Congratulations to our 2024-25 Seed Grant Recipients
Partnering with UC Davis colleges and schools, the Office of Research and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Global Affairs provides Seed Grants for International Activities to faculty taking on innovative research, service and engagement projects around the world.
2024-25 Grant Recipients
Brett Poulin
Assistant Professor, Environmental Toxicology
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Expanding Multi-Disciplinary Science to Uncover the Impact of Mercury on Selenium Through International Collaboration
United Kingdom (Europe: Western Europe)
Keith Taylor
Associate Professor, Cooperative Extension and Community Economic Development, Human Ecology
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Reimagining the Land Grant University's Role in Community Economic Development: Establishing Research and Business Partnerships with Northern Italy's Hidden Economy
Italy (Europe: Western Europe)
Ted Powers
Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
College of Biological Sciences
Establishing a Rapa Nui Alliance: Cultivating Partnerships on Easter Island
Easter Island (Americas: Latin America)
Valeria La Saponara
Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
Isaya Kisekka
Professor, Land, Air and Water Resources, Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Director, UC Davis Agricultural Water Center of Excellence
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Eliška Rejmánková
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Zhaodan Kong
Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
Sanjai Parikh
Associate Professor, Land, Air and Water Resources
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Yufang Jin
Professor, Land, Air and Water Resources
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Erin Hestir
Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Director, CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Mercen
UC Merced
University of Juba, South Sudan
John Akec (Lead)
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Computer Sciences and Information Technology, Director of the Mayardit Academy for Space Sciences
Salah Jubarah
Professor, Department of Animal Protection Production, School of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (SNRES)
Tony Ngalamu
Professor, Department of Agricultural Sciences and of the Agribusiness Incubation Hub, SRNES
Yatta Samuel Ngerja
Professor, Department of Biology and Head of Centre of GIS and Remote Sensing, SNRES
Khidir Abdalla Deng
Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Centre of GIS and Remote Sensing, SNRES, and Mayardit Academy for Space Sciences
U.S. Africa Initiatives (USAFI)
Solomon Belette (Lead)
CEO and founder
Paul Ventura
Deputy Chief
International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
Lead: Pamela Nyamutoka Katooro
IIRR Acting Director for Africa
South Sudan team
Edwin Chemoiywo, Nicholas Rabach, Benard Ngeywo, Mike Chemorei
Exploring Complex Social-Ecological Systems: Strategies for Climate Change Resilience and Sustainable Development in the African Sudd Wetland
South Sudan (Africa: North Africa)
Pierpaolo Polzonetti
Professor, Music
College of Letters and Science
Umbria Jazz Feast
Italy (Europe: Western Europe)
Claudia Sánchez-Gutiérrez
Associate Professor for Spanish Linguistics, Spanish and Portuguese
College of Letters and Science
Linguistic and Cultural Impact of International Students in English-Speaking Campuses: A Multinational Study
Canada, United Kingdom, United States (Americas: North America, Europe: Western Europe)
Jae Yong Suk
Associate Professor, Design
Faculty Co-Director, California Lightning Technology Center
College of Letters and Science
Integrating Lighting Technology and Art for Student Health, Well-being, and Safety in Higher Education
Taiwan (Asia: East Asia)
Peter Lee
Director, Center for Innovation, Law, and Society
School of Law
Legal and Policy Frameworks to Promote Socially Responsive Innovation in a Globalized World
Korea, China (Hong Kong) (Asia: East Asia)
Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan
Distinguished Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
School of Medicine
Wei Chiao Chang
Dean and Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy
Taipei Medical University
Explore the Genetic Landscape for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Lean Individuals
Taiwan (Asia: East Asia)
Alex Zhornitskiy
Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Internal Medicine
School of Medicine
B. Sean Nguyen
Health Sciences Clinical Instructor of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, UCLA South Bay
UCLA
Translations in Care: Developing Patient Education Brochures in Kinyarwanda for Common Gastroenterological Diseases Seen in Rwanda
Rwanda (Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa)
Roschelle Fritz
Associate Professor
Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing
Building a Global Gero Nursing Science Center
Japan, Australia, Netherlands, Mexico (Multi-Regional)
Tessa LeCuyer
Assistant Professor, Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology
School of Veterinary Medicine
Dishon Muloi
Scientist, Animal and Human Health
International Livestock Research Institute Kenya
Development of Companion Animal Antibiotic Prescribing Guidelines in Kenya Through a Modified Delphi Consensus Process
Kenya (Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa)
Pranav Pandit
Assistant Professor, Population Health and Reproduction
School of Veterinary Medicine
Pilot Study on Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus (KFDV) Ecology: New Collaborative Effort with ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Disease
India (Asia: South Asia)
Made Possible by Donor Support
Six seed grants projects were supported this year thanks to the commitment and support of generous donors and their endowments.
- "Explore the Genetic Landscape for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Lean Individuals," led by Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan (School of Medicine) received the UC Davis-Taiwan Collaborative Research Fund in Memory of Larry Vanderhoef.
- "Integrating Lighting Technology and Art for Student Health, Well-being and Safety in Higher Education" led by Jae Yong Suk (College of Letters and Science), received the UC Davis-Taiwan Collaborative Research Fund in Memory of Larry Vanderhoef.
- "Exploring Complex Social-Ecological Systems: Strategies for Climate Change Resilience and Sustainable Development in the African Sudd Wetland" led by Valeria La Saponara (College of Engineering) received the Gurdev S. and Harwant K. Khush Seed Grant.
- "Reimagining the Land Grant University’s Role in Community Economic Development: Establishing Research and Business Partnerships with Northern Italy’s Hidden Economy" led by Keith Taylor (College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) received the Eivind Lange and Mary Puma Engagement and Research Italy Fund.
- "Umbria Jazz Feast" led by Pierpaolo Polzonetti (College of Letters and Science) received the Eivind Lange and Mary Puma Engagement and Research Italy Fund.
- "Building a Global Gero Nursing Science Center" led by Roschelle Frietz (Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing) received the Richard F. Walters Seed Grant.