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 2020-21
| Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award | $171,268 |
| Faculty Research Travel Fund | $2,849 |
| Publication of Papers and Exhibition of Creative Works | $20,997 |
| Support for Faculty Scholars Award | $19,185 |
| Technology Development Fund | $50,000 |
| Undergraduate Research Excellence Award | $21,923 |
| Total | $286,222 |
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.
2021-22 FRACAA
| Name | Department | Project Title |
| Ari-Gur, Pnina; Elise DeDoncker | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Artificial Intelligence for Smarter Additive Manufacturing |
| Asumadu, Johnson | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Magnetic Nanoparticle-based Gyroscopic Sensor |
| Atilhan, Mert | Chemical and Paper Engineering | Novel Solvents for Biomass Treatment in Pulp and Paper Industries |
| Beasley, William | Economics | Michigan Coastal Management: Erosion Damage and Spillovers |
| Bhattacharjee, Shameek | Computer Science | Towards a Unified Framework for Preserving Security and Privacy of Smart Home IoT |
| Chapleau, Ann | Occupational Therapy | Goal Scaling Solutions CARE for Students (GSS CARES) |
| Crotchett, Cat | Frostic School of Art | Tethered – intangible relationships realized through abstracted pattern |
| Devanga, Suma | Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences | Feasibility of Group Collaborative Referencing Intervention for Aphasia |
| Durbin, Steve | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Investigation of Disorder in Niobium Based Superconductors |
| Gupta, Ajay | Computer Science | NAS De Novo Peptide Sequencing |
| Heasley, Lynne | Institute of the Environment and Sustainability | Environmental Histories in the Alvar Landscapes of Drummond and Manitoulin Islands: Toward new insights on relationships between biodiversity protection and environmental justice in the Great Lakes |
| Holtzman, Jon | Anthropology/IIAS | Contradictions of Peace: A Comparative Study of War and Memory in Three Contexts |
| Christian, Sue Ellen | Communications | The Media and News Literacy Museum Project |
| Kim, Jinseok | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Determining the Material Properties of Metallic Components Using an Instrumented Micro-Indentation Test and Machine Learning Technique |
| Lu, Yan | Biological Sciences | Functions of NFU-type Iron-Sulfur Carriers in the Mitochondrion |
| Owen, Ginger | Frostic School of Art | Heritage Habitats: fusing Eastern and Western methods of storytelling |
| Pietras, Cynthia | Psychology | Effects of Nature Imagery on Human Decision Making and Pro-environmental Choices |
| Smith, Brooke | Psychology | The Interaction of Fear and Avoidance as an Avenue to Improving Treatment of Anxiety |
| The, Yu-Lien | School of Music | Diversifying the Repertoire of Teaching Pieces for Young Pianists |
| Weller, Bridget | Social Work | A Behavioral Intervention to Promote Mental Health Among Multiracial Emerging Adults |
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.
2021 TDF
| Name | Project Title | Funded |
| Gomez, Pablo | Development of Transmission Line Fault Location Technology for Electric Power Systems | $25,000 |
| Sawalha, Lina | Optimization of Hybrid 3D Metal Printer Process Using Machine Learning | $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.
FALL 2020 UREA
| Applicant | Major | Faculty Mentor | Mentor's Department | Proposal Title |
| Chen, Sydney | Biomedical Science | Christine Byrd-Jacobs | Biological Science | Comparison of Zebrafish Responses to Various Odorants |
| Getson, John | Biochemistry | Kelly Teske | Chemistry | Development of phenylisoxazole sulfonamide-based small molecule inhibitors of miR-31 expression |
| Heatherly, Samantha | Civil Engineering | Upul Attanayake | Civil and Construction Engineering | Research Grant for the Study of Material Deterioration and Structural Failures of Hard Surfaces |
| Kuhns, Makenzie | Biochemistry | Kelly Teske | Chemistry | Development of Small Molecule Inhibitors Modulating microRNA-31 function |
| Martin, David | Mechanical Engineering | Kristina Lemmer | Mechanical and Aerospace Department | Hall Thruster with Magnetic Shielding |
| McGee-Sinclair, Ron | Mechanical Engineering | Kristina Lemmer | Mechanical and Aerospace Department | Retrofitting a Low-Cost Hall Effect Thruster with Magnetic Shielding |
| Mumby, Elizabeth | Biochemistry | Ricky Stull | Chemistry | Desulfurization of Organic Solvents |
| Walker, Molly | Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology | Suma Devanga | Department of Speech-Language Pathology | Collaborative Referencing in Primary Progressive Aphasia |
SUMMER II 2020 UREA
| Applicant | Major | Faculty Mentor | Mentor's Department | Proposal Title |
| Alderman, Megan | Biology | Sharon Gill | Biological Sciences | Interspecific Competition for Acoustic Space in Resident Bird Species |