Troy, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been awarded a $3.86 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund 15 fellowships to enhance interdisciplinary graduate study in terahertz (THz) science and technology as it relates to imaging, data transfer and networking systems, and electronics.

The grant, from NSF's Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program, will cover full tuition and provide a $27,500 stipend for each fellowship.

The fellowships, managed by Rensselaer's Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, will allow students to study with eminent faculty members in physics, electrical engineering, biology, and biomedical engineering. Students will be exposed to advanced research facilities at Rensselaer, such as the Center for Terahertz Research, where Rensselaer researchers have played a leading role in the quest to understand the science and the application of THz radiation.

The NSF award comes at a time when Rensselaer is strengthening its research-oriented graduate program with plans to double the number of doctoral degrees awarded. The grant also is another way Rensselaer is being recognized nationally for its prominent interdisciplinary research and education in new technologies.

Rensselaer faculty are among the world's first scientists to exploit the unique advantages of THz radiation. Using the relatively unexplored THz portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, they are creating innovative imaging and sensing technologies that hold enormous potential in biomedical imaging, genetics diagnostics, microelectronics, and the chemical and biological materials identification fields.

"Terahertz research is one of the most intriguing and challenging fields to emerge in the 21st century. In less than a decade, this previously hidden section of the electromagnetic spectrum has caught the imagination of scientists around the world," says Gwo-Ching Wang, professor and chair of the Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy and principal investigator who worked with more than a dozen faculty to secure the grant. "NSF's IGERT program goal is to train talented, diverse students in our core strength areas to make revolutionary scientific and technological advancements."

The other co-principal investigators are Xi-Cheng Zhang, the J. Erik Jonsson '22 Distinguished Professor of Science and director of Rensselaer's Center for Terahertz Research; Toh-Ming Lu, the Ray Palmer Baker Distinguished Professor; Michael Shur, the Patricia W. and C. Sheldon Roberts '48 Chair in Solid State Electronics; and Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering associate professor.

Contact: Jodi Ackerman
Phone: (518) 276-6531
E-mail: N/A