Press Release 98-085
NSF Awards Career Development Grants to Women

December 10, 1998

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has honored 206 outstanding women nationwide this year with $13.7 million in awards through its Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE) program.

These awards, one of NSF's investments in women scientists and engineers, promote the development of scholarly and institutional leaders in research and education in fields ranging from atomic physics to zoology.

NSF established POWRE in 1997 to help ensure the vitality, quality, distribution and effectiveness of the nation's human resource base in science and engineering, and to help overcome the under-representation of women in these fields. NSF's POWRE program supports efforts to facilitate the full participation of women in the science and engineering mainstream.

Awardees were selected from among 773 applicants. POWRE grants last between 12 and 18 months and range from $13,000 to $150,000 each.

"This year's grants exhibit a broad range of research and education projects," said POWRE program director Priscilla Nelson. This is especially true for fields in which women are underrepresented, she indicated.

By providing opportunities for career advancement, professional growth and increased stature of women in science and engineering, the POWRE program encourages women to pursue careers and achieve leadership positions in science and engineering. "At the same time, women scientists and engineers will obtain greater visibility and influence not only in academic institutions but in industry as well," said Nelson.

The POWRE program encompasses all areas of NSF-supported research and education in science and engineering and was developed to merge the previous targeted women's programs into one overall program. The programs incorporated into POWRE include the Career Advancement Award, Research Planning Grant, Faculty Award for Women, and Visiting Professorship for Women.

-NSF-

Selected 1998 POWRE Awards by the National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded 206 outstanding women scientists and engineers with grants from its Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE) program. The awards help in career development in research and education, leading to enhanced positions of leadership. Use the grant numbers below to find more details on the world-wide web at http://www.nsf.gov/verity/srchawdf.htm.

• Nancy Berner, University of the South
  nberner@seraph1.sewanee.edu
  Biological Sciences: grant #9805808
  
  Learning and Application of New Methods to the Study of Mitochondrial Heat Generating Mechanisms in Endothermic and Ectothermic Vertebrates
  
  The researcher's ongoing project compares cellular and subcellular heat generation in endothermic ("warm-blooded") and ectothermic ("cold-blooded") vertebrates. The POWRE award is allowing Berner to learn new laboratory methods to broaden the scope of the project already in progress, increasing the number of questions that can be investigated.
  
  
• Amy Briggs, Middlebury College
  briggs@middlebury.edu
  Computer & Information Science & Engineering: grant #9806108
  
  Geometric Algorithms for Landmark-based Mobile Robot Navigation
  
  This young researcher at a small liberal arts college will develop a research program in a promising new domain of robot navigation. The objective is to develop efficient new geometric algorithms that allow a robot to find its way in an unknown environment using visual landmarks. The long-term goals of the research include the development of task-level strategies for robot navigation in an environment without the aid of a global map.
  
  
• Carol Dieckmann, Univ. of Arizona-Tucson
  (Univ. of Mass. Med. School-Worcester, 508-856-2443)
  Biological Sciences: grant #9806135
  
  Eyespot Assembly in Chlamydomonas
  
  Even some primitive single-celled organisms are complex enough to react to light. Yet little is known about the origin and function of the eyespot in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas. This organism is free-swimming and phototactic, using its eyespot to detect light. Dieckmann will research the light sensitivity and associated functional capabilities of this organism.
  
  
• Diane Dutkevitch, Northwestern University
  dutkevitch@nwu.edu
  Education and Human Resources: grant #9806304
  
  The Web as a Laboratory: Hands-On Astronomy in Large Lecture Courses
  
  This project aims to incorporate rigorous, but fun, hands-on experience into introductory science courses for non-science majors. Labs using the world-wide web and custom software will present interactive astronomical images, allowing students to magnify and process the pictures, make measurements and learn how professional astronomers tackle critical questions. The labs will encourage exploration and creative thinking and allow students to discover for themselves the strengths and limitations of a variety of telescopes and instruments.
  
  
• Robin Garrell, Univ. of California-Los Angeles
  rlg@chem.ucla.edu
  Mathematical and Physical Sciences: grant #9806151
  
  Novel Inorganic Self-Assembled Monolayers: Boranes and Gold
  
  The research aims to design and fabricate new types of inorganic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on noble metal and oxide surfaces. This work could ultimately benefit the manufacture of electronics, sensors and ultrathin coatings for use in harsh environments.
  
  
• Morton Gernsbacher, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
  magernsb@facstaff.wisc.edu
  Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences: grant #9806076
  
  Testing the Structure Building Framework Using Functional Imaging
  
  The investigator will incorporate functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) into behavioral studies, in order to further explore the cognitive processes and mechanisms underlying language comprehension. Training skilled behavioral-cognitive-psychological researchers to use more complex, neuro-imaging techniques will allow the field to answer more complex questions about brain activities that govern language.
  
  
• Andrea Koziol, University of Dayton, Ohio
  koziol@neelix.udayton.edu
  Geosciences: grant #9805873
  
  Experimental Studies of Fe-Mg Carbonates and Their Role in Petrogenesis
  
  This research will help geologists understand the conditions of formation of a number of unusual and interesting rocks. The objectives are to determine how the minerals siderite (FeCO3) and magnesite (MgCO3) act and react under a variety of conditions of high pressure and temperature. These studies will provide tight constraints on how CO2 fluid behaves deep in the earth and provide information on oxidation state of the mantle and a better understanding of diamond formation.
  
  
• Jennifer Miller, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  jamiller@unlinfo.unl.edu
  Engineering: grant #9870435
  
  Combined Corrosion Assessment Techniques for Evaluating the Effect of Free Chlorine on Aged Cast Iron Water Distribution System Pipes
  
  To make water safer to drink, disinfectants such as free chlorine are routinely added to drinking water. But free chlorine can greatly increase corrosion of pipes. This project will use traditional and newer corrosion assessment techniques to study iron corrosion and allow the researcher to learn the use of analytical techniques not traditionally applied to the study of pipe corrosion.

Media Contacts
K. Lee Herring, NSF (703) 292-8070 kherring@nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Priscilla P. Nelson, NSF (703) 292-8000 pnelson@nsf.gov

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of $6.06 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

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