ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio University Research Committee awarded a total of $49,780 in January to seven new faculty research projects. The works range from a study of environmentally friendly air conditioning systems to research on the classic Gilbert and Sullivan opera "The Mikado."

The OURC, a committee of 10 university employees from various disciplines, awards grants to faculty and staff for early-stage research and creative projects, with priority given to faculty new to the university. Proposals are accepted twice during the academic year. During the fall 2001 cycle, the committee received 13 proposals, seven of which were funded. The next deadline, for the winter cycle, is Jan. 31.

"The quality of the proposals were exceptional this cycle, reflecting a broad range of disciplines from both new and established faculty," said Andre Gribou, chair of the OURC and an associate professor of dance. "It is so important that the faculty take advantage of this unique source of funding for their research and creative activities."

In the past seven years, the OURC has funded 109 proposals with funds provided by the Vice President for Research.

The recipients of the fall cycle awards are:

• David Schneider, an assistant professor of geological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, received $7,614 to pinpoint the date of ancient geological activity in Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Michigan. The project could help researchers understand how continents form and change over time.

• Frank Kraft, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, received $8,000 to aid in component design of environmentally friendly air conditioning and refrigeration systems. These experimental systems, which use carbon dioxide as a refrigerant, will be used by the automotive and beverage industries in the future.

• Joseph McLaughlin, an associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, received $2,981 to study the inspiration for British playwright W.S. Gilbert's famous opera "The Mikado." McLaughlin is developing a book on Victorian representations of Japan.

• Royal Mapes, a professor of geological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, received $7,185 to examine whether the nautilus, an ancient animal prized for its beautiful shell, has become endangered. Mapes will travel to New Caledonia, an island in the Pacific Ocean, where thousands of these living fossils are captured and killed for commercial sale of their shells.

• Stephen Bergmeier, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, received $8,000 for the purchase of equipment that will facilitate the study of new chemical compounds. The compounds could be developed into drugs to treat diseases of or injuries to the human nervous system.

• Betty Sindelar, an assistant professor of physical therapy in the College of Health and Human Services, received $8,000 for research on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, which can cause pain in the jaw joint and surrounding muscles, as well as headaches. The work could help evaluate treatments for the syndrome.

• Jeffery Rack, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, received $8,000 to develop photochromic and electrochromic compounds that could be used to store large amounts of data in small high-tech devices, such as flat-panel displays on televisions or computer screens.