The Convergence Center for Living, Multifunctional Materials Systems (LiMC²) has started its first funding program together with the cluster livMatS: The “Living Multifunctional Materials Collaborative Research Seed Grant Program 2021” aims at advancing the discovery of sustainable materials that are biological or inspired by biological principles. The funded projects should boldly cross disciplinary and institutional boundaries and integrate research expertise at both Penn State University and University of Freiburg.
“This seed grant program is a big step towards advancing the joint strategic partnership with the University of Freiburg,” says Prof. Zoubeida Ounaies, director of LiMC². “The collaborations are intended to leverage the strengths at both Penn State and the University of Freiburg to precipitate significant discoveries in the area of sustainable living materials.”
The seed grant program will provide funds to faculty groups for 12 to 18 months, with the goal of fostering long-term collaborative and multi-disciplinary research integrating researchers and students from both universities. The objective is to generate proof-of-concept studies and preliminary results that will lead to larger externally funded projects.
“This program is exciting not just because of the subject matter, but because we intend the outcomes from this to go far beyond what either institution could do individually,” says Prof. Rob Crane, associate vice provost for Global Programs of Pennsylvania State University. “This really is a case where one plus one will equal three – or maybe four or five! – and we are looking to this as a model for other strategic partnerships around the world.”