In the Spotlight       

Xu wins NASA fellowship UNL Earth and Atmospheric Sciences graduate student Xiaoguang "Richard" Xu has been awarded a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship, which gives him $90,000 to support his research over the next three years. MORE ...

Selected Water for Food sessions to be webstreamed Panel discussions on women, water and food as well as industry and producer perspectives on food security and production are among the sessions that will be webcast live during the 2012 global Water for Food Conference May 30-June 1 in Lincoln. MORE ...

Researchers discover metabolic adaptation to high altitudes In a publication this week in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences from the lab of UNL evolutionary biologist Jay Storz, lead author Zachary Cheviron reports a discovery on how high-altitude deer mice have evolved to meet the combined challenges of hypoxia and cold exposure. MORE ...

Hong wins CAREER award for nanoscale research The key to making computers and other electronics smaller, faster and less expensive lies in overcoming the limitations of existing materials. UNL physicist Xia Hong said she believes her research on nanoscale materials will help break through current barriers. MORE ...

Rural Futures Institute aims to help rural America thrive As the University of Nebraska's new Rural Futures Institute begins to take shape, one of its chief advocates acknowledges that past higher-education efforts to save rural America have become "road kill." MORE ...

Water for Food Conference features global perspectives More than 40 speakers from around the world will offer diverse perspectives on water and food security at the fourth global Water for Food Conference, May 30-June 1, in Lincoln, Neb. MORE ...

Hong wins CAREER award for nanotechnology research Xia Hong, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, has earned a five-year, $600,000 Faculty Early Career Development Program Award from the National Science Foundation. The award will help Hong expand her research into nanoscale materials. MORE ...

USDA grant to fund ag policy research All consumers are not the same. Neither are all agricultural producers. Yet ag policy analysis typically has assumed they are, which can result in ineffective or inefficient policies. UNL is leading a new research effort to change that approach. MORE ...

Schleck earns Shakespeare research fellowship Julia Schleck, assistant professor of English and acting director of UNL's Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program, has been awarded a fellowship to pursue research next spring at a world-renowned research center on Shakespeare. MORE ...

Dawes selected for Guggenheim Fellowship Kwame Dawes, professor of English and Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner, has received a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. The fellowship will support his work on the poem cycle, “August: A Quintet,” based on the work of August Wilson, an American playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner. MORE ...

Documents reveal rare look into slaves' lives As the 150th anniversary of the Compensated Emancipation Act approaches, UNL scholars have transcribed hundreds of the petitions and have published digital versions at Civil War Washington, an interdisciplinary digital research project that studies life in the nation's capital during the pivotal period. MORE ...

Discovery may lead to better data storage A team led by UNL physicist Alexei Gruverman in collaboration with researchers in Spain and at the University of Wisconsin has discovered a significantly more efficient method of data storage that offers great promise for the future of technology. MORE ...

Pathways competition deadline June 1 June 1 is the application deadline for the latest round of funding applications in the Pathways to Interdisciplinary Research Centers internal competitive grants program. MORE ...

UNL technology leads to startup to improve PET imaging A new startup company, Ground Fluor Pharmaceuticals Inc., will use a process developed at UNL by Professor Stephen DiMagno to improve medical imaging. MORE ...

Whitman Archive earns NEH grant The Walt Whitman Archive is undertaking an ambitious project to provide unprecedented access to the famed literary figure's prose manuscripts with the help of a $275,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. MORE ...

Bartelt-Hunt wins CAREER award Deadly prion diseases, such as chronic wasting disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, survive in soil for years and can remain infectious in the environment. A UNL engineer's research could provide insights about how to control this soil-borne threat. MORE ...

Spring Nebraska Lecture video available Those who weren't able to attend Jo Potuto's spring Nebraska Lecture at UNL can view a video of the March 28 presentation.

Smithsonian special features Head, Titanoboa The world of a prehistoric snake — a nightmarish giant, measuring longer than a Tyrannosaurus Rex or a modern school bus — is being brought to life in part by UNL's Jason Head.   MORE ... Video

Water for Food Conference opens May 30 The fourth global Water for Food Conference, May 30-June 1 in Lincoln, Neb., will bring together international experts to explore how advances in science, technology and policy can help rainfed and irrigated agriculture feed the world. MORE ...

UNL scientists find plants 'remember' drought, adapt to survive Plants subjected to a previous period of drought learn to deal with the stress thanks to their memories of the previous experience, UNL research has found. The findings could lead to development of crops better able to withstand drought. The work is the subject of an article in the online journal Nature Communications. MORE ... Journal article

Castro's first novel wins national honor "Hell or High Water," a debut novel by Joy Castro, UNL associate professor of English and ethnic studies, has been named a 2012 Book of the Month by Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club. The fictional story sets up shop in post-Katrina New Orleans, where hundreds of registered sex offenders who went off the grid during the hurricane evacuation have never been found.  MORE ...

UNP book wins 2012 Bancroft Prize For the second time in three years, a book published by the University of Nebraska Press has won the Bancroft Prize, an award given by the trustees of Columbia University to top books published on American history and diplomacy. This year's winner is Anne F. Hyde's "Empires, Nations and Families," an exploration of the American West just after the Louisiana Purchase.  MORE ...

UNL spinoff deploys mobile software nationwide Starting in April, 10,000 police departments will have access to a new mobile software tool for tracking crime in their communities, thanks to technology developed at UNL. Red Brain Law Enforcement Services LLC, a new university spinoff, will release CrimeView NEARme to allow police officers to access location-based crime data.  MORE ...

Jacobs earns history fellowship Margaret Jacobs, Chancellor's Professor of History at UNL, has been awarded a highly competitive fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies. The fellowship will support her latest book project, which continues a line of research that in 2010 helped her win a top honor in her field.  MORE ...

Study: Children's books depicting nature less Was your favorite childhood book crawling with wild animals and set in places like jungles or deep forests? Or did it take place inside a house or in a city, with few if any untamed creatures in sight? A new study has found that over the last several decades, nature has increasingly taken a back seat in award-winning children's picture books -- and suggests this sobering trend is consistent with a growing isolation from the natural world.  MORE ...

Evolution of horse linked to climate change Research co-led by a UNL scientist and published in the journal Science offers new evidence of the cause-and-effect relationship between temperature and body size in mammals. These findings also offer clues to what might happen to animals in the near future from global warming. MORE ...

Funding opportunity for interdisciplinary teams March 1 is the application deadline for the Pathway to Interdisciplinary Research Centers Competitive Grant Program, a new internal funding competition designed to enhance the competitiveness of interdisciplinary research teams at UNL. Application details are available here. MORE ...

NU, USAID sign agreement The University of Nebraska and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday to collaborate on expanding research and development capacities related to water management in the Middle East and North Africa. MORE ...

Grant Writing Seminar March 16 The Office of Research and Economic Development will offer a grant writing seminar, "Write Winning Grants," March 16, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., in the Nebraska Union auditorium. The seminar addresses practical and conceptual aspects of proposal writing and emphasizes idea development, tips and strategies of proven value in presenting an applicant's case to reviewers, and more.  MORE ...

Grant Writing Seminar March 16 The Office of Research and Economic Development will offer a grant writing seminar, "Write Winning Grants," March 16, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., in the Nebraska Union auditorium. The seminar comprehensively addresses both practical and conceptual aspects important to the proposal writing process. MORE ...

2011 Water for Food proceedings available The Proceedings of the 2011 Water for Food Conference, held May 1-4 in Lincoln, Neb., is now available online. The publication includes summaries of plenary speakers’ presentations, panel discussions, poster competition results, photos and a participants list. The print edition will be available in early March. MORE ...

Water for Food letters of intent due Feb. 20 The request for proposals for the Education and Outreach Program and Curriculum Development grants is now available. This is the first Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute competitive grants program. Any University of Nebraska faculty member holding a tenure-track position is eligible to serve as principal investigator. A letter of intent is required by Feb. 20. MORE ...

Research growth plan video available Faculty who weren’t able to participate in the faculty forums for UNL’s proposed Research and Economic Develop Growth Initiative can view a video of the Feb. 9 forum. Faculty forum video Draft plan summary

Forums on conflict of interest policy changes UNL is updating its conflict of interest policy to reflect recent changes in the Public Health Service (PHS) regulations and to be consistent with Board of Regents policy for Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment (RP 3.2.8). The draft policy is complete and will be presented to faculty at two listening sessions: Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. in the Nebraska Union and Feb. 16 at 11 a.m. in the Nebraska East Union. Read the draft policy. MORE ...

Nastasi sees energy research potential Energy research at UNL should double within three to five years with the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research as a catalyst. That's the vision of the center's new director, Mike Nastasi. MORE ...

Illustration wins international recognition A scientific illustration of UNL nanotechnology research has won an award in the International Science and Engineering Challenge, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the journal Science.  MORE ...

Political biology: Left rolls with the good, right confronts the bad From cable TV news shows to red-meat speeches on the campaign trail, our nation's deep political stereotypes are on full display. A new UNL study suggests there are biological truths to such broad brushstrokes.  MORE ...

NUgrant 6.0 launches Feb. 1 Improvements to NUgrant will simplify navigation and enable users to quickly find their most recently viewed projects and other critical items for managing grants and fulfilling reporting requirements.  MORE ...

UNL leads $25 million project targeting E. coli threat to food safety The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will lead a $25 million project to reduce throughout the beef production chain the occurrence of E. coli strains that pose a major threat to public health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced the grant at UNL Monday (Jan. 23).  MORE ... Video

Grew named to lifetime post in National Academies Priscilla Grew, professor in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and director of the State Museum, has been designated a lifetime National Associate of the National Research Council of the National Academies. MORE ...

UNL wins grant for highway, rail safety Nebraska's Sen. Ben Nelson today applauded UNL for winning a competitive grant promoting highway and railway safety. The $3.5 million grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, will enable UNL to continue hosting a four-state regional center that has researched such matters as safer highway guardrails, de-icing chemicals and the life span of Nebraska bridges. MORE ...

Schubert named Fellow in physics organization Mathias Schubert, UNL associate professor of electrical engineering, has been elected a fellow of the American Physical Society. Schubert was cited by the APS council at its November meeting for the "development of generalized ellipsometry and the invention of the Optical Hall Effect, and their transformative potential for industrial characterization of materials properties."

Study: Nebraska corn production is highly efficient Contrary to conventional wisdom, irrigated corn in Nebraska is highly efficient in the use of energy, water and fertilizer, say University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists whose research found that increased yields more than offset the energy cost of these inputs.  MORE ... PNAS paper

Industrial Arts building to stay at NIC Planners at Nebraska Innovation Campus have unveiled a new look and usage plan for the Industrial Arts Building, a historic structure at the former Nebraska State Fair Park.  MORE ...

Mellon grant to expand digital humanities research New software under development by UNL researchers Brian Pytlik Zillig and Stephen Ramsay will vastly improve the ability of humanities researchers to use the growing number of digital archives and other digital projects. MORE ...

Robots aid crop research New technology is making aerial crop research easier, faster and more affordable for UNL researchers. Aerial crop scouting – which was once costly and inefficient – is now fast, easy and accessible thanks to a robotic helicopter, about the size of a large pizza. MORE ...

MwRSF honored by National Academies board The National Academies' Transportation Research Board will honor UNL's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility with its 2011 Practice-Ready Paper Award, recognizing MwRSF's work on safety barriers to benefit highway drivers. MORE ...

Award honors Heineman's NIC leadership On Dec. 1, the Association of University Research Parks named Gov. Dave Heineman as an honoree for its Leadership Award for his work on UNL's Nebraska Innovation Campus. MORE ...

UNL to study drone journalism News organizations may soon be able begin to inject drones -- small, unmanned aircraft -- into areas reporters can't easily go to capture news footage. UNL's new Drone Journalism Lab, led by journalism professor Matthew Waite, will study the practical, legal and ethical issues involving drones and news reporting. MORE ...

Hibbing named AAAS fellow UNL political scientist John Hibbing joins an elite group of scientists with his designation this month as a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science – and the distinction of being one of just 15-20 political scientists among the ranks. MORE ...

Maps track Texas drought The record-breaking drought in Texas that has fueled wildfires, decimated crops and forced cattle sales has also reduced levels of groundwater in much of the state to the lowest levels seen in more than sixty years, according to new national maps produced by NASA and distributed by the National Drought Mitigation Center at UNL. MORE ...

$3 million grant to help improve surveys A UNL team is partnering with industry on research to improve surveys. A nearly $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Census Bureau funds this work. Faculty and staff are invited to a celebration of the grant at 2 p.m. today in Omaha at The Gallup Organization's Riverfront Campus, 1001 Gallup Drive. MORE ...

Edwards is director of Great Plains Studies Richard Edwards has been named director of the Center for Great Plains Studies, a universitywide interdisciplinary research center. The announcement was made Nov. 18 by David Manderscheid, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. MORE ...

Research funding is $132.2 million Funding for University of Nebraska-Lincoln research totaled $132.2 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, according to the UNL Office of Research and Economic Development. Officials said this represents a slight decrease from $139 million the previous year, and was expected in the year following a significant influx of one-time federal stimulus funding. MORE ...