Transdisciplinary Areas of Excellence

The TAEs address critical social, scientific, technological, economic, cultural and policy issues that can best be addressed by teams of faculty employing the perspectives and methodologies of multiple disciplines.

In 2013, °®¶¹´«Ã½ developed a new approach to hiring faculty and supporting research by creating five Transdisciplinary Areas of Excellence (TAEs). A sixth TAE, was added in 2018. In 2024, the Citizenship, Rights and Cultural Belonging TAE was absorbed by the University's Human Rights Insitute. All are areas of inquiry in which °®¶¹´«Ã½ has developed strength in research and graduate education and raise complex questions.

Seed grant program

The Transdisciplinary Areas of Excellence (TAE) Seed Grant Program funds collaborative projects that connect faculty across different methodologies and disciplinary specific understandings in order to stimulate the advancement of new ideas that can build °®¶¹´«Ã½ University's expertise and reputation.

Data Science

A central hub for data-centered research, the Data Science area of excellence is a collaborative group from across campus whose members are at the leading edge of the data science revolution within their own disciplines, fostering collaboration on identification of significant problems to bridge between theory and applications, advance techniques to gather and interpret data, and address the urgent problems facing society.

Health Sciences

Health Sciences area of excellence will integrate cutting-edge biomedical research with systems science, industrial engineering and microelectronic device development.

Material and Visual Worlds

Objects and images have an undeniable hold on us. We may take them for granted; yet they shape our behavior even as our desires and behavior shape them. As humans, the material and visual forms we create define us to a remarkable extent.

Smart Energy

Smart Energy area of excellence will build upon existing strengths in four key areas of alternative energy research: Solar and thermoelectric energy harvesting; Energy storage; Energy efficiency in electronic systems; Sensor development for energy resource management.

Sustainable Communities

By developing new paradigms and vital partnerships within the University and with community members and organizations, this area of excellence will help us understand what it takes to model, build and maintain sustainable communities.

Steering Committees

Each TAE is guided by a faculty steering committee of 12-15 members.

  • The steering committees identify new faculty to enhance and support the work of the TAEs;
  • participate in recruitment of TAE faculty to the steering committee;
  • offer seed grants to faculty through a competitive process;
  • organize symposia, conferences, and workshops; and foster interdisciplinary research collaboration.

Since their creation, °®¶¹´«Ã½ has recruited 78 new faculty to the TAEs. These individuals joined more than 100 members of the °®¶¹´«Ã½ faculty who have elected to participate in one of the TAEs.

Contact us

TAE Chairs

Data Science: Xingye Qiao, qiao@binghamton.edu

Health Sciences: Co-chairs
Anushree Karkhanis, akarkhan@binghamton.edu and
Wesley Kufel, wkufel@binghamton.edu 

Material + Visual Worlds: Thomas McDonough, tmcdonou@binghamton.edu

Smart Energy: Mark Poliks, mpoliks@binghamton.edu

Sustainable Communities: Andreas Pape, apape@binghamton.edu 

Letters of Intent

Deadline for a Letter of Intent (LOI) is Friday, November 14, 2025 via the platform. LOIs are required for all proposals. The LOI is not binding, however it will help to gauge interest in the next, potential round of seed grant applications. This information will also be helpful to have in the event additional funding channels are identified.

Request for Proposals

The 2026-2027 Request For Proposals (RFP) submission deadline is by 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 17, 2026. To apply for a TAE Seed Grant, complete the application within the °®¶¹´«Ã½ Internal Opportunites Portal, otherwise referred as the "InfoReady" platform.
All materials must be submitted using the platform.

Contact us

Questions about proposal placement (i.e., which TAE best fits your project), TAE-specific evaluation criteria, post-award reporting and other proposal-related questions should be directed to the chair of the relevant TAE(s) listed to the left. Questions about budget preparation and allowable costs should be directed to the Office of Sponsored Programs: osp@binghamton.edu. All other questions can be directed to the TAE Administrative Director with the Provost's office, Amy Keough, Rockefeller Center, RC-262.