IRES Track 1: Electrochemical Technologies for Carbon-Free Economy

这项面向学生的国际研究体验(IRES)将使不同群体的美国学生能够寻求与能源行业脱碳和实现无碳经济相关的研究机会。太阳能、风能和其他可再生能源技术使世界各地的发电部门得以转型和脱碳。然而，这些电源是间歇性的，电网上可再生资源的可靠管理将需要灵活的需求和储能相结合。电化学技术为电网脱碳以及交通和制造业转型提供了解决方案。引入在这些领域处于领先地位的国际实体可以帮助建立可再生能源研究的全球能力，并为本科生和研究生提供国际经验，特别是在队列环境中。特别关注的是与清洁能源工作相关的劳动力发展，因为随着美国承诺对电网和交通行业进行脱碳，这一职业预计将大幅增长。该项目的成果将完全集中在学生的学习上，因为一个关键目标是留住和培训美国劳动力，并将STEM中更多代表不足的少数族裔带到美国劳动力大军中。该项目的总体目标是培养美国多样化的可再生能源技术劳动力，提高学生对零碳排放低温技术的认识，并让学生参与专注于基础知识的具体研究活动。在为期三年的时间里，来自美国的18名学生每年将在柏林工业大学(TU柏林)和Max-Planck协会的Fritz-Haber研究所(FHI)花费10周时间在多学科环境中进行指导研究。学生的研究项目将分为三个一般领域：i)氢气技术，ii)二氧化碳减排技术，iii)低温合成氨。这些项目将利用柏林工业大学和FHI的资源和最先进的设备和设施。在德国开展这些研究活动将为清洁能源技术提供广泛的全球背景，因为德国为可再生能源的普及设定了雄心勃勃的目标，而TUB和FHI是电化学技术的世界领先者。该计划旨在培养全球参与的学生，他们在零排放技术和环境影响的背景下思考化学转化、工程学和经济学。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This International Research Experience for Students (IRES) will enable a diverse group of the US students to pursue research opportunities that relate to decarbonization of energy sector and enable carbon-free economy. Solar, wind and other renewable energy technologies enabled transformation and decarbonization of the power generation sector around the world. However, these power sources are intermittent and reliable management of renewable resources on the power grid will require a combination of flexible demand and energy storage. Electrochemical technologies offer solutions to decarbonize electricity grid and to transform transportation and manufacturing industries. Bringing in international entities that are leaders in these areas can help establish global competency in renewable energy research and provide undergraduate and graduate students international experiences, especially in a cohort environment. Specific focus is set on workforce development with relation to clean-energy jobs, as this profession is expected to grow substantially, as US commits to decarbonize its electric grid and transportation sectors. The program achievements will solely focus on students learning, as a key objective is to retain and train US workforce and to bring more underrepresented minorities in STEM to the US workforce. Student cohort immersion into interdisciplinary research activities, with hand-on laboratory experience and project-based learning will ensure development of wide range of knowledge, proficiencies and skills.The overall goal of the program is to develop US diverse workforce in renewable technologies and increase students' awareness of the low temperature technologies with zero carbon emissions and to involve students in specific research activities focused on fundamentals. Over a three-year period, eighteen students from the US will spend ten weeks (each year) at the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) and Fritz-Haber Institute (FHI) of Max-Planck Society conducting mentored research in a multidisciplinary environment. Student research projects will fall into three general areas: i) hydrogen technologies, ii) carbon dioxide reduction technologies, iii) low temperature ammonia production. These projects will leverage resources and state-of-the-art equipment and facilities at TU Berlin and FHI. Conducting these research activities in Germany will provide a broad, global context for the clean energy technologies, as Germany has set ambitious goals for renewable energy penetration and TUB and FHI are world leaders in electrochemical technologies. The program intends to develop globally engaged students, who think about chemical transformations, engineering, and economics within the context of zero-emission technologies and environmental impact.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.