Graduate School program

In the first year of the Graduate School program students will be introduced to materials science and familiarize themselves with the main characterization techniques (theoretical and practical courses) and methodologies.

In the second year, students will deepen their knowledge in material science and the conception of hierarchical and functional materials. They will also acquire all the soft skills needed to ensure professional insertion.

ITI HiFunMat Introductory course

This introductory course brings together all M1 students from the various Master's programs enrolled in the Graduate School program of ITI HiFunMat. This is a physical chemistry course on soft matter, macromolecular materials and important characterization techniques (NMR, IR, elemental and thermal analysis, molecular weight determination, scattering or optical methods, etc.). The aim is to provide an introduction to materials science and characterization and to address the need for interdisciplinary teamwork in materials science.

This course consists of 27h of lecture courses, that are taught on 9 Saturday mornings during the first semester. All courses take place on the Esplanade campus in Strasbourg.

Skills that will be acquired

Basics of macromolecular chemistry

• Definitions: macromolecule, polymer, polymolecularity
• Introduction to the main polymerization techniques
• Polymer states
• Fields of application, introduction to formulation

Soft matter analysis techniques

• Analysis of small molecules
• Analysis of polymers and resins in solution
• Thermal analysis of polymers and composites
• Surface analysis
• Analysis of polymers and resins in the molten state
• Analysis of polymer dispersions
• Introduction to mechanical testing

What's in the box

This course, created by ITI NeuroStra, consists of 7x 2h Philosophy of Science lecture courses, and a Methodologies practical course. HiFunMat students will be paired with NeuroStra students to discover what's in the box !

Skills that will be acquired

• Improved understanding of what science is
• Collaboration skills
• A better understanding of the approaches and methods used in the natural and social sciences

ITI HiFunMat Concepts and Methods

Practical works

In the first part of this course, students pairs will carry out practical works (16h) on characterization techniques that are not part of their Master's program. The practical works will take place in HiFunMat laboratories and/or technical platforms. Students will be accompanied by specialized personnel (engineers, researchers, technicians) who will provide them with theoretical and practical knowledge. At the end, the students will write a short report.

Peer / project-based learning

The students will present their practical work to each other. These presentations should be educational, and have as objective to inform their peers about the techniques they have used, their theoretical basis, the nature of the analyses carried out and the types of materials that can be analyzed. Next, a HiFunMat Ph.D. student will present his or her thesis topic (introduction to the subject, background, some information on the materials studied and research questions). Afterwards, the students will collaborate to propose a scientific plan, including experiments and characterization techniques, to answer the research questions of the Ph.D. project. The final part of the afternoon will be an open discussion between the students, the Ph.D. student and the teaching staff.

Portfolio

The portfolio will be both a (self-)assessment and validation of skills portfolio. It will be a support containing acquired skills that the student can use during his/her job search to highlight his/her skills, and present them at job interviews.

Skills to acquire: To be able to identify your skills, to reflect on them and to define your level of competence (technical and interpersonal skills).

ITI HiFunMat Advanced course

In this advanced materials science course, the various research areas involved in the development of hierarchically structured and functional materials will be addressed by specialized researchers/teachers. The teaching staff will help studnts make the links between the disciplines to go from an pluridisciplinary view, to an interdisciplinary approach.

This course consists of 33h of lecture courses, that are taught on Saturday mornings and/or afternoons during the first semester. Part of the courses take place on the Illberg campus in Mulhouse, the rest on the Esplanade Campus in Strasbourg.

Course 1 - From object to molecule and molecule to object
Concepts and relationships between molecules that can give rise to an object with a property/function:

Course 2 - Surfaces and Interfaces
Definition, scales, design, synthesis, reactivity, functionalization and characterization of flat and curved surfaces and interfaces.

Course 3 - Basic principles of flexible polymer networks

The basic principles of soft matter mechanics (static and dynamic) and soft polymer networks (rubbers, (hydro)gels, flexible adhesives) will be discussed to create a better understanding of important material properties (static and dynamic moduli, creep, relaxation, strength, toughness and fatigue).

Course 4 - Sol-gel process and hybrid materials

This course includes i) an introduction and basic concepts of sol-gel process and hybrid materials, ii) hydrolysis-condensation reactions for silanes and transition metals, iii) methods for characterizing sol-gel reactions, iv) the production, nanostructuring and applications of thin films, v) classification, processing, properties, and applications of hybrid materials, as well as v) photochemical approaches.

Course 5 - Biomimicry for sustainable development

The concepts of biomimicry and biomimetic design will be introduced, as well as its advantages in science and engineering. Emphasis will be laid on biomimetic designs for sustainable development in materials science.

Course 6 - Biointerface engineering

This course explores biomaterials such as metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and 3D-printed fabrics, focusing on their applications and interactions with cells. It examines cell and tissue responses to biomaterials, including signaling pathways, substrate stiffness, and topography, while covering techniques like protein purification, recombinant proteins, adsorption, and grafting. Students learn about interface manipulation to control cellular responses and monitor them using biochemistry, omics, and microscopy. Concrete examples, including bone implants, hydrogels, and 3D scaffolds, illustrate successes, challenges, and model systems for studying cell-microenvironment interactions, supported by research articles will be discussed.

Course 7 - Applications and environmental applications

The course focuses on green chemistry and sustainable synthesis processes, exploring supported catalysis and solar photocatalysis. It addresses air pollution control through catalytic converters, VOC degradation, and CO oxidation, as well as water pollution control using ultrafiltration, adsorption, and decontamination methods. The course also examines the development and use of intelligent coatings for environmental solutions.

Course 8 - Energy materials
Understand the functions that materials can perform in electrical energy generation devices (photovoltaic and thermoelectric) and how organic materials engineering can contribute to the development of more efficient systems.

Bibliographic review tutorial

This course consists of scientific reading and writing courses, 3h each, followed by the redaction of a review tutorial on current HiFunMat research topics. The course spans the 3rd and 4th semesters.

ITI HiFunMat Research and professional development

This course takes the form of a summer school that will take place in the beginning of July and takes 3 to 4 days. Current topics in materials science will be addressed (e.g. materials for energy and sustainable development, materials for health, materials for the environment, etc.). The aim is to approach these topics from different angles (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.) and points of view (scientific, socio-economic). Students are expected to present a poster and take part in all scientific activities (scientific courses, seminars, collaborative projects, sessions on career prospects, etc.) and activities focusing on soft skills (presentation skills, scientific writing, etc.), good scientific practice or intercultural aspects of studying or working in the European Campus region.

Find out all about our previous summer schools on the summer school webpage

HiFunMat Ph.D. students have the obligation to participate in HiFunMat activities, which are designed to help them acquire a pluri- and interdisciplinary vision of research, and enrich their transversal skills. These hours can be validated by the doctoral shools and thus count in the mandatory 54h of topical courses and 54h of cross-training and professional development.

There are three anual mandatory training activities :

• January | HiFunMat PhD day
  • PhD presentations
  • Training modules on science innovation
• April | Management training
  • Development of interpersonal communication
  • Speaking in public
  • Conducing successful interviews
• July | HiFunMat summer schools
  • PhD students have the obligation to follow at least 2 HiFunMat summer schools over the 3 years of their PhD

Our PhD students are highly encouraged to also take to present their results, in the form of oral or poster presentations, in the following events. This will give them the oppurtunity the present their results on a regular basis and to acquire strong competences in communication and networking.

• April | HiFunMat conference
• October | organization and/or participation in the Science Festival
• Spring or autumn | Advisory Board Meeting

Finally, they will have to occasion to benefit from a mentoring program, (participating is on a volontary basis) and profit from the fact that they are part of the HiFunMat network.