PORTSMOUTH — A Portsmouth woman who teaches at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) has been awarded $18,000 as part of the school’s inaugural Provost Innovation and Accelerator programs, which provide seed funding for faculty to support a broad range of scholarship and professional activities.

With the grant, Professor Nicole Urban, Ph.D, will work to address two aspects related to healthcare disparities in the U.S: the affordability and availability of quality rehabilitative and assistive devices; and the challenge of patient compliance with prescribed therapeutic and assistive services.

“This award will allow me to develop technologies to address an area of need in healthcare delivery as well as provide opportunities for student involvement in the research and development process," said Ms. Urban, who teaches biology. “I am grateful for the university’s support as I launch my project Low Cost, Bespoke, Game-Based Therapy and Assistive Devices.”

In March, the university announced the establishment of its Provost Innovation Fund and Provost Accelerator Fund, which aims to advance the professional goals of faculty, create a pipeline for potential future funding, and elevate Johnson & Wales’ status and reputation as a comprehensive university.

“Cultivating and celebrating faculty achievements in the area of research, scholarship and creative activities allows the university contribute to the broader community while enhancing the student academic experience by providing hands-on, real world experience,” said JWU Provost Kyle McInnis, Sc.D. “As the university continues to strengthen its academic programming we will continue to support faculty scholarship.”