Polymers at Interfaces: A Vehicle for Integrating Research with Education

任何年龄的学生参与研究的不同阶段对科学家和学生来说都是一种刺激的经历。我们建议继续开展一个项目，在这个项目中，教师与学生合作进行尖端研究，从高中开始一直到博士后阶段。我们认为这一安排对所有参与者都是有益的。教师将原创性研究的兴奋带入课堂，为学生提供榜样和动力。大量参与日常研究活动的博士后和研究生也通过与本科生和高中生一起工作来学习教学和指导技能。参与研究的所有阶段，本科生和高中生，了解第一手的期望，如果他们选择科学和工程的职业生涯。美国国家科学基金会（NSF）的一份报告最近确定了国家纳米技术计划（National Nanotechnology Initiative）的一个中心目标，即能够以经济上可行的数量创造出具有原子级精度和控制能力的“智能”和适应性材料，这些材料将“对工业、经济、健康、环境和社会有广泛的好处”。报告指出，“我们更好地理解不同界面材料的能力”是实现这一目标的关键手段。聚合物可以在宏观尺度上进行分子工程，同时保持纳米尺度的精度，在实现这一目标方面发挥着核心作用。因此，本课题有两个研究方向：用于组织工程的工程仿生聚合物支架和细胞机械转导的基础研究，以及能够承受极端条件的自熄聚合物纳米复合材料的设计。因此，这项建议有两个相互关联的目标；(a)在生物材料和纳米复合聚合物工程方面进行原创性和相关的研究；(b)允许对从高中、本科、研究生到博士后的学生进行多方面的培训，以培养在科学和工程领域取得专业职业的必要技能。

The involvement of students of any age in different phases of research can be a stimulating experience for both the scientist and the student. We propose to continue a program where cutting edge research is done in partnership of faculty with students starting from high school through the post doctorate. We believe that this arrangement can be beneficial for all participants. The faculty brings the excitement of original research into the classroom, providing role models and motivation for the students. Post doctoral and graduate students, who are heavily involved in the day to day research activities also learn teaching and mentoring skills through working with the undergraduate and high school students. Becoming involved in all phases of the research, undergraduate and high school students, learn first hand what is expected if they are to chose careers in science and engineering.A central goal of the National Nanotechnology Initiative has recently been identified by an NSF report to be the ability to create "smart" and adaptable materials with atomic level precision and control in economically viable quantities that would "be of broad benefit to industry, economy, health, environment, and society". The report pointed to "our ability to achieve a better understanding of materials at dissimilar interfaces" as a key vehicle to attaining this goal. Polymers, which can be molecularly engineered on a macroscopic scale, while retaining nanometer scale precision, play a central role in attaining this goal. This proposal therefore has two research directions: Engineering biomimetic polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering and fundamental studies of cell mechanical transduction and the desing of self extinguishing polymer nanocomposites that can withstand extreme conditions. This proposal therefore has two interrelated goals; (a) Produce original and relevant research in biomaterials and nanocomposite polymer engineering ; (b) Allow for versatile training of students from high school, undergraduate, graduate through the post-doctorate to develop necessary skills for achieving professional careers in science and engineering.