REU Site: A Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) on Design and Delivery of Polymer-Drug Complexes

该奖项延续了大分子和界面研究所、弗吉尼亚理工学院和州立大学的本科生研究经验（REU）项目。这个为期11周的项目在2009年至2011年期间每年夏天为12名本科生提供11周的支持。来自化学，化学工程，物理，木材科学和森林产品部门的教师和研究生导师将培训REU学生。该计划提供跨学科的研究经验，在桥梁高分子材料设计，药理学应用和生物物理相互作用的领域。 研究重点是聚合物和生命科学的科学结合点，项目旨在在尖端的研究环境中灌输团队合作，沟通和领导技能。 学生将致力于合成用于药物递送系统的明确聚合物，聚合物-药物复合物及其特性的表征，以及这些材料与生物细胞相互作用的研究。该计划的其他活动包括为研究生导师举办的领导力研讨会，为所有参与者举办的社区建设务虚会，道德研讨会，聚合物短期课程，药物交付和技术沟通技能发展培训。该计划还为REU参与者提供了指导和与中学生一起开展科学示范项目的机会，并通过在公共活动中的演讲将他们的研究带到当地社区。该奖项由国家科学基金会数学和物理科学理事会材料研究和化学部共同资助，

This award continues the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site program at the macromolecules and Interface Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. This eleven-week program supports 12 undergraduates for 11 weeks each summer during 2009 to 2011. Faculty and graduate student mentors drawn from departments of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, and Wood Science and Forest Products will train the REU students. The program offers interdisciplinary research experience in the areas that bridge macromolecular materials design, pharmacological applications and biophysical interactions. Research focus is at the scientific junction of polymers and life sciences and projects are designed to instill teamwork, communication, and leadership skills in a cutting-edge research environment. Students will work on the synthesis of well-defined polymers for drug delivery systems, characterization of polymer-drug complexes and their properties, and study of the interactions of these materials with biological cells. Other activities in the program include leadership workshop for graduate student mentors, community building retreat for all participants, ethics workshop, short courses on polymers, drug delivery, and training for technical communication skills development. The program also offers opportunities for REU participants to mentor and work with middle school students on science demonstration projects and take their research to the local community through presentations at a public event. This award is jointly funded by the Division of Materials Research and Chemistry in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate of National Science Foundation,