Read the research blog Further Findings.
Research Prizes and Honors
[Have you or a colleague won a research-related prize or honor? Let the Research Alert know.]
SAGE, VICE PROVOST AND PROFESSOR, ELECTED TO INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
William M. Sage, M.D., J.D., vice provost for health affairs and the James R. Dougherty Chair for Faculty Excellence in Law at The University of Texas at Austin, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
Sage is among the 65 new members and five foreign associates whose elections to the IOM were announced Oct. 12, in conjunction with the institute’s 39th annual meeting. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
News and Information
“NOVA” on PBS FEATURES LIZARDS AND PIANKA
Eric Pianka, professor in the Section of Integrative Biology, is the science adviser for the Nova program Oct. 20, 2009 about monitor lizards. Much of it was filmed at his research site in western Australia. The program will be broadcast on KLRU at 7 p.m.
Find more information about the program and a preview video online.
CHANGE MADE TO VISITING RESEARCHER/SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Effective Nov. 2, 2009, the Visiting Researcher/Scholar Program will be incorporated into Phase 2 of the Human Resource Management System (HRMS), under the Affiliated Worker module. The HRMS document will serve as the nominating instrument, while a curriculum vitae and appropriate agreement will continue to be required as backup documentation. Please consult with your departmental human resources manager for internal procedures on visiting scholar nominations and access to HRMS.
For more information about the visiting researcher/scholar program contact liza@austin.utexas.edu, 471-2877.
SUBVENTION GRANTS PROGRAM OUT OF FUNDS
The University Co-operative Society Subvention Grants program funding has been depleted for academic year 2009-2010.
RESEARCHERS SHOULD APPLY ONLINE NOW
FOR POSSIBLE AWARDS OF UP TO $35,000 ANNUALLY
The application cycle for the National Institutes of Health extramural Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) is underway and ends on Dec. 1, 2009, at 8 p.m. EST. Highly-qualified health professionals who are or will be engaged in biomedical or behavioral research and who have started an online application should complete it now; those who have not yet started should visit http://www.lrp.nih.gov to learn more about the programs and apply.
QuotedUT Researchers in the News
[A sampling of recent quotes by university faculty members and researchers. To be included in this section, let the Research Alert know when you or a colleague have been quoted.]
New York Times
Oct. 11, 2009
HEADLINE: Is It a Day to Be Happy? Check the Index
(James Pennebaker, a professor of psychology, was quoted in an article about a happiness index created by Facebook.)
To Mr. Pennebaker, the Facebook material has the potential to unlock secrets about how people interact. “It is an incredible resource in terms of studying human connections, friendship, love, hate, stigma,” he said. “This kind of work should be required for social psychologists.”
He agreed, though, that it likewise has the potential to turn “creepy,” with computers managing to probe deeper into our minds than any person could.
“I could imagine it would allow us to look at a group of people, get a sense of what their concerns are, how insecure they feel,” he said. “It could be an advertiser’s dream. Yes, it is creepy from a government perspective, but it is even creepier from an advertising perspective.”ve.
Research Opportunities
Important university research deadlines:
Awards and Grants
Limited Submissions
AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT
The University of Texas at Austin Stimulus Package Web page is online.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program(Opens PDF)
Deadline: Dec. 1, 2009
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Approaches to Assessing Potential Food Allergy from Genetically Engineered Plants
Deadline: Jan. 7, 2010
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Cancer Nanotechnology Training Centers
Deadlines: Letter of Intent, Nov. 17, 2009; Application, Dec. 17, 2009
Pathway to Independence Award in Cancer Nanotechnology Research
Deadlines: Letter of Intent, Nov. 17, 2009; Application, Dec. 17, 2009
MBRS Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement
Deadline: Jan. 16, 2010
Initiative for Maximizing Student Development
Deadline: Jan. 25, 2010
[This is a limited submission. For more information, contact limitedsub@austin.utexas.edu.]
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities
Deadline: March 3, 2010
Nano and Bio Mechanics
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13523
Deadline: Feb. 15, 2010
Solar Terrestrial
Deadline: Continuous
ARTS, HUMANITIES AND CULTURE
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
Deadline: Nov. 15, 2009
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
2010-2011 Visiting Scholar Fellowships (for ABD, postdocs, and senior scholars)\
Deadline: Nov. 24, 2009
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Hellman Fellowship in Science and Technology Policy
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2010
OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Pfizer Inc.
2010 OAB-LUTS Competitive Grants Program for Young Investigators
(overactive bladder and other lower urinary tract dysfunctions)
Deadline: Dec. 14, 2009
Research Project
[Let the Research Alert know about your research projects.]
Predicting Disrupted Network Behavior
RESEARCHERS: S. Travis Waller, professor, Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, principal investigator, and Bradley Love, associate professor, Department of Psychology, co-principal investigator
AGENCY: National Science Foundation
AMOUNT: $320,000
This research project addresses new models for network behavior when significant disruptions occur which upset the expected network state.
The primary hypothesis of this research is that individuals can transform and adapt previous expectations based on their perception of the disruption as well as information learned en-route and that in unfamiliar cases network users place greater weight on system and context-specific characteristics such as route and road geometry, risk preference, and travel constraints (e.g., when unfamiliar with the true expected cost, users may select a longer path simply because it moves them closer to the destination initially).
This research will discern these new individual behaviors through psychological experiments and then develop novel mathematical formulations for the resulting network impacts.
