REU Site: Interactive Biomaterials

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NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The educational objectives of the Interactive Biomaterials REU Site at Syracuse University are: to train students in leading-edge research techniques through independent biomaterials research projects in a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and open laboratory environment; to provide multifaceted mentoring opportunities and network-building experiences that ultimately increase the likelihood that participants will pursue graduate education in their chosen discipline; and to train students to be effective communicators of their research to their peers and the scientific community. These objectives are accomplished through participation in independent, interactive biomaterials research projects in faculty laboratories, one-on-one mentoring from faculty advisors and graduate student mentors, an innovative career mentoring program, student research presentations, team building activities, and social events. The REU Site aims to engage undergraduate students in meaningful and stimulating research and educational and social experiences as a means of increasing their enthusiasm and preparation for future graduate level study and careers in biomaterials science and engineering. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The research projects available to students in the REU will advance fundamental scientific knowledge in areas that include shape memory polymers, stimulus-responsive polymers, drug delivery, control of bacterial biofilms, cell-biomaterial interactions, tissue engineering, and molecular modeling of interactive biomaterials. These hypothesis-driven, multidisciplinary research projects draw upon the collective expertise of the faculty of the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, and, in many cases, foster collaborative research across faculty laboratories, academic departments, and institutions. Distinguishing characteristics and contributions of the Interactive Biomaterials REU Site include: an educational experience that starts with efficient and effective team building and then centers on research projects appropriate to the undergraduate but sufficiently challenging to allow for students to make meaningful contributions for which they are trained to clearly communicate to diverse technical or lay audiences and readerships; a research environment that provides world class multidisciplinary laboratory facilities and diverse projects and mentors from across three participating institutions who are trained and continually supported by the REU Site leadership throughout the program; a student recruitment and selection process that yields diverse cohorts carefully matched to projects and faculty mentors to maximize the educational experience of the students; and rich and diverse integrated professional development activities designed to support and launch the students' professional goals without distracting from the fundamental research experience.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.