Mission

EPR spectroscopy is of central importance to scientific research in the disciplines of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, Biology, Medicine, and Materials Science. New advances in EPR instrumentation and techniques are being pursued in labs specializing in each of these disciplines, and it is this specialization which can prevent effective interaction between groups.  It is crucial to the overall growth of the field of EPR that advances achieved in one discipline be communicated to researchers in the other disciplines. The proposed SHARED EPR network is designed to foster this interdisciplinary interaction and facilitate communication between disparate research labs. The SHARED EPR network is designed to ensure these advances are translated from the lab in which they are developed to the labs in which they are needed, no matter what discipline is involved. 

Executive Committee

Gary J. Gerfen, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (chair)
Christoph Boehme, University of Utah
Gail E. Fanucci, University of Florida
Stephen A. Lyon, Princeton University
Mark Sherwin, University of California Santa Barbara
Stefan Stoll, University of Washington

Funding and Goals

The National Science Foundation has awarded funds to establish a Research Coordination Network (RCN) named “Supporting, Highlighting and Advancing Recent Developments in Electron Paramagnetic Resonance” (SHARED EPR) to promote the development and dissemination of innovative instrumentation and techniques in the area of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) research.

The Primary Goals of the five year network grant will be to

  1. facilitate the advancement of EPR methodology, instrumentation and techniques;
  2. foster cross-fertilization and establish new collaborative research opportunities within the U.S. EPR community; and
  3. establish international collaborations.

The Network will achieve these goals by spearheading the following network activities:

  • An annual Grand Challenge Workshop will be organized in conjunction with a national scientific meeting, which will bring together a diverse range of EPR researchers to identify and address major issues facing the field of EPR spectroscopy.
  • A web portal will be developed which will provide a centralized location for information regarding EPR research and resources and serve as a gateway to the EPR community for non-specialists.
  • Tutorials and other educational material will be developed for the website to provide an interactive learning experience.
  • The Network will sponsor EPR Technology Transfer Experiences (ETTE) in which students and postdocs spend time doing experiments in other labs to learn new EPR techniques which they will bring back and implement in their home labs.
  • Awards will be provided to students for attendance at national meetings.
  • Pre-college minority students will be supported to participate in a research-based science experience at the Steppingstone Magnetic Resonance Training (SMART) Center in the Detroit area.
  • International collaboration will be fostered through the interaction of the SHARED EPR Network with the German Priority Program SPP 1601 consortium titled “New Frontiers in Sensitivity for EPR Spectroscopy: From Biological Cells to Nano Materials.”