KINGSTON — Dec. 2, 2025 — The Rhode Island Network for Excellence in Science & Technology (RI-NEST) is proud to announce its first-ever cohort of seed grants, providing up to $70,000 in funding to support innovative research at institutions of higher education across the state. Faculty and graduate students from the University of Rhode Island will receive nearly half of that funding.

“These seed grants are a wonderful opportunity to support the research community in Rhode Island,” said Elin Torell, principal investigator for RI-NEST and director of URI’s Coastal Institute. “This year’s grantees are a showcase of the breadth of research interest and excellence in our state. It will be wonderful to see the projects unfold.”

Funded through the National Science Foundation, RI-NEST is an $8 million initiative over four years that will strengthen research infrastructure and capacity across the state and position Rhode Island-based faculty and students to develop transdisciplinary, use-inspired research that spurs societal engagement and economic growth.

Seed grant funding aims to catalyze projects that strengthen Rhode Island’s research ecosystem through unique partnerships among academia, industry, and community organizations. Projects that aligned most closely with Rhode Island’s Science and Technology Plan, as well as RI-NEST’s strategic goals, were chosen.

The selected projects represent faculty already conducting high-impact research in digital health technologies, food innovation, sustainable agriculture, and other diverse STEM fields. RI-NEST’s ultimate objective is to fund projects that lead to larger, more sustainable efforts over the next four years, bringing additional funding for research into the state.

SELECTED URI PROJECTS:

Mankodiya, Kunal, University of Rhode Island, “Dialysis chatbot: Empowering dialysis patients with an accessible AI chatbot for informed self-management”

Collaborators: Ankur Shah, Brown University

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a home-based kidney failure therapy that uses the patient’s peritoneal membrane as a natural filter to remove accumulated uremic toxins and excess fluid, improving early mortality and greater quality of life while also providing significant cost savings. However, a significant education gap in PD management exists among patients that undermines optimal access and outcomes. Currently, most dialysis education is delivered by large dialysis organizations that inherently represent commercial perspectives that may influence educational content and priorities. This project will design and pilot-test an AI‑driven “Dialysis Chatbot” tailored to empower patients and bridge dialysis care gaps in Rhode Island. The chatbot will deliver clear, accessible dialysis education, including information on treatment modalities, nutrition guidance, and comorbidity management.

Meyerson, Laura, University of Rhode Island, “The TEK path: Indigenous plantings and training at URI’s Peckham Silvopasture”

Collaborators: Lorén Spears, Silvermoon Mars Larose, Samantha Cullen-Fry, Laurel Spears, Tomaquag Museum; Coleman Replogle, Peckham Farm; Don Ruggieri, University of Rhode Island

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) reflects generations of Indigenous stewardship rooted in reciprocal relationships with land and water. It provides critical insights into biodiversity, seasonal cycles, habitat management and sustainable use of native species. While TEK is recognized as essential to agriculture, restoration, adaptation and land-based education, how TEK plantings affect native biodiversity across multiple taxa is an understudied key question for ecology and agriculture. This project establishes a research partnership between URI and the Tomaquag Museum to implement a TEK-informed planting and quantify resulting changes to biodiversity at Peckham Farm. This living and working outdoor research site and exhibit will complement the new location of the Tomaquag Museum on the URI campus and the newly established silvopasture at the farm.

Ruggieri, Don, University of Rhode Island, “Birds, bats, and bees, oh my! Using digital technologies to quantify wildlife species diversity among regenerative agricultural sites”

Collaborators: Cassius and Dawn Spears, Ashawaug Farm; Coleman Replogle, Peckham Farm; Laura Meyerson, University of Rhode Island; Southern Rhode Island Conservation District

Regenerative agriculture is a sustainable farming approach that actively restores nature, and increases biodiversity and includes silvopasture, the integration of livestock and trees on the same piece of land. This project will address the question of whether regenerative agriculture creates better wildlife habitat than traditional pasture and planting. The project will use Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) to record bird and bat calls, and camera traps to quantify faunal use at Peckham and Ashawaug farms. Such digital technologies are increasingly critical for biodiversity monitoring, especially for rare and/or cryptic species, species not commonly monitored, and for targeting multiple species (e.g., bats, birds, coyotes, deer) to capture big picture wildlife diversity. Combining camera traps and ARUs is a highly effective, minimally invasive way to quantify wildlife diversity.

Trandafir, Simona, University of Rhode Island, “Linking Rhode Island local food supply and consumer demand: Integrating spatial food flow mapping with consumer demand survey”

Collaborators: Patrick Baur, University of Rhode Island, Natalie Meyer, University of Rhode Island; Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Rhode Island’s redesigned “RI Grown” local food label aims to increase consumer recognition of locally produced food and strengthen farm-to-market connections. While the state has robust datasets on agricultural production, there is currently no integrated analysis linking what and where local food is produced and retailed with consumer purchasing preferences for locally branded products. Without linking supply and demand, Rhode Island risks misallocating resources, underutilizing its agricultural capacity and missing opportunities to expand the reach and effectiveness of the RI Grown label. This project will connect two complementary research efforts—a completed spatial food flow map and a preliminary statewide consumer preference survey—into a cohesive, policy-relevant study assessing the market potential and alignment of the RI Grown label. This work will not only guide Rhode Island’s local food strategy but also offer a model that other states can adapt as they work to build a stronger regional food system.

For more information about RI-NEST and its Seed Grant program, visit the RI NSF EPSCoR website, sign up for their monthly newsletter, or contact communications and outreach coordinator Shaun Kirby at skirby@uri.edu. 

This press release was written by Shaun Kirby, communication and outreach coordinator for RI NSF EPSCoR.