MRI: Acquisition of a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope for Cal State Northridge Scanning Microscopy Lab

该项目的目的是获得一台具有卓越成像和分析能力的高性能扫描电子显微镜，供加州州立大学北岭分校(CSUN)的地质学、化学、物理和生物学教职员工和学生使用，该分校是加州州立大学(CSU)23个校区中最大的校区之一。CSUN是一所联邦指定的西班牙裔服务的公立大学，授予理科硕士(M.S.)学位。收购新的SEM将使CSUN在23个校区、非授予博士学位的CSU系统中脱颖而出，并将在机构、地区和州层面对教职员工和学生的研究产生革命性影响。在机构层面，近十几名CSUN理科教员及其学生的研究计划将因新的扫描电子显微镜的分析能力而改变，新扫描电子显微镜的分析能力是通过用于成像的电子的场发射源以及允许对样品的结构和化学表征的附加探测器来实现的。在州一级，这种口径的场发射扫描电子显微镜(FE-SEM)在CSU系统中是独一无二的，代表着授予理工科硕士学位的机构研究基础设施的提升。Co-PI有具体的计划将FE-SEM实验室运营为一个多用户设施，支持CSU其他学生和教职员工的虚拟和物理访问。在地区层面，显微镜实验室已与CSU校长办公室研究部合作，正式确立其作为中心的地位，并通过一系列系统范围的网络研讨会展示仪器以及潜在的研究和学生培训用途，创建和发展CSU范围内新显微镜设施的教职员工和学生用户社区。FE-SEM将通过不同教员的参与(三分之二的合作-PIs来自地球科学界代表性不足的群体)和一所授予理科硕士学位的拉美裔服务机构(HSI)的学生，加强代表不足的人的充分参与。作为该项目的一部分，CSUN将获得一台场发射扫描电子显微镜(FE-SEM)，提供纳米级分辨率和最先进的分析能力，包括：1)高速电子背散射衍射(EBSD)，2)能量色散光谱(EDS)分析，3)阴极发光(CL)成像。这些能力对于加州州立大学北岭分校(CSUN)的一个团队的前沿研究至关重要，该团队由3名地球科学家合作伙伴和8名来自地质、化学、生物和物理的其他教职同事组成。最重要的是，FE-SEM的收购将彻底改变本科生和硕士研究生的研究培训，他们通常需要前往授予博士学位的机构，在那里他们可以零星地获得具有这些能力的仪器。FE-SEM将设在CSUN的地质科学部，由该部专职的仪器技术员提供支持，并根据服务合同进行维护，资金由一名私人捐赠者每年提供。FE-SEM将加强授予硕士学位的HSI的研究基础设施，这是为无法参加或负担得起在工具更好的授予博士学位的机构接受教育的学生提供研究培训的重要一步。鉴于全国范围内地学硕士学位获得者的数量一直超过博士获得者的数量，这对未来STEM劳动力的相当一部分人来说是至关重要的培训。FE-SEM将通过1)指导性研究项目、2)课程作业、3)创新的硕士学位后培训计划和4)显微镜系列讲座来改善学生的研究培训。后两个项目分别具体促进具有竞争力的劳动力的发展以及学术界和产业界之间的伙伴关系。这一奖项反映了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 purpose of the project is to acquire a high-performance scanning electron microscope (SEM) with superior imaging and analytical capability for use by geology, chemistry, physics, and biology faculty and students at California State University Northridge (CSUN), one of the largest campuses in the 23 campus California State University (CSU) system. CSUN is a federally designated Hispanic-serving public university granting Master of Science (M.S.) degrees. The acquisition of the new SEM will distinguish CSUN within the 23-campus, non-Ph.D.-granting CSU system and will have transformative effects on faculty and student research at institutional, regional, and state levels. At the institutional level, research programs of nearly a dozen CSUN science faculty and their students will be transformed by the analytical capability of the new SEM that are made possible by the field emission source of the electrons used for imaging, and the add-on detectors that allow for structural and chemical characterization of samples. At the state level, this caliber of field emission SEM (FE-SEM) would be unique within the CSU system, representing an elevation in the research infrastructure of M.S.-granting institutions. The Co-PIs have concrete plans to run the FE-SEM lab as a multi-user facility that supports both virtual and physical access for other CSU students and faculty. At the regional level, the Microscopy Lab has partnered with the CSU Chancellor’s Office Research Department to formalize its status as a center and to create and grow a CSU-wide community of faculty and student users of the new microscopy facility through a series of system-wide webinars showcasing the instrument and potential research and student training uses. The FE-SEM will enhance the full participation of underrepresented people through the involvement of diverse faculty (two out of three Co-PIs are from underrepresented groups in the geosciences) and students at a M.S.-granting, Hispanic-serving institution (HSI). As part of this project, CSUN will acquire a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) that offers nano-scale resolution and state-of-the-art analytical capabilities, including: 1) high speed electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), 2) energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, and 3) cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging. These capabilities are essential for leading-edge research for a team at California State University Northridge (CSUN) comprising 3 geoscientist Co-PIs and 8 other faculty colleagues from geology, chemistry, biology, and physics. Most importantly, the acquisition of the FE-SEM will revolutionize the research training of undergraduate and M.S. students who would typically need to travel to a Ph.D.-granting institution where they are granted sporadic access to instrumentation with these capabilities. The FE-SEM will be housed in the Department of Geological Sciences at CSUN, where it will be supported by the Department’s dedicated instrument technician and maintained by service contract with funding gifted annually by a private donor. The FE-SEM will enhance the research infrastructure at a M.S.-granting HSI, which is an important step in creating access to research training for students who are unable to attend or afford an education at better-instrumented Ph.D.-granting institutions. Given that terminal geoscience M.S. degree recipients consistently outnumber Ph.D. recipients nationwide, this is critical training for a significant part of the future STEM workforce. The FE-SEM will improve the research training of students through 1) mentored research projects, 2) coursework, 3) an innovative post-M.S. degree training program, and 4) a microscopy lecture series. The latter two items specifically promote the development of a competitive workforce and partnerships between academia and industry, respectively.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.