US-Africa Cooperative Research: Collaboration in Materials Research

该奖项支持普林斯顿大学的Winston Soboyejo教授、塞内加尔Cheikh Anta Diop de Darar大学的Aboubaker Beye教授、南非威特沃特斯兰德大学的尤努斯·贝利姆教授和赞比亚大学的Christopher Chama教授之间为期一年的合作项目。这笔赠款的目的是促进美国和非洲在材料科学和工程方面的研究合作。九所美国大学和一个国家实验室将参与这一计划。16名科学家(15名来自非洲，1名来自南美)将在参与的美国机构中花费9周时间进行合作研究项目。他们将在以下主要领域进行研究：1)微电子机械系统的失效机理；2)纳米薄膜的加工、表征和变形；3)基础设施材料的整体方法；以及4)耐热震耐火陶瓷的微结构设计。合作将继续进行，美国科学家将互访他们的非洲同行。还提供支助，协助在北非(埃及)和西非(尼日利亚)建立非洲MRS分会。此外，美国研究生还将获得有关国际合作研究过程的宝贵经验。该项目还将为协调和/或组织以下研讨会提供帮助：1)微电子机械系统和薄膜；2)基础设施材料；3)负担得起的材料；4)低成本制造；5)生物材料和生物医学系统；以及6)材料创业。研讨会将由美国研究人员、研究生和博士后研究人员以及来自非洲和南美的同行发表演讲。专题报告将在同行评议的国际期刊的特别版上发表。在波士顿和旧金山举行的美国MRS会议上，还将介绍非洲MRS活动的概况。国际科学与工程办公室、工程总局和材料研究部将共同为该项目提供支持。

0221416SoboyejoThis award supports a one-year collaborative project among Professor Winston Soboyejo, at Princeton University; Professor Aboubaker Beye, at the Universite Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal; Professor Yunus Ballim, at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; and Professor Christopher Chama, at the University of Zambia. The purpose of the grant is to promote research collaborations in materials science and engineering between the United States and Africa. Nine US universities and one national laboratory will be participating in this program. Sixteen scientists (15 from Africa and one from South America) will spend nine weeks conducting collaborative research projects at the participating US institutions. They will conduct research in the following major areas: 1) failure mechanisms in micro-electro-mechanical systems; 2) processing, characterization and deformation of nano-scale thin films; 3) holistic approaches to infrastructure materials; and 4) the microstructural design of thermal shock resistant refractory ceramics. The collaborations will continue with reciprocal visits by the US scientists to their African counterparts. Support is also being provided to assist with the establishment of Africa MRS chapters in North Africa (Egypt), and West Africa (Nigeria). In addition, US graduate students will gain valuable experience about the process of international collaborative research.This project will also provide assistance for the coordination and/or organization of the following symposia that were proposed at prior NSF-supported workshops: 1) micro-electro-mechanical systems and thin films; 2) infrastructure materials; 3) affordable materials; 4) low cost manufacturing; 5) biomaterials and biomedical systems; and 6) entrepreneurship in materials. The symposia will feature talks by US researchers, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, as well as their counterparts from Africa and South America. Symposia presentations will be published in special editions of peer-reviewed international journals. Overviews of the Africa MRS activities will also be presented at the US MRS meetings in Boston and San Francisco.The Office of International Science and Engineering, the Directorate for Engineering, and the Division of Materials Research are jointly providing support for this project.