Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Asst. Prof. James Heiss and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution were awarded a three-year, $784,000 National Science Foundation grant to study how powerful coastal storms affect the fresh water flowing below the ground along the seashore.

Profs. Mathew Barlow and Christopher Skinner of the Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences will study the cause of heat waves and droughts in the Northeast and how they interact with each other under a three-year, $478,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Noureddine Melikechi, dean of the Kennedy College of Sciences and a physics professor, is a member of the science team for SuperCam, one of the main instruments onboard NASA's Mars 2020 "Perseverance" rover.

A team of researchers from UMass Lowell and SUNY Albany won a three-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create a computer science curriculum for middle schools in collaboration with school districts in Lowell and Methuen, Mass., and Schenectady, N.Y.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to cripple social interaction, upend education, endanger health and disrupt business, the university’s researchers are exploring the ever-widening aspects of the virus’ presence. Several UML researchers recently earned grants to explore a wide array of COVID-19's effects.

Prof. Arie Perliger's vast database and years of study come together in "American Zealots."

Thanks to a state grant, the university’s Fabric Discovery Center acquired equipment to test PPE that could be used to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Now, staff are conducting PPE testing for the state emergency management agency, hospitals, and regional companies that are ramping up to manufacture high-quality masks and gowns. And that’s just the beginning.

Assoc. Prof. Christopher Harris researches policing, including early intervention programs for police officers accused of misconduct. He also works closely with police departments and communities to improve public safety.

Asst. Prof. of Philosophy Nicholas Evans has won a $209,749 grant to study the ethics of conducting research into biomedical enhancements on members of the military. The three-year grant from The Greenwall Foundation comes with an appointment as a Faculty Scholar in Bioethics.

With the coronavirus pandemic persisting, people may be tempted to increase the use of disinfectants to help stem the spread of the virus. But these products contain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered pesticides that can cause harm, especially if not used as directed.

With the help of seed funding from the Office of Research and Innovation, faculty researchers from the Kennedy College of Sciences and the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences will conduct studies designed to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

With help from undergraduates, the Center for Public Opinion expanded its polling in 2020, measuring approval ratings for political leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic and taking the temperature of Democratic primary voters in key early voting states.

Two assistant professors of criminology have won a pair of $500,000 grants from the National Institute of Justice to study sex and labor trafficking. Ryan Shields is working on ways to better identify trafficking victims, while Amber Horning Ruf researches how people become pimps and sex traffickers.

The 23rd annual Student Research and Community Engagement Symposium went online this spring. The quality of the student projects remained as high as ever, despite the change of venue.

Prof. Stephen Balsis is part of a $3.74 million National Institutes of Health grant to improve the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injuries that can lead to CTE.