REU Site: Undergraduate Research in the Geosciences

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During a ten week summer program, six undergraduates participate substantively in the research of a scientist at the Broad Branch Road campus of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Primary criteria for selection are scholarship, personal motivation, scientific potential as judged by student references, and a good match of student interests with available research programs. At the beginning of the program the student decide with the advisor on a research project related to some aspect of earth or planetary geoscience research. Students then write a short research proposal after approximately two weeks of reading and preliminary work. The group also meets each week for lunchtime discussions during which they have the opportunity to update each other on research progress. Lunchtime meetings also generally include informal seminars by conversation with staff scientists giving students a personal introduction to the interests, research programs, and career paths and choices of scientists that have led to their current positions at Carnegie. Field trips to sites of geological interest in the Washington area complement the summer research experience. Students prepare a research paper, utilizing the format of a leading journal in their field, describing the results of their research; students then present the results to their peers and the research staff at a special symposium held during the last week of the program. Students are encouraged to submit the results for presentation at a professional meeting, or use the results as part of a senior project. Interns will work directly with a leading scientist and participate first-hand in the excitement of scientific discovery using state-of-the-art techniques and facilities. Students gain a new appreciation of science that they can take back to their home institutions and resume their studies with an informed understanding of the rewards of a research career. Our program is designed to bridge the gap between education and research, ultimately showing that both activities are essential to advancements in science, and really are two parts of the same process. Recruitment focuses on reaching students who have not had substantial research experiences, and students historically underrepresented in science. At Carnegie, we are well positioned to select highly qualified students from a variety of types of educational institutions, geographic locations and diverse backgrounds, all of which will add significantly to the vibrant intellectual activity that characterizes our campus.