Biomarker data collection instruments for student research

Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Requested:

$38,814

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$38,814

Abstract

This proposal requests funding for instruments needed for student research involving collection of biological data in non-clinical settings. Biomarkers are increasingly used in a variety of academic disciplines to provide objective measures of health and physiology that can be linked to diverse environmental and social factors. Unlike clinical research, biomarker measurement in field or community-based data collection depends on low-cost, ‘field-friendly,’ and minimally invasive techniques validated for a range of biological specimen types (e.g. saliva, urine, hair, feces, and finger prick blood collected onto filter paper or in capillary blood tubes), thus enabling broad population sampling. Training in these non-clinical biological assessment techniques is increasingly necessary for students interested in careers at the intersection of health and social or environmental factors. The items we request include two categories of equipment. The first category, portable instruments intended for use in field data collection phases of research, includes (1) research-grade accelerometers for recording activity and sleep, (2) vital signs monitors (blood pressure, heart rate, and lung function), (3) portable anthropometrics instruments for precise measures of body size and composition, and (4) tools to allow field cold storage of blood and other biological specimens. The second category is laboratory equipment: high-precision pipettes to be used to assay the resulting biological specimens in the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology (CSDE) Biodemography Lab. This proposal is submitted by CSDE on behalf of both CSDE (primary proposal contact, Eleanor Brindle) and the Department of Anthropology (contact, Dr. Melanie Martin), and represents a continuation of a long-standing collaboration between the two departments to support student training and research combining the biological and social sciences.

Department of Anthropology Computing/Photography Refresh

Department of Anthropology

Requested:

$39,677

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$39,677

Abstract

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Washington (Seattle) provides an incredibly diverse array of teaching and research experiences to over 500 undergraduate majors and 50 graduate students. These experiences run the gamut from visual anthropology, to field archaeology, to studies of early human evolution. To support these efforts, the department proposes to replace pre-existing, aging computer and photography equipment, over half of which was acquired through previous STF grants (STF 2006-094, 2008-028, 2009-065, 2010-065). We will replace equipment in our two computer labs--the Departmental Computing Lab and the Undergraduate Drop-In Advising Lab--as well as a small amount of portable equipment. The Departmental Lab will have all three of its current computers, plus its photography and film scanners, replaced. Both computers in the Drop-In lab will be replaced. Finally, four laptops and two Nikon d90 dSLR cameras will be replaced. These replacements will help the department maintain its ability to provide quality, state-of-the-art equipment for its undergraduate and graduate students to use as part of a diverse array of teaching and research experiences.

Smith Hall Student A/V Collaboration Space

Department of History

Requested:

$2,647

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$2,647

Abstract

We seek to make technology improvements to a departmental conference room, so that it is suitable for a variety of student collaboration activities. This space will provide a resource not just for History, but for the students of various different units and organizations located in Smith Hall (where no comparable space currently exists)

Mill upgrades for Student Innovation Center

Department of Chemistry

Requested:

$40,043

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$40,043

Abstract

We request funds to upgrade two outdated knee mills by retrofitting them with modern 2-axis CNC (computer numerical control) controllers. These mills are part of the Student Innovation Center (SIC), which is based in the Department of Chemistry and is available to all UW students. Access to milling machinery has been limited by cost, long lead times, and outdated machines. Updating these existing mills will serve two critical functions that benefit UW students. (1) Student training: Students in the SIC will be first introduced to milling using these mills and manual control (i.e., the student manually controls the mill during each step of the fabrication process). After this upgrade, students will be then be trained to control those same mills using 2-axis CNC. This provides a very natural steppingstone to prepare students to operate the SIC’s larger 3-axis CNC mill, which already uses the same controller that we are requesting to upgrade the smaller mills. (2) Expanding capacity: Currently, CNC milling in the SIC can only be performed on a larger 3-axis CNC mill. After the upgrade, many simpler parts that only require 2-axis CNC will be fabricated on the upgraded mills, which will free up the larger 3-axis CNC mill for projects that benefit the most from its additional capabilities. Therefore, these upgrades will have a multiplicative impact on the overall experience of students who use the SIC. Milling is a subtractive cutting process used to machine parts from various stock materials with high accuracy. Milling has widespread utility in engineering, electronics, instrument design, and physical sciences. Facile access to CNC mills is critical for those who iteratively design and fabricate their own tools and instrumentation, which includes hundreds of UW students in the physical and life sciences. More generally, students will benefit from exposure to equipment and skills that are widely used in industry as they prepare themselves for their future careers.

Computer Refresh for Organic Chemistry Study Center

Department of Chemistry

Requested:

$18,034

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$18,034

Abstract

The Department of Chemistry is requesting funds to replace 14 aging computers in the Chemistry Study Center in Bagley 331 and Chemistry Building (CHB) 121. The Organic Chemistry Study Center is a central hub for interaction and learning for the ~1,800 students taking organic chemistry courses each quarter. The space is instrumental in providing students with a high quality and productive space to study organic chemistry and serves as a central point for all TA office hours. By providing students with access to high end software and TAs to teach them how to use it, we are able to maintain an equitable learning environment for all students while the building is open.

CLUE Tutoring Application Development

Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Requested:

$9,909

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$9,909

Abstract

This proposal is requesting funds for the development of a set of student-facing features in a web application which currently facilitates CLUE tutoring. These features aim to significantly improve the experience for students who attend CLUE tutoring sessions.

Burke Imaging Research and Demonstration Equipment (BIRDE)

Burke Museum of Natural History

Requested:

$51,913

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$51,913

Abstract

Documentation of research and community outreach are essential elements of biological research, especially at the the organismal level. The Burke Museum of Natural History is a hub for zoology research on campus, serving undergraduates, graduate students, professors, and visiting researchers. In order to better serve research and outreach efforts, this grants seeks to provide overhead cameras and computer workstations for operation at the microscopic and macro scale. Four small document cameras with digital zoom will provide detailed viewing and image capture. A large-scale overhead mounted camera will serve the biology prep lab dissection area. In addition, high-definition monitors will provide both researchers and museum visitors with detailed views of the specimens being prepared and studied. A new, fully standardized lighting array and digital white-light scanner station are also included.

Seeking iPads to Engage Students with Multiple Handshake Modules

Career & Internship Center

Requested:

$1,960

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$1,960

Abstract

In summer 2018, the Career & Internship Center adopted Handshake, a powerful career center ecosystem platform. Since then, we have successfully launched many of its features, including its job and internship board, appointment scheduling system, and data tracking system. Unfortunately, we lack the hardware to fully maximize Handshake's potential to help students in their internship and job search. We are seeking 5 iPads and 5 MagTek SureSwipe Readers so we can more effectively engage students campus-wide with various Handshake modules, therefore enhancing their career development.

Washington Superbike - Manufacturing Equipment

Washington Superbike

Requested:

$2,929

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$2,929

Abstract

The end goal of an engineering education is to be able to design, build, and analyze an integrated system with a team. The best way to learn this process is to work on a technical project in a professional environment. The Washington Superbike team intends to design, build, and test an electric racing motorcycle, becoming the first team from the United States to compete internationally in the MotoStudent competition in Aragon, Spain. As a newer RSO, we hope to acquire the necessary tools to begin turning our project into reality.

Accessible Digital Graphics Tools for Student Researchers

Department of Biology

Requested:

$3,632

Status:

Funded

Awarded:

$3,632

Abstract

Undergraduates and graduate students are increasingly engaged in research projects that exploit very large data sets. In the Biosciences, many of us investigate the structure of certain molecules, cells, organisms, or landscapes. Our work is greatly facilitated by improvements in data acquisition and analysis. Today, new technologies make it easier to capture many thousands of images with unprecedented detail. Fortunately, the Department of Biology has cutting-edge equipment that is available for student researchers to capture structural information at multiple scales. Our newest additions include a serial block face scanning electron microscope and a microcomputed tomographic scanner. However, once images are captured, it can take us days, weeks, or even months of hard work to select specific datasets from many for our downstream data image analyses. This proposal requests STF funding for four interactive pen displays for undergraduate and graduate student researchers in the sciences in order to select and analyze digital data collected by the Biology Department's Imagining Facilities.

Funding Status: Funded