Introduction to IGERT Themes
Each IGERT is based on an interdisciplinary research theme that cuts across traditional disciplines. Themes are dynamic and changing, reflecting new combinations of scientific disciplines that characterize emerging areas of research. New themes will be formed in response to the richness of ideas contained in the proposals entertained by the IGERT program.
Click on any current theme to get a brief summary of the kinds of research IGERT projects are doing within that area. Many IGERT awards fall into more than one of the themes listed here:
- Sustainability: ecology and the environment
- Computational science and engineering
- Human and social dimensions of new knowledge and technology
- Nanoscience: engineering and technology
- Energy: alternate and renewable resource and conservation
- Materials science and engineering
- Bioinformatics
- Civil infrastructure monitoring and improvement
- Neuroscience: biology and psychology
- Climate change: impacts and factors
- Biological evolution and development
- Diverse device development
- Sensing, signals, imaging and signals processing
Sustainability: ecology and the environment
IGERT projects that address the NSF strategic investment goal of discovery, fostering research that improves our ability to live sustainably on earth. Examples of projects that strengthen our understanding of the links between human actions and natural processes range from developing a knowledge base for policy creation and decision making to restoring wetlands that were formerly part of a U.S. Army base.
Computational science and engineering
IGERT projects that address the NSF strategic investment priority of advancing fundamental research in computational science and engineering, and in fundamental, applied and interdisciplinary mathematics and statistics. From linguistics to interactive digital media to assessing changes in coastal ecosystems, IGERT projects have developed and used computational tools to further our knowledge in a range of research covering all NSF Directorates.
Human and social dimensions of new knowledge and technology
IGERT projects that directly address the human and social dimensions of new knowledge and technology, a strategic goal of the NSF. The range of the research from the impact of toxic wastes in streams to the socioeconomic modeling of crop planting and its impact on maintaining biodiversity to contributions to our understanding of HIV/AIDS spread under conditions of rapid economic and social change gives a glimpse into the breadth of the IGERT trainee research and training experience. Trainees and their mentors address fundamental challenges faced by humans and the planet resulting from the ever-changing landscape of human interaction with science and technology.
Nanoscience: engineering and technology
IGERT projects that directly address the breadth and interdisciplinary nature inherent in nanoscience engineering and its application technology to help further U.S. economic competitiveness. IGERTs on topics ranging from developing fundamental understanding of nanostructures to using this knowledge to improve manufacturing processes to help move nanotechnologies to aid U.S. economic competitiveness and address the America COMPETES Act are all within the scope of the IGERTs in this theme.
Energy: alternate and renewable resources and conservation
IGERT projects that directly related to the production of alternate energy sources and the concomitant basic science and engineering required for their successful implementation. Addressing NSF strategic priorities of fostering research to improve our ability to live sustainably on earth coupled with improving our economic competitiveness, these IGERTs range from solar energy to wind energy to fuel cell improvement. Their interdisciplinary success is further interwoven with elements of nanotechnology and cutting edge material science.
Materials science and engineering
IGERT projects that address the broad aspects from discovery to development of new materials with potential applications that range from oxygen sensors to materials for supercapacitors — from the nanoscale to macroscale. All of these projects address the NSF strategic investment priority of discovery in promoting transformational, interdisciplinary research and fostering U.S. economic competitiveness.
Bioinformatics
IGERT projects that address the inherently interdisciplinary field of bioinformatics. By combining computational skills with data set analysis, IGERT trainees are developing unique skills that can impact everything from our ability to live sustainably on earth to advancing fundamental computational computer science, as trainees and IGERT faculty strive to push the limits of algorithm development and utilization.
Civil infrastructure monitoring and improvement
IGERT projects that directly addressed infrastructure monitoring from aspects of engineering, corrosion science, and computational modeling, all aimed at improving our understanding of the lifetime, usage and reliability of materials. The interdisciplinary theme addresses NSF discovery strategic investment priorities of promoting transformational and interdisciplinary research and improving our ability to live sustainably on earth.
Neuroscience: biology and psychology
IGERT projects that address the interdisciplinary theme of neuroscience. Involving statistics, computational science, neuroscience, imaging, and psychology, these projects have led to discoveries from visual imaging to mechanisms of contextual decision-making. The theme addresses many of the discovery intensive NSF strategic investment priorities, including promoting transformational interdisciplinary research and advancing research in math and applied statistics.
Climate change: impacts and factors
IGERT projects that directly address climate change, ranging from its impact on tree species survival to developing data-based scales to measuring the intensity of tornadoes. Each IGERT in this area directly addresses the NSF strategic investment priority of fostering interdisciplinary research to improve our ability to live sustainably on earth.
Biological evolution and development
IGERT projects that address the theme of evolution and development covering a wide range of disciplines and approaches to solving the riddle of how inhabiting species exist, develop, and evolve on this planet. The theme addressed the discovery NSF strategic investment priorities of transformational, interdisciplinary research and fostering our ability to live sustainably on earth.
Diverse device development
IGERT projects that directly address the synthesis of interdisciplinary training ranging from chemistry, to biology, materials science, and engineering for developing devices ranging from novel drug delivery to the development of femto-second lasers and mini-spectrometers in the tera-hertz time domain. This area of inherently interdisciplinary research helps to aid our economic competitiveness and to investigate the human and social dimensions of science and technology as it allows us to gain information never before available.
Sensing, signals, imaging and signal processing
IGERT projects that are involved with the sensing and processing of signals and images. With the need for greater detailed understanding of ever-smaller images with greater amounts of information, IGERTs involved with signal processing are transforming our ability to hear and touch and move more effectively to the ability to sense pathogens and hazards. The NSF strategic investment priorities of promoting transformational, interdisciplinary science; fostering our ability to live sustainably on earth; investigating the human and social dimensions of science and technology; and helping the U.S. be more competitive are all addressed in this thematic area of discovery.
