US-Africa Cooperative Research: Collaboration in Materials Research

0221416 Soboyejo该奖项支持普林斯顿大学的Winston Soboyejo教授、塞内加尔达喀尔大学的Aboubaker Beye教授、南非威特沃特斯兰德大学的Yunus Ballim教授和赞比亚大学的Christopher查马教授之间为期一年的合作项目。 该赠款的目的是促进美国和非洲之间在材料科学和工程方面的研究合作。 九所美国大学和一个国家实验室将参与该计划。 16名科学家（15名来自非洲，1名来自南美洲）将在参与的美国机构进行为期9周的合作研究项目。 他们将在以下主要领域进行研究：1）微机电系统的失效机制; 2）纳米级薄膜的加工，表征和变形; 3）基础设施材料的整体方法;以及4）抗热震耐火陶瓷的微观结构设计。 合作将继续进行，美国科学家将对非洲同行进行互访。 还提供支助，协助在北非（埃及）和西非（尼日利亚）设立监测和评价系统非洲分会。 此外，美国研究生将获得有关国际合作研究过程的宝贵经验，该项目还将为协调和/或组织以下研讨会提供帮助，这些研讨会是在以前NSF支持的研讨会上提出的：1）微机电系统和薄膜; 2）基础设施材料; 3）廉价材料; 4）低成本制造; 5）生物材料和生物医学系统; 6）材料创业。 研讨会将由美国研究人员，研究生和博士后研究人员以及来自非洲和南美洲的同行进行演讲。 专题讨论会的发言将发表在同行评审的国际期刊特刊上。 在波士顿和弗朗西斯科举行的美国MRS会议上也将介绍非洲MRS活动的概况。国际科学和工程办公室、工程局和材料研究司正联合为这一项目提供支助。

0221416SoboyejoThis award supports a one-year collaborative project among Professor Winston Soboyejo, at Princeton University; Professor Aboubaker Beye, at the Universite Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal; Professor Yunus Ballim, at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; and Professor Christopher Chama, at the University of Zambia. The purpose of the grant is to promote research collaborations in materials science and engineering between the United States and Africa. Nine US universities and one national laboratory will be participating in this program. Sixteen scientists (15 from Africa and one from South America) will spend nine weeks conducting collaborative research projects at the participating US institutions. They will conduct research in the following major areas: 1) failure mechanisms in micro-electro-mechanical systems; 2) processing, characterization and deformation of nano-scale thin films; 3) holistic approaches to infrastructure materials; and 4) the microstructural design of thermal shock resistant refractory ceramics. The collaborations will continue with reciprocal visits by the US scientists to their African counterparts. Support is also being provided to assist with the establishment of Africa MRS chapters in North Africa (Egypt), and West Africa (Nigeria). In addition, US graduate students will gain valuable experience about the process of international collaborative research.This project will also provide assistance for the coordination and/or organization of the following symposia that were proposed at prior NSF-supported workshops: 1) micro-electro-mechanical systems and thin films; 2) infrastructure materials; 3) affordable materials; 4) low cost manufacturing; 5) biomaterials and biomedical systems; and 6) entrepreneurship in materials. The symposia will feature talks by US researchers, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, as well as their counterparts from Africa and South America. Symposia presentations will be published in special editions of peer-reviewed international journals. Overviews of the Africa MRS activities will also be presented at the US MRS meetings in Boston and San Francisco.The Office of International Science and Engineering, the Directorate for Engineering, and the Division of Materials Research are jointly providing support for this project.