REU Site: Research Experience for Student Veterans in Advanced Manufacturing and EntrePreneurship (REVAMP)

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

The three year renewal Research Experience for Student Veterans in Advanced Manufacturing and EntrePreneurship (REVAMP) program at Georgia Institute of Technology will continue to train a diverse cohort of undergraduate students in the fundamental principles of (1) advanced manufacturing science and technology; and (2) the transition of basic discoveries in manufacturing science into innovative commercial products. This enhanced REU program will focus on training of veterans and underrepresented minority students and annually will engage 10 undergraduate students who will perform hands-on fundamental manufacturing research in several critical areas including additive manufacturing, bio-/cell-manufacturing, composites/nanocomposites manufacturing, applications of AI and robotics in manufacturing. The REVAMP REU site focuses on the critical national need of manufacturing, and more specifically, advanced manufacturing research and technology, which will play a crucial role in positioning the U.S. manufacturing sector as a continued world leader. By leveraging the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)'s world-class facilities, diverse technical expertise, and inspiring interdisciplinary research environment, the REU activities will give students the opportunity to improve knowledge in the critically important advanced manufacturing technology topic areas noted above. Training in research methodology, performance of scientific manufacturing research, tours of manufacturing facilities, and completion of technical seminars provided by GTMI faculty will significantly expand each student's manufacturing knowledge base, preparing them for future careers in advanced manufacturing. The research experience will be enhanced by entrepreneurship training including specialized customer discovery experiential learning, seminars focused on the fundamentals of evidenced-based entrepreneurship, and case studies presented by startup company leaders offered by the GT Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2). Through entrepreneurship training, students will also have a transformative opportunity to develop critical leadership skills for transitioning basic research discoveries into commercially-viable innovations. NSF I-Corps South programs and veteran-faculty mentorship opportunities provided by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) will be incorporated into this renewal REVAMP REU site program. A unique feature of this REU site is its focus on training of veterans and underrepresented minority students. To accomplish this goal, GTMI will target its recruiting efforts on the top universities/colleges in the nation for veteran enrollment and several HBCU's and institutions with high female enrollment. This REU site will combine advanced manufacturing research training with the principles of entrepreneurship, encouraging students to become leaders in innovation. This will help to fill the current void between fundamental research and technology commercialization in the U.S. It is expected that the site will serve as a new educational model for educating veterans and 21st century engineers in STEM and entrepreneurship that can be replicated by other colleges and universities throughout the nation. In addition, the REU site will support and encourage strong participation by women and underrepresented minorities in manufacturing-related STEM fields. 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.