Powering the Future: U.S. Students Gain International Experience Through Photovoltaics Research in Berlin
A summer of international research concludes as U.S. students contribute to solar innovation in Berlin while gaining hands-on training and global scientific perspective through the NSF-IRES Program.
We are proud to celebrate the successful completion of our first cohort of students bound for Berlin as part of the National Science Foundation International Research Experience for Students (NSF-IRES) Program in metal-halide perovskite photovoltaics. Over the course of ten intensive weeks, nine students from universities across the United States immersed themselves in collaborative research at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin. Their work focused on advancing next-generation solar technologies—specifically, the development and optimization of metal-halide perovskite solar cells.
This timely exchange supported critical progress in the field of photovoltaics, where metal-halide perovskites offer promising pathways to higher efficiency and more versatile solar solutions beyond the limits of conventional silicon-based technologies. By engaging directly with leading German research teams, students not only deepened their technical knowledge and experimental skills but also gained valuable cross-cultural experience and a global perspective on scientific collaboration.
Selected for their academic excellence and commitment to renewable energy innovation, the participants—ranging from undergraduate to graduate level—contributed to a variety of interdisciplinary projects in chemistry, physics, materials science, and engineering. Their contributions helped strengthen the scientific partnerships between U.S. and German institutions and demonstrated the impact of international collaboration in addressing global climate and energy challenges.
2025 NSF IRES-Perovskites participants. Pictured (left to right): Megan Davis, Keya Amundsen, Jiselle Ye, Jack Schall, Keenan Wyatt, Kell Fremouw, Leo Beck, Gabriel Graf. Not pictured: Arial Brookhart.