Vikas Prakash - US grants

9908189
Prakash
A study of friction under extreme conditions of load and sliding velocity will be undertaken. This is relevant to a number of technologically important situations, such as at tool-workpiece interfaces during ultra-high speed machining, friction and explosive welding processes, rotating band of an accelerating shell in a gun barrel, interfaces of bodies during high velocity impact, rocket driven vehicles on rails, and high performance brake liners employed in automobiles and aircrafts. The conditions are such that the temperature at the interface approaches the melt regime of the lower melting point material in the tribo-pair. Recent developments in experimental methods to investigate high speed friction have enabled measurement in this region, at applied normal pressures ranging from 3 to 5 GPa and slip speeds of over 150 m/s.

The proposed study will involve, (i) high impact velocity pressure-shear plate-impact friction experiments on relatively low melting point metals such as aluminum, (ii) detailed transient finite deformation elastic-visco-plastic finite element modeling of the impact friction process-in order to understand the continuum level predictions of the extent of elastic-plastic interactions of the tribo-pair materials, and (iii) detailed optical, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and flourescence (EDS) studies to understand the tribo-mechanical and tribo-chemical interactions during the sliding process.
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The NSF Major Research Instrumentation grant funds a versatile imaging system based on new developments in the state of the art technology. The research instrumentation comprises (a) an extremely versatile, high resolution, image intensified framing/streak CCD camera, (b) an all-solid state coherent, collimated and monochromatic laser light source to be operated in conjunction with the high-speed camera, and (c) a wide bandwidth, high sampling rate digital oscilloscope for use in various laser interferometry based optical techniques. The system represents a fundamental upgrade of the laser based diagnostic capabilities of several major laboratories in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and would support other research and development in the Case School of Engineering.
The advanced capabilities of the new ultra-fast imaging system will be utilized by the PI, two Co-PI's and several other contributing faculty members of the Case School of Engineering for conducting fundamental experimental investigations in areas of importance to experimental techniques. The proposed equipment is expected to significantly encourage intra- and inter- university collaborations. At Case Western Reserve University the acquisition of the high speed imaging system will bring together talents and facilities in the Macromolecular Science, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Civil and Environmental Engineering. These collaborative, multidisciplinary research efforts will explore fully the phenomena of high-speed friction between dissimilar materials, design and development of novel damage-tolerant light-weight multifunctional material systems, fundamentals of combustion and explosion science, reliability of MEMS devices, damage evolution and failure in bio-skeletal tissues of importance to trauma-biomechanics and orthopaedics, fundamentals of deformation processing with applications to high rate manufacturing, to name a few.
Besides being useful on research and development, the new high-speed digital imaging system will provide an opportunity for laboratory experience and training for graduate and post-graduate students in the state-of-the-art of modern instrumentation. In addition to the basic scientific content within the proposed project areas, this training reaches into areas of applied technology that are bridged by elements within the proposed research that look for active opportunities in the development of instrumentation and novel experimental methods for advanced laser diagnostics of short duration events. One outcome of this would be the development of engineers who can integrate experimental and analytical techniques to attack technologically important areas. The Case School of Engineering at CWRU is strongly encouraging the involvement of undergraduate students in faculty research projects and this would occur for the proposed work as well. Every effort will be made to encourage and involve undergraduate and graduate students especially from groups presently under-represented in the engineering discipline.

ABSTRACT

The need for advanced tribo-systems with wear resistant sliding interfaces pervades current technology, emerging technology, and much of the technology of the foreseeable future. Whether in the foreground, as in the design of high-temperature gas turbine engines, the development of highly reliable navigational and tracking systems, and the performance of magnetic storage devices, or in the background, as used in fusion reactors, tribology of sliding interfaces play a critical role in the success of the technology. Better understanding of the physics of material interaction under these harsh conditions is expected to lead to the development of more efficient tribo-systems would benefit our society in many ways.

In the proposed investigation we seek to capitalize on our experience gained during the development of the plate-impact pressure-shear friction experiments and the torsional Kolsky bar friction experiments, to better understand the behavior of technologically important material interfaces under extreme conditions. Key modifications will be made to these configurations in order to provide a more direct access to the frictional interface such that local critical interfacial quantities can be directly measured by using high-speed digital photography and thermal imaging systems. In this way, these experiments will not only provide information on quantities such as interfacial tractions and slip history, but also on key local thermo-mechanical interactions in the vicinity of the tribological interface. Interfacial quantities of interest include but are not limited to local plastic strains, plastic strain rates, temperature profiles, details of formation and growth of third body, kinetics of formation and growth of molten interfacial layers, and the details of slip-waves generated during the intense local thermo-mechanical interactions at the tribo-pair interface. Detailed optical and scanning electron microscopy along with the atomic force microscope will be used to examine the micro- and/or nano- changes in the topology of the tribo-pair surfaces during the slip process. In addition, X-ray diffraction and flourescence (EDS) will be employed to contribute to our understanding of the changes in the microstructure and transfer of material during the complex chemical/mechanical interactions that occur at and near the sliding interfaces. Along with the experimental study finite element simulations of the experiments will be conducted to correlate the experimental observations with our present state of understanding of the high-speed slip phenomena.

The proposed approach is innovative and novel and entails considerable experimental and computational challenges. It represents a marked departure from experimental procedures to investigate dynamic friction in the past. The proposed is expected to contribute significantly towards strengthening our national capability by (a) contributing to the development of an experimental methodology for characterization of high speed sliding behavior under extreme conditions, (b) extending our present state of understanding of critical mechanisms operative during high-speed slip at technologically important material interfaces, and (c) by training graduate students at the interface of solid mechanics and materials science in technologically important areas.

Abstract


This Major Research Instrumentation award to Case Western Reserve University provides funds to acquire a versatile high-resolution imaging, manipulation and characterization tool to fully develop a Scanning Electron Microscope Integrated Nanolaboratory capable of coupled mechanical and thermal or electrical measurements of individual nanostructures. The proposed research instrumentation comprises a high resolution Field Emission Gun SEM with in-situ nanomanipulators and a micro-delivery gas injection system that will facilitate transportation, positioning and assembly of nanoscale structures. Moreover, the proposed SEM will be integrated with specialized loading/testing apparatus that will allow nanomechanical straining while simultaneously measuring thermal or electrical properties. To grip the nanoscale specimens an electron beam induced deposition (EBID) process will be used in conjunction with the requested micro gas-injection system.

The proposed ESEM Integrated Nanolaboratory consists of a unique suite of tools with unmatched capabilities and represents a fundamental upgrade to the current manipulation and diagnostic resources and will support a myriad of research and development activities at CWRU. In line with the goals of the MRI program, the instrumentation will (1) result in the increased use of modern research instrumentation focused on nanoscale characterization by scientists, engineers and students at CWRU and our partner institutions, (2) enable integration of nanoscience research into student projects and theses, laboratory courses and an "Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology;" and (3) lead to partnerships between researchers and private sector instrument developers with regard to future nanoscale characterization device development.

Intellectual merit of the proposed activity: The acquisition of the ESEM Integrated Nanolaboratory will bring the scientific community a capability that does not currently exist: the ability to accurately position and grip samples and conduct measurements of the coupled mechanical and thermal or electrical properties of nanostructures and certain biological materials while simultaneously performing high resolution imaging. Improved characterization methods for these materials is expected to lead to a better fundamental understanding of the underlying physics involved and is critical to further developments in the field of nanomaterials and nanotechnology. Enabling the PIs and their collaborators to perform this unique research, will undeniably put CWRU and its partner institutions in a position to continue well-established programs on cutting-edge research.

Broader impacts of proposed activity: The acquisition of the proposed instrumentation is expected to lead to significant advances and expand the current scope of research and training. In particular, the SEM Integrated Nanolaboratory stands to support research teams whose efforts intersect more than one traditional discipline. Bringing together multi-disciplinary teams at CWRU from the science, engineering and medical disciplines will significantly accelerate research progress, foster integration of research and training, and hasten the transition of research findings to practical applications. Moreover, availability of the unique integrated nanolaboratory will open new lines of communication with researchers at our industrial partners, our partner academic institutions within the state of Ohio and several National Laboratories. This will encourage exchange of senior personnel, and post-doctoral and graduate students as well as researchers for departmental and university seminar series, leading to a further dissemination of research ideas and results. The proposed SEM Integrated Nanolaboratory will also provide an opportunity for laboratory experience and training for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students. Additionally, the proposed instrumentation will be integrated into the laboratory courses for imaging experiments and for nanoscale mechanical or transport measurement projects. Through lectures complemented by hands-on experience, the students will learn about the workings of the proposed SEM Integrated Nanolaboratory and will develop an understanding of the unique characteristics of nanoscale structures. Moreover, the equipment will be made available to students and researchers at the Department of Arts and Sciences at Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH, which is an all women's college, and to summer interns and exchange students from the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Fisk University, Nashville, TN, a predominantly African American university.

ABSTRACT

National Science Foundation

Proposal Number: CTS-0438389
Principal Investigator: Abramson, Alexis R
Affiliation: Case Western Reserve University
Proposal Title: Coupled Thermal and Mechanical Behavior of Conducting Polymer Nanostructures


Conducting polymer nanostructures have gained attention by the nanoelectronics community because of their high electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility and potential for low-cost manufacturing. Moreover, the properties of these nanosized polymer structures make them interesting candidates for additional applications such as for membrane materials, tissue scaffolding, sensing, and in composite materials. Improved characterization of coupled thermal and mechanical response of these nanostructures is expected to lead to a better understanding of the novel phenomena at the nanoscale that is essential to the nanoelectronics industry as well as for current and future applications. In view of the lack of understanding of the coupling between mechanical strain and thermal transport in conducting polymer nanostructures and the scientific and technological importance of the successful implementation of these materials to society, a collaborative three year multidisciplinary research effort comprising specialists in polymer processing/nanofabrication, transport properties at the nanoscale, and experimental nanomechanics is being proposed. The research will integrate three major ingredients, i.e. synthesis and nanofabrication, experimentation and modeling.
The proposed research will focus on the behavior of thermal and mechanical properties (both coupled and uncoupled) of conducting polymer nanostructures as a function of temperature. Polyaniline nanostructures with different shape, size, morphology, and porosity will be investigated. The polymer nanostructures will be nanofabricated using a wet electropolymerization process. The design and development of a novel testing device will enable coupled mechanical and thermal measurements of the polyaniline nanostructures. This nano-tensilometer device is based on a novel modification to the commercially available Hysitron triboindenter and will be combined with specialized thermal probes. The device will be used inside a high resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) with in-situ nanomanipulators. An electron-beam induced deposition (EBID) procedure will be employed to "nanoweld" the nanostructures to the probe tips or micro-device. A theoretical analysis will be utilized to complement experimental results and enable an improved understanding. It is emphasized that the proposed research program is innovative and novel and entails considerable nanofabrication, experimental and modeling challenges. It represents a major departure from the conventional and current techniques employed by the energy transport and experimental mechanics communities to investigate coupled thermal/mechanical behavior in micro- and/or nanoscale structures.
A strong learning and teaching component, integral to the research objectives, will provide for significant educational enhancement for both undergraduate and graduate students and will provide for outreach opportunities for K-12 students. These students will greatly benefit from the inherently multidisciplinary nature of this project. Furthermore, they will have the opportunity for laboratory experience on and/or exposure to state-of-the-art modern instrumentation and cutting-edge research. In addition to the involvement of graduate students through their own research projects, CWRU strongly encourages the involvement of undergraduate students in faculty research projects through senior projects and/or laboratory courses. All involved students will be encouraged to participate in national conferences. Attention will also be paid towards the recruitment of underrepresented minority students. Furthermore, the PIs will contribute significant content from this research to the "Nanopedia," an extensive multi-faceted web-based learning approach to nanotechnology curriculum currently under development at CWRU. This resource will be available to university level and K-12 students as well as the general public.

An important question concerning earthquakes concerns the magnitude of stress that resists slip on faults during the rapid slip that occurs in an earthquake. If this stress is small, due to a variety of proposed high-speed weakening mechanisms, then it means that the stress drops during earthquakes could be large, since the pre-earthquake stress is envisioned to be large in many settings. Large stress drops cause large accelerations, which in turn cause large damaging ground motions. This project is evaluating the possible operation of one high-speed weakening mechanism that may have left evidence along active fault zones. This mechanism involves dynamic opening of a fault zone during high-speed slip so that the slip occurs with reduced or no contact pressure. It has been proposed that this rapid opening could cause pulverization of the rocks in the fault zone, and that these might be diagnostic of this dynamic fault weakening mechanism.

In fact, unusual pulverized rocks have been described recently along the active traces of the San Andreas and other faults in Southern California. These rocks appear to have been shattered in place without having experienced significant strain, and have fine grain sizes, primarily in the 30-200 um (micrometer) range. The origin of these rocks is unknown. In the past, they might have been called fault gouge and presumed to have experienced shear strain parallel to the slip direction of nearby faults, but this does not appear to be the case. An important question is whether they are diagnostic of the proposed weakening mechanism of fault opening during rupture that would allow more damage from earthquakes than is typically assumed. Some workers have suggested that they are diagnostic of processes occurring at several kilometers depth, while others think they are only formed near the Earth's surface.

In this project the researchers are conducting a series of experiments to investigate whether pulverized rocks can be produced under well-controlled conditions in the laboratory and whether they are diagnostic of any particular process of formation. A variety of quasi-static and dynamic loading experiments are underway to determine whether dynamic conditions are in fact required to produce pulverization, and, if so, what are the critical dynamic loading conditions that control the process of initiation of fragmentation in rocks and the transition from incipient fragmentation to complete pulverization. As part of this study, scientists are further characterizing samples of the pulverized granites collected in several places along the Mojave section of the San Andreas in order to compare naturally and experimentally deformed rocks. The results of the study should allow them to discern whether these pulverized rocks found along active faults are in fact diagnostic of dynamic rupture and whether they are diagnostic of any particular depth of formation.

If the investigation is successful, they may be able to conclude whether or not the pulverization found along the surface traces of active faults is diagnostic of weakening by dynamic fault opening during coseismic slip. Thus, the results may allow us to understand better how large the damaging ground motions from earthquakes may become.

In order to determine where best to deploy limited resources for mitigating earthquake loss in the US, we need to understand when and where earthquakes may occur and how intense their accelerations can be. Every time an earthquake occurs, we gain more understanding of the earthquake problem through measurements of ground motion and modeling of seismic sources. In addition to information derived from earthquakes, we can also benefit from improved understanding of the seismic source through laboratory measurements and modeling, to anticipate what may occur in future earthquakes. One of the great gaps in our understanding of source processes is how shear resistance varies on a fault during rapid co-seismic slip and what this implies about the magnitudes of stress drops and near-fault accelerations.

In our proposed work plan we will continue our studies on dynamic friction in rocks and analog materials to better understanding thermally-induced slip weakening processes and their consequences for earthquakes, focusing on studies of flash heating/melting at asperity junctions, and fault zone rheological response when there is rapid change in normal stress. We will employ the plate-impact pressure-shear and the modified torsion Kolsky bar experimental configurations. These experimental techniques, developed in our laboratory at CWRU, have been shown by us in pilot experimental studies funded by SCEC, to provide friction data in the slip-speed and normal stress range of relevance to earthquake physics. Besides being useful in the study of dynamic friction at coseismic slip rates, these experimental configurations allow transients, including sudden alterations in both normal stress and shear loading, to be produced to investigate their effects on the fault strength. These studies will be carried out at both room and higher than room test temperatures. The intellectual merit of this proposal is strengthened by the fact that it addresses some of the outstanding problems in earthquake-physics, including the influence of slip, slip velocity, and alterations in normal stress on fault strength during a typical fault rupture process.

The broader aspects of our proposal are strengthened by noting that our proposed research will contribute directly towards reducing losses due to earthquakes in the US in a variety of ways. We will acquire data that are essential for creating realistic models of the earthquake process. Moreover, the proposed program provides exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary research and educational interactions. It involves faculty from two universities?Vikas Prakash from Case School of Engineering, CWRU, and David Goldsby from the Department of Geological Sciences at Brown University. The proposed research program will involve one post-doctoral student and undergraduate students at CWRU. These students will receive valuable and unique interdisciplinary exposure to various aspects of earthquake physics, and will benefit from training in diverse areas such as fault mechanics, fracture mechanics, stress wave propagation, experimental diagnostic techniques, and analytical modeling. The available facilities at CWRU represent the state-of-the-art in high-speed friction testing thereby offering the students involved a unique experimental environment. The University is strongly encouraging the involvement of undergraduate students in cutting edge faculty research, and this would occur for the proposed work as well. Special attention will also be given to recruitment of underrepresented minority students for the project. Dissemination of research results is planned by conference presentations and publications in relevant peer-reviewed journals. Topics in the area of earthquake physics and fault mechanics will undoubtedly enter the departmental seminar series. The PIs will also employ internet and mass-media-based information dissemination to increase awareness of the potential impact of the proposed research in earthquake hazard mitigation. This resource will be available to university level and K-12 students as well as the general public.

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."


The Case Western Reserve University will develop a versatile state-of-the-art in situ test and characterization tool for simultaneous nano-mechanical electrical and thermal (NMET) property measurements in nanostructured materials inside a ultra-high resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The SEM has a large specimen chamber that is ideal for in situ physical property characterization; the chamber is equipped with two Kleindiek nanomanipulators and a micro-delivery gas injection system that facilitate transportation, positioning and assembly of nanoscale structures with nanoprecision. The development of the instrument will utilize a custom built transducer that will enable nanoNewton force and subnanometer displacement resolution measurements during in situ mechanical straining of nanoscale structures. In addition, novel probe tips will be integrated with the specimen grips on the loading/testing apparatus, which will provide unmatched capability to perform simultaneous nanoscale mechanical, thermal and/or electrical measurements in nanostructures, nano-engineered composites and biological materials while performing high resolution imaging. Improved characterization methods for nanostructured materials is expected to lead to a better fundamental understanding of the underlying physics, and is critical to further developments in the field of nanotechnology.

The development of the instrumentation is expected to support research teams whose efforts intersect more than one traditional discipline. Availability of this unique diagnostic tool will open new lines of communication with researchers at other Ohio institutions and our collaborators. The instrumentation will also provide an opportunity for laboratory experience and training for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students. The instrumentation will be integrated into the laboratory courses for imaging experiments and for nanoscale mechanical or transport measurement projects.

PI: Tony Jun Huang, Pennsylvania State University
Proposal Number: CBET 1160568

The proposed effort seeks NSF funding for student participation grants for the 2011 ASME Society-Wide Micro and Nano Technology Forum to be held during the ASME IMECE 2011 in Denver, Co. The proposed Forum will bring together ASME members and others, with a focus on new developments in the field of micro and nanotechnology. For the past three years the forum has been enthusiastically embraced by ASME IMECE attendees, in particular students; each year, there have been more than 150 poster presentations and about 300 attendees at the forum. The proposed NSF awards will be used to further nurture student development by encouraging participation from a select group of meritorious students working in the general area of micro-/nanoscale engineering by providing them partial travel grants including expenses related to conference registration fees and lodging. The travel awards will be decided by a panel of experts from the Micro and Nano Forum organizing committee, and will be based on the technical quality of the poster abstracts submitted and statement from their research advisors.

In the past, the participating students at the ASME Micro and Nano Forum have greatly valued the opportunity given to them by the Forum to showcase their research, interact with their peers, and meet people outside of their immediate environment. Besides this, the Forum also provides opportunities to increase student exposure to cutting-edge research in the frontiers of micro and nano technologies, and increase student abilities with respect to tools that will make them competitive in a research environment, namely, team work and project management, oral and written technical communication skills, ethics, and overall research acumen. In addition, the students will get an opportunity to attend technical presentations (over 2000 presentations and posters are anticipated to be presented at IMECE 2011) relevant to their current research, and also in other mechanical engineering fields. This will expose them to solutions and challenges that may be relevant to their current projects, while at the same time provide opportunities to discover exciting new research activities to pursue in future. In this regards, the mission of the forum fits well with the mission of NSF (in particular the Engineering Directorate) in attracting young research talents and mentoring them for a career in science and engineering.

Direct exposure of the participating students to leaders in their research fields (technical organizing committee members, judges, etc.) will provide them with a unique opportunity to disseminate their most recent research, and receive first-hand information on available opportunities for postdoctoral positions, as well as faculty positions. ASME traditionally hosts several Grand Challenge sessions where speakers from industry or government identify critical technical challenges facing the nation in various fields. In addition, ASME award lectures by prominent researchers, special sessions on ethics and the next-generation engineering education curriculum, and technical tours to local industry and national laboratories represent other opportunities for student learning and growth. Like in the past, personnel from NSF, DoD agencies, national laboratories, and industry are expected to have a strong presence at the conference. Members from these groups will be involved in providing professional development seminars, workshops, information sessions and recruitment activities, and will provide further new avenues for student development as well. While selecting students for the travel awards, every effort will be made to include and encourage student participation from both minority and traditionally underrepresented student groups in engineering.

There is broad agreement amongst researchers in the geophysics community that similar rocks may undergo very different weakening processes in different normal stress and/or slip velocity regimes. Consequently, inference of weakening behavior of fault rocks in situ from laboratory experiments at interfacial conditions of relevance to earthquake physics cannot be done simply by scaling exercises, and relatively small changes in normal stress and/or the slip speed can result in changes in the slip weakening distance of an order of magnitude. Motivated by these observations, the investigators propose to advance the current state of our understanding regarding the frictional constitutive behavior of earthquake faults using two principal approaches: (1) implementing a new dynamic shear friction testing apparatus by synergistically combining the split-Hopkinson pressure bar and the double-direct shear friction apparatus to the study of dynamic friction in both intact and granular geo-materials; and (2) developing a methodology for testing the efficacy of parameters extracted from dynamic friction experiments in dynamic rupture models.
The intellectual merit of this proposal is strengthened by the fact that it addresses some of the outstanding problems in earthquake-physics, including the influence of slip and slip-velocity on fault strength during a typical fault rupture event. No laboratory experiments to-date combine the large displacement, high slip rates, and normal stresses that are understood to characterize dynamic earthquake slip at natural fault interfaces. These failings mean that processes that may occur during dynamic slip in earthquakes have not been explored experimentally. The new experimental configuration proposed in here, which is a modification of the well-established experimental procedures employed routinely in engineering for investigating high-strain-rate behavior of engineering materials (split Hopkinson pressure bar) and quasi-static friction studies in geo-materials (double-direct shear apparatus), has the potential to provide friction data in the slip-speed and normal stress range of direct relevance to earthquake physics. Furthermore, the two-pronged methodology of our proposed work aims to fundamentally change the way we approach studying the frictional resistance of faults. The first task guarantees significant results that will advance the state of understanding of dynamic friction during earthquake rupture under relevant conditions, whereas the second approach will further constrain the inferred frictional constitutive models by comparing predictions of dynamic rupture models that incorporate lab-derived frictional slip constitutive behavior with laboratory rupture experiments.

The proposed research will contribute toward our understanding of earthquakes in several ways. To construct theoretical models of the earthquake process, we must understand how frictional resistance on faults changes during an earthquake. In particular, the weakening mechanism that we propose to study have profound implications for the magnitude of stress-drops during earthquakes and consequently for the magnitude of strong ground shaking. The manner in which fault strength varies with displacement and rupture velocity, as well as the rate at which healing occurs as the slip velocity decreases behind the rupture tip, can control the mode of rupture propagation, i.e. as a crack or a pulse. Thus, understanding dynamic friction is important not only for practical matters related to predicting strong ground motions and resulting damage, but also for answering major scientific questions receiving considerable attention, e.g. the strength of the San Andreas fault/the heat-flow paradox, the question that ultimately is responsible for the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) project.
The proposed program also provides exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary research and educational interactions by involving faculty and graduate students from two neighboring institutions.. Both universities are strongly encouraging the involvement of undergraduate students in cutting edge faculty research, and this would occur for the proposed work as well. Special attention will also be given to recruitment of underrepresented minority students for the project. Dissemination of research results is planned by conference presentations and publications in relevant peer-reviewed journals. The investigators will also employ internet and mass-media-based information dissemination to increase awareness of the potential impact of the proposed research in earthquake hazard mitigation.

CBET-1248221
PI: Huang

The travel grant request is for partial travel support for graduate students presenting posters in a Poster Symposium at the ASME Micro-Nano Technology Forum at the ASME IMECE 20112 in Houston, TX. The plan is to support nearly 40 meritorious graduate students from a pool of nearly 150-200 posters that will be presented during this forum. Students selected will be on the basis of merit and diversity.

Professional development of talented, diverse group of scientists in critical emerging areas is an important need for the nation and a priority for NSF. The travel grant is focused on doctoral students preparing for careers in academia and industry and in the vital technological area of nano and micro technology that NSF, CBET and the Thermal Transport program have heavily invested in for over a decade. The ASME IMECE is the premier conference for mechanical engineers and in the nano-technology area, and is therefore a good venue for the proposed poster presentations. The students will be exposed to cutting edge emerging research across the country and world, and those presenting will be able to further develop their professional skills in technical presentations. Beyond that, students attending will have the opportunity to learn from a variety of sources, as approximately 2000 presentations are generally presented at this annual meeting, further facilitating idea development for future careers in research. It is anticipated based on previous year attendance that over 150 presentations will be made, and there will be over 300 attendees.

Nano technology science research is now maturing and leading to transformational technology. Supporting this grant will foster interactions between budding researchers and entrepreneurs and will promote the technology and its transformational aspects.

The conference is expected to help in professional development, and students will be supported with an eye on diversity and encouraging under-represented group participation. Student selection will be done by an expert panel organized by the PIs from the posters submitted to the symposium. Opportunities that exist for postdoctoral positions and faculty as well as opportunities facilitated by other governmental agencies (e.g. DoD) will allow for important career development analyses. By attending, students will also have the option to attend professional development workshops and seminars that go beyond the traditional scientific development into areas important for career success, such as public speaking skills and resume/CV preparation.