REU Site: Biochemical, Environmental, and MOlecular Research in Engineering (BEMORE)

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The Biochemical, Environmental, and MOlecular Research in Engineering (BEMORE) REU Site at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) will prepare students to address knowledge gaps, develop new technologies, and bring unique perspectives to complex problems at the interface of biochemical and environmental systems. In particular, the BEMORE REU Site award will support 10 undergraduate students per year for 10 weeks of research training and professional development in the summers of 2022-2024. The innovative REU Site structure involves five interdisciplinary teams of two faculty mentors (from different departments), two REU students, and two peer mentors (from different majors). The interdisciplinary projects developed by BEMORE faculty will address grand challenges in antibiotic resistance, sustainable plastic replacements, smart polymers, urban air quality, and bio-based sensors. In addition to promoting the progress of science, these projects advance national health, prosperity, and welfare. To amplify the new voices and perspectives needed to address these grand bio-environmental challenges, the team will recruit cohorts consisting of (at least) 50% female or non-binary students and (at least) 50% students from underrepresented minorities. The professional research training that students receive through the BEMORE REU Site will enable them to pursue advanced interdisciplinary topics in graduate school or the workforce.Grand challenges in sustainable development and public health require improved cooperation between scientists and engineers, but undergraduate students are rarely trained to work with collaborators from other disciplines. To remedy this situation, the BEMORE REU Site will (1) engage students in interdisciplinary projects that address grand challenges at the interface of biochemical and environmental engineering and science, (2) train students in the foundational tools, cutting-edge techniques, and scientific concepts needed to address the aforementioned challenges, (3) educate students to effectively communicate with researchers in their own field, scientists in other disciplines, and the general public, and (4) support students’ professional development through research outcomes, networking activities, and regular feedback from faculty mentors, peer mentors, and other REU students. Students will build interdisciplinary research competencies during the project through multiple levels of student-student and student-faculty interaction. In the three-year BEMORE REU Site, the team aims to facilitate (at least) 60 conference/meeting presentations from the 30 REU students and generate (at least) 10 peer-reviewed publications with REU student co-authors in high-impact journals. Formative and summative assessments will be used to evaluate student outcomes and ensure that students will “be more” prepared to tackle the most daunting challenges of the 21st century.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.