Planning Grant: I/UCRC for The Center for Macromolecular Topology (CMT)

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Planning Grant for an I/UCRC for Macromolecular Topology 1134832 University of Cincinnati; Gregory Beaucage 1134788 University of Michigan; Ronald Larson The University of Cincinnati and the University of Michigan are collaborating to establish the proposed center, with the University of Cincinnati as the lead institution. This is a planning grant request from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Michigan to explore a potential I/UCRC in macromolecular topology. Funds are requested for a two-day planning meeting with potential industrial sponsors in Cincinnati. The proposed Center for Macromolecular Topology (CMT) will address a need in the polymer industry to synthetically control, characterize, model and simulate complex macromolecular architectures to manipulate mechanical and rheological properties. The CMT will develop human capacity in the chemical industry. The center will significantly enhance the nations research infrastructure base, and plans to coordinate internet based video courses on rheology, scattering, synthesis and modeling of complex macromolecular systems that will be available to industrial as well as academic participants and the general public on arrangement with the Universities. CMT will actively recruit women and minority graduate and undergraduate students. The center has as a main goal enhancement of the intellectual capacity of the engineering workforce and capabilities in controlling molecular topology. Improvement in the control of molecular topology will lead directly to improvements in a wide range of consumer and industrial products from gels to tires; from plastic packaging to viscosity enhancement in oils.