EECS Professor Garners $150,000 Army Award

Peter J. Burke, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, received a highly competitive Young Investigator Program Award from the U.S. Army. Burke will receive $150,000 over three years, the maximum award. His research proposal, "High Frequency Devices Based on Carbon Nanotubes," was selected after an initial peer review process. The objective of the Young Investigator Program is to attract outstanding young university faculty members to Army research, to support their research, and to encourage their teaching and research careers.

"Nanotechnology is the key to the future," said Burke. "In this work, we will focus on the applications of carbon nanotubes in high speed electronics, biotechnology, and bio-sensors for homeland defense."

The Young Investigator Program supports exceptional faculty who received a Ph.D. or equivalent degree within the preceding five years. Young Investigators are chosen on the basis of prior professional achievement, the submission of a meritorious research proposal and evidence of strong support by their respective universities.

In May, Burke also won a Young Investigator Program Award of $300,000 over three years from the Office of Naval Research.