Program Director's Recommendation Planning Grant: CICI I/UCRC Expansion to Add a Site at the University of North Dakota (UND)
1237579 University of North Dakota; Wayne Seames
The University of North Dakota (UND) seeks to join the existing Center for Integration of Composites into Infrastructure (CICI). The Center is currently comprised of West Virginia University (lead institution), Rutgers University, the University of Miami (FL), and North Carolina State University.
The current mission of the Center is to accelerate the adoption of polymer composites into infrastructure and transportation applications through a collaborative research partnership of academia, government and industry. Research is focused on fundamental scientific topics concerning composites such as strength/service life predictions, smart structure development, fire/blast protection, fatigue response, aging phenomenon, and nondestructive testing. The Center works to develop new and unique products that can be made through a wide variety of processes for which numerous market opportunities exist. By adding UND to the CICI, the research scope will be expanded to include: 1) renewable polymers and composites for use in CICI relevant applications, 2) natural and renewable filler materials for composites, and 3) characterization of emissions generated during fires from composite infrastructure materials. The UND site will be administered through the SUNRISE BioProducts State Funded Center of Excellenece.
The center's activities seek to enhance the international competitiveness of American industry in the area of composites including modular construction and rapid deployment techniques using natural and biomaterials; thus reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The proposed expansion furthers this goal by expanding the scope of the CICI to include the entire value chain for renewable source feed stocks that can be incorporated into composite materials. The experience of the investigators at UND provides a nice complement to the existing Center competencies. Strong potential for cooperative research exists through the use of biopolymers developed at UND coupled with the natural fabric research conducted at WVU or NCSU. In addition to the publishing of journal articles and conference presentations to promote scientific research and knowledge dissemination, the proposed site and the Center will utilize separate funding mechanisms to educate practicing engineers and end users who are not familiar with composites. The above mentioned broader impact will be assured through collective multi-university team work involving various disciplines and a wide spectrum of industries and agencies. The UND site will add diversity through a SUNRISE REU site, a SUNRISE Native American program, and a bridge program with a Hispanic serving institution.
The University of North Dakota (UND) completed the necessary planning then developed and submitted a proposal to expand the Center for Integration of Composites into Infrastructure (CICI) NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research (I/UCR) Center to add a supplemental site at UND. The CICI’s vision is to advance composite science and technology, expand the use of composites in infrastructure, and provide educational opportunities to current and future engineers. The UND site will be administered through the SUNRISE BioProducts State Designated Center of Excellence. SUNRISE BioProducts focuses on the research, development, and commercialization of renewable chemicals, polymers, and composite materials. The UND site will add four key capabilities to the center: 1) The development of renewable polymers and composites for use in CICI relevant applications, 2) The characterization of emissions generated during fires from composite infrastructure materials, 3) Improving the use of composites in infrastructure applications by improving chemical and formulation properties, and 4) Evaluating composite-containing infrastructure elements under extreme cold weather conditions. One-on-one briefing meetings/teleconferences were held with 22 potential companies and two state departments of transportation.Then, a planning grant meeting was organized and executed which included the NSF Program Manager, the CICI External Evaluator, the CICI Center Director, all potential UND faculty participants, key UND adminstrative personnel, and representatives from potential industry members. The planning process also identified and refined the inital UND CICI research portfolio. Four companies provided letters of committment to join the CICI UND Site.
