REU Site: Sensor Science and Engineering

智力价值这个为期三年的REU网站续订计划将每年为10名本科生提供缅因州大学传感器科学和工程方面的深入研究经验。学生将进行研究，以提高他们在工程、化学、物理和/或生物学方面的知识。被选中的学生将被分配，这样30名参与者中至少有15名(50%)将来自本科生研究机会有限的机构，至少12名学生将来自女性、少数族裔和残疾学生的学生申请库。至少另外30名本科生(由研究补助金资助)将参加现场活动，现场参与者总数至少为60人。所有参与者每年夏天都将在现场工作10周，与缅因州大学的15名顶尖研究人员合作，并受益于专门的传感器科学和工程研究设施，如表面科学和技术实验室和缅因州下一代无线通信中心。REU参与者将与教师研究导师、研究生、博士后、技术人员、来访科学家以及初中和高中教师进行互动。这种互动将帮助学生发展强大的沟通能力，并在越来越多的专业环境中跨学科工作。除了他们的研究经验，REU参与者还将完成INT 398本科生研究参与和欧洲经委会465传感器导论，在类似于国内或国际会议的背景下发表演讲，并分享他们在初中或高中的研究成果。传感器的设计和使用为展示科学/工程内容和方法的跨学科性质提供了理想的背景。通过提高对数学、化学、生物、物理和工程学的理解来解决问题的能力是拟建的REU场地的核心。除了作为研究团队的一部分获得实践经验外，拟议网站的REU参与者还将熟悉整合知识，以创造性地解决问题和进行跨学科的有效沟通。在他们的研究经验结束时，REU参与者将以会议形式展示他们的研究，并提交书面报告或合著者论文(S)，以便在同行评议的期刊和/或研讨会上发表。REU的学生还将参加两门补充课程，INT 398本科生研究参与和欧洲经委会465传感器导论。每个学生每门课程将获得三个学分(暑期总共六个学分)。这两门课程都已经开发并成功实施，这是之前NSF资助的结果。广泛的影响本科生参与者将利用新知识来解决影响社会的现实研究问题。这个REU网站将专门招收女性和少数民族，并为非博士授予机构的学生提供研究经验。在15名高级人员中，有两名是研究记录非常出色的女性，她们特别有资格指导女学生。超过90%的缅因州大学本科生来自缅因州；许多人是他们的家人第一个上大学的人，他们来自地理上与世隔绝的地区，那里的研究经验机会有限。这个REU网站将通过将来自不同学科的教职员工和学生聚集在传感器科学和工程的智力保护伞下，加强研究和教育的基础设施。拟议的活动还将确保多用户设施成为大量理工科学生的研究和辅导场所。研究成果将通过校园演讲以及更广泛地通过专业期刊和研讨会传播，以增进对科学技术的了解。REU参与者将根据他们在校园内与前RET和GK-12参与者的互动情况，与初高中学生和教师分享他们的研究经验。最后，社会将受益，因为本科生由于他们的研究经验，选择继续在研究生院学习，在具有技术和科学挑战性的职业中脱颖而出，推动国土安全、食品安全、交通、通信和医学等领域的发展。

Intellectual MeritThis three year renewal REU site program will provide 10 undergraduate students per year with in-depth research experiences in sensor science and engineering at the University of Maine. Students will conduct research advancing their knowledge of engineering, chemistry, physics, and/or biology. The students selected will be distributed so that at least 15 of 30 participants (50%) will come from institutions with limited research opportunities for undergraduates and at least 12 students will come from the student applicant pool of women, minorities and students with disabilities. At least 30 additional undergraduates (funded through research grants) will participate in site activities, for a total of at least 60 site participants. All participants will be on site for ten weeks each summer, working with 15 of University of Maine's top researchers, and benefiting from specialized sensor science and engineering research facilities such as the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology and Maine Center for Next Generation Wireless Communications. REU participants will interact with faculty research mentors, graduate students, post-docs, technicians, visiting scientists, and middle and high school teachers. Such interaction will help the students develop strong communication skills and work across disciplines as required in a growing number of professional environments. In addition to their research experience, REU participants will complete INT 398 Undergraduate Research Participation and ECE 465 Introduction to Sensors, make a presentation within a context similar to a national or international conference, and share results from their research at a middle or high school.Sensor design and use provides an ideal context for demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of scientific/engineering content and methodology. The ability to solve problems using an improved understanding of mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering is central to the proposed REU site. In addition to gaining hands-on experience as part of a research team, the REU participants in the proposed site will become familiar with the integration of knowledge for creative problem solving and effective communication across disciplines.At the end of their research experience, REU participants will present their research in conference format and submit a written report or co-author paper(s) for publication in peer-reviewed journals and/or symposia. REU students will also participate in two complementary courses, INT 398 Undergraduate Research Participation and ECE 465 Introduction to Sensors. Each student will receive three credits for each course (total of six credits for the summer). Both courses have already been developed and successfully implemented as a result of prior NSF funding.Broader ImpactsThe undergraduate participants will utilize new knowledge to solve real-life research problems that impact society. This REU site will specifically recruit women and minorities and provide research experiences for students at non-PhD granting institutions. Two of the 15 senior personnel are women with very strong research track records who are especially well qualified to mentor female students. More than 90% of U of Maine undergraduates are from Maine; many are the first from their family to attend college and come from geographically isolated areas where opportunities for research experiences are limited. This REU site will enhance the infrastructure for research and education by bringing together faculty and students from diverse disciplines under the intellectual umbrella of sensor science and engineering. The proposed activities will also ensure that multi-user facilities are sites of research and mentoring for significant numbers of science and engineering students. Research results will be disseminated through campus presentations and more broadly through professional journals and symposia enhancing scientific and technological understanding. Based on their interaction with former RET and GK-12 participants during their on-campus research experiences, REU participants will share their research experiences with middle and high school students and teachers. Finally, society will benefit as undergraduates, as a result of their research experiences, choose to continue in graduate school to excel in technologically and scientifically challenging careers that advance such areas as homeland security, food safety, transportation, communications, and medicine.