MRI: Acquisition of a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching at California State University, Bakersfield

这一重大研究仪器奖支持为加州州立大学贝克斯菲尔德分校(CSUB)购买最先进的场发射扫描电子显微镜(FE-SEM)，该大学是一家指定的拉美裔服务机构，也是半径超过100英里的唯一一所综合性大学。新的FE-SEM是一种分析系统，可以实现纳米级样品的高分辨率成像，同时对样品表面进行定性和定量的化学分析。该仪器非凡的多功能性将提升我们跨多个学科的研究能力，包括地质学、生物学、环境研究、工程学、物理学和农业。这一工具将是CSUB努力改善少数民族学生的招生和留存，提高他们的教育成就，培养研究生水平学习所需的研究技能，并增加在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域攻读研究生学位的人数不足的少数民族学生的努力的组成部分。这一工具还将加强对邻近社区大学、高中和科学教师培训倡议的外联努力，这些倡议部分得到了单独的NSF资金的支持。新仪器包括FE-SEM、带硅漂移探测器的能量色散X射线能谱(EDS)和冷台。FE-SEM为样品表面在低加速电压下的成像提供了纳米级的分辨率，不需要导电涂层，这将显著减少成像伪影，提高对精细特征的分辨能力。带有硅漂移探测器的能谱仪提供材料的元素分析，并允许快速扫描和出色的能量分辨率。冷阶段为CSUB带来了一种全新的扫描电子显微镜技术，这对生物标本的检查特别有价值。这台仪器将彻底改变CSUB扫描电子显微镜实验室的分析能力，新的研究将集中在以下几个方面：1)泥岩中纳米尺度的孔隙结构和砂岩中的粘土微孔率(地质学)；2)古海洋学、地球生物学和古气候(地质学)；3)木材结构和植物水力功能(生物学)；4)纤维素等软质的结构及其与物理性质的关系(工程学)；5)农业废物衍生催化剂的筛选和表征，以加强能源和资源回收(农业)。它将支持几个目前由外部资助的研究项目，包括由NSF资助的项目。它还将为CSUB的教职员工提供新的研究方向，并促进来自不同部门的CSUB教职员工之间的新合作项目，以及与来自其他机构的研究人员的合作。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 Major Research Instrumentation award supports the acquisition of a state-of-the-art field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) for California State University Bakersfield (CSUB), a designated Hispanic Serving Institution and the only comprehensive university within a radius of over 100 miles. The new FE-SEM is an analytical system that can achieve high-resolution imaging of samples at nanometer scale, while simultaneously performing qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis of the surface of the sample. The remarkable versatility of this instrument will upgrade our research capabilities across multiple disciplines, including Geology, Biology, Environmental Studies, Engineering, Physics, and Agriculture. This instrument will be an integral part of CSUB’s efforts to improve the enrollment and retention of minority students, to enhance their educational achievements, to develop research skills necessary for graduate-level study, and to increase the number of underrepresented minority students in pursuing graduate degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. This instrument will also enhance outreach efforts to neighboring community colleges, high schools, and science teacher training initiatives which are partly supported by separate NSF funding. The new instrument includes an FE-SEM, an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) with silicon drift detector and a coldstage. The FE-SEM provides nanometer-scale resolution for the imaging of sample surfaces at low accelerating voltage, without the requirement of conductive coatings, which will significantly reduce the imaging artifacts and improve the capability of resolving fine-scale features. The EDS with silicon drift detector provides elemental analysis of materials, and it allows fast scanning and excellent energy resolution. The coldstage brings an entirely new SEM technology to CSUB that is particularly valuable for examination of biological specimens. This instrument will revolutionize the analytical capabilities of CSUB SEM Laboratory and new research will focus on the following aspects, including 1) nanometer-scale pore structure in mudrocks and clay microporosity in sandstones (Geology); 2) paleoceanography, geobiology and paleoclimate (Geology); 3) wood structure and plant hydraulic function (Biology); 4) structure of soft matter like cellulose and the relationship to physical properties (Engineering); 5) agricultural-waste-derived catalyst screening and characterization for enhanced energy and resource recovery (Agriculture). It will support several current externally funded research projects including projects funded by the NSF. It will also enable new research directions for CSUB faculty and facilitate new collaborative projects between CSUB faculty from different departments, as well as collaborations with researchers from other institutions.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.