Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation's Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation (CFDA 47.041 – Engineering program) awarded a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant of $549,994 to the University of Connecticut, effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2031. This five-year award funds research and development of 3D One-Step Heterogeneous Manufacturing for Integrated Circuits (3D OHMIC), an innovative additive manufacturing platform that integrates digital light processing, stereolithography, and femtosecond-laser-based photoreduction technologies. The primary deliverable is a custom-built manufacturing system capable of one-step fabrication of multi-scale metal-polymer structures with sub-micron resolution, advancing the fundamental understanding of light-assisted metallization through time-resolved spectroscopy and controlled experimental analysis.

The research products and services delivered through this award advance sustainable advanced manufacturing capabilities by eliminating the need for complex post-processing steps, reducing material waste, and enabling faster printing speeds compared to current photopolymer-based additive manufacturing techniques. By establishing fundamental mechanisms governing photoinduced excitation, transport, and metal-ion reduction in photoreactive resin systems, the project directly supports national priorities in electronics, photonics, and advanced manufacturing innovation. Research activities are conducted at the University of Connecticut's Storrs, Connecticut campus, with anticipated outcomes including novel multi-material electronic and photonic structures suitable for rapid translation into real-world biomedical devices, soft robotics, and advanced sensing applications.