The Translational Data Analytics Institute awarded research pilot awards to four interdisciplinary pilot research teams in 2021 that together represent six colleges at The Ohio State University and nine different disciplines.

The awards marked the second year utilizing TDAI’s approach to research grants that provides researchers with funding and in-kind resources as well as workshops and mentoring to identify cost-effective resources and opportunities for collaboration and future extramural funding.

“TDAI provides researchers with more than just dollars; we also help them think and plan strategically to develop and grow ideas,” said TDAI Faculty Director Dr. Tanya Berger-Wolf. “Our awards are intentional about enabling researchers to thrive and succeed.”

The projects and investigators:

Estimating exposure and health impacts of traffic-related air pollution during daily travel

• Huyen T. K. Le, PI; Geography, College of Arts and Sciences
• Andrew A. May, Co-PI; Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering
• TDAI Core Faculty Joseph B. Bayer, Co-PI; Communication, College of Arts and Sciences
• Harvey J. Miller, Co-PI; Geography, College of Arts and Sciences
• Rachel C. Nethery, External Co-PI. Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health

Catastrophe Modeling to Predict Claims and Losses for the Insurance Industry

• TDAI Core Faculty Steven M. Quiring, PI; Geography, College of Arts and Sciences
• Waleed A. Muhanna, Co-PI; Accounting and Management Information Systems, Fisher College of Business

Practical and Comprehensive Social Media Pharmacovigilance

• Yu Su, PI; Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering
• Co-Investigators:
  • TDAI Core Faculty Ping Zhang; Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine; Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Lang Li; Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine
  • TDAI Core Faculty Macarius Donneyong; Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy; Division of Health Services Management, College of Public Health

TDAI also awarded a team with a Catalyst award, which provides TDAI core faculty with up to $10,000 for early concepting activities:

Proof-of-concept: Active and low-cost hyperspectral imaging and analysis for subsurface sensing

Principal Investigators:

• TDAI Core Faculty Rongjun Qin; Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
• Chin-Min Cheng; Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering
• Wei-Lun Chao, Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering