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| Events and Workshops |
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In collaboration with Graduate Studies & Research, ORED and OSP are organizing a faculty networking forum “INTERDISCIPLINARY Knowledge Interface.” The event is designed to bring colleagues from various disciplines and colleges together to encourage the exchange of ideas and research interests and to facilitate inter- and multidisciplinary collaborations. The event will be held on February 21, 2008 in the Engineering and Biological Sciences Building in room 2134. The event will start with a social hour followed by a presentation to stimulate a dialogue. Please join us for fellowship and getting to know other colleagues from other colleges at WKU. If you plan to attend, please call us at 270-745-6733 so that we may make appropriate arrangements to accommodate all participants.
OSP and ORED offer a series of workshops on proposal and budget development, grant award administration, compliance issues related to grants, intellectual property protection, patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, and the technology transfer process. All workshops are offered free-of-charge to faculty and staff. To learn more about upcoming workshops, please click here to see the list.
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| Research |
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| Major Grant Award |
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From left to right: Dr. Sam Evans, Dean, College of Education & Behavioral Sciences; Mr. Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil Corporation; Ms. Sara Tays, ExxonMobil; Dr. Gary Ransdell, WKU President; Mr. Tom Luce, President and CEO of NMSI; Dr. Scott Bonham, Assistant Professor, Department of Dr. Blaine Ferrell, Dean, Ogden College of Science & Engineering and Dr. Richard Gelderman, Associate Professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy. |
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Congratulations to Dr. Scott Bonham and Dr. Richard Gelderman, WKU Department of Physics & Astronomy, who received a $2.4 million award from the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), with financial support from ExxonMobil, in order to replicate a model program in math and science teacher preparation developed at the University of Texas at Austin. The funded program, SKYTeach, is a joint initiative between WKU's Ogden College of Science & Engineering, WKU's College of Education & Behavioral Sciences and ten local school districts in the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC). Competing with over 50 institutions across the nation, SKYTeach was successful due to WKU's historical leadership in teacher preparation paired with a quality proposal that demonstrated strong working partnerships between WKU faculty in the sciences and education and between WKU faculty, staff, and the surrounding community.
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WKU's Student Research Council |
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Last year a task force with representation from each of the colleges and Sigma Xi organized our 37th Annual WKU Student Research Conference. Drs. Bruce Kessler and Larry Snyder chaired the task force. This Student Research Conference was held to celebrate and recognize students engaged in research and creative activities across all colleges for the first time. It had 133 posters and/or oral presentations, representing research conducted and creative activities in 26 different departments from across the campus community. Based on this successful event and also in keeping with WKU’s tradition of engaging students in applied research and creative activities, Provost Burch has created a Student Research Council (SRC). You may visit the SRC’s website at http://www.wku.edu/studentresearch/. The Council is focused on addressing one of the WKU priorities for enhancing academic quality and expanded student learning. The goal is to increasingly engage students in research and creative activities. This was the most diverse student conference ever, with student presentations from 26 different departments across five colleges.
Provost Burch said “In order to build on this successful tradition, and also to continue to provide additional opportunities for our students who are engaged in these activities, we need to explore the best ways to not only build on the strengths that already exist, but to also consider best ways to include all of WKU to be a part of celebrating student research and creative work.”
The 38th Student Research Conference will be held again this spring, faculty members are invited to encourage students to present, display, perform their creative work and research at this conference. This conference offers our students valuable experience that will give them a competitive edge upon graduation, either in pursuing graduate school or in the job market. You will be receiving information about the conference date in the near future. Please encourage your students to participate in this valuable experience.
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| South Central Kentucky Creative Talent, Technology Development and Protection Efforts |
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Based on the research conducted by the Office of Research and Economic Development, it appears that there has been significant activity in technology development and protection in various communities within South Central Kentucky. The research efforts focused on Bowling Green, Glasgow, Scottsville, Elizabethtown and Owensboro communities. Over the past twenty five years 731 inventors in these communities have created new technologies that have been protected by 239 U.S. Patents. Majority of these patents were granted to various companies where these inventors worked. However, there are 160 independent inventors who have been working on their inventions in their garages or basements to develop new technologies and they have protected these technologies through U.S. patents. Depending upon the size of the company, the number of patents issued to a given company vary from 2 to 33. The accompanying chart shows a distribution of these inventors and the number of patents issued to companies and independent inventors in various communities. These results clearly show that there is a significant creative talent and effort underway within the region in technology development. More importantly the technologies are being legally protected to establish a competitive advantage and ensure commercialization. These patents granted to these companies serve as barriers for their competition, and a critical competitive advantage in the market place.
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Compliance
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Human Subjects in Research
All research (e.g., survey, experimental, evaluation, biomedical research) that involves the use of humans must first be approved by the Human Subjects Review Board (HSRB). The HSRB is an ethics review board whose purpose is to review all research involving human subjects and to ensure that potential research-related risks (physical, social, emotional, and financial) are minimized and fully disclosed. The HSRB is composed of University faculty, staff, and the local community. The individual members contribute the professional competency necessary to review specific research activities representing a broad range of disciplines through experience and expertise. In addition, the HSRB seeks diversity in race, gender, and cultural backgrounds to promote sensitivity to community attitudes and respect for the rights and welfare of human subjects.
What is Considered Research?
Research is defined by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as "a systematic investigation designed to develop and contribute to generalizable knowledge."
Examples of systematic investigations include:
- surveys and questionnaires
- interviews and focus groups
- analyses of existing data
- biological specimens
- epidemiological studies
- evaluations of social or educational programs
- cognitive and perceptual experiments
Research results do not have to be published or presented to qualify the data collection as research. The attempt to contribute to "generalizable knowledge" makes a project research. Participants in research studies require protection whether or not the research is published or presented.
Click Here to learn more about Human Subjects in Research at WKU
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| Technology Transfer Notes & Notables |
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Invention: How do I know I have invented something? |
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Most of us involved in research activity are focused on solving or understanding a challenging and interesting problem. You generally may not think about or expect a commercial use of your research. Yet it is possible that in the course of your research you may have discovered a new tool, method, a chemical or a biological sample that may have a use in an area outside your own field of research. Such inventions can be protected for a limited term (20 years) by “patents.” A patent may be obtained for any method, machine, manufactured article, compound, or new use for existing matter; it may include genes and gene products, or an improvement to an existing invention. For an invention to qualify for patent grant, according to the laws, it must meet the three fundamental requirements. The invention must be new, non-obvious and it must be useful. The owner is given the right to stop others from making, using and selling the patented claims. More importantly the owner does not necessarily have these rights either until he/she has met the requirements of other federal agencies as they may apply to a given invention. If you have questions related to your area of research do not hesitate to call the Office of Technology Transfer at 270-745-6733. You may also visit our website at http://ored.wku.edu/ to learn more about patents. |
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| Provost's Recognition Awards |
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The WKU faculty members, staff, colleges, departments, centers and institutes play an important role in creating opportunities for our students to gain the hands-on applied research as well as public service experience. These opportunities are created through a collaborative and collective effort on the part of various team members by seeking and acquiring external funding. On behalf of the Provost, we are very pleased to announce the “Provost's Recognition Awards." At the Recognition Award Ceremony, the following colleagues were recognized for their efforts in various categories. Thank you for your efforts to create additional opportunities for hands-on experience for our students and also supporting the WKU’s public service mission.
Most Prolific Proposer:
Dr. Andrew Ernest, the Associate Dean in the Ogden College of Science & Engineering submitted 8 proposals for over $1.5 million to support the Center for Water Resource Studies.
Most Prolific Junior Proposers:
Dr. Hasan Palandoken & Dr. Rui Zhang, both Assistant Professors in the Department of Chemistry and both submitted four (4) proposals for external funding.
Administrative Support Award:
Jessica Harazin, the Office Coordinator for Biology
First Time Grant Awardees at WKU:
Dr. David Barnaby from the department of Physics and Astronomy received $9,302 funding from the NASA/KY Space Grant Consortium.
Dr. Marty Boman from Special Instructional Programs received $18,060 funding from the WHAS Crusade for Children.
Dr. Yan Cao from Research and Development in ICSET received $136,272 funding from the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy.
Dr. Michele Fiala from the department of Music received $1,000 funding from the Southern Arts Foundation.
Dr. Lucy Maples from Special Instructional Programs received $75,600 funding from the KY Department of Education through the University of Kentucky Research Foundation.
Dr. Lakshmi Narasimhan from the department of Computer Science received $79,999 funding from the KY Statewide EPSCoR Program.
Dr. Johnston (Jak) Njoku from Folk Studies and Anthropology received $12,182.
Dr. Anne Onyekwuluje from the Sociology Department received $1,623 funding from the KY Oral History Commission.
Dr. Hasan Palandoken from the Chemistry Department received $13,500 funding from National Institutes of Health through the University of Louisville Research Foundation.
Ms. Christy Spurlock from Library Special Collections has received multiple grants $5,433 from the KY Humanities Council.
Dr. Di Wu from the Mathematics Department received $13,500 funding from the National Institutes of Health through the University of Louisville Research Foundation
Recipient of the Largest Award and Million Dollar Club Inductee:
Dr. Chris Groves from the Geography & Geology Department received the largest single award with an award totaling nearly $2 million dollars from USAID, KY Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board, the Petroleum Research Fund, the U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife, the National Park Service through Mammoth Cave National Park, the KY NSF EPSCoR Program, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Barren River Area Development District, and the ENVIRON Foundation.
Five Million Dollar Club Inductees:
Dr. Sam Evans, from the College of Education & Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Blaine Ferrell, from the College of Science & Engineering, Ms. Colleen Mendel, from Training & Technical Assistance Services, and Dr. Wei-Ping Pan, from the Institute for Combustion Science & Environmental Technology (ICSET). These individuals have reached 5 million dollars in extramural funding in the last 5 years.
Department Awards:
Department Head Award: Ms. Colleen Mendel from Training & Technical Assistance Services (TTAS) brought in $2,458,546 in extramural funding.
The Department of Geography & Geology came close with $2,455,530.
College Awards:
Largest Cumulative Awards for FY07: Ogden College of Science & Engineering (Dean Blaine Ferrell) Faculty and staff in the Ogden College of Science & Engineering brought in $7,336,962 in competitive grants.
Largest Percentage Growth from last FY: College of Health & Human Services (Dean John Bonaguro) received 25% more dollars for research, instructional activities and public service in FY07 than in FY06 (from $1,026,634 in FY06 to $1,281,090 in FY07).
November 29, 2007 Provost’s Recognition Awards for Competitive Grants.
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| Small Business Development Center |
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Kentucky Small Business Development Center Selects Rick Horn as State Star |
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Kentucky Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) State Director Becky Naugle, Ph.D. announced that Rick Horn has been selected as the 2007 Sutton Landry State Star of the Kentucky SBDC. Horn received the award at the Association of Small Business Development Center’s (ASBDC) national conference held in Denver, Colorado during September 2007.
Rick Horn is the Director of the Small Business Development Center at Western Kentucky University. He was chosen by the KSBDC for being an exemplary performer, making a significant contribution to the KSBDC program and showing a strong commitment to small business throughout Western Kentucky.
The State Star Award is named in honor of Sutton Landry, the long-time director of the SBDC at Northern Kentucky University. He was honored with the award in 2003 and passed away the following year.
Ritchie Sanders recognized Rick Horn on the Senate Floor for being the recipient of the 2007 Sutton Landry State Star. Senator Sanders acknowledged Rick’s contribution to the economy of Western Kentucky and thanked Rick for his service to the community.
The Western Kentucky University SBDC serves new and expanding businesses in Allen, Barren, Butler, Cumberland, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson and Warren counties. |
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Contact information: |
ORED: 270-745-6733 |
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| © 2008 Western Kentucky University. All Rights Reserved |
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