REU Site: Creative Approaches to Materials Design and Processing

非技术描述材料研究的未来需要实现可预测的材料响应，从材料的创建到应用，在越来越小的尺度上。这需要一支跨学科的学术和研究培训队伍，从材料设计到制造，再到表征。这样的全球挑战要求劳动力培训超越僵化的材料科学和工程教育项目的传统方法，进入允许创新发生的真正有创造力的空间。虽然许多大学热情地采用了以创新/创业为重点的课程改进，但创造力、创造性思维和创造性表达的最基本和最基本的要素却被绕过了。鉴于创造过程对创新的劳动力至关重要，重要的是要考虑如何不仅在课堂经验中培养和促进创造力，而且在研究和指导经验中也是如此。这个REU网站以材料设计和加工为中心，旨在通过将成熟的创造力培训计划交织到传统研究和专业开发活动的框架中，来满足美国材料研究创新的迫切需求。该项目将建立以证据为基础的创造力培训，可用于工程课堂和研究培训经验，其结果将广泛传播。这个REU网站将填补材料设计和制造中劳动力发展的一个关键空白，并满足全国对能够通过培训研究人员在早期阶段进行创造性思维来解决复杂、相互关联的问题的研究人员的需求。最后，虽然创造力是创新的基础，但解决问题的不同视角对于有效和有效地应对材料研究中的全球挑战也是必要的。该项目将增加参与研究并走向高级学位和研究职业的人数不足的学生的数量。技术描述材料研究的未来需要实现可预测的材料响应，从材料创造到应用，规模越来越小，需要一支从材料设计、制造到表征的跨学科学术和研究培训的劳动力。此外，这样的劳动力还必须被培养成能够思考材料设计和加工的创造性方法的创新者。为了满足这些需求，REU网站项目以材料设计和加工的创造性方法为中心。该计划的独特之处在于，它包括经过验证的、以剧院为基础的创造力培训，并将其融入研究培训和专业发展活动的框架中。这个REU网站将使本科生能够扩展他们的传统培训，探索21世纪材料创新的新途径。除了创造力，材料设计和加工的创新需要对结构、成分、加工和性能之间的相互关系有基本的了解。这对于先进的功能材料尤其关键，因为它们独特而复杂的结构-功能关系，以及它们在对人类健康和安全至关重要的应用中的潜在用途，通常是微米或纳米结构，并通过自组装或复杂的制造工艺构建。REU网站专注于了解和预测微结构和纳米结构材料在包括传感器、电池、反应堆和可植入设备在内的广泛应用中的这些关系。该专业的学生将学习尖端材料研究方法，包括原子模拟、粗粒度建模和一套材料设计/制造/表征技术。这项研究不仅将推动每个独特领域的科学发展，还将为学生提供计算建模、材料科学设计、加工、表征和创造性思维方面独特的、可测量的技能。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。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTIONThe future of materials research demands achieving predictable material responses, from materials creation to application, at increasingly reduced length scales. This requires a workforce whose interdisciplinary academic and research training extends from materials design, to manufacturing, and to characterization. Such a global challenge necessitates workforce training beyond the rigid, traditional approaches of materials science and engineering educational programs, into truly creative spaces where innovation is allowed to occur. While many universities have enthusiastically adopted curricular improvements focused on innovation / entrepreneurship, the most fundamental and foundational elements of creativity, creative thinking and creative expression, have been bypassed. Given that the creative process is critical for an innovative workforce, it is important to consider how creativity is nurtured and promoted in not only classroom experiences, but also in research and mentoring experiences. This REU Site, centered on materials design and processing, is designed to address the urgent need for innovation in materials research in the U.S. by interweaving a proven creativity training program into the framework of the traditional research and professional development activities. The project will establish evidence-based creativity trainings that can be used in the engineering classroom and in research training experiences, the results of which will be disseminated widely. This REU Site will fill a critical gap in workforce development in materials design and manufacture, and address a national need for researchers who can solve complex, interconnected problems by training researchers to think creatively from an early stage. Lastly, while creativity is the foundation of innovation, diverse perspectives on problem solving are also necessary to efficiently and effectively addressing global challenges in materials research. This project will increase the number of underrepresented students participating in research and moving towards advanced degrees and research careers. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTIONThe future of materials research demands achieving predictable material responses, from materials creation to application, at increasingly reduced length scales, requiring a workforce whose interdisciplinary academic and research training extends from materials design, to manufacturing, and to characterization. Moreover, such a workforce must also be trained to be innovators capable of thinking of creative approaches to materials design and processing. To address these needs, this REU Site program is centered on creative approaches to materials design and processing. This program is unique in that it includes proven, theatre-based creativity training interwoven into the framework of the research training and professional development activities. This REU Site will enable undergraduates to expand upon their traditional training to explore new avenues in 21st century materials innovation. Beyond creativity, innovation in materials design and processing requires a fundamental understanding of the interrelationships among structure, composition, processing, and properties. This is particularly critical for advanced functional materials, which are often micro- or nano-structured, and built through either self-assembly or complex fabrication processes, due to their unique and complex structure-function relationships, and their potential use in applications critical to human health and security. The REU Site focuses on understanding and predicting these relationships for micro- and nano-structured materials across a wide spectrum of applications, including sensors, batteries, reactors, and implantable devices. Students in this program will learn cutting-edge materials research approaches that include atomistic simulation, coarse-grain modeling, and a suite of materials design / fabrication / characterization techniques. This research will not only advance the science in each unique area, but will provide students with unique, measurable skills in computational modeling, materials science design, processing, characterization, and creative thinking.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.