NSF Award
2431226
In this project, jointly funded by the Broadening Participation Program in the Division of Chemistry (BP-CHE) and the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology program (CREST) in the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES), Professor Zhange Feng and his colleagues at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) will conduct planning activities aimed at establishing a Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology focused on Chemistry research (CREST-CHE). The proposed center will concentrate on sustainable and ecofriendly electrochemical science and technology. The ultimate goal of the CREST-CHE is to drive institutional transformation by enhancing the research capacities in electrochemical science and technology, aligning with the overarching objectives of UNLV.<br/><br/>A series of planning activities are proposed, aiming to prepare a competitive full proposal to the CREST center with the completion of the planning activities. Three types of meetings are scheduled to devise the strategy, align the objective, and foster collaborative research among the team members, including semi-annual strategic planning meetings, bi-monthly progress review meetings, and biweekly collaboration meetings. Additionally, training opportunities in the form of workshops and symposiums are provided to faculty members and students to better prepare the team for the comprehensive proposal. The team will also conduct a thorough evaluation of infrastructures and resources at UNLV, and the conclusion will be included in the full proposal to ensure the success of the CREST center. Collaborative research among the team members will be conducted to gather preliminary data, including research on electrochemical energy storage, electrochemical CO2 reduction, organic electrosynthesis of compounds containing P-F bonds, electrochemical separation, and theoretical calculations. The success of the proposed planning activities will lead to a highly capable team in electrochemical science and technology, empowering PIs to craft a competitive proposal for the CREST center.<br/><br/>Through the strategy formulated in the planning activities, the project will seek to enroll a large number of undergraduate and graduate students that are reflective of the institution's overall student demographics. The project will significantly enhance the curriculum development and prepare students to work in the highly interdisciplinary area related to electrochemical science and technology. It will provide unique training opportunities through workshops and symposiums for faculty members and students working in electrochemical science and technology. The project will also inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers by engaging high school students from the local school district through a summer internship programs at UNLV.<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.
