UTRGV-UMN PARTNERSHIP to Strengthen the PREM Pathway

德克萨斯大学格兰德谷分校（UTRGV）位于德克萨斯州最南端的地区，为31,000多名学生提供服务，其中89%是西班牙裔。UTRGV的西班牙裔总入学率在全国排名第二，西班牙裔毕业生排名第三。UTRGV和明尼苏达大学（UMN）材料研究科学与工程中心（MRSEC）之间拟议的材料研究与教育合作伙伴关系（PREM）将特别关注代表性不足的少数民族本科生的保留和学位获得，以及建立研究生院的管道，其中西班牙裔学生的代表性更低。PREM衔接课程的目标是实现PREM本科生5年毕业率至少为85%，PREM校友研究生入学率至少为30%。该项目旨在为至少100名本科生提供深入研究的机会。学生将在能源和智能材料的广泛领域发展专业知识，同时在基础研究中获得一套强大的多学科技能。参与的学生将在这两个学术机构进行研究，并将受到来自多个学科的教师的指导。还将培养初级和中期职业教师的指导。该PREM项目将使UTRGV能够显著加速其作为材料研究中心的出现，并与UMN建立长期的合作伙伴关系。UTRGV-UMN PREM伙伴关系下的研究成果将在同行评议的期刊和会议上传播，并通过专门的门户网站向广大公众传播，并在当地K-12学校经常进行介绍。UTRGV-UMN PREM将通过协同方法从事引人注目的科学材料研究，以开发下一代纳米纤维（NF）系统，该系统可能会影响大量重要的实际应用，包括生物医学领域、过滤、电子和能源相关部门。该团队建议开发一套策略来规定、定制、设计和控制细纤维的细观结构。UTRGV在力纺丝方面的世界领先地位利用了其在NF工艺结构表征方面的平台，而纳米级结构的设计和表征与UMN MRSEC的独特强度相匹配。团队将生成具有强大属性组合的可调层次结构。拟议的研究围绕两个跨学科研究小组（IRG）组织；第一个将探索加工路线，以控制光纤几何形状和内部结构，第二个将适应内部结构的NFs用于特定应用。UMN世界一流的仪器设备将促进和促进研究工作，并将为思想交流、指导和多学科培训提供独特的机会。合作团队将通过实时视频电话会议召开研究焦点小组会议，并举办由各机构主办的年度研讨会，每年轮换一次。这将促进高水平的研究活动和精心策划的以学生为中心的组织环境。最终，这一研究伙伴关系将增加对分层设计的NFs的理解，并将为具有促进世界分散式能源生产潜力的新系统铺平道路。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) located in the southernmost region of Texas serves over 31,000 students, of whom 89% are Hispanic. UTRGV is 2nd in the nation in total Hispanic enrollment and 3rd in graduating Hispanics. The proposed Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) between UTRGV and the University of Minnesota (UMN) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) will focus particularly on retention and degree attainment of underrepresented minority undergraduates, as well as on building the graduate school pipeline where Hispanic students are even more underrepresented. The PREM pathway goals are to achieve a 5-year graduation rate of at least 85% for PREM undergraduate students and a graduate school enrollment rate of at least 30% for PREM alumni. This PREM aims to provide intensive research opportunities to at least 100 undergraduate students during the course of the award. Students will develop expertise in the broad areas of energy and smart materials while acquiring a strong set of multi-disciplinary skills in fundamental research. The participating students will carry out research at both academic institutions and will be mentored by faculty from several disciplines. Mentoring of junior and mid-career faculty will also be fostered. This PREM program will allow UTRGV to significantly accelerate its emergence as a focal center for materials research and develop a long-lasting collaborative partnership with UMN. The research results under the UTRGV-UMN PREM partnership will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and to the public at large via a dedicated web portal and frequent presentations at local K-12 schools.The UTRGV-UMN PREM will engage in compelling scientific materials research through a synergistic approach towards development of next-generation nanofiber (NF) systems that could impact a large number of important practical applications, including in the biomedical fields, filtration, electronics and energy related sectors. The team proposes to develop a suite of strategies to prescribe, tailor, design and control the mesostructures of fine fibers. UTRGV’s world leadership in force-spinning leverages its platform in NF process-structure-characterization, while design and characterization of nanoscale structures match a distinguishing strength of the UMN MRSEC. The team will produce tunable hierarchical structures with powerful property combinations. The proposed research is organized around two interdisciplinary research groups (IRG); the first will explore processing routes to control both fiber geometry and internal structure, and the second will adapt internally structured NFs for specific applications. The world-class instrument facilities at UMN will enable and catalyze the research efforts and will provide unique opportunities for cross-fertilization of ideas, mentoring, and multidisciplinary training. The collaborative teams will hold research-focus group meetings via real-time video teleconferencing and hold an annual symposium hosted by each institution, rotating yearly. This will foster a high-level of research activity and a well-orchestrated student-centered organizational environment. Ultimately, this research partnership will increase understanding of hierarchically designed NFs and will pave the way for novel systems with potential to facilitate decentralized energy production in the world.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.