PREM Center for Energy and Biomaterials

非技术摘要：德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校(UTEP)是一所位于美国西南部地区的主要研究型大学，由近83%的拉美裔美国学生组成。UTEP和加州大学圣巴巴拉分校(UCSB)之间拟议的材料研究和教育伙伴关系(PREM)项目将对学生和当地社区产生重大影响。UTEP PREM中心将促进和加强未被充分代表的少数族裔(URM)学生在材料科学和工程领域的参与和高级学位获得。PREM项目将对来自URM集团的博士学位的生产产生更广泛的影响，并将促进材料科学两个重要学科--能源和生物材料--的重大进步。UTEP PREM中心将通过提供一系列新的实践实验室体验、研究指导、专业发展、研究研讨会、UTEP/UCSB联合研讨会和学生交流等新机会，为来自历史上有URM群体的学生提供绝佳的教育、培训和研究机会。除了促进科学上的卓越，PREM中心还将促进初级和中期教师的指导。UTEP PREM将扩展为一个PREM中心，并与UTEP和UCSB建立强有力的联系，不仅将在该地区产生影响，还将加强先进材料学习和研究方面的教育，并为材料科学和工程领域的劳动力发展做出贡献。技术综述：提出了一种多学科协同的研究方法，以促进对界面结构、物理和化学的基本了解，并研究缺陷和掺杂，以改善材料在能源和生物材料方面的性能。PREM中心由两个主要的跨学科研究小组(IRGS)和主题组成，旨在培育一个多元化、创新性和多面性的研究中心，以应对材料科学中的一系列突出挑战。PREM中心将专注于两个主要领域：a)IRG1-能源，b)IRG2-生物材料。UTEP的Ramana教授和UCSB的Seshadri教授将领导这一机构合作伙伴关系，由UTEP的9名科学家和UCSB的8名科学家和工程师(化学、材料、物理、电气和机械工程)组成合作的IRGS。IRG1-Energy的具体研究主题包括：i)多层透明电极，ii)铀基化合物，以及(Iii)多功能氧化物。在IRG1内部，主要目标包括研究高质量多功能氧化物、氧化物/金属/氧化物多层膜和金属氧化物半导体的科学和工程。在IRG2-Biomaterals的背景下，重点将放在：i)用于3D组织的仿生支架的开发，以及ii)用于高效生物质转化的光热纳米材料。IRG2的目标包括了解纳米材料和生物材料的合成、表面/界面化学和光热效应之间的相互作用。将这些IRG置于PREM中心的保护伞下，统一了UTEP的尖端材料科学研究计划，并培养了真正的跨学科互动。PREM中心的成立还简化了UCSB的投入和协作贡献，从而毗邻两个生产性材料科学研究中心。此外，UCSB的世界级仪器设施将促进和促进对功能无机和生物材料基础科学的探索，并为思想交流、指导和多学科培训提供独特的机会。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 Summary:The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a major research university located in the Southwest region of United States and is composed of nearly 83% Hispanic-American student population. The proposed Partnership in Research and Educations for Materials (PREM) project between UTEP and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) will have a significant impact on students and local communities. The UTEP PREM center will promote and enhance the participation and advanced degree attainment of underrepresented minority (URM) students in materials science and engineering. The PREM projects will have broader impact on the production of doctorates that come from URM groups and will enhance major advancements in two important disciplines of materials science - energy and biomaterials. The UTEP PREM center will provide excellent education, training and research opportunities to students from historically URM groups by providing a number of new opportunities for hands-on laboratory experience, research mentoring, professional development, research seminars, joint UTEP/UCSB workshops, and student exchanges. In addition to accelerating scientific excellence, the PREM Center will also foster mentoring of junior and mid-career faculty. Expanding into a PREM Center and forming strong UTEP-UCSB connections, the UTEP PREM will not only impact within the region but will strengthen education in the study and research of advanced materials and contribute to the workforce development in materials science and engineering. Technical Summary:A synergistic, multidisciplinary research approach is proposed to advance the basic understanding of the interfacial structure, physics, and chemistry and to study defects and dopants in order to improve the materials' performance in energy and biomaterials. The PREM center is comprised of two primary Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) and topics in order to foster a diverse, innovative, and multifaceted research center that addresses a range of outstanding challenges in materials science. The PREM center will focus on two main areas: a) IRG1-Energy, and b) IRG2-Biomaterials. Prof. Ramana from UTEP and Prof. Seshadri from UCSB will lead this institutional partnership in which nine UTEP and eight UCSB scientists and engineers (chemistry, materials, physics, and electrical and mechanical engineering) form collaborative IRGs. The specific research topics in IRG1-Energy include: i) Multilayered, Transparent Electrodes, ii) Uranium-Based Compounds, and (iii) Multifunctional Oxides. Within IRG1, the overarching objectives include investigating the science and engineering of high quality multifunctional oxides, oxide/metal/oxide multilayered films, and actinide oxide semiconductors. In the context of IRG2-Biomaterials, the focus will be on: i) Development of Biomimetic Scaffolds for 3D Tissue, and ii) Photothermal Nanomaterials for High-Efficiency Biomass Conversion. The objectives of IRG2 include understanding the interplay between synthesis, surface/interface chemistry, and photothermal effects of nano- and biomaterials. Housing these IRGs under a PREM center umbrella unifies the cutting-edge material science research programs at UTEP and nurtures true interdisciplinary interactions. The formation of a PREM center also streamlines input and collaborative contributions from UCSB, thus adjoining two productive materials science research centers. Also, the world-class instrument facilities at UCSB will enable and catalyze the exploration of the basic science of functional inorganic and biomaterials and provide unique opportunities for cross-fertilization of ideas, mentoring, and multidisciplinary training.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.