Collaborative Research: IRES Track I: US-Korea Collaboration on Biomimicry and Bio-inspired Fluid Flows (BIOFLOW IRES)

世界面临着广泛的重大挑战，如能源需求快速增长，极端天气和气候条件更加频繁。通过向自然学习，仿生或生物启发的工程创新具有巨大的潜力来应对这样的人类挑战。生物仿生学的实践需要一批具备生物仿生学技术知识和跨学科、跨文化研究经验的多样化的科学家和工程师。为了满足这一需求，BIOFLOW IRES Track-1网站由克利夫兰州立大学(CSU)和阿克伦大学(UA)通过与韩国浦项科技大学(POSTECH)生物流体与仿生研究中心(BBRC)的长期合作伙伴关系运营，为美国学生提供国际研究体验。作为韩国政府资助的国家创新研究中心，BBRC在推进自然界生物流体流动物理知识和开发生物灵感工程解决方案方面表现出色。BIOFLOW IRES项目利用世界一流的生物流动和仿生专业知识资源、研究设施和设备，为18名不同的美国学生开展创造性的生物启发研究，获得扎实的研究和沟通技能，并建立专业网络。这群学生已经准备好开始他们的职业生涯，成为未来领先的研究人员、科学家，以及仿生学研究和创新设计的大使。合作的IRES项目开启了新的跨学科研究合作，架起了生物学和工程学的桥梁，加强了国际研究伙伴关系，并有助于提高美国劳动力在全球经济中的竞争力。BIOFLOW IRES项目旨在通过尖端的国际研究培训、结构化指导和网络机会，为未来的科学家和工程师提供全球、跨文化的视角和职业成长机会。生物流体流动和仿生学的研究侧重于两个相辅相成的研究主题，以应对重大挑战：提高建筑环境的能源效率和抗风能力。IRES的参与者进行了风洞测试，以评估以海豹须为灵感的涡轮叶片对垂直轴风力涡轮机的有效性，探索植物叶片的形状如何影响能量交换，并创造出树状流动控制装置，以抑制大风中的屋顶涡流。研究发现了生物学中生物流体流动现象工作原理的新知识，并催化了原创性的工程创新，以实现更高的能源效率和抗风能力。IRES学生从CSU/UA美国实验室和Koerean主办实验室BBRC的非凡资源中获得先进的热/流量测量、批判性思维和职业发展技能方面的真正研究培训。除了创新研究，IRES的学生还参与社会和文化交流活动，以加强学生与教师、学生与导师以及学生与学生的联系，为未来的合作和职业发展建立一个专业网络，这一影响超出了IRES项目的范围。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。

The world is facing a wide range of grand challenges, such as the rapid growth in energy demand and more frequent extreme weather and climate conditions. By learning from Nature, Biomimicry or bio-inspired engineering innovation has great potential to address such human challenges. The practice of biomimicry requires a diverse group of scientists and engineers equipped with technical knowledge of biomimicry and interdisciplinary, cross-cultural research experience. To meet this need, the BIOFLOW IRES Track-1 site delivers international research experience to US students, operated by Cleveland State University (CSU) and University of Akron (UA) through a long-time partnership with the Biofluid & Biomimic Research Center (BBRC) at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea. As a Korean government-funded National Creative Research Center, BBRC has excelled at advancing the knowledge of bio-fluid flow physics in Nature and developing bio-inspired engineering solutions. The BIOFLOW IRES project leverages the world-class resources of bio-flow and biomimicry expertise, research facilities, and equipment for a diverse group of 18 US students to conduct creative bio-inspired research, gain solid research and communication skills, and build a professional network. This group of students is well-prepared to embark on their careers as future leading researchers, scientists, and ambassadors for biomimicry research and innovative design. The collaborative IRES project opens up new interdisciplinary research collaboration that bridge biology and engineering, strengthens international research partnerships, and contributes to enhancing the competitiveness of the US workforce in the global economy. The BIOFLOW IRES project aims to provide future scientists and engineers with a global, cross-cultural perspective, and professional growth opportunities through cutting-edge international research training, structured mentoring, and networking opportunities. Research on bio-fluid flows and biomimicry focuses on two complementary research themes addressing the Grand challenges: enhanced energy efficiency and wind resilience of the built environment. The IRES participants perform wind-tunnel tests to evaluate the effectiveness of a seal-whisker-inspired turbine blade for vertical axis wind turbines, explore how the shapes of plant leaves affect energy exchange, and create tree-like flow-control devices to suppress rooftop vortices in high winds. Research discovers new knowledge of working principles of bio-fluid flow phenomena in biology and catalyzes original engineering innovations to achieve enhanced energy efficiency and wind resilience. IRES students gain authentic research training in advanced thermal/flow measurements, critical thinking, and career-building skills benefiting from extraordinary resources at US labs of CSU/UA and the Koerean host lab BBRC. Along with innovative research, the IRES students participate in social and cultural exchange activities to enhance student-faculty, student-mentor, and student-student connection, starting a professional network for future collaboration and career development, an impact beyond the IRES program.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.