UA Little Rock’s Dr. Noureen Siraj Awarded Emerging Research Leaders Grant
Noureen Siraj, associate professor of chemistry at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been selected as one of 12 recipients of the 2026 Emerging Research Leaders (ERL) Program grant, a new statewide initiative designed to strengthen research in Arkansas and support scientists pursuing federal funding opportunities.
The program, created by the Arkansas Research Alliance and AR-NETWORK, provides funding, mentorship, and professional development support to faculty researchers across Arkansas.
The ERL Program provides $30,000 annually for up to two years along with professional development opportunities such as mentorship and proposal development training. The grant is designed to strengthen Arkansas researchers’ competitiveness for external funding and help grow sustainable research programs within the state.
Siraj said the award will play an important role in advancing her research program at UA Little Rock.
“Receiving the ERL award is deeply meaningful to me and to the research program I am building at UA Little Rock,” Siraj said. “I believe this opportunity will significantly strengthen my leadership capacity, proposal development skills, and ability to build and manage high-performing research teams.”
Siraj’s research spans areas such as nanomedicine, lithium energy storage, and flexible electronic technologies. She plans to use the funding to support student researchers, expand research collaborations, and enhance the university’s research capabilities through new equipment and resources.
Siraj said she hopes the program will help her build stronger partnerships across Arkansas while advancing workforce development and innovation.
“Through the ERL Program, I hope to build strong partnerships with state agencies and industry stakeholders to ensure that our research contributes meaningfully to Arkansas’s economy,” Siraj said. “I believe the program will provide an important platform for developing competitive research proposals and translational research strategies through interdisciplinary collaboration across Arkansas and other states.”
Looking ahead, Siraj hopes her research will contribute to the development of sustainable energy technologies and support economic growth in Arkansas and beyond.
“Through ERL mentorship and training, I aim to further mature this technology, strengthen federal grant proposals, and secure sustained external funding that will support continued research development, workforce training, and future commercialization efforts,” she said.