The Center for Industry Studies supports engineering-focused, transdisciplinary research that links scholars to some of the most important and challenging problems faced by modern industry. Our activities and programs are motivated by the firm conviction that bringing engineers and social scientists together for research collaboration can lead to important advances in scholarship and produce research of significant practical value to industry. In building this community of scholars, the Center reaches out to faculty members from all the social science disciplines and professional schools for research collaboration opportunities with faculty members in the Swanson School of Engineering. The Center also encourages communication between scholars and industry practitioners as a means of building partnerships that can enhance the impact of academic research, yield educational opportunities, and promote economic development.
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2026-2027 Recipients of the CIS Transdisciplinary Award Program
The Center for Industry Studies received a large number of highly competitive applications for the 2026-2027 CIS Transdisciplinary Award Program that included PIs from twenty-four departments/disciplines from across the university. Thank you to all the research teams that submitted an application.
We are excited to announce the 2026-2027 recipients of the CIS Transdisciplinary Award Program. This funding opportunity is intended to support innovative research efforts that bridge disciplines and encourage cross-departmental collaboration.
By facilitating partnerships between faculty members from diverse academic backgrounds, this initiative seeks to generate new insights and solutions that have a tangible impact on industry practices, business strategies, technological advancements, and policy frameworks. It is expected that funded projects will serve as a catalyst for securing highly competitive external research grants and funding opportunities.
The following four proposals were awarded $25,000 for one-year of funding.
Bond-Order Descriptors for Interfacial Stability in Multiphase Alloys
Principal Investigators: John A. Keith (Dept. of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, Swanson School of Engineering) and Jill E. Millstone (Dept. of Chemistry, Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences)
Noninvasive Ultrasound Control of Lysosomal Function: A Transdisciplinary Engineering–Biology Approach to Rare Disease and Brain Aging
Principal Investigators: Kirill Kiselyov (Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences), Nikhil Bajaj (Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Swanson School of Engineering), and Zhimin Huang (Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine)
Hardware-in-the-Loop: Coupling of an Event-Driven Vision Sensor with a Biologically Grounded Probabilistic Synaptic Plasticity Engine
Principal Investigators: Rajkumar Kubendran (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Swanson School of Engineering) and Weifeng Xu (Department of Neuroscience)
TEAM 3D: Tracking Exposures through Additive Manufacturing of Passive Samplers for Occupational and Community Health
Principal Investigators: Carla Ng (Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Swanson School of Engineering) and Maureen Lichtveld (Dean, School of Public Health)
Additional information about these proposals can be found on our Funding Opportunities page.
Congratulations to this year’s award recipients!
We look forward to announcing the RFP for the CIS Transdisciplinary Award Program next summer during our 2027-2028 funding cycle!