REU Site Grant in Membrane Thin Film Science

9820477科罗拉多大学教授William B. Krantz本提案寻求资金继续NSF-REU现场计划，该计划已在科罗拉多大学化学工程系管理了六年。NSF- reu项目的重点是膜和薄膜科学，这在NSF研讨会报告、三份NRC报告和AICHE前任主席中被确定为关键需求。因此，参加REU现场项目的学生与美国国家科学基金会工业/大学薄膜分离合作研究中心（CSTF）相关的研究工作，PI是该中心的联合创始人和联合主任。两位联合主任都是屡获殊荣的教育工作者，在指导本科生研究项目方面拥有丰富的经验。该项目的主要目标是鼓励有前途的学生，特别是女性、少数民族和身体上处于不利地位的学生继续读研究生，以从事工程研究方面的职业。通过我们之前的NSF-REU现场项目的统计数据和结果，可以最好地判断将被接受进入该项目的学生及其预期影响。在过去的六年中，770名学生申请了我们的NSF-REU现场计划。REU奖授予73名学生（9.5%），其中63名（86%）来自科罗拉多大学（CU）以外的学校。大学和州立大学为10名CU REU学生提供配套资金；因此，过去六年，所有国家科学基金的资金都用于资助中大以外学校的REU学生。我们的REU参与者包括35名女性（48%）和14名少数民族（19%）。我们的参与者在过去三年的平均GPA，Nas 3.79/4.00。我们的REU学生共同撰写了12篇论文（10篇同行评审）和13篇论文。在联合主任的积极努力下，在学生参加我们1996年和1997年的REU现场项目后，在学年结束时进行的后续调查中，96%的回复率（26个可能中的25个）。这项调查显示，这些受访者中有16人继续读研究生（2人仍在完成学士学位）。在我们1998年为期10周的暑期课程结束时进行的评估表明，14名参与者都对研究生学习产生了兴趣。我们寻求将这个非常成功的项目再持续三年。我们提议的REU现场计划涉及81%（16名中的13名）化学工程教师的参与。它包括以下增强和新颖的功能：(1)从11名扩展到15名REU学生；(2)举办REU学生海报比赛，鼓励学生在随后的技术会议上展示他们的REU研究成果；(3)为REU学生在技术会议上发表研究论文提供旅费；(4)加强针对女性和少数族裔的招聘计划，该计划利用与适当网站的链接（在本提案中确定）；(5)以培养学生做研究为重点的研讨会项目；(6)为补充研究活动而设计的有意义的社会和文化活动计划；(7)有效的项目评估表和高度成功的后续调查，以衡量该项目的有效性。大学和科罗拉多州（通过我们的CSTF中心）以126,640美元的总匹配承诺支持该提案，占国家科学基金会要求的资金的44%；其中包括70 222美元的实际捐款（现金）。

9820477University of Colorado Professor William B. Krantz This proposal seeks funds to continue the NSF-REU Site Program that has been administered for the past six years in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Colorado. The focus of this NSF-REU program is membrane and thin film science, which has been identified as a critical need in an NSF Workshop report, three NRC reports, and by a past AICHE President. As such, the students participating in this REU Site Program work on research associated with the NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Separations Using Thin Films (CSTF) for which the PI is Co-Founder and Co-Director. Both Co-Directors are award winning educators who have extensive experience in mentoring undergraduate research programs. The principal objective of this Site Program is to encourage promising students, in particular women, minority, and physically disadvantaged students, to go on to graduate school in order to pursue careers in engineering research. The students to be accepted into this program and the intended impact can be best judged from the statistics and outcomes of our prior NSF-REU Site Program. During the past six years, 770 students applied to our NSF-REU Site Program. REU wards were made to 73 students (9.5%), 63 of whom (86%) were from schools other than the University of Colorado (CU). University and State supported the 10 CU REU studentsmatching funds; hence, all NSF funds during the past six years have gone to support REU students from schools other than CU. Our REU participants included 35 women (48%) and 14 minorities (19%). The average GPA of our participants during the past three years ,Nas 3.79/4.00. Our REU students have co-authored 12 published papers (10 peer-review) and 13 presented papers. An aggressive effort by the Co-Directors resulted in a 96% response rate (25 out of 26 possible) to a follow-up survey taken at the end of the academic year following the students' participation in our 1996 and 1997 REU Site Programs. This survey indicated that 16 of these respondees went on to graduate school (2 are still completing BS degrees). The evaluation taken at the end of our 1998 ten-week summer program indicated that it excited interest in graduate studies by all 14 participants. We seek to continue this very successful program for three more years. Our proposed REU Site Program involves participation by 81% (13 out of 16) of our faculty in Chemical Engineering. It includes the following enhancements and novel features: (1) expansion from 11 to 15 REU students; (2) an REU Student Posters Competition to encourage students to present their REU research at subsequent technical meetings; (3) provision to pay travel expenses for REU students to present a paper on their research at a technical meeting; (4) an enhanced recruiting program for women and minorities that utilizes links to appropriate web sites (identified in this proposal); (5) a seminar program that focuses on preparing students to do research; (6) a meaningful program of social and cultural activities that is designed to complement the research activities; and (7) an effective program evaluation form and highly successful follow-up survey to gauge the effectiveness of this program. The University and State of Colorado (through our CSTF Center) are supporting this proposal with a total matching commitment of $126,640 amounting to 44% of the funds being requested from NSF; this includes a real-money (cash) contribution of $70,222.