This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) award supports the development of an interdisciplinary graduate training program centered on the design and study of novel materials with structure-derived functionalities. The program is a collaborative effort between Purdue University, Cornell University and Norfolk State University (NSU). Its goal is to train students to conduct research that will lead to faster, smaller and more efficient devices and technologies with numerous applications, including information storage, signal detection, and biomedical possibilities.
Technical and professional training opportunities include annual laboratory training at Cornell and NSU, ongoing video-conferencing of modular courses, regular consideration of the ethical and social aspects of magnetic and nanostructured materials, and student-driven research initiatives. Trainees will also explore engineering education research in order to learn about the challenges of translating new knowledge into educational resources for schools and the general public. Students will benefit from structured mentoring and training for individual career development--education elements that have been identified as essential for the retention and success of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering. This partnership, of two research universities and a Historically Black University, will bring greater understanding of how the integration of complementary capabilities and opportunities can better prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers.
IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.
