Grant: Collaborative Research and Training Experience

The NSERC CREATE-IRTG for the Alberta/TUM International Graduate School for Hybrid Functional Materials (ATUMS) is an international training partnership of the University of Alberta and the Technische Universität München. The purpose of ATUMS is to train young elite scientists and engineers in the essential technical and out-of-discipline skills that will enable them to play key roles in revolutionizing and revitalizing the polymer/materials sector of the Canadian economy. We will also equip trainees to become world leaders in the growing field of materials science. This fully integrated international training program also provides trainees with the unique opportunity to gain invaluable experience and global perspective crucial to their professional success. *Modern society is becoming increasingly reliant upon advanced materials and the technology they support. Hybrid functional materials (HFMs) represent a largely untapped resource; some of their revolutionary benefits are already being felt in the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries. By their very nature, the development and implementation of HFMs require a broad and interdisciplinary skill set and there is a present and future demand for highly trained HFM professionals. The ATUMS program will provide trainees with the skill sets to satisfy these rapidly emerging needs while investigating HFMs with targeted applications in responsible energy management application (e.g., battery technologies, improved lighting/LEDs, solar cells, etc.).*