Grant: Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Atoms are the building blocks of all materials; in most solids they are arranged in three-dimensional structures. The Nobel Prize winning discovery that atoms could be arranged in only two-dimensions, like flat, atomically-thin sheets, has opened up an exciting world of materials with unimaginable properties. A growing number of companies in Canada and abroad are looking to leverage these possibilities, but urgently need employees with a multidisciplinary skillset to fully exploit the unique properties of 2D-materials. With this in mind, 2D-MATURE will establish a hub of expertise in this strategic area, which will allow Canadian companies to compete on the international stage. Trainees will take courses and gain hands-on experience in a uniquely interdisciplinary environment. Each trainee will be co-supervised by a researcher at UWaterloo as well as a counterpart at a world-class German institution, and will participate in exchanges in Germany. This will equip trainees with the technical skills and international experience required to thrive in an increasingly globalized society. A key objective of 2D-MATURE is to impart trainees with the knowledge and skills needed to translate laboratory breakthroughs into materials/devices manufactured at industrial scales, considering technical, techno-economics, and social dimensions. Technical skills will be augmented with specialized courses in commercialization, intellectual property, and manufacturability. Courses on life-cycle analysis will trainees about sustainability and, in particular, how natural resource extraction impacts Indigenous Peoples, thereby providing the perspectives necessary to grow the 2D-materials industry in a responsible manner. Additional courses will develop professional skills, like technical communication and project management, which the trainees will also acquire by helping to manage 2D-MATURE and by presenting their own research at conferences and seminars. Top international researchers and industry representatives will present seminars and interact one-on-one with the trainees, building their professional networks. This value-added experience will produce job-ready trainees capable of transforming the 2D-materials industry in Canada.