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AMSTERDAM, NY—Congressman Paul D. Tonko has just announced that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is being awarded two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants totaling $951,020.

“The vision and dedication of our Capital Region researchers, professors and students in STEM continue to drive transformative research and innovation here and around the world,” Congressman Tonko said. “This pioneering work to develop new engineering technologies will help carry our entire nation in fields of scientific achievement and economic competitiveness. Congratulations to all involved for your success and creativity in developing the projects that have earned these well-deserved awards.” 

“Rensselaer is a leader in developing new and improved materials, that enable a wide-array of future technologies,” said Robert Hull, Acting Vice President of Research at Rensselaer. “We are grateful for the support of the National Science Foundation in making possible these innovations.”

• $531,361 awarded towards developing 3-D printing of thermostats while integrating education in advanced manufacturing and polymer research to graduate and undergraduate students. The project is led by Dr. Chang Ryu, Professor and Director of NY State Center for Polymer Synthesis in Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rensselaer.
• $419,659 awarded towards research on epitaxy, a process of manufacturing materials used in microelectronics and renewable energy industries. The project is led by Dr. Jian Shi, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer.

The NSF was established by Congress in 1950 as an independent federal agency and works to develop cutting edge technologies in physics, mathematics, cybersecurity, neuroscience, and STEM education. Currently, NSF is responsible for funding 25 percent of all federally backed research at national colleges and universities.

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