June 9, 2021 – Nebraska is known for corn and beef, but Charles Lindbergh’s first flying lessons and the invention of the screw clamp also take place in small towns in the area. Now the National Science Foundation is counting on the state of Cornhusker to help lead a high-profile era of innovation as America prepares for next generation computing and security technology.
This bet comes in the form of a $ 20 million grant spread over 5 years and shared by four universities in Nebraska. The foundation’s program was created to promote competitive research aimed at scientists in specific fields – currently 25 states and three U.S. territories – who have the ambition and expertise to conduct field-changing research, but usually for the benefit of larger ones Centers overlooked the coasts.
A global race is underway in the emerging field of materials science and technology that will change the way we see and measure our world, how we communicate, store, and protect data.
The award is “one of the greatest accomplishments” in the career of Christian Binek, PhD, professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and director of the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience.
“Quantum science and technology is the next big thing. Missing this is not an option,” he says. Basic foods of modern life like computers, smartphones, light emitting diodes (LED) and lasers are all based on quantum mechanics, explains Binek.
And some of the projects the scholarship supports will lead to medical advances, he adds.
Medicine is becoming quanta
Quantum science enables the development of new drugs and helps improve diagnostic tools, such as MRI machines that take pictures of the inside of the human body.
One of the projects the scientists from Nebraska are working on is the low-field MRI. If they can eliminate the superconducting coils that require liquid nitrogen for cooling, today’s large, bulky, and prohibitively expensive MRI machines could become obsolete, Binek explains.
Patients would still need to be scanned, but that could be done with a handheld device, he says. Advances could also pave the way for 3D x-rays with vivid details and colors.
The potential workforce in Nebraska is part of the “missing millions” between the coasts who could fuel the world’s quantum revolution and advance other science, but are struggling for funding and resources, said Tomasz Durakiewicz, PhD, program director in the National’s materials science department Science Foundation.
There is a “painful shortage” of quantum experts, so it is important to build up a skilled workforce, says Durakiewicz. “You need people who understand quantum mechanics, who understand coding and vacuum technology in one package, and we don’t have that many people.” And for some projects, the requirements of a high security clearance and American citizenship limit the pool of available experts.
From the Old Oregon Trail to the Silicon Prairie
The Nebraska grant is shared between four universities: University of Nebraska-Lincoln; University of Nebraska Omaha; University of Nebraska at Kearney; and Creighton University in Omaha. These institutions will partner with Nebraska’s community and tribal colleges, including the Nebraska Indian Community College, Little Priest Tribal College, and Central Community College, as part of the education and staffing aspects of the scholarship.
Near the old Oregon Trail, where pioneers roamed Nebraska in covered wagons, a new breed of settlers is moving to the so-called Silicon Prairie, attracting investment from high-tech giants.
The state’s suggestion of what to do with the $ 20 million was “excellent,” but the region was also chosen because the state government supports the collaboration and because the infrastructure is already in place to improve research efforts, says José Colom -Ustáriz, PhD, Program Director at the National Science Foundation.
“That’s a good sign that these scientists can build a workforce that could potentially stay in the state,” he says.
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National Science Foundation.
Christian Binek, PhD, Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Director, Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience.
Tomasz Durakiewicz, PhD, Program Director, Materials Research Department, National Science Foundation.
José Colom-Ustáriz, PhD, Program Director, National Science Foundation.
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