Fall 2018 seed grant awardees announced

December 12, 2018

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Center for Security Research and Education (CSRE) is accepting applications for its spring 2019 Seed Grant Program to support security-related scholarship and educational programs at Penn State. University faculty and researchers are eligible to apply by February 15. Applications should be submitted online.

Grants up to $15,000 are available to Penn State faculty and research staff to support interdisciplinary research efforts or to facilitate educational activities that address the broad range of security challenges confronting society. Applicants may seek funding to address the threats currently facing individuals, families, physical and electronic infrastructure, food and water supplies, public health, or the natural environment, as well as the implications of society’s responses to these threats on economic well-being, civil liberties, and culture.

CSRE is also pleased to announce the winners of its fall 2018 seed grants. The recipients reflect the Center’s interdisciplinary mission and include faculty and researchers from Great Valley, Harrisburg, and University Park campuses in the fields of agricultural sciences, anthropology, business, communications, engineering, information sciences and technology, international affairs, mathematics, and sociology.

Fall 2018 Seed Grant recipients:

  • Forrest Briscoe (principal investigator), professor of management and organization, Smeal College of Business; Barbara Gray, professor of management and organization, Smeal College of Business; and Peng Liu, professor of information sciences and technology, College of Information Sciences and Technology. Research project: “Developing an Organizational Governance Framework for Genomics and Health Data.”
  • Mohamad Darayi (principal investigator), assistant professor of systems engineering, Penn State Great Valley; Ashkan Negahban, assistant professor of engineering management; Penn State Great Valley; Qiang Qiang, assistant professor of operations management, Penn State Great Valley; and Satish Mahadevan Srinivasan, assistant professor of information science, Penn State Great Valley. Research project: “Leveraging Big Data for Holistic Analysis of PA’s Freight Transportation Infrastructure Resilience Subject to Natural and Man Made Disasters.”
  • Kristina Douglass (principal investigator), assistant professor of anthropology, College of the Liberal Arts; Eréndira M. Quintana Morales, postdoctoral scholar in African environmental archaeology, College of the Liberal Arts; and Eric Paul Burkhart, program director, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. Research project: “Vezo Ecological Knowledge Exchange.”
  • Diane Felmlee (principal investigator), professor of sociology, College of the Liberal Arts; and Scott Gartner, professor of international affairs, School of International Affairs. Research project: “Understanding Patterns of Terrorism using Social Networks and AI-Machine Learning.”
  • Javad Khazaei (principal investigator), assistant professor of electrical engineering, Penn State Harrisburg; Swaroop Ghosh, assistant professor of electrical engineering, College of Engineering; and Dariush Khezrimotlagh, assistant professor of mathematics, Penn State Harrisburg. Research project: “Application of Advanced Math for Cybersecurity Modeling and Detection of False Data Injection in Power Systems.”
  • Ruth Mendum, associate director for gender initiatives, College of Agricultural Sciences. Research project: “Enhanced Refugee Security: Designs for Improved Nutrition and Reduced Energy Poverty.”
  • Daniel Susser (principal investigator), assistant professor of information sciences and technology and philosophy, College of Information Sciences and Technology; and Sarah Rajtmajer, assistant professor of information sciences and technology, College of Information Sciences and Technology. Research project: “Understanding the Impact of Self-Disclosure on Cognitive Security.”
  • Aiping Xiong (principal investigator), assistant professor of information sciences and technology, College of Information Sciences and Technology; Peng Liu, professor of information sciences and technology, College of Information Sciences and Technology; and Sascha Meinrath, James R. and Barbara R. Palmer Chair in Telecommunications Studies, College of Communications. Research project: “Privacy Issues for Connected Vehicles in the GDPR Era: An Analysis of Android Auto Apps.”

Though all University faculty and researchers are eligible for grants, preference will be given to proposals that originate or include substantial participation from CSRE member units, which include the College of Agricultural Sciences, the Applied Research Laboratory, the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, the Institute for CyberScience, the Penn State Institutes for Energy and the Environment, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the College of Engineering, Penn State Harrisburg, the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, the College of Information Sciences and Technology, Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs, the College of the Liberal Arts, and the Social Science Research Institute.

Preference will also be given to proposals that clearly reflect the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary security challenges, describe the objectives to be achieved, and include cost-sharing from additional Penn State units. Additionally, applicants who have previously received CSRE funding should provide evidence of positive outcomes from the prior award.

For research grants in particular, projects that may lead to additional, external funding and that involve junior faculty and/or students will be given preference. Educational program grants that promote awareness of security issues or enhance the curricular experience of Penn State students are also preferred.

Visit our Grant Program page for complete details on the CSRE grant program, including award levels, criteria, allowable expenses, reporting requirements, and application instructions.

The Center for Security Research and Education at Penn State promotes research, teaching, and public outreach programs in the field of security. CSRE brings scholars from diverse disciplines together to pursue comprehensive solutions to security challenges. CSRE also promotes public discussion of current critical security issues.