Explore exciting opportunities to advance polymer chemistry and broaden STEM participation with MONET. Join Us As a center, we seek partnership opportunities with other institutions, researchers, outreach efforts, and industry. To view and sort current partnership opportunities by type, use the tags below: Industry Institutional Join MONET Outreach Industry Partnerships Transforming Polymer Science Through Industry Collaborations Read More Outreach Kits Converting high-touch experiences into MONET Outreach Kits that we develop, deploy, and present to a range of audiences across the country. Read More Participation Beyond MONET Exploring models for research and student training that extend beyond R1 institutions. Read More Undergraduate Research Experiences Expanding access to laboratory research projects through the MONET Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) program. Read More

Exploring models for research and student training that extend beyond R1 institutions. Broader Impacts Broadening Participation Participation Beyond MONET Participation Beyond MONET represents a transformative vision: extending our Center's reach and influence beyond traditional boundaries to create meaningful pathways for participation in the chemical sciences. Through strategic partnerships and collaborative initiatives, we're building bridges between institutions, fostering mentorship networks, and creating spaces where scientists from all backgrounds can bring their authentic selves to their work. At the heart of this initiative are the stories of connection and community. When Directors of Broader Impacts from multiple NSF-funded Centers gathered at NDiSTEM conferences in Phoenix and Columbus, they weren't just sharing booth space—they were modeling a new approach to scientific collaboration. These cross-center partnerships, bringing together MONET with the Center for Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry and the Center for the Mechanical Control of Chemistry, demonstrated how institutions can amplify their collective impact by working together to engage diverse STEM talent. The symposium "Transforming STEM Through Broader Impacts" at NDiSTEM 2025 took this vision even further. With over 75 attendees, the session became a catalyst for change, exploring how cultural relevance and authentic mentorship can reshape the landscape of scientific education. The conversation continued beyond the conference room through the Science with Impact Podcast, extending these critical discussions to a wider audience and creating lasting resources for the community. Our partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities exemplify the power of bidirectional collaboration. Dr. Juana Mendenhall's leadership at both the SERMACS symposium and HBCU Engage highlighted how genuine partnerships—built on mutual respect and shared goals—can transform research environments and create opportunities for innovation. Dr. Mendenhall was even featured on the Science with Impact Podcast : These aren't one-way relationships; they're dynamic exchanges where each institution brings unique strengths to advance chemistry education and research. The Polymer Women Empowerment & Research (PoWER) initiative brought together over 100 participants for technical workshops and mentorship sessions at Northwestern University. MONET senior investigators Julia Kalow and Monica Olvera de la Cruz led technical talks while MONET trainees served as workshop leaders, creating a supportive community for early-career researchers. This intergenerational mentorship model demonstrates how empowering women and gender minorities in polymer science creates ripple effects throughout the field. When Dr. Vanessa Rosa spoke at the ACS Women in the Chemical Enterprise Networking Breakfast in San Diego, she joined hundreds of women chemists in building professional connections that transcend individual institutions. These moments of connection—whether at a breakfast networking event or a university symposium—form the foundation for sustained participation in chemical sciences. What makes BP Beyond MONET distinctive is its emphasis on authenticity and cultural relevance. We've learned that effective outreach isn't about imposing structures from above; it's about creating spaces where people can integrate their identities, cultures, and passions into their scientific work. It's about student-led collaborations, community-based STEM education, and research that responds to real community needs. It's about recognizing that the path to scientific excellence runs through many doorways, and our job is to ensure those doorways are open and welcoming. Through these initiatives, BP Beyond MONET is building a network of STEM leaders committed to excellence through expanded participation. We're creating best practices for cultural integration in STEM, establishing platforms for leadership development, and fostering collaborative approaches that benefit the entire scientific community. Most importantly, we're demonstrating that when we invest in people—through mentorship, authentic partnerships, and culturally relevant programming—we strengthen the foundation of scientific innovation itself. PoWER 2026: Building on Momentum The PoWER (Polymer Women Empowerment & Research) initiative returns for its second year, this time at the University of Toronto on May 21-22, 2026. Building on the success of the inaugural event at Northwestern, which brought together over 100 participants for technical workshops and mentorship sessions, PoWER 2026 expands its reach to 150+ women and gender minorities in polymer science. The workshop pairs intensive hands-on training with structured mentorship partnerships designed to accelerate career advancement for underrepresented scientists. The organizing committee includes Profs. Helen Tran, Elisabeth Prince, Julia Kalow (MONET Senior Investigator), Jill Alty, Dr. Sara Orski, Dr. Rachel Snyder, and Prof. Symone Alexander. At Northwestern, MONET senior investigators Julia Kalow and Monica Olvera de la Cruz led technical talks while MONET trainees served as workshop leaders, creating an intergenerational mentorship model. PoWER 2026 continues this approach: empowering early-career researchers through both skill development and meaningful professional connections. The initiative demonstrates how targeted programming can broaden participation in polymer science while strengthening the field's pipeline of diverse talent. Previous Next

Impactful Programs As with our research, we seek to be distinct and distinctive in our broader impact efforts by targeting high-impact activities we couldn’t pull off in our laboratories alone. Click on our areas of activity to toggle them on and off and display highlights of our ongoing efforts: Participation Beyond MONET Learn More Research Translations Learn More Industry Partnerships Learn More Art of Polymers Learn More Signature Professional Development Experiences Learn More Outreach Kits Learn More Outreach Partners Learn More Lab Exchanges Learn More Training Events Learn More CRIPT Learn More Undergraduate Research Experiences Learn More Technique Tutorials Learn More

A team from the Johnson lab identify a design strategy that enables bifunctional scissile motifs to successfully toughen end-linked networks by establishing a topological correspondence between pendant cross-linked and end-linked architectures. This work establishes strand continuity as a mechanochemical design principle for fracture resistant materials across diverse polymer architectures. Article Link

A team from the Johnson, Olvera de la Cruz, Kulik, and Craig labs demonstrate that embedding a small fraction of force-sensitive mechanophores as cross-links into common polymers produces materials with substantially enhanced ballistic energy dissipation. This establishes a design principle for converting commodity polymers into impact-resilient materials and open directions at the intersection of polymer mechanochemistry and extreme-strain-rate material behavior. Article Link MIT News Item

MONET Senior Investigators Julia Kalow and Rebekka Klausen have been granted Brown Investigator Awards. The Brown Institute for Basic Sciences grants these awards to support bold ideas for curiosity-driven basic research. The awards consist of $2,000,000 each over five years to pursue new research avenues that are highly creative, and for which conventional sources of research funding may not be readily available. Award Announcement Congratulations Julia and Rebekka!