It might not seem like engineering and horticulture have much in common. But WenZhan Song and Marc van Iersel are finding new ways to intertwine their respective fields thanks to UGA’s Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program.
Song and van Iersel’s project, “Smart cyber-physical systems for controlled-environment agriculture,” includes faculty in the College of Engineering, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and Terry College of Business. The findings, which could have implications for improving food safety and for growing plants in space, helped the team win a USDA grant for $5 million. Another proposal is pending with NSF.
“When the call for the Interdisciplinary Seed Grants came out, it was a perfect fit for this group. Getting the grant allowed us to formalize our collaboration,” says van Iersel, professor of horticulture in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “The hope is that we can tackle the issue of energy efficiency in controlled-environment agriculture by integrating our respective knowledge in horticulture, engineering, energy informatics and computer science.”
The 11 other faculty teams that received Interdisciplinary Seed Grant awards last year also are working to find that common ground. Their projects were selected from more than 150 proposals. The university’s investment of $1.37 million in the program has generated $12.9 million in awarded grants—so far.
“A primary goal of the president’s seed grant program was to help teams demonstrate a history of working together to develop preliminary data that would make them competitive for major external grants,” says David Lee, vice president for research. “A return on investment of nearly 10-to-1 is thrilling.”
The Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program represents a strategic investment in UGA’s faculty and research enterprise. Proposals were reviewed by faculty and administrators assembled by Lee and Jennifer Frum, vice president for public service and outreach.
“I am pleased the Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program has achieved such impressive results in the short time since it was established,” says President Jere W. Morehead. “The success of this initiative demonstrates the value of supporting trailblazing research that combines the strengths of UGA faculty members across campus.”
Another example is David Okech, associate professor in the School of Social Work, who teamed with researchers from three other UGA colleges and the University of Liverpool in England to develop evidence-based reintegration programming for female victims of human trafficking in West Africa. The team’s work led to a five-year award by the U.S. Department of State as part of its Program to End Modern Slavery.
“Faculty appreciate the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly when it comes to addressing the major challenges embodied in UGA’s Great Commitments,” Lee says. “But realistically, it requires seed funding in order for faculty to devote the necessary time and resources to pursue these new avenues. This is why the president’s seed grant program has been so important.”
This story appeared in the spring 2019 issue of Research Magazine. The original story is available at https://news.uga.edu/interdisciplinary-seed-grants/.
