Grants

Sponsored projects supporting M3 Lab research.

Current and recent awards supporting materials modeling, processing, characterization, and education innovation.

CSU GUIDE - AI-JUDGE: Cultivating Computational Judgment in Undergraduate STEM via Intentionally Fallible Generative AI

California State University Chancellor's Office. PI: Wenwu Xu (San Diego State University); Co-PIs: Luwen (Vivian) Huangfu (San Diego State University) and Ashley Ringer McDonald (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo). Amount: $80,000. Period: Aug. 15, 2026-Aug. 14, 2027. This multi-campus project will develop and validate AI-JUDGE to help undergraduate students identify and correct scientifically inaccurate AI-generated simulation code. It will support six paid undergraduate research assistants, engage approximately 100 students through course-integrated activities, and prepare a follow-on NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education proposal.

CSU GUIDE program details

ASCEND Research and Leadership Program - Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU)

PI: Wenwu Xu. Amount: $199,772. Period: 2026-2027. Title: Thermal-Elastic Processing (TEP) for Defense-Relevant Localized Interface Engineering via Coupled Atomistic Modeling and in Situ Electron Microscopy. This project develops TEP as a localized interface-engineering strategy for defense-relevant structural metals, coupling atomistic modeling with in situ electron microscopy. The project is part of the inaugural ASCEND Research and Leadership Program cohort.

HSRU award page

W. M. Keck Foundation - New Materials Processing via Electro-Nano-Pulsing (ENP)

PI: Elisa Torresani; Co-PIs: Wenwu Xu and Eugene Olevsky. Amount: $1,200,000. Period: 2026-2028. This project develops electro-nano-pulsing as a new materials-processing approach for rapid, localized microstructural transformation and grain-boundary engineering in advanced materials.

SDSU award story

MolSSI / ACT-CMS Faculty Fellow

Molecular Sciences Software Institute. Period: 2025-2027. Project: Transforming Materials Modeling Education through LLM-Assisted Coding and HPC Integration for SDSU's Doctoral Engineering Program. This fellowship supports curriculum transformation in computational molecular/materials science through programming, data competency, computing, mentorship, and reusable curricular module development.

MolSSI fellows page

CSU STEM-NET Faculty Fellow

STEM-NET Faculty Fellows Grant Program, California State University Chancellor's Office. Faculty Fellow: Wenwu Xu. Award No. 132597-FFA-2025-1-SAN DIEGO. Amount to SDSU: $7,478, with additional institutional support. Period: 2025-2026. This fellowship supports CSU STEM faculty in developing collaborative research and education proposals, strengthening campus scholarship, and advancing STEM-NET's systemwide mission.

CSU STEM-NET page

NSF - ECCENTRIC: A Mechanism of Flash Sintering of Ionic Ceramics

PI: Wenwu Xu; Co-PI: Eugene Olevsky. Amount: $328,397. Period: 2019-2023. This project investigated the mechanisms of flash sintering in ionic ceramics through atomistic modeling and experimental studies of electric-field-assisted sintering processes.

NSF award page

DOE - Tailoring Grain-Boundaries by Electro-Nano-Pulsing (ENP)

PI: Eugene Olevsky; Co-PI: Wenwu Xu. Award No. DE-SC0022244. Amount: $467,000. Period: 2021-2024. This project developed electro-nano-pulsing approaches for localized grain-boundary engineering and rapid materials processing, supported by multiscale modeling and experiments.

DOE BES abstract book

SDSU Grants for Established RSCA

PI: Wenwu Xu. Amount: $15,000. Period: 2024. Title: Atomistic Structural Evolution of Electro-Nano-Pulsing Processing of Metals by Computer Simulation. This project supported atomistic computer simulations of structural evolution in metals under electro-nano-pulsing, including graduate-student support and computational resources for ENP modeling.

SDSU RSCA awardees

SDSU Faculty University Grants Program (UGP)

PI: Wenwu Xu. Amount: $10,000. Period: 2019-2020. Title: A Unique Experimental Apparatus for In-Situ Nanoscale Imaging of Electric Field Assisted Sintering Process. This project developed a coupled experimental and imaging setup for in-situ nanoscale SEM characterization of electric-current-assisted sintering processes, using yttria-stabilized zirconia as a benchmark material system.

SDSU UGP program page

CSU / CSUPERB - Nano-SCALPEL

PI: Wenwu Xu. Amount: $15,000. Period: 2019-2020. Title: Nano-SCALPEL: Nanoparticle Spinning Cutting, Ablation, Lysis in Plasma Environmental Liquid for Blood Clot Removal. This seed project explored magnetically actuated nanoparticle approaches for blood-clot removal.

CSUPERB award announcement