The University of Notre Dame has announced the awardees of its first annual Strategic Framework Grant (SFG) Program.
Launched in February of 2024, the SFG Program is an internal funding opportunity that stimulates engagement with the priorities outlined in Notre Dame 2033: A Strategic Framework.
The program drew a strong response in its inaugural year, with 58 research and teaching proposals from more than 75 faculty representing more than 40 different departments, centers, and institutes across all seven colleges and schools.
“This new grant program invites faculty to help the University ‘think as an institution’ by enhancing or evolving their research or teaching to align with the University-wide priorities outlined in the strategic framework,” said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost and Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at Notre Dame. “The funded projects are an inspiring indication of the many ways faculty have connected to that vision and are helping advance Notre Dame as a leading global Catholic research university.”
Strategic Framework Research Grant
The following awardees of the Strategic Framework Research Grant will receive funding to support new and novel outstanding research and/or creative endeavors that advance Notre Dame’s scholarship in alignment with the priorities of the framework.
Christian Melander, the George and Winifred Clark Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Joshua Shrout, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, will lead a research project titled “Development of Novel anti-Pseudomonas Compounds to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Cystic Fibrosis Patients.”
Christina Wolbrecht, a professor in the Department of Political Science, will lead a research project titled “Does Voting Matter? The Impact of Women’s Suffrage on State Legislative Politics and Policy Outcomes.”
Three faculty members will lead the development of a Historical Traditions of Ethics Research Cluster: Thérèse Cory, the John and Jean Oesterle Associate Professor of Thomistic Studies in the Department of Philosophy; Gretchen Reydams-Schils, a professor in the Program of Liberal Studies; and Alix Cohen, a professor of Philosophy. The team will also include Notre Dame faculty collaborators John O’Callaghan, an associate professor of Philosophy; Stephen Ogden, the Tracey Family Associate Professor of Philosophy; and Denis Robichaud, the John and Patrice Kelly Associate Professor of Liberal Studies.
Clemens Sedmak, a professor of social ethics and director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at the Keough School of Global Affairs, will lead a project titled “Toward a Global Institutional Ethics for Catholic Universities in Conversation with Pope Francis.” Sedmak will be joined by co-principal investigators Katie Bugyis, the Rev. John A. O'Brien Associate Professor in the Program of Liberal Studies; Rev. Mark Poorman, C.S.C., an associate professor in the Department of Theology; Mark Roche, the Rev. Edmund Joyce, C.S.C., Professor of German Language and Literature; and Suzanne Shanahan, the Leo and Arlene Hawk Executive Director at the Center for Social Concerns.
Matthew Hauenstein and Margaret Pfeil will lead a project titled “Inclusive AI for Good: A Pilot Project in the Community of South Bend on Homelessness Mitigation.” Hauenstein is an assistant research professor in the Center for Social Science Research within the the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society. Pfiel is a teaching professor in the Department of Theology and the Center for Social Concerns.
Stuart Jones, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, will lead a project titled “Creating the capacity to predict future water quality with physics-informed artificial intelligence.” Jones will be joined by co-investigators Diogo Bolster, the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Hydrology and Henry Massman Department Chair in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences; Stefano Castruccio, an associate professor in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics; Stephen Jane, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences; and David Richter, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences.
Strategic Framework Teaching Grant
The following Strategic Framework Teaching Grant recipients will receive support to develop new courses or to substantially change existing courses to address important topics and themes aligned with the priorities of the framework.
Nancy Michael, the Rev. John A. Zahm, C.S.C., Teaching Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, will lead a teaching project to create a course and curricular assessment of character development.
Nathaniel Myers, an associate teaching professor in the University Writing Program, will lead a project titled “Towards Thoughtful and Ethical Integration of Generative AI in Undergraduate Writing Education.” Myers will be joined by Toby Li, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Ranjodh Singh Dhaliwal, the Ruth and Paul Idzik Collegiate Assistant Professor in the Department of English; Patrick Clauss, the Francis O'Malley Director and professor of the practice in the University Writing Program; and Alex Ambrose, professor of the practice and Director of Learning Research at Notre Dame Learning.
Learn More
The Strategic Framework Grant Opportunity will open again in 2025. Faculty members who would like to ask questions about this funding opportunity can contact the program at intprogs@nd.edu using the subject line "Strategic Framework Grant Opportunity Spring 2025.”
Contact
Kate Garry, Executive Director of Academic Communication
Office of the Provost, University of Notre Dame
KateGarry@nd.edu