Current Grants & Researchers

• Chad Middleton - Colorado Mesa University Maverick Open Resource Educators (Colorado Department of Higher Education)
  • This grant provides funds for faculty stipends to develop open educational resources

• Paul Hampton - Monitoring for occupancy, reproduction, and foraging behaviors of Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) in Colorado’s Grand Valley (Department of the Interior)
  • This project aims to conduct surveys of pinyon jays across the Grand Valley to assess occupancy, abundance, and breeding colonies, filling data gaps necessary for future conservation efforts. 
• Deb Kennard & Eriek Hansen - CMU Public Land Corps Individual Placement Program (National Forest Service)
  • This project will place CMU students in internships with the U.S. Forest Service, where they will gain hands-on experience in environmental education, community service, and natural and cultural conservation resource management.
• Kyle McQuade - Saccomanno Undergraduate Summer Biomedical Research Internship Program (Saccomanno Higher Education Foundation) 
  • This project supports student research internships in the biological sciences.
• Johanna Varner - Drivers of Welfare in Wild American Pikas (Wild Animal Initiative)
  • This is a comprehensive study of the welfare of American pikas in the La Sal mountains of Southeastern Utah, through examining patterns of survival, population demographics, stress, and other metrics of physiological condition.

There are no sponsored projects currently occurring in the Business Department. 

Have an idea? Reach out to [email protected] to get started! 

• Karl Castleton - Colorado Space Grant Consortium (NASA via the University of Colorado)
  • This project encourages student participation in space sciences research and projects, through work on wearable technologies, robotics, and more.

• Bridget Marshall - CMU Graduate Nurse Practitioner Implementation of Telehealth and OSCE equipment (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment)
  • This grant allows for the purchase of telehealth equipment in order to expand direct care clinical opportunities for online Nurse Practitioner students. 
• Stacie Schreiner - Colorado Rural Healthcare Workforce Initiative (State of Colorado, SB22-172)
  • This grant provides funding for the development of a rural track within the nursing program, as well as scholarships for students participating in the rural track.

• Sarah Gray - GeriCare Everywhere (University of Colorado Anschutz, SB 2023-31)
  • This program expands geriatric training opportunities for clinical health professions graduate students. 

• Laureen Cantwell - Outreach funding for Free Speech and Civil Discourse Committee (Heterodox Academy)
  • The mission of each HxA Campus Community is to promote the
    values of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement to improve
    research and education.
• Lisa Hughes - State Grants for Libraries (Colorado Department of Education)
  • This grant is to help the library obtain eligible educational resources that the library would otherwise be unable to afford, in order to support a better educated and informed population.

• Andres Aslan - Detrital-sanidine dating studies and landscape evolution of western Colorado (Unconventional Energy Center)
  • This project uses a novel technique called detrital-sanidine dating, to help produce a better understanding of the landscape evolution of western Colorado.
• Greg Baker - Drone-Based LiDAR Analyses of Structural Deformation & Depositional Features in Western Colorado (Unconventional Energy Center)
  • This funding supports the purchased of drone-based LiDAR to generate very-high-resolution 3D topographic models of complex geologic units, which will produce a better understanding of the tectonic evolution of western Colorado.
• Cassandra Fenton - Geochronology and Stratigraphy of the Wanakah and Related Formations, Southwest Colorado and Eastern Utah (Unconventional Energy Center)
  • This project combines recent advances in radiometric ³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar dating and geochemical analyses with standard geologic field methods to clarify stratigraphic relationships and better interpret the sedimentology and stratigraphy of the middle Jurassic Wanakah Formation and correlative units in southwestern Colorado and eastern Utah.
• William Hood - Request for Partial Funding for New X-ray Fluorescence Analytical Instrument for Geology Program (Unconventional Energy Center)
  
  • This project aims to analyze well cuttings from multiple wells that penetrate the Mancos Shale to identify zones with high selenium concentrations, which could help prioritize targeted remediation efforts in areas exposed to the surface, ultimately reducing the need for widespread infrastructure changes.
• Verner Johnson - Geophysical and Geological Study in the Pinon Mesa – Ryan Park Area in the Northwestern Uncompahgre Plateau, Colorado and Utah (Unconventional Energy Center)
  • This project is investigating the geologic mechanisms historically present in the Pinon Mesa - Ryan Park area, to create a better understanding of the processes that assisted in the formation of the Uncompahgre Plateau and the associated mineralized hydrothermal veins in the area. 
• Deb Kennard & Eriek Hansen - CMU Public Land Corps Individual Placement Program (National Forest Service)
  • This program places CMU students in internships with the U.S. Forest Service, where they will gain hands-on experience in environmental education, community service and natural and cultural conservation resource management.
• Justin Pomeranz - The influence of temperature and resource supply on community size spectra in streams (National Science Foundation via University of South Dakota)
  • This award funds a collaboration between Dr. Pomeranz and the University of South Dakota, to develop a mechanistic understanding of how key environmental drivers and their interactions affect community biomass distributions.
• Jarrod Schiffbauer - 
  • Building a diverse, sustainable, and robust undergraduate-to-graduate STEM network through inter-institutional interdisciplinary research collaborations in complex fluids/soft matter (NASA)
    • This program allows CMU students to explore collaborative research that will result in meaningful relationships with the agency, including access to mentorships and employment opportunities within NASA’s workforce.
• Javier Tellez -
  • Reservoir Characterization of Sedimentary Strata within the Piceance Basin. Applications for Enhanced Hydrocarbons Recovery and Geothermal Energy Potential Using Abandoned Drilled Wells (Unconventional Energy Center)
    • This project explores workflows to integrate multiple data sources to model the most prospective reservoirs for hydrocarbon recovery and geothermal applications. 
  • RITAP: Uinta-Piceance Basin Carbon Management and Community Engagement (Department of Energy via the University of Utah)
    • This project aims to develop a storage-based carbon management industry in the Uinta-Piceance Basin by leveraging technical, regulatory, and business expertise to evaluate the region's carbon dioxide storage potential while fostering community engagement and optimizing deployment strategies for environmentally responsible solutions.
• Freddy Witarsa - Colorado Mesa University Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center Outreach, Engagement, and Educational Programming (Colorado Water Conservation Board)
  • This project aims to address water challenges in Colorado's Western Slope by providing educational programs, conducting research, and fostering collaboration among policymakers, scientists, and the community, to develop sustainable solutions for water resource management.

• Emma Leenerman - Healthcare Workforce Development in Western Colorado Coal-Affected Communities (Economic Development Administration)
  • This project has helped to fund equipment for the PA, PT and OT programs, in order to strengthen the workforce in coal-affected communities of Western Colorado by offering training programs that equip trainees with skills to be competent healthcare providers.
• Derek Wagner - 
  • Career Services Career Coaching Coordinator (Mesa County Department of Human Services, HB21-1264)
    • This award funds the hiring of a full-time Career Coaching Coordinator in CMU Career Services, who will provide essential career navigation and coaching to students, alumni and job seekers.
  • Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program (Economic Development Administration, EDA-TECHHUBSPHASE2-2024)
    • This project aims to enhance the secure and efficient management of the Colorado River through the development of a cybersecurity-focused tech hub in Grand Junction, while building a skilled workforce to safeguard critical infrastructure. 

• Tim Casey - Applying Outcomes Focused Management to Increase Public Benefit with Attention to Diversity and Inclusion (Bureau of Land Management via University of Alaska Fairbanks)
  • This is a grant to conduct research on Outcomes-Focused Management of public lands via surveys and focus groups. Specifically, this grant encompasses studies on the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Upper Colorado River, Grand Staircase of the Escalante National Monument, Butte Field Office, Dalton Highway Corridor, Bears Ears National Monument, Rio Grand Del Norte National Monument, and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.
• Audrey Lumley-Sapanski - Disaggregated Estimates of the Prevalence of Trafficking in Humans (DEPTH) (National Institute of Justice)
  • This project project aims to advance equity in trafficking protection by improving the identification of trafficking victims, particularly those trafficked to and across the southern border. It will involve survivors and migrants in the coproduction of data collection tools, analysis, and dissemination, while testing two surveying approaches in multiple contexts to provide insights and best practices for identifying trafficking victims in diverse situations.
• Michelle Sunkel - Behavioral Health Expansion on the Western Slope of Colorado (The Denver Foundation)
  • This award funds scholarships for MSW students who commit to working in an underserved community on the western slope, and expands access to culturally competent behavioral health providers for the region.

• Shelby Burroughs Pryzgoda - TRIO Upward Bound (Department of Education)
  • TRIO Upward Bound is a college-preparatory program designed to support local first-generation, income-eligible students at Central High School and Grand Junction High School as they prepare to enter and succeed in college.
• Paige Cadman - 
  • TRIO Student Support Services, Regular (Department of Education)
  • TRIO Student Support Services, STEM (Department of Education)
    • TRIO Student Support Services serves as a “one-stop shop” for eligible student participants as they navigate their college career. The program provides academic and personal support for students throughout their academic journey at CMU.
• Anna Lee Walker -
  •  CMU Student Services and Sober AF Entertainment Student Programming (Sober AF Entertainment (SAFE))
    • To create safe, inclusive spaces for individuals to enjoy social and cultural experiences without the pressure of substance use.
  • MAVS Matter (SAMHSA)
    • The goal of this project is to enhance mental health and substance use crisis response and prevention at CMU by increasing capacity, expanding training, and improving access to resources for students, faculty, and staff. The project aims to address critical gaps in services, support student well-being, and foster a resilient campus community.

• Nick Bardo - Educator Stipend Program and Student Educator Test Stipend Program (Colorado Department of Higher Education, HB22-1220)
  • These stipends will be used at CMU to help support students who are student-teaching.

• Michael Graham - Discretionary Aviation Grant (Colorado Division of Aeronautics, 25-MCU-E01)
  • This program will provide students with hands-on UAV flight training, industry-specific mentorship, and access to advanced UAV equipment and software, preparing them with both technical and operational skills necessary for success in the rapidly evolving UAV industry. 
• Tammie Vail Shoultz-McCole - 
  • Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship Program (Colorado Department of Early Childhood)
    • This project helps to grow the early childhood workforce through use of the apprenticeship model and supporting child care facilities via coaching and funding for staff career development, including a the creation of a network of Mentor Teachers who will guide apprentices towards successful completion of the program.
• Brigitte Sundermann - 
  • Allied Health Care Forward (Colorado Community College System, SB22-226)
    • This funding provides financial assistance to students enrolled in eligible allied health programs, to support the health-care workforce in Colorado.
  • Mobile Learning Lab (Colorado Community College System & Office of Economic Development and International Trade)
    • Funds to build out a mobile learning lab focused on welding and CDL.
  • Career Advance Colorado (Colorado Community College System, HB23-1246)
    • The Career Advance Colorado program offers zero-cost training for in-demand jobs.
  • Western Colorado Health Education Ladder Program (HELP) (Colorado Office of Economic
    Development and International Trade)
    • This project aims to address healthcare workforce shortages in rural Colorado by providing comprehensive training and educational opportunities in primary care, dental, and behavioral health fields.
  • Workforce Innovation Grant (Department of Treasury via Family Health West)
    • This project will help students gain practical experience in various healthcare and technical fields, supported by classroom instruction, supervised rotations, and evaluation. This partnership aims to enhance workforce development by providing students with hands-on training.
  • Innovation in CTE: Airframe & Powerplant Program at CMU Tech (Colorado Community Colleges System)
    • The purpose of this program is to establish an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic certification (A&P) program at CMU Tech, equipping students with the skills and certifications needed for high-demand aviation careers, through partnerships with local schools, employers, and hands-on work-based learning opportunities.
  • Innovating CTE Healthcare Programs in Rural Western Colorado (Colorado Community Colleges System)
    • The purpose of this project is to expand healthcare career pathways in rural Montrose and Nucla by providing distance learning opportunities for medical assistants, certified nursing assistants, and EMT/Paramedics, addressing regional workforce shortages and enhancing access to quality training for underserved communities.
• Lara Swanson - 
  • Workforce Training Innovation Program for CMU TECH Bilingual Child Development Associate Training (Colorado Community College System)
    
    • This project provides bilingual, low- to no-cost training for qualified adults to earn a Child Development Associate National Credential. 
  • Perkins Basic Grant Funds (Colorado Community College System)
    • Perkins basic grant funds are provided to community colleges to support and improve workforce education.