Grants

Scientists with the Desert Research Institute (DRI) Organic Analytical Laboratory in Reno, Nev., led by Andrey Khlystov, Ph.D., have been awarded a $1.5M grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the formation of dangerous compounds by electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center's Office of Research announced that annual research grant and contract awards for FY21, which ended June 30, total more than $121 million, a 20.6% increase from last year.

With help from grant funding, the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute based at West Virginia University has expanded COVID-19 testing in partnership with the state's Department of Health and Human Resources and the National Guard and primary care clinics in the West Virginia Practice-Based Research Network.

The University of Maryland received collaborative funding to enhance efficiency of pork production through improved pig muscle growth. Little is known about how the benefits of early life nutrition can be passed from mother to child, and improved muscle growth means a healthier animal, less feed and waste, and a more sustainable pork industry. This work also has future applications beyond the pork industry to optimize human performance and treat wounded service members.

The Save our Seas Foundation has announced 61 grants for 2021, the largest cohort of awards in its 18-year history. Young scientists, local leaders and educators lead the charge on issues of illegal trade, marine protected area (MPA) expansion, climate change and overfishing. Their solutions are tech-savvy (from DNA testing kits to smartphone apps) to visionary (designing MPAs for sharks) and also herald a new era of compassion as they gather local histories and look to a brighter future.