12/2/2022
Florida Atlantic: Number of NSF Early Career Awards Skyrocket
Florida Atlantic researchers have earned 19 coveted National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career awards – and more than half of those awards were earned in the last few years.
One of the NSF’s most prestigious awards, it supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Research projects have ranged from point-of-care detection of infectious diseases, to early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, to how marine animals tune their movements using their skin and skeletons.
Here’s a Look at Two of Florida Atlantic’s Recent NSF Early Career Award Winners:
Matt Ajemian, Ph.D., assistant research professor and director of the Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, received a $1,103,081 NSF Early Career award to build fundamental knowledge on where and when large shell-crushing predators feed, ensuring a sustainable future for shellfish species.
Yufei Tang, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and a fellow of FAU’s Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering, received a $634,514 NSF Early Career award to advance knowledge related to monitoring and designing marine and hydrokinetic energy systems, such as marine current turbines and wave energy converters. These systems could contribute significantly to a diversified energy economy, improving the nation’s energy security and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.