Arkansas Research Alliance Identifies Emerging Research Leaders Elevating Their Science to the Next Level

The Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) today announced twelve grant recipients from the Emerging Research Leaders Program (ERL), a new initiative created to increase the number of Arkansas researchers submitting competitive proposals for major federal funding opportunities.

“We’re strengthening Arkansas’s research capacity by cultivating research leaders from within the state,” said Bryan J. Barnhouse, ARA President & CEO. “Arkansas’ research community works to make our food supply safer, our energy more efficient, and our medicine more effective. Investing in our scientists improves the quality of life in our state and contributes to our competitiveness and economic growth.”

The ERL Program is managed by ARA and AR-NETWORK, the latter funded by an $8 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The goal of the program is to help establish and grow sustainable research programs. Participants are expected to develop and submit two-to-four competitive external proposals during their award period.

“The ERL Program is the nudge that creates momentum for research,” said Sarah B. Smith, ARA Program Director and Principal Investigator for AR-NETWORK. “When ERL participants win those larger federal awards, there are a lot of positive side effects. Students get a richer education through exposure to cutting edge research, other faculty can leverage expanding capacity, and the institutions receive direct financial benefits through indirect costs on grants that are likely 10–20 times larger than the ERL award itself.”

The ERL Program provides $30,000 annually for up to two years to support early- to mid-career faculty in developing research leadership capacity. Rather than traditional research funding, this seed grant is primarily professional development support. Participants receive mentorship, proposal development training, and seed funding to build preliminary data and collaborations that position them for larger federal grants.

“Building a substantial research program starts with talented scientists who have a clear vision for their program,” said Barnhouse. “Sarah and her team did an exceptional job of designing the program, curating applicants, and choosing twelve researchers who truly exemplify what this program represents.”

This year, twelve researchers from ten campuses across Arkansas received ERL support: Craig Porter (Arkansas Children’s Research Institute/UAMS), Drew Fleming (Arkansas State University), Robin Ghosh (Arkansas Tech University), Mengfan Zhu (Lyon College), Sharon Hamilton (Ouachita Baptist University), Oscar Tejada Martinez (Southern Arkansas University), Noureen Siraj (UA Little Rock), Tamara Glover (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), Vinay Ray (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), Sathish Ponniah (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), Lei Guo (University of Arkansas), and Arijit Mukherjee (University of Central Arkansas).

The ERL Program provides 24-months of funding for a full two-year period, contingent upon successful progress in developing or expanding a research program. A 12-month progress review determines Year 2’s eligibility for renewal. Smith believes the ERL Program not only serves a valuable purpose now but will continue doing so in the future. 

“The interest this program has generated truly underscores Arkansas’ enthusiasm for expanding its research capacity,” said Smith. “We were only able to select twelve applicants, but we received applications from fourteen institutions across the state.”

About Arkansas Research Alliance

Founded in 2008, Arkansas Research Alliance is dedicated to advancing a fundamental belief: Research Matters. Operating as a public-private partnership, ARA invests in research that stimulates innovation, encourages collaboration, and strengthens economic opportunity. Learn more about ARA and its mission to elevate Arkansas’s research community at aralliance.org.

About AR-NETWORK

Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Arkansas Nexus for Excellence in Technology, Workforce, Outreach, and Research Knowledge (AR-NETWORK) strengthens Arkansas’ research ecosystem by fostering collaboration, advancing strategic priorities, and developing the next generation of research leaders.