IRES: U.S.-Netherlands Collaborative International Research Experience for Students in Mass Spectrometry and Ion Spectroscopy

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In this International Research Experience for Students (IRES) project, U.S. graduate and undergraduate students under the supervision of Professors Mary T. Rodgers of Wayne State University and Peter B. Armentrout of the University of Utah will participate in international collaborative research projects with Dutch counterpartners and institutions to investigate the roles of metal ion interactions in biology, energy and catalysis, and the environment. The biological, catalytic, and environmentally oriented mass spectrometry and spectroscopic studies they carry out are expected to add to the rapidly growing and evolving research areas that interest a broad community of researchers. Each U.S. cohort will be assigned collaborate on several projects, with each student acting as the lead researcher on a particular project. Outcomes from this IRES are expected to contribute to the underpinnings of these methodologies and add to their continuing development, while contributing to STEM workforce preparation.Twice a year for three years, U.S. student cohorts will travel to the Netherlands for month long research visits to participate in cooperative research projects that make use of unique Dutch instrumentation (laser systems and mass spectrometers) and cyber infrastructure at the Free Electron Lasers for Infrared eXperiments (FELIX) facility at the Radboud University Nijmegen. The FELIX facility in the Netherlands is an international user facility supported by an advanced technical staff as well as faculty, students, and postdoctoral fellows associated with the university. Planned experiments are designed to measure directly the infrared spectra of the metal-ligand complexes, thereby providing structural and mechanistic information through the analysis of the observed photodissociation pathways along with concomitant theoretical work. Because the FELIX facility welcomes a wide variety of researchers from around the globe, IRES participants should benefit from an exceptional, early career opportunity to interact with Dutch partners as well as researchers from other institutions and countries. Theoretical calculations, additional data analysis, and preparation of the results for presentation will continue after the students return to the U.S., culminating in the expected outcome of scientific publications, under the guidance of the U.S. PIs and Dutch mentors. Pre- and post visit surveys along with a three-year follow-up survey will be administered to assess the success of this IRES program. A website for this U.S.-Netherlands IRES program will make the results of the program available to participants, the broader scientific community, and the public.