Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards
Powe Awards help ORAU member institutions retain their best young faculty members
Our commitment to enriching the research skills and professional growth of young faculty members at ORAU member institutions is embodied in the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards Program. These competitive research awards provide seed money for junior faculty members that often result in additional funding from other sources. The award amount provided by ORAU is $5,000. The applicant’s institution is required to match the award with at least an additional $5,000. This is a one-year grant (June 1 to May 31).
Eligibility for the Powe Awards is open to full-time assistant professors at ORAU member institutions within two years of their tenure track appointment at the time of application. If there is a question about eligibility, your ORAU Councilor makes the final determination. Only two nominations are allowed per institution.
Research projects must fall within one of these five disciplines:
- Engineering and Applied Science
- *Health Disparities/Equity
- Life Sciences
- Mathematics/Computer Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Policy, Management, or Education
*New Research Category: As a result of ORAU’s partnership with The MITRE Corporation, a new research discipline has been added to the list for you to select from: Health Disparities/Equity. MITRE is interested in promoting multi-disciplinary research that focuses on understanding and addressing health disparities and promoting health equity. The following examples are representative of potential research topics:
- How can emerging medical technology innovations in areas like digital health, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics drive to create more equitable health outcomes? What potential pitfalls exist in these technologies to exacerbate inequities?
- How does climate change affect health outcomes of different populations and what measures can be taken to address inequitable outcomes found in underserved populations?
Junior faculty members interested in applying should consult their ORAU Councilor, and visit the frequently asked questions.
Applications are due January 7, 2022.
2020-21 Powe Award winners
| Award Recipient | Member Institution |
|---|---|
| Joshua Agar | Lehigh University |
| Jorge Almodovar | University of Arkansas |
| Sabreena Anowar | University of Missouri |
| Alexander Bataller | North Carolina State University |
| Juan Beltran-Huarac | East Carolina University |
| Richard Carter | East Tennessee State University |
| Siu Hung Joshua Chan | Colorado State University |
| Haihong Che | University of Alabama in Huntsville |
| Darren Drewry | Ohio State University |
| Matthew Eddy | University of Florida |
| Katherine Fornash | Ohio University |
| Jason Fry | Eastern Kentucky University |
| Ayla Gafni | University of Mississippi |
| Fan Ge | College of William and Mary |
| Ling Hao | George Washington University |
| Guillaume Hoareau | University of Utah |
| Krishna Jayant | Purdue University |
| Yijie Jiang | University of North Texas |
| Sarah Keane | University of Michigan |
| Hai Lin | Louisiana State University |
| Zhenfei Liu | Wayne State University |
| Davoud Mozhdehi | Syracuse University |
| Lin Mu | University of Georgia |
| Debanjan Mukherjee | University of Colorado Boulder |
| Badri Narayanan | University of Louisville |
| Zhen Ni | Florida Atlantic University |
| Amanda Patrick | Mississippi State University |
| Stephanie Stockar | Ohio State University |
| Michael Cai Wang | University of South Florida |
| Yeqing Wang | Mississippi State University |
| Shuya Wei | University of New Mexico |
| Ketian Zhang | George Mason University |
| Qiong Zhang | Clemson University |
| Shan Zhou | Michigan Technological University |
| Huiyuan Zhu | Virginia Tech |
Contact us
For more information about the Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, contact the University Partnerships office at 865.576.6513 or PoweAwards@orau.org.