This IRES award is a collaborative research program between University of North Texas in the U.S. and Tsukuba University and Shimane University in Japan, drawing on complementary expertise at each institution to train U.S. graduate and undergraduate students in the interdisciplinary field of nanophotonic materials research. The research plan involves interdisciplinary research teams from the Department of Physics, Material Science, Biology and Electrical Engineering from the U.S. and Japan to develop nanoscale light emitters based on plasmonic/photonic bandgap nanostrucutres and DNA-based transistors. At Shimane University, Dr. Yasuhisa Fujita lead the collaboration in development of novel nanoscale light emitters based on ZnO nanoparticles and UV photonic bandgap semiconductors. At Tsukuba University, nanophotonic-based plasmonic nanostructures and DNA-based hybrid molecular electron device research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Kiyoshi Asakawa. The award will support six students per year for three years for 7-8 week summer research experiences in Japan. Each year the students will include three graduate and three undergraduate students, at least two of whom will be from underrepresented minorities. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science will support additional aspects of the student and faculty exchange program between UNT and University of Tsukuba.
