Cal State LA Awarded Prestigious $1 Million Science Grant

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Cal State LA, in partnership with UC Irvine, has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to advance research and education in the field of materials science, the school announced Thursday.

The Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) grant will launch a groundbreaking collaboration between Cal State LA and UC Irvine's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, school officials said.

"We are thrilled to receive this NSF PREM award and to collaborate with UC Irvine," Berenecea Johnson Eanes, president of Cal State LA, said in a statement.

"This partnership will not only advance our research capabilities but also provide invaluable opportunities for our students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, to participate in groundbreaking research and pursue careers in materials science."

Materials science is the study of the properties of solid materials and how those properties are determined by a material's composition and structure.

According to school officials, the grant will help set up the NSF PREM Center for Bioinspired and Architectured Materials at Cal State LA, which will combine the strengths of both institutions to push forward scientific innovations in materials science and engineering.

"This partnership with UC Irvine will enable us to leverage their world-class research facilities and expertise, accelerating our progress in key areas of materials research and education," said Travis Hu, a materials scientist in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Cal State LA. "We are excited to see the innovative solutions and new knowledge that will emerge from this collaboration."

The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

According to Cal State LA, the grant will also fund various educational and outreach activities, such as summer research programs, workshops and seminars, all designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

"The NSF PREM grant will allow us to work closely with their talented faculty and students, sharing resources and knowledge to drive forward the frontiers of materials research and foster greater inclusivity," said Xiaoqing Pan, director of UC Irvine's MRSEC Center for Complex and Active Materials.

The collaboration is expected to yield significant advancements in materials research, with potential applications that could impact various industries and contribute to solving some of the most pressing challenges facing society, according to Cal State LA officials.