Office for Proposal Enhancement

The Biomedical and Translational Sciences Institute (BTSI) at the University of Georgia facilitates and promotes interdisciplinary research and instructional efforts throughout UGA. With divisions focusing on neuroscience, basic and translational biomedical science and the One Health initiative, researchers in the institute support graduate degree programs and cooperative research projects designed to solve the most fundamental problems in the fields of biomedical and health sciences. btsi.uga.edu.

The Center for Applied Isotope Studies (CAIS) is an interdisciplinary unit dedicated to providing the highest quality radiocarbon (14C), stable isotope, and elemental analyses to researchers in academia, industry, and government in order to facilitate integrative research, inform science-based decision making, and promote the future growth of UGA as a leader in applied STEM fields. The CAIS occupies a 22,000 square-foot complex of offices and laboratories located in UGA’s Riverbend Research Facility. Additional facilities are located in the UGA Chemistry Building, the Geology/Geography Building, and in the L.L. Pete Philips Wood Utilization Plant Sciences Building within the Whitehall Forest complex of the Warnell School of Forest Resources. CAIS is accredited (since 2015) under the International Organization for Standardization, ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for stable isotope and radiocarbon analyses—an accreditation that is universally recognized as the highest level of quality attainable by a testing laboratory. cais.uga.edu

The Center for Cyber-Physical Systems (CCPS) develops partnerships among universities, industry and government on research and education in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) analytics and security and fosters bold innovation and entrepreneurship in CPS. The CCPS center is an interdisciplinary research center in UGA committed to advancing research and education in CPS and to transitioning CPS science and technology into engineering practice and real-world applications with lasting impact. Integrating with the existing strength of UGA, the CCPS will be initially positioned on leading the CPS innovations on the intersecting grand challenges of energy, environment, food and health. cps.uga.edu.

The Center for Drug Discovery is designed to be the premier portal at the University of Georgia for the development of therapeutics by supporting pre-clinical stage collaborations with extramural supporting entities. The Center for Drug Discovery was established in 2005 to fulfill a critical state, national, and international need for the discovery and development of new chemical and biological entities for combating existing and emerging life-threatening diseases. The Center’s drug discovery services are provided by the Drug Discovery Core Laboratory, which is a partnership between the UGA Center for Drug Discovery and the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program. More on some of the center’s services as well as its ability to help with proposal development can be found here cdd.uga.edu

As an intellectual community where scientific curiosity is valued, the CEID seeks to address the problems at the intersection of ecology and infectious diseases by developing innovative technical methods and novel collaborative approaches, which draw upon the various fields vested in infectious disease research. The CEID welcomes participation from anyone wanting to learn and contribute, including professional scientists, graduate or undergraduate students, and industry professionals seeking answers to today’s pressing infectious disease issues. Center activities include disease ecology workshops in which faculty present research in progress, computational clinics to teach modeling techniques, and research seminars given by visiting faculty on a range of topics. The CEID also supports working groups on zoonotic spillover, disease mapping, and disease forecasting. ceid.uga.edu

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) was established in 1992 to promote food safety and its role in protecting the agricultural system. CFS is a leader of multidisciplinary, innovative research to improve the safety of food. CFS researchers develop ways to detect, control and eliminate harmful microorganisms and their toxins from the food supply. The expertise within CFS is broad and involves every stage of the food supply chain, from the growing fields and barns to consumers’ plates. CFS is part of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and is located on the Griffin Campus of the University of Georgia. CFS maintains strong collaborative ties with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and research groups at the Athens campus of the University of Georgia. center-for-food-safety.

The Center for Geospatial Research (CGR) promotes geographic thinking and the application of geospatial technologies in interdisciplinary research, education, and public service. They apply expertise in remote sensing, photogrammetry, GIS, geovisualization, and field surveys to uncover spatial and temporal aspects of projects and research. Since their establishment in 1985 as the Laboratory for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science (later renamed to Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science), their internationally recognized work in natural and cultural resources, terrain analysis, and spatiotemporal modeling addresses critical and contemporary issues in humans and the environment relationships. cgr.uga.edu

At the Grady College Center for Health and Risk Communication (CHRC) at the University of Georgia researchers are working to improve communication practices that address a broad catalogue of health and risk conditions ranging from breast cancer and diabetes to multiple sclerosis and sickle cell anemia to drinking water contamination arising from terrorist attack. It functions as an institutional, regional, and international contact point for UGA outreach in health and risk communication research, training, and service to advance knowledge about effective and understandable messages to help people make better health-related decisions. chrc.uga.edu

The Center for Integrative Conservation Research (CICR) works to inspire durable and equitable solutions to complex environmental challenges through its support of collaborative training, research, and problem-solving with an emphasis on a broad diversity of ways of perceiving and analyzing complex conservation issues. Established in 2007, the CICR plays a convening and catalytic role in fostering integrative research across the social and environmental sciences and diverse knowledge traditions, supporting conservation practices and policies that simultaneously preserve biodiversity and serve human needs. With a remarkable breadth of expertise on the social-environmental interface at UGA, CICR serves as a bridge between faculty and students from different disciplines and units on campus. cicr.uga.edu.

The Center for International Trade & Security (CITS) was established in 1987 with the support of former U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk. Since its founding, CITS has developed a network of academic researchers, public officials, and industry representatives with expertise in critical areas of national and international security. CITS advises policymakers and trains personnel around the world on nonproliferation, strategic trade and energy security, while serving as a hub of research, teaching, and outreach on new and emerging security topics. spia.uga.edu/cits.

The Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM) at the University of Georgia is working to better understand the molecular and cellular basis for human disease and translate this research into the discovery of new therapies, cures and diagnostic tools. The therapeutics being developed may be in the form of stem cell-based therapies, vaccines, new drugs, antibodies or protein pharmaceuticals. Research programs also focus on the identification of new biomarkers and other tools for clinical diagnostics, with direct application to a wide range of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders and diabetes. cmm.uga.edu

The Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS) at the University of Georgia fosters educational and research activities focused on economic, political, and sociocultural change and development occurring at the global level. GLOBIS conducts research and educational activities which examine recent global economic, political, and socio-cultural trends and the human problems associated with these trends in order to furnish a basis for forecasting the future and forming public policy. spia.uga.edu/globis.

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers a wide variety of programs and activities to foster an institutional climate that reinforces excellence in teaching and learning across the University of Georgia. The CTL partners with faculty, graduate students, staff, and administrators to promote evidence-based teaching and learning practices, sustain a university culture that values and rewards teaching, encourages critical reflection on teaching practices, and creates learning environments in which all students and instructors can excel. The CTL provides instructional grants, consultation services, faculty and TA development programs, publications, activities planning, and teaching resources and media services. In addition, it offers seminars, workshops, and conferences that address a wide range of topics throughout the year. ctl.uga.edu

The Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases at the University of Georgia is one of the largest international centers of research focused on diseases of poverty that contribute enormously to global death, disability, and instability. CTEGD’s 24 faculty are from nine departments in five colleges/schools and adjunct faculty from the Task Force for Global Health provide a strong foundation of parasitology, immunology, cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics to develop medical and public health interventions for at-risk populations. CTEGD also benefits from the participation of adjunct faculty from The Task Force for Global Health, and its linkages to the Emory Vaccine Center and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all in nearby Atlanta, as well as its relationships with UGA’s Faculty of Infectious Diseases, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (CCRC). The Center is made up of a wide range of research programs that focus largely on protozoan and metazoan parasites, their hosts, and their vectors. Many of these programs have major international, on-site components for both research and training, where the faculty and trainees deal with these global infections and the populations that harbor them. CTEGD also benefits from the participation of adjunct faculty from The Task Force for Global Health, and its linkages to the Emory Vaccine Center and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all in nearby Atlanta; as well as its relationships with UGA’s Faculty of Infectious Diseases, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (CCRC), and other related programs at UGA. ctegd.uga.edu

Established in 2015, the Center for Vaccines and Immunology (CVI) is made up of a premier team of researchers that are leading the way in basic and translational research in immunology and vaccine development. CVI takes advantage of UGA’s diverse, world-renowned expertise within the areas of infectious disease, veterinary medicine, ecology and public health. With UGA’s world-class biocontainment research resources coupled with the expertise of scientists from nearby institutions, CVI investigators can focus on translational studies to test and assess the efficacy of vaccines and immunotherapies in development by industry, governmental and academic institutions. cvi.uga.edu

The Clinical and Translational Research Unit (CTRU), an initiative of the AU/UGA Medical Partnership and the UGA Office of Research, was established in 2015 to support investigators in conducting sponsored or pilot clinical and translational studies that advance the understanding, prevention and treatment of human diseases. For students and health sciences trainees, the unit provides opportunities to gain experience in clinical research and learn how laboratory discoveries are translated into improved patient outcomes. The CTRU also offers competitive seed grants for faculty. ctru.uga.edu

The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (CCRC) at the University of Georgia was founded in 1985, and is one of only three centers worldwide dedicated to the study of complex carbohydrates, which play critical roles in cellular communication, gene expression, immunology, organism defense mechanisms, growth and development. The 140,000 square-foot facility was specifically designed for the interdisciplinary and equipment-intensive nature of carbohydrate science and is home to 17 interdisciplinary research groups, including four federally designated centers for carbohydrate research. Collaborative research programs span multiple domains, including biomedical glycoscience, plant and microbial glycoscience, synthetic and analytical chemistry. In addition to UGA research projects, the center provides analytical services and training worldwide for university, government and industrial scientists interested in complex carbohydrate molecules. ccrc.uga.edu

The Developmental Biology Alliance at the University of Georgia is a novel mechanism based on partnerships with diverse units and research groups at UGA and across Georgia to advance common goals in supporting integrative and interdisciplinary research and undergraduate and graduate training programs in developmental biology. The UGA Developmental Biology Alliance encompasses research in organogenesis, evolutionary developmental biology, and the interface of developmental mechanisms and aging. The Developmental Biology Alliance also actively promotes interactions between developmental biologists and scientists in diverse disciplines including nanotechnology, quantitative modeling, and advanced imaging, to develop new avenues of collaborative research and training. devbio.uga.edu

The Engineering Education Transformations Institute in the UGA College of Engineering seeks to transform engineering education through building community and shared capacity around the scholarship of teaching and learning in engineering that will allow educators to improve their own teaching, innovate in their courses and curricula, and conduct empirical investigations to better understand their students’ experiences. The college faculty, staff, engineering education researchers, graduate, and undergraduate students in three schools and 15 degree programs fuse a vibrant culture and discourse around educational innovation in the college with cutting-edge engineering education research to transform engineering programs, educational practices, and institutional cultures, locally and nationally. The strength of their efforts, and of their community, is grounded in a shared commitment to celebrating diversity, embracing collaboration as our mode of operating, and valuing individual strengths and interests. eeti.uga.edu

The Faculty of Infectious Diseases was created in 2007 to address existing and emerging infectious disease threats to species and economies worldwide by integrating multidisciplinary research in animal, human and ecosystem health. The Faculty of Infectious Diseases spans eight schools and colleges at UGA, creating a consolidated profile for infectious disease research at UGA including epidemiology, host-pathogen interactions, evolution of infectious diseases, disease surveillance, vaccine development, therapeutics and diagnostics and predictors/modelling of disease outbreaks and the likely influence of countermeasures to control outbreaks. The faculty promotes interdisciplinary interactions, new collaborations, and synergy among UGA faculty and with regional institutions and the private sector; facilitates the pursuit of new research initiatives, particularly in response to emerging threats, and new technologies and applications; and trains the next generation of researchers in infectious diseases. fid.uga.edu

The Faculty of Robotics at the University of Georgia aims to significantly advance the fundamental science and engineering involved in robotics, facilitate diverse robotic applications with profound societal impact, and enhance the University’s prominence in the discipline of robotics by serving as a singular hub for research in robotics that brings together interested University faculty and students from a variety of disciplines. The Faculty facilitates close research exchanges among several UGA faculty all of whom have research expertise in fields related to robotics science, engineering, and its applications. robotics.uga.edu

The institutions of the NIH-funded Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance (CTSA) leverage their complementary strengths to accelerate clinical and translational education, research, and community engagement to impact health in Georgia and beyond. This strategic multi-institutional alliance among Emory University, UGA, Georgia Tech, and Morehouse School of Medicine offers compelling, unique, and synergistic advantages to research and patients statewide. UGA’s statewide Extension footprint has allowed Georgia CTSA to broaden the impact of its community engagement mission across the state. actsi.org.

The explosion of digital information has created new opportunities in so many fields-from the sciences to engineering and the humanities. The goal of the Georgia Informatics Institutes (GII) is to help faculty use informatics as a tool to help answer research questions while making it easier for them to incorporate informatics into their instruction. GII is a hub for informatics research and instruction that will promote collaboration among faculty members and give our students the knowledge and skills they need to fill some of today’s most in-demand positions. GII institutes and affiliated groups are the Institute of Bioinformatics, Health Informatics Institute, Institute for Cyber-Security and Privacy, Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Center for Cyber-Physical Systems, Digital Humanities, Management Information Systems, and Departments of Statistics, Computer Science, and Geography (GIScience Group). gii.uga.edu

The Georgia Initiative for Climate and Society at the University of Georgia fosters a scientific community dedicated to improving our understanding of the complex processes and effects of climate variability and change on natural, managed, human-built, and societal systems. As part of the initiative’s mission, members integrate research, outreach and instruction to provide the public with science-based information about climate variability and change, as well the tools needed to prepare for and respond to the challenges it may create by developing user-inspired effective and appropriate adaption and mitigation strategies, solutions, information and tools. climateandsociety.uga.edu

The Global Health Institute (GHI) at the University of Georgia seeks to identify best practices of health care throughout the world and to support their dissemination, adaption, and adoption in order to create equity in health for people around the world. The GHI promotes the health of individuals and their communities through global health research and the application of scientific discoveries, undergraduate and graduate education programs, and service activities that promote global health. GHI has 34 members from nine different UGA colleges/schools, centers, and institutes. Members range from Deans to postdoctoral researchers and represent 74 different academic research areas. ghi.publichealth.uga.edu

Ideas for Creative Exploration is a catalyst for innovative, interdisciplinary creative projects, advanced research and critical discourse in the arts, and for creative applications of technologies, concepts, and practices found across disciplines. It is a collaborative network of faculty, students, and community members from all disciplines of the visual and performing arts in addition to other disciplines in the humanities and sciences. Ideas for Creative Exploration enables all stages of creative activity, from concept and team formation through production, documentation, and dissemination of research. ice.uga.edu

Innovation Gateway (IG) is the University of Georgia’s technology and commercialization office, incubator, and entrepreneurial assistance center. Conveniently located on UGA’s Athens campus, Innovation Gateway facilitates licensing and patents for the discoveries of UGA students, faculty, and staff in the fields of medicine, agriculture, bioinformatics and environmental science, and also enables start-ups to accelerate the commercialization of those discoveries. The IG helped UGA introduce 900+ products to the marketplace, placing it in the top 5 among U.S. Universities for bringing new products to market for 8 consecutive years. The UGA has placed in the top 10 U.S. universities in active licenses for 14 consecutive years and has generated a $531 million economic impact from UGA startup companies. research.uga.edu/gateway.

The Institute of Bioinformatics (IOB) at the University of Georgia facilitates interactions and cutting-edge research collaborations between experimental biologists, technologists and computational/mathematical scientists to solve complex biological problems. Thus, our program emphases the full data lifecycle from experimental design to choosing the appropriate technology to analysis with the proper statistics and algorithms. The IOB’s 50 associated interdisciplinary faculty actively conduct bioinformatics research on genomics and phylogenomics (all domains of life), biomedicine and cancer, metabolomics, glycobiology, data integration, systems, and statistical and mathematical sciences. Our M.S. and Ph.D. and Graduate Certificate programs train students to tackle complex biological problems which utilize omics or other complex data types in support of campus-wide computational biology and bioinformatics research at UGA. iob.uga.edu.

Every year, thousands of people are impacted by disasters across the world, often receiving aid only after considerable delay and suffering. The leading researchers and subject matter experts at the Institute for Disaster Management at the University of Georgia (UGA IDM) work to reduce the casualties and disruption from all types of hazards through engagement in planning, mitigation, risk analysis, professional training, and the development of response capabilities and infrastructure. They work with local, state, federal, and international partners to host a coordinated research, service, and training program to affect meaningful improvement in the global response to disasters and human suffering that disasters entail. The IDM offers one of the only Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees with a specific concentration in disaster management, graduate and undergraduate certificates, and an undergraduate minor in public health. uga.edu/dman

The institute provides a venue for industry, government, and academia to improve and harmonize the worldwide safe use of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical devices, biologics, animal health products and combination products through the regulatory sciences. We achieve this through collaborative partnerships, integrative research, education, training, and outreach. The University of Georgia established graduate training in regulatory affairs and clinical trials management in 2005 with an initial focus toward improving the education of working regulatory professionals in a wide variety of biomedical product areas involving pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, and animal health products. Advances in technology and our understanding of diseases create new opportunities to positively impact the health and well-being of patients while presenting increasing challenges that need to be studied and understood in order to bring the highest quality of life to mankind.  The regulatory sciences are responsible for the integration of new innovations in science, technology, engineering, informatics, and other related disciplines into guidelines that can be broadly understood and operationalized. iibrs.uga.edu

The Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) helps communities, businesses, and governments mitigate risks – and seize opportunities – associated with environmental change, extreme weather, and climate-related events by rethinking, transforming and adapting infrastructure systems to strengthen social, economic and ecological resilience. IRIS advances the integration of natural and conventional infrastructure systems to strengthen society’s long-term resilience to flooding, sea level rise, drought and other disruptions through collaborative partnerships, integrative research, decision support, education, training, and outreach. https://www.iris.uga.edu/.

The Georgia Sea Grant College Program is part of a national network of 34 Sea Grant programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Puerto Rico, Lake Champlain, and Guam. These programs serve as a core of a dynamic university-based network of over 300 institutions involving more than 3,000 scientists, engineers, educators, students, and outreach experts. UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant provide research, education, training, and science-based outreach to assist Georgia in solving problems and realizing opportunities for its coastal and marine environments. They promote the economic, cultural, and environmental health of Georgia’s coast by preparing citizens to become good stewards of coastal ecosystems and watershed resources and assisting marine industries in finding ways to increase their efficiency and effectiveness by developing new, environmentally sustainable industries. gacoast.uga.edu. 

The UGA New Materials Institute is committed to preventing waste through the design of materials and systems that adhere to Green Engineering principles. The Institute partners with industry and businesses to design materials for their use that are bio-based, fully biodegradable, or completely recyclable, and safe for people, animals and our planet. In addition, it works with businesses, governments, foundations and other organizations to redesign systems so that they generate less waste and promote circularity in materials management. The New Materials Institute is also shaping the future by training the next generation of scientists and engineers on the importance of considering Green Engineering design principles in everything they do. newmaterials.uga.edu

The NMI is home to the Bioseniatic Laboratory, which tests materials and/or products currently in development or in use, from any manufacturer or researcher to determine how long it takes to degrade into a natural state and in what receiving environment. A Bioseniatic™ material or product is one that will be consumed by microbes in water or on land, leaving behind no micro- or nano-sized particles or toxic residues. The lab assesses the safety of biologically degradable materials and products that can replace environmentally persistent petroleum-derived plastics and other environmentally persistent materials. Their certification program determines how long it takes a material or product to degrade into a natural state and tests for micro- and nano-sized particles of materials and/or chemical residue. https://newmaterials.uga.edu/the-bioseniatic%e2%84%a0-laboratory/

The UGA Obesity Initiative addresses the growing epidemic of adult and childhood obesity and its related diseases by promoting multidisciplinary, collaborative research that will inform effective and sustainable obesity prevention and treatment programs across the lifespan. Through its public service and outreach, the OI ensures that UGA’s outstanding research helps Georgia communities, employers and health care providers develop and implement obesity prevention and treatment programs to improve the health of Georgia’s citizens and decrease the cost of health care in the state. obesity.uga.edu.

The Owens Institute for Behavioral Research, founded in 1970, provides services, information, and support to enhance the quality, comprehensiveness, and relevance of social and behavioral research at the University of Georgia. Over 140 behavioral scientists from across the university’s campus collaborate to address basic and applied cutting-edge research questions in the arenas of health, family, education, culture, conservation, and sustainability. OIBR’s mission is to encourage multidisciplinary research by facilitating the exchange of information and ideas across disciplinary boundaries, to enhance the ability of both emerging and eminent scholars to further their careers and to obtain extramural funding, to encourage the development of young scholars, to increase recognition of the social and behavioral sciences across campus, and to expand the research infrastructure at the University of Georgia by turning ideas into funded research. oibr.uga.edu.

Opportunities for Networking and Collaboration. The Institute sponsors frequent colloquia, research presentations, interest group sessions, and an annual retreat to promote interdisciplinary collaboration.

Grantsmanship Development Program. The Grantsmanship Development Program is a competitive, two-year program designed to prepare participants to compete successfully for extramural funding. Training includes workshops, seminars and staged guidance on proposal preparation.

Grants Support Services. OIBR offers customized, comprehensive pre-award and post-award grants services. Pre-award support includes funding searches, budget development, coordination among collaborating institutions, proofreading, and evaluation to ensure the proposal meets RFP requirements and sponsor guidelines. Post-award services include assistance with procurement and all aspects of account and expense management.

Centers of Excellence:

• Center for Family Research (CFR)
• Center for Gambling Research (CGR)
• Center on Biological Embedding of Social Events and Relationships (BESER)
• Center for Integrative Conservation Research (CICR)
• Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Services Delivery (BHHSD)
• Scientists Engaged in Educational Research Center (SEER)

The Phenomics and Plant Robotics Center (P2RC) aims to propel UGA into a global leadership position in the high-impact area of phenomics and plant robotics and to provide interdisciplinary educational programs to train the next generation of cross-trained scientists and workforce at the interface of plant science and technology. The P2RC leverages UGA’s world-class plant sciences portfolio (e.g., Plant Center, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center), as well as plant robotics/sensing, and the new Georgia Informatics Institutes to create a nucleus for interdisciplinary collaboration and convergence of sciences, including plant breeding/genomics, plant biomass characterization, engineering, and computational sciences. The Center addresses a major grand challenge facing humanity: to feed and sustain a growing human population amidst increasing climate variability and less arable land. It seeks to establish international collaborations with phenomics centers in Europe, Australia, and Asia while developing robotics technologies to accelerate the application of genome information in the improvement of plants that produce food, fuel, feed, and fiber. pprc.uga.edu

The Plant Center at the University of Georgia enhances the tradition of outstanding research in plant molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, genomics, and ecology to sustainably meet the food, feed, fiber and fuel needs of an ever-increasing population. The center promotes interaction among UGA researchers to support agriculture in Georgia and beyond. Researchers focus particularly on the growth, development and behavior of plants; the organization, evolution, and function of plant genomes; and the improvement of plants for agricultural and industrial uses. They bring together plant scientists from across the UGA community with an annual retreat and research seminars featuring nationally renowned speakers covering cutting-edge topics. Their workshops and symposia highlight research breakthroughs and technological advances. plantcenter.uga.edu

The Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center (PDRC), which is part of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Population Health, is dedicated to the advancement of poultry medicine throughout our state, nation, and world. Faculty members in the PDRC teach undergraduate courses in the UGA College of Agriculture, offer course work for DVM students, and oversee several graduate programs for veterinary professionals. They also provide diagnostic assistance and consultation to the world’s poultry producers and conduct research focused on solving problems of importance to the industry. vet/uga.edu/poultry

The Regenerative Bioscience Center (RBC) at the University of Georgia, established in 2004 by Dr. Steven Stice, links researchers and resources collaborating in a wide range of disciplines to develop new cures for devastating diseases and medical conditions that affect both animals and people. With its potential restorative powers, regenerative medicine could offer new ways of treating diseases for which there are currently no treatments—including heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and stroke. In addition to research, the RBC provides education to national and international researchers, graduate and undergraduate classes taught by the faculty, and a Young Scholar program for high school students interested in biomedical science careers. rbc.uga.edu.

The River Basin Center (RBC) of the University of Georgia works to produce and disseminate the knowledge and tools for sustainable management of aquatic resources and ecosystems through applied scientific and policy research. The River Basin Center works in three broad areas: (a) Conservation ecology of aquatic ecosystems; (b) Applied research on aquatic system stressors and development of appropriate management tools; (c) Policy development and outreach. Its affiliate faculty are drawn from across the university and it is known for an interdisciplinary approach to challenging environmental and social problems. rivercenter.uga.edu.

The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), founded in 1951, is located on the Savannah River Site, a Department of Energy facility near Aiken, SC. Scientists here pursue a wide variety of basic and applied research at multiple levels of ecological organization, from atoms to ecosystems, designed to provide sound science for decision-making and environmental stewardship. The lab also provides opportunities for graduate and undergraduate research training and service to the community through environmental outreach. srel.uga.edu

The UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography is a multidisciplinary research and training institution located on Skidaway Island near Savannah. The Institute was founded in 1968 with a mission to conduct research in all fields of oceanography. In 2013, the institute was merged with the University of Georgia. The campus serves as a gateway to coastal and marine environments for programs throughout the University System. The Institute’s primary goals are to further understanding of marine and environmental processes, conduct leading-edge research on coastal and marine systems, and train tomorrow’s scientists. Institute scientists conduct basic research across a broad range of subdisciplines, covering not only local economic and environmental issues, but also global processes and phenomena. Skidaway encourages interdisciplinary research among its faculty who collaborate on projects ranging from molecular aspects of biological systems to studies of global-scale climate change. Institute faculty are members of the Department of Marine Sciences at UGA and serve as mentors and advisors for undergraduate and graduate students from UGA and all over the world. skio.uga.edu

The University of Georgia Cancer Center is composed of more than 30 teams of researchers from across campus working to discover new drug targets, develop diagnostic tests, create cancer vaccines, and educate the public about cancer treatment and prevention. The center is also committed to educating undergraduate and graduate-level students who will become the next generation of cancer researchers and physicians. cancercenter.uga.edu.

A Public Service and Outreach unit of the University of Georgia, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVI) has been helping governments become more efficient, effective and responsive since 1927 through training and development, customized assistance, application of technology, and studies relevant to government operations and decision making. The CVI offers over 600 training and education courses to help governments throughout Georgia and beyond solve grand challenges and analyze the effectiveness of new initiatives with surveys, evaluations, and focus groups.

CVI offers undergraduate and graduate students opportunities to gain valuable experience and prepare for careers in public service through a variety of experiential learning opportunities, internships, fellowships and part-time paid employment.  Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The Jane and Harry Willson Center for Humanities and Arts at the University of Georgia promotes research and creativity in the humanities and arts through research grants, lectures, symposia, publications, visiting scholars, visiting artists, collaborative instruction, public conferences, exhibitions and performances.  It cultivates a community of publicly engaged faculty and students whose diverse interests reflect the intellectual breadth and depth of UGA as a leading global and public institution. willson.uga.edu

The Animal Health Research Center (AHRC) is a state-of-the-art facility that enables scientists to study infectious microorganisms, parasites, and toxins in an environment that is safe for researchers, animals, and the public. One of the most technologically advanced biocontainment facilities in the United States, the AHRC is dedicated to studying a wide variety of infectious diseases affecting both animal and human health and offers training and consulting for study design, biosafety, and bioresources. Researchers can also use the facility independently once training is completed, documented, and approved. The AHRC, a 75,000 square-foot facility, is comprised of BSL-2 labs, ABSL-2 spaces, BSL-3 labs, ABSL-3/BSL-3Ag vivarium. Each lab is available for reservation by UGA and outside researchers. vet.uga.edu/animal-health-research-center.

The Bioexpression and Fermentation Facility (BFF) in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology provides wide-ranging expertise and capabilities in biotechnological applications such as cell culture, fermentation, molecular biology, monoclonal antibodies, gene synthesis, peptide synthesis, process development, endotoxin testing, and purification to UGA, other academic researchers, and industry. Established in 1967, the BFF can speed the pace of your research, development and manufacturing with an array of state-of-the-art equipment including fermentation equipment from 750mL to 750L; downstream processing equipment including homogenization (12k psi), TFF (10 m2) & hollow fiber (up to 12 m2); preparative & analytical HPLC; low pressure chromatography (up to 3 L/min.); an array of chromatography equipment for projects (up to 25L packed column); and shelf lyophilizers (purified proteins only).  Services can be tailored to meet the needs of researchers. bff.uga.edu.

The Bio-Imaging Research Center (BIRC) is a multi-imaging research suite designed to provide a full range of biological tissue imaging technologies to multiple biomedical investigators, their students, and other researchers. The state-of-the-art facility serves as a resource across disciplines and fosters collaborative, extramurally funded research among human, animal, and cellular scientists at UGA and scientists in other federal, state, and private agencies or businesses. The facility houses a GE 32-channel fixed-site Discovery MR750 3.0 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) magnet, the anchor technology within the BIRC; a CTF Omega Whole-cortex magnetoencephalography system with 143-channel MEG and 64-channel EEG, all enclosed in a state-of-the-art magnetically shielded room; an EGI Geodesic System 200 Electroencephalography system with 256-channel head capabilities; a fully functional MRI simulator to acclimate research subjects;  a 7T Varian Magnex 7 Tesla, 210 mm horizontal bore, MRI/MRS system for imaging mice and rats provides non-invasive monitoring of both anatomical and metabolic changes; and a PIXImus Densitometer (GE Medical systems) for small animal imaging that allows measurement of bone density and of bone or soft tissue composition that uses dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and typically takes less than 10 minutes for image acquisition. birc.uga.edu.

The Biomedical Microscopy Core (BMC) provides access to confocal, deconvolution, light sheet, super resolution and other optical microscope systems that are useful for multi-color imaging of live and fixed cells and tissue samples, and high-content screening. This state-of-the-art microscopy facility serves UGA and external researchers by providing microscopy related expertise, training, and assistance for advancing their projects on various model organisms. Additionally, BMC offers software packages on high-end workstations for image processing and analysis. Among other equipment, users have access to a BD Pathway 435 Bioimager, DeltaVision I (pd125225), DeltaVision II (pd20621), DeltaVision II (pd20621), LaVision BioTec UltraMicroscope II, Zeiss LSM 710 Confocal Microscope, Zeiss LSM 880 Confocal Microscope, Zeiss Axio Examiner Microscope, Zeiss ELYRA S1 (SR-SIM) Super Resolution Microscope, and Zeiss Axio Scope A1.  bmc.uga.edu.

Founded in 1985, the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center offers Analytical Services and training to universities, federal agencies, research institutes, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies interested in analysis, structural elucidation and validation of polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. The Analytical Service Team offers both routine services and in-depth full structural characterization of all types of glycoconjugates derived from plants, animals, or bacteria, or produced through cell culture. The AS team has the expertise and experience to tackle the most challenging projects in the analysis of glycoconjugates. They also develop and perform method validations and conduct research into new methods for glycoscience research. ast.uga.edu.

Located at UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facility is used to determine molecular structures of carbohydrates and proteins and to investigate the structural and dynamical basis of protein-carbohydrate interactions. Researchers at the CCRC will consult in planning studies, preparing samples, and analyzing data and can help at all stages of bio-molecular NMR projects. The in-house expertise includes new NMR methods to analyze structures of large mammalian glycoproteins and carbohydrate binding proteins. The facility has standard laboratory facilities and supplies for sample preparation and a variety of automated sample handling capabilities and are equipped for remote access. It houses eight NMR spectrometers and a diverse collection of probes and hardware suitable for a wide range of biomolecular and chemical NMR. New hardware includes a 1.7 mm cryoprobe at 800MHz, a 5 mm TXO C13 and N15 optimized cryoprobe at 900MHz, a comprehensive multi-phase (CMP) HRMAS probe at 600 MHz, and an Oxford Hypersense dissolution DNP system. nmr.ccrc.uga.edu.

The Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases’ (CTEGD) Flow Cytometry Facility provides UGA researchers and others across the scientific community with access to state-of-the-art flow cytometry analyzers, including a Luminex multiplexing instrument, an imaging flow cytometer, and flow cytometry cell sorters. The facility also provides expert advice and consultation for the design and analysis of flow experiments and educates researchers at all levels of expertise in the understanding of the concept and operation of flow cytometry equipment and the correct interpretation of flow data. ctegdcytometry.uga.edu.

The Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center (GACRC) provides high-performance computing and networking infrastructure, as well as consulting and training services in support of world-class research computing and communications resources for UGA researchers. The GACRC has a fulltime staff of ten systems administrators and scientific computing consultants specializing in Linux/UNIX system administration, storage administration, scientific computing, virtualization, and database administration. The primary computational resource is a 26,000 compute-core Sapelo2 Cluster, spanning general-purpose compute nodes (128GB, 192GB and 256GB of RAM), high-memory nodes (512GB, 1TB and 2TB of RAM), CPU/GPU hybrid nodes (NVIDIA K40, P100 and A100 GPUs). Additionally, the cluster hosts an ever-growing number of researcher-owned compute nodes obtained through the GACRC Buy-In Program. High-performance storage for the Linux cluster is provided for users’ home directories and temporary scratch space. Slower storage resources are available for long-term archival needs. The GACRC provides better than 99.99% uptime to its users of computing and storage resources and serves over 280 principal investigators and over 1,200 total users. gacrc.uga.edu. See also gacrc.uga.edu/proposal_info

Established in 1969 Georgia Electron Microcopy (GEM) offers expertise in the use and application of electron, x-ray, and optical microscopy systems to image and analyze samples. Our wide-ranging services are open to users within and outside the University System of Georgia system with interests in biology, chemistry, biomedical sciences, nanotechnology, plant biology, engineering, geology, materials science, textiles, archaeology, food science, agriculture, physics, etc.. The specific instrumentation at the center includes a low kV STEM Hitachi SU9000EA, FE-SEM Thermo Fisher Teneo, Hitachi SU3900EA SEM with Quorum Cryo apparatus, JEOL JEM1011, Leica DVM6 high-resolution light microscope, Leica EM ACE600 coater, SPI coater, Tousimis critical point dryer, Hitachi Blaze in situ holder, Hitachi Ar-Blade cryo ion mill, ultramicrotomes, light microscopes, and more.  Special services for sample preparation prior to imaging include milling, casting, negative staining/negative contrast, tissue fixation, and thin section generation via ultra microtomy. On-site instruction, training, or sample submission are available to most individuals who would like to utilize the facility for their own research and casework. gem.uga.edu.

The Georgia Genomics and Bioinformatics Core (GGBC) is the University of Georgia (UGA) core laboratory for nucleic acid sequencing and bioinformatics. GGBC’s mission includes research support, education, and training. GGBC provide genomics and bioinformatics consultation to UGA researchers on experimental design, selection of the appropriate sequencing platforms, bioinformatics analyses, and letters of support (LOS) to offer our capabilities and expertise for grant applications submitted to funding agencies. GGBC operates multiple platforms for short-, long-, and single-molecule sequencing reads, as well as optical genome mapping (i.e., Illumina MiSeq and NextSeq, PacBio Sequel, Oxford NanoporeMinIon). dna.uga.edu.

The Integrated Bioscience and Nanotechnology Cleanroom includes a 2,200-square-foot (Phase I) Class 100/1,000 multidisciplinary, nanotechnology-focused fabrication, characterization, and manipulation facility and a 1,000-square-foot (Phase II) Class 10,000 bio-cleanroom part. This campus-wide shared facility can also be accessed by users outside UGA. cleanroom.uga.edu.

The Shirley Mathis McBay Science Library Makerspace is a campus-wide resource supporting students, faculty, and staff in creative making for educational, non-commercial purposes. It provides project-based instruction that inspires curiosity, exploration, and innovative uses of technology to support research and academics at UGA.

Technology 

• 3D Printers (MakerBot Replicator+, FDM, & Form 3+ SLA resin printer)
• 3D Scanner (Revopoint POP)
• microcontroller boards for coding: Arduino; Makey Makey; Multimeters; Raspberry Pi
• Laser Cutter (Dremel LC40)
• Vinyl Cutter (Roland Stika SV-12)
• Soldering equipment (Hakko FX-888D)
  UGA Makerspace

The Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility is equipped with an ThermoScientific Orbitrap Elite mass spectrometer for high resolution and high mass accuracy analysis. It is coupled with a nano HPLC, increasing its capacity to analyze more complex protein mixtures. The facility also has a Bruker Autoflex MALDI for quick analysis of tryptic digests of pure proteins. The facility offers UGA researchers in-gel digestion and subsequence analysis for protein identification. The facility also has an in-house version of Mascot that provides customers with the option of loading a database to search for protein identification. pams.uga.edu.

The Statistical Consulting Service (SCC) provides collaborative research assistance to faculty, research staff, and students in all departments of the University of Georgia. Housed in the Department of Statistics since 1990, the SCC offers consultation on experimental and/or survey design, general procedures for analyzing data, and interpretation of output from statistical software packages. Graduate students receive training in both theory and applications. stat.uga.edu.

The SPIA Survey Research Center (SRC) is a nationally recognized polling operation with a primary focus on the state of Georgia, providing timely data about public perceptions of policy priorities and political attitudes of Georgia citizens. The SRC serves as a model for the University’s experiential learning initiative. Graduate students are hired to serve as lab managers, overseeing onsite operations of the SRC. The center also serves as a teaching tool for undergraduates in the Applied Politics Program—an interdisciplinary program focusing on practical politics and public affairs communications. The SRC conducts both live-interviewer surveys, as well as online polls. In addition to conducting its own statewide polls relating to Georgia politics and policy, the SRC also performs contract work for academic researchers, corporations, and non-profits. spia.uga.edu/spia-survey-research-center.

The College of Veterinary Medicine AAVLD-accredited diagnostic labs are committed to providing quality, efficient, and affordable service to veterinarians, the livestock industry, and researchers throughout Georgia and the world. Both the Athens and Tifton Diagnostic Laboratories are fully accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. Their board-certified pathologists, highly trained laboratory professionals, and infectious disease experts are available for consultation both before and after sample submission. The test catalog includes bacteriology and mycology, clinical pathology and cytology, molecular diagnostics, necropsy, parasitology, pathology and histopathology, virology and serology and clinical flow cytometry. They provide comprehensive diagnostic services to laboratory veterinarians and researchers in order to further One Health efforts. The Athens Diagnostic Laboratory provides custom health monitoring and clinical diagnostic services for conventional and unconventional laboratory species, as well as for agricultural animals. In addition, they can conduct various studies to phenotype genetically modified rodents and fish. vet.uga.edu/diagnostic-service-labs.

As the state’s most comprehensive research institution, the University of Georgia is a major driver of economic and workforce development, catalyzing effective public/private partnerships that support industry, create new businesses, generate new jobs, and train the college-educated workforce of tomorrow. Research strengths include glycobiology; plant sciences, including genomics; infectious diseases, including vaccine development and parasitology; biomedical research, including stem cell/regenerative medicine; and behavioral/social science research. The University of Georgia is classified at the Highest Research Activity level, according to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. UGA’s research expenditures totaled $546 million in FY2022, including NIH expenditures totaling $90 million and NSF expenditures totaling almost $40 million. UGA’s estimated $7.4 billion annual impact on the economy of Georgia includes a $531 million economic impact from research-based startup companies.

The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) is open to all undergraduates at UGA. CURO allows students to pursue faculty-mentored research in any discipline as early as the first year of college. The program supports students in identifying and selecting opportunities, choosing a mentor, and presenting their work. Through this program, students can earn course credit for research in any department regardless of year, GPA, or major. Additionally, approximately 500 UGA undergraduates now participate in the CURO Symposium each semester. 

In addition to $3,000 summer fellowship grants, students can apply for the CURO research assistantship, which has provided $1,000 stipends to 500 undergraduates each year since 2016. Students can also apply for the CURO Conference Participation Grant, which provides funding for undergraduate students to present their research at national conferences. 

UGA’s Office of Service-Learning supports academic service-learning and community engagement initiatives designed to enhance students’ civic and academic learning, promote engaged research that is responsive to community needs, and contribute to the public good through mutually beneficial community-university partnerships. During the last academic year, 514 service-learning course sections were taught at UGA. These courses represented 9,277 student enrollments, reaching 6,800 unique students at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional level in all of UGA’s 18 schools and colleges, extended campuses, online courses, and through study abroad. Students in these classes provided over 340,000 hours of service last year; as a value of volunteer time, this represents $10 million in direct benefit to communities across Georgia.

The Office of University Experiential Learning (EL) ensures access to challenging and engaging experiential programs. All UGA undergraduates are required to engage in at least one approved Experiential Learning activity that enhances learning and positions them for success after graduation. To succeed, students in the 21st century must be able to tackle real-world problems and use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve multifaceted problems that do not have simple solutions. A growing body of research demonstrates that experiential learning enhances student learning, success in the classroom, on-time graduation, and transition to the workforce. EL gives students hands-on opportunities to connect their academic foundations to the world beyond the classroom through internships, study abroad, faculty-mentored research, service learning, and leadership opportunities.  

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia aims to acquire and disseminate botanical knowledge and to foster appreciation, understanding and stewardship of plants and nature through collections and displays, horticultural gardens, research, educational programs, exhibitions and special events. The garden is a 313-acre preserve set aside by UGA in 1968 for the study and enjoyment of plants and nature. Located three miles south of campus, it is a living laboratory serving educational, research, recreational and public service roles for the university and the citizens of Georgia. It contains a number of specialized theme gardens and collections, more than five miles of nature trails, and four major facilities including a tropical conservatory.

The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) provides a leadership program for University of Georgia students interested in earning a commission and entering the active duty Air Force as an officer after completing a bachelor’s degree. AFROTC instructs students in military heritage, the development of air and space power, military ethics, drill and ceremonies, communication, human relations, and leadership theory and techniques. The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) offers students an opportunity to diversify their college curriculum by providing military science courses that prepare them with tools, training, and experience to help them succeed in any competitive environment. During classes and field training, students learn first-hand what it takes to lead others, motivate groups and how to conduct missions as an officer in the Army.

The University of Georgia is strongly committed to enhancing and maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment for learning, teaching, research, and service. The Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) provides institutional leadership in this regard, with goals including: 1. Enhancing diversity awareness and education through training and learning opportunities for faculty, students, and staff throughout the university. 2. Promoting awareness of UGA’s diversity efforts by supporting diversity related events across the UGA campuses. 3. Establishing and defining strategic partnerships between the Office of Institutional Diversity and other units. 4. Identifying and obtaining additional resources that will enhance and support institutional diversity endeavors. The OID offers numerous classes in diversity and inclusion, and gives workshops and presentations to various groups, including faculty and graduate students. A Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion can also be earned upon the completion of six diversity courses. Safe space training is offered through the LGBT Office. The OID offers a variety of additional programs including membership in the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD).

The University is currently undertaking a number of efforts to hire a more diverse faculty. UGA is a member of the second cohort of the ASPIRE Alliance IChange Network, a national comprehensive effort to increase faculty diversity and the use of inclusive teaching practices in STEM fields. At the institutional level, the university’s Office of Faculty Affairs administers training for search committees on implicit biases and the best practices for recruitment of a diverse hiring pool. The Planning Committee on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence convened by President Morehead recently completed a comprehensive five-year roadmap to advance diversity and inclusion at UGA. The plan includes 11 university-level goals including providing training for search committees and hiring authorities, increasing the enrollment of underrepresented students, increasing the number of underrepresented faculty and staff, and increasing institutional visibility in the educational pipeline of underserved communities. Each of the 11 goals in the plan includes key performance indicators to measure progress over time as well as institutional actions to be implemented immediately. President Morehead has also established a Task Force on Race, Ethnicity, and Community to develop initiatives to improve the campus culture and strengthen the learning environment at UGA. Sixteen initiatives developed by the task force already are moving forward, including a diversity educator position, a speaker series, a community read program, campus diversity awards, campus markers to recognize historically Black fraternities and sororities, and a student advisory board, among others.

The Graduate School assists with the recruitment of trainees from underrepresented/underserved populations, including first-generation and rural college students. The UGA Graduate FUSE (Facilitating Underrepresented Student Experiences) Program is an educational bilateral pipeline partnership with six Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Albany State University, Florida A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T State University, and Spelman College.  FUSE provides students from those institutions with an application fee waiver.  If admitted to UGA, students are considered for a Graduate School assistantship that is complemented by monthly professional, academic, and social workshops.

Further, the Graduate School provides our Graduate School 101 workshop to undergraduates (typically freshmen and sophomores) at these institutions and to other minority-serving institutions as well as McNair Scholars and Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) programs. Each fall and spring, the Graduate School hosts the Preparing Diverse Populations for Graduate Admissions, a one-day interactive program that provides participants with the opportunity to explore the advantages of applying to graduate school, learn insider tips on how to score competitively on the GRE, speak with current students about their graduate school experience, and learn essential strategies to secure graduate school funding.  Lastly, for underrepresented/underserved students who have been admitted and are now deciding whether to attend UGA, our Future Scholars Visitation Program allows them to visit the campus and their academic department of interest in the spring before the fall semester of matriculation.

For underrepresented/underserved students who have been admitted and intend to enroll, the Graduate School provides the Gateway to Graduate School Bridge Program, allowing these students to begin their graduate education at UGA in the summer semester rather than the fall to better assist with a smooth transition to graduate education. The program provides students with an intellectual, professional, and social introduction to UGA.

Finally, UGA has a student organization that supports the retention of underrepresented graduate students. Graduate and Professional Scholars (GAPS) provides a variety of professional development and networking opportunities for graduate students in all disciplines. The Graduate school will work with you to ensure that your trainees are aware of all of these activities.

Teaching excellence is at the forefront of the University of Georgia’s priorities. UGA provides robust instructional development roles for graduate students, with the goal of preparing teaching and laboratory assistants for instructional duties at UGA, as well as to support their development as instructors for future careers in the academy. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at UGA is tasked with providing this support, supplementing required TA training with regular workshops and enrichment programs to assist graduate students as they improve their instructional effectiveness.

UGA’s teaching assistant (TA) policy requires all graduate students with instructional roles to receive support and training prior to or concurrently with the start of their teaching activities. Per UGA policy, anyone holding an assistantship with defined teaching duties – including all teaching and laboratory assistants – must complete a TA Orientation conducted by the CTL prior to or concurrently with their first assistantship. This interdisciplinary orientation provides general preparation for graduate students with instructional responsibilities, including an overview of policies and procedures pertinent to their role, an introduction to effective teaching strategies and practices, and exposure to services and resources available across campus that offer support for individuals engaged in teaching and learning at UGA. All graduate teaching assistants must also successfully complete GRSC 7770 (Intro to College Teaching) or an approved departmental equivalent prior to or concurrently with their first teaching assignment. GRSC 7770 is a credit-bearing course providing instructional assistants with knowledge of pedagogical approaches, relevant UGA policies, and available support systems.

In addition to the training required of TAs, the CTL also offers a range of enrichment activities available to all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to support their instructional development. The CTL’s GradTeach programs focus on topics of particular interest to the developing teacher, including effective teaching presentation, facilitating discussion, lesson planning, intercultural communication, and preparing for the academic job market. GradTeach programming includes an annual workshop series open to all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, advanced graduate pedagogy courses, book clubs, and TA Cafés, which provide opportunities for instructional assistants to come together and discuss issues relevant to their work. Teaching assistants are also encouraged to request teaching observations and mid-semester formative evaluations (MSFEs), and to connect with the CTL for consultations on teaching as well as teaching-related job market materials development (such as a teaching portfolio). Finally, the CTL and the Graduate School jointly sponsor the Future Faculty Fellows Program (3FP), a year-long professional development program that brings together 15 innovative and dedicated teaching assistants from across campus to talk about, reflect upon, and improve their teaching, while contributing to their preparation for the academic job market and the rigors of their first faculty positions.

Current Training Grants at UGA

Please contact Becky Kirkland at rkirklan@uga.edu or 706-542-2090 for more information, and prior to using this information in a grant proposal.

UGA has a T32 Genetics Training Program grant from NIH (current end date 6/2027). The mission of the Genetics Training Program (GTP) in the broadest sense is to train eight Ph.D. students who will become successful life scientists who can work as independent researchers and educators in academic or industrial jobs. More specifically, the GTP seeks to (i) help a diverse cohort of students develop the research and professional skills to become leaders in the biomedical workforce, and (ii) create a supportive training environment where all students have the potential to succeed. To this end, our program of study provides graduate training across a broad range of modern genetics subdisciplines, coupled with professional development and career awareness. Foundational to our training goals, our program strives to maintain a training environment that is welcoming and inclusive and to prioritize the holistic development of both trainees and their mentors. The 51 trainers come from 10 departments and span the breadth of genetics research. Trainers are committed to mentoring and providing a supportive and inclusive training environment, and the program has mechanisms in place to support trainers as they continue to develop their own mentoring skills. GTP students enter UGA through one of two umbrella programs that employ a holistic admissions process. The GTP core curriculum is required for trainees and is open to all students in GTP trainer laboratories. This curriculum includes training in genetic methods and analyses, quantitative and analytical skills, and oral and written communication. Courses emphasize cohort-building and use active learning strategies, and skills are mastered through iterative practice. The importance of rigor and transparency, and of responsible conduct in research, are introduced in specialized foundational classes and then reinforced through integration into subsequent coursework and thesis research. Professional development opportunities expose students to the diverse career options available to them and help students gain the skills and networking opportunities needed to access these positions. Student progress is monitored through regular assessment, and students are guided toward increasing research independence through active mentoring. Students graduate with advanced genetics knowledge, strong analytical and communication skills, and the confidence to lead and succeed in the biomedical workforce.

The objective of UGA’s T32 Glycoscience Training Program (GTP) from NIH (current end date 06/2027) for Predoctoral Students is to train the next generation of glycoscience researchers and prepare them for impactful careers in the biomedical workforce. No other T32 training program in the United States focuses on glycans; thus, the GTP broadens the scope of NIH-supported training programs. The GTP capitalizes on the uniquely rich environment for carbohydrate research that exists at the University of Georgia. Twenty-four researchers from eight departments will serve as trainers for a diverse group of pre-doctoral students. Trainees are selected from a pool of applicants that enter the university’s graduate program either through the Integrated Life Sciences (ILS) umbrella program or through admission into the Department of Chemistry. The grant provides stipends for six trainees per year for two-year appointments. The university provides funding for two additional trainees per year to expand the impact of the GTP. The principal objective of this program is to provide a broad background in glycoscience with the ability to carry that knowledge forward into a variety of careers. Training emphasizes scientific reasoning, rigor in research design, quantitative skills, and data analysis. All trainees enroll in professional development courses on the Responsible Conduct of Research and on Rigor, Reproducibility, and Transparency, and take foundational courses in Glycochemistry and Glycobiology. All these courses are open to any student, broadening the impact of the GTP beyond the T32-supported trainees. Trainees can select from a variety of courses to build knowledge and skills in analytical, computational, or biological methods. Opportunities are provided to develop strong written and oral communication skills in coursework, journal clubs, and seminar programs. The trainers will provide a supportive, inclusive, and diverse training environment, and are committed to continuous improvement as mentors through participation in workshops and training programs on topics such as effective mentoring, safe space in the workplace, and implicit bias. In addition, emphasis is placed on recruiting students from underrepresented minorities.

UGA has an LSAMP grant from NSF (07/2022 – 06/2027). The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in diversifying the STEM workforce through their efforts to significantly increase the number of students successfully completing high-quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming STEM education through innovative recruitment and retention strategies and experiences in support of groups underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African Americans, Alaskan Natives, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders.

The Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation consists of Fort Valley State University (FVSU, an HBCU), Georgia State University Perimeter College (GSU-PC, a two-year institution), Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), Kennesaw State University-Kennesaw Campus (KSU-K), Kennesaw State University-Marietta Campus (KSU-M) and Savannah State University (SSU, an HBCU).

Peach State LSAMP leverages funding, resources, partnerships, and commitments of each member institution to provide academic, social, professional, and financial support and programming for LSAMP populations pursuing baccalaureate degrees in STEM fields of study. Over five years, the Alliance is conducting scholarly research to understand the impact and student outcomes for LSAMP students as they engage in research through a Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) program. The LSAMP VIP program is a transformative approach for engaging undergraduate and graduate students in ambitious, long-term, large-scale, multidisciplinary project teams led by faculty solving real-world problems.

The Peach State LSAMP program is comprehensive and designed to enhance academic and research outcomes, including well-prepared and successful professionals underrepresented in STEM disciplines, evidence-based mentoring and student retention models, and a sound and rigorous evaluation plan. The program leverages its institutional research infrastructure and collaborates with other organizations and industry partners, to help students underrepresented in STEM transition into applied and research-based STEM careers.

The student academic and professional development interventions implemented in this project have transferable value for STEM students and other institutions worldwide. The long-lasting impacts from outcomes achieved are creating a more diverse and inclusive environment on college campuses and in the STEM workforce. Ultimately, the Peach State Alliance will contribute significantly to preserving and improving the United States’ competitiveness in overcoming key global technology, health, and economic development challenges.

UGA has an NRT grant from NSF titled Quantum Networks Training and Research Alliance in the Southeast (ending in 06/2027). Quantum networks enable more efficient information processing, promising functionality that is faster and more secure than the classical networks that undergird current communication technologies. Research on quantum networks has the potential to contribute to fundamental discoveries in quantum science as well as key applications in cybersecurity, quantum sensors, and quantum computing. However, to realize the promised advantages of a quantum Internet, many fundamental science and engineering challenges must be overcome. Tackling these challenges requires a convergence of expertise from science and engineering disciplines and the development of a well-trained, interdisciplinary quantum networks workforce. The overarching goal of this NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) project is to advance the design and development of components and applications of quantum networks and to establish the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary quantum information science and engineering (QISE) training program in the Southeast. Representing a collaboration between the University of Georgia and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, this training program serves 54 master’s and doctoral students, including 34 funded trainees in science and engineering.

This project carries out quantum networks research in three key areas. The first centers on quantum network building blocks: single photon emitters, qubit realization, quantum photon measurement, quantum information theory, and cybersecurity. The second encompasses quantum devices: networked quantum computing, networked quantum sensors, and materials for quantum network components. The third area considers scientific and engineering applications: space-based entangled photon sources, quantum random number generators, the power grid, quantum resource estimation, and on-chip technology. These three research thrusts are bridged by three cross-disciplinary research perspectives: experimentation, simulation, and engineering. The training program and workforce development significantly contribute to fulfilling the pressing need for a skilled QISE workforce in academia, national laboratories, and industry. It includes components uniquely designed to increase the involvement of diverse students in QISE. It strengthens existing ties that the two collaborating institutions have with historically Black colleges and universities and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Leadership and Academic Enhancement Program for robust recruitment, mentoring, and retention of women and minority students from groups underrepresented in the field. In addition, it engages potential undergraduate recruits with QISE topics via introductory QISE courses that can be taken for credit across institutions. This traineeship model creates an interdisciplinary, workforce-aligned program integrating experimental, simulational, and engineering experiential learning to galvanize a diverse community of graduate students toward careers in QISE.

UGA’s R25 SISTEMAS grant from NIH (05/2022 – 03/2027) supports and equips underrepresented students, with a particular focus on Latinx Multilingual Learners (LML), to enter the STEM pipeline and persist. The proposal addresses the issue at the beginning of the pipeline when children often decide whether they can do science and math and whether they can become future scientists. The research team hypothesizes that if students are exposed to inclusive, strategically designed learning environments in which they develop their scientific literacy and 21st-century problem-solving skills, more students will consider science as a possible career choice. The project is articulated in four specific aims that include: (1) creating two new versions of Virtual Vet, a narrative rich read aloud version and Spanish version, to reach a more diverse student population with the international, award-winning serious game; (2) developing a new immersive environment, Virtual Vet Middle Grades, that targets a deeper understanding of the human body through the study of genetics; (3) creating a responsive and customized environment in Virtual Vet that leverages deep learning approaches to provide timely feedback to students and teachers; and (4) developing a 5-day STEM camp on the campus of the University of Georgia in the Genetics department to provide inclusive and ambitious science learning experiences specifically supporting LML students by providing instruction in English and Spanish. Through a partnership with six school districts, more than 6,000 students will garner access to Virtual Vet and Virtual Vet Middle Grades. This sample size will equip the research team to examine student knowledge, attitudes toward science, interest in pursuing a science field, and students’ mindset toward learning with a particular focus on how novel translanguaging supports equip LML learners to succeed in science in a digital environment.

UGA has a USDA training grant that focuses on Crop Genetics and Genomics II: Promoting Diversity in Agriscience through Undergraduate Mentoring in Research and Extension (03/2022-02/2027). This project aims to empower undergraduate Fellows to help shape the future of the AgroSciences by building their research self-efficacy, scientific competencies, and expectations that they will realize positive outcomes by pursuing agriscience careers. Building on a previous REEU, the program supports fifty Fellows from underprivileged communities in Georgia and the Southwest over five years. Additional efforts are made to increase the diversity of Fellows, mentors, and the REEU support community and provide mentors with professional development. Fellows undertake hands-on research in crop genetics and genomics and are trained in research ethics and science communication. Fellows attend plant breeding and organic farm field trips to learn different crop production systems and how genetic and genomics research is used to improve crops. Fellows participate in a service-learning project to develop an understanding of the connection between research, extension, and crop production. Fellows incorporate their research and service-learning experiences into a public communication and outreach blog and write articles for the UGA Extension newsletter to discuss the farm-to-table concept. A weekly career counseling series exposes Fellows to career options in extension, industry, government, and academia, including meetings with different plant research graduate student communities. Formative and summative assessments through focus groups, interviews, skills assessments, and pre-/post-program surveys yield evaluation data useful for making improvements and documenting outcomes and impacts in consultation with the advisory group. Our primary mission is to develop plant scientists who can address the challenges facing US agricultural competitiveness and food production.

UGA has an R25 grant, ESTEEMED, from NIH’s Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (07/2021-06/2026). Led by a diverse multiple PI team, the UGA ESTEEMED program leads ESTEEMED scholars along a path of increasing challenges – a path that includes the application of biomedical research — toward the goal of interest and success in doctoral work. The scholars enter the ESTEEMED program through a summer bridge curriculum and a co-located biomedical living-learning community, which ensures that they are engaged and networked. In their first year, they join an engineering senior design team mentored by clinicians and engineers and focused on biomedical design for underserved communities, to experience how knowledge is transformed from observations about nature to products that can change lives. They work with peer mentors to apply science to solve real-world problems in ways consonant with industrial practices, learning how to listen, question, and answer business — and ultimately research — questions through personal communication. The scholars are coached during a summer outreach project to appreciate how their skills and solutions can impact a community. These experiences inspire the scholars to develop a research inquiry mindset as they start developing big ideas and solutions. The scholars learn the vocabulary and infrastructure of research and have a sense of belonging to the research community. They learn about biomedical sciences through the lens of animal medicine/regulation and participate in One Health design challenges, teaming with ESTEEMED scholars at other institutions who are learning about biomedical sciences through the lens of human medicine (Georgia Tech) and through the physiological environment (Savannah State University). They engage in mentored research projects that cement their belief that they can make valuable contributions. Upon “graduation” from the ESTEEMED program, the scholars enter the LSAMP or McNair honors programs.

The NIH T32 grant Training in Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases (TTEGD) program (current end date 2025) trains graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to become independent research scientists who study parasitic diseases in the context of global health. The research program seeks fundamental insights into protozoan and helminth parasites and their interaction with their mammalian hosts and invertebrate vectors. It combines cutting-edge bench and field science with perspectives on the global challenges and opportunities for the control and elimination of parasitic diseases. These perspectives are grounded in firsthand experience by trainers and collaborators around the world. Every year protozoan and helminth parasitic diseases of humans are responsible for more than a million deaths, many millions more cases of severe morbidity, and hundreds of millions of cases of subtle morbidity due to chronic infections. UGA is uniquely positioned as a training ground for the next generation of parasitology/tropical disease researchers and the TTEGD is the central basis of their training and development. The Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases (CTEGD) within UGA is home to perhaps the largest number of parasitology research laboratories in the US that collectively cover the full gamut of parasitic diseases. The program instills trainees with the ability to translate basic scientific findings into tool development and the implementation of interventions and foster their ability to identify and formulate a fundamental research question out of the context of parasitic disease itself. Selected students and postdocs participate in a number of activities tailored to their preparation for their future success in science careers. New initiatives for this funding period include new requirements for postdoc trainees, more rigorous training of new trainers, new postdoc recruitment strategies to increase diversity, new strategies to recruit underrepresented minorities, potential expansion of the program with the use of matched trainee lines, and new themes offered to trainees on large data mining and computer science.

UGA’s Diversity in Neuroscience NIH R25 grant (8/2018-7/2024) addresses the NINDS Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce R25 program to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce by (1) increasing the pool of current and future Ph.D.-level research scientists from diverse backgrounds that are underrepresented in biomedical neuroscience research and (2) facilitating the career advancement/transition of the participants to the next step of their neuroscience careers. Rapid advances in technology and scientific knowledge coupled with the increasingly global workplace environment call for a neuroscience workforce that is not only technically advanced in the discipline, but is also culturally and experientially diverse, capable of reaching beyond the traditional laboratory, working across disciplines and within diverse communities to advance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of recognized and emerging diseases of the brain. Providing a collaborative, supportive, and inclusive environment for all our students is a core value, and we are dedicated to broadening the participation of students from diverse backgrounds who are underrepresented in neuroscience research training. To address the overarching goals of this FOA, we will leverage a number of resources currently available at UGA along with newly proposed strategies to develop a network of synergistic activities aimed at broadening the participation of underrepresented students in our neuroscience graduate training program and preparing a diverse neuroscience workforce for the 21st century.

UGA has an IGE grant, Toward an Interdisciplinary Blueprint for Open Science Graduate Education from NSF (end date 06/2024). The bedrock of any scientific enterprise is the ability to reproduce experiments: following the same set of instructions with the same instruments and obtaining the same results. Unfortunately, there are numerous obstacles in contemporary scientific research that preclude universal reproducibility. These range from key omissions or vague instructions in the experimental description to journals that require subscriptions and thus restrict access to the entire scientific product. Open Science is a principled, albeit abstract, approach to scientific research that emphasizes openness and reproducibility. Its practices are difficult and time-consuming to adopt, and the culture surrounding research has not been sufficiently incentivized to change, nor has the practice of Open Science been defined as a concrete process. This 3-year IGE award studies how to catalyze a cultural and institutional shift toward an open and transparent approach to science. Students and faculty in a variety of STEM disciplines participate in a series of workshops to obtain a formal understanding of Open Science. Participating faculty sustain this curriculum through their own Open Science training with external experts, course modifications, and an interdisciplinary graduate certificate program formalizing the coursework and standards for training in Open Science principles and practices. This establishes a network of influencers to effect broad institutional change, further facilitating a cultural shift toward adoption of Open Science. The project establishes new curricula, creating new opportunities for future students and faculty as well as endowing them with skills that are highly sought in a variety of fields.

UGA has an IGE grant, Enhancing Imaginative and Collaborative STEM Capacity through Creative Inquiry from NSF (ending in 03/2024). Advanced scientific and technical training is insufficient to position the leaders of tomorrow to solve the complex problems we face. They must also be able to think creatively, collaborate across disciplines, and work with people with different perspectives, knowledge, and values. There is compelling evidence that creativity training can stimulate both scientific creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration, but to date, little attention has been given to creativity training in STEM graduate education. This IGE award brings a diverse group of graduate students together from STEM and arts disciplines to address issues in the local watershed using creativity-based training methods from the arts. This project investigates the impact of targeted creativity training on the ability of STEM students to frame problems in new ways and help diverse teams solve complex problems. If successful, widespread adoption of these methods will contribute to equipping STEM graduates across the country with communication and collaboration skills and ultimately increase creative and innovative solutions to complex global environmental challenges.

This project recruits a cohort of ten students per semester in the early stages of graduate study, five from STEM disciplines who self-identify as interested in environmental science and five from arts disciplines. Cohorts meet for six workshops facilitated by two faculty members from STEM and arts disciplines. Workshops are designed to build core creative competencies and develop skills for collaborative interdisciplinary practice. Students gain practical experience sharing disciplinary viewpoints, creating analogies from scientific concepts, and developing collaborative frameworks for complex problem solving. The final workshop results in a set of proposed solutions to a local watershed problem, collaboratively identified by students and stakeholders. Complementary quantitative and qualitative methods are used to examine students’ abilities to shift thinking (increase “cognitive flexibility”), generate novel ideas, and effectively communicate and collaborate with one another. This project seeks to fundamentally enhance how STEM students are educated by engaging them in creative processes related to their research topics. Successful elements are incorporated into a scalable training model that is widely disseminated and available for adoption at other institutions.

UGA has a PREP R25 grant (current ending date of 03/2024) from NIH NIGMS to provide post-baccalaureate training in infectious diseases research. The University of Georgia’s Post-baccalaureate Training in Infectious Diseases Research Program provides intensive research training experiences to recent post-baccalaureate underrepresented minority and disabled students as an avenue for these students to gain the skills and attributes necessary for gaining admission to biomedical graduate programs and attaining successful careers in biomedical research. UGA PREP draws on UGA’s remarkable strength in infectious diseases research, as well as strong graduate programs in several of its biology-related departments and mathematics, to provide intensive research experiences for eight underrepresented minority and disabled trainees each year. Since the program’s inception in 2014, 45 faculty drawn from the UGA Faculty of Infectious Diseases, who belong to the departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Ecology, Engineering, Entomology, Environmental Health, Forestry & Natural Resources, Genetics, Infectious Diseases, Mathematics, Microbiology, and Population Health, have incorporated UGA PREP trainees into their laboratories, providing a unique, structured, and mentored one-year research experience.

UGA has a REU grant focused on Genomics and Computational Biology from NSF (4/2020-3/2026). This REU Site supports the training of 13 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2023-2025. A total of 39 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or from an under-represented group, will be trained in the program. The program is run in partnership with Clark Atlanta University, an HBCU located in Atlanta, GA. The program has been in existence for 22 years and has trained over 200 REU participants who have contributed to fundamental discoveries about telomerase, gene regulation, the biological clock, and the biochemistry of red tides.

The scientific focus of this program is on genomics, computational biology, systems biology, metabolomics, proteomics, and glycomics. Faculty mentors come from various departments and centers, including Genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Physics and Astronomy, Plant Biology, Plant Pathology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Microbiology, and Communication. Students from groups under-represented in STEM and those from schools with limited research opportunities are especially encouraged to apply.

UGA has a REU grant focused on Interdisciplinary Research Experiences in Nanotechnology and Biomedicine from NSF (02/2020-03/2026), with research projects co-mentored by faculty in nanotechnology and biomedicine. Nanobiotechnology research is an emerging interdisciplinary area at the interface of nanotechnology and biomedicine. This three-year project provides an interdisciplinary research experience to undergraduate students, leveraging diverse interdisciplinary expertise, resources, and training opportunities. Ten REU students over a 10-week summer program each year participate in interdisciplinary research projects that apply nanotechnology to specific biomedical questions. The existing world-class programs, facilities, collaborative research culture, and inclusive environments at the university create a strong setting for this interdisciplinary site.

Students are recruited nationwide with particular emphasis on students who are underrepresented/underserved minorities (URM) and females from STEM-limited institutions. Research mentors also gain expertise in mentoring URM and female students in interdisciplinary research. This recruitment contributes to broadening participation within the next generation of scientists and engineers in interdisciplinary research endeavors.