Tonko Announces $2.5 Million Research Grants Awarded to Rensselaer

Press Release

Congressman Paul D. Tonko announced the awarding of $2,551,228 to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to support scientific research in a range of areas including developing new AI technologies, molecular research and more. The awards will be administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

"Our Capital Region is known for being a hub of STEM innovation for our nation and the world, a reputation we have earned thanks to the incredible work of instructors, researchers and scientists at our world-class colleges and universities," Congressman Tonko said. "Their research is helping break new ground with scientific discoveries that lift up our communities and projects that are helping inspire a new generation of pioneers in their fields. Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved in these projects. Your work is helping to create a brighter future for students and young people across our Capital Region and beyond."

"These awards speak to the excellence of the Rensselaer faculty, students, and research staff, as well as to the breadth and depth of our research portfolio," said Robert Hull, Acting Vice President for Research at Rensselaer. "We greatly appreciate this federal support, which will enable us to make significant strides on projects that are contributing to the Rensselaer mission of taking on global challenges and changing the world."

$817,569 will go to a project to perform data analysis on how environmental signals impact the circadian timing at the cellular level. The project is led by Dr. Jennifer Hurley, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Rensselaer.
$599,875 will go to a project to improve connected vehicle systems (CVS) in order to create more sustainable and efficient transportation operations. The project is led by Dr. Xiaozheng (Sean) He, Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rensselaer.
$542,813 will go to a project to research the magnetic properties of van der Waals materials using new artificial intelligence technologies. The project is led by Dr. Trevor Rhone, Professor of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy at Rensselaer.
$355,788 will go to a project to study the impact of carbon and oxygen balance in freshwater aquatic ecosystems in order to better understand their role in the global carbon cycle. The project is led by Dr. Kevin Rose, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Rensselaer.
$185,183 will go to a project to develop ways to perform highly complex computations on graph datasets in order to enable real-time analysis. The project is led by Dr. George Slota, Professor in the Computer Science Department at Rensselaer.
$50,000 will go to a project to develop a sensor monitoring system that predicts and detects falls and prevents dangerous health outcomes for patients while maintaining privacy. The project is led by Dr. Arunas Tuzikas, Senior Research Engineer at Rensselaer.
The NSF was established by Congress in 1950 as an independent federal agency and works to develop cutting edge technologies in physics, mathematics, cybersecurity, neuroscience, and STEM education. Currently, NSF is responsible for funding 25 percent of all federally backed research at national colleges and universities.

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