Collaborative Research: Undergraduate Research Experiences in Extragalactic Radio Astronomy

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Undergraduate Research Experiences in Extragalactic Radio Astronomy by the Undergraduate ALFALFA Team (UAT) is a collaborative, multi-faceted program of faculty and undergraduate research at a consortium of 21 diverse U.S. institutions. Through this program, faculty and undergraduates collaborate to pursue frontier astronomy research projects related to the atomic gas content of the universe as detected at radio wavelengths. The primary UAT program components are an annual UAT Workshop and an extended summer research program. In these programs they communicate project science, observing, and data analysis techniques to undergraduate researchers via lectures, observing sessions, and group work. The next three-year phase of the UAT will capitalize on the robust infrastructure and faculty skill set across the 21 institutions to perform radio spectral line observations to trace the atomic gas content of the local universe. Utilizing new collaborations with wide field optical surveys and accumulated radio experience with the ALFALFA (Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA) survey and follow-up, the UAT empowers faculty and students to be contributors to cutting-edge science and the broader astronomical community. The participating UAT faculty have a shared dedication to involving undergraduate students in research. Faculty and students collaborate across a wide range of public and private colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions.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.