CREST Center for Innovation Research and Education in Environmental Nanotechnology

科学和技术卓越研究中心(CREST)计划通过建立有效整合教育和研究的中心，支持加强少数群体服务机构的研究能力。CREST促进了新知识的发展，提高了教师个人的研究效率，并扩大了在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学科中历来代表性不足的学生的存在。在国家科学基金会的支持下，波多黎各-里约热内卢大学将建立环境纳米技术创新、研究和教育中心。该中心是一项战略努力，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问题，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。该中心将在三个领域开展跨学科研究。(1)用于水土修复的纳米材料分项目将在开发用于净水、土壤修复和资源回收的纳米材料方面产生创新的方法、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)用于环境监测研究的传感器将开发纳米材料，使新的、坚固和稳定的设备能够对环境关注的污染物进行物理和化学传感。主要目标是开发在环境条件下以最低功耗保持运行的设备。(3)用于能量转换的纳米材料的研究将侧重于能量储存和转换，特别是开发先进材料，用于从环境中常见的小分子中回收能量，例如：氨和尿素。重点将放在发现纳米材料以增强氨碱性燃料电池和尿素微生物燃料电池的运行。环境纳米技术的教育和培训将支持本科生和研究生、K-12教师和大学教师的专业发展。将实施一项以公民为基础的研究倡议，使社区能够在知情的情况下作出决定，并制定与环境保护做法和环境纳米技术使用有关的适当公共政策。该中心还满足了培养多样化和准备充分的STEM劳动力的国家需求。

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.