Bhansali and Weller Receive $369,771 NSF GOALI Award
TAMPA, Fla. (September 10, 2009) – Shekhar Bhansali, professor of electrical engineering, and Tom Weller, professor and associate dean of research, were awarded a $369,771 three-year National Science Foundation GOALI grant.
The grant supports Bhansali’s (shown left) and Weller’s research efforts to produce low cost sensors that can be scanned across the surface of a material, or just above the surface, and extract high frequency electronic properties. This is real-world experience using state-of-the-art semiconductor technology that provides a unique learning experience for USF students.
Additionally, they are collaborating with GOALI partner TriQuint, in conjunction with its university partnership program, to develop a new course sequence that will allow USF senior- and graduate-level students to design microwave integrated circuits that will be fabricated in TriQuint’s semiconductor foundry in Portland, OR. TriQuint employee Eid Alsabbagh is also a co-PI on this research.
“This project will merge advances in micron-scale probes that have been studied for biomedical applications, with very high density, microwave electronics,” said Dr. Weller, co-PI. “One application of particular importance is non-destructive testing of advanced materials that are being developed for future wireless devices.”
USF is one of only a handful of universities worldwide to have this level of access to TriQuint technology. The Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) Program aims to synergize university/industry partnerships by making funds available to support these linkages.
The University of South Florida is one of the nation's top 63 public research universities and one of 39 community-engaged, four-year public universities as designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. USF was awarded more than $360 million in research contracts and grants in FY 2007/2008. The university offers 224 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. The university has a $1.8 billion annual budget, an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion, and serves more than 46,000 students on institutions/campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and Lakeland. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.
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