1 CHBE Orientation Program Research Planning The Heilmeier Criteria

Background Oral Quals in April Need to identify a piece of work What are you doing? Why are you doing it? 2

3 Outline Object for today: Learn how to evaluate Research ideas How do you find good research projects Tackling problems that are the right place on the knowledge curve How to sell the project Evaluate ideas based on the Heilmeier criterion

It Is Important For You To Take Charge Of Your Career Acquire the skills to meet your career objectives including: Technical skills People skills Communication skills Mentors It is your job to make sure that you acquire these skills in grad school 4

Key Tasks For Your First Year Take most required classes Pass Qual Start research Read the literature Take some data or do some calculations before your orals 5

Key Objectives For Your Second Year In Graduate School Learn how to do state of the art experiments and/or calculations (Key job in your first two years of grad school) Learn how to evaluate your own work. What is good, what are the weaknesses Become your own worst critic Learning what you are good at and enjoy How do your skills compare to others in the field Learn what leaders in your field are doing and how you might contribute Start to develop mentors Not just your advisor 6

7 Background: Key Steps In Research Planning Finding a good idea Finding an interesting problem Meets national/company goals Allows you to develop your skillss Fun to do Literature search What has been done before What is your competition doing (look at their proposals/talks)

8 The Knowledge Curve Progress Time Filling holes in existing work Time to move on Mining discoveries Discovery 1-5 pubs Knowledge Evolves With An S Shape Curve publications

9 Planning Research Progress Time Filling holes in existing work Time to move on Mining discoveries Discovery 1-5 pubs Knowledge Evolves With An S Shape Curve publications Start here Develop Skills Work Down

Matching A Project To Your Career path Starting graduate student Choose a project that allows you to develop skills: How to do experiments, write them up … Senior graduate student Need a project that allows you to develop independence to carry out a project Postdoc Project needs to provide you the opportunity to plan a research project, direct graduate students, develop mentors, fans 10

11 The Hourglass Picture Of Research Adapted From William M.K. Trochim Cornell Start with an important big question Focus to solvable question Observe Analyze data Reach conclusions Generalize back to big problem

12 Example Big Question: Biofuels (Cellulosic ethanol) presently too expensive. Can we reduce the cost? Solvable question: Can tethered sulfuric acid (polyelectrolyte brush) be used in place of sulfuric acid to reduce cost? Measure kinetics of polyelectrolyte catalyzed cellulose conversion as a function of polyelectrolyte structure Analyze data Conclusions: kinetics, structural functional relationships Generalize: Economic analysis to determine whether these catalysts reduce the cost of cellulosic ethanol Wyman Paper: Pretreatment has largest potential for cost reduction

13 Finding The Solvable Question Key Adapted From William M.K. Trochim Cornell Start with an important big question Focus to solvable question Observe Analyze data Reach conclusions Generalize back to big problem Need to convince reviewers it is solvable Limits problems to ones the reviewers think they can solve

What Are The Most Important Questions In Your Area? Try to work on the most important questions in your area Be sure to focus on the least publishable unit Do not overreach 14

15 Also Need To Know If You Are Working On Something That Makes impact Heilmeier Catechism to evaluate ideas According to Heilmeier, every good proposal answers the following questions on the first page What are you trying to do? Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon. If you cannot explain it simply you are not Who cares? If you're successful, what difference will it make? What's new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful? What special skills do you bring to the question? How much will it cost, how long will it take and what are the risks? What are the midterm and final "exams" to check for success? George Heilmeier Head ARPA Pres. Bellcore Inventor of flat panel display

16 Expanded Heilmeier Criteria What is the problem, why is it hard? How is it solved today? Who are the leaders, what are they doing? What is the new technical idea; why can we succeed now? What is the impact if successful? How will the work be organized? How will intermediate results be generated? How will you measure progress? What will it cost Why should you do this rather than someone else? Adapted From Gio Wiederhold, Stanford

17 Example From My Own Work In 2005 DARPA had a proposal call for miniature (1 cm 3 ) gas chromatographs Should I respond?

18 Questions I Asked Can I do it Will I be able to do it better than anyone else Will if be rewarding to do? How does it fit into my career plans?

19 What Could I Do New Fun With Preconcentrators? Existing purge & trap preconcentrators Challenges Small fluidic devices Better adsorbents Goal

20 Could New Adsorbents Enable Devices? Existing adsorbant materials Tenax (discovered 1968) Activated carbon – first used 1796 Many new adsorbents MOF’s Mesoporous silicon Nanoposts & nanowires Applying new materials to an old problem is a good research thrust

21 Masel Expert On Adsorption 200+ papers 2 textbooks Partner (Mark Shannon) expert on fluidic components

22 Interesting Questions For RIM Could new materials be used? Presently no practical applications for any of the materials – real applications will be noticed Materials likely would need modification for application Fun materials synthesis Effect of structure on function unknown Good science issues that will lead to lots of papers RIM long term research interest

23 Are Heilmeier Criteria Satisfied? What is problem why is it hard? Need to adsorb many molecules into a small volume How is it solved now Carbon or tenax – insufficient capacity What is the new technical idea; why can we succeed now? New materials that did not exist in 1965 Higher surface area, promising structure What is the impact if successful? Shrink purge and trap to chip size (improve sensitivity of a host of analytical devices) New directions in a standard analytical technique Why should they fund you rather than someone else? Unique skillset

An Example Electrochemical CO 2 Recycle to Syngas How is it solved now CO 2 electrolysis in aqueous solution What is problem why is it hard? Water reacts at lower potential than CO 2 so mainly electrolyze water not CO 2 What is the new technical idea; why can we succeed now? Use ionic liquids in place of water New materials that did not exist in 1965 Very high solubility of CO 2 What is the impact if successful? Recycled gasoline for less than $2/gal Why should they fund you rather than someone else? Unique skillset Need preliminary data 24

25 Summary: You Need To Evaluate Proposed Ideas Before You Write The Proposal Is it good for your career? Fit your personality, skillset Fun to do The right place on the knowledge curve Can you get 4 papers in two years? What is the minimum publishable unit? Is it fundable? Satisfy Heilmeier criterion Can you make a case for funding?

26 Questions?