Western Michigan University's Office of Research and Innovation offers several awards annually to support research and creative activities at WMU. Internal support is also available from individual colleges and offices at the University.
INTERNAL AWARD SUMMARY 2018-19
| Internal awards summary 2018-19 | |
| Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award | 147,268 |
| Faculty Research Travel Fund | 220,585 |
| Publication of Papers and Exhibition of Creative Works | 44,260 |
| Support for Faculty Scholars Award | 32,692 |
| Technology Development Fund | 59,980 |
| Undergraduate Research Excellence Award | 14,750 |
| Total | 519,534 |
Internal Award Summary 2017-18
| Internal awards summary 2017-18 | |
| Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award | 180,156 |
| Faculty Research Travel Fund | 235,721 |
| Publication of Papers and Exhibition of Creative Works | 35,985 |
| Support for Faculty Scholars Award | 40,253 |
| Undergraduate Research Excellence Award | 54,300 |
| Total | 546,415 |
Award amounts have been rounded to the nearest dollar.
View previous statistics of internal award summaries.
Past award recipients
Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award
Support for Faculty Scholars Award
Technology Development Fund
Undergraduate Research Excellence Award
Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award
The Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award supports WMU faculty in significant research, rigorous scientific inquiry, original artistic activity and inventive technology.
2019-20 FRACAA
| Name | Department | Area of interest |
| Asher, Zachary | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Technical and Sustainability Analysis of In-Motion Wireless Power Transfer |
| Barkman, Todd | Biological Sciences | Characterization of fatty acid methyl transferase enzymes from plants: testing hypotheses about the biosynthesis of volatiles important for flowers and fruits |
| Bondarchuk, Karen | Art | Artistic Forms and Evolution: Seeking the Intangible |
| Burns, James | Industrial Engineering | Moving Toward an Industry 4.0 Tomorrow: Understanding What Matters Today |
| Gray, Lori | School of Interdisciplinary Heath Programs | “Connections” Study of College Students with Foster Care Histories |
| Hennlich, Andrew | Frostic School of Art | Space Invaders: The Work of Art in an Age of Statelessness |
| Hudson, Jennifer | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Small Satellite Maneuver Control: Rendezvous and Proximity Operations for a Low-Thrust, Diagnostic Nanosatellite |
| Huffman, David | Chemistry | Steps Toward Nutritional Enrichment of Cereal Grains Using a Model Plant |
| Kane, Donald | Biological Sciences | G2 control of the cell cycle in the vertebrate embryo |
| Lawson, Daryl Lee, Kevin Kang, Hyun Bin |
Physical Therapy, Statistics, Statistics | People who have Diabetes and non-healing wounds |
| Ross, Matthew | Finance and Commercial Law | Cash 'n' Careers: What is college worth? |
| Sawalha, Lina | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Estimating Power and Performance of Heterogeneous CPU-FPGA Systems |
| Schriever;Bloom, Tiffany | Biological Sciences | The hydrology of Great Lakes interdunal wetlands and the effects on their macroinvertebrate assemblages |
| Singleterry, Lisa Gogan, Brian Caulfield, Susan |
Bronson School of Nursing | Writing Assignment Prompt Design: A Quantitative Examination of Prompts Across the Curriculum |
| Teske, Kelly | Chemistry | The Development of Pre-miRNA Targeted Small Molecules for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer |
View additional FRACAA award recipients
Support for Faculty Scholars Award
The Support for Faculty Scholars Award supports creative activities and research that may not lead to external funding but enhance and sustain the scholarly reputation of WMU and the faculty principal investigators.
Spring 2020 SFSA
| Name | Department | Project title |
| Abendschein, Bryan | School of Communication | The Influence of Zoomorphic Robots on Stress and Well-Being in Post-Traumatic Brain Injury Relationships |
| Councell-Vargas, Martha | School of Music | Flute of Three Fires: Native American Flute Traditions of Southwest Michigan and the Great Lakes Region |
| Gerlach, Hope | Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences | Concealment of Stuttering and the "Divided Self" |
| Gu, Chien-Juh | Sociology | Rohingya Refugees' Social Adaptation in Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Hartenberger, Britt | Institute for Intercultural and Anthropological Studies | Microdebris Analysis of a Classical Household at Ancient Olynthos, Greece |
| Venter, Andre | Chemistry | Quantitation of bittering compounds in hops and beer |
| Wilson, Patrick | Frostic School of Art | Solo Exhibition - Black Tent Transit |
FALL 2019 SFSA
| Name | Department | Project title |
| Triplett, Kyle | Frostic School of Art | Low-Fire Porcelain for 3D Printing Applications |
| Eng, Jacqueline | Biological Sciences | Skeletal and 3D geometric morphometric analysis of human vertebral trauma: characterizing traumata and identifying demographic patterns |
| Lemmer, Kristina | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Measuring electron density and temperature in nanosecond pulsed plasma gap discharges |
| Berkhofer, Robert | History | Uses of Evidence in Eadmer’s Historia novorum |
| Crotchett, Cat | Frostic School of Art | Abstract Pattern Relief Juxtapositions in Wax |
| Bischof, Gary | Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology | Mental Health and Wellness for College Students of Color |
| Yang, Li | Geography | Heritage Tourism in Historic Towns: Development Issues and Planning Opportunities |
| Davis, Jon | Mathematics | Understanding the Construction and Enactment of Technology-Based Mathematics Lessons Involving High Cognitive Demand Tasks |
| Choudhury, Alamgir | Engineering Design, Manufacturing and Management Systems | Parameter characterization for pump efficiency in a hydraulic system |
| Pattison, Kelley | Bronson School of Nursing | Assessing Caregiver Burden in Heart Failure Patients Who Are Caregivers of Family Members |
View additional SFSA award recipients
Technology Development Fund
WMU research supports commercialization efforts at WMU through the Technology Development Fund.
2020 TDF
| Name | Department | Project Title | Funded |
| Asher, Zachary | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Development of an Adverse Weather Operations Kit for Self-Driving Vehicles | $25,000 |
| Ross, Matthew | Finance and Commercial Law | Cash 'n' Careers User Interface Development | $25,000 |
View additional TDF award recipients
Undergraduate Research Excellence Award
The Undergraduate Research Excellence Award provides undergraduate students at WMU with opportunities to take part in mentored research or creative activities with an externally funded faculty member.
Summer I 2020 UREA
| Student | Department | Mentor | Description |
| Nik Azli, Sabrina Binti | Biological Sciences | Wendy Beane | Determining the role of the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway in intestinal stem cell proliferation during planarian regeneration |
| Conway, Catherine | General Psychology | Lisa Baker | Acute and Sub-Chronic Effects of LSD in Preclinical Assessments of Anxiety in Male Rats |
Spring 2020 UREA
| Student | Department | Mentor | Description |
| Agy, Blake | Mechanical Engineering | Michael G. Miller | Innovative Smart Helmet to Reduce Impact Caused by Helmet-to-Helmet Contact |
| Alazmi, Rajan | Mechanical Engineering | Pnina Ari-Gur | Innovative Smart Helmet to Reduce Impact Caused by Helmet-to-Helmet Collision |
| Babcock, Brielle | Psychology: Behavioral Sciences | Amy Damashek | Attitudes on the Utilization of Electronic Mental Health Apps for Mental Health Treatment |
| Campbell, Isabel | Mechanical Engineering | Pnina Ari-Gur | Funding for Improvements on a vest for the Blind |
| Chenez, Alannah | Mechanical Engineering | Muralidhar Ghantasala | Magnetic Field Effect on Ferrofluid in Acoustic Levitator |
| Demski, Kyle | Mechanical Engineering | Michael G. Miller | Funding for Helmet Design |
| Fischer, Adam | Chemistry | Gellert Mezei | Novel Counterions for Use in Nanojars |
| Gaunt, Andrew | Biochemistry | Gellert Mezei | Synthesis and characterization of nanojars based on novel, positively/negatively charged pyrazole ligands |
| Greene, Jacqueline | Interdisciplinary Health Services- Pre Physician Assistant | Wendy Beane | Reactive oxygen species and their effect on wound healing in planarian worms |
| Hagan, Daniel | Aerospace Engineering | Jennifer Hudson | Lunar DISC |
| Kadav, Parth | Mechanical Engineering | Zachary Asher | Improving the Range of Electric Vehicles |
| Kincaid, Nathan | Aerospace Engineering | Xiaoyun Shao | Super Elastic Alloys and Seismic Dampening |
| Lin, Andy | Mechanical Engineering | Xiaoyun Shao | Seismic Dampening using Nitinol |
| Litvinova, Anna | Aerospace Engineering | William Liou | Aerodynamics of Wind Loading on Building |
| Long, Makayla | Biomedical Sciences | Megan Grunert Kowalske | Understanding STEM Instructors’ Experiences with and Perceptions of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: The First Step towards Increasing Access and Inclusivity |
| Mendoza Berumen, Francisco | Mechanical Engineering | Muralidhar Ghantasala | Magnetic Field Effect on Ferrofluid in Acoustic Levitator |
| Saeed, Jameel | Aerospace Engineering | Jennifer Hudson | Lunar DISC |
| Shotwell, Ben | Biomedical Sciences | Kathryn Docherty | Using Cellulose Additions in Soil to Promote a Revergence Toward Prairie Microbial Communities |
| Wolf, Caroline | Biological Sciences | Kathryn Docherty | Impact of grass biomass, mixed plant, and cellulose additions on root growth and mycorrhizal fungi association |
| Zoardar, Marsad | Electrical & Computer Engineering | Zachery Asher | In-Motion wireless power transfer |