Principal Investigator: Matthew Zwier
Project Title: High-Performance Weighted Ensemble Software for Simulation of Complex Bio-Events
Project Summary: Matthew Zwier is a primary developer of the WESTPA software package, whose continued development this grant is intended to support. WESTPA is a tool for controlling other software tools: It orchestrates up to thousands of trajectories run natively by other software at any scale (e.g., Gromacs, Amber, BioNetGen, MCell) using a “weighted ensemble” strategy. He will be doing computer programming related to WESTPA. This programming will include implementing new features for the software, improving the performance (e.g. speed) of the software, and validating the software (ensuring that it produces the correct results). His particular focus will be ensuring that the WESTPA software package can run effectively on large supercomputers and interface smoothly with a number of chemical and biological simulation software packages.
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health thru University of Pittsburgh
Award Amount: $28,000

Principal Investigator: Tom Rosburg
Project Title: Remnant Prairie Inventory in the Grand River Grassland CCS Landscape in Northwestern Harrison County, Missouri
Project Summary: The objective of this project is to intensively survey the recently expanded southern portion of The Grand River Grasslands Conservation Landscape in northwestern Harrison County for native prairie remnants. When complete, such an inventory will enable partner agencies working in this Conservation Landscape to better target grassland conservation efforts on both public and private lands.
Funding Agency: Missouri Department of Conservation
Award Amount: $20,000

Principal Investigator: Neil Hamilton
Project Title: Iowa Landowner’s Legal Guide
Project Summary: Drake staff will utilize project infrastructure funding to research and write educational materials relating to the Iowa Landowner’s Legal Guide, to be used to help educate Iowa land owners and their advisors and to enhance partnerships with other organizations using Sustainable Agricultural Land Tenure (SALT) resources.
Funding Agency: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Award Amount: $9,736

Principal Investigator: Keith Summerville
Project Title: Targeted Reptile Assessment at Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt
Project Summary: This project will conduct an assessment of reptiles of Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt with an emphasis on poorly documented species such as smooth green snakes, Graham’s crayfish snake, and six-lined racerunner. The project will also assess whether hay management increases mortality in snakes that are considered declining in the state.
Funding Agency: Polk County Conservation Board
Award Amount: $1,500 (total funding for this project is $6,250)

Principal Investigator: Jerrid Kruse
Project Title: K-12 Energy Education Pilot Project
Project Summary: The Drake School of Education will work with AEA PD Online to develop effective e-curriculum that is uniquely tied to Iowa schools including those schools in rural locations. All students in our state will be provided access to STEM curricular materials through the development of a modular e-curriculum. This curriculum will be delivered online via a learning and management system geared specifically for personalized learning. Teachers will have the ability to create individualized units, mini-courses, or full courses for student use during or outside the normal school day.
Funding Agency: Iowa Energy Center
Award Amount: $24,000