
NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | August 22, 2016 |
Latest Amendment Date: | August 22, 2016 |
Award Number: | 1601522 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
John Jackman
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
Start Date: | September 1, 2016 |
End Date: | August 31, 2021 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $811,064.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $811,064.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
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History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
300 JAY ST BROOKLYN NY US 11201-1909 (718)260-5560 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
300 JAY ST BROOKLYN NY US 11201-2902 |
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): | Advanced Tech Education Prog |
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): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
The United States is the world leader in the design and fabrication of medical devices, holding one-third of global market share. Aging populations and global military conflicts alone create a rapidly growing need for the state-of-the-art production of medical devices. There is a significant gap between the market for prosthetic devices and the nation's capacity to meet production needs in the future unless engineering technology and engineering programs educate future technologists to work in this field. In partnership with leading producers and medical professionals in this field, the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design Technology at New York City College of Technology (City Tech) has designed an associate degree program that is well aligned with the Medical Device Harmonization Initiative created by the current Administration and the US Department of Labor, to help the medical industry address its workforce supply deficiencies. Considering that City Tech is the second most diverse institution of higher education among regional universities in the northeast producing a high number of associate degree recipients, it is anticipated that this project will also have a significant impact on the production of a diverse cohort of technologists with expertise in this critical field.
City Tech will provide students with unique classroom experiences that combine curriculum enhancement with intensive hands on experience using state of the art design and manufacturing technologies and offering advanced certificates in key technical areas. Students will gain real world experience with the field through association by working on real-world projects with the prestigious Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, and other not-for-profit organizations, to design and fabricate prosthetic and medical devices. Students will be expanding their knowledge and multidisciplinary expertise in dental prostheses, business management, mechatronics, ethical issues in medical devices, and product lifecycle management through interaction with top experts in these fields. The project will also be introduced to grades 7-12 students and teachers in order to provide them with early exposure to this field.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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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 key intellectual merit of this project is to provide students with exposure and hands on experience to the design and fabrication of medical and prosthetic devices. This happened by updating carefully selected courses in the Associate of Applied Science degree curriculum, offering intensive in campus technical training by faculty and industry experts, and introducing multidisciplinary research projects in medical devices with faculty. These activities delivered to many student in the mechanical engineering technology department which includes more than 800 students. The outcomes can be summarized as follows:
- The field of medical devices is a heart-touching field, thus students feel they are developing a device that can save someone's life. Thus, the project has inspired many students to come up with ideas to develop small medical devices to make life better. During the early days of the pandemic, some students designed and printed masks that were donated to people and hospitals. Additionally, students felt great sympathy as well as motivation developing devices for kids in need in developing countries.
- The project has helped City Tech establishing an active manufacturing unit, the Center of Medical Devices and Additive Manufacturing. The center is equipped now with state-of-the-art equipment which were acquired through this project. The center will continue to serve students and provide them with training opportunities for many years to come.
- Connecting students with experts from the industry was very inspiring to our students. More work needs to be done in this component nationwide to come up with a smart practical collaborative model. The model we tried in this project was giving interactive lectures and tutorials based on real case studies by industry experts.
- Students learned how to apply conceptual ideas. They can accurately present their research work and projects. They learned about diverse programs including Python, JAVA Web, Office, etc. They also learned 3D printing, CNC, mechancial design, programming, principles behind electronics, the process of marketing devices, the process of patenting devices, and product lifecycle management. For example, when working alongside a mentor from the Hospital for Special Surgery, they reported learning about medical implants, design of prosthetic knees and arms. As one student stated: " I learned the connection between medical and engineering and this industry, more engineers are helping out medical people for designing products".,
- The research experiences also helped students broadened their knowledge and make progress specific to their professional goals. To illustrate that, one student stated: "It definitely broadened my view on what I can get myself into, in terms of working and looking for a job, before I did not really understand implants or design, I did not know engineers could work in hospitals". Additionally, the evidence suggests students learned AND develop important workplace skills including the importance of punctuality, teamwork and cooperation.
- Almost every student in the Mechanical Engineering Technology department has participated in one way or another in some of the project activities. Some students took courses that were updated by this project, other students participated in the Summer Training Camp, some other students worked on research projects with faculty members, and some students participated in technical training sessions offered during the semester.
- Graduation, retention, and employment rates for graduates of mechanical engineering have increased as a result of this project. For example, the number of students who finished their associate degree has increased by 12% in 2019 compared to 2016. Female students enrollement increased by 32%. More details are provided in the project final report
- The project has managed to create a pipeline to enhance students training and career placement in mechanical engineering from the associate degree to the bacalaureate degree to an external master degree in Translational Medicine at City College of New York. Thus, students can join the industry at any time of their study.
- The project has given students the opportunity to work in a multidisplinary research projects. They worked with students in other departments including Restorative Dentistry and Computer Engineering.
- The project proved that offering certified training is an effective tool in improving students skills in a specific technical area. Certified training is the training that is offered by a third party, outside the college, and ends with an exam which student has to pass in order to prove he/she has demonstated good skills in this area.
- The project has made in impact on other departments which have participated in the project such as the Restorative Dentistry Department and Computer Engineering. For example, five of seven Restorative Dentistry students (6 females and 1 male) who participated in this project activities during 2016-2021 were hired in the dental laboratory technology industry upon finishing their associate degrees. Now, they are fabricating medical devices in dental laboratories utilizing digital technologies. The knowledge gained through NSF grant activities greatly helped them in their jobs.
Last Modified: 12/20/2021
Modified by: Gaffar B Gailani
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