Open AccessThe Primarily Undergraduate Nanomaterials Cooperative: A New Model for Supporting Collaborative Research at Small Institutions on a National Scale
Author(s) -
Steven M. Hughes,
Mark P. Hendricks,
Katherine M. Mullaugh,
Mary Elizabeth Anderson,
Anne K. Bentley,
Justin G. Clar,
C. Daly,
Mark D. Ellison,
Z. Vivian Feng,
Natalia I. GonzalezPech,
Leslie S. Hamachi,
Christine L. Heinecke,
Joseph D. Keene,
Adam M. Maley,
Andrea M. Munro,
Peter N. Njoki,
Jacob H. Olshansky,
Katherine E. Plass,
Kathryn R. Riley,
Matthew D. Sonntag,
Sarah K. St. Angelo,
L. J. Thompson,
Emily J. Tollefson,
Lauren E. Toote,
Korin E. Wheeler
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acs nanoscience au
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2694-2496
DOI - 10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.1c00020
Subject(s) - institution , scale (ratio) , undergraduate research , perspective (graphical) , work (physics) , knowledge management , medical education , public relations , political science , sociology , engineering ethics , engineering , computer science , medicine , social science , geography , mechanical engineering , cartography , artificial intelligence
The Primarily Undergraduate Nanomaterials Cooperative (PUNC) is an organization for research-active faculty studying nanomaterials at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), where undergraduate teaching and research go hand-in-hand. In this perspective, we outline the differences in maintaining an active research group at a PUI compared to an R1 institution. We also discuss the work of PUNC, which focuses on community building, instrument sharing, and facilitating new collaborations. Currently consisting of 37 members from across the United States, PUNC has created an online community consisting of its Web site (nanocooperative.org), a weekly online summer group meeting program for faculty and students, and a Discord server for informal conversations. Additionally, in-person symposia at ACS conferences and PUNC-specific conferences are planned for the future. It is our hope that in the years to come PUNC will be seen as a model organization for community building and research support at primarily undergraduate institutions.