Toby Nelson receives research grant from Oak Ridge Associated Universities

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Toby Nelson, an assistant professor of chemistry at Oklahoma State University, has received a Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities.  The $5,000 award will be matched by OSU for a total of $10,000.  

ORAU calls the award “seed money” intended to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty in the first two years of a tenure track position.  Nelson may use the grant to purchase equipment, continue research or travel to professional meetings and conferences.   He is one of only 30 professors nationwide to receive the award this year.

“I am very excited and honored to be a recipient of the award,” Nelson said.  “The funding will help jumpstart my research project and acquire preliminary results for new funding opportunities.”
Nelson’s research interests include the design and synthesis of novel electrically conducting polymers for supramolecular materials, structure-property relationships and sustainable energy.  The conducting plastics he works to create will be utilized as the active components in lightweight, inexpensive and flexible polymers solar cells, rechargeable batteries and thermoelectrics.  

ORAU is a consortium of major Ph.D.-granting institutions created to cultivate collaborative partnerships that enhance scientific research and the education enterprise of our nation.  In a statement, Dr. Arlene A. Garrison, ORAU vice president of university partnerships, said: “The Powe awards recognize young faculty who want to establish research credentials and compete for new funding opportunities.  By supporting the research efforts of these emerging academic leaders, we are making a direct investment in the future of science and education in our country.”