Published: Oct. 26, 2021 • By Rachel Leuthauser

The Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering saw another record-breaking year for research funding. The department received more than $19.5 million for research in 2021, advancing ME鈥檚 commitment to impactful scientific breakthroughs.

This is the second year in a row that the department hit a new record. ME鈥檚 previous record for award totals was nearly $19.2 million in 2020. The department鈥檚 continued growth in research funding has contributed to a five-year upward trend across the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

ME鈥檚 funding in 2021 included 118 awards in all, signaling the wide range of the department鈥檚 meaningful research 鈥� from biomedical experiments to air quality studies and more. Here is a sampling of those research awards.

  • Svenja Knappe and Cindy Regal received a two-year $1.83 million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for 鈥淚ntegrated Vector-Scalar Atomic Magnetometer.鈥�

  • Shelly Miller and CO-PI Shivakant Mishra received a four-year $1.8 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for 鈥淪CC-IRG Track 1: Empowering Environmental Justice Communities with Smart and Connected Technology: Air and Noise Pollution, Wellbeing, and Social Relations in Times of Disruption.鈥�

  • Sarah Calve received a two-year $1.1 million award from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health/NIH/DHHS for 鈥淒efining the Mechanical Link that Unites the Musculoskeletal System during Limb Development.鈥�

  • Greg Rieker received a three-year $975,000 award from the Air Force Research Lab for 鈥淎ccurate, Multi-parameter Scramjet Diagnostics Using Frequency Comb Lasers.鈥�

  • Debanjan Mukherjee received a three-year $584,000 award from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering/NIH/DHHS for 鈥淚n Silico Mapping of the Heart-Brain Embolus Transport Pathway for Stroke.鈥�

The College of Engineering and Applied Science received more than $150 million in research funding in 2021. Award money at the college comes from a variety of sources, including听NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense and industry.

Header image:听Kaushik Jayaram working in his听Animal Inspired Movement and Robotics Laboratory听