PRISE Grant Program Awards $520,000 to 13 Innovative Research Teams
The 2025 Panther Research and Innovation for Scholarly Excellence (PRISE) grant program has allocated a total of $520,000 to support 13 collaborative research teams comprising faculty investigators from both Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and Texas A&M University. This initiative, now entering its fifth year, is designed to promote interdisciplinary research aimed at addressing significant national and global challenges.
Dr. Costas Georghiades, interim vice president for research at Texas A&M, emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, “The PRISE program exemplifies the power of collaboration between our universities. By investing in interdisciplinary teams across both campuses, we are advancing bold ideas in areas of urgent national and global importance.” He noted that these partnerships enhance the institutions’ capabilities and enable faculty to compete more effectively for external funding.
The PRISE program was established in 2021 as a joint initiative between PVAMU and Texas A&M to foster collaboration among their researchers. Dr. Magesh Rajan, vice president for research and innovation at PVAMU, expressed satisfaction with the program’s progress, remarking, “This collaboration is a testament to the power of The Texas A&M University System in bringing our institutions together to tackle society’s most pressing challenges.”
To qualify for funding, each team was required to include one investigator from each institution and to submit a proposal addressing a specific research theme. A total of 55 proposals were reviewed by a panel of faculty members from both universities. Each selected proposal will receive $40,000 for one year, facilitating substantial progress and enabling teams to submit competitive proposals for further funding.
Research Projects Addressing Global Issues
The selected research projects encompass a wide range of topics, reflecting the diverse expertise of the faculty involved. Among the notable proposals are:
– **Hamed Alyismail** (Texas A&M) and **Seungchan Kim** (PVAMU): “Sequential Targeting of Alzheimer’s Disease by Novel Gamma-Secretase Modulator and Fyn Kinase Inhibitor.”
– **Xin Chen** (Texas A&M) and **Lin Gong** (PVAMU): “AI-Driven High-Performance Algorithms and Tools for Stability-Constrained Optimization in Modern Electric Power Systems.”
– **Jeyavijayan Rajendran** (Texas A&M) and **Akshay Kulkarni** (PVAMU): “FLARE: Fault Attacks and Hardware Evaluation.”
– **Donggil Song** (Texas A&M) and **Anne Lippert** (PVAMU): “AI-Powered Virtual Reality: Transforming Undergraduate Math Engagement with AI-MathVerse.”
– **Tobi Morakinyo** (Texas A&M) and **Ayodeji Iyanda** (PVAMU): “H3EAR: Exploring the Heat-Health-Housing (H3)-Energy Nexus for Community Adaptation and Resilience Using a Hybrid Citizen Science and GeoAI/ML Approach.”
These projects not only aim to advance academic knowledge but also target practical solutions for pressing issues faced by communities locally and globally.
Contact Information for PRISE Program
For further details regarding the PRISE program, interested parties can reach out to the program leads. For Texas A&M, contact Dr. Henry Fadamiro at [email protected]. For inquiries related to PVAMU, reach out to Dr. Ramaswamy Krishnamoorthi at [email protected].
As the PRISE program continues to thrive, its impact on research collaboration showcases the potential for universities to work together in overcoming challenges that affect society on multiple levels.
