Armour College of Engineering (ACE) is pleased to announce the spring 2015 request for Armour R&D project proposals as part of the ACE Distinctive Education Initiative. The spring 2015 period is from February 16–April 27.

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

ACE PURE is a collaborative effort involving ACE faculty, the Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research, the Pritzker Institute of Biomedical Science and Engineering, and the Institute for Food Safety and Health. 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. We encourage faculty and students to participate in this program to explore new applications of ongoing research and/or work toward 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.

Spring 2015 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 spring semester within the 11-week program. 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 Monday, May 4.
• Participate in the Annual Armour R&D Expo held at the end of the academic year 2014–15 (end of spring semester).

Application Process
Spring 2015 applications are limited to student/faculty teams whose applications clearly indicate established communication and a well-developed research plan for the spring. For student/faculty teams that have previously participated in (and received funding from) this program, matching funds from the research laboratory may be required.

A PURE Armour R&D Application can be downloaded here.

A MIND Armour R&D Application can be downloaded here.

Important Dates
ACE PURE and MIND applications are being accepted today through Friday, January 23 at 5 pm CST. Applications received outside of this application window will not be considered for the spring 2015 session.

Award decisions will be announced shortly thereafter and student/faculty teams should be prepared to begin to use the funds immediately. Funds that are not spent before the end of the spring term will no longer be available.