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Eric Mazur - US grants
Affiliations: | Physics | Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States |
Area:
Ultrafast Physics, Materials Science and ChemistryWebsite:
http://www.physics.harvard.edu/people/facpages/mazur.htmlWe are testing a new system for linking grants to scientists.
The funding information displayed below comes from the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools and the NSF Award Database.The grant data on this page is limited to grants awarded in the United States and is thus partial. It can nonetheless be used to understand how funding patterns influence mentorship networks and vice-versa, which has deep implications on how research is done.
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High-probability grants
According to our matching algorithm, Eric Mazur is the likely recipient of the following grants.Years | Recipients | Code | Title / Keywords | Matching score |
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1988 — 1994 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Presidential Young Investigator Award @ Harvard University This is a Presidential Young Investigator award for support of Professor Eric Mazur in his "Optical Studies of Molecules and Condensed Matter." The goals of this research are to understand the dynamics of highly vibrationally excited molecules, and of macroscopic non-equilibrium phenomena in fluids, and to explore applications of laser-induced molecular processes. These processes will be studied using laser excitation of molecules at picosecond time resolution with spectral resolution to study single rotational and vibrational states. He will also perform light scattering studies of liquid interfaces to study interfacial tension near the critical temperatures. He will also study liquid-vapor interfaces. |
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1993 — 1996 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Peer Instruction: Stimulating Renewed Interest in Physics and Other Science and Engineering Courses @ Harvard University We are further developing and disseminating a remarkably simple and effective instructional technique -- ConcepTests coupled with Peer Instruction -- which has shown to be very effective in revitalizing instruction and improving student learning in science courses. The technique has two primary goals: 1. to expose students' common misconceptions about fundamental principles via the use of ConcepTests, and 2. to rectify these notions, and promote understanding of basic concepts, through Peer Instruction. Greater understanding, in turn, leads to a greater appreciation of the material, and is ultimately expected to result in an increased interest in the sciences. Initial application of this method in introductory physics classes indicates that our program achieves both of these objectives. We are extending our initial research to other disciplines, fine-tuning our procedure, and systematizing its application so it can be widely applied in undergraduate science, mathematics and engineering education. |
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1996 — 2000 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
On-Line Server of Educational Resources @ Harvard University Recent concerns over problems in American science education have prompted rapid development of new educational methods and technologies. Traditional modes of information sharing, however, haven't been successful in producing widespread educational reform--overcoming the inertia of instructors remains a significant obstacle. To encourage adoption of educational innovations, we intend to widely disseminate "hands-on" materials, i.e., materials that are ready for immediate use in the classroom. The twofold goals of this collaborative project are 1) to actively disseminate information and materials, and 2) to encourage discourse across disciplines and institutions. We intend to exploit recent advances in information technology to establish a World Wide Web server devoted solely to achieving the above goals. To begin with, we will place on-line physics and chemistry materials developed with previous NSF support. These materials, which have proven to be highly effective in enhancing student learning and interest in introductory college physics and chemistry courses, will be available for immediate classroom use. In addition to the active dissemination of these materials, the server will solicit user contributions, enriching the pool of ideas for all users. Initially focused on physics and chemistry, the contents of the server will later be expanded to other disciplines. With input from users and an advisory board we will establish policies for the most effective use of the Web site. By reaching a broad audience this project will encourage the evaluation and adoption of shared material and thus help produce a broad and lasting change. |
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1998 — 2002 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Ultrafast Electron and Lattice Dynamics Solids @ Harvard University Mazur |
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2000 — 2003 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Femtosecond Laser Ionization and Damage Mechanisms in Transparent Materials @ Harvard University This project focuses on studying plasma formation and material damage produced by nonlinear absorption of laser pulses in transparent materials. By tightly focusing ultrashort laser pulses, preliminary evidence of material damage with as little as five nanoJoule of laser energy has been observed. Because of the low pulse energy and tight focusing used in the experiments, intensities producing permanent damage can be achieved with minimal self-focusing, allowing the field intensity at the focus to be accurately determined. Measuring the threshold intensity for various laser and material parameters affords the group an opportunity to identify the relative role of multiphoton, tunneling, and avalanche ionization processes in femtosecond laser interactions with bulk media. In addition, detailed studies of the damage morphology for different laser parameters will uncover the basic damage mechanisms at work and provide useful information for applications. |
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2000 — 2002 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Creating a Community of Peer Instruction Users: Dissemination and Electronic Resources @ Harvard University Physics (13) It has been well established by science education researchers that students learn most when actively engaged. The predominant form for teaching undergraduate science classes, however, is the passive lecture format, which has been shown to contribute little to help students develop a coherent body of knowledge. One established way to engage students in large lectures is to intersperse brief lectures with conceptual questions, called ConcepTests, which are designed to challenge students to think about the fundamental concepts and gain practice explaining their ideas. Although hundreds of faculty around the country in many disciplines are already using this strategy, called Peer Instruction, most lecturers continue to follow the traditional passive lecture format. |
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2001 — 2003 | Halperin, Bertrand [⬀] Mazur, Eric Prentiss, Mara (co-PI) [⬀] Weitz, David (co-PI) [⬀] Xie, Xiaoliang |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
@ Harvard University This award from the Major Instrumentation Program is for the acquisition of a confocal microscope at Harvard University. This confocal microscope will be the heart of a state-of-the-art optical microscopy facility which will be a core component of the Center for Imaging and Mesoscopic Structures (CIMS), recently established at Harvard University as part of a general initiative of renewed support for the sciences. The facility will provide the Harvard research community with a complete range of modern optical microscopy that will enable optical imaging with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity. This will facilitate a broad range of new research, and will help establish new interdisciplinary research programs at Harvard University, bridging the disciplines of chemistry, physics, engineering, materials science, biology and medicine. This will help meet the important educational aim of CIMS, and this facility, which is to ensure that students become skilled in state-of-the-art microscopy, and are well versed in interdisciplinary collaboration. The research to be conducted ranges from materials science to biology, from synthesis of novel structured materials to probing single macromolecules inside living cells. |
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2001 — 2005 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
On-Line Resources For Teaching With Peer Instruction @ Harvard University In recent years, problems in science education in American high schools, colleges, and universities have been widely publicized and have aroused great concern. In particular, the traditional lecture approach, common in college and university introductory science courses, often fails to help students master key concepts. Students may learn to follow recipe-like algorithms for solving problems, but they lack understanding of some of the most basic ideas. A number of strategies have been developed to improve the teaching of these courses, several of which can be used in a variety of disciplines. Over the past ten years, we have established that one effective way to improve student learning in undergraduate science courses is to incorporate cooperative learning exercises into otherwise traditional lectures, using a strategy called "Peer Instruction"(PI). Use of PI has spread rapidly around the world; many faculty tell us that they have found PI both successful in improving their students' learning and easy to implement and adapt to their particular contexts. Peer Instruction is used widely in physics, chemistry, and astronomy, and implementation is beginning in biology, engineering, and mathematics. The goals of this project are to make Peer Instruction easier to implement for instructors, and to reinforce active learning habits for students in Peer Instruction-taught classes, through development of web-based electronic resources. Specifically,the project is developing Internet utilities that allow instructors to download class-ready materials and to automate production of a course web site for courses taught using Peer Instruction. A self-test and self-study facility for students is also being developed. These resources aim to lower the threshold to implementing Peer Instruction or similar techniques to promote cooperative learning. |
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2001 — 2007 | Sadler, Philip (co-PI) [⬀] Westervelt, Robert (co-PI) [⬀] Hutchinson, John [⬀] Mazur, Eric Barros, Ana |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
@ Harvard University We propose a collaboration between Harvard and the Cambridge Public Schools to help public school students learn science and technology. Cambridge teachers follow a curriculum which meets standards of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) and prepares students for state-wide examinations. Our plan is based on teams, each consisting of one faculty member, three GK-12 Fellows, and three Cambridge teachers. Each team will choose a topic from one of three areas: the environment, materials science, and information technology. During the first half year the team will meet weekly to introduce Cambridge teachers to research at Harvard and to discuss how to involve students in investigations related to the Cambridge curriculum and MCAS standards. In the second half year, GK- 12 Fellows will move to the Cambridge Public Schools to help teachers and students in discussions and student projects. A workshop will be held at the end of the year in which Cambridge students present their results to an audience of students and parents. We will start with eighth grade students and move to the ninth and tenth grades in following years. These activities will help Cambridge students learn science and technology and help GK- 12 Fellows become more involved in public education. |
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2002 — 2006 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Assessing Implementation of Collaborative Learning Strategies @ Harvard University In recent years, problems in American science education, from elementary schools to universities, have been widely publicized and have aroused great concern. It has been repeatedly established that students often fail to master key concepts under the lecture approach that is commonly used in high school and undergraduate science courses. Some progress has been made in developing alternative pedagogies based on more active forms of learning, which are more effective in producing student learning. However, such pedagogies are still not widespread. A number of strategies have been developed to improve the teaching of introductory science courses, several of which can be used in a variety of disciplines, and extensive assessment has demonstrated the effectiveness of these strategies. Over the past ten years, Peer Instruction has been established as one effective way to improve student learning in undergraduate science courses by including collaborative exercises within the context of traditional lectures. Peer Instruction is presently used by hundreds of instructors around the world, and the majority of those instructors testify to its effectiveness and ease of implementation. |
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2003 — 2006 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Femtosecond Laser Microfabrication and Packaging of Integrated Optical Components @ Harvard University The dynamic nature of future optical networks requires high levels of integration, fast response times, and adaptability of the optical components. Laser micromachining circumvents the limitations of planar integration, making three-dimensional integration possible and allowing dense packaging of optical devices. Femtosecond micromachining is material independent, allowing devices to be manufactured in any transparent substrate. Oscillator-only machining has several advantages over amplified femtosecond laser machining: easy control over the size of the structures without changing focusing, polarization-independent structures, lower initial investment cost and higher-speed manufacturing. These advantages make oscillator-only machining feasible for commercial applications, and the group is working on a number of integrated optical devices with immediate industrial applications. By controlling the cross-sectional size of the waveguides, the group will produce periodically modulated waveguides that can serve as Bragg gratings. By controlling the three-dimensional geometry of waveguides written into an electro-optic material, they will manufacture cascaded Mach Zehnder filters capable of dynamic filtering of optical signals. Applying this technique to magneto-optical materials, they will manufacture monolithic Faraday isolators. By selecting a rare-earth doped glass substrate, they will produce an integrated amplifier. |
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2003 — 2006 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Femtosecond Material Science: Phase Transitions Induced by Photo-Excited Carriers @ Harvard University This research uses optical techniques to study electron and lattice dynamics in solids that undergo semiconductor-to-metal transitions after excitation with intense femtosecond laser pulses. In addition to investigating the dynamics of highly excited materials, the proposed work will determine the degree to which their phase can be controlled with multiple-pulse excitations by studying the interplay between free carrier dynamics and ionic motion during a semiconductor-to-metal transition. A novel aspect of the work is the measurement of the dynamics of the spectral dielectric function with femtosecond time resolution, which fully characterizes the linear optical response of the material and from which one can infer changes in band structure and electronic configuration. Through quality research-based education of undergraduate and graduate students, this research also contributes to science and engineering education and the training of future scientists and engineers. |
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2006 — 2009 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Combined Ablation and Nonlinear Imaging System For Nanoscale Studies in Biology @ Harvard University The focus of this research project is to develop a Combined Ablation and Nonlinear Imaging (CANI) system and demonstrate its utility as a new tool to answer questions in cell biology that are currently inaccessible by other techniques. For example, many open questions remain about the viscoelastic nature of the cytoskeletal network in living cells, the nature of the interconnectivity of the acting stress fibers to the rest of the cytoskeleton, and the force transfer contribution of individual actin bundles to cell shape and adhesion. The proposed CANI system opens the possibility of directly probing cell behavior and mechanics within tissue samples. The work will also contribute to the education and the training of future multidisciplinary scientists and engineers through research-based education of undergraduate and graduate students. Finally, using the group's well-established program for outreach and public education, this work will be broadly disseminated to the general public. |
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2006 — 2009 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Miniaturization of Microphotonic Devices Using Silica Nanowires @ Harvard University The objective of this research project is to accomplish miniaturization, high-density integration and advanced packaging of photonic devices for large-bandwidth signal processing. The approach is to develop photonic devices by assembling silica nanowires on a silica aerogel substrate. Prof. Eric Mazur's research group has extensive expertise in the fabrication of silica nanowires and in nonlinear optics. A number of nanowire-based devices will be fabricated, including splitters, controllable fiber mirrors and optical logic gates. These devices will lay the groundwork for the miniaturization and integration of optical circuits. |
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2007 — 2011 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
"What Will This Do to My Evaluations?" Are Student Evaluations a Barrier to Education Reform? @ Harvard University Physics (13). This project studies the change in global student evaluations of teaching (SET) ratings upon implementation of interactive teaching methods in introductory physics and astronomy courses. The change in specific SET ratings is investigated and correlated with two different measures of student learning: (1) gains in the performance on standardized concept inventories administered online and (2) course grades. An online survey is administered to study the specific implementation details and institutional circumstances of the participating instructors. This work determines whether student evaluations of teaching are a barrier to the implementation of interactive teaching methods and thus to student learning. It helps faculty to collect and analyze data to learn more about advantages and disadvantages of their specific implementation, contributes to a better understanding of the applicability of student evaluations in measuring student learning, and helps administrators and faculty to better interpret SET data. |
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2008 — 2012 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Femtosecond Laser Doping of Silicon; a Novel Fabrication Method For Photovoltaics @ Harvard University CBET-0754227 |
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2008 — 2009 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Sger: Exploring the Electron and Lattice Dynamics During Ultrafast Laser P-Type-Doping of Zno @ Harvard University Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a wide-bandgap semiconductor that has recently seen a resurgence of popularity as a choice material for optoelectronic devices in the blue-to-near-ultraviolet region of the spectrum. Its properties and non-toxicity make it an ideal material for photonic applications. For semiconductors to be useful in most applications it is necessary to add an additional element to the main material, i.e. to dope the semiconductor. This has kept ZnO from being widely used in devices, despite all of its advantages, because there is no reliable and reproducible way to obtain highly p-doped ZnO. This Small Grant for Exploratory Research aims to reveal the dynamics of the electrons and lattice involved in producing p-doped ZnO. Simultaneously with investigating the physics behind ultrafast doping, this project will explore the use of ultrashort laser pulses to produce a highly doped wide-bandgap semiconductor such as p-doped ZnO. The project will provide a graduate student with multidisciplinary skills. |
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2009 — 2012 | Mazur, Eric Zickler, Todd [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
@ Harvard University Large-enrollment courses are a practical necessity for introductory courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at many institutions. Innovative technologies, such as audience response systems, can enhance instruction in large-enrollment classes, but the information that can be conveyed with these existing technologies remains quite limited. The goal of this project is to develop a new role for technology in large STEM classes, one that exploits advances in computer vision technology and the rapid proliferation of digital video. By building a multi-camera array to simultaneously observe all individuals in a large classroom, the investigators will pursue foundational research in both education and computer vision. For computer vision, large classrooms provide a convenient microcosm of social interaction in which individual activities are constrained but not controlled; this project will leverage this property to develop vision-based recognition systems for large group activites. Educationally, this new vision system will be used to systematically study learning in large classrooms---something that has not previously been possible. |
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2009 — 2013 | Mazur, Eric Mooney, David (co-PI) [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Using Two-Photon Polymerization For the Fabrication of 3d Matrices For Cell Migration Studies @ Harvard University 0854288 |
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2009 — 2013 | Friend, Cynthia (co-PI) [⬀] Mazur, Eric Aspuru-Guzik, Alan Brenner, Michael (co-PI) [⬀] Brenner, Michael (co-PI) [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Solar Optical Hyperdoping: Transforming Semiconductor Band Structure For Solar Energy Harvesting @ Harvard University TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The goal of this research project is to explore new methods to alter electronic band structure and therefore the optical properties of semiconductor materials so as to transform them into more efficient solar energy converters. The electronic band structure will be modified by optical hyperdoping via femtosecond laser irradiation in the presence of various gases. This process leads to higher levels of doping than are possible using other methods. To better understand and optimize the dynamics of optical hyperdoping, the team will develop new mathematical tools for modeling the hyperdoping process, focusing on the quantum mechanics associated with the unusual band structure, as well as methods for understanding and controlling the non-equilibrium process itself. The multidisciplinary team of PIs will integrate expertise in mathematics and continuum modeling of optical hyperdoping, theoretical chemistry and modeling at the quantum level, materials science of optoelectronic materials, and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces to make a concerted attack on creating and understanding new materials with transformative potential and broader impacts. |
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2009 — 2012 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Novel Tio2-Based Microphotonic Devices @ Harvard University Objective: |
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2010 — 2017 | Parker, Kevin (co-PI) [⬀] Mazur, Eric |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Reu Site: Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences (Bridge) @ Harvard University Teachers and students will participate in interdisciplinary research and educational projects that seek to understand and apply design strategies in nature to the development novel biomaterials. A fundamental understanding of how living systems self-organize and build structures could lead to improved and low-cost medical devices, as well as more efficient paradigms for energy conversion and manufacturing. As part of the summer program, teachers and students will participate in professional development workshops, including building skills in oral and written communication, ethics and professional conduct, and how to conduct research. Students and teachers will also create a short video designed to engage the public in their research, as well as a final technical presentation. The program also focuses on recruiting veterans, students without prior research experience, and students traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering. |
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2010 — 2012 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
@ Harvard University Traditional laboratory exercises are often intended to provide hands-on experience in science to students, reinforce the rules and relationships presented in lecture, and convey a sense that science is cool. Other potential goals, such as clarifying the scientific method and improving student understanding of measurement, error and assumptions, are poorly framed and largely neglected during instruction. Even primary goals are not always made clear, which frustrates students and promotes negative attitudes toward the laboratory, or worse, science in general. This project is developing three different instructional strategies for the laboratory component of an introductory physics course: a strongly guided, content-focused strategy; a question-driven, minimally guided strategy; and a question-driven, scientific ability-focused strategy. Each of these strategies is being developed with assessable student learning outcomes in mind, to ensure that we can evaluate the success of each strategy. Formative assessment of student efforts to reach these goals involves rubric-based evaluation of individual laboratories and laboratory-focused examination questions. Summative assessment incorporates the final exam, FCI or CSEM, and CLASS. This assessment is informing future iterations of laboratory instruction and provides significant insight about strategies for laboratory-based education in the science education community. |
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2012 — 2017 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Study of Plasmon-Assisted Cell Transfection @ Harvard University In this project the PI will combine techniques and expertise from physics and the life sciences to advance fundamental knowledge and providing a new technique for gene and drug delivery. The proposed approach is based on plasmon-mediated cell transfection. Cell transfection by femtosecond laser is an attractive alternative; however, this technique is currently limited to single-cell transfection. The PI will address the important goal of high-throughput, low-toxicity, and high-efficiency DNA delivery to cells by using plasmon devices that possess micrometer-sized points of extreme local field enhancements to porate cell membranes when irradiated by an ultrafast laser. By running parallel theoretical modeling of the field enhancement, fabrication of the substrates, and experimental analysis of the light-plasmon-cell interaction and DNA diffusion, the project will provide a powerful tool with broad applicability to transfection of numerous cell lines. The method proposed in this project will address challenging genetics questions and has the potential for transformative impact in the field of genetics and, more broadly, any biomedical research involving transfection. It will enable efficient, safe, and high-throughput introduction of genetic vectors into mammalian cells. This is the first step toward studying and optimizing the modification of genetic expression. Simultaneously, it will provide further insight in the light mediated transfection mechanisms. This work will also contribute to the education and the training of future multidisciplinary scientists through research-based education of undergraduate and graduate students. The work will be broadly disseminated to the general public. |
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2012 — 2015 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Tio2 Ultrafast All-Optical Devices @ Harvard University The objective of this research is to develop on-chip microphotonic devices for future telecommunication bandwidth and computing needs. The approach exploits recent advances in TiO2 photonic nanowires to build novel all-optical modulation, switching, and logic devices. |
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2012 — 2015 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
@ Harvard University Peer Instruction (PI) is a robust, research-based pedagogy (RBP) that has leveraged the power of |
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2012 — 2017 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Savi: Student Research Network in the Physics of Living Systems (Pols) @ Harvard University SAVI: Student Research Network in the Physics of Living Systems (PoLS) |
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2014 — 2016 | Li, Yang Mazur, Eric |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Low-Loss, Impedance-Matched Dirac-Cone Metamaterials For Integrated Optics @ Harvard University Non-technical Description: This project implements a new form of optical materials - integrated impedance-matched metamaterials with zero refractive index. These materials do not bend light like ordinary transparent materials and can be incorporated in optical devices. Using this novel material platform, this project explores the exotic physics of zero refractive index materials and implements a number of applications in integrated photonics, including beam-steering and super-coupling. To efficiently transfer this new type of optical metamaterial from academia to commercial applications, the research team collaborates closely with industrial partners. This project contributes to the Principal Investigators' effort in education and outreach in two ways: first, this novel type of metamaterial can be used as a simple platform in education and exhibitions to demonstrate the exotic material properties and interesting physical phenomena of metamaterials; second, students at many different levels involved in this project gain research experience in state-of-the-art research. |
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2014 — 2017 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Integrated Photonic Chips For Generating Entangled Photon Triplets @ Harvard University Quantum information technologies are a driving force for the advancement of fundamental physics and enable large-scale secure communication, unprecedented processor speeds, and higher resolution measurement techniques. These applications require a source of entangled photons, which act as bits of information with interesting quantum properties, as well as circuits that can manipulate and measure these photons. An almost unexplored approach is to generate triplets of entangled photons in a single step. This scheme significantly simplifies the generation of larger entangled states, enabling exciting quantum experiments and filling a huge gap in the development of quantum computers. In this project, the investigator and his students will use titanium dioxide (TiO2) integrated photonic circuits to produce triplets in a robust, scalable, and commercially viable format. Leveraging their expertise in TiO2, nonlinear optics and integrated photonic devices, the group will develop a source that directly produces entangled triplet photons at telecommunications wavelengths. Maturation of TiO2 and photonic integrated quantum circuits will move the field of quantum information science in the direction of commercializable products. While advancing the discoveries in the fields described above, this project will also contribute to the training of future multidisciplinary scientists and engineers through research-based education of undergraduate and graduate students. |
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2015 — 2017 | Mazur, Eric Tucker, Laura |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Bringing Team-Based, Project-Based Learning to Scale @ Harvard University Harvard University has received an NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Exploration Track award to promote the adoption of effective teaching strategies that increase student learning and foster student creativity in STEM environments. Previous research has established that team-based and project-based learning are successful strategies for enhancing student learning and creativity while improving retention for students from underrepresented groups. However, these teaching practices result in a high workload for instructors who are required to grade rich, personalized project assignments and create an environment that encourages positive teamwork experiences for students. To overcome this workload barrier for instructors and improve feedback given to students, this project will create technology to scale an established teaching model which combines team-based and project-based learning. The technology will allow instructors to implement these effective practices in large classes and without extensive instructional support. |
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2016 — 2019 | Mazur, Eric Parker, Kevin (co-PI) [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Reu Site: Biomaterials Research Initiative Dedicated to Gateway Experiences @ Harvard University NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: This REU Site will introduce students and teachers to research in biomaterials research. The development of personalized health and assistive care technologies relies on understanding the interplay of materials and biology. Students will work on projects in bio-inspired engineering, wound healing and tissue engineering, medical diagnostic and drug delivery technologies, and soft robotics and prosthetic devices. The BRIDGE Program at Harvard has a strong emphasis on gateway students, especially those students with little or no previous research experience. Student recruitment focuses on students from underrepresented groups, students at non-research intensive institutions, and non-traditional students who have re-entered college, in particular veterans of the armed forces. Students and teachers who are deaf/hard of hearing will also be recruited. Therefore, research projects are designed to be relevant and accessible for military veterans and students with disabilities. |
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2017 — 2020 | Loncar, Marko (co-PI) [⬀] Mazur, Eric |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Strongly Extended Superradiance in Diamond Meta-Materials @ Harvard University 20th century technological applications of materials, such as semiconductors used in electronics and mechanical sensors, rely on a classical or semi-classical understanding of their properties. In more recent and emerging research, scientists and engineers seek to exploit the quantum properties of atoms, materials, and light to increase measurement sensitivity, advance communications technologies, and develop approaches to quantum computation that are scalable to large numbers. Interactions of light, or photons, with atoms serve as the foundation for quantum information and quantum computation experiments, and over time the fields of quantum information and nanoscale optics have merged together to demonstrate a variety of light-matter interactions. However, for most systems these interactions are limited to relatively small numbers of atoms and over small spatial extents relative to wavelengths of light. This project will combine the relatively large density of atoms in many tabletop atomic experiments with the scalability of quantum nanoscale platforms. The group has recently demonstrated a set of metamaterials, fabricated composite materials with exotic properties, with the special property of having zero refractive index at certain wavelengths. The research team will use its expertise in nanoscale optics to explore how the tunable properties of these materials can enhance atom-light interactions and open the door to new applications in quantum information processing and computing. The group collaborates closely with industry partners in order to efficiently transfer fundamental insights from academia into commercial applications. This project will contribute to the group's effort on education and outreach in two aspects: first, these novel metamaterials will be used as a platform in education to demonstrate the exotic material properties and interesting physical phenomena of metamaterials and quantum optics; second, this work will directly involve students at many different levels, providing hands-on research experience. |
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2018 — 2023 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Investigating Laser-Activation of Structured Polymer Materials For Drug Delivery @ Harvard University The PI recently discovered that laser-activation of certain polymers performs effective cargo delivery. As polymers are biocompatible, cheap, and easily integrated, the work in this project plans to leverage this recent (unexpected, and as-of-yet not understood) discovery to fabricate and characterize laser-activated polymers, with the aim of better equipping the biomedical field with novel in vivo cargo-delivery methods that harness laser-activated materials. While advancing discovery, the work will also contribute to the education and the training of future multidisciplinary scientists and engineers through research-based education of undergraduate and graduate students. Through the Mazur Group's work with local high schools, NSF sponsored programs, and the high representation of women in his research group, they will broaden participation of underrepresented groups. Finally, using the group's well-established program integrating outreach and public education with research, this work will be broadly disseminated to the general public. |
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2018 — 2023 | Amir, Ariel Samuel, Aravinthan D (co-PI) [⬀] Mazur, Eric Murthy, Venkatesh (co-PI) [⬀] De Bivort, Benjamin (co-PI) [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
@ Harvard University The NSF Physics of Living Systems (PoLS) Student Research Network (SRN) strives to unite students and faculty working at the interface of physics and biology at different institutions ("nodes") within the US and internationally. A well functioning virtual network could give students at local nodes the ability to take advantage of global educational and research opportunities in PoLS. PoLS is a diverse field, and is composed of researchers and students from varied backgrounds. No single institution can offer (1) the breadth and depth of research and (2) courses that both cover the relevant intellectual landscape and provide in-depth training for students. Such training is critical to create the next generation of researchers who can contribute quantitatively to biophysics, with the ability to move between biology, physics, mathematics, and engineering; PoLS students have important roles to play in this next generation. In addition, no single institution has the range of equipment needed to study PoLS on the enormous range of time and length scales encountered in biological systems. Finally, few single institutions can fruitfully integrate science and engineering to inspire biomedical, robotic and prosthetic devices that will result from basic PoLS research. The HF-SRN will create an environment for students in which they can work among various disciplines while maintaining the physics mindset (simplified systems, few parameter predictive models) and developing new physics. This network will train students (paraphrasing Philip Nelson in his 2008 Biological Physics textbook) "who can switch fluidly between both kinds of brain: the `developmental/historical/complex' sciences and the 'universal/ahistorical/reductionist'." As significant collaborative and educational flux develops within the HF-SRN, successful activities will be broadened to the other US nodes (ultimately with the expectation to engage PoLS SRN international partners). The evaluation plan will help guide aspects of the HF-SRN that could increase flux in other programs in the NSF Science Across Virtual Institutes initiative. More broadly, PoLS SRN students can be leaders in the next generation of researchers who blend biology and physics research seamlessly. Such students will create materials which will seed future K-12 as well as university PoLS curricula. Efforts will be made to extend the educational and research efforts developed within the HF-SRN (and entire SRN) to a broader community including local minority serving institutions. Advances in PoLS can lead to advances in applications such as genome editing, cancer dynamics, robotics and human-assist devices, among others. |
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2019 — 2022 | Westervelt, Robert (co-PI) [⬀] Mazur, Eric Needleman, Daniel [⬀] |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Mri: Development of a Microelectromagnetic, Laser Ablation Instrument For Biomechanics @ Harvard University An award is made to Harvard University to do research to develop a novel instrument for studying the mechanics of cells, tissues, and biological materials. Forces ultimately drive the motions that underlie biological functions, but very little is known about them because of the lack of relevant experimental techniques. The instrument that will be developed will help to remedy this situation. The project will result in undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows being trained to create novel technologies that combine approaches from nanofabrication, optics, and biology. Students and fellows will be recruited to take part in the development effort through a research exchange program. Participants will also be coached in professional skills and learn how to work at the interface between biology, engineering, physics, and math. Middle school students will be introduced to microscopy and will learn about the excitement of developing cutting edge instrumentation. |
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2020 — 2022 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
@ Harvard University The PI will carry out exploratory research to lay the foundation for the establishment of a national high school physics network, with the goal of developing a Physics of Living Systems high school physics curriculum to increase high school physics student conceptual understanding. A set of surveys to assess the state of high-school physics teaching was administered during the Harvard Virtual Workshop in July of 2020. A subset of participants from this workshop will be selected and invited to join the first cohort of the Physics of Living Systems Teacher (PoLST) network. The network will operate in close collaboration with the already-established NSF-sponsored graduate student PoLS network. The goal is to establish a sustainable community of practice to improve conceptual understanding of physics at the high school level for all students, particularly those who are traditionally underrepresented in physics. This is transformative research because the PI challenges the assumption that physics educational researchers are the experts who can simply impose what works at the university level to high school contexts. It is high-risk because we are entrusting that high school teachers have important knowledge about their professions and that they will be willing to share this knowledge with physics education researchers. Rather than taking a deficit-based approach to high school physics education, the PI will to start a productive and focused conversation that leads to authentic partnerships with teachers and researchers. To accomplish this, the PI will take a design-based research approach. |
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2020 — 2021 | Mazur, Eric | N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Workshops: Using Physics Education Research to Improve High and Middle School Physics @ Harvard University An online workshop with approximately 100 participants to be held July 13-17, 2020 and an in person week-long workshop with approximately 25 people will provide a series of sessions from leading learning scientists, education researchers, and physics education researchers on evidence-based pedagogical strategies to transform high school physics curricula across representative high schools and set the stage for the creation of an inclusive network to support and improve physics education in high school and middle school. The workshops will contribute toward addressing the considerable shortage of high school physics educators in every state in the U.S., even though enrollments in high school physics have been steadily increasing since the 1980s. In addition to a shortage of high school physics teachers in the U.S. and increased student enrollments, less than half of high school physics courses in the U.S. are taught by an educator with a physics degree. The short-term goals are to provide access to relevant evidence-based teaching practices to transform high school physics curricula, as well as to strengthen partnerships between high school teachers, their professional peers, and leading physics education researchers. Workshop partnerships have the potential to spark novel ideas for curricular interventions and potential interventions that could inform scaled up initiatives. Workshop participants will also have the option of participating in a research study focused on understanding current challenges for physics high school teachers. In addition to improving physics high school curriculum the second aim is to better understand how to overcome challenges faced by high school teachers and to develop partnerships between high school educators and higher education experts to increase the number of students who have access to a quality physics education. As a result of bringing these different communities into a single workshop, the set of diverse perspectives will be a source of innovation focused at solving challenges that go beyond access to physics education and affect STEM success at the university level, long-term. |
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