Centerville man receiving state history award

“Whether he's restoring a historically significant home in Centerville or inspiring his students to create an online game about the Underground Railroad, Ronald Vaughan Morris has been helping tell the stories of Indiana in many ways.

The Indiana Historical Society is recognizing Morris' efforts with the 2014 Dorothy Riker Hoosier Historian Award.

The Centerville resident, who teaches at Ball State University, will receive his award during IHS's annual Founders Day event on Monday in Indianapolis.”

Ronald Morris

FULL ARTICLE - Pal-Item.com

American Psychological Foundation Seeks Applications From Early Career Psychologists

American Psychological Foundation Seeks Applications From Early Career Psychologists

A single grant of $10,000 will be awarded to an early career psychologist in support of scientifically based research related to methods of intervention and/or treatment for serious emotional disturbance in children.

The John and Polly Sparks Foundation partnered with APF to empower early career psychologists to produce scientifically-based research and programs that could provide models for broad-based applications across the country.

RND RFP Bulletin  - November

 

Reminder: GIS Day 2014 Mapping Workshops

**REMINDER**

On Wednesday, November 19, the Ball State University GIS Knowledge Group, in collaboration with Ball State University Libraries, will be hosting GIS Mapping Workshops in honor of National GIS Day.

All workshops will be held in Bracken Library room 224 (the GIS Research and Map Collection) and will be open to students, faculty, and staff. Reservations aren't required but would be appreciated. Please contact Angie Gibson at asgibson2@bsu.edu if you would like to register in advance.

11:00-11:45 a.m., ArcGIS Online

Instructor: Angie Gibson, Ball State University Libraries

This presentation will outline ArcGIS Online features available to faculty, staff and students and explain how to access them. During this session attendees will learn how to:

·         Obtain access to the BSU ArcGIS Online account and set up class groups

·         Add and search for content

·         Use analysis tools within ArcGIS Online

·         Find out what apps are available within ArcGIS Online (Business Analyst Online, ArcGIS Collector, Community Analyst, ArcGIS Pro)

1:00-2:00 p.m., ArcPad Basics

Instructor: Joel Bump, State of Indiana

This high-level demonstration of how to use ArcPad for field inventory will involve:

·         Defining an item that a user would wish to go in the field and inventory

·         Setting up a data file (shapefile) and related form

·         Setting up a basic map for ArcPad

·         Collecting data points

·         Finally bringing the data back to ArcMap

2:00-3:00 p.m., Advanced ArcPad

Instructor: Joel Bump, State of Indiana

This is a discussion on the more advanced topics of ArcPad; it will be more interactive with the audience to answer their questions. Topics may include (depending on the audience questions):

·         Custom Form/Code development

·         Alternative data sources (ArcSDE, ArcServer, ArcGIS Online)

·         Integration of photos and related tables

·         Integration of various hardware options (GPS pucks, range finders, data collectors)

·         Real time or post processing GPS corrections

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David Letterman Speaker - Brian Storm

We are pleased to announce this week's David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series presented by multimedia storyteller Brian Storm.

Storm will present at Ball State University in the Student Center Ballroom on Thursday, November 20, 2014, at 7:30 p.m.

Outstanding Awards 2014-2015 Call for Nominations

Each year a faculty selection committee selects recipients for nine very significant awards presented to colleagues who have made outstanding contributions to the university community. Please consider nominating colleagues that you know should be recognized by their peers for their important contribution to Ball State.

The coversheet for each category and the Nomination and Screening Process information can be found on the web page of the Office of the Associate Provost.

http://cms.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/associateprovost/services/outstandingfacultyaward

Ball State Research Week 2014

Check out Ball State Research Week 2014!
Full-size Poster (PNG)


Don't forget to RSVP your favorite sessions!

Full-size Research Week 2014 Poster (PDF)

Research Week 2014

 --Monday, Nov. 17 - Friday, Nov. 21 2014--

"Research Week 2014” is a week-long professional development opportunity for faculty and professional staff seeking to learn more about sponsored programs. Through a number of one-hour sessions throughout the week, participants will develop new skills, gain valuable knowledge about grantseeking, learn about potential sponsors, and professionalize their approach to the proposal development process.
Schedule as of December 3, 2014.
LIKE us on Facebook for updates and check back often.

Full-size Research Week 2014 Poster (PDF)

Take the Research Week 2014 survey and receive a free gift!
To See Full (Tentative) Schedule in the SPO Blog click the page-jump:

Monday, November 17

10:00AM

Working with Foundations & Indiana’s Funding Profile

Arts & Journalism Building Room 150

Marissa Manlove, President/CEO, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance

Marissa Manlove, President/CEO of Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, will present an overview of the foundation sector and highlight what sets them apart from other funding sources, including ways they support projects beyond financial awards. Filled with foundation profiles and giving statistics, Ms. Manlove will address trends in giving, the role of foundations in stimulating change, and the way understanding a foundation’s mission is crucial when seeking project support.

 The Indiana Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) is a nonprofit association of independent, family, community, public and corporate foundations, corporate giving programs, and other grantmaking organizations throughout Indiana. IPA’s mission is to champion, support and connect its members as they transform Indiana through effective philanthropy.

Indiana Foundations for BSU presentation

Foundations Bring a lot to the Table infograph

2:00PM

Focus on the Search

Jessie Roark, Research Information Coordinator

Focus on the Search is a one-hour intensive session on searching for funding opportunities. At the end of this session participants will: (1) Understand why it is important to make searching a regular part of your routine; (2) Learn about the resources SPO has to offer; (3) Learn how to use the COS Pivot database; (4) Conduct a search of your own.

*Session Full* Next available session December 9

4PM session now available!

Tuesday, November 18

10:00AM

Not Funded – Now What?

Schwartz Complex, Bracken Library, 1st Floor

Justin Miller, Director

You just received notice that your grant proposal was not funded. Now what do you do? Learn how to use the reviewers’ comments to your advantage when revising your proposal. In addition, learn how to become a grant reviewer yourself.

Not Funded - Now What? Presentation

11:00AM

SUBMIT Funds & Incentive Programs

Schwartz Complex, Bracken Library, 1st Floor

Keith Chandler, Proposal Manager; Linda Swartz, Secretary

SPO receives regular inquiries into its incentive programs, especially the SUBMIT program and Research Incentive Accounts (RIAs). This session aims to answer some of those questions. Learn more about how the SUBMIT program works, the purpose of the RIAs, and how to utilize these incentive funds to enhance your research or creative agenda. Appropriate for both faculty and administrative support personnel.

SUBMIT Presentation (.pptx)

1:00PM

Cayuse424 Review Session

Schwartz Complex, Bracken Library, 1st Floor

Augusta Wray, Proposal Manager

Join staff from SPO in learning about Cayuse424, BSU's proposal development, approval, and submission system. Designed for faculty, administrators, and their proxies, participants will learn how to navigate the Cayuse website, and how to review, and then approve, proposals.

CAYUSE Training Presentation (.pptx)

2:00PM

Professionalizing your Approach to Seeking External Funding

Schwartz Complex, Bracken Library, 1st Floor

Stanley Geidel, Program Manager

​Stanley Geidel, SPO Program Manager will discuss how to professionalize your approach to seeking external funding. Perhaps you have previously written and submitted a grant or have met with some preliminary success and received external funding for a smaller project. What’s next? This one-hour session invites you to embrace a fully professional approach to the quest for external funding.

Professionalizing Your Approach Presentation (.pptx)

Wednesday, November 19  

10:00AM

Proposal Construction: Developing a Fundable Idea

Educational Resources Room 1, Bracken Library, Basement

Jackie Davis & Sarah Lee, Proposal Managers  

Sponsors support their funding priorities, not yours. So how do you turn your project into one that will be funded? The key is in your response to their request. This program will provide an overview of general proposal development. Using the ASPiRE Junior Faculty Award as a model, this session will deconstruct program guidelines and expose the components necessary for successful development of a fundable idea. The session will conclude with tips on how to package your proposal into one that meets the sponsor’s needs and priorities. This session is open to all beginning grantwriters.

2014 Proposal Construction Presentation (.pptx)

4:00 – 6:00PM

BeneFacta Day

Alumni Center, Assembly Hall

RSVP    

Benefacta Presentation (.pptx)

Thursday, November 20  

10:00AM

Fulbright Scholar Information Session

Schwartz Complex, Bracken Library, 1st Floor

Justin Miller, Director

Dr. Justin Miller, Director of Sponsored Programs will introduce faculty to Fulbright Scholar Program offerings for teaching & research awards in over 125 countries. The core Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 U.S. faculty and professionals abroad each year. Grantees lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields.

Fullbright Scholar Information Session Presentation (.pptx)

1:00PM

Intellectual Property / Technology Transfer Processes & Policy

Schwartz Complex, Bracken Library, 1st Floor

Stephanie Sisco, Proposal Manager

Navigating the intellectual property process can be confusing for faculty and administrators alike. During this session, attendees will learn more about the intellectual property and technology transfer process and related policies at Ball State. Learning outcomes include a better understanding of the IP process for faculty, the BSU IP policy, and an introduction to the Ball State Innovation Corporation (BSIC).

5:00 – 6:30PM

Speed Networking Event *EVENT CANCELLED*

Music Lounge, L.A. Pittenger Student Center, 2nd Floor

Course Session Details and Registration

RSVP 

Friday, November 21  

11:00AM

Budget Development Workshop

Bracken Library Educational Resources Room 2
Jackie Davis, Proposal Manager  

Developing a project budget and appropriate funding request can make or break your proposal. You know what you want to do and how you want to do it. You have measureable goals, a strong evaluation plan and the best collaborators. You have found a sponsor whose funding priorities are in line with your project. What’s left? THE BUDGET. How much do you ask for? What costs can or should you ask for? How much will your project cost? Welcome to Budget Basics! This session will provide an approach to budget development that can be applied to any type of project or proposal. You will also leave with a basic understanding of the terms “Allowable, Allocable, Reasonable, Costshare and the Prudent Person Test.” This session is open to all grantseekers, regardless of grantwriting experience.

2014 Budget Development Presentation (.pptx)

12:00PM

Managing a Funded Grant

Schwartz Complex, Bracken Library, 1st Floor
Sheila Shafer
Once a grant proposal has been funded by the sponsor, it is important to understand what happens next. This session will discuss the management of funded grants, starting with award acceptance and moving through to grant closure, and will include the following topics: administration of the award, authorized signatories, the role of the Grant Specialist, and more. If you are curious about the next step in the awards management process, this session is for you.

Call for Proposals: Cohen Peace Fellowship

The call to submit proposals for the Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Fellowship is now open! The Fellowship provides support to conduct basic or applied research on topics related to peace. Ball State faculty members AND graduate students are eligible to apply.

• Faculty Members: Funds may be used for salary, supplies, expenses, and/or travel. Preference will be given to tenure track faculty members at Ball State University. 
• Graduate Students: Funds may be used for assistantship stipend, supplies, expenses, and/or travel and may also include tuition remission during the academic time period of the fellowship. 

Completed applications and all required materials are due to the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) by 5:00 PM on November 3, 2014. SPO will route the University Clearance Sheet and forward the completed applications to the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. The Cohen Proposal Evaluation Committee will then review the proposals.

For more information on how to apply for the fellowship, visit: 
http://cms.bsu.edu/academics/centersandinstitutes/peace/academicopps/cohenpeacefellowship.

Contact the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at 285-1622 or peacecenter@bsu.edu.

Discovery Award Grant Application Now Available - Due 11/17

APPLICATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 17, 2014! 

Discovery is a women's collaborative philanthropic group established to support projects and programs at Ball State University.

Discovery members are volunteers who pool annual contributions and work with university administrators to select the projects they support.

Discovery members encourage projects that significantly impact Ball State students, offer immersive learning opportunities, and have potential for other external funding in the future. The maximum grant request amount is $20,000.00.

Discovery will consider funding for: specialized equipment, student assistant wages, graduate assistantships, program administrative costs, and summer stipend (salary is capped at $2,500; plus additional fringe benefits).

Discovery will not consider funding for: faculty release time, computer equipment, general office equipment, or indirect costs.

For guidelines, cover page, and application please visit the Discovery Award webpage: http://cms.bsu.edu/giving/opportunities/discovery/discoveryawardsnominations

Publications Graduate Assistant position now available for the '14-'15 academic year and summer 2015: apply now! (Deadline: October 17, 2014)

Ball State University

Graduate Assistantship Available

The Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) announces a full-time (20 hrs/week) graduate assistantship available for the Spring 2015 semester with potential for continuing in Summer Semester 2015 and beyond.

Position Title:                        Publications Assistant

Position Reportage:             The graduate assistant reports to the Director of the Sponsored Programs Office and designee, Proposal Manager / Research Editor.

Student Produced Documentary Premiers

On Thursday, September 25th, Ball State Telecommunications faculty member Chris Flook and a team of Ball State students premiered their documentary A Legacy Etched in Glass: The Ball Brothers in Muncie. The documentary was presented to a standing room only crowd in the Indiana Room of Minnetrista Cultural Center. After the presentation audience member were introduced to the student production team and were given the chance to ask questions.



A Legacy Etched in Glass is part of a larger immersive learning project exploring community development initiatives in the City of Muncie. This project was funded by a generous grant from the Ball Brothers Foundation. An additional series about Muncie's quality of life efforts titled Primacy of Place and a short documentary series about non-profit organizations in Delaware County are being produced concurrently. Both series will debut fully in spring 2015.

The full film is available online at: http://vimeo.com/96710414. To learn more about the project, please contact Chris Flook at caflook@bsu.edu or visit: http://welovetcom.com/ballbrothers/.

Outstanding Researcher and Creative Endeavor of the Year (2013-2014)

Tom Holtgraves

Researcher of the Year - "Understanding Ambiguity"

Professor of Psychology, Ball State University

Matt Mullins - 28:00

Creative Endeavor of the Year -

Assistant Professor of English, Ball State University

Each year, the Outstanding Researcher of the Year and recipient of the Outstanding Creative Endeavor of the year are announced at the annual faculty fall convocation.  The Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) hosts a presentation event each year for the Research of the Year and Creative Endeavor awardee to lecture and display or discuss their work for the campus community.

SPO Website: Outstanding Researcher and Creative Endeavor of the Year

Call for Papers: The University of Toledo Midwest Graduate Research Symposium

On behalf of the University of Toledo Graduate Student Association, I am thrilled to invite all graduate students from Ball State University to the 6th Annual University of Toledo Graduate Student Association Midwest Graduate Research Symposium.  This is a multidisciplinary, multi-university symposium which aims to promote graduate student researchers and provide opportunities for collaboration, networking, and professional development.

This exciting event will be held on March 21st, 2015 and will take place at the University of Toledo’s Memorial Field House.  This all day symposium will include talks, a poster session, a professional development themed question and answer session with panelists from both industry and academia, an awards ceremony, and will end with a dinner and keynote speaker. Online registration will soon be open and will be free to all students. We encourage you to share the attached flyer with the graduate student body. We strongly believe that the participation of Ball State University will contribute to further enhancing the quality of what is already becoming one of the largest student run graduate symposiums in the midwest. For further information, feel free to peruse the link below:

http://graduatestudentassociationblog.wordpress.com/midwest-graduate-research-symposium/

I am also happy to personally answer any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Eric C. Prichard, M.A.

University of Toledo Graduate Student Association Secretary

Scholarly Writing Hacks: 5 Lessons I Learned Writing Every Day in June

 

[This is a guest post by Jennifer Ahern-Dodson, an assistant professor of the Practice in Writing Studies at Duke University where she teaches digital storytelling and researches learning communities and community-university partnerships. You can follow her on Twitter @jaherndodson.--@JBJ]

On May 31st panic set in. I had agreed to commit to writing every day in the month of June as part of a faculty writing group experiment. Inspired both by National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), recent conversations about mini-monographs, and a visionary classics colleague who cooked up this idea, seven of us agreed to set a big scholarly writing project goal for the month (such as writing 30,000 words) and write every day to reach it.

We agreed to post our daily word count and to report our progress (and musings) on a private WordPress site: “(Wee) Little Monograph in a Month.” Despite my enthusiasm for the challenge, I feared I’d fail: Could I keep my writing momentum going for a full 30 days? Could I really write just a little every day and get a rough, raggedy draft by the end of the month?

Here’s what I learned from trying.

LINK TO ARTICLE:  Scholarly Writing Hacks: 5 Lessons I Learned Writing Every Day in June

Ball State team eyes tainted Mount Everest water

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A team of Ball State University researchers hopes to bring clean drinking water to a mountain village along a heavily traveled path to Mount Everest.

Ball State geological sciences professor Kirsten Nicholson is leading faculty, students and alumni in studying tainted groundwater in Khumjung, a 17,000-foot Nepalese village of about 900 people. She’ll return to Nepal in October to conduct more water studies.

Nicholson says the region of Nepal near the world’s tallest mountain peak lacks modern sanitation and water lines. Local residents collect their drinking water from streams and meltwater pools, putting them at risk of falling victim to waterborne diseases.

Nicholson’s team plans to next seek funding to scout for areas to drill wells and bring clean water to the village.

By Associated Press.  October 1, 2014, 8:04am.
WISHTV: Ball State team eyes tainted Mount Everest water

Student ASPIRE Competition 2014-2015 Deadlines

 

Hello BSU Students! Are you in need of Research or Creative Arts funding for your projects?  Are you traveling to present at a conference or professional meeting?  Look no further than the Aspire Internal Grant Program:

BSU's ASPiRE Internal Grant Program supports student-initiated research, creative arts projects, and scholarly studies.Graduate Students may submit proposals for up to $500, Undergraduate Students $300, for Research or Creative Arts project costs such as travel or supplies. All students presenting papers, posters, etc., at conferences or professional meetings can request $100 to defray travel costs. 

AY 14-15 Aspire Student Program deadlines: 

Graduate Student Competitions: 

• Research applications due: October 9, 2014  and January 15, 2015
• Creative Arts applications due: October 16, 2014  and January 29, 2015
• Hollis Program applications due: October 1, 2014 and April 1, 2015

Undergraduate Student Competitions: 

• Research applications due: November 6, 2014 and February 5, 2015
• Creative Arts applications due: November 13, 2014 and February 12, 2015

Student Travel Grants: 

Applications due 15th of each month prior to travel date (for presentations of papers and/or posters, etc., at meetings or conferences) 

For Program Guidelines, see:http://cms.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/spo/aspire/studentprograms. Questions pertaining to the ASPiRE Program can be directed to aspire@bsu.edu or by calling the Sponsored Programs Office at 765-285-1600

Congratulations to the 2014-2015 awardees for Researcher of the Year and Outstanding Creative Endeavor!

The Sponsored Programs Office is happy to announce the 2014-2015 awardees for Researcher of the Year and Outstanding Creative Endeavor.

Researcher of the Year Melody Bernot focuses on aquatic ecosystem ecology and contaminants. Outstanding Creative Endeavor awardee Christie Zimmerman is recognized for her contributions in dance and choreography. Their work will be featured in the fall edition of Ball State Research, available Nov. 19.

SPO appreciates the hard work of these wonderful faculty members and looks forward to seeing their future contributions. Congratulations!

BSU Choral Conductor and Ensemble Take Show on the Road this Summer

Dr. Andrew Crow, Director of Ball State choral activities, combines choral music and architecture with his 'Musica in Situ' choral ensemble. Now in its fourth season, this ensemble was originally made possible in part by a BSU Aspire Junior Faculty grant and a Discovery grant. Here is a Muncie Star Press article highlighting the work Dr. Crow and his ensemble plan to undertake this summer

'Musica in Situ' mixes great choral music, venues,, from TheStarPress.

National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend

It's that time again! The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is offering summer stipends to support individuals pursuing advanced, full-time research on a humanities project. An outright award of $6,000 is provided for two consecutive months of full-time research and writing that must be of value to humanities scholars, general audiences or both. Research typically results in articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources. In accordance with NEH guidelines, Ball State may nominate two faculty proposals.

Deadlines:

• August 28, 2014 - Ball State Internal Application
• September 30, 2014- Final submission to NEH for projects beginning in May 2015

Materials to Submit by August 28, 2014:

• Ball State NEH Summer Stipend Internal Application Coversheet
** This form is in lieu of ATTACHMENT 1: Supplemental Information for Individuals Form **
• A single copy of the application including:
* 3 page (single-spaced) narrative
* 2 page (single-spaced) resume
* 1 page (single-spaced) bibliography
* 1 page appendix (graphical materials or edition/translation sample, if applicable)
• NO reference letters needed at this time 
• You do NOT need to have a processed Ball State Clearance Sheet

Click here for full guidelines, FAQ, and sample applications.
Please submit your completed internal application to Augusta Wray by August 28, 2014.
All proposals will be submitted electronically through grants.gov. 

NIH Meet the Experts in Peer Review Webinar

We've been invited by the NIH to participate in a webinar on the peer review process. This webinar will take place on Friday, May 2nd from 3-5 p.m. in the Schwartz Digital Viewing Room on the first floor of Bracken Library. 

The NIH will be streaming a live, two hour seminar with the following presentations:

The Review of Your NIH Grant Application Begins Here
Dr. Richard Nakamura, Director, NIH Center for Scientific Review

What You Need to Know about Application Receipt and Referral
Dr. Cathie Cooper, Director, CSR Division or Receipt and Referral

How Your Application Is Reviewed
Dr. Lisa Steele, Scientific Review Officer, CSR

Jumpstart Your Career with CSR's Early Career Reviewer Program
Dr. Monica Basco, Coordinator, Early Career Reviewer Program

Participants can email questions for the speakers to AskExperts@csr.nih.gov during the presentations. As many questions as possible will be answered during the last 30 minutes of the webinar.

To RSVP for this webinar please follow this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rRzaaqjsQo1TP4pIMEnOuBOEunTpiXHFEaVgpkGyd7U/viewform

Braaaaaaiiiins

Contributed by Brenda Mackey
Graduate Assistant, Research Publications
Sponsored Programs Office, Ball State University

What do zombies and Stephanie Simon-Dack, assistant professor of psychological science, have in common?

“Neuroscientists almost always tend to be obsessed with zombies. And it’s because zombies love brains, we love brains,” she explained. “There’s an affinity.”

Simon-Dack can now explore her (and the zombies’) favorite thing more thoroughly thanks to an MRI grant from the National ScienceFoundation.

The grant allowed her to purchase Electroencephalography (EEG) equipment to record event-related potentials, which show highly accurate timing of brain response – exactly when the brain is doing what.

As displayed in the photo below, the EEG looks like something from a science fiction movie consisting of a cap with a series of electrodes that are attached to an amplifier. “When you append those electrodes to somebody’s scalp, on the top of the surface of their head, they record the electrical activity being generated from the surface of the cortex, from the brain,” Simon-Dack explained. “EEG uses these amplified recording mechanisms to pick up the synchronized power of all these cortical neurons firing together – if they’re all firing together, then that’s going to be a powerful enough signal that you’re going to be able to get it up outside of the scalp.”

Professor Stephanie Simon-Dack performs test using EEG equipment.

The researcher sets participants’ neurons to firing by giving them a task. One simple test shows pictures of frogs, asking participants to push a button when a blue frog appears. The EEG is programmed to put a 1 in the data readout every time a green frog is displayed and a 2 for each blue frog. “That becomes super powerful. So I’m not just getting a general processing idea. I can look at the recordings we were making of their brain activity and I can look across all of those green frog trials – what did their brain do that was the same every time they saw the green frog, and did that vary when they saw the blue frog?”” Simon-Dack said. “Now I’m getting what parts of the brain are processing that information. And not so much what parts, but when are they processing it?”

A big part of Simon-Dack’s research involves how individuals process time. To do this, she is examining how fast the two hemispheres of the brain communicate with each other. “Does that efficiency or inefficiency of transfer coordinate with how well or poorly we process time?” she pondered. “There’s some evidence it may be related to our ability to put together events in a linear fashion in time. Now I’m looking very small, within hundreds of milliseconds, but that eventually might lead to different types of time subjectivity.”

To test this, participants will perform a simple response time task that lets Simon-Dack probe how fast the brain is sending information back and forth based on where the target is and which hand they respond with.

When it comes to transmitting information between the right and left hemispheres, “how efficiently or inefficiently individuals transfer information influences a whole variety of spatial and intentional processing,” Simon-Dack explained. “It’s an unconscious activity. I’m not looking at anything at an upper level, like decision-making or anything crazy. I’m very interested before all that, before we hit the conscious brain – what are these very basic, automatic underlying processes doing to influence how we later consciously interact with the world?”

Simon-Dack hopes that her research will someday inform education and treatment for individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). “There’s some evidence that individuals with ADHD have trouble with processing time, with how information entering into their brains gets sorted into the correct timing of when it happened,” she explained. “So if we can figure out what exactly is the disconnect, and how is it related to ADHD, that would become interesting for maybe giving people with ADHD some compensation techniques.”

Obviously, having an EEG is great for those who study brains. But is it useful for other researchers?

“I think it expands the context in which people can perform their research,” Simon-Dack said. “Most people aren’t into neuroscience like me. But it allows somebody like Mike Tagler [associate professor of psychological science], who’s on this grant, who looks at how context and how past information exposure influences decision making to actually add this element where they can look online at what the brain is doing while somebody is performing that decision, based on the context they’ve been given.

“It gives them a new tool, not just to examine behavior, but even if they’re not a neuro person they can actually now look at the underlying neuro mechanisms involved with a behavior and that might give them better information for informing their theories about it. And I think that anyone in the department could actually do a study with this equipment and learn something new about their area without it involving this huge shift from what they’re doing.”

Simon-Dack is excited to have this equipment at Ball State. “The idea of an MRI grant is you’re bringing equipment that a university otherwise wouldn’t have access to,” she said. “It’s going to benefit the whole university and potentially even outside the university, individuals who otherwise would not be able to perform this kind of research.”

Assistant Professor Stephanie Simon-Dack poses with EEG analysis equipment.

GA Position Availible in SPO

The Sponsored Programs Office is hiring a Proposal Development and Intellectual Property graduate assistant for Summer 2014 with continuation into the 2014-15 Academic Year. There is also potential to continue into Summer 2015.

Click Here for the complete job description and application instructions.

2013-14 Researcher of the Year and Creative Endeavor Awardee Lectures

Researcher of the Year and Creative Endeavor Awardee Lecture

Monday, April 14, 2014

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Art & Journalism Building, Room 225

The Sponsored Programs Office is pleased to invite you to attend the annual Researcher of the Year and Creative Endeavor Awardee Lecture! Each year following the announcement of the Outstanding Researcher of the Year and Outstanding Creative Endeavor of the Year,  the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) hosts a presentation event for each recipient to lecture and discuss their work for the campus community. This year's event will by held on Monday, April 14th at the Arts & Journalism Building (Room 225) from 2 pm to 3:30 pm. 

For additional information regarding previous Researchers of the Year and Creative Endeavor Awardees, please visit the SPO website at www.bsu.edu/spo. 

Tom Holtgraves

Department of Psychological Science

2013-14 Researcher of the Year

Researching Language to Span Academic Boundaries

Matt Mullins

Department of English

2013-14 Creative Endeavor Awardee

Interactive Literature and Digital Media