Federal Grant Award Summary

Oklahoma State University received a $348,176 Project Grant award dated February 15, 2026, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041). The award supports collaborative research investigating the hydrodynamic mechanisms and scalability of metachronal swimming—a coordinated paddling technique used by aquatic organisms ranging from single cells to large crustaceans. The project delivers research outputs through integrated experimental and computational approaches, including flow visualization and force measurements on dynamically similar remotely operated vehicles, computational simulations examining fluid-structure interactions, and performance assessments across seven orders of magnitude in Reynolds number (0.01 to 10,000). Research activities span from February 15, 2026, through the ultimate completion date of January 31, 2029.

The project generates significant educational and applied outcomes through cross-disciplinary training in fluid mechanics, robotics, and scientific computing for undergraduate and graduate students. Additionally, the award supports development of new summer camp programming on bio-inspired engineering for high school students. The research findings are intended to inform the design of underwater vehicles capable of efficient operation across broad ranges of sizes and speeds, leveraging biological principles of metachronal rowing to advance engineering innovation. Work is performed at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.