Ghazisaeidi earns Young Investigator Research award
Maryam Ghazisaeidi, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at The Ohio State University, will receive $365,000 from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) through its Young Investigator Research Program (YIP). The Air Force has awarded approximately $20.8 million in grants to 58 scientists and engineers from 41 research institutions and small businesses.
Ghazisaeidi will study the electronic structure basis for solubility and phase stability in metal alloys. Her work could have applications for a wide range of alloy systems.
“Metallurgists usually mix different elements together to tune various properties, like strength or formability, because no single, pure element is good enough in every regard,” Ghazisaeidi explained.
Depending on the structure of the elements and how much of each you apply, you might be able to just dissolve one element into another and get a solution.
“My idea is that the solubility of elements can be explained from their electronic structure. This will provide a physical basis for the widely used Hume-Rothery guidelines to predict solubility more accurately,” she said.
The YIP is open to scientists and engineers at research institutions across the United States who received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees in the last five years and who show exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research.
The objective of this program is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering, enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators, and increase opportunities for the young investigators to recognize the Air Force mission and the related challenges in science and engineering.
This year AFOSR received over 230 proposals in response to the AFOSR broad agency announcement solicitation. AFOSR program officers select proposals based on the evaluation criteria listed in the broad agency announcement. Those selected will receive the grant over a three-year period.
