June 13, 2017

The Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research (GIAR) program has been funding research by undergraduate and graduate students since 1922. In the spring 2017 cycle, the Society awarded 150 grants totaling $120,354 to students. The Committee on Grants-in-Aid of Research, chaired by Peter J. Harries of North Carolina State University, selected 19 undergraduate students, 43 master’s students, and 88 doctoral candidates to receive grants. The awardees are from seven countries. 

A list of recipients for this cycle is available. 

For the first time, $800 in funding was awarded from the new Claude C. Barnett Grants-in-Aid of Research Endowment Fund. Barnett was a Sigma Xi member for 60 years and served as president of the Whitman College–Walla Walla University Chapter in Washington state. The award went to Carolyn Shasha, a doctoral student at the University of Washington who will use the funding to support her research project, “Investigating the Potential for Color MPI: Validating and Improving Simulations with Experiment.”

Students may apply for funding from the program twice each year at https://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/grants-in-aid. The next application deadline is October 1. 

The grants are made possible by designated funds from the National Academy of Sciences and from donations. Seventeen percent of the grant applications received in the spring 2017 cycle were funded. More grants could be awarded in future cycles if more donations are received. 

Sigma Xi is committed to strengthening the GIAR program. A Centennial Campaign, which kicked off at the 2016 Annual Meeting to count down to the program’s 100th year in 2022, calls for more financial support to help more students. 

To donate to GIAR, go to https://ecommerce.sigmaxi.org/ecom/#donate. 

Sigma Xi thanks the following people who reviewed 899 grant applications in the spring 2017 cycle. Those with an asterisk are GIAR committee members.

Peter Harries (Chair)* 
Asem Abdulahad
Joseph Akkara
Advait Apte
Sudharshana Apte 
Stephanie Bingham
Drew Coleman* 
Jose Crespo
Shawn Ellerbroek*
Paul Fletcher 
Raymond Fornes
Nora Haenn
Catherine Jahncke
Michael Lares
Patrice Ludwig
Stephen McMann
Cecil McManus* 
John Millhauser
Timothy Ng
Ann Paterson
Padmanabhan Pattabiraman
Emma Perry* 
Megan Perry
Douglas Reeves 
Chantal Reid
Ted Shear
Joanne Tillotson* 
Tuan Tran
Peter Zani