GRK 2022:  Alberta/Technical University of Munich International Graduate School for Environmentally Responsible Functional Hybrid Materials (ATUMS)

• Subject Area: Chemical Solid State and Surface Research
• Term: from 2015 to 2024
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 245845833

Semiconductor nanoparticles and functional polymers rank among the great scientific triumphs of the late 20th century. Within the Alberta/TUM International Graduate School (IRTG 2022 “ATUMS”), these structures merge to form advanced hybrid functional materials (HFMs) that hold promise of addressing far reaching societal needs; these HFMs have the potential to revolutionize solar energy conversion and storage, low power electronics, displays, optical communication, while simultaneously ushering in a new paradigm for sensors, drug delivery, therapeutics, diagnostics, etc. Unleashing this potential requires extensive foundational research, and a highly-skilled cross-disciplinary workforce must be established. The Phase I of ATUMS has been exceptionally successful on these fronts. ATUMS has strategically integrated the research expertise of leading German and Canadian chemists, physicists, and engineers to generate novel nanoscale material composites and demonstrate proof-of-concept (opto)electronic devices (e.g., sensors, FETs, and LEDs). The crossdisciplinary chain-of-knowledge research strategy has also guided our training approach. Every ATUMS Phase I graduate is now actively pursuing a modern advanced career track (e.g. researcher, management trainee, entrepreneur, etc.). Our approach is clearly providing the contextual international education needed to foster the next generation of scientific leaders. ATUMS Phase II will allow us to build on the impactful accomplishments of Phase I, while simultaneously expanding the scope of our Graduate School. We will continue to apply our coordinated inter/cross-disciplinary approach to new material/application categories (i.e., Sinanosheets, MOFs, (Project 1), “fuel” driven self-assemblies (8 & 5) and hydrogenated Zintlphases (3)). We will also draw on the expertise of our fully integrated international inter/crossdisciplinary team and rely on a coherent path to knowledge from chemical synthesis to final prototype applications. The training program at TUM will once again be conducted under the wings of DFG-accredited TUM IGSSE (Intl. Graduate School of Science & Engineering) and will comprise training elements from its more than 200 courses to enhance personal, social and entrepreneurial skills. In particular, the “TUM Entrepreneurial Idea” will be strengthened by arranging seminars/workshops along the line “from the scientific idea through professional IP handling to company foundation”.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: Canada
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• IRTG-Partner Institution: University of Alberta
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Bernhard Rieger
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Professor Jonathan Veinot, Ph.D.
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr.-Ing. Markus Becherer; Professor Dr. Job Boekhoven; Professor Dr. Thomas F. Fässler; Professor Dr. Ulrich Heiz; Professorin Dr. Nathalie Kunkel, from 10/2019 until 11/2021; Professor Dr. Peter Müller-Buschbaum; Professor Dr. Tom Nilges; Professor Dr. Martin Stutzmann; Professor Dr. Marc Tornow