REU Site: Undergraduate Research Experiences in Estuarine Processes

该奖项为马里兰州大学的本科生研究经验（REU）计划提供了新的资金。该计划将为15名学生提供为期五年的12周的积极学习体验，每年夏天，在该计划的持续时间内，共有75名学生。学生将被安置在两个大学之一。马里兰州海洋实验室，切萨皮克湾实验室或霍恩点实验室，并将与科学家导师密切合作，设计，进行和完成一个夏季研究项目。经过5.5天的方向，REU学生与他们的科学家导师一起撰写NSF风格的提案，进行仲夏演讲，进行实地和实验室研究，分析数据，撰写最终研究论文，并在最后的研讨会上发表演讲。该计划向REU学生介绍应用科学方法;学习现场和实验室方法;了解河口过程;深入了解研究问题;并学习解释，组织和以书面和口头形式呈现研究项目的结果。学生可以单独与他们的导师或作为一个大型的跨学科研究计划的一部分。最近的学生研究课题包括营养盐地球化学，河口建模，沉积学，微量元素化学，土地利用的影响，渔业生物能量学建模，捕食者/猎物研究，微生物生态学，遗传学，环境污染和生物毒性。此外，学生活动包括学习科学传播，研究伦理，研究生院申请过程，网络和海洋科学的替代职业。

This award provides renewed funding for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Maryland. The program will provide 15 students with a 12-week active learning experience each summer for five years, for a total of 75 students over the duration of the program. The students will be housed at one of the two Univ. of Maryland marine laboratories, Chesapeake Bay Laboratory or Horn Point Laboratory, and will work closely with a scientist-mentor to design, conduct and complete a summer research project. Following a 5.5-day orientation, REU students work with their scientist-mentor to write an NSF-style proposal, give a mid-summer presentation, conduct field and laboratory studies, analyze data, write a final research paper and present a talk at a final symposium. The program introduces REU students to applying the scientific method; learning field and lab methods; developing an understanding of estuarine processes; achieving an in-depth understanding of a research problem; and learning to interpret, organize and present in written and oral form the results of a research project. Students may work individually with their mentors or as part of a large, interdisciplinary research program. Recent student research topics include nutrient biogeochemistry, estuarine modeling, sedimentology, trace element chemistry, land use impacts, fisheries bioenergetics modeling, predator/prey studies, microbial ecology, genetics, environmental contamination and organism toxicity. In addition, student activities include learning about science communication, research ethics, the graduate school application process, networking and alternative careers in marine science.