Belhaven University's School of Science and Mathematics has secured more than $500,000 in external research funding, including new awards to Dr. Ariel Kelley and Dr. John Neiswinger and a collaborative instrumentation grant led by Dr. Rachel Roller with Millsaps College. The awards add to earlier funding such as a $389,600 MAI-TAP grant and a $75,000 INBRE startup grant to Dr. Mariana Sá. Kelley’s $75,000 MRA (NSF EPSCoR-backed) award and Neiswinger’s $20,000 MS INBRE grant will support student researchers, lab supplies, and conference travel, with projects starting next semester.
Belhaven University Secures Over $500K in Research Grants to Expand Student Research and Lab Capabilities
Belhaven University's School of Science and Mathematics has secured more than $500,000 in external research funding, including new awards to Dr. Ariel Kelley and Dr. John Neiswinger and a collaborative instrumentation grant led by Dr. Rachel Roller with Millsaps College. The awards add to earlier funding such as a $389,600 MAI-TAP grant and a $75,000 INBRE startup grant to Dr. Mariana Sá. Kelley’s $75,000 MRA (NSF EPSCoR-backed) award and Neiswinger’s $20,000 MS INBRE grant will support student researchers, lab supplies, and conference travel, with projects starting next semester.
22:19, 03.11.2025Science
Belhaven University boosts STEM research with more than $500,000 in new grants
Jackson, Miss. — Belhaven University's School of Science and Mathematics has secured multiple external research awards totaling more than $500,000, strengthening research opportunities and laboratory resources for students.
New individual awards:
- Dr. Ariel Kelley, associate professor of chemistry, received $75,000 spread over 18 months from the Mississippi Research Alliance (MRA), funded through the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR). The award will cover laboratory supplies, partial summer salary, a stipend for a summer research student, and travel for conference presentations. Dr. Kelley plans to begin the project next semester and will employ a student researcher through the summer term.
- Dr. John Neiswinger, professor of biology, was awarded $20,000 from the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (MS INBRE). His project will engage students beginning next semester, offering hands-on experience in molecular biology and genetic analysis.
Collaborative instrumentation grant: Dr. Rachel Roller, assistant professor of chemistry, partnered with a faculty member at Millsaps College on a collaborative grant that will bring new scientific instrumentation to Belhaven’s campus, expanding student access to laboratory research and teaching resources.
These new awards supplement two previously announced grants: a $389,600 Mississippi AI and Technology Advancement Program (MAI-TAP) award and a $75,000 INBRE startup grant awarded to Dr. Mariana Sá, associate professor of biology.
Impact on students and campus research
Together, these awards provide funding for equipment, supplies, student stipends and training, and travel to disseminate results. Faculty leaders say the grants will expand experiential learning opportunities across the sciences and help build sustainable research programs at Belhaven.
Projects are scheduled to begin next semester, and students will be directly involved in laboratory and fieldwork as part of these funded efforts.