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Graduate Assistantships in Areas of National Need (GAANN)

The Department has been highly successful in obtaining funding from the Department of Education in their Graduate Assistantships in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program. The GAANN program is designed to train graduate students and future scientists and engineers in research, coursework, and teaching in a proposed area of national need. The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado has hosted or currently hosts four distinct GAANN programs, each supplying four or more fellowships per year for student training and research support. The four programs the department has hosted are in the following areas of national need:

Separations (1998-2002)

Macromolecular Science and Engineering (with Chemistry) (2000-2004)

Micro- and Nanoparticles (2001-2005)

Functional Materials (9/2003-2007)

Liquid Crystals (funded through Physics) (2000-2003, and one recently funded to start 9/2003)

These programs provide graduate students unique opportunities, supplemental funding, and a targeted research and educational program. Students supported by the GAANN funds have traveled numerous places to perform internships, including Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. They have experienced industrial environments and had internships at National Laboratories. Each student's GAANN program includes focused coursework, a supervised teaching experience, and other professional activities. Faculty-student interactions are emphasized in these programs. These occur through classes, research, seminars, a variety of special events, and the involvement of students in social events.