REU Site: Collaborative Research: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Underground Infrastructure

这个本科生合作研究经验（REU）站点奖授予了科罗拉多矿业学院、理哈伊大学和加州州立大学洛杉矶分校，重点研究地下基础设施。地下基础设施是指位于地表以下的任何物理基础设施，包括交通、公用设施、建筑基础和任何其他地下建造的结构。虽然美国的地下基础设施年久失修，但创新的设计、施工方法和材料具有更高的耐久性和更长的使用寿命，将直接导致以更低的成本进行更少的维护，增强弹性，提高公众的安全性。通过这个多站点REU合作奖，每年夏天将有12名本科生参加为期10周的REU项目。该REU计划针对来自美国不同背景和不同地区的合格理工科学生。通过让学生参与前沿研究，创造了一个刺激的机会和一个有影响力的项目，以教育和培养未来在地下基础设施领域具有全球竞争力的研究人员。REU的学生将与他们的导师合作，推进基础研究和领域应用，这还将帮助学生找到一组永久性的导师，以帮助他们追求STEM职业。这个REU项目将增加在STEM领域研究生院的学生的多样性。这个REU项目的目标是(a)吸引、参与和教育那些在地下建筑和工程研究方面研究活动有限的机构的本科生；(b)在最先进的实验室和电脑设施提供高质素的研究经验，并配合一系列专业发展活动；(c)激励本科生追求并为取得STEM领域的高级学位做好准备，重点是女性和少数族裔。该项目的主要成果是高质量的研究和研究能力发展（学生培训）。该计划提供动手高质量的研究经验，在国家的最先进的实验室和计算设施，并结合了一系列的专业发展活动。该计划通过参与与现实世界相关的地下基础设施问题的指导研究项目，加强学生的学术证书和研究技能。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 collaborative Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to Colorado School of Mines, Lehigh University, and California State University, Los Angeles focuses on Underground Infrastructure. Underground infrastructure refers to any physical infrastructure that is placed beneath the surface, including transportation, utilities, building foundations, and any other structures built underground. While the nation’s underground infrastructure is in critical state of disrepair, innovative design, construction methods, and materials with improved durability and longer service lives would lead directly to less frequent maintenance carried out at lower cost, enhanced resilience, and improved safety for the public. Through this multisite REU collaborative award, twelve undergraduate students will participate in a ten-week REU program each summer. This REU program targets qualified science and engineering students from diverse backgrounds and various regions of the US. By engaging students in cutting-edge research, a stimulating opportunity and an impactful program to educate and train future globally competitive researchers in the underground infrastructure area are created. The REU students will work collaboratively with their mentors to advance fundamental research and field applications, which in addition will help students find a permanent set of mentors to aid in the pursuit of their STEM careers. This REU program will result in an increase in the diversity of well-positioned students in the pipeline to graduate school in a STEM field.The objectives of this REU program are to (a) attract, engage, and educate undergraduate students from institutions that have limited research activities in underground construction and engineering research; (b) offer hands-on high-quality research experience in state-of-the-art laboratory and computing facilities in combination with a series of professional development activities; and (c) motivate undergraduate students to pursue and prepare themselves to succeed in advanced degrees in STEM, with an emphasis on women and minorities. The primary outcomes from the project are high-quality research and research capacity development (student training). The program offers hands-on high-quality research experience in state-of-the-art laboratory and computing facilities in combination with a series of professional development activities. The program strengthens the academic credentials and research skills of students through participation in mentored research projects that address underground infrastructure problems with real-world relevance.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.