So you want to make the most of your summer and get research experience. There are two options:

• For UM undergraduate students: Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering – SURE
• For non-UM undergraduate students: Summer Research Opportunity Program – SROP

To learn more about these programs, check out the College of Engineering summer research website. There you’ll find the full criteria and selection process. 

If you’re interested in doing material sciences and engineering research, below are listed the most recent descriptions of 2024 SURE and SROP projects available in Materials Science and Engineering. Please consider this list carefully before applying to the SURE or SROP program.

Deadlines

January 8, 2025 - SURE Program application deadline

To Apply:

https://sure.engin.umich.edu/gradadmissions_sure_suresropapplication-html/

After completing your application, you can begin identifying a summer project by using the list below to contact and meet with the faculty you are interested in working with.  

Available Projects: 

MSE Project #1

Project Title: Materials Science in Three Dimensions

Faculty Mentor: Ashwin J. Shahani, shahani@umich.edu

Prerequisites: Familiarity with MATLAB, Python, or an equivalent computing environment

Project Description: Real materials live in three dimensions. Our ability to probe a material in three dimensions (without destroying it) will lend itself to new insights on the evolution of new technological materials during processing and service. In this project, the SURE student will develop new computational workflows to excavate quantitative information from three dimensional datasets collected via x-ray imaging techniques. Some of these workflows will rely on machine learning in order to excavate information from the high dimensional data as efficiently as possible. 

Research Mode: Hybrid (or remote if desired)

MSE Project #2

Project Title: MACRO: Silsesquioxanes as Components in Hybrid Photovoltaics

Faculty Mentor: Richard M. Laine, talsdad@umich.edu   

Prerequisites: None

Project Description: Silsesquioxanes are polyhedral structures that consist of an inner silica cage to which are appended functional organic groups. Selected structures are shown below. The iodo T8 compound provides access to a wide variety of materials and especially to polymers (not shown). All of these materials seem to show 3-D conjugation in the excited state even in polymer chains…suggesting semiconducting behavior rather than the behavior expected for an insulating cage. The project will involve synthesis and/or characterization of the properties of these materials.

Research Mode:  In Lab

MSE Project #3

Project Title: All Solid-State Batteries

Faculty Mentor:  Richard M. Laine, talsdad@umich.edu   

Prerequisites:  Some chemistry background welcomed. Enthusiasm is a requirement

Project Description: This project uses nanoparticle synthesis to make thin, dense flexible films for use as solid-state electrolytes, cathode and anode materials.  The student will assist in all phases of the design, synthesis and assembly of battery components and to some extending testing their properties.

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #4

Project Title: Nanostructural characterization of bioinspired polymer proteins

Faculty Mentor:  Abdon Pena-Francesch, abdon@umich.edu

Prerequisites:  Prior experience in a chemistry lab

Project Description: Proteins are described by their amino acid sequence, which regulates how they fold and self-assemble into well-defined nanostructures. In structural proteins (with a primarily mechanical function such as spider silk or collagen), these self-assembled nanostructures provide control over the mechanical properties (modulus, elasticity, strength, etc.). In this project, the student will characterize structural proteins from cephalopods with infrared spectroscopy, microscopy, and rheology to develop sequence-structure-property relationships. The student will support the lab in the development of protein-based underwater adhesives.

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #5

Project Title: Electrochemical materials for batteries or microelectronics

Faculty Mentor:  Yiyang Li, yiyangli@umich.edu

Prerequisites:  None

Project Description: This project will investigate electrochemical materials for batteries or semiconductor applications. The exact project will be determined based on the student's interests and skills. Activities may include thin film deposition, battery cell fabrication, chemical synthesis, electrochemical measurements, building circuits, and data analysis. The student must be willing to follow laboratory safety protocols and help maintain a strong laboratory safety culture.

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #6

Project Title: Characterizing and predicting thermophysical properties of medicinal compounds

Faculty Mentor: Max Shtein, mshtein@umich.edu

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or better in 1st year of college physics, chemistry, math

Project Description: Measure vapor pressure and heats of phase change of organic molecules at different conditions and train AI to make predictions of thermophysical properties.

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #7

Project Title: Morphology in vapor-deposited films for pharmaceutical and energy applications

Faculty Mentor: Max Shtein, mshtein@umich.edu

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or better in 1st year of college physics, chemistry, math

Project Description: Modify a vapor phase deposition reactor with conventional and cryogenic cooling and different process gases to control output morphology. Use microscopy and thermal analyses to qualitatively and quantitatively characterize process-structure-property links

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #8

Project Title: Temperature-dependent phase change in organic crystals and nanocomposites

Faculty Mentor: Max Shtein, mshtein@umich.edu

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or better in 1st year of college physics, chemistry, math

Project Description: Modify microscope to study phase change behavior of pharmaceutical and other organic crystals and crystal-polymer nanocomposites

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #9

Project Title: Design, build, test a reactor to scale up coatings for pharmaceutical applications

Faculty Mentor: Max Shtein, mshtein@umich.edu

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or better in 1st year of college physics, chemistry, math

Project Description: Develop reactor using different means of increasing speed and scale of output, and control nano- and micro-crystallinity of coatings for pharmaceutical and energy applications

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #10

Project Title: Jamming and flow in organic crystalline powders and nanocomposites

Faculty Mentor: Max Shtein, mshtein@umich.edu

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or better in 1st year of college physics, chemistry, math

Project Description: Study agglomeration and compressibility properties of nano- and micro-structured organic crystals created by a vapor printing process, which result in a spectrum of aggregate behavior, from jamming and flow, for pharmaceutical and energy applications

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #11

Project Title: Vapor-phase processing routes to novel cocrystals

Faculty Mentor: Max Shtein, mshtein@umich.edu

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or better in 1st year of college physics, chemistry, math

Project Description: Use vapor co-processing to generate and study the formation of molecular organic cocrystals for pharmaceutical, food, and other applications

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #12

Project Title: Origami and kirigami shape libraries and their properties

Faculty Mentor: Max Shtein, mshtein@umich.edu

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or better in 1st year of college physics, chemistry, math

Project Description: Use 3D CAD, solid modeling, laser cutting, and 3D printing to design and create libraries of origami and kirigami shapes, having different mechanical and fluidic properties; develop / train AI models to predict properties of new shapes based on existing shapes

Research Mode: In Lab

MSE Project #13

Project Title:   Gallium Nanoparticle Plasmonics

Faculty Mentor:  Rachel Goldman, rsgold@umich.edu

Prerequisites:  A strong interest in experimental science and/or engineering is required. Completion of Introductory Chemistry and Physics Labs is preferred but not required.

Project Description:  Metal nanoparticle arrays often exhibit collective electron oscillations (plasmon resonances) which are promising for enhanced light emission, efficient solar energy harvesting, ultra-sensitive biosensing, and optical cloaking.  To date, materials research and device fabrication have focused nearly exclusively on silver and gold nanoparticle dispersions in two dimensions; these arrays exhibit plasmon resonances limited to visible wavelengths.  Recently, we demonstrated a novel method to assemble high-quality gallium nanoparticle arrays with surface plasmon resonances tunable from the infrared to visible wavelength range.  In this summer project, we explore the influence of gallium nanoparticle arrays on the properties of compound semiconductor solar cells, using a combination of electromagnetic simulations, molecular-beam epitaxy, atomic-force microscopy, and optical spectroscopy.

Research Mode:  In Lab

MSE Project #14

Project Title:   Enhancing p-type Doping of GaN for Power Electronics: A Combined Computational-Experimental Approach

Faculty Mentor:  Rachel Goldman, rsgold@umich.edu

Prerequisites:  A strong interest in experimental science and/or engineering is required. Completion of Introductory Chemistry and Physics Labs is preferred but not required.

Project Description:  Although silicon-based electronics are used to power light-emitting diodes and electric vehicles, their utility in high power applications is limited by a low breakdown voltage.  Wide bandgap semiconductors, such as gallium nitride and related alloys, have been proposed as alternatives, but the effective p-type doping at high concentrations remains elusive. For example, Mg dopant activation following ion implantation, selective diffusion, and metalorganic vapor deposition requires high-temperature annealing which may disrupt the active device structure. In the case of molecular beam epitaxy, surfactants and co-dopants such as O and Si have been explored, but the concentration of substitutional Mg is often limited, leading to limited p-type doping efficiency. Here, we are developing a novel approach to enhance the p-type doping of GaN and related alloys.

Methodology: The project involves a combined computational-experimental approach consisting of focused-ion- beam (FIB) nano-implantation of Mg in GaN during molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE), followed by computational and experimental ion channeling studies of the Mg incorporation mechanisms.  Possible projects include the following:

1. Development of a modified Mg-Ga alloy source for focused-ion-beam nano-implantation

2. Ion channeling measurements of doping and point defects in GaN and related alloys

3. Monte Carlo-Molecular Dynamics simulations of doping and point defects in GaN and related alloys

Research Mode:  In Lab

Please consider this list carefully before applying to the SURE program.