OU ‘Big Idea Challenge’ Funds Five Projects to Explore Solutions to Global Grand Challenges
Five research teams at the University of Oklahoma will receive internal funding to support innovative research projects. The awards are for the OU Big Idea Challenge, an initiative launched by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships to support the development of transdisciplinary research projects with significant potential for future extramural funding and that address global grand challenges.
“The five awarded projects include team members from across disciplines and represent exciting ideas for advancing OU research in high-impact areas such as advanced energy technology, social justice and technology, environmental sustainability, and the well-being of children,” said Ann West, associate vice president for research and partnerships. “The BIC awards provide resources to transdisciplinary teams, conducted by investigators from different departments and colleges working jointly to create new conceptual, theoretical, methodological and translational innovations that integrate and move beyond discipline-specific approaches to address a common problem, pursuing bold proposals that go well beyond traditional inter- and multidisciplinary efforts.”
“Well-Being Across the Lifespan: Early Childhood Experience and Opportunities in Oklahoma”
Led by three principal investigators: Sherri Castle, assistant director of research for the Early Childhood Education Institute at OU-Tulsa; and Constance Chapple and Erin Maher, associate professors of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Maher is also an associate research director for the Data Institute for Societal Challenges. Project team members include representatives from academic and professional fields, including physical and mental health, pediatrics and emergency medicine, regional and city planning, geography and the role of environment, data science and political science. This project is a merger of two originally separate proposals focused on childhood adversity, health inequities and child well-being.
OU Vice President for Research and Partnerships Tomás Díaz de la Rubia said, “As a flagship public institution that is keenly focused on societal impact through research and creative activity, the University of Oklahoma is uniquely positioned to bring disparate academic disciplines together to foster innovative, comprehensive solutions to global challenges.
“These projects will position the university as a leader in generating new insights and game-changing contributions to solving regional, national and global challenges in energy, sustainability, health and communities,” he added.