KENT — Kent State University was awarded $1.6 million from three separate National Science Foundation grants.

A grant of $1 million will aim to ensure the retention of newly hired secondary STEM teachers in high-needs settings. A second grant of $550,000 will work to develop a zero-power optical sensor platform for the detection of toxic gases. The third grant of $80,145 will fund an inter-disciplinary study of archaeology, materials sciences, 3D morphometics and adhesive engineering to advance understanding of the behavioral and technological adaptations that determined how our species came to colonize the planet.

The results of this study will be permanently stored and freely accessible for download in the Open Science Framework (OSF) and through public education and outreach activities.

“I commend Kent State University’s commitment not only to research, but to sharing the results of that research on public platforms making it available to others,” said Congressman Tim Ryan, D-Howland, who announced the grants. “The research done at Kent State is a great benefit to their students and to our wider community. I will always support these types of investments that help our community continue to thrive.”

“These three awards underscore the high regard in which KSU researchers are viewed by their national colleagues and further highlight the breadth of discovery occurring at Kent State,” said Douglas L. Delahanty, Interim Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs at Kent State University. “From analyzing ancient artifacts in order to understand how prehistoric people adhered tools together to enhancing resilience in secondary science teachers to developing new sensors for toxic gases, our faculty are engaged in addressing questions of immense societal relevance, and, perhaps more importantly, providing opportunities for students of all levels to engage in life-changing research experiences.”