The research was made possible through a $5 million grant from the Korea Ministry of Science and Technology, the University of Delaware said in a news release. Tsu-Wei Chou, Pierre S. du Pont Chair of Engineering, and Erik Thostenson, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, will lead the UD effort in the nine-year program.

The funding comes through the ministry's Global Research Laboratory program, which seeks to develop fundamental and original technologies through international collaborative research between Korean and foreign laboratories. In addition to nanotechnology, GRL program supports collaborative research in biotechnology and information technology.

"The program, which will establish a global collaborative network between KIMS and UD-CCM, will enable us to advance the research in hybrid micro- and nano-composites for structural and functional applications," Chou said.