REU Site: Astrophysics and Condensed Matter Physics at Villanova University

该奖项支持维拉诺瓦大学（VU）新的本科生研究经验（REU）网站，由VU物理系和天文学和行星科学系之间的合作领导。该网站每年将吸引六名本科生参与基于发现的研究、专业培训和社区建设活动。作为专业培训的一部分，学生将前往美国宇航局戈达德太空飞行中心与其他科学家互动，探索天体物理学的各种职业道路。他们将在VU主办的区域研讨会上展示他们的研究，作为一个顶点活动。在项目完成后，参与者将继续接受指导，学生将获得支持，在国家或地区会议上展示他们的作品。这个REU项目的重点是天体物理学的研究，在凝聚态物理方面有针对性的机会。参与者将通过观察、实验、批判性思维和数据分析获得解决现实世界科学问题的能力，为他们在科学或其他技术领域的职业生涯做好准备。他们将有机会在会议上展示他们的工作（包括在下一学年的专业会议上的演讲支持），并通过同行评审的论文，他们将与导师分享作者。学生将在STEM领域获得成功所需的各个领域的专业培训和经验，包括：研究伦理；计算机编程;根据具体研究课题的要求进行硬件和软件操作；最后是展示他们的成果和专业互动。导师将接受宝贵的年度指导技能培训，并与招聘目标机构建立和发展互利网络。当地社区将受益于“区域物理与天文学研究研讨会”，该研讨会聚集了来自当地的暑期研究生，分享他们的研究成果，练习他们的沟通技巧，并扩大他们的网络。该网站由数学和物理科学理事会内的物理系和材料研究部提供支持。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 supports a new Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) site at Villanova University (VU), led by a collaboration between the VU Department of Physics and the Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science. The site will engage six undergraduate students per year in discovery-based research, professional training, and community building activities. As a part of the professional training, students will travel to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to interact with other scientists and explore various career paths in astrophysics. They will present their research at a regional symposium hosted at VU as a capstone activity. Participant mentoring will continue after the completion of the program and students will receive support to present their work at a national or regional meeting.This REU program is focused on research in astrophysics with targeted opportunities in condensed matter physics. Participants will gain competence addressing real-world scientific problems through observation, experimentation, critical thinking, and data analysis - preparing them for a career in science or other technical fields. They will have opportunities to present their work at conferences (including support for presentations at professional meetings during the following academic year) and through peer-reviewed papers in which they would share authorship with their mentors. Students will receive professional training and experience in a variety of areas needed for successful careers in STEM, including: research ethics; computer programming; hardware and software operations as required by their specific research topic; and finally the presentation of their results and professional interactions. Mentors will receive valuable annual training in mentoring skills and establish and grow a mutually beneficial network with institutions targeted for recruitment. The local community will benefit from the “Regional Physics & Astronomy Research Symposium” gathering summer research students from the local area to share their research, practice their communication skills, and expand their network. This site is supported by the Division of Physics and the Division of Materials Research within the Mathematics and Physical Sciences Directorate.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.