Idaho EPSCoR Fall 2013 Newsletter

• the RESEARCHER - PAGE 1 •

RESEARCHERThe

Erin MurrayGraduate Student Boise State University2013 Idaho EPSCoR Annual Meeting

In this issue:

- 2013 EPSCoR Annual Meeting

- The Northwest Knowledge Network (NKN) - a resource for Idaho Researchers

- Decade-old Investments in Nanomaterials Lead to Recent Breakthrough for Orthopedic Implant Technology

IDAHO NSF EPSCOR | FALL 2013


This is an exciting time of affirmation and opportunity for EPSCoR, both at the national and state levels.

The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2011 required the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study of all Federal agencies that administer an Experimental Program to stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). This report (http://nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18384) was

released on November 15, 2013. It reaffirms the critical role of EPSCoR:

Consequently, students in all parts of the country must have the chance to participate in high-quality research, and it is in the national interest that federal funding be provided to universities in every state to ensure that these research opportunities are available. The committee asserts that the nation needs a robust supply of researchers to keep expanding the frontiers of knowledge, and all states need citizens capable of understanding and applying new developments in science and engineering to their work, whether in industry, health care, education, environmental protection, or other fields of endeavor critical to the nation’s well-being.

The report captures the challenge that faces states like Idaho to, with NSF EPSCoR investments of only $5M per year, transform their research capacity and culture to significantly increase research productivity. The report also reinforces the Idaho EPSCoR Committee’s strategy to target research investments in areas where our collective efforts can contribute to state, regional, and national priorities. This collaborative philosophy that we call ONEIdaho gives our researchers a better opportunity to participate in national initiatives.

The importance of research excellence is another key message in this influential report. This point was emphasized by Senator Laird Noh (Chair of the Idaho Committee) during a workshop in 2012 that produced EPSCoR2030 – A Report to the National Science Foundation.

This commitment to research excellence is a hallmark established by Dr. Jean’ne Shreeve during her tenure as Idaho EPSCoR Project Director from 1987 to 2008. So I look forward with anticipation to see Idaho’s 3rd recipient of the Jean’ne M. Shreeve EPSCoR Award for Research Excellence, which will be announced at the Idaho EPSCoR Annual meeting in April 2014. Nominations are now being accepted. Details are available on www.idahoepscor.org

Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Doyle Jacklin for chairing the Idaho EPSCoR Committee for the past 16 years. The EPSCoR Committee accepted his resignation as chair at its Annual Meeting in October. Dr. Jacklin is a true statesman in every sense of the word. Fortunately we are not losing his vision, wisdom, diplomacy and warm sense of humor, as he will continue as a member of the Committee under the leadership of the incoming Chair, Senator Laird Noh. Thank you Dr. Jacklin!

A newsletter publication of the Idaho EPSCoR Office

the RESEARCHER

Idaho EPSCoR(208) 885-7102

www.idahoepscor.org

Peter Goodwin, Project [email protected]

Rick Schumaker, Assistant Project [email protected]

Althea Sheets, Newsletter [email protected]

This material is based in part upon work supported by: The National Science Foundation under grant number EPS-0814387. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Message from the Director

Peter Goodwin,Idaho EPSCoR Project Director

Idaho STEM Pipeline isnow available in Spanish

www.idahostem.orgGoogle translation dropdown will appear after selecting a tab or

section

SAVE THE DATES

WC-WAVE (RII Track 2)March 17-21, 2014

Boise, Idaho

- Snow Camp March 17-19- Western Consortium Tri-State Annual Meeting March 19-21- External Advisory Board Meeting March 19-21

MILES (RII Track 1)April 22-24, 2014

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

- Idaho EPSCoR/NASA EPSCoR/ INBRE/IBEST Joint Faculty Development Workshops April 22- Idaho EPSCoR Annual Meeting April 22-24- Project Advisory Board Meeting April 22-24- State Committee Meeting April 23


2013 Idaho EPSCoR Annual Meeting

EPSCoR researchers, state committee members and affiliates from across Idaho met Oct. 7-9 at the Shore Lodge in McCall for the 2013 Idaho NSF EPSCoR Annual Meeting. The meeting marked the end of the previous RII project, “Water Resources in a Changing Climate,” and the introduction of the new five-year RII project, “Managing Idaho’s Landscapes for Ecosystem Services.”

Noted ecologist Dr. Steven Running of the University of Montana gave the keynote address, “Energy and Food Security in a Changing Climate,” and spoke about water’s relation to climate change in the Northern Rockies on the conference’s second day. Faculty and students from participating institutions also presented their work in lectures and poster sessions.

Student Poster Competion winners were Erin Murray, Boise State University; Chris Tennant, Idaho State University; and Ed Flathers, University of Idaho. All speakers’ presentations are available on the Idaho EPSCoR webiste www.idahoepscor.org, along with poster abstracts, PDFs and images.

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On June 1, 2013, Idaho received a new, 5-year, $20M, National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR, Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) award. This highly competitive grant will increase the capacity of the Idaho scientific community to conduct nationally competitive research in a complex, new field which integrates social and natural sciences, and provides practical tools to assist decision makers in managing natural resources on a sustainable, long-term basis.

The easily remembered acronym, MILES, stands for Managing Idaho’s Landscapes for Ecosystem Services. Ecosystem Services, a term new to many and easily misunderstood, simply refers to the economic and societal benefits which humans obtain from the natural resources and landscapes upon which we depend.

The MILES project will focus on three growing metropolitan areas of Idaho: the Treasure Valley, Coeur d’Alene-Post Falls, and Pocatello-Idaho Falls. Each has different resources upon which it depends and different challenges to realize sustainable growth. As the research unfolds and scientific tools are developed to assist decision makers, there will be a strong emphasis upon building collaborations with local, state, tribal and federal agencies and other stakeholders. In making this award, the NSF expressed support for an Idaho effort that will ultimately strengthen the ability of rapidly growing, mid-sized cities across the US to achieve sustainable growth.

The MILES theme is well aligned with Idaho’s State Science and Technology plan and the Five-Year Strategic Research Plan for Idaho Higher Education. It takes advantage of strengths at each of Idaho’s universities (e.g., agricultural and natural resources, engineering, biological sciences, and public policy). It also capitalizes

This is a statewide program committed to the concept of Idaho EPSCoR’s

“ONEIdaho” vision of an integrated, productive, and creative community of Idaho researchers that transcends

institutional and disciplinary boundaries.

NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) award will Strengthen Idaho’s Capacity to Integrate Social and Natural Sciences

on a high level of coordination among our research universities and existing intrastate networks that serve as a foundation for data collection and analysis.

More specifically, the new EPSCoR RII MILES award will:

• Train 300 undergraduate students through research experiences in MILES-related disciplines

• Hire 11 new professors dedicated to research, teaching, public service, and enabling more integrative research

• Nurture early career faculty through mentoring and opportunities for Social Ecological Systems (SES) research collaborations

• Provide seed funding and support innovative, collaborative research

• Contribute to increasing diversity (individual, institutional, and geographic) in the State’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enterprise

• Improve cyber and computer infrastructure research in data interoperability and visual-analytics to support researchers and stakeholders working together

• Increase engagement of stakeholders and partners, thereby bridging the gap between science and policy

• Engage and grow state, regional, national, and international partnerships to sustain gains achieved through MILES and generate subsequent funding

• Grow and diversify the STEM workforce through improved mentoring, workforce training, and professional development opportunities.

This program will increase Idaho’s capacity to conduct nationally competitive research in a complex, new field; will provide practical tools to assist decision makers in managing natural resources; and will ultimately contribute to our environmental quality, social wellbeing, and economic prosperity.

Treasure Valley Coeur d’Alene-Post Falls Pocatello-Idaho Falls


THE PEOPLE OF IDAHO EPSCOR

DAVID RODGERSMILES Executive Leadership Team

David Rodgers is a professor of Geosciences at Idaho State University. David received his PhD from Stanford University, where he conducted research on the age and rate of mountain building

in the Great Basin. After arriving at ISU, he continued to study regional tectonic processes. More recently, David has focused on active crustal deformation, using InSAR and GPS techniques as well as geologic mapping to document surface deformation in Idaho, Yellowstone, and New Zealand. David also directed ISU’s geology field camp for fifteen years and twice served as Chair of Geosciences prior to becoming Associate Dean in the College of Science & Engineering in 2010.

SHAWN BENNERMILES Executive Leadership Team

Shawn Benner is a professor in the Geosciences Department at Boise State University. Shawn received his PhD from University of Waterloo, where he conducted research on reactive barriers to remediate mine drainage. Prior to joining

the faculty at Boise State he was a post-doc at Stanford University and a research scientist at the Desert Research Institute in Nevada. He conducts research related to surface-groundwater interaction, characterization and treatment of acid mine drainage, nutrient and carbon cycling, biogeochemical transformation of minerals, and subsurface and surface contaminant characterization and global climate.

JAN BOLLMILES Executive Leadership Team

Jan Boll is the Director of the Environmental Science and Water Resources Program and a professor in Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Idaho. Jan received his PhD from Cornell University, where

he conducted research on Vadose Zone Hydrology/Soil and Water Engineering. He specializes in the areas of environmental water quality, watershed hydrology, eco-hydrology, and interdisciplinary methods in water resources. His research involves looking at the landscape processes that influence quantity and quality of water available for drinking and the natural environment. Jan has projects and collaborations in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, The Netherlands, and Chile. He is principal investigator for a National Science Foundation IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship).

The Northwest Knowledge Network (NKN) – a resource for Idaho researchers

Mountain watersheds provide a large proportion of water and ecosystem services to communities in the intermountain west. Climate change impacts affect the ability of these watersheds to improve water quality, groundwater storage, and flow moderation. Even subtle changes in climate may lead to cascading impacts on interactions between precipitation, vegetation growth, soil moisture, and other landscape properties, but the mechanisms responsible for observed and projected change are poorly understood. In order to address the challenge of understanding hydrologic change in high-elevation watersheds, the EPSCoR jurisdictions of Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico have collaborated to create the Western Consortium for Watershed Analysis, Visualization and Exploration (WC-WAVE).

WC-WAVE will create a virtual watershed (VW) framework to create and integrate watershed models. The VW framework capabilities will simulate watershed dynamics, enabling researchers to easily acquire and integrate data, visualize the data to obtain results, and identify environmental consequences of hydrologic changes. (Idaho Award #IIA-1329513, 8/1/13 - 7/31/16)

For more information visit www.westernconsortium.org.

The Northwest Knowledge Network was established, partly with NSF EPSCoR funding, to provide a resource for research data archiving and sharing for Idaho and the region. Many research-funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation now require researchers to archive data collected with grant money into a publicly accessible repository so that they can help to build our national science data archives. The NKN data portal is now available, with resources to help researchers tag their data with important details of data collection and processing (e.g. metadata) before depositing it into the NKN archive. These metadata can then be “exposed” to the world via the web so that researchers can find and explore these datasets as well as cite the owners or authors of the data if they are used for other purposes. The NKN team at the University of Idaho also includes student interns and graduate students who get hands-on experience in learning about research data management in our expanding world of BIG data! The development of the NKN portal is also crucial for enabling multi-disciplinary research that uses data from numerous disciplines to tackle complex issues and problems.

Visit www.northwestknowledge.net to learn more.


The MURI Program will engage STEM undergraduates in hands-on, paid summer and academic year research experience studying many different aspects of the MILES research. Sixty MURI Scholars positions will be offered each year, with a large percentage of those targeting underrepresented populations (e.g., women and ethnic minorities). Special efforts will also be made to recruit URM students, students with disabilities, and PUI students to participate. Stakeholders interested in having MURI scholars in internship positions with their organizations are also eligible to apply for funding.

EPSCoR also provides opportunities for community members and K-12 students and teachers in STEM fields to participate. The MILES project will use Adventure Learning (AL) to involve people in STEM activities related to MILES research at or near the MILES Study Areas, including those at Boise/Treasure Valley, Post Falls/Coeur d’Alene, and Idaho Falls/Pocatello. AL is an approach that uses a combination of place-based face-to-face settings and

online networking. AL participants (in-person and online) will include in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, high school students, MILES researchers, journalists, stakeholders, and MURI student(s). Groups will develop site-specific curriculum and will participate in pre-adventure communication via social media. The hands-on Adventure Learning activities will take place in the summer with all participants (some in-person and others following online) followed by post-event activities to build on the learning experience.

Idaho NSF EPSCoR also strives to increase the participation of 2-year and 4-year Idaho colleges, known as primarily undergraduate institutions (PUI’s), in MILES research and education. The NSF EPSCoR Ambassador Program will lead to greater levels of PUI participation in Idaho EPSCoR activities, and increase the number of students completing STEM degrees at the university-level. STEM faculty at Idaho’s PUIs will serve as ‘campus champions’ to promote MILES-related opportunities for their colleagues and students, and build lasting partnerships between PUIs and Idaho’s research universities.

For more information on any of the Diversity and Workforce Development efforts contact [email protected].

OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONMILES has Ambitious Goals for Diversity and Workforce Development

The Idaho EPSCoR MILES diversity and workforce development initiatives have ambitious goals for recruitment and retention of women, underrepresented minority (URM) students, and faculty and students from Idaho’s Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), including two 2-year colleges.

According to 2012 Census data Idaho’s total minority population is 14.2%. Hispanics and Native Americans/Native Alaskans make up the largest segments of the state’s URM population. During the past decade (2000-2010), Idaho’s Hispanic population grew by 73%, while Idaho’s overall population increased by 21%. The Boise-Treasure Valley Area (a MILES Study Area) experienced the greatest Hispanic influx of any area of the state. But there is not a corresponding level of URM STEM enrollment at our universities. In 2011, URMs represented 7.7% of Idaho’s undergraduate STEM majors, and received 5.3% of STEM bachelor’s degrees awarded.

The RII diversity goals will be accomplished by investing in: (1) increased recruitment and collaboration with programs that serve women, minority, students from PUIs, and students with disabilities, (2) recruiting URM students to undergraduate research and internships, (3) encouraging MILES faculty to recruit URM graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and (4) recruitment of a diverse pool of candidates for the 11 new EPSCoR-supported faculty positions at our universities.

The EPSCoR RII award provides several specific opportunities to increase participation of URM students and faculty in research and education related to the MILES theme: the MILES Undergraduate Research and Internship Program (MURI), community involvement through Adventure Learning (AL), and the MILES Ambassador Program.

University of Idaho Junior Vanessa Santos

Photo by Kaitlin Moroney, Argonaut

Adventure Learning Site - McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS)


with varying degrees of success. The nanosprings can be thought of as roots, or Velcro, that reinforces the bone at the prosthetic boundary, which is the region that will experience the greatest amount of stress and/or strain. Dr. Hass’s approach was to increase the thickness of this boundary layer from a few hundreds of atoms to tens of thousands of atoms, as well as to increase the strength of the bone at this interface.

The first most significant result was that nanosprings dramatically increased cell proliferation (cell division and multiplying) of osteoblasts, which produces the bone matrix and mineralization. The second important result was that the cells produced bone (mineralized deposits). The third result was that prosthetic screws coated with nanosprings were found to be five times more securely attached to living bone than uncoated screws. While the first two results were critical to the work, the last study validated the hypothesis that nanosprings would enhance the bonding of bone to prosthetics.

In 2012, Dr. Hass founded MJ3 Industries, LLC, which is located in beautiful north Idaho. The main focus of MJ3 is the optimization of the bionanomaterial (based on nanosprings) for coating on orthopedic and dental devices. This material can coat any manufactured metal/metal alloy or high temperature plastic orthopedic device. It can be used in both the veterinary and human biomedical fields. MJ3’s goal is to be a client-based provider of this remarkable new technology that can be customized to client specifications.

This exciting benefit of the nanomaterials research has taken more than ten years to realize. It is poised to improve quality of life for thousands of people by significantly reducing the number of prosthetic failures (currently 8-20% of all cases). When fewer prosthetic implants fail, patients recover faster, thereby reducing their hospital stay and their chances for infection.

This outcome required persistence and teamwork among scientists from different disciplines, like Dr. McIlroy and Dr. Gustavo Arrizabalaga of the Department of Biological Sciences (UI) who contributed his equipment and experience in biological sciences. It also required investments from multiple sources in addition to EPSCoR, including the W.M. Keck Foundation, the University of Idaho’s BANTech program, the College of Science’s Dyess Faculty Fellowship, Idaho-IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence, and the Idaho Higher Education Research Council (HERC).

For more information about MJ3 Industries, LLC visit: https://sites.google.com/site/mj3industries/home.

RESULTS FROM PRIOR SUPPORT

Decade-old Investments in Nanomaterials Lead to Recent Breakthrough for Orthopedic Implant TechnologyOften the true impact of basic research is not immediately visible. More than a decade ago, Idaho EPSCoR began building capacity to contribute to an emerging new area of scientific research – nanomaterials - and to successfully compete for research funding.

For example, Idaho EPSCoR invested in Dr. David McIlroy, University of Idaho, by providing critical seed grant and equipment funding that was used to develop a nanomaterials program. This work eventually led to the first W.M. Keck Foundation grant to any researcher in Idaho. These investments led to the discovery of a highly-efficient and repeatable process for producing nanosprings. Idaho EPSCoR also invested in a statewide nanomaterials infrastructure and new faculty positions, which paved the way for nanomaterials research at Boise State University (BSU), Idaho State University (ISU), and the University of Idaho (UI). The UI subsequently invested $1.6 million over five years in a signature nanoscience program known as Biological Applications of Nanotechnology (BANTech). This group of scientists from different disciplines went on to win an additional $6 million dollars in grants.

Dr. Jamie Hass, DVM, PhD (or as Dr. McIlroy calls her Dr2 Hass) was a graduate student in BANTech. She now holds a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) from Colorado State University and a doctorate (PhD) in Physics from UI. She also has over 20 years of clinical veterinary medical experience. As a student, Dr. Hass had the idea to demonstrate the compatibility and suitability of nanospring coatings to enhance the bonding of bone to prosthetics, for example, the bonding of screws used in the repair of broken bones.

It is difficult to get bone to form a strong bond with metals. This bond takes place at the nanoscale. Ways to improve this bond have been extensively studied, but

This work could significantly reduce the number of prosthetic

failures (currently 8-20% of all cases)

Dr. Jamie Hass, DVM, PhD, founder of MJ3 Industries, LLC and Dr. Davild McIlroy, PhD, Chair and Professor, Department of Physics, University of Idaho


Idaho EPSCoR875 Perimenter Drive MS 3029Moscow, ID 83844-3029

208-885-7102www.idahoepscor.org

www.idahoepscor.org

KUDOSPaul Gessler, James Foster, Daniel Ewart, Lucas Sheneman win NSF CC-NIE Networking Infrastructure Award: Enhancing Network Capabilities to Foster Big Data Science

As scientists’ abilities to collect enormous amounts of data increase, so does the need to store and share the data. The University of Idaho has received a grant to increase its core network bandwidth tenfold, allowing researchers to share data more effectively and efficiently in Idaho and worldwide.

The National Science Foundation, or NSF, awarded the university nearly $450,000 to remove network bottlenecks that were hampering UI’s ability to share data with its partners and the public. The award is part of a national effort by the NSF to increase data capacity.

The grant essentially increases the size of the “pipe” available for UI researchers to move large amounts of data, said Dan Ewart. “It means we will be able share almost 10 times more data at speeds nearly 10 times faster than we do now.”

The increase, which will be completed in 2014, will lead to improved connectivity across the UI campus for everything from video conferencing to exchanging large climate-modeling data sets, said Paul Gessler, the grant’s principal investigator.

“This will open up our ability to link with other national and international repositories and researchers in real time,” Gessler said.

The bandwidth increase will aid the Northwest Knowledge Network (NKN), which helps researchers store and manage their data and provides the public with access to data generated by university research.

“The data sets are only going to get bigger,” said Luke Sheneman. “This is going to help us reach our users, our clients, and serve the research community better.” The increase will allow NKN to more efficiently back up data from its servers at the UI Library to servers at Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls and will give UI researchers access to the laboratory’s high-performance computing and visualization resources.

It also will allow the university to build a stronger partnership with its collaborators across the region, including the Idaho Regional Optical Network, and with the NSF’s international Data Observation Network for Earth, or DataONE.

“This is the culmination of the decade-long effort to update the connection speeds for UI,” said James Foster.

When the bandwidth increase is completed, the university will be eligible to apply for an additional $1 million NSF grant to further increase its cyber-infrastructure.

Adapted from the University of Idaho News written by Tara Roberts

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Idaho EPSCoR Fall 2013 Newsletter