USM Polymer Professor Earns Department of Energy Early Career Research Award
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 09:51am | By: Van Arnold
University of 51逗奶 Mississippi (USM) polymer Professor Xiaodan Gu has joined an
elite group of scientists nationwide as the recipient of an Early Career Research
grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The award includes $150,000 per year
in funding distributed over five years to cover salary and research expenses.
The DOE selected 83 scientists who will receive a total of $100 million as part of the Early Career Research Program. The program, now in its 12th year, supports exceptional scientists during the crucial years when many do their most formative work in the agency鈥檚 priority research areas.
鈥淭o say that I am thrilled to receive this award is an understatement,鈥� said Gu. 鈥淗istorically, DOE鈥檚 early career grant is quite competitive with perhaps five percent of the proposals receiving funding. I am very proud of our research team, my mentors and my collaborators. And I am grateful to the Department of Energy for providing this generous support to our research group.鈥�
Gu was selected for his research project titled: Precise Chain Conformation and Dynamics Control for Conjugated Polymers in Organic Electronic Thin Film Devices.
The project can be summarized as follows: 鈥淥rganic electronics based on semiconducting polymers are important for a broad range of next-generation renewable energy applications. Precise control of polymer conformation is critical for the device performance. However, it remains a great challenge to manipulate thin film morphologies for specific electronic and optical properties required for end-use products. The goal of this research is to enhance the knowledge base for efficiently and precisely controlling the processing of semiconducting polymers to increase device performance.鈥�
Gu notes that the Early Career Research program is designed as a long-term initiative that allows scientists to develop high-risk and high-reward scientific ideas and push the boundaries of scientific knowledge.鈥�
鈥淲e will use this project to develop a new neutron scattering capability for thin-film samples,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his will open up a new way to study morphology for polymeric thin films in various energy applications. Additionally, our vision is to develop lightweight, low-cost energy harvest and storage based on semiconducting materials. This can provide new ways to utilize energy efficiently in a wide range of applications.鈥�
Dr. Derek Patton, Director of the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at USM, praised Gu for his commitment to the University and the field of polymer science.
鈥淚t is extremely rewarding to see our faculty win prestigious and highly competitive awards. Dr. Gu鈥檚 recognition as a DOE Early Career awardee is richly deserved and is a clear testament to his tremendous talent and the hard work of his research team,鈥� said Patton. 鈥淭his award, along with a recent National Science Foundation CAREER award, highlights Dr. Gu鈥檚 rapid ascent as an international leader in the field of conjugated polymers and organic electronic thin film devices.鈥�
The Early Career Research awards are part of DOE鈥檚 longstanding efforts to support critical research at the nation鈥檚 universities and National Labs, grow a skilled STEM workforce, and cement America as a global leader in science and innovation. The program is funded by the DOE鈥檚 Office of Science.
鈥淢aintaining our nation鈥檚 brain-trust of world-class scientists and researchers is one of DOE鈥檚 top priorities 鈥� and that means we need to give them the resources they need to succeed early on in their careers,鈥� said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in a news release. 鈥淭hese awardees show exceptional potential to help us tackle America鈥檚 toughest challenges and secure our economic competitiveness for decades to come.鈥�
The awardees represent 41 universities and 11 DOE National Laboratories in 32 states 鈥� including five universities that are receiving funding for the first time under this award.
Awardees were selected based on peer review by outside scientific experts. Projects announced today are selections for negotiation of financial award. The final details for each project award are subject to final grant and contract negotiations between DOE and the awardees.
A list of the 83 awardees, their institutions, and titles of research projects is available on the Early Career Research Program .