WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that the University of Iowa will receive $266,500 for the first year of two three-year grants through the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program. The funding will support students from under-represented groups pursue doctorate degrees in nanotechnology and mathematics. The program provides fellowships, through academic departments and programs, to assist graduate students with excellent records and financial need to pursue the highest degree available in fields designated as areas of national need.
“Today’s funding will help the University of Iowa in its efforts to further enhance student diversity in its engineering nanotechnology and mathematics programs and draw on untapped talent,” said Harkin. “These projects will accelerate research in their respective areas and help recruit, support and mentor high-performing students who might not otherwise have gone to graduate school.”
Details of grant are as follows:
College of Engineering – $133,266.00 to recruit and support six students to earn a Ph.D. through engineering nontechnology assistantships. Currently, UI researchers are working to strike the balance between developing innovative technology and evaluation of the impact of novel nanomaterials on human health and the environment.
Department of Mathematics – $133,266.00 to provide mathematics graduate education opportunities to four students to secure a Ph.D. in mathematics. The department is one of the largest producers of minority Ph.D.s in mathematics in the US with a graduate placement record of 100 percent for the last ten years.
