Project Grant 2229636

This National Science Foundation Project Grant of $185,120 awarded on February 1, 2023 will fund research to understand the fundamental physics of acousto-magnetic microswimmers and realize precise, tunable motion at microscales. Under the NSF's Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083), which seeks to enhance STEM competitiveness through critical infrastructure development, the grant will support an assistant professor fellowship and graduate student training at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, the fellowship will integrate computational fluid-structure interaction modeling with experimental approaches using advanced fabrication and characterization facilities. This will generate insights into microscale propulsion and provide a comprehensive understanding of microswimmer motion and its relationship to acoustic and magnetic fields. The research aims to combine these external fields to achieve controlled motion at microscales, identify novel microswimmer designs and functionalities, and advance research infrastructure at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln through a sustained collaborative effort.