Fourteen researchers from a coalition of universities in Louisiana and Mississippi have been awarded $6 million from the National Science Foundation.
The scientists are part of a consortium of universities working on developing smart polymers.
Smart polymers are materials that can react to the environment — like a self-healing artificial joint, or a heart valve that can resist bacterial growth.
The grant is part of a shared $18 million award for the Gulf Coast region, and two other regional science and engineering groups: a Nebraska-Kansas Consortium studying ultrafast laser technologies; and a Arkansas-Missouri Consortium researching innovations in plant science.
Four of the research scientists in the Gulf Coast consortium are from Tulane. The Tulane team was previously awarded a separate grant of $1 million from the NSF for related work.
Louisiana State University, the University of New Orleans, and Xavier University are also participating in the effort to develop smart polymers.
