PRISE grant program invests $520,000 in 13 research projects
Now in its fifth year, PRISE encourages collaboration between faculty researchers at Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M University.
The 2025 Panther Research and Innovation for Scholarly Excellence (PRISE) grant program has awarded $520,000 to 13 collaborative teams of faculty investigators from Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and Texas A&M University.
This initiative, now in its fifth year, continues to foster collaborative research addressing complex national and global challenges.
“The PRISE program exemplifies the power of collaboration between our universities,” said Dr. Costas Georghiades, interim vice president for research at Texas A&M. “By investing in interdisciplinary teams across both campuses, we are advancing bold ideas in areas of urgent national and global importance. These partnerships not only strengthen our institutions but also position our faculty to compete successfully for external funding and deliver real-world solutions.”
Established in 2021, the PRISE program is a joint effort between PVAMU and Texas A&M to encourage collaboration among their researchers.
“I am very pleased to see the PVAMU–Texas A&M research partnership continuing to thrive as we celebrate five years of the PRISE program,” said Dr. Magesh Rajan, vice president for research and innovation at PVAMU. “This collaboration is a testament to the power of The Texas A&M University System in bringing our institutions together to tackle society’s most pressing challenges. The impact of our shared research is not only advancing knowledge but also delivering real solutions for our communities, our state, and the world.”
To participate, each team had to include one investigator from each institution and submit a proposal addressing a research theme.
A total of 55 proposals were reviewed by a panel of PVAMU and Texas A&M faculty members. Each selected proposal will receive $40,000 for one year, enabling the investigator teams to make substantial progress and submit strong proposals to external funding agencies for continued research.
Here are the selected teams and the titles of their proposals:
- Hamed Alyismail, College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M, and Seungchan Kim, College of Engineering, PVAMU: “Sequential Targeting of Alzheimer’s Disease by Novel Gamma-Secretase Modulator and Fyn Kinase Inhibitor.”
- Xin Chen, College of Engineering, Texas A&M, and Lin Gong, College of Engineering, PVAMU: “AI-Driven High-Performance Algorithms and Tools for Stability-Constrained Optimization in Modern Electric Power Systems.”
- Jeyavijayan Rajendran, College of Engineering, Texas A&M, and Akshay Kulkarni, College of Engineering, PVAMU: “FLARE: Fault Attacks and Hardware Evaluation.”
- Yuxuan Cosmi Lin, College of Engineering, Texas A&M, and Merlyn Pulikkathara, College of Arts and Sciences, PVAMU: “Designing Radiation Sensitivity and Tolerance in Low-Dimensional Materials for Space Exploration.”
- Donggil Song, College of Engineering, Texas A&M, and Anne Lippert, College of Arts and Sciences, PVAMU: “AI-Powered Virtual Reality: Transforming Undergraduate Math Engagement with AI-MathVerse.”
- Arkajit Mandal, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M, and Orion Ciftja, College of Arts and Sciences, PVAMU: “Modulating Electron-Hole Dynamics using Quantum Light inside Optical Cavities.”
- Tobi Morakinyo, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M, and Ayodeji Iyanda, College of Arts and Sciences, PVAMU: “H3EAR: Exploring the Heat-Health-Housing (H3)-Energy Nexus for Community Adaptation and Resilience Using a Hybrid Citizen Science and GeoAI/ML Approach.”
- Jingjing Qiu, College of Engineering, Texas A&M, and Yingchun Li, College of Arts and Sciences, PVAMU: “Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalysis for Micro-/nano-plastics Removal from Wastewater.”
- Sivakumar Rathinam, College of Engineering, Texas A&M, and Ali Fares, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, PVAMU: “Integrative Precision Agriculture Technologies for Hot and Humid Texas Climate through Robotic Sensing and Data-Driven Irrigation Strategies.”
- Anka Vujanovic, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M, and Temilola Salami, College of Arts and Sciences, PVAMU: “Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Human Trafficking: A Collaborative, Trauma-Informed Training and Research Initiative.”
- Joseph Ross, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M, and Kevin Storr, College of Arts and Sciences, PVAMU: “Magnetic and Electronic Properties of New Layered Altermagnets.”
- Mohsen Taheri Andani, College of Engineering, Texas A&M, and Noushin Ghaffari, College of Engineering, PVAMU: “Rapid additive manufacturing parts qualification and design using in-situ three-dimensional material mapping.”
- Ya-Ching Huang, College of Nursing, Texas A&M, and Tuzhen Xu, College of Nursing, PVAMU: “Ecological Momentary Assessment of Physical and Psychological Distress in Home Hospice Caregivers: A Mixed Methods Study.”
For more information about PRISE, contact the program leads:
- Texas A&M: Dr. Henry Fadamiro, henry.fadamiro@tamu.edu
- PVAMU: Dr. Ramaswamy Krishnamoorthi, rakrishnamoorthi@pvamu.edu
