The University has launched a new web site at [www.udel.edu/research] to showcase the world-class research under way at the institution.

“A strong research program is vital to the University of Delaware’s mission not only in educating and preparing our students for the future, but also in advancing new knowledge and innovative technologies that will benefit society at large,” President Patrick Harker says. “We welcome the public to visit this new web site to learn more about the impressive contributions our faculty, staff and students are making across the research spectrum.”

Carolyn Thoroughgood, vice provost for research and graduate studies, describes the University’s research and programs as “extraordinary.”

“Our new web site is designed to serve as an exciting public gateway to UD’s fascinating world of research, as well as a useful internal resource for our faculty and staff, providing the tools they need to successfully compete for and manage their research grants and programs,” she says.

The new site, developed by the Research Communications Initiative in the Office of Public Relations, includes information for a broad range of audiences, from industries seeking information on UD technologies, to schoolchildren eager to learn more about science and technology, business, the arts and humanities.

Among the site’s special features are major portals for “Research News,” the “Technology Marketplace” featuring patented UD inventions available for licensing, “Cool Clips” highlighting research videos and podcasts and a “Kids’ Corner” offering fun and educational children’s activities.

Additionally, a number of internal resources are provided to aid UD researchers in developing high-quality research proposals, managing their research grants in compliance with federal and University regulations, protecting their intellectual property and presenting their research results. A student section includes information on research opportunities, fellowships and internships at UD, as well as links to external resources.

Visitors to the new site will find a lot to explore:

• More than 50 research centers and institutes—important state, national and international assets—are part of the University, focusing on topics ranging from composites to corporate governance to cancer research.
  
  
• UD has world-class research facilities ranging from the 146-foot coastal research vessel Hugh R. Sharp, named one of the top vessels built in North America in 2006, to a new state-of-the-art, high-speed confocal microscope for peering into cells and structures, housed at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute.
  
  
• The “Technology Marketplace” highlights innovation, including OrphageniX, a new company founded in Wilmington, Del., which is commercializing UD’s patented technologies for repairing genes that cause rare, hereditary diseases such as sickle cell anemia and spinal muscular atrophy.
  
  
• “Research News” reports on recent UD discoveries, from the finding of a new planet to the invention of Jello-like hydrogels for use in repairing and regenerating human tissue.
  
  
• In the “Kids’ Corner,” Kristi Kiick, associate professor of materials science and engineering, shares how she got hooked on a career in science and teaching. Marianne Carter, registered dietitian and director of the new Delaware Center for Health Promotion, shares fitness tips for kids in “Strut Your Stuff.” Visitors can also activate a talking microbe and learn the importance of these tiny organisms.
  
  
• UD’s state, national and international efforts to protect poultry—a major world food source—from avian flu are featured in the “Cool Clips.” The video is the first in a series.
  

A free, electronic news service—UD Research News—is being launched in conjunction with the new web site, reporting on the University’s research discoveries, faculty and student achievements and events. Visit [www.udel.edu/research/subscription] to subscribe to the e-news service or sign up for the RSS feed.