29 faculty projects earned 2022-23 Pitt Momentum Funds awards

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Pitt Momentum Funds will support 29 projects this year, including community-based work with autistic adults, research on the formation of mountains, a study of racial disparities in psychiatric committals and an examination of how waves affect the swimming speeds of microorganisms in lakes and oceans.

“We want the University to continue to shine as a leader in research and discovery. But, most importantly, we want the work we do to impact the world around us. Projects like these look to solve today’s challenges with bold solutions and enhance the scholarly record for future thought leaders, creating unprecedented pathways,” said Rob A. Rutenbar, senior vice chancellor for research. “Such significant accomplishments deserve to be celebrated.”

Momentum Funds, which are a collaboration between the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research and the Office of the Provost, support high-quality research and creative endeavors. The funds’ three-tiered structure enables funding at all stages of the research cycle: Priming Awards help start projects. Teaming Awards help establish collaborative teams. Scaling Awards help projects do the detailed work necessary to pursue large external funding.

Teams of faculty, coordinated by members of the University Research Council and Pitt administrators, reviewed 68 proposals to select this year’s winners. The annual competition also welcomes proposals aligned with the University-wide annual themes developed by the provost, and five projects reflect the Year of Emotional Well-Being.

The Fueling Our Future showcase in September will highlight the Momentum Funds, with presentations and opportunities to meet the winners. Visit the Pitt Research website to learn more about the program and read about this year’s awardees.

A girl wearing a face mask on a playground looks sad

Scaling Awards

Examining psychosocial correlates of loneliness and perceived isolation among marginalized youth

Cesar Escobar-Viera, School of Medicine, with colleagues Xu Qin, School of Education, Robert W. S. Coulter, School of Public Health, Nadine Melhem, School of Medicine, Sophia Choukas-Bradley, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Marta Peciña, School of Medicine, Kar-Hai Chu, School of Public Health and Patricia Documét, School of Public Health

Linking university-community initiatives to promote a children’s thriving pipeline across early developmental stages

Shannon Wanless, School of Education, with Daniel Shaw, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, James Huguley, School of Social Work and Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

A person holds up a sheet of letters for another person to point at

Teaming Awards

Supporting mental and physical wellbeing in autistic adults through community-based mindful movement

Rachel Robertson, School of Education, with colleagues Marissa Vogel, Open Up Pittsburgh, Caitlin Conner, School of Medicine, Carla Mazefsky, School of Medicine and Sally Sherman, School of Education

Testing the effectiveness of faculty as facilitators of psychological resilience interventions for students in professional and graduate programs

Ann Sinsheimer, School of Law, with colleagues Omid Fotuhi, Learning Research and Development Center and Ming-Te Wang, School of Education

Priming Awards

Reconstructing the early career of Jorge Luis Borges as a public speaker: Talks and courses from 1949 to 1955

Daniel Balderston, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

Resisting racist police violence: An oral history of the Ferguson rebellion

Joshua Bloom, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

The "New" New York: race, space, and power in gentrifying Brooklyn

Amanda Boston, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

Hemispheric conversations urban art project

Caitlin Bruce, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, with colleagues Oreen Cohen, Independent Artist, Shane Pilster, Rivers of Steel and Max Gonzales, Rivers of Steel

Measuring the prevalence of earnings manipulations: A novel approach

Nicole Cade, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, with colleague Joshua Gunn, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business

Enhancing resilience and healthspan through listening sessions with community engagement centers

Rose Constantino, School of Nursing, with colleagues Willa Doswell, School of Nursing, Betty J. Braxter, School of Nursing and Mario C. Browne, School of Pharmacy

Training health sciences faculty to deliver the Pitt personal wellness program to graduate students

Laura Dietz, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Toward the two-way coupling of swimmer and surface gravity waves

Lei Fang, Swanson School of Engineering

Investigating the environmental exposure risks of asthma

Peng Gao, School of Public Health

Unpacking racial disparities in the involuntary psychiatric commitment of youth and young adults in Allegheny County

Catherine Greeno, School of Social Work, with colleague Nev Jones, School of Social Work

Exploring new metallic quantum spin liquid in intermetallic compounds

Xin Gui, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

Preserving fairness of deep learning under environmental changes

Xiaowei Jia, School of Computing and Information, with colleague Hassan Karimi, School of Computing and Information