NSF CREST Center for Nano & Bio-Inspired Materials and Devices (CNBMD)

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A scientific team from Norfolk State University (NSU) will initiate a Center for Nano- and Bio-Inspired Materials and Devices (CNBMD) to perform cutting edge research for a range of relevant high-impact applications in medicine, environment, and renewable energy. The research outcomes of this Center will have a tremendous impact on diagnosis and treatments; enabling transformation in health and environmental diagnostics, with for example neural disorders, including Alzheimer?s disease.The research direction of this Center will focus on fast-moving development in nanotechnologies with strong insight into both fundamental and applied aspects of nanoscience. CNBMD will bring together, engineers, physicists, chemists, materials scientists and biologists from universities, industry, and national laboratories to a single multidisciplinary platform, not only to explore both fundamental and applied aspects of nano-materials; but also, to implement education, outreach and mentoring initiatives. The knowledge gained within the Center?s research programs will be transferred to a broad community of scientists, engineers, educators, and students and will enrich key technologies. During its five-year span, the CNBMD will provide education and hands-on training in Nano- and Bio-technology, infrastructure support to a larger research community, and will establish links between NSU and other institutions. The synergistic research and education activities of the multidisciplinary CNBMD will profoundly impact students belonging to minority groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). CNBMD will provide the impetus for the expansion of an overarching infrastructure to foster and support interdisciplinary scholarship, an institutional priority, as NSU positions itself to increase its capacity to prepare a diverse population to become leaders in the global scientific and engineering community.Intellectual MeritThe proposed multi-scale effort will feature 1) Transformative research on the properties of new generations of engineered nano-materials, 2) Development of materials that will enable a new class of devices and ultimately new technologies, and 3) Development of a range of education programs based on the findings of cutting edge research. The project introduces a new collaboration with the NSU Center for Biotechnology and Biomedical Science, which will be of benefit to both groups.Broader ImpactThe development and implementation of nanotechnology for biomedical, energy and environmental sensing applications have tremendous societal impact. Nanotechnology has the potential to dramatically improve the effectiveness of a number of existing consumer and industrial products and could have a substantial impact on the development of new products ranging from disease diagnosis and treatment to environmental remediation. The knowledge gained within the Center?s research programs will be transferred to a broad community of scientists, engineers, educators, and students and will enrich key technologies. The education and training of a diverse and new generation of scientists, in the areas of nanomaterials and devices, will replace retiring researchers in academia and research laboratories. During its five-year span, the CNBMD will provide education and hands-on training in Nano- and Bio-technology, infrastructure support to a larger research community, and will establish links between NSU and other institutions. The synergistic research and education activities of the multidisciplinary CNBMD will profoundly impact students belonging to minority groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). CNBMD will provide the impetus for the expansion of an overarching infrastructure to foster and support interdisciplinary scholarship, an institutional priority, as NSU positions itself to increase its capacity to prepare a diverse population to become leaders in the global scientific and engineering community.