Partnership for Research and Education in Materials:Fueling Opportunities for Successful and TransformativE Retention of Chemistry Majors (PREM to FOSTER-Chem) in Graduate Programs

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY

The overarching purpose of PREM to FOSTER-Chem alliance between Florida A & M University (FAMU) and Virginia Tech (VT) GlycoMIP is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students (URM) from FAMU Masters of Science (M.S.) in Chemistry program enrollment, retention, and attainment of doctoral degrees in chemistry and related fields. The proposed partnership with GlycoMIP will use novel polymeric materials as the foundation for FAMU students to work jointly with junior and mid-career faculty at both universities to build a new research platform to connect more strongly with students.

Linking PREM to FOSTER-Chem affiliates (faculty, students, and staff) through research, teaching, and mentorship will create a pipeline to recruit and matriculate more URM students into graduate programs in STEM. Ultimately, this project will allow FAMU to grow toward leadership in polymer research and toward a national standard to form programs for URM students to successfully transition into PhD programs and obtain advanced degrees.

The major impact of this PREM to FOSTER-Chem initiative will be the production of three cohorts of graduate and undergraduate URM students (~6 graduate and 6 undergraduate students) completing a MS in chemistry at FAMU and enrolling in PhD programs. TECHNICAL SUMMARY

The PREM to FOSTER-Chem research team from FAMU chemistry and GlycoMIP at Virginia Tech will create hybrid semi-synthetic materials using phenolphthalin (PPLn)/phenolphthalein (PPL) monomers and polymers to prepare grafts and blends with glycans such as cellulose and dextran. The inclusion of these monomers in poly(arylene ether sulfone) (PAES), as well as the polymer microstructures will be varied to achieve distinct structural/functional features using glycans (GLY) with versatile chemical, physical, and architectural properties for a wide range of applications.

The PREM to FOSTER-Chem will allow FAMU and GlycoMIP faculty to merge expertise to accomplish the following research aims: 1) Prepare graft and blended PAES and GLY polymers with enhanced properties; 2) Determine the effect of graft content on phase morphology and physical properties; 3) Electrospin of PAES-g-GLY materials and study conformational changes and nanostructure formation; 4) Develop coarse-grained models for solvated and microphase separated PAE-GLY systems; 5) Assemble layered PAES-g-GLY/photocatalyst nanocomposite from electrospun heterojunction nanofibers. GlycoMIP will support FAMU Department of Chemistry faculty by collaborating on research projects, assisting with use of GlycoMIP/VT facilities, co-advising students in MS program, and providing support for undergraduate students to carry out research at VT.

The graduate students budgeted in current work will be given the opportunity to be part of GlycoMIP and spend time at collaborators' labs. The planned research, incorporation of GlycoMIP, and formed partnerships will enhance further understanding of semi-synthetic composite materials for various applications such as water purification, fuel cells, or energy harvesting.

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.