The NJ Community College Connections in Materials Research (C3MR) Visiting Research Scholar (VRS) Program

Role details

The C3MR visiting research scholar program is a 9-week (June 1, 2027-July 30, 2027) summer appointment at Princeton University for NJ community college faculty to engage in a research and educational partnership with faculty affiliated with the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM). This program aims to increase community college students' exposure to materials science and engineering and to cutting-edge research. The C3MR visiting research scholar (VRS) is expected to collaborate with an existing PCCM faculty member and jointly mentor two students from the VRS’s home institution.

The specific nature of the collaboration will be defined by the visiting research scholar and the partnering PCCM faculty and may involve one or more of the following: 1. Pedagogical innovations: summer research aimed at developing or reworking pedagogical content that aligns materials research (inspired by PCCM research) with the VRS’s teaching curricula as, for example, in research-infused lecture courses, new lab module development, and course-based undergraduate research experiences. 2. Education research: collaborative research on STEM learning processes or teaching methods to increase student engagement and success in materials science and engineering. 3.

Contributing to PCCM research: the C3MR VRS and summer students collaborate on and contribute to existing research projects led by the collaborating Princeton faculty. Projects that expose students to instrumentation training and technical lab skills involving PCCM- and PMI-affiliated shared facilities, e.g., the Imaging and Analysis Center (IAC) and the Micro/Nanofabrication Center (MNFC), are encouraged but may require approval of and potentially partnership with the core facilities director. 4. Development of other activities that may integrate PCCM research, STEM education, and STEM workforce development for community college students.

Requirements for C3MR VRS Responsible for selecting two students from their home institution to participate in the Research Experience for Undergraduates program. Responsible for submitting an end-of-summer report describing any accomplishments, outcomes, the potential mid- and long-term impact of the work beyond the summer program, and proposed pathways to sustain a relationship with PCCM in the academic year. Please see the PCCM website for more information about the C3MR program. The applicant must hold a full-time faculty position at a New Jersey Community College and teach in a STEM discipline. Appointment will be at the rank of Visiting Research Scholar.

The position is not eligible for sponsorship of an H-1B visa requiring consular processing; other visa sponsorships (including H-1B visas not requiring consular processing) may be available, as appropriate.