External Awards Received
The UM-Dearborn Office of Research is pleased to congratulate the following faculty members on receiving external funding for their research projects.
Principal Investigator: Kelly Jabbusch
Title: AMS-Simmons Research Enhancement Grant for PUI Faculty
Sponsor: American Mathematical Society
Award Amount: $3,000
Professor of Mathematics Kelly Jabbusch was awarded an AMS-Simons Research Enhancement Grant for Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) Faculty. This three-year grant from the American Mathematical Society is intended to foster and support research collaboration by mathematicians employed full-time at primarily undergraduate institutions. She was one of forty-six mathematicians to receive the award. This grant will support Professor Jabbusch's work on two main projects. The first is an ongoing collaboration with six algebraic geometers with the aim to classify higher Fano toric manifolds; the second is a collaboration with three algebraic geometers investigating Fujita's Conjecture in the special case of projectivized toric vector bundles.
Principal Investigator: Lei Chen
Title: Dual-scale Model to Predict Dendrite-Induced Internal Short Circuit of Li-ion Batteries
Sponsor: Ford Motor Company
Award amount: $200,000
Chen’s project aims to develop a dual-scale model that integrates a macroscale ISC and thermal model with a microscale Li plating and dendrite model. This integration will enable us to link internal battery states—such as manufacturing defects, mechanical damage, and separator porosity and properties—to the occurrence of internal short circuits and thermal runaway. Additionally, a machine learning model, combined with explainable AI methods, will be developed to quantify the importance of various factors and features influencing ISC risk.
Principal Investigator: Sridhar Lakshmanan
Title: Examination of Light-Based Directed Vehicle to Everything Communications Systems for Bridge Strike Detection Using ImpLi-Fi
Sponsor: Michigan Department of Transportation
Award amount: $266,956
The ImpLi-Fi team seeks to develop a solution for bridge strikes utilizing ImpLi-Fi, which features a range sensor for over-height truck sensing. If a vehicle is determined to be too tall to fit under the overpass, the system will send a message to the bypassing vehicle warning that it is approaching a bridge it is not capable of fitting under.
Announcements
Reminder of Updated PEERRS Requirements for Researchers
Due to new federal regulations, additional requirements have been added under the University’s Program for the Education and Evaluation of Responsible Research and Scholarship (PEERRS). Most notably:
- Anyone (faculty, student, or staff) named on a proposal submitted for external funding must complete the Research Security Training module prior to proposal submission and in order for any award to be processed.
- All personnel on an externally funded award are required to complete the DOJ Bulk Sensitive Data Regulations Training and Research Administration modules.
- Anyone engaged in U-M research or scholarship activity—regardless of internal or external support—must complete the Responsible Conduct of Research & Scholarship (RCRS) training.
Questions regarding PEERRS requirements should be directed to [email protected].
Research Resource Highlight - iThenticate
Every month, the Office of Research features a resource or tool available to support faculty research. This month, we are reminding UM-Dearborn researchers about iThenticate, a plagiarism detection software available through an institutional license secured by the Office of the Vice President for Research.
iThenticate can be used to help ensure originality and appropriate citation practices in grant proposals, manuscripts, and other scholarly work. The tool supports responsible conduct of research by allowing authors to identify potential text similarities prior to submission.
UM-Dearborn faculty may access iThenticate at no cost as part of the university’s institutional license. Learn more and access iThenticate here: research compliance website
Research Events
IRB On-the-Road: Drop-In Sessions for UM-Dearborn
Elizabeth Molina, the UM-Dearborn Health and Services and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board (IRB-HSBS) liaison, will continue offering IRB On-the-Road drop-in sessions during the Winter 2026 semester. These sessions provide UM-Dearborn faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students with an opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance on IRB processes and requirements prior to proposal or application submission.
Schedule: Every third Wednesday of the month, January–April 2026
Time: 2-3:30 p.m.
Format: Zoom Room - access the room and wait to be invited by the host
Critical Challenges in Generative AI: Academic Integrity, Bias, Responsibilities, and Risks
This virtual session will examine ethical and practical challenges associated with generative AI, including academic integrity, bias, and responsible use in research and teaching.
- Jan. 15, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Zoom
- REGISTER
From Basics to Brilliance: Prompt Crafting with U-M GPT
This workshop introduces effective prompt-crafting strategies using U-M GPT, with practical tips for improving outputs and supporting research and instructional workflows.
- Jan. 20, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Zoom
- REGISTER
Workshop I: New Horizons in Arts & Health Collaborative Research
This in-person workshop brings together researchers and practitioners interested in arts and health collaborations, focusing on interdisciplinary connections and project development.
Innovative ideas around the theme of Arts & Health developed through Creativity Lab will be eligible for at least $50,000 through the Arts Research: Incubation & Acceleration (ARIA) program for ARIA's October 2026 deadline.
- Jan. 23, 2026 | 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Michigan League Ballroom
- See more information and REGISTER
Prompt to Picture: How AI Can Help You Create Custom Visuals
This virtual session explores how AI-powered tools can be used to create custom visuals for research, presentations, and outreach, with an emphasis on accessibility and effective design.
- Jan. 27, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Zoom
- REGISTER
Engaging with Industry Partners
This Hanover Research session guides on developing and sustaining productive partnerships with industry collaborators, including strategies for initiating engagement and aligning research goals.
- Jan. 29, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Zoom
- REGISTER
Revamping Your Grant-Seeking Strategy in a Changing Landscape
This virtual Hanover Research workshop addresses evolving funding trends and offers strategies for adapting grant-seeking approaches in a shifting research funding environment.
- Feb. 26, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Zoom
- REGISTER
Workshop II: Building Arts & Health Research Teams
Building on Workshop I, this full-day, in-person workshop focuses on developing effective interdisciplinary arts and health research teams and collaborative project concepts.
- March 20, 2026 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Michigan League – Henderson Room
- REGISTER
Re-Imagining Broader Impacts in Grant Writing
This Hanover Research session helps researchers rethink and strengthen broader impacts components of grant proposals through examples and practical strategies.
- March 26, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Zoom
- REGISTER
Communicating the Value of Your Research to a Broad Audience
This workshop focuses on tailoring research communications to different audiences, helping participants clearly articulate the value and impact of their work.
- March 26, 2026 | 1-3 p.m. | Zoom
- REGISTER
Selected Funding Opportunities
Complement-ARIE NAMs Reduction to Practice Challenge (NIH)
This NIH challenge seeks to accelerate the development and validation of new approach methodologies (NAMs) that are human-based and can complement or replace traditional animal models in biomedical research.
- Phase I deadline: March 1, 2026
NIH Shared Instrumentation Grant (S10) Program
The NIH S10 program supports the purchase of state-of-the-art shared research instrumentation to enhance the research of NIH-funded investigators.
- Sponsor deadline: June 1, 2026
ONR Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Education and Workforce Program
The ONR STEM program supports formal and informal STEM education initiatives focused on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and related disciplines.
- Funding amount: Up to $1 million per year
- Proposal deadline: June 30, 2026
