The Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs (OUIP), in partnership with Arts NC State, is offering mini-grants to support collaborative projects at the intersection of arts/design and science/engineering. These awards encourage teams of artists, designers, scientists and engineers to create work that interprets, enhances or challenges scientific research while expanding NC State’s growing Art + Science portfolio. Projects may span any discipline, with particular interest in molecular innovation, data science and AI, and the future of useful plants.

Explore 2026 Awardees

Body Motion in Resonance: Wearable Instruments woven into Sound and Space

• PI: Yuanqing Tian, Wilson College of Textiles
• Co-PIs:
  • Connor Irwin, College of Design
  • Byungsoo Kim, College of Design
  • Amanda Mills, Wilson College of Textiles
• Awarded: $5,000
• Abstract: This project explores the convergence of emerging technologies and artistic performance, where smart textile wearables, music technologies, and interactive media systems orchestrate to transform human body motions into an evolving multisensory environment. Building on a prior project “The Body Harp”, the work aims to expand the bodily motions into an immersive experience of synesthesia and serendipity. By integrating strain sensors into auxetic knitted fabric structures, the project develops soft, comfortable wearables “instruments” that sense fluid bodily movements in practices such as dance and yoga. Movement data are characterized and interpreted as real-time, music-inspired sonic textures shaped through music technologies, alongside abstract, minimalist visual forms generated through interactive and virtual production techniques. As an integrated artistic and scientific application, the work proposes a new mode of embodiment and expression that enhances performer self-awareness while deepening audience sensations.

Connected Companions – Artistic Wearables for Human–Animal Interaction and AI-Guided Training

• PI: Alper Bozkurt, College of Engineering
• Co-PIs:
  • Margaret Gruen, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Bailey Knight, Wilson College of Textiles
  • Amanda Myers, Wilson College of Textiles
  • David Roberts, College of Engineering
  • Valeria López Torres, College of Design
• Awarded: $5,000
• Abstract: The roles of animals in human society are expanding rapidly as advancements in behavioral science and training methodologies continue to redefine the ways humans and animals work together. This project will explore how art, design, and engineering can combine to improve the well-being and training of working animals through the development of artificial intelligence supported wearable systems that integrate functionality, comfort, and aesthetics. Our interdisciplinary team at NC State collaborates with Guiding Eyes for the Blind, one of the nation’s leading guide dog schools, to explore how sensor data and artificial intelligence can enhance the training process of guide dog puppies. These sensors collect continuous data about each animal’s movement, posture, and physiological patterns, which are then analyzed using AI-based algorithms to predict temperament and provide trainers with feedback that supports individual learning styles. The project will take an artistic approach by merging smart textile design, digital interface aesthetics, and human–animal ergonomics to produce a wearable harness that goes beyond pure technical sensing function. We aim to design harnesses that embody empathy and elegance, where form and function align to enhance the bond between people and animals. The project will focus on the creation of both a physical product to collect user feedback and a visually engaging public exhibit that highlights the intersection of compassion, data, and design.

Living Mussels: An Interactive Art + Science Exhibit on Freshwater Ecosystem Health

• PI: James Reynolds, College of Engineering
• Co-PIs:
  • Chris Eads, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Caren Cooper, College of Natural Resources
  • Byungsoo Kim, College of Design
  • Jay Levine, College of Sciences
  • Edgar Lobaton, College of Engineering
• Awarded: $5,000
• Abstract: Freshwater mussels are among the most endangered animal groups in North America, with several species, including some in North Carolina, on the brink of extinction. This project will create an interactive art, science, and engineering exhibit that highlights the use of novel bio-integrated sensors to study mussel physiology and behavior as indicators of water quality and environmental stress. Our team at NC State is working on developing miniature wireless sensors (like smartwatches) that can monitor the gaping (shell opening and closing) behaviors and tiny cardiac signals of mussels in response to pollution or temperature changes. By combining these sensor systems with AI-driven analytics, we can translate mussel behavior into real-time ecological insights, positioning these animals as bellwethers of aquatic health. This art and science installation will bring these invisible processes to the public’s attention. Through a dynamic, hands-on display, we will invite the public to interact with a life-sized mussel model that merges human biofeedback (heart rate, movement) with digital representations of mussel physiology. The project will target public awareness of freshwater conservation, highlight NC State’s leadership in data-driven ecological innovation, and exemplify the intersection of design, engineering, and biology, particularly in alignment with the Data Science and AI Academy areas.

Making the Invisible Visible: Artistic Interpretations of AI-Driven Ceramic Materials Research

• PI: Cheryl Xu, College of Engineering
• Co-PI:
  • Deborah Littlejohn, College of Design
• Awarded: $5,000
• Abstract: This project explores the interface of art, artificial intelligence, and advanced ceramic materials research by using artistic practice as a primary mode of inquiry to interpret complex, data-driven scientific workflows. Inspired by the DOE Genesis Mission’s vision of AI-accelerated, closed-loop discovery, the project reframes intelligent ceramic materials design pipelines as dynamic, evolving systems that can be experienced visually and materially rather than only computationally. Through collaboratively developed works—such as sculptural compositions, layered data visualizations, and mixed-media installations—the art and design components will translate AI inference, experimental feedback, uncertainty, and iteration into tangible forms that invite interpretation and reflection. By emphasizing sensory engagement, abstraction, and narrative, the project positions art not simply as a communication tool, but as an active partner in revealing and questioning how AI-enabled discovery reshapes materials research and manufacturing.

The Wind Remembers: A Data and Dance Collaboration

• PI: Tara Mullins, University College
• Co-PIs:
  • Amy Love Beasley, University College, Choreographer
  • Tracey Durbin, Choreographer
  • Michelle Hayford, University College, Theatrical Consultant 
  • Lara Hollaway, Lutheran Services Carolinas
  • Jackson Keys, Filmmaker 
  • Francine E. Ott, Choreographer
  • Kylie Venticinque, Filmmaker 
  • Sarah Egan Warren, Institute for Advanced Analytics
• Awarded: $5,000
• Abstract: The State Dance Company, a research based academic company, in partnership with graduate students from the NC State Institute for Advanced Analytics, under the direction of Dr. Sarah Egan Warren, and Lutheran Family Services New Americans Program, will analyze and present data from scholarly articles, news sources, and policy, concerning the current state of refugee resettlement in the United States. Influenced by this textual and sentiment analysis, along with Isabel Allende’s novel about child refugees, The Wind Knows My Name, choreographers will set original works on the State Dance Company. The data will also inform interviews with local refugees from the Lutheran Family Services New Americans Program. The graduate students from the Institute for Advanced Analytics will also analyze feedback and find connections from end-of-project surveys taken by the collaborators, company members, and audience, on evidence of increased understanding of the refugee experience, which is imperative in our current climate.