Cal State Northridge Wins $2.38 Million Grant

The National Science Foundation awarded Cal State Northridge a $2.38 million grant that aims to increase diversity in the study of materials science.

The NSF Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials program aims to broaden participation of under-represented minorities and enhance diversity in materials research and education, according to the university.

The PREM grants are designed to stimulate the development of formal, long-term, collaborative research and education partnerships between minority- serving colleges and universities and the NSF's Division of Materials Research- supported centers, institutes and facilities.

Cal State Northridge undergraduates will be able to continue working with professors here and at Princeton University on cutting-edge materials science research, thanks to the grant program started in 2004.

Materials science research can have direct applications in clean energy, next generation computing and nanotechnologies through the study of the relationship between electrons and atoms on a molecular level.

Cal State Northridge, a previous grant recipient, was one of six universities to receive the grants this year.

"The latest grant helps us maintain long-term collaboration with our colleagues at Princeton that gives our students a rare opportunity to do cutting-edge research with faculty here at CSUN and at Princeton" said Northridge physics professor and director of the PREM Center Gang Lu.

According to Lu, one of the highlights of the grant is the stipends given to CSUN undergraduates, allowing them to focus on their studies, which include doing research with faculty. The grant also will pay for students to travel to Princeton for the summer to conduct research with their faculty.