NRT: Research Training in Sustainable Packaging and Biodegradable Polymer Composites for the Next Generation of STEM Graduates

NRT：为下一代 STEM 毕业生提供可持续包装和可生物降解聚合物复合材料的研究培训

• 批准号: 2125606
• 负责人: Vijaya Rangari
• 金额: $ 200万
• 依托单位: Tuskegee University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2125606&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NRT; Research; Training; Sustainable; Packaging

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Current generation packaging materials are made of polymer composites that are derived from petroleum sources. These materials are not degradable and either end up in landfills or are incinerated, releasing toxic gases. Factors such as greater environmental awareness, societal concerns, and the depletion of petrochemical resources collectively drive a desire to develop new materials and products based on plant fibers and degradable biopolymers. This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award to Tuskegee University will establish a multidisciplinary traineeship in Sustainable Nanobiomaterials. The program is a partnership between three doctoral programs to collaboratively develop innovative sustainable biomaterials for biodegradable packaging systems, including biomedical and food packaging. The project anticipates training 40 students (30 Ph.D. and 10 Masters), including 30 funded trainees, from Materials Science and Engineering, Integrative Biosciences, and Integrative Pathobiology. The Tuskegee NRT effort will produce a large number of minority graduates, including a significant number of women with Ph.D. degrees in STEM. An area of focus for the traineeship includes support and training of faculty to mentor the trainees and provide trainees with training and opportunities to mentor as well. These graduates will become excellent role models for many young students and help bring much-needed diversity to the nation’s advanced technological workforce in Sustainable Nanobiomaterials.The multidisciplinary project team will train emerging scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and managers to develop the next generation of sustainable, biodegradable food and medical packaging applications. The trainees will carry out research in: (a) Synthesis of calcium and silica-based nanoparticles from waste resources such as bone ash, fish scales, egg and seashells, (b) Antimicrobial functionalization of nanoparticles and short plant fibers using green synthesis methods, (c) Structural, morphological, and spectral characterization of as-prepared nanoparticles, (d) Fabrication of antimicrobial polymer packaging films using polymer blow films, 3D printing, and solution casting, (e) Nanomechanical, structural, morphological, and thermal characterization of as-prepared polymer composite films, and (f) Antimicrobial inhibition, product design, prototyping, biodegradability, and commercial feasibility studies. The knowledge and training gained by the trainees will eventually result in new design and manufacturing methodologies. The program emphasizes mentoring at three levels. Students will be co-advised and mentored by a minimum of two faculty members. Faculty and trainees will be involved in outreach to and mentoring of high school students. Moreover, an annual mentoring workshop will be conducted to provide both faculty and trainees with strategies for effective mentoring. Other professional development activities are also in place to ensure students receive formal and informal preparation in proposal development and technical writing, teamwork, and ethics. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas through comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs.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.

该奖项是根据2021年《美国救援计划法》（公法117-2）全部或部分资助的。当前一代包装材料是由来自石油来源的聚合物公司制成的。这些材料不可降解，要么最终被填埋或焚化，从而释放有毒气体。诸如更高的环境意识，社会关注以及石化资源的部署等因素共同推动了基于植物纤维和可降解的生物聚合物开发新材料和产品的愿望。这项国家科学基金会研究实习生（NRT）授予塔斯基吉大学将在可持续的纳米生物材料中建立多学科的实习生。该计划是三个博士计划之间的合作伙伴关系，可以为可生物降解的包装系统（包括生物医学和食品包装）协作开发创新的可持续生物材料。该项目预计将培训40名学生（30位博士学位和10名硕士学位），其中包括材料科学和工程，综合生物科学和综合病理生物学的30名资助学员。 Tuskegee NRT的努力将培养大量少数毕业生，包括大量博士学位的女性。茎的学位。学员的重点领域包括支持和培训教师对学员的心理，并为受训者提供培训和指导机会。这些毕业生将成为许多年轻学生的绝佳榜样，并有助于为美国的可持续纳米生物材料中的高级技术劳动带来急需的多样性。跨学科项目团队将培训新兴的科学家，工程师，企业家和管理人员，以开发下一代可持续的可持续性，生物降解食品和医疗包装应用程序。学员将在以下研究中进行研究：（a）从骨灰，鱼粉，鱼尺，鸡蛋和贝壳等废物资源中合成钙和二氧化硅的纳米颗粒，（（b）纳米颗粒和短植物纤维的抗菌功能化，并使用绿色同步方法（（c）结构，形式，形成（c）nim sagralitial of thraportial of througiper，c）聚合物包装膜使用聚合物吹膜，3D打印和溶液铸造，（e）纳米力学，结构，形态和热的聚合物复合膜和（F）抗菌抑制作用，产品设计，原型设计，原型化，生物降解能力以及商业化的可爱性研究。学员获得的知识和培训最终将导致新的设计和制造方法。该计划强调三个层次的心理。学生将至少有两名教职员工的共同努力和精神。教师和学员将参与与高中生的宣传和心理化。此外，将举办年度心理研讨会，为教师和学员提供有效的心理策略。还进行了其他专业发展活动，以确保学生在提案开发和技术写作，团队合作和道德方面接受正式和非正式的准备。 NSF研究训练（NRT）计划旨在鼓励开发和实施用于STEM研究生教育培训的大胆，新的，潜在的变革性模型。该计划致力于通过全面的跨学科或收敛性研究领域的STEM研究生进行有效培训，通过全面的培训模型，这些模型具有创新性，基于循证的，并且与不断变化的劳动力和研究需求保持一致。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识优点和广泛影响来评估NSF的法定任务，并被视为值得的支持。