Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Developing Competitive Environmental Research in Arkansas
EPA Grant Number: R829417E01Title: Developing Competitive Environmental Research in Arkansas
Investigators: Melchert, Russell B. , Kennedy, Richard H.
Institution: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences , Loyola University - New Orleans
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: May 24, 2002 through May 23, 2004 (Extended to May 23, 2005)
Project Amount: $250,000
RFA: EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) (2001) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: EPSCoR (The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research)
Objective:
The goal of this Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) was to promote the competitiveness of environmental science and engineering (S&E) research in Arkansas. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Office attempted to accomplish this objective by supporting and monitoring the Science and Engineering Environmental Research (SEER) project funded as part of the Arkansas EPSCoR award, and by developing and implementing a Web site that focuses on environmental S&E efforts in Arkansas. The office ensured that matching funds were acquired and distributed appropriately, and provided administrative support for budgetary issues, reports, and periodic review of SEER progress. In addition, the program director worked to identify additional sources of funding for environmental research. The progress of the SEER project was monitored based on scientific presentations and publications, trainees involved, and applications submitted to federal agencies for continued support. With respect to the Web site, it is available on the Arkansas Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) Home Page. This site lists investigators’ research interests, research services available in the state, information about scientific meetings and opportunities for funding, and current findings by EPA-related projects in our state.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Much of the time and effort spent by the program director(s) (Dr. Kennedy and subsequently Dr. Melchert) during the first 2 years of this award were redirected because of unanticipated needs. First, because of the economic climate, state support for matching funds through the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority was not available. Thus, the match had to be obtained directly from the participating institutions ( University of Arkansas Medical Sciences [UAMS] College of Medicine, UAMS College of Pharmacy, and University of Arkansas, Fayetteville) to provide the necessary funding for both the SEER and SIP. This was somewhat of an unexpected expense for the campuses, and additional meetings and communications were required to identify and secure the support. In addition, the principal investigator of the SEER (Dr. Gilbert) moved from UAMS to Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute. This required additional negotiation as well as extra time and effort in discussions regarding matching funds and indirect costs.
Dr. Kennedy also was asked by the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority to present information regarding the EPA-EPSCoR Program to the state legislators in 2003. A poster describing progress to date was developed and presented. This was not a lobbying activity, but rather was presented periodically as a method of keeping our legislature aware of the important research being conducted by state colleges and universities.
As described in the application, the Arkansas Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) Home Page was implemented. Progress on this project was delayed because of time spent by Dr. Kennedy on the issues discussed above, and because of turnover in personnel. Eszter Jacob, the coordinator who originally designed the Web page, left the institution and was replaced by Katherine Priest. After learning the necessary skills for Web site management, Ms. Priest moved on to another administrative assistant position on campus. In addition, Dr. Kennedy left UAMS for a position at another institution effective August 1, 2004. Nonetheless, the site is available now. Response by environmental S&E personnel in the state has been marginal.
Finally, the office monitored the progress of the SEER (see the Final Report for R829417E02).
Conclusions:
The goal of this SIP was to promote the competitiveness of environmental S&E research in Arkansas. A Web site that focuses on environmental S&E efforts in Arkansas (http://www.uams.edu/aces/) was developed, but utilization has been marginal.
Benefits of the established environmental S&E research Web site include:
- Recruitment of faculty. One of the main recruitment tools for basic science faculty is the academic department’s Web site. Academic departments typically include faculty with diverse research interests, and faculty with specific interests in environmental research cross discipline and department boundaries. Therefore, the Web site is a prime location for interdisciplinary environmental research, and a potential faculty member can easily locate investigators in Arkansas with environmental research interests.
- Recruitment of graduate students. As with faculty, recruitment of graduate students is benefited by an attractive, current, and easy to use Web site. In addition, with the recent move of the UAMS Graduate School to include a program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences, the Web site may facilitate recruitment of students interested in interdisciplinary environmental research.
- Local collaborations. Even though we are a relatively small state in population and numbers of basic science researchers, often our faculty in the UA System have little idea of ongoing projects on other campuses or even on the same campus. The Web site may facilitate communication and collaboration among UA System faculty. Unfortunately, we have not been able to directly measure the impact of the Web site on recruitment or collaborative efforts.
Supplemental Keywords:
south central, Arkansas, AR, environmental science and engineering, SIP, SEER, Science and Engineering Environmental Research, EPSCoR,, RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Geographic Area, Water, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, Environmental Chemistry, Health Risk Assessment, State, Risk Assessments, Water Pollutants, Drinking Water, disinfection byproducts, ecological risk assessment, alternative disinfection methods, bioindicator, diagnostic tool, Arkansas, chemical byproducts, disinfection byproducts (DPBs), environmental risks, exposure, other - risk assessment, human exposure, water quality, drinking water treatment, drinking water system, biomarker, human health riskRelevant Websites:
http://www.uams.edu/aces/ Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.