REU Site: Advanced Manufacturing for a Sustainable Energy Future

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The Advanced Manufacturing for a Sustainable Energy Future Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU Site) offers a 10-week summer research program for 10 undergraduate students each year for three years at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) in Idaho Falls, ID. Through hands-on research experiences and networking opportunities students will develop their STEM identity and literacy, helping them succeed in the classroom and in their career. The REU experience will provide a pathway to educating members of the next generation of engineers in STEM fields, while also providing them professional development opportunities for careers in the energy sector. Through CAES, the students will be provided the opportunity to engage in a diverse, active, and collaborative research center focused at the intersection of advanced manufacturing and energy research. Being that CAES is a consortium of three Idaho universities and the Idaho National Laboratory, the students will network with and learn from world renowned energy researchers, gain the opportunity to share their work with an active research community, and co-author publications and presentations based on their research findings.Advanced Manufacturing for a Sustainable Energy Future is the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) in Idaho Falls, Idaho. This REU site is structured to enable innovative outcomes in the development of the future advanced manufacturing and sustainable energy workforce. Specifically, the REU Site objectives are to: (1) Expand knowledge and learning for REU participants at the intersection of advanced manufacturing and sustainable energy in support of STEM workforce development; (2) Create authentic and engaging research opportunities that enhance REU participants’ STEM identity and literacy; (3) Establish a strong and diverse applicant pool of students who can successfully transition into the graduate programs of CAES universities; (4) Improve the technical skills of REU participants while also expanding their professional network in support of future career objectives; and (5) Increase the awareness of effective mentoring practices amongst faculty and government laboratory scientists to help ensure a positive and lasting impact on REU participants. Integrated research experiences, professional development, and social activities will result in an authentic cohort experience and provide new technical skills to participants. A comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation program is used to gauge the impact of faculty mentoring and program activities on participants’ STEM identity. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.