Findings Staff Report | Nov. 10, 2021

The University of Cincinnati Space Research Institute for Discovery and Exploration (SRIDE) is delighted to announce its first round of student research fellows; one undergraduate, who garnered a $3,000 Discovery Fellowship for the Spring Semester 2022 and four graduate students, who each garnered a $24,000 Exploration Full-Year Fellowship.

The Space Research Institute officially launched in 2020 at UC, aiming to use the knowledge and competencies of UC faculty, students, and partners to continue Ohio's extensive legacy of contributions to aviation and space exploration.

“The exploration of space will lead to greater understanding of the Earth and its place in the vastness of the universe,” says SRIDE Director Charles Doarn. “Humans living in space or on other celestial bodies will encounter new challenges in building societies. This includes not only sustainable physical structures but other critical aspects such as the formulation of exploration policies and new forms of civil society and governance in space.”

“We are delighted to award these fellowships in support of these individuals, as they continue toward their degrees,” Doarn continues. “The research effort they are engaged in will add value to the growing knowledge base of space and enlighten those who come after.”

Awards are available to students of all disciplines, with a focus on inclusivity and diversity.

The Fall 2021 awardees are as follows:

SRIDE Fellowship for Exploration

(Open to graduate students.)

Aida Ramusovic

College of Arts and Sciences - Political Science

Title: Can you hear me Major Tom? The U.S. mass media reporting on exploration of space

$24,000

Anirudh Chhabra

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences – Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

Title: Development of an Explainable AI-driven Ground Simulator for Emulating Space Exploration Mission

$24,000

Benjamin Russ

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences – Mechanical Engineering

Title: Emergent Modular Robot Structures for Adaptive Manipulation

$24,000

Daegyun Choi

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences – Aerospace Engineering

Title: Decentralized Multi-Robot Control for Massive Structure/Devices Transportation in Unstructured Space Environment

$24,000

SRIDE Fellowship for Discovery for Spring 2022

(Open to undergraduate students.)

Rebecca Gilligan

College of Engineering & Applied Science

Title: Collaborative Multimodal System for Retrieval and Repair on Long-Distance Missions to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond

$3,000

SRIDE will be accepting applications for undergraduate Discovery Fellowships every fall and spring semester going forward and applications for the graduate Exploration Fellowships each spring. Find additional information on our Funding opportunities webpage.