ND EPSCoR FY26 Undergraduate STEM Research and Education Awards announced

The ND EPSCoR State Office helps institutions of higher education across the state increase STEM research capacity and competitiveness; works to build a stronger STEM pathway that produces our next generation of workforce, educators, and researchers; and informs North Dakotans about developments in the state’s STEM ecosystem and economy.

To assist in meeting this mission, the ND EPSCoR State Office accepted proposals to fund undergraduate STEM research activities at Tribal Colleges and Universities and Primarily Undergraduate Institutions within the state. We are pleased to announce that the following awards have been made for FY26.

Undergraduate research awards

Assessing the Correlation between Trexo Robotics Devices and Bowel Movements in Children with Stage (V) and Stage (IV) Cerebral Palsy

PI: Sarah Manka, Dickinson State University

Student researcher: Samuel Stillings

The researchers will collaborate with Trexo Robotics to contact families of children with cerebral palsy (CP) across the United States and Canada who use their products. They plan to assess 50 children under 18 years old who have stage (V) or stage (IV) CP to gain insight into how using Trexo Robotics may increase gut motility.

Documenting Ephemeroptera (Mayflies) Presence in ND Waters

PI: Andre DeLorme, Valley City State University

Student researcher: Ezekiel Luchi

The VCSU Macroinvertebrate lab is working to identify mussels and aquatic insect populations for addition to lists of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and Species of Greatest Information Need (SGIN).  There are currently five species of Mayfly on the SGCN list and eight species on the SGIN list. Researchers will gather information about these species and identify potential candidates for each list, in conjunction with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Collected data will be summarized and made available on online access platforms such as iNaturalist and GBIF.

Documenting Mussel Populations in North Dakota Rivers

PI: Andre DeLorme, Valley City State University

Student researcher: Lorenzo Luchi

Researchers will be collecting mussel habitat data, georeferencing data, and photographing exemplary specimens. Data will be collected and used to identify species of mussels for inclusion onto a SGCN and SGIN list for the state. Their data will be summarized and made available on iNaturalist, GBIF and other online platforms.

Equipment awards

Equipment Grant for Macrophotography

PI: Andre DeLorme, Valley City State University

This equipment grant will provide the VCSU Macroinvertebrate Lab (VCSU Mac Lab) with a high-quality imaging system for documenting aquatic organisms from North Dakota waters. These photos will be used as part of a digitization process of a large collection of macroinvertebrate organisms (mainly freshwater mussels and aquatic insects) housed in the VCSU Mac Lab.

SwimEx Filtration System Equipment

PI: Heather Golly, Minot State University

The Minot State University SwimEx restoration project will repair and upgrade the water treadmill filtration and sanitation system, restoring a vital STEM education, research, and rehabilitation training resource. The SwimEx system provides an environment that allows participants to perform reduced-weight-bearing movements, supporting rehabilitation, adaptive exercise, and physiological research. Restoration will support 70–100 undergraduate STEM students each year across Exercise Science and Rehabilitation, Biology, Special Education, Math, Data, and pre-health programs.  The SwimEx system also advances research on aqua therapy outcomes, performance enhancement, and reduced weight gait training models, increasing MiSU’s competitiveness for external funding from agencies like NASA, NSF, and NIH.

Under the Dome: Exploring STEM Careers in a Portable Planetarium

PI: Betsy Bannier, Lake Region State College

The PI will present portable planetarium-based immersive learning activities at Lake Region State College, within the greater Devils Lake community, and within an approximate 100-mile radius north and northwest of Devils Lake. The PI will offer no-cost planetarium programming to school principals, community librarians, and civic organizations.