The National Science Foundation promotes scientific progress by awarding competitive grants to institutions for research and education. At the University of Michigan, a significant portion of federal support for basic research comes from the NSF. Diverse areas supported at UM include mathematics and physical sciences; geosciences; engineering; biological sciences; computer and information sciences; and social, behavioral, and economic sciences.

Examples of UM projects supported by the NSF:

Mechanical Stimuli and Engineering Smooth Muscle Tissue: Biomedical engineers are trying to create laboratory-grown tissues to repair or replace body parts. One approach uses polymer scaffolds that are seeded with cells that multiply and organize into tissues. Mechanical forces regulate this assembly and organization. UM researchers are investigating how the mechanical "signal" controls this process. (See: this Research News article on biomedical engineering.)

Scaling and Accountability of On-Line Science Curricula: Many innovative science curricula that use resources available on-line have been developed. Now educators confront the question of how to "scale up" these relatively small experiments for wider use. Another challenge is providing accountability measures for these units in conjunction with standardized tests. UM researchers are investigating these two issues, using the on-line curricula of the One Sky, Many Voices program.

Earthquake Hazard Assessment: UM researchers have developed a Vision Cone Penetrometer, a device that could assess the likelihood that soil in a particular area would liquify during an earthquake. Soil liquification plays a large role in earthquake damage. The device is a modified version of an exisiting electronic instrument, the cone penetrometer. A probe is pushed into the soil to be assessed, and miniature video cameras collect information on the soil type and grain size. This invention overcomes a shortcoming in the old instrument by allowing visual inspection of soil without collecting a sample.

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