John F. Kennedys Plads (“John F. Kennedy’s Square”) is located in central Aalborg, Denmark—dedicated to the 35th President of the United States—image source is from the www.unsplash.com website.
NSF U.S.-Denmark Program—
NSF-IRES-INNOVATOR Program
Image Source: Official Twitter Account for Embassy of Denmark in USA Image Source: https://www.duh.de/ & https://www.mining.com/
The Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) in the United States National Science Foundation
(U.S. NSF) has funded the NSF U.S.-Denmark Program for advanced reliability analysis of ac/dc converters with INNOVAtive conTrols in glObe-spanning supergRid (INNOVATOR)—NSF-IRES-INNOVATOR Program.
Last but not least, the support from the Center of Reliable Power Electronics (CORPE), directed by
Professor Frede Blaabjerg in the AAU Energy Department at Aalborg University (AAU) in Aalborg, Denmark,
is acknowledged and greatly appreciated.
Program Details
At the end of each May, the U.S. student participants (undergraduate or graduate level) will be technically and culturally prepared for two (2) weeks at the leading site in the U.S.—i.e., the Laboratory for Advanced Power and Energy Systems (LAPES) directed by Principal Investigator Dr. Masoud Davari in the newly established Engineering and Research Building at Georgia Southern University. Afterward, they will conduct cohort-based research projects at the international site in Aalborg, Denmark, for eight (8) weeks from June to July. The international site is the Center of Reliable Power Electronics (CORPE), directed by Professor Frede Blaabjerg in the AAU Energy Department at Aalborg University (AAU) in Aalborg, Denmark. AAU’s power engineering program is one of the largest and youngest in Europe—consistently ranked among the best across the continent and Best Global Universities. Post-trip follow-ups will be done in LAPES at Georgia Southern University in the two (2) weeks from late July to early August.
Their projects in CORPE at AAU will be linked to two-level voltage-source converters (2L-VSCs) in a possible globe-spanning supergrid (GS2G)—an essential component of the energy sector to integrate renewables to respond to urgent environmental concerns caused by global warming at an alarming rate and international agreements. Under the umbrella of smart grids, they assess and improve the reliability of 2L-VSCs with innovative controls in GS2G. The proposed research will advance fundamental knowledge related to
1) enhancing the performance of 2L-VSCs in GS2G,
2) integrating renewables into power and energy systems via GS2G’s ac/dc grids,
3) achieving more reliable energy exchange and secure power transfer through 2L-VSCs, and
4) employing state-of-the-art technologies to test 2L-VSC’s performance and analyze and improve 2L-VSC’s reliability, including approaches based on machine learning techniques.
For the professional development of the U.S. student participants supported by this U.S.-NSF-OISE funding, they will form partnerships with CORPE’s international industrial partners—e.g., ABB, Schneider Electric, Mitsubishi Electric, Fairchild Semiconductor, Danfoss, Vestas, and more—as well as CORPE’s internationally renowned academic networks. This research project will provide U.S. students with interdisciplinary, multi-cultural, cutting-edge research experiences to prepare the U.S. next-generation workforce in the power and energy industry and international cultural experiences. For example, they will feel and understand the following.
“Amerikanske studerende føler virkelig, at AAU er et af de bedste miljøer for din unikke, internationale kohorte-erfaring og forskning relateret til dette tværfaglige projekt.”
GS2G—Image Credit to Mr. Clark W Gellings (EPRI Fellow).
One of CORPE’s Test Rigs for Performance Testing of GS2G Can Be Found Here.
About Aalborg and Denmark
As a city, Aalborg has been undergoing a transformation from an industrial city to a cultural hot spot in Denmark. Even with this transformation, the history of the city is well preserved through various historical landmarks and structures. It is also rated as one of the safest cities in the world. With a variety of museums, cafes, and other activities, students participating in the program will also have the opportunity to enjoy a new cultural experience in the city.
Bicycles are integral in their society—more bikes pass through the city center in Copenhagen than cars—which are used for commuting and transporting goods.
Denmark is a pioneering nation in the realm of clean energy—41% of Denmark’s electricity comes from wind power.
Fun Facts about Denmark
National Bird
The mute swan is the national bird of Denmark.
Vikings
Overlooking the city of Aalborg, there is a Viking burial site known as the Lindholm Høje (Lindholm Hill), one of many ancient sites across Denmark. North of this site, one can see remnants of ancient society.
Danishes
While the famous pastry known as a “Danish” has been perfected in Denmark, its origins actually come from Austria—which is why it is known as “wienerbrød” or “Viennese Bread.”
Eligibility
U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents—a must as per the U.S. NSF solicitation (Program Solicitation 20-598).
Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate (master’s degree or PhD program) student standing.
Enrolled full-time in an accredited American institution/university.
Minimum GPA of 2.7 (for undergraduate students) or 3.4 (for graduate students in master’s degree or PhD program).
Stipend and Travel Costs
Stipend—According to the U.S. NSF solicitation (Program Solicitation 20-598), U.S. student participants will receive a $570.00 stipend weekly—$4,560.00 for this eight-week program in Denmark.
Travel Costs—We will cover all U.S. student participants’ travel and housing expenses while being at the U.S. site (LAPES at Georgia Southern University) and the international site (CORPE at AAU)—including airfare, transportation costs, international travel insurance premiums, lodging fees, and Danish language software.
When and How/Where to Apply (Application Form)
Deadline—Please apply as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis—and we will give priority to the applications received by the end of December 2023. Still, we will accept applications by March 17, 2024.
How/Where to Apply—In order to apply to this U.S. Denmark NSF IRES INNOVATOR program, please click the “Apply Now!” button below to submit your application form(s).
Questions? Contact Us
Please contact Principal Investigators Dr. Masoud Davari at mdavari@georgiasouthern.edu or Dr. Masoud Karimi at karimi@ece.msstate.edu.
Dr. Masoud Davari
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing
Dr. Masoud Karimi-Ghartemani
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Bagley College of Engineering Bagley College of Engineering
