Proposal No.: 0727552 PI Name: TIWARI, Sandip PI's Institution: Cornell University Proposal Title: International Research Experience in Nanotechnology-NNIN and NIMS
Over a three year period this International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program provides a summer international research experience for students in nanotechnology in partnership with the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan. This program builds upon the existing National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) Research Experience for Undergraduates program by providing a second summer international nanotechnology research experience. Five undergraduate students will be selected from 70 candidates of the prior summer's NNIN REU program assuring that they have a foundation of skills and knowledge upon which to build an individualized international experience in an advanced international laboratory mentored by leading scientists. Students will travel to Japan to undertake a nine week research project under the direction of a senior scientist at NIMS. Upon return to the U.S. they will share their international research experience with the collected participants at the NNIN REU Convocation.
The selected undergraduate students will each engage in a challenging nanotechnology research project at NIMS, under the guidance of a NIMS senior staff scientist. Projects will be drawn from all areas of nanotechnology, including electronic and optical devices, electronic and optical materials, micromechanical devices and structures, nanomaterials, and nanobiotechnology. The undergraduate students will be expected to complete their project and make a substantial scientific contribution to their host research group at NIMS. The program concludes with a multi-day NNIN REU Convocation in which the participants will have the opportunity to promote global awareness among U.S. domestic NNIN REU participants.
This project will engage five talented and motivated undergraduates each year in a summer international research experience at one of the world's leading nanotechnology research centers, the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan. The students will build upon their prior experience in nanotechnology, adding further to their nanotechnology experience while developing the skills of a global scientist. They will learn to work and communicate in an international environment while completing a technical project. They will have the opportunity to develop independence and confidence both in their ability to do state of the art research and in their ability to work and interact in an international research setting. Upon their return, they will also communicate their experience to their peers in the U.S., further building essential communication skills and propagating the experience. This program is designed to build upon expressed interest in nanotechnology and develop the academic, research, and social skills necessary for the development of globally aware scientists and engineers. Goals have been presented, to enhance participant gender, race/ethnicity, and institutional diversity.
