The University of Guam’s (UOG) Guam National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (Guam NSF EPSCoR) E-CORE (EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems) project has announced the recipients of its inaugural round of seed funding awards, providing nearly $200,000 in competitive research grants to UOG faculty.
The awards support multidisciplinary projects aimed at driving innovation, building Guam’s STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) capability, and expanding the island’s research capacity. Each project will run from June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027.
“Essentially, this program broadens the support base by providing funds for innovative preliminary research in areas not previously supported, or at least not often supported, by previous EPSCoR projects,” said Terry Donaldson, Ph.D., project director and principal investigator (PI/PD) of Guam E-CORE.
“More importantly, this funding provides a catalyst for the development of future full-scale proposals by the awardees for research funding from the National Science Foundation and other federal, foundational, corporate and private sources. These activities grow Guam’s research ecosystem, and its STEM capabilities, economy, and workforce will benefit from this growth,” he added.
The selected faculty research projects spanning mathematics, engineering, and business administration include:
Jaeyong Choi, Ph.D., and Leslie Aquino, Ph.D. (CNAS Division of Mathematics):
Uncertainty-Aware Learning for Partially Observed Complex Systems — $49,923.00Nestor Guades, Ph.D., (School of Engineering):
Hybrid Waste Glass and Recycled Concrete Aggregate with Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composite Bar as Sustainable and Resilient Material: Characterization of Mechanical and Structural Behaviors — $49,554.00Phuong Tung Hoang, Ph.D., (School of Engineering):
Bio-mediated Stabilization of Highly Erodible Badland Soils in Southern Guam — $50,000.00Roseann Jones, Ph.D., Corey Ross, Ph.D., James Ji, Ph.D., and Albert Valentine, Ph.D., (School of Business and Public Administration):
Pacific Islands Additive Manufacturing: Workforce Capacity and Market Viability Research — $50,000.00
Donaldson highlighted the alignment of these awards with long-term regional development, noting, “The projects receiving these awards all identify with the goals and objectives of the Guam Science and Technology Plan, a product of the Guam Science and Technology Steering Committee, that seeks to grow Guam’s economy and provide for workforce development by employing cutting edge research and training in science and technology. Guam’s ECORE project is focused upon this task.”
Bastian Bentlage, Ph.D., Principal Investigator of the E-RISE (EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence) grant, agreed on how these initiatives address local priorities and drive economic growth, emphasizing the practical focus of the selected projects.
“This ties into the whole idea of use-inspired research, funding research that is directly aligned with some of these economic opportunities that would benefit from innovation as driven by science,” said Bentlage.
According to Donaldson, the seed funding awards stimulate action, with innovation being the key component.
“There were many fine proposals submitted for consideration in this round, and the awards committee had a difficult time selecting the winners. Those not receiving awards in this round should persist in their efforts,” said Donaldson, describing the competitive selection process and the high caliber of submissions to the grant funding.
Guam NSF EPSCoR heads several projects and programs including capacity building, circular economy and coral research projects aimed at making a difference on Guam and throughout the region. Guam NSF EPSCoR is also the catalyst for Guam Green Growth, the largest public/private partnership in the history of the island to work towards a sustainable future.