IGERT: New Mathematical Tools for Next Generation Materials

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) award supports the establishment of a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional program for graduate training in next generation computational and analytical tools for materials science. This program will be based at Texas A&M University, in partnership with Prairie View A&M University, Texas State University, and six other academic institutions. One of the major goals will be to supply doctoral students with analytical tools and instill in them the broad-based understanding that will be needed for future advances in materials design. Research themes include design of new materials by incorporating nanometer-scale components and combining different functional properties, and development of new ways to analyze the large-scale behavior of such materials by incorporating knowledge of their atomic- and nanometer-scale properties. The program draws upon a group of cutting-edge materials researchers and experts in mathematics and computational methodology at Texas A&M and the partner institutions. The training program will include a multi-disciplinary curriculum, cohort-based learning with co-location of students, and activities aimed at improving communications and awareness of social and diversity issues. Rotations between research groups in the first year will provide a jumpstart for students training. The partnership between principal institutions will allow interested and qualified Masters students to participate in collaborative research and selected IGERT activities and is a key component of the recruitment plan to attract a highly diverse group of well-qualified students. A mentoring committee will track the students and help tailor students IGERT experience to their career plans. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.