Project Profile

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) project develops a novel, collaborative multidisciplinary program involving The University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology,... more »

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) project develops a novel, collaborative multidisciplinary program involving The University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and the National Center for Photovoltaics at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Participating students will work toward the development of the next generation of solar energy devices, based on a broad background of academic training in chemistry, materials engineering, and electrical engineering. Student research opportunities include extended research rotations among the collaborating institutions and internships at NREL and in the solar energy industry. The goal of this program is to prepare students for leadership roles in education, research and development, and science-policy formulation. Reflecting this goal, the curriculum will include formal training in research ethics, public communication, and educational outreach. The South Dakota IGERT will produce a technical workforce in the critically important area of renewable energy and develop science leaders who are broadly trained within a culture of solving large-scale problems through an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach. This IGERT will recruit and retain students in groups underrepresented in science and engineering through interactions with a site for Research Experiences for Undergraduates, interactions with the Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center, and though a partnership with Sinte Gleska University. 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. « less

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