University of Arkansas Little Rock

NSF Awards · FY 2026 · 2026-07

The proposal submitted by the Emerging Analytics Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock outlines an initiative to establish a statewide Quantum Computing Working Group aimed at enhancing education and workforce development in quantum computing across Arkansas. This working group seeks to bring together a diverse array of stakeholders, including universities, industry partners, and research institutions, to collaboratively develop a foundational curriculum that integrates quantum computing concepts into both university and high school education. By leveraging existing partnerships and resources, the initiative aims to address the current educational gaps in quantum computing and foster a multi-disciplinary community of researchers, educators, and professionals. The proposed framework will emphasize Research Data Management (RDM) practices and cyberinfrastructure capabilities, ensuring that students are well-equipped to tackle the unique challenges of this rapidly evolving field. Ultimately, the project aspires to create accessible educational pathways, stimulate local economic growth, and position Arkansas as a leader in the future of quantum information science. 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 Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Non-technical Abstract This symposium on quantum materials will be part of the International Materials Research Congress (IMRC) 2025, a joint congress between the USF Materials Research Society (MRS) and the the Sociedad Mexicana de Materiales (SMMater), which will take place at the Cancun Convention center August 17-21, 2021. The workshop, organized by the PI, aims to bring together theoreticians and experimentalists from all over the world to advance and move the field of quantum materials forward. The support will allow US students and faculty, as well as the PI to attend the symposium. The symposium will feature a tutorial session specifically aimed at students. Technical Abstract This symposium on quantum materials provides a platform for researchers to share the latest advancements in understanding and developing new materials with unique quantum properties, which could lead to breakthroughs in fields like quantum computing, quantum sensing, quantum imaging, quantum communications, and advanced electronics. Contributions to this symposium will be published in MRS Advances. 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 Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Climate change affects agriculture and water resources. Agriculture relies heavily on water, and different crops and farming practices require varying amounts of water at specific times. Droughts can severely limit water availability for agriculture, affecting crop yields and food production. This project will inform optimization of water use efficiency in farming, ensuring sustainable agricultural practices despite changing climate conditions to ensure society can predict and prepare for future challenges in food production. The project will explore how farmers' decisions and risk preferences influence their water use strategies during droughts. Integration of economics, hydrology, and social sciences allows for a holistic view of how human behavior (such as risk aversion) interacts with environmental factors (like water availability). Such a holistic approach is crucial for developing effective policies and strategies that balance economic needs with environmental sustainability. The findings will inform policy makers and water resource managers on better ways to allocate and manage water resources as global demand for food increases and climate change continues to impact water availability worldwide. The project will also promote education and training opportunities for students, including those from non-traditional backgrounds. The project’s educational approach emphasizes inclusivity and engages stakeholders beyond academia, ensuring that the research has real-world applications and benefits for society at large. By understanding the complex interactions between human decisions and environmental factors, the project explores pathways towards more resilient and efficient water use practices, benefiting both current and future generations. The impacts of climate change on agriculture and hydrological resources within a primarily groundwater-fed system will be analyzed quantitatively. Agricultural water usage, characterized by diverse cropping systems, exhibits varying water values, demand timing, and consumptive efficiencies. Hydro-climatic anomalies, such as droughts, pose significant constraints on water availability for agriculture, influenced by farmers' irrigation practices, regulatory frameworks, and risk attitudes towards production. The goal of this project is to investigate the role of risk preferences within hydro-agricultural systems and the resulting feedback mechanisms under drought conditions. Specifically, the project will contrast outcomes between risk-neutral and risk-averse agricultural operators through empirical surveys measuring risk preferences and irrigation decision-making. The results will be used to assess how different levels of risk aversion influence system dynamics, especially in response to drought intensity, and how these dynamics vary across spatial scales and different hydrological configurations (e.g., conjunctive reservoir-groundwater systems). The methodology involves developing a modeling framework that integrates economic, hydrological, and social components. The framework links basin-level hydrological models with empirical data on water management decisions and risk preferences of farmers. Additionally, a crop-specific resource allocation model will be incorporated to capture the intersection of socio-environmental interactions. Data constraints from the Lower Mississippi River Basin inform and validate the model, ensuring its applicability to groundwater-dominated and conjunctive surface-groundwater systems. 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.