Research on the Prairies: Undergraduate Training in the Molecular Sciences

化学部（CHE）的这一奖项支持由州立大学北达科他州的Erika Offerdahl和Mukund西比领导的本科生研究经验（REU）网站。 该网站支持的研究项目涉及化学的广泛领域，统一的主题是“分子科学”。“学生将从缺乏资源支持本科研究的本科院校招募到这个网站，重点是从主要的本科院校招募女学生。 每年夏天，该网站将支持10名学生参加为期10周的暑期课程。 研究人员将开展的项目包括：（1）使用环境友好的铟和铋催化剂进行不对称烯丙基化;（2）研究确保基因组维持和防止异常细胞生长的保守分子机制;（3）控制水中纳米腔中的光化学;（4）研究学生在生物化学方面的学习;（5）用于太阳能电池和电子显示器的新型共轭材料的合成和研究;（6）用于双功能催化的设计模板的探索。 除了在夏季进行研究外，参加该计划的学生还将参加一些专业发展活动，包括提供化学品安全培训和使用化学文献的研讨会。 学生将有很多机会在各种场合展示他们的成果，包括现场的本科生研究研讨会。年轻的科学家需要接触现代研究方法和工具，作为他们培训的一部分。 这个REU网站旨在为没有重大研究经验的学生提供一个机会，与专门的教师导师一起进行化学科学的前沿研究。 参与该研究中心研究的多样化学生群体将为进一步学习化学科学和研究生院做好充分准备，最终成为该国技术劳动力的一部分。

This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site led by Erika Offerdahl and Mukund Sibi at North Dakota State University. The research projects supported in this site are in a wide range of areas of chemistry, with the unifying theme of "Molecular Science." Students will be recruited to this site from undergraduate institutions that lack the resources to support undergraduate research, with a focus on the recruitment of female students from primarily undergraduate institutions. Each summer, the site will support 10 students in a ten-week per summer program. A sample of the projects that researchers will work on include: (1) the use of environmentally benign indium and bismuth catalysts for asymmetric allylation; (2) the study of the conserved molecular mechanisms that ensure genome maintenance and prevent abnormal cell growth; (3) the control of photochemistry within nanocavities in water; (4) the study of student learning in biochemistry; (5) the synthesis and study of new conjugated materials for solar cells and electronic displays and (6) the exploration of designer templates for bifunctional catalysis. In addition to conducting research during the summer, the students participating in this program will participate in a number of professional development activities, including workshops providing training in chemical safety and in using the chemical literature. Students will have numerous opportunities to present their results in a variety of settings, including an Undergraduate Research Symposium on-site.Young scientists need exposure to modern research methods and tools as part of their training. This REU site aims to provide students without significant research experience a chance to conduct cutting-edge research in the chemical sciences with dedicated faculty mentors. The diverse student cohort participating in research at this site will be well-prepared for further study in the chemical sciences, and graduate school, with eventual employment as part of the country's technical workforce.