Small Grants, Division of Research, University of Houston, 2024, $5,726

Cougar Initiative to Engage (CITE) grant, 2023, University of Houston, “News-Academic Partnership to Serve Hyper-Local News Audiences,” $4.500

Newspaper and Online News division of AEJMC, Research grant, 2023, $2.500

Faculty Champions grant, 2023, Center for Community News, University of Vermont, $1,000

Research Progress Grant, CLASS, University of Houston, 2020. Co-PI (with Lea Hellmueller and Peggy Lindner), $7, 670

5-in-50 Provost Research Grant, University of Houston, 2020, $5,000

Small Grants, Division of Research, University of Houston, 2019, $4,880

Research Progress Grant, CLASS, University of Houston, 2019, $3,700

Carnegie Whitney Grant, 2017, “Storytelling with Data: A Resource Guide for data Journalism”, $4,900

Research Progress Grant, 2016, University of Houston, $1,700

Association for Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Mass Communication and Society Research Award, “Dual Screening the Candidate Agenda: The Moderating Role of Dual Screening for Attribute Agenda-Setting Effects of Televised Presidential Debates” (with Temple Northup), $10,000 [proposal NOT funded].

Research Progress Grant, 2015, University of Houston, $3,000

National Science Foundation, 2014, “Citizen Sensing: Real-Time Monitoring of Social Sentiment toward Word Events” (with Arjun Mukherjee, Weiyi Meng and Edruard Dragut), $400,170 [proposal NOT funded]

Small Grants Award, 2014, University of Houston, $3,000

New Faculty Research Award, 2012-2013, University of Houston, $6,000

Provosts Travel Award – University of Houston (2015, 2016). Recipient of award from Provost’s office to support travel to conferences, $1,200 per year

Provosts Travel Award – University of Houston (2012, 2013, 2014). Recipient of award from Provost’s office to support travel to conferences, $1,000 per year

Global Supplementary Grant, 2010, Open Society Foundation, $2,000 (declined)

Dissertation Grant-in-Aid, 2010, Indiana University School of Journalism, $1000

Pre-dissertation Grant, 2008, Indiana University, $3,000

Research Expertise from the Academic Diaspora (READ) Program, Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF). Fellow, December 2022 – May 2023.

Faculty Fellow at the Centre for Mind and Cognition, Rurh University, Bochum, Germany (June 2023)

Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge, visiting scholar, June-August 2022

Roy W. Howard Fellowship, 2009/2010, Indiana University School of Journalism, $9,300

Graduate Journalism Fellowship, 2006-2009, Indiana University School of Journalism
$27,000 granted for three consecutive years

Floyd G. Arpan Fellowship, Fall 2006, Indiana University School of Journalism, $ 500

Ron Brown Fellowship, 2003/2005, U.S. Department of State
$ 52,240 grated to complete the Master’s degree at Indiana University

Outstanding Research Award, Valenti School of Communication, University of Houston (2023)

Reviewer of the Year, Journalism Studies (2023)

Top Faculty Paper Award, 2022, Newspaper and Online News Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)

Outstanding Service and Dedication Recognition, 2019, International Communication Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication

Top Paper Award, 2018, Electronic News Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)

Outstanding Research Award, 2017, Valenti School of Communication, University of Houston.

Emerging Scholars Award, 2015, Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, $2,500

Top Paper Award, 2009, International Communication Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)

Frances G. Wilhoit Research Award, 2010, Indiana University School of Journalism