| NSF Org: |
EEC Division of Engineering Education and Centers |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | February 22, 2013 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | February 22, 2013 |
| Award Number: | 1263063 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Mary Poats
EEC Division of Engineering Education and Centers ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | May 1, 2013 |
| End Date: | April 30, 2017 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $355,277.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $355,277.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
3112 LEE BUILDING COLLEGE PARK MD US 20742-5100 (301)405-6269 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
3112 Lee Bldg College Park MD US 20742-5141 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | EWFD-Eng Workforce Development |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
This REU site program will engage undergraduate students in basic research and provide laboratory experience in transportation electrification-related engineering projects performed with research mentors from University of Maryland at College Park (UMCP). The program is aimed at training students and promoting skills in them to become independent researchers by providing insights into research methodologies, self-discipline, team integration, and exposing them to the broader implications of their research. Ethics discussion and training will be integrated into all aspects of the students' experience. At the end of the program the participants will make formal presentations and also submit their work to the NSF Engineering Education Awardees Conference, and other conferences and journals including IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo.
Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of the proposed project is to provide undergraduate students with a strong academic background and research experience focusing on sustainable transportation systems, which is the common intellectual focus of the program. The program will enhance the practical and theoretical foundation of students in the areas of power electronics, energy storage (battery, ultracapacitor and fuel cell), optimization and mathematical modeling of grid integrated vehicles, and sustainable transportations by exploring creative, original, and transformative concepts.
Broader Impact: The main broader impact is ensuring highest quality integrated education and research to meet the emerging workforce and educational needs of U.S. transportation and energy industries by educating young and talented undergraduate students. The results will be disseminated broadly through professional conferences and meetings to enhance scientific and educational achievements. It is essential to point out that since the transportation industry is going through a major restructuring to introduce next generation of electrified vehicles, it is critical to train young minds in this field. The integrated research and educational activities will certainly facilitate this objective. It is the intention of the project team to diversify the number of participants, specifically from underrepresented groups.
There are over 250 million registered passenger vehicles in the U.S. Over 40% green house gas and 70% of emissions comes from transportation and transportation is 99% dependent on one source of the fuel, which is petroleum. Considering the fact that oil and gas are finite resources, which are becoming scant and expensive, there is no doubt that advanced electrified automotive systems are one of the ways of independency to oil. In fact, as identified by Electrification Coalition, transportation electrification is an inevitable path towards nation?s independence from oil and achieving energy security. Hence, it is vital to prepare the future STEM workforce to tackle grand challenges of national and global significance.
This REU program, funded by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers, through award ENG-EEC-1263063, will ensure highest quality of integrated education and research to meet the emerging workforce and educational needs of U.S. transportation and energy industries. It is aimed at training, educating, and inspiring undergraduate students to tackle such challenges, and convey to them the need for superior, passionate researchers in the field of transportation electrification. Efforts will be made to recruit a diverse pool of students from underrepresented groups in engineering. The participants will be exposed to broader implications of their research and training through technical and professional development seminars, field trips to national laboratories and tours of industrial facilities. The results of our experiences will be shared with interested universities, colleges, high schools, industries, and government organizations. The outcomes will be disseminated in national and international journals, conferences, and relevant workshops.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The REU Site: Summer Engineering Research Experiences in Transportation Electrification has engaged 34 undergraduate students from summer 2013 till summer 2015 in transportation electrification-related engineering projects. Faculty at the University of Maryland mentored the undergraduate participants.
Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of this REU program is providing undergraduate students with a strong academic background and research experience focusing on sustainable transportation systems. The program enhanced the practical and theoretical foundation of students in the areas of power electronics, energy storage (battery, ultracapacitor and fuel cell), optimization and mathematical modeling of grid integrated vehicles, and sustainable transportations by exploring creative, original, and transformative concepts. The program aimed at training students and promoting skills in them to become independent researchers. Ethics discussion and training were integrated into all aspects of the students' experience. At the end of the program the participants made formal presentations and some submitted their work to the NSF Engineering Education Awardees Conference or other conferences.
Broader Impact: The main broader impact is ensuring highest quality integrated education and research to meet the emerging workforce and educational needs of U.S. transportation and energy industries by educating young and talented undergraduate students. It is aimed at training, educating, and inspiring undergraduate students to tackle such challenges, and convey to them the need for superior, passionate researchers in the field of transportation electrification. The participants are exposed to broader implications of their research and training through technical and professional development seminars, field trips to laboratories and tours of industrial facilities. The results are disseminated broadly through professional conferences and meetings to enhance scientific and educational achievements. It is essential to point out that since the transportation industry is going through a major restructuring to introduce next generation of electrified vehicles, it is critical to train young minds in this field. The program has been successful in recruiting over 50% of the talented participants from minority and underrepresented groups.
Last Modified: 05/13/2017
Modified by: Alireza Khaligh
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