Business Courier: UC wins public-private grant for microchip research
Tha National Science Foundation award $45M to 24 semiconductor projects
The Business Courier highlighted a $45 million grant from the National Science Foundation that will sponsor 24 research projects on microchips, including one at the University of Cincinnati.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Assistant Professor Sarah Watzman will receive $773,000 to study “spin gapless semiconductors” in collaboration with four other academic institutions.
Sarah Watzman. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
“Focusing on the spin of an electron, rather than on the whole electron, makes it possible to make smaller devices that operate at higher speeds and consume less energy,” Watzman said.
The UC team will coordinate with researchers at the University of Alabama, Northern Illinois University, Iowa State University and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Watzman is collaborating on the research project with two professors in UC's College of Arts and Sciences.
Evgeny Mikheev, an assistant professor of physics, will work on the device development portion of the project while Assistant Professor Melissa Jacquart in philosophy will oversee technology communications. Jacquart is the associate director of the UC Center for Public Engagement with Science, which supports researchers in achieving broader impacts of their work on students and society.
“This project will also promote development of the semiconductor workforce through technical communication coursework and credentialing,” Watzman said.
UC is among 47 institutions that will use the NSF grants to support their two-dozen projects.
Read the Business Courier story.
Featured image at top: A circuit board. UC is among 47 institutions that will split $45 million in National Science Foundation funding for semiconductor research. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Related Stories
‘Mini-brain’ shines light on concussions
April 8, 2026
University of Cincinnati biomedical engineers developed a “mini-brain” model to study concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI) from blunt-force trauma, revealing how cellular damage and inflammation may lead to long-term neurodegenerative disease.
Engineering students shine at annual CEAS EXPO
April 8, 2026
Every spring, the College of Engineering and Applied Science hosts a large-scale capstone showcase for graduating seniors to show off their final projects as a culmination of their five years at the University of Cincinnati. The 2026 EXPO, presented by DRT Holdings, marks the largest event yet featuring more than 250 student projects, ranging from student-built vehicles to innovative robotic devices, to building renovation plans, and interdisciplinary research.
The psychological weight of money
April 7, 2026
Psychology and neuroscience website PsyPost highlighted research led by Sharmeen Merchant, doctoral candidate in UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business, that suggests a man’s sense of fulfillment at work is intertwined with his partner’s views on money.