REU Site: Undergraduate Research Experiences in Estuarine Processes

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A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in marine and estuarine science at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) will be supported for five years. The program will be run at two UMCES laboratories, the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) in Solomons, MD and the Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) in Cambridge, MD. A total of fifteen undergraduates will participate in the program each summer for twelve weeks during which students will conduct an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Following orientation, REU students work with their mentor to write a research proposal, conduct field and laboratory studies, analyze data, write a research paper, and present a talk at a final symposium. The program introduces REU students to applying the scientific method; learning field, lab, and data analysis methods; developing an understanding of coastal and 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 broader, interdisciplinary research team. The program includes a partnership with Gallaudet University in Washington, DC and several small institutions in Puerto Rico. Most of the funding provided supports participant costs for seventy-five undergraduates, including student stipends, housing and transportation to and from their home to participate in the program. This REU program contributes to the national goals of training the next generation of scientists and developing the nation's scientifically literate workforce. Recent student research topics include nutrient biogeochemistry, estuarine modeling, sedimentology, trace element chemistry, fisheries bioenergetics modeling, predator/prey and other ecological studies, microbial ecology, genetics, environmental contamination, and toxicity studies. In addition, professional development will include sessions on science communication, research ethics, the graduate school application process and non-academic careers in science. Students will be encouraged to continue their research after the program, either by being a co-author on a scientific publication, pursuing a senior thesis, or attending a scientific conference. The primary intent of the program is to meet NSF's goal of developing a diverse, internationally competitive scientific workforce by encouraging seventy-five undergraduate students to pursue a career in marine science.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.