IRES: Polymer Science Advancing Biologically-inspired Research Opportunities Across Disciplines (Poly-ABROAD)

Poly-ABROAD is a collaborative exchange program that brings together U.S. students and researchers from Virginia Tech (VT) in the United States, and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPIP) in Germany, both leading polymer science programs in their respective countries. Each summer, VT students travel to MPIP to learn cutting edge methods for designing and making synthetic materials inspired by nature. By living and working abroad for three months, participants gain hands on experience in a world class laboratory but also develop the cultural skills and global perspective that will strengthen the U.S. scientific workforce. This program deepens ties between U.S. and European researchers and fosters new ideas for creating materials that can solve pressing challenges -- from safer medical devices to advanced adhesives -- while building lifelong connections across borders. Poly-ABROAD addresses the need for innovative polymeric materials by combining VT's expertise in polymer synthesis and engineering with MPIP's strengths in bioinspired design. Each year, a cohort of six undergraduate and graduate students propose and carry out 12 week research projects under joint mentorship from cross-disciplinary VT and MPIP faculty. These student-led projects, with input from both VT and MPIP faculty, are inspired by and focus on mimicking the complexity, adaptability, and specificity of natural polymers. Specific research projects may include materials that respond to their environment, exhibit targeted biological interactions, or enable the construction of hierarchical materials. All projects contribute to fundamental science, but results impact a variety of fields. This IRES project establishes enduring collaborations, equips students with advanced synthetic, analytical, and modeling skills as well as international laboratory experience, and accelerates progress toward high performance polymer technologies based on synthetic materials inspired by nature. 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.