REU Site: Opportunities in Physics Research at Illinois

该奖项支持伊利诺伊大学物理学本科生研究经验（REU）网站。该课程向本科生介绍了科学和工程领域的广泛问题，这些问题可以使用物理工具来解决。每年夏天将有10名学生参加。美国本科生在厄巴纳花10周的时间与高级物理教师密切而直接地合作，进行具有挑战性的、有意义的项目，旨在培养他们的“研究素养”技能，并使他们接触到物理子领域的多样性。程序性活动帮助参与者练习口头陈述和技术写作技巧，培养对职业选择的灵活态度，并灌输职业道德。伊利诺斯州REU的项目既不是“食谱”练习，也不是体力劳动，而是与正在进行的物理学前沿教师研究密切相关的原创研究练习。学生编写的代码随后将用于实际实验，他们为实际仪器设计和测试组件，并分析实际数据。项目具有挑战性，但却是可行的，旨在在10周的时间框架内取得可衡量的成就。广泛的研究活动得到支持，使参与者获得一个引人入胜的介绍，在物理学的主要分支学科的前沿研究机会的广度。该项目的一个新特点是任命一名科学主任，协助教师开发适当的项目，并设立一个“新兵训练营”，为学生准备一个富有成效的夏季研究经历。该奖项由物理系和材料研究部共同资助。

This award supports the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site in Physics at the University of Illinois. The program introduces undergraduate students to the broad range of problems in science and engineering that can be addressed using the tools of physics. A total of 10 students will participate each summer. U.S. undergraduate students spend ten weeks in Urbana working closely and directly with senior physics faculty on challenging, meaningful projects aimed at developing their "research literacy" skills and their exposure to the diversity of physics subfields. Programmatic activities assist participants in practicing oral presentation and technical writing skills, developing flexible attitudes toward career choices, and inculcating professional ethics. The REU projects at Illinois are neither "cookbook" exercises nor manual labor, but are original research exercises intimately related to ongoing faculty research at the cutting edge of physics. Students write code that is subsequently used in real experiments, they design and test components for real instruments, and they analyze real data. Projects are challenging but doable and are designed to achieve measurable accomplishments in the 10-week time frame. A wide range of research activities are supported so that participants receive an engaging introduction to the breadth of forefront research opportunities in the major subdisciplines of physics. A new feature in this project is the appointment of a scientific director to assist faculty in developing appropriate projects and a "boot camp" to prepare students ready for a productive summer research experience. This award is funded through both the Division of Physics and the Division of Materials Research.