REU Site: Undergraduate and teacher research in physics at Northern Illinois University

该奖项资助了北伊利诺伊大学物理系的一个新的本科生研究经验（REU）和教师研究经验（RET）网站。研究主题将集中在粒子物理、光束和加速器物理以及凝聚态物理。学生们将从事前沿研究，并将接受许多主题的讲座，包括如何开始他们的研究，物理学学位的用处，进入研究生院的漫长道路，以及毕业后富有成效的职业生涯的其他选择。该项目将利用NIU与附近国家实验室的接近性，几名学生每周在费米实验室工作几天，所有学生都参加参观费米实验室和阿贡实验室的旅行。基于NIU强大的物理和科学教师认证计划，RET部分将允许当地教师体验真实的物理研究，并参与旨在打破和驱散女性和少数民族在STEM领域职业生涯中面临的障碍的讲座和项目。本提案的研究主题分为三大类：1)粒子物理，2)加速器和束流物理，以及3)材料和凝聚态物理。该提案的粒子、光束和加速器物理研究主题将以NIU的北伊利诺伊加速器和探测器发展中心（NICADD）为基础，该中心主持了该大学的加速器、探测器和粒子物理研究项目。学生们将被安置在校园里，他们的工作将主要基于该系，尽管一些从事光束物理或粒子物理的参与者可能每周在费米实验室工作几天，这取决于他们的研究课题。该项目的教师更有可能有自己的交通工具和家庭需要照顾，他们可以选择在校园里工作，也可以选择在费米实验室工作。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award funds a new Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) site at the Department of Physics of Northern Illinois University (NIU). Research topics will focus on particle physics, beams and accelerator physics, and condensed matter physics. Students will work on cutting-edge research and will receive lectures on numerous topics, including how to get started on their research, the usefulness of a degree in physics, the long path towards attending graduate school, and other options for fruitful careers after graduation. The program will take advantage of the proximity of the NIU to nearby national labs, with several students working a few days a week at Fermilab, and all students taking tours and trips to visit both Fermilab as well as Argonne. Building on NIU's strong physics and science teacher certification program, the RET component will allow local teachers to experience real physics research and participate in lectures and programs that aim to disrupt and disperse the roadblocks that women and minorities face in the pipeline towards careers in STEM fields.The research topics for this proposal fall into three broad categories: 1) particle physics,2) accelerator and beams physics, and 3) materials and condensed matter physics. The particle and beams and accelerator physics research topics for this proposal will be based in NIU's Northern Illinois Center for Accelerator and Detector Development (NICADD), which hosts the University's accelerator, detector and particle physics research programs. Students will be housed on campus, and their work will be based primarily at the department, though some participants working in beams physics or particle physics may work a few days a week at Fermilab, depending on their research topics. Teachers in the program, who are more likely to have their own transportation and families to attend to, will have the option of working on campus or at Fermilab.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.