CREST Center for Innovation Research and Education in Environmental Nanotechnology

科学和技术卓越研究中心（CREST）方案通过建立有效整合教育和研究的中心，支持加强为少数群体服务的机构的研究能力。CREST促进新知识的发展，提高个别教师的研究生产力，并扩大历史上在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科中代表性不足的学生的数量。在国家科学基金会的支持下，波多黎各大学-里奥皮德拉斯将建立环境纳米技术创新、研究和教育中心。 该中心是一个战略性的努力，涉及与大学，国家实验室和行业合作，利用纳米材料研究来解决环境污染，这是一个具有地方和国家重要性的主题，同时发展未来的STEM劳动力。(1)用于水和土壤修复的纳米材料子项目将在开发用于水净化、土壤修复和资源回收的纳米材料方面产生创新方法、研究和教育。特别是，这些努力将开发用于水净化，重金属修复和微生物反应器的反应膜。(2)环境监测传感器研究将开发纳米材料，使新的，强大的和稳定的设备，物理和化学感测的污染物的环境问题。主要目标是开发在环境条件下以最小功耗保持运行的设备。(3)用于能量转换的纳米材料研究将侧重于能量储存和转换，特别关注开发先进材料，用于从环境中通常遇到的小分子中回收能量，例如：氨和尿素。重点将放在发现用于氨碱性燃料电池和尿素微生物燃料电池增强运行的纳米材料。环境纳米技术的教育和培训将支持本科生和研究生、K-12教师和大学教员的专业发展。将实施一项以公民为基础的研究举措，使社区能够作出知情的决定，并制定与环境保护做法和使用环境纳米技术有关的适当公共政策。该中心还解决了国家发展多元化和准备充分的STEM劳动力的需求。

The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the enhancement of research capabilities of minority-serving institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge, enhancements of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded presence of students historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. With National Science Foundation support, the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras will establish the Center for Innovation, Research, and Education in Environmental Nanotechnology. The Center is a strategic effort that involves collaborations with universities, national laboratories and industry to utilize nanomaterials research to address environmental pollution, a topic of local and national importance, while developing the future STEM workforceThis Center will conduct interdisciplinary research in three areas. (1) The Nanomaterials for Water and Soil Remediation subproject will yield innovative approaches, research and education in the development of nanomaterials for water purification, soil remediation and resource recovery. In particular, these efforts will develop reactive membranes for water purification, heavy metal remediation, and microbial reactors. (2) Sensors for Environmental Monitoring research will develop nanomaterials that enable new, robust and stable devices for physical and chemical sensing of contaminants of environmental concern. The main goal is to develop devices that remain operational under environmental conditions with minimal power consumption. (3) Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion research will focus on energy storage and conversion, with special interest in the development of advanced materials for the recovery of energy from small molecules that are typically encountered in the environment such as: ammonia and urea. Emphasis will be placed on the discovery of nanomaterials for the enhanced operation of ammonia alkaline fuel cells and urea microbial fuel cells.Education and training in environmental nanotechnology will support the professional development of undergraduate and graduate students, K-12 teachers, and university faculty. A citizen-based research initiative will be implemented to enable communities to make informed decisions and establish appropriate public policies related to environmental conservation practices and the use of environmental nanotechnology. The Center also addresses the national need to develop a diverse and well-prepared STEM workforce.