Reseachers from Howard University seek to partner with Cornell University's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) to form a Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) called the Partnership for Reduced Dimensional Materials (PRDM). The PRDM brings together institutions that share NSF's vision of a nation, which through creativity provides global leadership, integrated research and education while expanding both and broadening participation. Howard University, Prince George's Community College (PGCC), Gallaudet University and the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) have come together to share in this vision. The PRDM involves seven investigators at Howard, two investigators at Prince George's Community College (PGCC), two investigators at Gallaudet University and two investigators at Cornell University to leverage the world class research facilities and proven outreach programs at Howard and Cornell Universities.
Intellectual Merit: PRDM research will benefit from and support CCMR research on atomic membranes, spin devices and complex electronic materials. PRDM will also leverage CCMR access to other Cornell centers where there are pre-existing collaborations between Howard PRDM participants and Cornell centers, such as the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) and the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility (CNF). Areas of research at Howard will include growth of thin films, atomic membranes and nanowires, theoretical calculations of atomic reorganization forming atomic membranes and the interaction of the membranes with atoms and molecules. Other areas are self-assembly of nanowire arrays, synthesis of new precursors for deposition of complex nitrides and oxide and transport properties in nanowires. These are all subjects of current research and development interest.
Broader Impact: We will continue our previous partnership's success, providing a distributable model for introducing students from disparate and under-represented communities to cutting edge research and launching them towards materials science and engineering careers. The program emphasizes continuity of training, first at Howard, then at the CCMR MRSEC and assumes that students will stay involved during the academic year. This is a well-integrated team that combines sophisticated approaches for cutting edge research and has demonstrated success in recruiting and training African-Americans and other underrepresented groups in materials research. In the PRDM, Prince George's Community College faculty will continue to create new materials science courses and on line materials science educational resources. PGCC and Gallaudet students will continue to actively participate in research at Howard and at our new MRSEC partner, Cornell, in the summer and during short research visits during the academic year.
