PREM: A Research and Educational Partnership in Nanomaterials between Tuskegee University and Cornell University

塔斯基吉大学先进材料中心和康奈尔材料研究中心将根据国家科学基金会(NSF)赞助的研究和教育伙伴关系(PREM)计划，在纳米材料研究和教育方面建立长期伙伴关系。康奈尔材料研究中心是康奈尔大学的材料研究科学和工程中心(MRSEC)。该计划建立在两个机构之间长期富有成效的关系的基础上，有三个主要组成部分：纳米材料方面的合作研究，为本科生和研究生材料教育开发教育资源和课程，以及与K-12学生和教师进行接触。一个跨大学的研究小组将合作发展对纳米颗粒和聚合物之间的化学相互作用以及这些纳米级相互作用与纳米复合材料的机械性能之间的关系的基本理解。这一认识将被用来合理地开发新一代纳米复合材料结构材料，这些材料可以适用于传统的加工方法。生产具有更高强度和耐用性的高性能纺织品将是这一努力的重点之一。来自这两个机构的教职员工、研究生和本科生将参与研究的各个方面。这一合作关系将加强塔斯基吉大学的本科生和研究生材料科学教育项目。康奈尔大学开发的教育材料、课程和最佳做法将通过远程学习、远程会议和跨校园访问相结合的方式与塔斯基吉大学的教职员工和学生共享。通过一些创造性和有效的外展计划，合作伙伴将介绍一批准备充分的高中生和社区大学生从事材料研究，并向学生介绍材料科学和工程领域的职业机会。这种伙伴关系将在全国范围内产生更广泛的影响。通过吸引和培养相当数量的本科生和研究生，这一合作伙伴关系将显著影响材料科学领域的多样性。通过教育学生在国家对纳米结构材料日益增长的需求的跨学科领域，该项目将有助于培养下一代科学家和工程师，这是持续经济增长所必需的。通过开发一类新的高性能材料，该研究计划将增强美国在迅速扩大的国际兴趣领域的竞争力。此外，该项目将提高公众对材料研究的认识，并接触到更广泛的社区，从而有助于吸引更多的学生进入STEM领域。

A long-term partnership for research and education in nanomaterials will be established between the Center for Advanced Materials at Tuskegee University and the Cornell Center for Materials Research, a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Cornell University, under the Partnership for Research and Education (PREM) program sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program, which builds upon a long-standing, productive relationship between the two institutions, has three principal components: collaborative research in nanomaterials, development of educational resources and curricula for undergraduate and graduate education in materials, and outreach to K-12 students and teachers. A cross-university research team will work collaboratively to develop fundamental understanding of both the chemical interactions between nanoparticles and polymers and the relationship between these nanoscale interactions and the mechanical properties of nanocomposite materials. This understanding will be used to rationally develop a new generation of nanocomposite structural materials that are amenable to conventional processing methods. The production of high performance textiles with improved strength and durability will be one focus of this effort. Faculty, graduate students and undergraduates from both institutions will be involved in all aspects of the research. This partnership will strengthen the undergraduate and graduate materials science education program at Tuskegee University. Educational materials, courses and best practices developed at Cornell University will be shared with faculty and students at Tuskegee University using a combination of distance learning, teleconferencing and cross-campus visits. Through a number of creative and effective outreach programs, the partners will introduce a pool of well prepared high school and community college students to materials research and inform the students of career opportunities in the field of materials science and engineering.This partnership will have national broader impacts. By attracting and educating a considerable number of undergraduate and graduate African American students, the partnership will significantly impact the diversity of the field of materials science. By educating students in an interdisciplinary area of increasing national need nanostructured materials the program will help train the next generation of scientists and engineers, which is necessary for continued economic growth. By developing a new class of high performance materials, the research program will strengthen U.S. competitiveness in a rapidly expanding field of international interest. In addition, the program will elevate public awareness of materials research and reach out to the broader community, thereby helping to attract more students into STEM fields.