The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Adelphi a grant for an international research collaboration with the University of Warsaw. It will fund continuation of the U.S.-Polish International Research Experiences for Students (IRES), focused on solar energy research.
The IRES project creates a unique three-year opportunity for U.S. students to acquire early career research abroad in the fields of materials science, nanotechnology and solar energy conversion working with renowned European scientists.
With the renewed support of the NSF grant, six U.S. students a year, 18 total over three years, will be able to participate in the IRES project.
“This collaborative project, which has been running for several years, had a tremendous effect on those students,” said Justyna Widera-Kalinowska, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at Adelphi and coordinator of the program. “Working side by side with world-renowned European scientists helped my students to get state-of-the-art training, preparing them for real-world challenges and turning them into young professionals and world citizens.”
The project is offered in two tracks, Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) and Student Opportunities for Learning Active Research with International Scientists (SOLARIS).
IRES students participate in research focused on development and characterization of new composite materials for alternative energy sources and environmental remediation applications. This project will also provide research expertise for teachers by exposing them to an innovative, hands-on approach to education, creating student-centered active learning environments in the classroom.
“The students from my research group, after graduation from Adelphi, are continuing their education in top schools in the United States including Cornell University, Princeton University, University of California and, in Europe, Delft University of Technology,” Dr. Widera-Kalinowska said. “I am looking forward to continuing the great collaborative effort between Adelphi and University of Warsaw that we started in 2014.”
In addition to Dr. Widera-Kalinowska, the IRES project is led by an all-female team of academics, including Warsaw faculty members Magdalena Skompska, PhD, Renata Solarska, PhD, and Magdalena Osial, PhD.
Learn more about the IRES program on the NSF site.