INITIATION AND SUPPORT FOR AN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PARTICIPATION SITE AT THE SPACE PHYSICS RESEARCH LABORATORY,UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

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This grant will fund the establishment of an Undergraduate Research Participation Site at the Space Physics Research Laboratory of the University of Michigan. The Space Physics Research Laboratory is a broad interdisciplinary research organization which is part of the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences academic department of the University of Michigan. Research undertaken in the laboratory spans several fields of engineering and geophysical sciences, with an emphasis on the observation and understanding of the physical processes which control the gaseous, plasma and liquid envelopes of the Earth and planetary bodies. The annual research budget of the laboratory is ~$8M and major funding comes from the National Science Foundation and NASA as well as other agencies. Because of the strong ties to the academic environment at the University, and its presence within a geosciences department in the College of Engineering, the Space Physics Research Laboratory has always maintained an active interest in providing significant undergraduate and graduate research opportunities, particularly in the areas of Solar-Terrestrial research and Aeronomy. This grant will expand to consolidate the undergraduate involvement by initiating support for an REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) site within the Laboratory. The REU site will involve the direct participation of 8 faculty members who have all had previous experience with the training of undergraduate students in research. Support will be provided for 16 students, of whom half will be from institutions other than the University of Michigan. Because of its commitment of high-quality undergraduate education, the University has agreed to waive this. The rich variety and significance of the research carried out within the Laboratory and the commitment of time on the part of the faculty participants will provide the undergraduates of the program a significant opportunity to have hands-on experience in active and exciting research areas. This REU program will provide an important opportunity to attract and motivate talented individuals at a critical time in their development. It is fully anticipated that some of the undergraduate participants in the program will become sufficiently interested in exciting areas of research in geoscience that they will go on to pursue graduate studies, either at the University of Michigan itself, or at other universities.