Beginnings: Sensor Technology as a Vehicle to Cultivate Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies

Information

• NSF Award
• 2322772

Owner

• Illinois Institute of Technology

• Award Id

  2322772

• Award Effective Date

  10/1/2023 - 8 months ago

• Award Expiration Date

  9/30/2026 - 2 years from now

• Award Amount

  $ 875,291.00

• Award Instrument

  Cooperative Agreement

This project aims to serve the national interest by training a skillful workforce to meet the growing technology challenges delineated in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Sensor technology is among the fastest-developing branches in modern technology and contributes to all aspects of industrial applications. The transformation in miniature, intelligent and convoluted sensor systems will enable scientific and engineering innovations in the defense, space, civil, health, and environmental technology sectors. To embrace such a transformation, Illinois Tech’s ExLENT project, through the International Center for Sensor Science and Engineering (ICSSE), assembled a team of experts to provide cross-disciplinary, experiential training in combined areas of advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, environmental control, semiconductor and microelectronics.<br/><br/>The goal of the project is to prepare underserved groups, particularly veterans, and underrepresented populations in STEM with the technical capability to tackle the multifaceted challenges in the sensor technology sector. The project consists of education and mentored research in sensor technology in an academic setting, followed by related industrial internship training. Specifically, through a 9-credit certificate program, Illinois Tech’s ExLENT project offers dedicated mentorship, hands-on training, and one-on-one collaborative career support through faculty mentors, industrial partners, and Veterans Administration (VA) associated organizations. Of note, the project will afford veterans unique opportunities for reskilling/upskilling and reintegrating into civilian society, creating a strong career path into the emerging technology workforce. This project aligns with the NSF ExLENT program, funded by the NSF TIP and EDU Directorates, as it seeks to support experiential learning opportunities for individuals from diverse professional and educational backgrounds to increase their interest in, and their access to, career pathways in emerging technology fields.<br/><br/>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.

• Program Officer

  Leroy Jones IIljones@nsf.gov7032924684

• Min Amd Letter Date

  9/6/2023 - 9 months ago

• Max Amd Letter Date

  9/6/2023 - 9 months ago

• ARRA Amount

• Name

  Illinois Institute of Technology

• City

  CHICAGO

• State

  IL

• Country

  United States

• Address

  10 W 35TH ST

• Postal Code

  606163717

• Phone Number

  3125673035

• First Name

  Rong

• Last Name

  Wang

• Email Address

  wangr@iit.edu

• Start Date

  9/6/2023 12:00:00 AM

• First Name

  Erdal

• Last Name

  Oruklu

• Email Address

  erdal@ece.iit.edu

• Start Date

  9/6/2023 12:00:00 AM

• First Name

  Yuanbing

• Last Name

  Mao

• Email Address

  ymao17@iit.edu

• Start Date

  9/6/2023 12:00:00 AM

• First Name

  Eun-Jeong

• Last Name

  Lee

• Email Address

  elee20@iit.edu

• Start Date

  9/6/2023 12:00:00 AM

• Text

  IUSE

• Code

  1998

• Text

  ExLENT

• Text

  Improv Undergrad STEM Ed(IUSE)

• Code

  8209

• Text

  UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

• Code

  9178