The multi-university Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Membrane Applied Science and Technology at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Cincinnati addresses research in membrane technologies in meeting the separation needs of a broad range of critical industries including chemical, petrochemical, energy, pharmaceutical and water. The Center will continue to focus on research of membranes, micro-porous thin films, and thin film barrier layers. This I/UCRC will continue to significantly enhance the research database available for the disciplines involved with membrane technologies.
PROJECT OUTCOME REPORT – EEC-0120725 "CU-UC MEMBRANE APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MAST) CENTER: A MULTI-UNIVERSITY I/U CRC". MEMBRANE APPLIED SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY (MAST) CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER This is the Progress Outcome Report of NSF grant EEC-0624157, entitled, CU-UC Membrane Applied Science and Technology (MAST) Center: A Multi-University I/U CRC Five-Year Renewal. In August of 2006, the MAST Center was awarded Multi-University Center status by NSF for a renewal period of five years. The capabilities and resources available to the MAST Center sites enabled development of a multifaceted research program characterized by both breadth and focus. In addition to basic expertise in membrane formation, characterization and performance, the Center research program supported work in several important application areas including membrane fouling, water treatment and reclamation, and sensors. In particular, the Center expanded membrane research to respond to the interests of the pharmaceutical and biomedical as well as the food and beverage industries. During this five-year award period, the MAST Center generated 48 peer-reviewed publications, 2 masters’ degree theses, 7 doctoral theses, and 95 presentations at national and international Conferences. The MAST Center supported 31 research projects at 7 universities, which involved active participation from 31 faculty members and 46 graduate student/post-doctoral researchers. The University of Colorado site of the MAST Center received over $2.3M in industrial sponsor fees, generated $8.8M of spin-off funding from 19 awards, and produced three invention disclosures and two provisional patents. The Center welcomed two small businesses as MAST Center members through the NSF Supplemental Opportunity for SBIR/STTR Memberships in I/UCRCs program. Overall, efforts by the directors to attract high-quality graduate students, add new faculty with relevant technical expertise, and emphasize the importance of conveying Center research results at major national and international meetings and via publication in first-rank journals were critical to the ultimate success of the Center. MAST Center directors and faculty made significant contributions to NSF during the term of this award. In addition to review activities and active participation in the annual NSF I/UCRC Center Directors’ meetings, the Center formulated the NSF 2009 Exit Interview Project for the I/U CRC Program to better determine how NSF and I/U CRC Centers can improve communication and accommodation for sponsor needs. The MAST Center has also been a significant contributor to the membrane community via leadership and active participation in many professional activities. For example, the first-ever North American Membrane Society (NAMS)-International Conference on Inorganic Membranes (ICIM) joint meeting was held in Washington, DC, in July 2010, and was co-hosted by the MAST Center/University of Colorado. The theme of NAMS/ICIM 2010 was "Membranes: Enabling a Sustainable Future," and the meeting included 500 abstracts submitted from 600 attendees representing almost 30 countries; 192 lectures and 300 posters. Based upon the success of the Membrane Applied Science and Technology Center, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and University of Colorado Boulder (CUB) formed a partnership to create the Membrane Science, Engineering and Technology Center. This Center was awarded multi-university status in the NSF I/UCRC program in July 2010 with NJIT as the lead site and CUB as a participating site. The addition of NJIT significantly strengthened Center capabilities and provided considerable new technical expertise for the new Center.
