This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) award supports the development of a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional graduate training program of education and research in Intelligent Diagnostics at Northeastern University and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez with partnerships with more than a dozen industrial and government partners. A unifying framework for research and education in Intelligent Diagnostics emphasizes hands-on experience and the use of a suite of experimental TestBEDs for education and research. Experts in civil engineering, computer/signal processing and public policy educate trainees to address the national need for experts in intelligent diagnostics. Trainees participate in a unifying "Boot Camp," research workshops, short courses, weekly round tables, and an Urban Studio with integration of policy; they benefit from industry and government partnerships throughout their training.
The structured interdisciplinary education and training approach to early recognition and successful management of creeping damage associated with aging civil infrastructure systems will prepare graduates to address intelligent diagnostics in a wide range of physical systems. The goal for trainees is to learn how to systematically monitor the health of society's civil infrastructure, prescribe cost effective procedures for the remediation of problems, and prevent catastrophic collapse, all within the context of public policy. The program fosters disciplinary and cultural background diversity. Graduates will be diagnostic engineers whose training integrates advanced detection and diagnostics methods, understanding of physical systems and economic and management issues. 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.
