Research

Ken Kennedy Institute launches AI, data and computing seed funding initiative

The Ken Kennedy Institute, in collaboration with the Rice Synthetic Biology Institute, Smalley-Curl Institute and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, awarded $175,000 in support of seven innovative research projects looking to establish new paradigms in AI, data and computing.

Rice engineers develop innovative microbiome analysis software tools

Rice engineers have developed two new graph-based computational tools for tracking genomic variation within microbiomes.

Rice researchers’ synthetic chemistry approach yields new compounds with potential biomedical applications

Researchers at Rice University have successfully synthesized a group of natural compounds known as fusicoccanes. The molecules, found in various living organisms, exhibit diverse biological activities, including the ability to modulate protein-protein interactions within biological systems.

Aligned peptide ‘noodles’ could enable lab-grown biological tissues

A team of Rice researchers and collaborators have developed peptide-based hydrogels that mimic the aligned structure of muscle and nerve tissues, which could enable the development of functional lab-grown tissue.

Sister cities can help communities better navigate the climate crisis, suggests Rice research

Anthropologists at Rice University suggest in a new paper that establishing networks of 'sister cities' dedicated to addressing the impact of natural disasters can mitigate the devastation wrought by climate change.

Rice’s Harvey, Ramesh named to National Academy of Sciences

Rice University’s Frank Reese Harvey and Ramamoorthy Ramesh are among 120 new U.S. members elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Rice working with nonprofit to develop next generation of environmental justice advocates

Thanks to new funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) will partner with Rice University’s Office of STEM Engagement (R-STEM) and other area stakeholders to help students conduct research on local environmental justice issues and propose future climate resilience strategies for their communities.

Rice, Baylor College of Medicine centers jointly award seed grants

Rice University’s Synthesis X Center (SynthX) and Baylor College of Medicine’s Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center have jointly awarded their first innovation seed grants to three teams of research collaborators from Rice and Baylor.

Lozano, Medina and Ramos win inaugural Rice Staff Excellence Awards

Three Rice staff members — Kandice Lozano, Christine Gocek Medina and Armandina Ramos — were named the inaugural recipients of the Rice Staff Excellence Award at an April 18 staff appreciation event hosted by the Office of the President at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Rice’s OpenStax awarded $90M to lead first-of-its-kind NSF research hub for transformational learning and education research

OpenStax at Rice University was awarded $90 million from the National Science Foundation to build and lead SafeInsights, a groundbreaking research and development (R&D) hub for inclusive learning and education research to benefit tens of millions of students and their instructors across all educational levels.

Study suggests religion can help the faithful deal with discrimination, can also result in exploitation or encourage victimhood

When faced with perceived racial discrimination in the workplace, new Rice University research finds that Christians lean on their faith to get them through these experiences. However, researchers warn this can lead to employee exploitation or, on the flip side, encouraging feelings of victimhood.

Study uncovers neural mechanisms underlying foraging behavior in freely moving animals

Rice neuroscientist Valentin Dragoi and team shed light on what happens in the brain of freely-moving macaques engaged in foraging behavior.

Rice bioengineers win $1.4M ARPA-H grant for osteoarthritis research

Bioengineers at Rice University have been awarded $1.4 million as part of a multi-center consortium funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop strategies for reversing the effects of osteoarthritis.

Rice’s Lane Martin elected as Materials Research Society fellow

Rice’s Lane Martin was elected a fellow of the Materials Research Society (MRS) “for seminal contributions to the science of ferroelectric and multiferroic thin film materials.”

Rice to lead first NSF-funded workshop on research security, uniting national experts to shape future research and policies

Rice University, in collaboration with the University of Houston, IPTalons and the Society of Research Administrators International, will host a first-of-its-kind national workshop to examine the burgeoning field of research on research security to inform future laws, policies and guidelines aimed at enhancing research security around the world.