Assistant Professor Kyle Lancaster of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology was recently granted an award from the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program.
The prestigious CAREER Program, which was launched in 1996, provides support to junior faculty members and encourages the combining of research and education. Applicants submit a proposal that includes research and education plans. Awardees receive various amounts of funding, typically ranging from around $400,00 to $500,000, for a period of five years.
Lancaster will be using his award to investigate how transition metal catalysts can be incorporated with earth-abundant metals for a sustainable chemical future. The project, which merges elements of biochemistry, synthesis, spectroscopy and theory, will not only provide interdisciplinary training for undergraduate and graduate researchers but will also involve the development of hands on “lab kits” for K-12 students.