NSF funds over $50M in new partnerships to broaden participation in materials science
New Mexico State University, in partnership with NSF Quantum Foundry at the University of California, Santa Barbara awarded $1 million to develop a new partnership by the National Science Foundation.
Excerpt from the NMSU-UCSB Partnership for Research and Education on Quantum Materials and Processes abstract
With nearly 15,000 students (over 60% Hispanic or Native American), New Mexico State University (NMSU) is one of the largest minority-serving institutions in the US, located in one of its poorest regions with a household income 32% below the US median. This Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) will build significant capacity and infrastructure for research and education in materials at NMSU, complementing an existing pathway towards careers in national nuclear security.
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) partner institution will benefit from access to a talented pool of graduate applicants and an inclusive culture. The research results obtained in this partnership will be published in joint peer-reviewed journal articles and presented at conferences, with authors from both institutions, including students. Data will be published or shared with other researchers. The public will benefit from novel devices built on quantum materials and processes. Regional public and private employers will see an increasingly skilled labor pool, which will contribute to the economic development in New Mexico.
This Partnership for Research and Education on Quantum Materials and Processes (PREQ) will focus on materials research in two cohesive interdisciplinary thrusts with eleven faculty members at both institutions related to (1) the superconductivity of ruthenates and their heterostructures and (2) the infrared optical response of topological insulators and semimetals. Joint research at both partner institutions will advance knowledge in feedback loops involving materials synthesis, device fabrication, quantum transport, optical characterization, and density functional theory, enabling novel electronic and photonic devices and applications.
This PREM will broaden the participation of URM students in materials research and education through targeted high school and community college recruiting and outreach followed by social and academic integration activities, including research from PREM faculty members with URM undergraduate and graduate students, and exchange of students and faculty researchers between both institutions.
Excerpt from NSF News Website
The U.S. National Science Foundation is announcing $50 million in Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) awards to 15 collaborative research projects nationwide to expand participation and access to materials science-focused facilities, education, training, and careers.
NSF is investing over $50 million in total, which includes awards of over $4 million each to 11 partnering institutions over six years and $1 million in seed funding to each of four additional institutions over three years.
"Supporting the scientific talent present in every community in our country is imperative to strengthening the nation's materials research infrastructure, which is central to everything from semiconductors to medical implants," said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. "NSF is dedicated to empowering everyone who wants to shape our scientific future for the benefit of their communities and the U.S. research community at large."
For the full article in NSF News please see the link below
