Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a FE-SEM and associated detectors at Colgate University

This grant will provide funding for the purchase of a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) at Colgate University. It will include a suite of detectors including backscattered electron (BSE) and secondary electron (SE) detectors, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and cathodoluminescence (CL) detectors.

This system allows for the determination of both the physical and chemical properties of a wide range of materials at very small spatial scales and has a broad range of research applications across many scientific disciplines. The system will be used by students and faculty at Colgate University, as well as a range of neighboring institutions in the greater Central New York region, to support fundamental research in areas related to Geology, Environmental Science, Physics, Biology and Anthropology.

The facility will also serve to enable new research opportunities and collaborations in the region. Training of undergraduate students and educational outreach are major broader impacts of this grant. Undergraduate students will receive technical training in advanced electron microscopy techniques through both coursework and student-faculty research.

High school students will also be introduced to the system through long-standing outreach programs that Colgate science departments have with the local community. These experiences will serve to encourage students to pursue science-related careers and enhance their training for success in these fields.

The FE-SEM system will enable a wide range of new research opportunities for students and faculty at Colgate University and in the region through collaborative research. Major planned research using the new system includes: (1) investigating the nano-to-microscale structures of bio-based materials developed for electronics and functional surfaces, (2) understanding how growth environment impacts biomineral structure and composition in marine organisms, (3) resolving geologic questions regarding the tectonic setting of anorthosite emplacement during the Proterozoic and associated formation of skarns (which are often sites of economically significant mineral resources), and (4) testing tectonic models of crustal extension at metamorphic core complexes in western North America.

Other proposed research projects that will utilize this SEM include understanding volcanic eruptions in the Galápagos Islands and Alaska, the tectonic evolution of the Himalayas, interactions between soil and microbes, micro-artifact and use/wear patterns of pre-Hispanic tools at archeological sites, and microplastic adsorption and degradation in the environment.

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.