2DCC PREM

In 2021 the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) grant to lead institution Florida International University (FIU). Known as Innovations in Materials, Processes, and Applications for Quantum Technologies (NSF PREM IMPAQT), the program, in partnership with the 2DCC, focuses on fundamental and practical aspects of 2D materials and processes that have potential impacts in quantum science. The project is led by Dr. Daniela Radu, associate professor of materials science and engineering at FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing and builds on an existing FIU-2DCC relationship. Dr. Radu has been a user of the 2DCC for over five years and the partnership has resulted in a couple of joint grant proposals, including one funded by NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Institutional Research Opportunity. The NSF PREM goals are to increase diversity and promote greater inclusion of underrepresented minority groups and women in cutting-edge materials research, education, and professions. Materials engineering is central to the growth, prosperity, security, and quality of life of people, as it is new materials that open the door to new technologies, whether they are in civil, chemical, construction, nuclear, aeronautical, agricultural, mechanical, biomedical, or electrical engineering. NSF PREM IMPAQT will explore the fundamental and practical aspects of materials with atomic thickness, also known as two-dimensional (2D) materials, that have potential impacts in quantum science. Along with FIU and PSU faculty, FIU and PSU students will engage in highly innovative materials research, which seeks advancements in sensor technology, secure communication, quantum computing, and advanced phenomena simulation.