University of Sheffield expands research partnership with Penn State

The University of Sheffield has expanded its research partnership with Penn State to help drive innovation between the UK and US.

The University of Sheffield and Pennsylvania State University have agreed to expand their research partnership
Expansion will see the two institutions drive their joint research and innovation in more areas such as energy, materials science, semiconductors and sustainability
Sheffield and Penn State will foster new collaborations between early career researchers in the UK and US
Students at Sheffield and Penn State have access to student exchange opportunities
Penn State is one of the US’ leading universities and shares similar research strengths to Sheffield, such as engineering and social sciences

The University of Sheffield has expanded its research partnership with Penn State to help drive innovation between the UK and US.

The two universities, which have been working together since they signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2019, have now reaffirmed and expanded their partnership to deliver research projects in energy, materials science, semiconductors and sustainability.

The entrance to the Materials Research Institute building at Penn State — Sheffield and Penn State will work on shared research interests, such as materials science

The Pennsylvania State University, often referred to as Penn State, is one of the US’ leading universities, ranked highly domestically and in global university league tables. Like Sheffield, it conducts world class research in fields such as engineering and social sciences, which impacts on national policy and industry.

As part of the expanded partnership, the two institutions will work on shared research interests, collaborating in more areas such as ceramics and functional materials discovery, cold sintering, plastics, semiconductors, energy, supply chain, LCA, circular economy, environmental sustainability and climate change.

The two universities will work together to foster new collaborations between their early career researchers, as well as partner on strategic shared research, innovation and education through bilateral hubs initiatives.

A building at Penn State University with a green space around it

The partnership will also benefit graduate / PGR students and ECRs at both institutions with Sheffield and Penn State student and staff exchange opportunities. Future expansion to UG level and wider scope of co-supervision and internships will be explored.

Professor Lenny Koh, Director of the Advanced Resource Efficiency Centre (AREC) and co-Director of the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield, said: “Penn State is one of the US’ leading universities and conducts research in many areas that are similar to the work we are doing here in Sheffield. There are many opportunities for further collaboration between our two universities and we are really excited to see the partnership advance and the impact it will have in the UK, US and on a global level.”

The entrance to the Sir Frederick Mappin Building at the University of Sheffield — The Sir Frederick Mappin Building - home of the University of Sheffield's Faculty of Engineering

Professor Clive Randall, Materials Research Institute (MRI) Director from Penn State University, said: “The strategic partnership between Penn State and Sheffield has resulted in many significant impacts. In the post covid era, we look forward to jointly extending the success and our collaboration on strategic areas, share resources and expertise, bolster our projects and bilateral hubs portfolio to further maximise the outcomes. Having been on Sabbatical at Sheffield I have a broader appreciation of all the areas of excellence, and the detailed strategic approaches are very much within the target areas identified by Penn State.”

The two universities have a long-standing collaboration. In 2000, Professor Ian Reaney went to Penn State as a visiting scientist. Sheffield and Penn State have collaborated on joint research centres (CDP and AREC USA), projects, funding bids and academic exchanges. Penn State has invested in two postdoctoral research associates and a faculty post based on the partnership and Penn State’s energy, environment and materials research institutes now see the University of Sheffield Energy Institute as a preferred partner for collaboration.