Penn State's $3M Grant Advancing Insect Monitoring Systems

A team of Penn State researchers has received a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop novel monitoring systems for insect populations. The project, called Interdisciplinary Studies in Entomology, Computer Science and Technology NETwork (INSECT NET), will establish a graduate training program to empower students to develop solutions to the insect biodiversity crisis.

The program will be led by Christina Grozinger, Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology at Penn State. Grozinger said that the project will develop new technologies, such as autonomous robots with intelligent sensors, to monitor and track insects in cities, farms, and forests. This data will be used to help communities and policymakers make key decisions about how to mitigate pests and conserve beneficial insects.

The project will also train the next generation of scientists to think creatively and collaboratively to address complex real-world problems. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to design monitoring systems for stakeholders, such as farmers, land managers, and urban planners. They will also gain competencies in insect systematics, ecology, sensor design, data integration, and data management.

The grant is part of the NSF Research Traineeship Program, which advances research by training graduate students in interdisciplinary or convergent research areas. The program is funded by the NSF Division of Graduate Education.

“This project draws on one of Penn State’s true strengths, interdisciplinary collaborative research, and engages our students in that enterprise as they seek solutions to a problem of planetary proportions,” said Lee Kump, John Leone Dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

“Preserving biodiversity on a global scale requires an effort beyond the confines of any one discipline,” said Tonya L. Peeples, interim Harold and Inge Marcus Dean in the College of Engineering. “Students will learn firsthand that unconventional solutions often emerge at the crossroads of expertise in convergent research.”

Photo Credit: Penn State