IGERT Fellowships in Nanoscale Science and Engineering: The Two-University/One Campus Approach

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This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) renewal award combines the resources and expertise of faculty at two major universities to train Ph.D. students to lead the way in the development, application, and responsible integration of nanotechnology. Drexel faculty members excel in nanoscale engineering research related to materials synthesis and characterization, materials for biomedical, energy and environmental applications, and sensors. University of Pennsylvania faculty members excel in nanoscale science research related to conductive polymers, structure of matter, nano-bio interfaces, electronic devices, molecular motors, and nanoscale instrumentation. This program strives to instill in its trainees the idea of nanotechnology not as an individual discipline, but more of a new approach to science and engineering, which allows us to build new materials and devices starting from molecules or nanometer-size particles. As such, nanotechnology is inherently interdisciplinary. Through collaborative research programs involving multiple faculty advisors that transcend disciplines, departments and university boundaries, IGERT trainees address the most acute problems in the fields of energy, environment and health. This program aims to enhance the diversity of graduate students in nanoscale engineering and science by partnering with the Philadelphia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, Society of Women Engineers, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions Project Office. The program prepares trainees to effectively teach and communicate with a broad audience while recognizing the ethical, legal, and social issues related to cutting-edge research. Trainees receive valuable mentorship experience working with K-12 students and teachers from the School District of Philadelphia and other regional districts, as well as undergraduate researchers, through Drexel's and Penn's network of science and engineering education outreach activities. 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.