REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University

培养下一代物理学家以提高美国的竞争力和技术领先地位美国在基础科学研究和技术发展方面的竞争力关键取决于一支高技能、训练有素的物理劳动力队伍。物理学是美国研发工作中许多基础研究活动的基础。范德比尔特大学的夏季REU项目为本科生提供了与教师在物理学各个子领域的前沿研究项目上密切合作的机会。这些领域包括天文学、生物物理学、凝聚态物理(包括纳米科学)、激光物理、核物理和粒子物理。研究导师都是资金充足的研究人员，他们都承诺亲自指导学生。广泛的研究基础设施，包括几个大型跨学科中心的设施，将向学生开放。物理专业的学生将有机会参观国内外政府实验室的主要设施，包括费米拉实验室、布鲁克海文实验室、橡树岭实验室和欧洲核子研究中心。作为该项目强调领导力发展的一部分，该项目包括研究道德行为方面的培训，以及作为该项目重点发展未来劳动力的一部分，重点是扩大未被充分代表的群体在物理学领域的参与。REU计划将产生广泛的影响。特别是，该方案过去六年的记录表明，很大比例的参与者将是代表不足的少数族裔学生，而且记录还表明，一半以上的参与者将来自研究机会有限的机构。最后，为了实现持续的影响，该项目旨在范德比尔特的导师和学生所在机构的教职员工之间建立联系。范德比尔特的导师都得到了适当的工资支持。这建立了一个更大的社区，为学生提供持续的支持，并增强了学生在REU现场体验之外继续指导和参与研究的能力。

Training the next generation of physicists for American competitiveness and technological leadershipAmerican competitiveness in basic science research and technology development depends crucially on a highly skilled, trained physics workforce. Physics is foundational to much of the fundamental research activity of US research and development efforts. The Vanderbilt University Summer REU program offers undergraduate physics students the opportunity to work closely with faculty on forefront research projects in a variety of subfields of physics. The areas include astronomy, biological physics, condensed matter physics including nanoscience, laser physics, nuclear physics, and particle physics. The research mentors are all well funded researchers and all have committed to personally directing the students. The extensive research infrastructure, including the facilities of several large interdisciplinary centers, will be available to the students. Physics students will have the opportunity to visit major facilities at government laboratories, both domestic and international, including FermiLab, Brookhaven, Oak Ridge, and CERN.As part of the program's emphasis on leadership development, the program includes training in ethical conduct of research, and as part of the program's emphasis on developing the future workforce includes a focus on broadening participation of underrepresented groups in physics. The REU program will achieve broad impact. In particular, the track record of the program over the past six years shows that a high percentage of the participants will be underrepresented minority students, and the track record moreover shows that more than half of the participants will be from institutions with limited research opportunities. Finally, to achieve sustained impact, the program is designed to build ties between the Vanderbilt mentors, all of whom are supported with appropriate salary, and faculty at the student's home institution. This builds a larger community, provides for continued support for the student, and enhances the ability for continued mentoring and research participation of the student beyond the REU site experience.