Grants

MWBDL

BOC MWBE Business Growth Accelerator Working Capital

NSF

The beneficial microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) within the human body, known as the microbiome, are essential for health. Changes to the microbiome are linked to many different diseases, including dental decay, periodontal disease, obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and mental health disorders. Recent research found that the human microbiome changed significantly in modern times, as people in Industrialized countries have different microbiomes from those living elsewhere. This project will reconstruct the history of the human oral microbiome on a worldwide scale to better understand these how these changes impacted human health, starting with three different areas that experienced the intensification of agriculture. By looking at bacteria trapped within tartar—calcified dental plaque that preserves the microbiome in ancient people—this research will describe how the microbiome within the human body changed over time in response to geographical, environmental, and cultural shifts. Reconstructing the origins of the modern oral microbiome will provide important information to improve oral health in the future and understand how ongoing cultural, dietary, and environmental changes shape microbial communities in the human body today. Through training initiatives, international collaborations, and interdisciplinary seminars, this project will cultivate a well-equipped research community dedicated to advancing microbiome science and the history of human health. This research will reconstruct the history of the human oral microbiome on a global scale by establishing an international, interdisciplinary network. The researchers aim to understand the mechanisms driving microbial variation and adaptation over space and time. To establish protocols, methodologies, and frameworks to investigate how microbial communities have evolved over time and space, the researchers will conduct a pilot study using ancient dental calculus from three key areas of agricultural intensification. The research will explore how bacterial species and microbial communities adapt or disappear from the human microbiome, providing necessary data to predict microbial responses to future environmental and technological shifts. This work has profound implications for understanding human microbial diversity, supporting microbiome related health, and uncovering novel microbial functions that could be leveraged for antimicrobial or probiotic development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF

Fire is increasingly recognized as a natural disturbance that must be actively managed to avoid disaster, ranging from extreme wildfires to loss of fire-dependent organisms and ecosystem function associated with decreasing burned area. In some savannas, including Brazil’s cerrado, fire is necessary, helping to maintain open tree canopies and allowing a continuous and highly diverse grass layer to thrive. Exactly how fire should be managed to conserve cerrado biological and functional biodiversity remains unclear, however. This work focuses at the interface of stewardship and research to evaluate how fire is being managed in protected areas in Brazil’s cerrado, whether fire policies are effective for conserving vulnerable fire-dependent cerrado plants, and how fire may be used as a tool to increase cerrado resilience. This work will advance scientific understanding of fire and the maintenance of ecosystem function and biodiversity in savannas, as well as ensuring that Brazil’s national fire policies promote biodiversity and ecosystem function across all of Brazil’s ecoregions. The project will elegantly integrate societal benefits (determination of how well management practices and policies are working) and a variety of training and outreach with cutting-edge research. To achieve these goals, the research interrogates a) how a new legal framework in Brazil (Law 12651) allowing for the development of integrated fire management policies in protected areas and on private lands has changed fire regimes in flammable savanna ecosystems, b) whether the policies developed under this framework are appropriate to conserving fire-dependent biodiversity in Brazil’s cerrado, and c) the extent to which cerrado ecosystems and biodiversity are vulnerable in a conservation context and whether fire management can be used as a tool to increase cerrado resilience. To do this, methods will involve combining detailed remote sensing mapping of fire history across cerrado protected areas, intensive site-based work in six protected areas, and mapping of cerrado vulnerability. The six field sites encompass four national parks and two ecological field stations. The work will reach a broad set of participants, including both researchers at Yale and Unicamp and managers at the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação e Biodiversidade, via a series of participatory management workshops aimed at synthesizing existing fire policy and disseminating information to participants. The managers will gain experience in field work and receive guidance on the importance of fire for biodiversity conservation. The project includes training opportunities for postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates. Altogether, the work will elucidate the interactions between fire, biodiversity, and ecosystems, an issue of growing importance in the Earth system. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NIA - National Institute on Aging

People with Down syndrome (DS) have approximately a 90% lifetime risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Most adults with DS experience AD-associated reductions in cognitive function which result in impairments in capacity to perform activities of daily living. In populations without DS, mid-life obesity and low levels of physical activity have been identified as modifiable risk factors for the development of AD and cognitive decline. The prevalence of obesity and low levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are higher in adults with DS compared with their typically developed peers. However, information regarding the association between obesity, MVPA, and cognitive function in adults with DS is extremely limited. To date, cross-sectional studies in adults with DS have found that high levels of MVPA are associated with better outcomes for several markers of cognitive function, including executive function, episodic memory, and overall dementia symptomology. Results from cross-sectional evaluations of the association between obesity, defined as body mass index (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), and cognitive function in persons with DS have been inconsistent. Previous research suggests that other measures of body composition, such as visceral fat and body fat percent fat might have stronger associations with negative health outcomes for adults with DS than BMI; however, no study has investigated the association between body composition and cognitive function in DS. Additionally, while MVPA has demonstrated potential to reduce risk for co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and overall mortality risk even in the presence of obesity in adults with and without intellectual disability, the potential joint association of obesity and MVPA and cognitive function in adults with DS has yet to be investigated. To examine the role of body composition and physical activity on cognitive function in adults with DS, we will recruit ~70 new adult participants with DS who enroll either of our two ongoing NIH projects investigating the development of AD in adults with DS, i.e., The Brain Outcomes with Lifestyle Change in Down Syndrome (BOLD) clinical trial (R33 AG078967) and the Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium-Down syndrome (ABC-DS, U19AG068054). These projects recruit participants across the spectrum of obesity and MVPA and include assessments of cognitive function (Down Syndrome Mental Status Exam, modified Cued Recall, Stoops Cats and Dogs) and MVPA (7-day accelerometer) collected using standardized protocols. For this project we will add a baseline assessment of body composition (visceral fat, body fat percent, lean mass) using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The aims of this project are to evaluate: 1) The association between body composition (visceral fat, body fat percent, and lean mass) and cognitive function and, 2) The joint association of MVPA and obesity (visceral fat and body fat percent) on cognitive function. Completion of this project will provide valuable experience that will be useful for achieving my career goals of developing an independent program of research on healthy aging in DS and will provide data to inform the development of interventions for preventing or delaying AD in DS.

City of Hartford

Non-Priority

Friends of Bogardus Garden, Inc.

Purchase and Install site elements such as a comprehensive architectural site lighting package, landscape elements including bioswales and new plant materials.

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Assocation of the City of New York

The New York City Police Museum

Add funding to the FY12 and FY13 appropriation Boiler Project ID#126PV206-BLR Additional funds will aid in moving system to a higher floor since museum was impacted by Storm Sandy.

STATE, DEPARTMENT OF.STATE, DEPARTMENT OF.US EMBASSY RIGA

Boiler Replacement Service for the U.S. Embassy Riga, Latvia

The Arc of the Farmington Valley, Inc

Boiler/Generator System

STATE, DEPARTMENT OF.STATE, DEPARTMENT OF.US EMBASSY MEXICO

Boilers Preventive Maintenance Services

VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF.VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF.260-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 20 (36C260)

Boise VA Security Equipment & Software Service Maintenance

DEPT OF DEFENSE.DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY.DLA LAND.DLA LAND WARREN MICHIGAN.DLA LAND WARREN

BOLT, BREECH

DEEP

Bolton Lakes sewer capital project

DEEP

Bolton Lakes sewer capital project

DEEP

Bolton Lakes sewer capital project

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

Bond Street Theatre Coalition, Ltd.

NSF

With the support of the Chemical Catalysis Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Schley at Vanderbilt University is developing new synthetic methods for the synthesis of organic molecules containing bicyclic groups. These methods will equip synthetic chemists with the means to craft molecules of increasingly complex three-dimensional shape and structure, contributing techniques to enhance innovation in the US fine chemical and specialty chemical industries. Members in Prof. Schley’s team will receive training in advanced chemistry techniques necessary to become part of a skilled and competitive workforce. Researchers at Vanderbilt University will partner with local community colleges in the greater Nashville area to establish undergraduate research and training opportunities for local Tennessee community college students to conduct research at Vanderbilt University. With the support of the Chemical Catalysis Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Schley at Vanderbilt University is developing methods for the synthesis of organometallic compounds of strained bicyclic groups via radical hydrometalation of the corresponding propellanes. The resulting bicycloalkyl organometallics will be applied as nucleophilic coupling partners in palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling chemistry, and as reagents in 1,2-hydrometalation chemistry of carbonyl derivatives. Whereas existing methods primarily allow for difunctionalization of propellanes via radical reactions, the proposed methods will provide synthetic chemists with the means to introduce bicycloalkyl substituents as terminal groups through transition-metal catalyzed processes already familiar to and broadly applied in chemical industry. The conformational inflexibility of bicycloalkyl substituents accessible by this approach will be applied in the synthesis of bicycloalkyl phosphines, aiding in development of phosphine ligands for chemical catalysis. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NIA - National Institute on Aging

Project Summary/Abstract Fractures significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly among aging populations. In the US alone, over 15 million fractures occur annually, with approximately 10% leading to complications such as delayed unions or nonunions. Despite these staggering statistics, no non-surgical therapies are available to address impaired fracture healing, leaving patients susceptible to prolonged disability, increased healthcare costs, and a heightened risk of mortality. This proposal aims leverages our nanoparticle-based therapeutic that modulates the regenerative microenvironment at fracture sites. The delivery system targets tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) as a biomarker to guide nanoparticles to fracture sites. These nanoparticles, functionalized with the TRAP-binding peptide (TBP) and loaded with the Wnt/β-catenin pathway agonist AR28, provide the dual benefit of targeted delivery and therapeutic modulation. Preliminary data show that TBP- NPAR28 accumulates preferentially at fracture sites in young-adult mice, accelerating healing as evidenced by biomechanical, histological, and radiographic analyses. TBP-NPAR28 was found to be mainly internalized by MФs at the fracture site rather than directly targeting osteogenic cells such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or osteoblasts. This finding represents a paradigm shift in regenerative medicine: rather than directly stimulating osteogenic cells, TBP-NPAR28 leverages MФs as master regulators of the healing microenvironment. By leveraging the unique biology of MФs and their vital role in orchestrating the transitions between the inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling stages of healing, this approach tackles aberrant MФ function—a newly identified barrier to successful fracture repair in aging individuals. By reprogramming MФ phenotypes to facilitate timely and effective transitions from pro-inflammatory (M1) to pro-regenerative (M2) states, TBP-NPAR28 addresses a fundamental mechanism underlying impaired fracture healing in aging populations. The proposed UG3/UH3 program will rigorously assess the safety, efficacy, and therapeutic mechanisms of TBP-NPAR28, laying the groundwork for the clinical translation of this first-in-class therapeutic. The UG3 phase will prioritize evaluating TBP-NPAR28’s safety and fracture-regenerative efficacy in aged mice and rats, utilizing robust preclinical models to identify optimal dosing, timing, and safety profiles. The UH3 phase will build upon this foundation, optimizing nanoparticle delivery parameters, clarifying therapeutic mechanisms, and conducting IND-enabling studies to ensure regulatory compliance and readiness for clinical trials. By targeting the regenerative microenvironment through macrophage modulation, TBP-NPAR28 represents a transformative therapeutic strategy with the potential to enhance fracture healing outcomes in aging populations. Moreover, the TBP-NP platform offers broad utility for targeting other disease states where macrophage dysfunction contributes to pathology, paving the way for future innovations in nanoparticle-based regenerative medicine.

City of Richmond

Bong Gillis Incorporated

Bonneville Environmental Foundation

Bonneville Environmental Foundation is an active grantmaking foundation based in Portland, OR. Focus: environmental. Contact the foundation directly for current funding opportunities.

City of Seattle — Neighborhood Matching Fund

Boo Bash at the Beach offers families a free, safe and fun trick-or-treat experience on Halloween. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 31st from 3-7pm at the Rainier Beach Safeway, 9262 Rainier Avenue South. Rain or shine there will be resource booths, interactive activities for all ages and sweet treats for all who attend.

The Sheep Meadow Press Inc.

Book Publication and Promotion

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

Booklyn, Inc.