REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Physics

密歇根州立大学（MSU）的本科生物理和天文学研究经历（REU）项目为学生提供了在世界一流设施中进行高级研究的机会，同时由本学科公认的专家教师直接监督。此外，同侪辅导和专业发展是该计划的关键组成部分。该计划包括每年夏天12名REU参与者在2021-2024年期间进行为期10周的研究体验。主要目标是将前沿物理研究的兴奋带给本科生，并通过帮助他们发展专业技能，培养他们成为杰出的科学家。特别针对的是代表性不足的物理专业学生，以及来自规模较小、没有广泛研究项目的大学的学生。这个REU计划为本科生提供了在物理领域进行前沿研究的机会-核，凝聚态，高能，天体物理学，生物物理学或物理教育。该计划的每个学生将在教师导师的指导下进行一个明确的研究项目。学生从教师建议的清单中选择他们的项目。各种各样的项目，实验和理论，都是可用的。在核物理学方面，密歇根州立大学是国家超导回旋加速器实验室和稀有同位素光束设施的所在地，主要中心位于物理和天文学系的几步之内。REU的学生还可以使用最先进的研究设施，如凯克微加工设施、密歇根州立大学高性能计算中心、SOAR望远镜远程观测中心，以及众多凝聚态物理、生物物理学和物理教育方面的单个研究者实验室。许多教师参与国际合作，并可以访问来自中微子和宇宙射线天文台以及高能粒子加速器等设施的数据。该系的理论教师经常与当地的实验小组合作，为REU的学生提供了极好的研究机会。除了教师导师之外，REU项目还提供同伴指导，几个专业准备研讨会，包括研究生院的准备，以及机器学习的可选短期课程。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。

The Physics and Astronomy Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at Michigan State University (MSU) offers students the opportunity to conduct advanced research in world-class facilities while being directly supervised by faculty who are recognized experts in their discipline. In addition, peer-mentoring and professional development are key components of the program. This program consists of a 10-week research experience for the period of 2021-2024 for 12 REU participants each summer. The main goal is to bring the excitement of forefront physics research to undergraduate students, and to foster their development into outstanding scientists by helping them develop professional skills. Especially targeted are underrepresented students in physics and students from smaller colleges that do not have extensive research programs.This REU program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to do forefront research in a field of physics – nuclear, condensed matter, high-energy, astrophysics, biophysics, or physics education. Each student in the program will work on a well-defined research project under the direction of a faculty mentor. Students choose their projects from a list suggested by the faculty. A wide variety of projects, both experimental and theoretical, are available. In nuclear physics, MSU is the site of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, major centers located within a few steps of the Physics and Astronomy Department. REU students also have access to state-of-the-art research facilities such as the Keck Microfabrication Facility, the MSU High Performance Computing Center, the SOAR Telescope Remote Observing center, and numerous single-investigator laboratories in condensed matter physics, biophysics, and physics education. Many faculty participate in international collaborations and have access to data from facilities such as neutrino and cosmic ray observatories and high-energy particle accelerators. The department’s theoretical faculty often collaborate with the local experimental groups and have provided excellent research opportunities for REU students. In addition to the faculty mentors, the REU program provides peer-mentoring, several professional-preparation workshops, including preparation for graduate school, and an optional short course on machine learning.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.