1st cohort of UKinSPIRE fellows to pursue international research projects

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) and the University of Kentucky International Center (UKIC) have announced the first cohort of UKinSPIRE fellows. UKinSPIRE is an internal funding opportunity for UK faculty, jointly funded by the OVPR and UKIC, intended to stimulate high-impact research projects in any discipline linking UK faculty and international collaborators and to establish collaborations with new international partner institutions or add greater depth to existing institutional partnerships.

In response to the first UKinSPIRE call for proposals, submissions were received from UK faculty representing a wide range of academic disciplines and research fields. An interdisciplinary review committee comprised of faculty and administrative staff representing nine colleges, UKIC and OVPR, provided recommendations to the Vice President for Research, Associate Provost for Internationalization and executive director of International Partnerships & Research. Based on these recommendations, the following UKinSPIRE projects have been selected for support starting July 1, 2023: 

• “Expanding a Transatlantic Research Alliance (ExTRA),” Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez (Center for Applied Energy Research) 
• “Supporting Inclusive Early Childhood Practices: A Collaborative Project between Valencia Catholic University and the University of Kentucky,” Jennifer Grisham (College of Education) 
• “Clinical Trial Planning for SJ733,” R. Kip Guy (College of Pharmacy) 
• “Coal Mine Restoration as Climate Mitigation? Evaluating the influence of planted tree species on soil carbon storage in reclaimed mine sites in Kentucky and Czechia,” Kenton Sena (Lewis Honors College) 
• “Resolving the Austronesian Problem: Community Archaeology and Heritage Science Education in Surigao del Norte (Philippines),” Hugo Reyes-Centeno (College of Arts and Sciences) 
• “Bilateral Partnership between the University of Kentucky School of Music and Ionian University Department of Music Studies (Corfu, Greece),” Jason Dovel (College of Fine Arts)
• “Hybrids: Research Methodologies for Sustainability, Advancement, and Conservation in Polish and American Graphic Arts,” Jonathan McFadden (College of Fine Arts) 

Click here to learn more about UKinSPIRE.