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The Vanderbilt-Fisk Interdisciplinary Program for Research and Education in the Nanosciences is a graduate level program focused on research and graduate student education associated with nanoscale science and engineering. This IGERT program combines the resources of Fisk University and Vanderbilt University in a unique university partnership. Students may enter… more »

The Vanderbilt-Fisk Interdisciplinary Program for Research and Education in the Nanosciences is a graduate level program focused on research and graduate student education associated with nanoscale science and engineering. This IGERT program combines the resources of Fisk University and Vanderbilt University in a unique university partnership. Students may enter Vanderbilt and earn a Ph.D., or enter Fisk University, earn a M.S., and then matriculate to the Vanderbilt Ph.D.

The intellectual merit is associated with both the research goal – a fundamental and comprehensive approach to the nano-scale science and engineering; and the educational goal- a program, centered in interdisciplinary materials science, to train graduate students to be self-starters and self-learners. Educational and research goals are built on the extensive need for a true interdisciplinary approach required for modern materials science at the nano-scale level. The research theme is the creation, characterization and modeling of nano-structured materials. This is motivated by recent advances in lower dimensionality and creation of unique nanostructures, to access the realm of designed quantum confinement and to realize new materials properties. The educational component comprises a complete background in the interdisciplinary materials sciences which provide the underpinnings of nano-science and nano scale engineering, including current theory, modeling, and experimental practices. IGERT students will be prepared for the fast changing environment associated within nanotechnology. Features of the educational schedule include research rotations, internships, teaching assignments and specialized courses in interdisciplinary nano-science, literature retrieval and science ethics.

The broader impact of this project lies in the very strong coupling between Fisk University (a M.S. granting HBCU) and Vanderbilt University. The IGERT is expected to be a significant factor in the cross-fertilization of these two institutions and the stimulation of under-represented groups to participate in nano-scale research and education. In addition we expect the educational aspects of the IGERT to provide a new concept in interdisciplinary education, tuned to the era of nano-scale science and engineering.

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. In this sixth year of the program, awards are being made to institutions for programs that collectively span the areas of science and engineering supported by NSF. « less