REU Site: Program in Biorefining and Biofuels

这个为期三年的REU网站计划将专注于生物精炼研究。 发展可持续和可再生能源供应是社会面临的最大挑战之一。 生物燃料被广泛认为是新能源经济的关键组成部分。 12名本科生将继续对生物质转化为燃料和化学品的相关问题进行基础研究。 项目将包括研究原料科学和工程，生化转化，热化学转化，以及工程或反应，分离和固体处理过程所需的许多生物精炼应用。 这个REU网站计划的另一个重点将是跨学科和跨四个不同机构的整合。 这些机构包括科罗拉多大学、科罗拉多州立大学（CSU）、科罗拉多矿业学院（CSM）和国家可再生能源实验室（NREL）。除了研究活动外，REU参与者还将参与教育研讨会、文化节目和社会活动，以促进群体经验。本科生将被要求参加指导教师每周的研究小组会议，参加每周一次的NSF-REU小组研讨会，每个人将向他/她的NSF-REU同行介绍研究进展和挑战，在夏季课程结束时展示海报并撰写最终研究报告。REU Site计划的一个主要目标是积极招募女性和少数民族参与者，并鼓励这些学生从事工程和科学研究。 还将鼓励参与者在国家会议上介绍他们的研究，并为此提供财政支助。

This three-year REU Site program will focus on biorefining research. The development of sustainable and renewable energy supplies represents one of society's greatest challenges. Biofuels are widely regarded as a key component of a new energy economy. The 12 undergraduate students will pursue fundamental investigations of issues related to conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals. Projects will include research in feedstock science and engineering, biochemical conversions, thermochemical conversions, and engineering or reaction, separations, and solids-handling processes needed for numerous biorefining applications. An additional focus of this REU site program will be integration, both across disciplines and across four different institutions. These institutions include the University of Colorado, Colorado State University (CSU), the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).In addition to the research activities, the REU participants will be involved in educational seminars, cultural programming and social activities to foster the cohort experience. The undergraduate students will be required to participate in weekly research group meetings of the faculty advisor, participate in a weekly NSF-REU group seminar program where each will give a five minute presentation on research progress and challenges to his/her NSF-REU peers, present a poster at the completion of the summer program and write a final research report.What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?A major goal of the REU Site program is to actively recruit women and minority participants and to encourage these students to pursue careers in engineering and science research. Participants will also be encouraged to present their research at national conferences and will be financially supported to do so.