University of Hawaii - University of Washington PREM: Materials Research and Education Consortium (MRE-C)

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) and University of Washington (UW) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) partnership, Materials Research and Education Consortium (MRE-C), will engage diverse researchers to foster key materials science breakthroughs in clean energy and sustainability necessary to solve the critical challenges facing geographically isolated island communities such as Hawaiʻi. These challenges include heavy reliance on imported fuels for electricity and transportation, resource and waste management, soil erosion, and ocean contamination exacerbated by climate change.

This PREM aims to: (1) elevate engagement of historically underrepresented groups (e.g., underrepresented minorities, women, and veterans) in materials research and STEM education at undergraduate and graduate levels; (2) broaden materials education through new courses and workshops at UHM; (3) boost research capacity in materials for clean energy and sustainability; and (3) integrate cultural knowledge and insights to materials education in alignment with UHM’s aspirations as a Hawaiian Place of Learning. MRE-C is uniquely positioned to significantly increase participation by Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders in materials science and STEM careers due to the high Native Hawaiian population at UHM (16%) and in Hawaiʻi (21%) compared to U.S. mainland (0.2%).

The introduction of new materials science classes will enrich the academic experience for STEM students, offering a wider array of course options and career pathways. The PREM K-12 education effort will have an enduring impact in schools, with the curricula use continuing beyond outreach periods, ensuring the sustained growth of the materials science and STEM pathway.

This project is partially supported with co-funding from the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and Sustainable Chemistry from the Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI) in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS).

MRE-C creates a pathway to recruit, retain, and graduate diverse cohorts of participants through activities anchored on the M.O.R.E approach (Mentoring, Outreach, Research and Education), training more than 60 undergraduate and graduate scientists and engineers ready for emerging materials science and STEM workforce opportunities. MRE-C research is organized into three unique, interrelated thrusts: 1) Advanced Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Storage pushes the boundaries of new material structure and property information consequent to nanoscaling and doping of hard materials and chalcogenide perovskites that can lead to advances in energy technologies, including solar and hydrogen fuel cell-based systems, accelerating Hawai‘i's transformation to clean energy; 2) Sustainable Materials for Island Communities addresses the challenges of sustainable resource management in island communities by developing new hybrid composites, biodegradable materials to improve resource utilization and ensure ecological, and economic sustainability; 3) Materials Acceleration via Synergistic AI-Driven Automation of Experiments and Simulations develops a modular materials acceleration platform infrastructure that applies to structured materials built from nanocrystal building blocks to provide solutions to clean energy and sustainability challenges.

UHM’s expertise in materials syntheses and unique capabilities in X-ray diffraction, hydrogen sorption, and thin films deposition will be complemented by UW resources through virtual and in-person exchanges. UW will advance UHM research culture and capacity through transfer of expertise and pertinent resources for automation of research processes and large data sets, syntheses of nanomaterials and biomaterials, and integration of advanced computations synergistic with experimental discovery.

The partnership will develop materials courses and K-12 workshops incorporating local Hawaiian cultural perspectives to increase the place-based value of curriculum to both institutions.

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.