Project Grant 20243353041783
- Federal Grant Award Summary Softworthy LLC received a $100,000 Project Grant awarded on June 18, 2025, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under the NIEHS Hazardous Waste Worker Health and Safety Training program (CFDA 93.142) to develop SWIVEL-HASTE (Softworthy's Interactive Virtual Environment Laboratory to Support Health and Safety Training of Emergency Responders Exposed to Extreme Ambient Temperatures). The project, scheduled for completion by May 31, 2026, will...
- This $299,591 National Science Foundation project grant funds the development of virtual reality-enabled curriculum resources to address workforce skills gaps in water treatment operator education. Funded under the NSF's STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), the grant supports a collaboration between Central Carolina Technical College and Clemson University to design, integrate and evaluate virtual reality modules supplementing existing water operator training. Modules will focus on topics...
- This three-year, $1.7 million project grant from the National Science Foundation's Computer and Information Science and Engineering program aims to advance virtual learning environments through olfactory integration. Arizona State University will develop portable hardware and software to reliably synthesize virtual odors for delivery in real-time 3D environments. Researchers will design tools for virtual odor space development and model complex odor propagation. The project seeks to understand...
- This $349,431 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education and STEM Education program (CFDA #47.076) will support the development of virtual reality-enabled curriculum resources to address workforce skills gaps in water treatment operator education. Central Carolina Technical College will partner with Clemson University to design, integrate and evaluate virtual reality modules supplementing the college's existing training programs. Modules will focus...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Computer and Network Systems under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CFDA 47.070) program provides $197,760 to Lehigh University to develop an innovative traffic signal control approach that can effectively mitigate the adverse impacts of air pollution near roadways. The key products and services to be delivered under this 2-year award include: 1) developing a low-cost mobile air quality sensing...
- This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), provides $250,000 to Utah State University (USU) to demonstrate the use of wastewater monitoring as a tool for assessing air pollution exposure and associated non-communicable diseases in underserved communities. The project aims to link air pollution, urine biomarkers, and wastewater data to develop community-based disease surveillance methods utilizing wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE)...
- This National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM Education (CFDA 47.076) Project Grant of $300,000 awarded to Southern Methodist University on September 1, 2025, supports the development and research of immersive virtual reality (VR) laboratory environments designed to enhance collaborative and embodied learning in online and hybrid STEM education. The project addresses critical gaps in existing virtual STEM laboratories by creating realistic avatars and integrating tactile feedback systems that...
- This three-year, $407,212 National Science Foundation project grant will support the "Airborne Connections" Research Experience for Undergraduates site at Colorado State University. The site will recruit and train 30 diverse undergraduate students to study airborne contaminants through measurement, modeling, and analysis of their emission sources, atmospheric transport, spatial variation, health and climate impacts. Students will gain technical skills in measurement and modeling...
- This $100,000 two-year Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Engineering Education and Centers division will fund research at Tufts University examining how virtual and physical laboratory modes differentially influence the development of engineering students' epistemic practices. The NSF Directorate for Engineering seeks to improve quality of life and economic strength through engineering innovation and excellence in research and education programs like the Engineering program...
- This $375,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) supports a collaborative research project between the University of Colorado Boulder and Washington State University (WSU). The project aims to compare the effectiveness of web-based interactive digital experiments (WIDEs) versus physical desktop learning modules (LCDLMs) for experiential learning in engineering classrooms. Specifically, the project will create 15 WIDEs for...
WITH GROWING AWARENESS OF THE ADVERSE AND DISPARATE HEALTH IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION, THERE IS A NEED FOR INCREASING THE DIVERSITY AND NUMBER OF QUALIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS IN THE WORKFORCE, DEDICATED TO PROTECTING AIR QUALITY, WHILE MAINTAINING OPTIMAL FARM PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY. IN THIS REGARD, ADOPTING EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES THAT GO BEYOND THE DISSEMINATION OF THEORETICAL CONTENT (SUCH AS A 'VIRTUALIZED' LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT PROVIDES EXPOSURE TO EXPERIENCES MOVING FROM 'LEARNING ABOUT PRACTICAL APPLICATION', TO 'LEARNING FOR PRACTICAL APPLICATION' TO 'LEARNING THROUGH PRACTICAL APPLICATION') CAN OFFER SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS WHILE TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM PROFESSIONALS.SOFTWORTHY'S INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT LABORATORY (SWIVEL) WOULD SERVE AS SUCH A SIMULATION-BASED FRAMEWORK THAT SUPPORTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES THROUGH DIFFERENT PEDAGOGICAL MODELS (E.G. 'PROJECT-BASED' AND 'PROBLEM-BASED' APPROACHES) TO ENCOURAGE INNOVATIVE THINKING, WITH A FOCUS ON 'LEARNING WHILE DOING', RATHER THAN ON 'LEARNING THEN DOING'. BY COMBINING 'SERIOUS SIMULATION' TECHNOLOGY (E.G. PHYSICS-BASED AIR POLLUTANT EMISSION AND DISPERSION MODELS) WITH GAME-TECHNOLOGY (E.G. REALISTIC, INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES), THE FRAMEWORK WOULD ALLOW THE CREATION AND EXPLORATION OF SYSTEMS AND SCENARIOS FOR THE REAL-TIME DEVELOPMENT, VERIFICATION, AND VALIDATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION CONCEPTS, ASSOCIATED WITH AIR QUALITY, WEATHER CONDITIONS AND AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY, IN AN ENRICHED, VIRTUAL WORLD.THE ADOPTION OF SWIVEL IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN IMPACTFUL STEM EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING EXPERIENCES FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS, AND OFFER UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITIONS, ASSOCIATED WITH (I) INCREASED INTEREST IN STEM EDUCATION, AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CAREERS, (II) IMPROVED COMPREHENSION OF KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO AIR QUALITY AND AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY, AND (III) PROMOTION OF 'SERIOUS GAMING' TECHNOLOGIES IN DELIVERING STEM CONTENT TO ENHANCE LEARNING AMONG GRADUATE-LEVEL STUDENTS.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $0 | 1/20/25 | ||
| Not listed | $175.0k | 1/22/24 |