The Iowa State University Office of the Vice President for Research has awarded COVID-19 Research Seed Grants to seven research projects in an effort to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each of the teams will receive $15,000 to pursue projects rapidly for up to six months. The funding will support the initial stages of high-risk, high-reward projects that address the COVID-19 crisis.
The COVID-19 Research Seed Grant program was created to encourage faculty in all academic disciplines to apply their expertise to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The application process saw 21 research proposals, with five of Iowa State’s seven colleges represented. While four projects were initially slated to receive funding, additional financial support from the College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences allowed seven teams to ultimately be selected.
“One of the most important functions that research serves is to explore solutions to society’s greatest challenges, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is one of them,” said ISU Interim Vice President for Research Guru Rao. “We had originally budgeted to fund four projects through this program. However, the quality of the proposals our researchers developed was so outstanding, we are delighted that we are able to support seven total projects through collaboration with our college partners.”
Learn more about the seven research projects that received grants here.
Previous coverage
Middle Bit: ISU chemists developing paper-strip urine test for at-home COVID-19 evaluation -June 19, 2020