003
2004
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
4
FY 2012 Sponsored Funding
By colleges and schools
Unit
School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
College of Engineering
Division of Academic Affairs
College of Arts and Sciences
Division of Student Affairs
School of Education
School of Business and Economics
Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
School of Technology
Division of Information Technology
Division of Research and Economic Development
School of Nursing
Division of Business and Finance
Total
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
Total
$20,408,199.99
$11,830,442.50
$11,058,081.00
$3,762,119.00
$1,264,455.00
$1,050,178.14
$834,867.00
$706,848.00
$315,685.08
$51,671.00
$50,000.00
$15,000.00
$10,000.00
$51,357,546.71
5
FY 2012 Sponsored Funding
By colleges and schools
Sponsored funding by unit
in millions
$3.76
School of Agriculture and
Environmental Sciences
$4.29
$20.40
$11.05
$11.83
College of Engineering
Division of Academic
Affairs
College of Arts and
Sciences
8 other units
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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
6
FY 2012 Sponsored Funding
By types of funders
SPONSOR
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education
National Science Foundation
Educational and Research Institutions
Department of Defense
All other federal agencies
Department of Health & Human Services
Foundations
Business and Industry
Local Government
State Government
Nonprofit Organizations
Associations
Other Sponsors
Total
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
AWARD AMOUNT
$19,191,377.00
$11,186,210.00
$7,994,660.00
$4,566,667.30
$2,562,148.00
$2,013,742.00
$1,558,711.00
$644,251.99
$501,571.45
$483,567.15
$360,559.19
$174,694.00
$99,388.00
$20,000.00
$51,357,547.08
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FY 2012 Sponsored Funding
By types of funders
Sponsored funding by sponsor type
in millions
Department of
Agriculture
$2.56
Department of
Education
$5.85
$4.56
$19.19
National Science
Foundation
$7.99
$11.18
Educational and
Research Institutions
Department of Defense
All others
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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
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FY 2012 Sponsored Funding
By types of activity
FY 2012 Sponsored Funding
by Project Type (in millions)
Research
$1.24 $1.24
$7.57
$23.17
$18.11
Proportion of sponsored
funding
for STEM projects
1.22%
Other Sponsored
Activities
Academic Support
98.78%
Instruction
STEM
Scholarships/Fellow
ships
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
Other
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FY 2012 Sponsored Funding
5 largest new research grants
NO. AWARD TITLE
AMOUNT
INVESTIGATORS
SPONSOR
$616,956
Mannur Sundaresan,
Albert Esterline
Department of Defense
Army Research Office
Successful Small-Scale Enterprise
Endeavors
$570,254
Keith Baldwin, Jimo
Ibrahim, John O'Sullivan,
Joshua Idassi, Michelle Eley;
Niki Whitley
Department of
Agriculture
National Institute of
Food and Agriculture
A Study of GaAsSb Nanowires by
3 Molecular Beam Epitaxy for near IR
Applications
$563,497
Shanthi Iyer
Department of Defense
Army Research Office
Supporting Thriving Families:
4 Addressing Mental Health Needs in
the Oakwood Forest Community
$491,700
Yoko Crume, Maura
Nsonwu
Kate B Reynolds
Charitable Trust
Shengmin Sang
Department of
Agriculture
Agricultural and Food
Research Initiative
1
2
Prognostic Health Management of
DoD Assets
Dietary flavonoids inhibit the
formation of advanced glycation end
5 products by trapping reactive
$489,884
dicarbonyl compounds-An in vivo
study
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
10
FY 2012 Sponsored Funding
5 largest supplemental research grants
NO. AWARD TITLE
1
AMOUNT
FY 2012 Evans-Allen Funding at
$4,791,764
North Carolina A&T State University
INVESTIGATORS
William Randle,
Shirley Hymon-Parker
2 Revolutionizing Metalic Biomaterials $4,000,000
Jagannathan Sankar
3 Center for Aviation Safety (CAS)
$785,000
Shivakumar, Kunigal
The Center for the Study of
Evolution in Action (BEACON)
$500,000
Dozier, Gerry
DNI S&T Center of Academic
5 Excellence -- Advanced Biometrics
Technology Research
$485,000
Dozier, Gerry
4
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
SPONSOR
Department of
Agriculture
National Institute of
Food and Agriculture,
Evans Allen Program
National Science
Foundation
National Aeronautics
and Space
Administration
National Science
Foundation, through
Michigan State
University
Department of Defense
Army Research
Laboratory
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FY 2012 Sponsored Funding
5 largest non-research awards
NO. AWARD TITLE
Title III Strengthening Institutions
1
Program
AMOUNT
INVESTIGATOR
$5,404,936
Sandra Totten
$6,906,341
Marion McKinnie
Strengthening Historically Black
3 Graduate Institutions (HBGI)
Programs
$2,148,069
Sandra Totten
4 Title III SAFRA Program
$1,541,806
Sandra Totten
2
5
Cooperative Extension Work in
North Carolina
North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance
$933,075
for Minority Participation, Phase IV
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
Winser Alexander
SPONSOR
Department of
Education
Department of
Agriculture
National Institute of
Food and Agriculture
Department of
Education
Department of
Education
National Science
Foundation
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Research overview
Division 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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Advanced
Materials &
Nanotech
Research Clusters
Social &
Behavioral
Sciences
(NEW)
Biotech &
Biosciences
Computational
Science &
Engineering
Public Health
Division of
Research
&
Economic
Development
Logistics &
Transportation
Systems
Energy &
Environment
Leadership &
Community
Development
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
Information
Sciences &
Technology
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Division of Research
Research 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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Focus on emerging fields
Applying 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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Bioengineering & biomedical research
NSF 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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Bioengineering & biomedical research
NSF 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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Bioengineering & biomedical research
Bioengineering/Industrial & Systems Engineering

Nanotechnology in drug delivery and tissue engineering, Dr. Salil
Desai, Industrial and Systems Engineering
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Bioengineering & biomedical research
Biomedical research

Genetic and phenotype basis of Alzheimer’s disease and cerebralvascular disease among African Americans, Dr. Goldie Byrd, Biology

Tumor virology and molecular carcinogenesis and toxicology, Dr.
Perpetua Muganda, 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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Functional foods & food technologies
Center 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.
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Functional foods & food technologies
Center 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)
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Energy & environmental sciences
NSF CREST Biofuels Center

Fundamental research in advanced thermochemical biomass
conversion technology 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.
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Nanoengineering
Joint 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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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National defense & homeland security
Center 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.
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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National defense & homeland security
Battle 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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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National defense & homeland security
Cybersecurity

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.
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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National defense & homeland security
Additional research areas

Composite Materials Research
»

Environmental Security
»

Spin-off company: Advaero Technologies, supplies high-strength, lowweight replacement parts for U.S. Marines CH-46 helicopter
Physical, chemical, microbial remediation of soil and water
Food Security, Border Security, Infrastructure Protection
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
30
Social & behavioral sciences
Department 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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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Staying in touch
Here’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
North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University
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