This is a Minority Research Initiation planning grant proposal. The proposed research will explore acousto-electricity as an alternative method for analyzing stress/strain of loaded structural members (i.e. to locate regions of high stress where failures may initiate). This method of measurement is contactless and would possess certain advantages over present methods which require contact. The planning grant will provide funds to support a well-trained minority scientist to plan and write a competitive proposal for submission to the MRI research initiation component. During the planning process the investigator will conduct an exhaustive literature review, establish consultative relationships with appropriate scientific experts, and evaluate the feasibility of the proposed project from results obtained from preliminary small scale experiments.
