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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) welcomes the first cohort of the new Poly-ABROAD Visiting Student Program, an international research collaboration with the Macromolecules Innovation Institute at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). As part of the program, six graduate and undergraduate students from Virginia Tech will spend three months conducting research at MPIP in Mainz from May to August.
The initiative aims to strengthen international scientific exchange in polymer and materials research while integrating early-career researchers into international scientific networks. The Poly-ABROAD program (Polymer Science Advancing Biologically-Inspired Research Opportunities Across Disciplines) is funded through a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (Award #2505386).
Interdisciplinary research between Virginia Tech and MPIP
During their stay, the visiting students will join several MPIP research groups working on biologically inspired materials and sustainable polymer concepts. The projects include topics such as biocompatible hydrogels for medical applications, functional polymer composites for flexible electronics, sustainable and self-healing polymer materials, and biopolymer nanocomposites for water remediation systems.
The participants benefit from MPIP’s interdisciplinary research environment and its expertise in polymer science, soft matter, interface research and advanced spectroscopy. The undergraduate and graduate students were selected based on their outstanding academic achievements and prior research experience. The participants contribute their own scientific experiences and diverse research perspectives from their research groups at Virginia Tech to the laboratories at MPIP.
“During my time in Mainz as a Humboldt Research Fellow, I greatly appreciated the open and interdisciplinary research environment there”, says John Matson, Professor of Chemistry at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. This experience inspired the idea for the Poly-ABROAD program, which came together during discussions with my colleague and program co-leader Michael Schulz, who had spent time at MPIP as a Fulbright scholar. Our goal is to give undergraduate and graduate students from Virginia Tech the opportunity to gain international research experience and to build scientific networks across national borders.”
Scientific exchange in an international environment
During their stay, the early-career researchers are integrated as guests into the Max Planck Graduate Center with the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (MPGC). The MPGC is a joint doctoral program of the Max Planck Institutes for Chemistry and for Polymer Research together with Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and is funded by the Max Planck Society as well as the Ministry of Science and Health of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. The MPGC provides an international and interinstitutional environment for scientific training, networking, and structured educational programs for doctoral researchers working on interdisciplinary research topics. “I am pleased that the MPGC, which has been funded by the Ministry of Science, Further Education, and Health since 2009, is making a significant contribution to strengthening international exchange with researchers from the United States,” says Science Minister Clemens Hoch of the state Rhineland-Palatinate.
In this environment, the visiting students will gain first-hand experience in international and interdisciplinary scientific collaboration and engage in intercultural exchange with other doctoral researchers in Mainz.
Supporting early-career researchers through international collaboration
With the Poly-ABROAD program, MPIP and Virginia Tech promote international scientific exchange and create new opportunities for the education and networking of early-career researchers between the United States and Germany. At the same time, the program further contributes to the international visibility of Mainz and Rhineland-Palatinate in multidisciplinary polymer and materials research.
Tanja Weil, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz (Germany) says: “The Poly-ABROAD program demonstrates how international scientific exchange can develop into lasting collaborations that support both research and the training of young scientists. We are very pleased to welcome the first cohort from Virginia Tech to MPIP and to provide the participating students and researchers with insights into the institute’s interdisciplinary research environment and the Max Planck Graduate Center.”
Dr. Sarah Chagri
chagri@mpip-mainz.mpg.de
The PolyABROAD program, funded by the National Science Foundation, brings the first cohort of visiti ...
Copyright: © MPI-P
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The PolyABROAD program, funded by the National Science Foundation, brings the first cohort of visiti ...
Copyright: © MPI-P
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