Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards

Our commitment to enriching the research skills and professional growth of young faculty members at ORAU member institutions is embodied in the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards Program. These competitive research awards provide seed money for junior faculty members that often result in additional funding from other sources. The award amount provided by ORAU is $5,000. The applicant’s institution is required to match the award with at least an additional $5,000. This is a one-year grant (June 1 to May 31).

Eligibility for the Powe Awards is open to full-time assistant professors at ORAU member institutions within two years of their tenure track appointment at the time of application. If there is a question about eligibility, your ORAU Councilor makes the final determination. Only two nominations are allowed per institution.

Research must fall within one of these five disciplines:

Engineering and Applied Science
Life Sciences
Mathematics/Computer Sciences
Physical Sciences
Policy, Management, or Education

Junior faculty members interested in applying should consult their ORAU Councilor, and visit the frequently asked questions.

The application period will close on January 8, 2025.

Interested in being a reviewer for this year’s Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards process? Complete this brief contact form, including your specific area of expertise, and someone will be in contact with you.

Interested in being a Powe reviewer graphic

FY2024 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award Winners

Award Recipient	Member Institution
Evan Goldstein	Augusta University
Dominick Rizk (GDIT)	Catholic University of America
Di Fang	Duke University
Chandra Adhikari	Fayetteville State University
Asa Bluck	Florida International University
Qiang Zhong	Iowa State University
Esmat Farzana	Iowa State University
Sviatoslav Baranets	Louisiana State University
Tan Chen	Michigan Technological University
Alycen Wiacek (The AREA)	Oakland University
Zhihui Zhu	Ohio State University
Tao Zhou	Penn State University
Justin Andrews	Purdue University
Daniel Howsmon	Tulane University
Rachel June Smith	University of Alabama at Birmingham
Agnieszka Truszkowska [read news feature]	University of Alabama in Huntsville
Shang Song	University of Arizona
Kenry	University of Arizona
Linyue Gao	University of Colorado Denver
Stephanie Gilley	University of Colorado Denver
Yan Yang	University of Delaware
Angelika Neitzel	University of Florida
Ming Zhong	University of Houston
Yuan Gao	University of Memphis
Yi Hua	University of Mississippi
Madura Pathirage	University of New Mexico
Lin Ma	University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Linlang He	University of North Texas
Kasun Kalhara Gunasooriya [read news feature]	University of Oklahoma
Eda Koculi	University of Texas at El Paso
Qilei Zhu	University of Utah
Whitney Loo	University of Wisconsin - Madison
Lin Meng	Vanderbilt University
Alexander Schuppe	Vanderbilt University
Jingqiu Liao	Virginia Tech
Xi Wang	Washington University in St. Louis
Huaijin Ken Leon Loh	Yale University

Powe Award recipient: Alexander Bataller, Ph.D.

Alexander Bataller, assistant professor of nuclear engineering at North Carolina State University, credits the ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award he received in 2020 with enabling him to advance his research in the use of molten salts for advanced nuclear power applications. In the event of an accident, a molten salt reactor can better maintain the integrity of the nuclear fuel. However, the corrosive nature of salt has presented a challenge in the development of these reactors.

Using the $5,000 ORAU grant, which was matched by his university, Bataller built a custom optical furnace as part of his team’s research into molten salt reactors. With the new optical furnace, Bataller and his team can utilize ultrafast laser and emission spectroscopy to develop new experimental capabilities for studying molten salts for advanced nuclear power applications.

Alexander Bataller, 2020 ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award winner studies the use of molten salts for advanced nuclear power applications

Powe Award recipient: Daniel Becker, Ph.D.

Daniel Becker, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biology in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oklahoma, received a Powe Award in 2023 for his continued research on bat migration in western Oklahoma. Becker is studying migratory Mexican free-tailed bats and the pathogens they might carry that are possible threats to human or wildlife health.

“There is a lot of an interest right now in what bats are doing and how wildlife health impacts human health,” Becker said. “It’s really great to have this kind of work recognized by a competitive pool and know that your research trajectory is going on a good path.

Contact us

For more information about the Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, contact the University Partnerships office at (865) 576-6513 or PoweAwards@orau.org.