Project Profile

The goal of this program is to educate the future leaders in the fast-developing area of computational optical sensing and imaging (COSI). The program brings together graduate students with diverse backgrounds in mathematics, biology, physics, and electrical... more »

The goal of this program is to educate the future leaders in the fast-developing area of computational optical sensing and imaging (COSI). The program brings together graduate students with diverse backgrounds in mathematics, biology, physics, and electrical and computer engineering. The common scientific theme is integrated COSI systems. The design of COSI systems simultaneously incorporates optics, optoelectronics, signal processing, and advanced mathematical algorithms. The system performance is controlled by joint optimization of these elements, as opposed to an independent optimization of each separately. COSI’s greatest potential is in realizing capabilities and performance that are otherwise impossible to obtain using classical methods. This fast-growing research area covers various imaging modalities, including optical tomography, synthetic aperture, metamaterials architectures, as well as wavefront coded imaging. High impact applications encompass ultra-violet lithography, nano-manufacturing inspection, super-resolution microscopy for biological sciences, environmental sensing, and imaging systems for consumer electronics.
The COSI program promotes a diverse graduate student enrollment and retention with a flexible and interdisciplinary approach to science and engineering education that includes economical, social, and ethical components. The extensive ties with industry and national labs advance the transfer of university technologies to industrial applications. Graduates with a background in integrated optical sensing are expected to occupy key positions in industry, government, education, and research labs, thus helping develop new technologies for the economic well being of society.

IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.

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