| NSF Org: |
OISE Office of International Science and Engineering |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | April 30, 2010 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | April 30, 2010 |
| Award Number: | 1013836 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Osman Shinaishin
OISE Office of International Science and Engineering O/D Office Of The Director |
| Start Date: | June 1, 2010 |
| End Date: | May 31, 2013 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $60,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $60,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
506 S WRIGHT ST URBANA IL US 61801-3620 (217)333-2187 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
506 S WRIGHT ST URBANA IL US 61801-3620 |
| 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): | Catalyzing New Intl Collab |
| 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): | 47.079 |
ABSTRACT
1013836
Nayfeh
Description: This award is to support a US-West Bank Workshop on Nano-Structured Advanced Materials, to be held in the West Bank in December 2010. The organizers are Dr. Munir Nayfeh, Department of Physics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Dr. Hikmat Hilal, Department of Chemistry, AlNajah National University, Nablus, West Bank. The workshop will bring together experts from the US and West Bank (Palestine) to discuss various aspects of nanotechnology, explore ways to collaborate and identify areas for future joint activities. The four-day workshop will cover various nanotechnology areas including synthesis, characterization, and applications. The workshop will include visits to several locations of scientific interest in the West Bank. The goal of the meeting is first to foster collaboration between the US and Palestine in the area of nanotechnology research, education, training, entrepreneurship, and commercialization, and second to discuss proposals for establishing a national center for scientific excellence in nanotechnology that serves Palestinian universities, research organizations, general school education as well as industry. The activity promises a variety of mutual benefits for both the US and the West Bank (Palestine) that increases opportunities in research and teaching, tech transfer and job creation.
Intellectual Merit: Upon miniaturization, material often acquires improved and novel properties not found in bulk, such as improved mechanical, electrical, optical, as well as chemical properties, and becomes lighter, stronger and cheaper. Nanotechnology is a field in which both industrialized and developing countries can participate at the cutting edge of development and as such is conducive to international collaboration. The impetus of nanotechnology research is not only the elucidation of the nature of material when miniaturized to a regime at the transition between the solid and molecular states, but also the exploitation of this nature for manufacturing better products at lower cost and with new functions allowing the improvement of the quality of life.
Broader Impacts: The proposed project is intended to provide cultural training and international experience and perspectives for US scientists, graduate and undergraduate students. It will stimulate US scientists with NSF-sponsored research to add international collaborative components with universities in the Middle East. The workshop is also intended to stimulate scientific collaboration and important intellectual bridges in the region and between groups at individual as well as institutional and state levels from key parts in the Middle East. Finally, it is hoped that this workshop will encourage networking and joint ventures. At least four US junior scientists and students will participate in the workshop, and visit at least three academic and research institutions in the West bank.
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.
A three-day workshop was held at An Najah National University and at Palestine Technical University (PTU) at Kadoori. Twenty five (25) world class US scientists attended, presented and participated in the deliberations of the meetings. The US participants were drawn from top institutions and industry, which included included the University of Illinois, Cleveland State, University of Michigan, IBM, NanoSi Advanced Technologies, Livingston Group, Polybrite International, University of Southern California, University of Chicago, University of Central Florida, ICTP (Italy), University of Wisconsin, Quartek Inc.(North Carolina), University of Illinois (Singapore), Silicon Pastures (Wisconsin). The state of the art of nano science and nano technology was presented. Applications in medical science, health, energy and lighting, water, environment construction, electronics, photonics, and safety were presented by experts. Cutting edge advanced technologies as well as novel low cost device application that is useful for developing countries or remote areas any where in the world were presented.The presentations were very useful not only for the regional participants but certainly were so for the US participants themselves.
The workshop was heavily attended by scientists and students from all Palestinian institutions (private and state) as well as by governmental officials. It was heavily covered by local media as well as the BBC (Arabic Section) and media in the Arab Gulf countries. The conference helped put nanotechnology at the forefront of research and education in Palestine with a profound impact on the future of the Palestine and the region.
Participants made an excursion to a high school for boys and an elementary school for girls where they met with the principal, teachers and students. Prizes were presented to college students (2, one from an Najah and one from Kadoori) and high school students (5 students) and elementary students (10 girls)
The conference identified key areas of immediate interest to Palestine; these included water, energy, environment, and healthcare. Harnessing solar energy using nanotechnology was considered to be a starting point for these collaborations and was highlighted by all news media.
Recommendations from the final session included (i) establishing a nanotechnology committee representing all of the institutions in Palestine; (ii) Presenting a white paper for the consolidation of a National Nanotechnology Center; (iii) developing nanotechnology strategic framework, and enhancing the draft roadmap for collaboration toward joint proposals to encourage local cooperation for setting up shared resources.
Last Modified: 07/20/2013
Modified by: Munir H Nayfeh
