IGERT: Building Leadership for the Nanotechnology Workforce of Tomorrow

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This IGERT integrates graduate research and education toward understanding and exploiting macroscopic manifestations of nanoscale phenomena. Research will focus on: i) nanoscale materials: assembling and engineering nanomaterials with integrated functionality; (ii) nanotechnology tools and devices: developing tools to integrate biological or synthetic nanoscale building blocks into devices; and (iii) nanomedical applications: studying, diagnosing, and treating the roots of diseases at the nanoscale. Education will focus on increasing the diversity of discipline, venue (e.g., academia, industry, government laboratories) and culture to which students are exposed, enhancing their ability to lead an increasingly diverse workforce. The goal is to produce highly qualified Ph.D. graduates who will make seamless transitions into productive careers as leaders in myriad aspects of nanotechnology. In addition the program will benefit many other students who use the educational programs created; these include a dual degree option enabling students in any of ten departments to obtain a Ph.D. in "Home Department" and Nanotechnology. Moreover, the program strengthens ties among participating departments in Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine through encouraging student-centered interdisciplinary research projects. Coordination with other IGERTs and interdisciplinary programs on campus will focus on common issues of (i) overcoming institutional barriers to interdisciplinary education and (ii) recruiting a diverse student body. Impact will extend beyond the local campus through publication and public presentation of research and educational innovations, and collaboration with emerging regional undergraduate nanotechnology education programs. 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.