RET Site: Integrated Nanomanufacturing

The RET Site: Integrated Nanomanufacturing (INM) will offer transformative research experiences in nanotechnology and nanoengineering to 30 local high school teachers and community college faculty. This area of research underpins a broad spectrum of application, including biotechnology and healthcare, semiconductor electronics, computing, artificial intelligence, and energy. Participants will engage in mentored laboratory research in thriving academic engineering research laboratories. They will translate their research into informative classroom experiences at their schools and integrate these lessons into curriculum enhancements that align with educational frameworks. Participants will engage in comprehensive, hands-on laboratory experiences in a six-week summer experience, including group training sessions on safety and advanced manufacturing techniques. In addition, workshops to foster educator networking, technical communication, and research ethics will be featured. The project aims to strengthen K-12 STEM education in support of building a robust STEM workforce to meet strong regional demand in nanomanufacturing. Participants will acquire skills and expertise in INM and engineering to bring to their classrooms, with follow-up support from BU faculty and graduate student mentors. The primary objectives are to deepen participants’ understanding of nanomanufacturing research, support the translation and integration of engineering concepts into their classroom teaching, and build sustainable partnerships with RET participants and schools to inspire and prepare their students for STEM degrees and careers. Comprehensive, hands-on laboratory experiences and expert mentorship will empower teachers to engage in authentic research within integrated nanomanufacturing (INM). Participants will engage in group training sessions on photolithography, 3D printing, electron microscopy, and nanofabrication. Research activities will be translated into standards-aligned curriculum, which will be shared with other educators via the TeachEngineering digital library and presented at professional conferences. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.