Hard work does pay off. Just ask assistant physics professor Sanjay Mishra.
Research Corporation awarded Mishra a grant worth $40,218 to conduct further research on the magnetic properties of rare-earth oxide coated ferromagnetic nanoparticles.
"This is a highly prestigious award and is very competitive," Mishra said. "Success rate (of getting the grant) is less than 17 percent. Thus, I feel extremely happy in receiving this award as it puts the U of M's name in the list of elite institutes which have received this award."
Mishra won the grant based on a proposal about nanoparticles having high environmental stability, functionality and better magnetic properties.
Nanoparticles have a dimension in the range of one nanometer to 100 nanometers, according to Mishra. And magnetic materials are ones that can be attracted by a magnet, such as iron.
"For example, a compass needle is made up of magnetic material and it orients along the direction of earth magnetic field," he said. "When the size of the material is shrunk to nanometer length scale, it gives birth to novel physical phenomenon which is very different from the bulk of properties of the materials."
Studies of this sort can help protect the environment against corrosion, and replace radioactive materials in drugs, which could eliminate potential harm from radiation, Mishra said.
This grant will not only aid Mishra in his research, but the money will benefit his students as well.
"This award will certainly go a long way in training our undergraduate students in the emerging field of nanoscience and nanotechnology," he said.
The grant, known as The Cottrell College Science Award, supports research in fields such as chemistry, astronomy and physics. The proposals are judged on many things, especially how undergraduates will be involved.
"The selection process for these awards is very rigorous and the competition is tough," said Randy Wedin, science writer for Research Corporation. "We received 188 applications from scientists across the United States and Canada. We were pleased to announce an outstanding group of 62 awardees-including Dr. Mishra."
Mishra also received an award in May for his research in nanoparticles from the American Chemical Society.
He also co-founded the Institute for Nanomaterials Development and Innovation at The University of Memphis (INDIUM) in 2004, which was created to promote further advancement in the field of nanoscience.
"With the establishment of INDIUM, I really foresee a bright future for the nanomaterials research at the U of M," Mishra said.
