Kickstart Facility Grant Program

The Ohio State University Institute for Materials and Manufacturing Research (IMR) invites proposals to its Kickstart Facility Grant Program. IMR Kickstart Facility Grants make shared campus research facilities more accessible to demonstrate materials-related research results with the goal of strengthening near- term research proposals for external support. Preference is given to research conducted in one of IMR’s core materials research facilities, including:

• Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME)
• Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis (CEMAS)
• Nanosystems Laboratory (NSL)
• Nanotech West Laboratory (NTW)
• Semiconductor Epitaxy and Analysis Laboratory (SEAL)
• AFM Core Facility in Scott Laboratory W374B

Each Kickstart Facility Grant provides $2,500.00 to offset the cost of user fees and access fees associated with participating facilities.

Awarded Autumn 2024 Projects:

A monolithic photoelectrode for modulation of local environments through optoelectronic effects
PI: Jinghua Li, Materials Science and Engineering 

Alloy Design for Additive Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Materials Using Computational Modeling
PI: Boian Alexandrov Materials Science and Engineering, Welding Engineering Program

Characterization and visualization of senescent cells derived EVs
PI: Paula Agudelo Garcia, Biomedical Engineering

Chemical heterogeneities on the sublattice of ordered intermetallics
PI: Andreas Bezold, Materials Science and Engineering

Cryo-EM Characterization of Apolipoprotein L1
PI: Sethu Madhavan, Internal Medicine

Engineered Extracellular Vesicles to mediate motor-like neuron conversion to support temporary muscle reinnervation after peripheral nerve injury
PI: Ana Isabel Salazar-Puerta, Biomedical Engineering

High Strength and Fully-Recyclable Fiber Reinforced Plastics
PI: Lauren Taylor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Hybrid Molecular Beam Epitaxy with Novel Precursors
PI: Kaveh Ahadi, Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Interface and Atomic-Scale Defect Characterization of GeSn0.9/Si PIN Photodetectors Using Electron Charge Contrast Imaging and Transmission Electron Microscopy
PI: Punam Murkute, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mechanical characterization of glomerulus in diabetic kidney disease
PI: Dan Wang, Internal Medicine, Nephrology

Microscopic Investigation of Biodegradation Mechanisms in Coffee Oil Epoxide-Modified PHBV/Natural Rubber Blends
PI: Yael Vodovotz, Food Science and Technology

Mimicry of Metamaterials Through Liquid Crystals
PI: Xiaoguang Wang, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Optical Characterization of Neutron-Irradiated Point Defects in h-BN for Quantum Applications
PI: Shamsul Arafin, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Solid-state nanopore single-particle level sensor: fabrication and characterization for biomedical diagnostic applications
PI: Buddini Karawdeniya, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry