ORCA Travel & Research Grants

The Office of Research and Creative Activity is pleased to announce the return of Research and Travel Grants for our students, mentored by faculty members, working on research or creative activity beyond the classroom.

NOTICE: Announcement: Proposal acceptance for the 2023-2024 are temporarily halted, as of Jan 23, 2024.

Before you begin your submissions on this Digital Commons page, be sure to download and complete either the Travel Grant form (click to access) or the Research Grant form (click to access). Use the Research application if you are applying for funds to conduct research (even if that includes travel). Use the Travel application if you have been accepted to present at a professional conference. Once the appropriate document is completed, submit it to this page by going to "Author Corner" in the left sidebar and clicking on "Submit Research and Travel Grant Application."

Accepted award funding information will be displayed on this page, including the student's name, faculty mentor name, and a brief student-submitted abstract or summary of the research or creative activity. Read more about the grants here.

Questions? Contact us.

Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2024 2024

Management of Hypertension in Adult Patients in the Primary Care Setting Quality Improvement Project, Makaela Breithaupt

THE EFFECTS OF CITRULLINE MALATE, Macy Bynum, Annika M. Pschorr, Taylor Carrico, Morgan Maleske, Matthew Hermes, and Brenda Reeves

Marching to the Music: The U.S. Military’s Impact on American Youth through the Marching Band Movement, 1910-1990, Elise Eaton

Sport fan preferences, Callie Hart and Daniel Wann

Home Blood Pressure Monitoring, Jeanette Paris

Evaluation of electrode geometries for portable trapped ion mobility spectrometry, Riley Patterson, Colton Clark, and Caleb Morris

Impact of Horse Experience Level on Assessment of Equine Personality, Savannah Rivers, Carrie Hammer Dr., Maverick Guenther, and Shea Porr Dr.

Improving Hypertension through the use of a Home Monitoring System, Christy Sims

The Use of Laja in Construction in Ancient Mesoamerica, a View From the Southern Gulf Lowlands of Veracruz, Mexico, Lauren Smith

Performance at the National Trumpet Competition, Eric Swisher, Chloe Perry, Jenkins Kathryn "Ryn", Max Welch, Alyssa Shrader, Zack Mitchell, and Andy Slown

Association Between Impulsivity and Positive Expectations of Marijuana, Clare Uhlik

What Factors Influence Undergraduate Agricultural Education Students’ Perceptions of their Academic Major?, Emma Wiseman

Synthesis and Properties of 3D Printable Resins, Cameron Woods, Kyle Lintzenich, Turner Pierson Perdue, Jason E. Bara, Seonke Seifert, and Sourav Chatterjee

Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2023 2023

Breaking Traditional Rules in Photography: Rural Landscapes in Western Kentucky, Beth Bailey, Abbie Michalek, David Culp, Katie Hart, Jonathon Watkins, Isabel Bolanos, and Cintia Segovia Figueroa

When Cooking Sous Vide, Do Different Bags Change the Color Reading of the Spectrophotometer?, Kathryn Beard

Memories of Home and Family, Hannah Eriksen and Esther Malm

Dark Times in Dark Academia: Exploring the Queering of Identity in the Genre Obstructed by Tragedy, Hayden Eubanks

Pedro Mexía and the Politics of Translation in the Early Modern World, Erin Fairweather

KAPSCon2023, presenting poster (Enhancing First-Grade Math Fluency: A Multi-Tiered Intervention Approach), Kiah Goettlich

Assessing mesopredator foraging habits in response to an extirpated and extant predator, Evan Lemons

Does Self-Esteem and Gender Attitudes Affect Sexual Prejudice Among Young Adults?, Kaid Marek, Amanda Joyce, and Tracey Garcia McCue

The Relationship Between Hydrogeomorphic Settings and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Soils and Stems in Western Kentucky’s Bottomland Hardwood Forests, Marissa M. Miles, Jessica B. Moon PhD, Skylar Ross, Kabi Raj Kahatiwada, Bassil El Masri PhD, Benjamin Runkle PhD, and Gary Stinchcomb PhD

1. The Relationship Among Vertical Jump Height, Sprint Time, and Fatigue Index in College Students. 2. The Relationship Between Performance Characteristics of the Countermovement Jump and a Maximal Sprint., Makenna Morefield, Matthew Hermes, and Brenda Reeves

Does Real-Life Location Matter in The Electronic World? How New Esports Fans Choose What Team to Support, Gavin Nolin

Does Climate Change Promote Cannibalism?, Melissa Ocampo and Howard Whiteman

Can altering the distribution of organic matter in wetlands soils change methane emissions?, Isaiah Radford and Jessica Moon Dr

The effects of climate extremes on greenhouse gas emissions from Bald cypress “knees”, Skylar Ross

Assessing the health and behavioral effects of turtle racing on eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina), Michelle Weaver

Water solubility structure activity relationship of chalcones for aqueous applications, Grace Yocum

Assessing the interaction of stress physiology and Bd infection in Arizona tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum), Megan Zerger

Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2022 2022

Competitive Marching and Psychological Needs, Xavier Brown, Tyler Robinson, Morgan Macke, and Jordan Pearsall

Structure-property behavior of ionenes-based polyurethanes, Jeremiah Coughlon, Jason Bara, and Sourav Chatterjee

Effects of Self-Efficacy and Motivation on Self-Disclosure Through Artwork, Abigail Emerson and Patrick Cushen

Stress Management for the CTE Teacher, Lauren E. Ervin and Kemaly Parr Dr.

Addressing Burnout in New Graduate Nurses, Shan C. Gordon and Janice Thurmond DNP

Sleep Quality in Young Adults, Christina Harper and Tracey McCue

Engineering Technology Undergraduates Assisting PhD Research through Automation, Jake Hildebrant, Clay Goodman, Boaz Burnett, and Lee Hobdy

Titer Concentration Testing for Leptospirosis in Equine, Ashley L. Himmelsbaugh

One-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional Simulations of Helical Homopolymers: A Comparative Analysis of Efficiency and Funnel Folding, Matthew Hooks and Nathan Roberts

A Bayesian Examination of the Effect of a Mental Health Psychosocial Education Vignette on Stigma Toward Persons with Schizophrenia and Depression, lainie krumenacker

Assessing the Influence of Urban Greening on Urban Arthropods, Brendon Lawrence

Swelling behavior of poly(ionic liquids) in different solvents and salt solutions, Pierson Perdue

Immersion and Handicapping, Tyler J. Robinson

Comparison of CBD Oil and Water-Soluble CBD in Canine Patients with Osteoarthritis, Sadie Sims

Physicochemical properties of urethane-containing imidazolium ionic liquids from a non-isocyanate synthetic approach, George Timmermann, Pierson Perdue, and Kevin Miller

Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2021 2021

Mental Health Stigma Across Cultures, Emma Atchison

Elevated Community Anxiety During COVID-19 Pandemic Based on the Quantified Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Wastewater, Isaac Bowers and Bikram Subedi

Predictors of Psychological Distress among U.S. College Students, Mandi Clark and Yuliya Phillips

Adaptive Plasticity of Coloration in Response to Environmental Change, Karissa Coffield

A Trial of a Digital Daily Valuing Exercise on Participant Chosen Values and Valued Behaviors., Jessica Criddle

The Role of Behavioral Flexibility in the Relation Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Intimate Speaker-Listener Behavior, Jessica Criddle, Thomas B. Sease, and Esther Malm

Amplifying the "A" in STEAM Education, Grace Floerke

Significant Spike on Syringe Use and the Drug Consumption During COVID-19 Pandemic, Houston Hampton

Topics needing more attention in Premarital Counseling, Leah Harley, Jasmine Neal, Yuliya Phillips, and Esther Malm

Kinesiotape Application to Equine Hock Joints: Impact on Lameness and Movement Evaluation, Kiara Jones

Creating Green Spaces To Conserve Beneficial Urban Arthropods, Brendon Lawrence

Race/Ethnicity and Mental Health Treatment, Jasmine Maxwell

Dual-ionic liquid functionalized cellulosic materials: Thermal, mechanical and conductive properties, Elizabeth McGrew, Gracie Eicher, and Kevin M. Miller

Health in University Students, Jessica M Criddle

Ag in the Classroom: Using Mobile Growlabs to Increase Food Awareness and Ag Literacy in Elementary Classrooms, Cassity Mitchell and Alyx Shultz

Trends in drug consumption during COVID-19 pandemic using wastewater-based epidemiology, Alexander Brent Montgomery

Does Climate Change Promote Cannibalism?, Melissa Ocampo and Howard Whiteman

Have Some Perspective: A Correlational Investigation of Empathy, Thinking Patterns, and Sociopolitical Ideology, Tyler J. Robinson

Hydroponics at MSU Greenhouse, Brendon John Schettler

Do Corticosterone Levels Vary Among Amphibians in Western KY Wetlands?, Andrew W. Sisson, Jessica Moon PhD, and Andrea Darracq PhD

Including All Abilities from the Start, Paige Small

Balloon Satellite Technology and Payload Design, Matthew Smith and Rudy Ottway

Evaluating Population-Level Variation in the Landscape of Fear, Jordan Tandy and Howard Whiteman

The Effect of Profanity and Quality on Perceived Review Helpfulness and Purchase Intentions, Dustin R. Wilcox

The Effect of Content Polarization on Readers’ Perceived Empowerment and Subscription Intentions, Dustin R. Wilcox and Ismail Karabas

The Effect of Profanity and Quality on Perceived Review Helpfulness and Purchase Intentions, Dustin R. Wilcox and Ismail Karabas

Wastewater-based epidemiological determination of drugs discharged at the rest areas and truck servicing facilities during federal holidays in the U.S., Andrew Windhorst and Bikram Subedi

Uncharted Territory: Researching the Effect of Implicit Bias on the Political Attitudes of Blacks, Briona V. Young Ms.

List the title: Uncharted Territory: Researching the Effect of Implicit Bias on the Political Attitudes of Blacks Participants, Briona V. Young and Brittany Wood

Influence of cannibalism on Arizona tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum) stress physiology, Megan Zerger, Kelsey E. Reider PhD, Andrea K. Darracq PhD, and Howard H. Whiteman PhD

Research and Travel Grant Applications from 2020 2020

The Role and Effect of Instagram Advertising on Young Women in Saudi Arabia, Al-hnouf Al-harbi

Standardized Oral Care Regimen, Abigail Breite

Regulatory Focus Theory and experiential avoidance: Examining relationships between focus strategies, treatment attitudes, and values, Morgan Brewington

Interactive Addressing of Body Image Insecurity in Adolescent Females, Haylee Cox

Acculturation and Adaptation to COVID-19, Bailey Dodd and Esther Malm

Continuing impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on collegiate equestrian student engagement and moral, Travis Fortune

Understanding Resilience and Protective Factors among Released Offenders, VanKe'via Garner

Analyzing Post-fledging Movements, Survival, and Space Use of First-year Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) in Kentucky, Philip W. Kavouriaris, Andrea K. Darracq, and Matthew T. Springer

TBRI for Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers, McKenna Moffitt

Consumer Perceptions of Social Media Stars and Celebrity Influencers: The Moderating Role of Product Type, Mackenzie Perry

Microgreen Student Research, Zach Phelps

Evaluating the Impact of Rhizomicrobes Application on CBD Hemp and Soil: First Year Study, Alexandria Riddle, Iin Handayani, and Mallorie Snider

Be Gentle with Yourself: The Impact of Self-Compassion on Fear of Evaluation in Social Anxiety, Brooke Short

Self-Compassion, Anticipatory Anxiety, and Fear of Evaluation in Social Anxiety, Brooke Short

Searching for evidence of a global catastrophe in the East African Rift Basin: Did the Toba supereruption alter paleoflora at Gona, Ethiopia?, Kevin K. Takashita-Bynum and Gary E. Stinchcomb

Bookbinding for Puerto Rico: Culture, Food, Folklore, Savannah Jane Walton, Cameron Daryl Savage, Norma Luann Colby Ms., Sarah Catherine Cox Ms., Roby Joe Blackwell Mr., Malcom Mathison Fife Mr., Ashley Nicole Shell Ms., and Autumn Taylor Brown

Site Formation Processes of the Yaalu Archaeological Site during a Period of Anatomically Modern Human Migration, Marie N. White and Gary E. Stinchcomb