IRES Track 1: Innovative Macromolecular & Polymer Research Experience in San Sebastian (IMPRESS)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________这个IRES网站（Track 1）提案将从阿拉巴马大学（UA）每年招收7名本科生，为期三年（共21名学生），参加为期8周的暑期研究体验，重点是在西班牙圣塞巴斯蒂安的Pais Vasco大学（巴斯克地区大学，POLYMAT/UPV）的POLYMAT研究所进行聚合物和大分子研究。随着合成聚合物在20世纪中期的出现和扩散，这些材料已经影响了现代生活的方方面面，并将在未来的几乎所有科学学科中继续发挥至关重要的作用，从电池和燃料电池到组织工程和药物输送。此外，通过改进回收和/或“升级回收”（即增值）过程来管理塑料废物是提高可持续性的关键环境需求。尽管聚合物在日常生活中无处不在，但只有一小部分理工科本科学生直接熟悉聚合物科学（可能除了高级选修课），而且很少有学生接触到化学课程中介绍的一般原理之外的聚合物高级应用。我们将在本科研究人员的职业生涯早期向他们介绍聚合物，并为这些学生提供在电池、防腐、催化和生物应用中使用聚合物的机会。所选择的主办地点（POLYMAT/UPV）是唯一适合主办这个IRES网站的地方，因为它在欧盟境内的聚合物研究活动水平很高，并且在他们的机构中有领先的国际聚合物研究人员。该项目将在西班牙圣塞瓦斯蒂安的POLYMAT/UPV为大分子和高分子材料领域的本科生提供培训和实践国际研究经验。这些学生将受到各自领域的国际研究人员的指导，他们的研究成果将支持POLYMAT/UPV内各种正在进行的项目，他们将被介绍到一个大型国际研究中心所需要的努力和协调。POLYMAT/UPV的技术技能和经验可以作为催化剂，促进这些主题的进一步研究和国家合作，并确保美国在IRES参与者的支持下在聚合物研究方面保持领先地位。该项目将：i)增加未被充分代表的STEM学生参与研究的人数；ii)加强美国和西班牙研究人员之间的国际合作研究网络；iii)通过与国际教师的互动和参与西班牙/巴斯克社会文化活动，提高学生的跨文化成熟度；iv)增加学生对研究生学习的了解，鼓励学生攻读STEM研究生学位。一个学期的聚合物选修课程，然后是UA的集中临时课程，将有助于提供技术背景和准备步骤，帮助学生在到达POLYMAT/UPV后迅速适应并取得成功。除了他们的研究，学生们在西班牙期间还将参加三个专业发展研讨会，并有机会展示和发表他们的研究成果。该项目由国际学生研究经验计划和建立计划共同资助，以刺激竞争研究（EPSCoR）。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 IRES Site (Track 1) proposal will recruit seven undergraduate students pear year for three years (21 students total) from The University of Alabama (UA) to participate in an 8-week summer research experience focused on polymers and macromolecules at the POLYMAT Institute at the Universidad de Pais Vasco (University of the Basque Country, POLYMAT/UPV) in San Sebastian, Spain. With the advent and proliferation of synthetic polymers in the mid-20th Century, these materials have impacted all aspects of modern life and will continue to be critically important in nearly every scientific discipline in the future, ranging from batteries and fuel cells to tissue engineering and drug delivery. Additionally, managing plastic waste through improved recycling and/or “upcycling” (i.e., value-added) processes is a critical environmental need for improving sustainability. Although ubiquitous in daily life, only a fraction of undergraduate science and engineering students become directly acquainted with polymer science (outside of perhaps a senior-level elective course), and it is uncommon for students to be exposed to advanced applications of polymers beyond general principles introduced in chemistry courses. We will introduce undergraduate researchers to polymers early in their careers and provide these students with opportunities to work on the use of polymers in batteries, corrosion prevention, catalysis, and biological applications. The chosen host location (POLYMAT/UPV) is uniquely suited to host this IRES Site based on its high level of polymer research activity within the EU and the concentration of leading international researchers in polymers at their institution.This program will provide training and hands-on international research experiences for undergraduate students in the field of macromolecular and polymer materials at POLYMAT/UPV in San Sebastian, Spain. These students will be mentored by international researchers who are leaders in their fields, their research contributions will support the various ongoing projects within POLYMAT/UPV, and they will be introduced to the efforts and coordination necessary for a large, international research center. The technical skills and experience with POLYMAT/UPV could serve as the catalyst to increase further research and national collaborations on these topics and ensure that the U.S. remains in a leadership position in polymer research bolstered by IRES participants. This program will: i) increase the number of underrepresented STEM students participating in research; ii) strengthen the international collaborative research network between researchers in the US and Spain; iii) increase the students’ intercultural maturity through interactions with international faculty and participation in Spanish/Basque social & cultural activities; and iv) increase student understanding of graduate studies to encourage student pursuit of STEM graduate degrees. A combination of a semester-long elective course in polymers, followed by a concentrated interim course at UA will help provide the technical background and preparatory steps to help students quickly adapt and succeed once they arrive at POLYMAT/UPV. In addition to their research, students will participate in three professional development workshops while in Spain and have opportunities to present and publish their research results. This project is jointly funded by the International Research Experience for Students program 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.