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ORSP Research Development
University of Mississippi

Exploration Groups

Exploration Groups are UM researchers from diverse departments who band together to explore potential to act on a common interdisciplinary purpose. Groups may receive support for a limited time  (the Exploration Window).

Group Leader Responsibilities: Each Group should identify one Group Leader, and one or more Group Co-Leaders from different departments, who will agree to:

  • Be points of contact representing group interests to ORSP RD
  • Guide group activities
  • Work with ORSP RD to employ resources on behalf of the group
  • Report on group progress and outcomes to ORSP RD

RD Support to Exploration Groups:

  • Facilitating group communications and meetings
  • Training and information sessions
  • Grant prospecting
  • Research Insight access for group leaders
  • Limited funding for group activities (not common)

Group Formation: Leaders  may submit an application via the UM InfoReady Review portal, providing:

  • info on the team
  • the common purpose
  • the support requested
  • the exploration window
  • a means of assessment

Group Fate: Exploration Groups are temporary by design. Many will spin off into Strike Teams. Stalled groups will be encouraged to disband early, while those that have been productive will receive support for the duration of their proposed Exploration Window, at which point they will automatically expire. Renewal may be possible in some cases.

Tracking: Groups will be tracked from formation to dissolution, and ORSP will count and report the Strike Teams, full funding proposals to external sponsors, and awards resulting from these groups.

Supported Exploration Groups:

Drug Delivery for Treatment of neuroHIV (Closed)

Exploration Window: 3/17/2021 – 3/21/2022

Leaders:

  1. Dr. Eden Tanner, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
  2. Dr. Jason Paris, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology

Study of Race and Racism (Ongoing)

Exploration Window: 4/9/2021 – 5/31/2022, extended to 6/30/2024

Leaders:

  1. Dr. JT Thomas, Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
  2. Dr. Simone Delerme, Associate Professor of Anthropology and McMullan Associate Professor of Southern Studies

Equity in STEM Education (Closed)

Exploration Window:  06/16/2021 – 08/01/2022

Leaders:

  1. Alexander Lopez, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
  2. Alice Steimle, Instructional Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and Director for the Center for and Science Education

Substance Use Among Young Adults (Closed)

Exploration Window:  06/16/2021 – 08/01/2022

Leaders:

  1. Sujith Ramachandran, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Administration and Assistant Director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
  2. John Young, Professor pf Psychology
  3. John Bentley, Professor of Pharmacy Administration and Director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
  4. Hannah Allen, Assistant Professor of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management
  5. Erin Cromeans, W Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing, Assistant Director for Wellness Education
  6. Sandra Bentley, Director of the Student Pharmacy and Clinical Assistant Professor in Pharmacy Practice

Nanomedicine and Immunoengineering (Closed)

Exploration Window: 07/26/2021 – 07/25/2022

Leaders:

  1. Eden Tanner, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
  2. Davita Watkins, Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
  3. Thomas Werfel, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Affiliate Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Joint Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Sciences
  4. Adam Smith, Chair and Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Queer Mississippi (Closed)

Exploration Window: 10/20/2021 – 10/20/2022

Leaders:

  1. Jaime Harker, Director of the Isom Center and Professor of English
  2. Amy McDowell, Associate Professor of Sociology
  3. Eva Payne, Assistant Professor of History

Gear Up (Closed)

Exploration Window: 01/10/2022 – 09/01/2022

Leaders:

  1. Angela Rutherford, Professor of Teacher Education, Director of the Center for Excellence in Literacy Instruction
  2. Joey Rutherford, Assistant Director of the Center for Research Evaluation

Quantitative Study of Social Media Photography (Closed)

Exploration Window: 02/14/2022 – 01/15/2023

Leaders:

  1. Kris Belden-Adams, Associate Professor of Art & Art History
  2. Yixin Chen, Professor of Computer & Information Science

Introducing MICE (Manufacturing, Innovation, Commercialization, Entrepreneurship) Concepts into Engineering Graduate Education (Ongoing)

Exploration Window: 08/19/2022 – 08/18/2023

Leaders:

  1. Brenda Prager, Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Education, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering
  2. Charles (Clay) Dibrell, Chair of Entrepreneurial Excellence, Professor of Management
  3. Alice Steimle, Director for the Center of Mathematics and Science Education, Instructional Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
  4. Sarah Mason, Director of the Center for Research Evaluation, Instructional Assistant Professor of Higher Education
  5. Amy Wells Dolan, Associate Dean and Professor of Higher Education
  6. Scott Kilpatrick, Executive Director of the Center for Manufacturing Excellence
  7. Ahmed Al-Ostaz, Director of Graphene Research and Innovation and Professor of Civil Engineering
  8. Kristen Swain, Associate Professor of Journalism

LEADing Occupational Wellbeing (L-Literacy, E-Evaluation, A-Activation, D-Determination) (Ongoing)

Exploration Window: 11/30/2022 – 11/29/2023

Leaders:

  1. Seena Haines, Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Director of Professional Wellbeing and Belonging
  2. Lynn Wilkins, Work-Life Resources Program Manager
  3. Stuart Haines, Director of the Division of Pharmacy Professional Development and Professor of Pharmacy Practice
  4. Nicholas McAfee, Asst. Professor of Psychiatry, Univ of MS Medical Center
  5. Joshua Mann, Chair, SOM-Preventive Medicine, Univ of MS Medical Center

Examining Executive Function in Context (Ongoing)

Exploration Window: 05/10/2023 – 05/09/2024

Leaders:

  1. Stephanie Miller, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Experimental Graduate Program
  2. John Bentley, Professor of Pharmacy Administration and Director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
  3. Lucas Gago Galvagno, Universidad de Buenos Aires
  4. Angel Elgier, Universidad de Buenos Aires