UMN MRSEC REU Site in Nanomaterials

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TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The University of Minnesota, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) acknowledges the support of the Division of Materials Research of the National Science Foundation for funding of the UMN MRSEC REU Site in Nanomaterials. The REU Site will bring talented undergraduates from a national network of four-year colleges, Minority-Serving Institutions, and regional Community Colleges to the UMN campus for an intensive 10-week research experience. The UMN MRSEC comprises four Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) addressing pressing problems over a wide range of "soft" to "hard" materials: polymers, organic electronics, magnetic materials, and nanoparticles. MRSEC faculty and students are based in six different science and engineering departments, assuring a particularly broad and interdisciplinary experience for all the participants. The research advisors/mentors represent an appealing blend of junior, senior, and mid-career faculty; all are acknowledged leaders in their fields. Undergraduate research training is comprised of three fundamental and essential elements: (i) providing an independent intensive research project unavailable for most at their home institutions; (ii) developing effective multi-tiered mentoring relationships between student participants and faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows with whom they work; and (iii) enhancing those skills students need in preparation for graduate school (technical writing, oral presentation, ethical issues, GRE practice), while providing undergraduate students with a realistic preview of the graduate school experience.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The University of Minnesota, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) acknowledges the support of the Division of Materials Research of the National Science Foundation for funding of the UMN MRSEC REU Site in Nanomaterials. The UMN MRSEC comprises four Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) addressing pressing problems over a wide range of "soft" to "hard" materials: polymers, organic electronics, magnetic materials, and nanoparticles. The REU/RET program will provide high-quality research and education experiences in Materials Science and Engineering, primarily to students from undergraduate institutions with limited research opportunities (64% of participants for previous award), and to high school teachers principally from the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Center has demonstrated consistent and growing success at including women and members of underrepresented groups (49% and 38% respectively, in the previous REU award, DMR-0754792) in these activities, enabled by long-term partnerships with four- and two-year colleges, and Minority Serving Institutions. The inherently interdisciplinary nature of MRSEC research is particularly important for training the next generation of scientists and engineers and assuring U.S. competitiveness. We envision this comprehensive program, in both its scope and execution, as a means of meeting many of the challenges set forth by the National Academy of Sciences assessment of the state of science and engineering education discussed in its 1997 publication, Rising Above the Gathering Storm