IIT Armour College of Engineering (ACE) announces the fall 2014 request for Armour R&D project proposals as part of the Armour College of Engineering Distinctive Education Initiative. The fall 2014 period runs 11 weeks from September 22-December 13, 2014.

Armour R&D offers two project tracks: Program for Undergraduate Research Education (PURE) and Mentored INnovation and Development (MIND).

ACE PURE is a collaborative effort involving ACE Faculty, the Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research (WISER), the Pritzker Institute of Biomedical Science and Engineering, and the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH). Students selected to participate in this program will have an opportunity to work with an ACE Faculty mentor on a fundamental engineering research project, gain valuable research experience, and receive a stipend.

ACE MIND is an expansion of PURE to bring discovery to practice. MIND focuses on the development and implementation of technology to address contemporary challenges improving and impacting mankind and the environment. This program is about the development of technology based on research findings, rather than the execution of basic research. Faculty and students are encouraged to participate in this program to explore new applications of ongoing research and/or work towards the utilization of innovative technology.

Participation in these activities will be recognized in a student’s Engineering Portfolio. Research and development activities should be focused on one or more of the IIT Engineering Themes: Water, Energy, Health and Security.

Fall 2014 Options
Financial support for those participating in ACE PURE or ACE MIND is $10 per hour, with a maximum of 10 hours per week in any given week of the fall semester within the 11-week program (September 22-December 13, 2014). The project description should be consistent with that level of effort.

Requirements
Students participating in these programs must fulfill the following requirements:

• Prepare a final report that describes results from the research. Each report should include a description of how the experience compared with the learning objectives established by the faculty mentor. The report is due on December 13, 2014 which is the last day of the research period.
• Participate in the fall Armour R&D Expo, where each student will present a poster with the results from their research. The fall 2014 Armour R&D Expo is scheduled for Thursday, December 4, 2014.
• Participate in the Annual Armour R&D Expo held at the end of the academic year 2014-2015 (end of spring semester).

Application Process
Fall 2014 applications are limited to student/faculty teams whose applications clearly indicate established communication and a well-developed research plan for the fall. For student/faculty teams that have previously participated in (and received funding from) this program, matching funds from the research laboratory may be required.

To obtain an application form, send an email to engineering@iit.edu and include “PURE Application Request” or “MIND Application Request” in the subject line.

Important Dates
ACE PURE and MIND applications are accepted now through Friday, September 12, 2014 at 5 p.m. Central Time. Applications received outside of this application window will not be considered for the fall 2014 session.

Award decisions will be announced by Friday, September 19, 2014, and student/faculty teams should be prepared to begin to use the funds immediately. Funds that are not spent before the end of the fall term will no longer be available.