Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants

Devoted to advancing interdisciplinary research across multiple application areas, ten university-wide projects have been awarded Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants as part of the 2023 cohort. The Franklin College congratulates  faculty involved in the the program's two tracks:

For the first time, this year’s program has two tracks: New Frontiers and Cluster Engagement. The New Frontiers track is intended to support early-stage exploration of potentially transformative research that addresses grand challenges at the community, state, national, or global level.

Marshall Shepherd leads one New Frontiers project, incorporating researchers from atmospheric sciences, geography, planning, and engineering. The project is a collaboration with industry partners to mitigate urban heat stress on both citizens and infrastructure. In addition to UGA researchers, the project will feature partnerships with The Ray, Pirelli Tires, and ESRI, a developer of geographic information software.

“I have been on previous Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant projects and am always stimulated by how they change the rules of engagement in a positive way,” said Shepherd, a Georgia Athletics Distinguished Professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Geography. “Challenges within society are not in silos, so the solution space should not be either.”

See the complete list of funded projects and researchers. Congratulations all.

Image: From left: Shana Jones (Carl Vinson Institute of Government), Roberto Perdisci (School of Computing), and Marshall Shepherd (Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Geography) are leading three of the newly awarded 10 Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant projects.