REU Site: Neutrino Physics at Virginia Tech

本奖项全部（或部分）由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。该奖项支持弗吉尼亚理工学院和州立大学（弗吉尼亚理工大学）的一个新的本科生研究经验（REU）网站。该网站每年将为9名本科生提供为期10周的暑期研究，研究各种中微子物理项目。中微子物理中心的教师将直接指导学生，特别强调学生的专业发展。该计划将有助于提高学生在中微子物理各个方面的知识，技能和沟通能力，从而有助于培养快节奏和快速发展的技术世界所必需的科学技术毕业生。将有各种各样的项目在广泛的研究领域提供，直接关注中微子物理学，包括电子/中微子散射实验，寻找无菌中微子，现象学研究，DUNE的长基线优化以及核反应堆和超新星中微子实验和理论的中微子谱研究。REU学生将有机会在教师团队的指导下进行独立和富有成效的活动。除了体验一线研究的兴奋之外，学生们还将培养一个成功科学家的基本技能，比如批判性的自我评价和自我评估。该计划将为他们提供研究生院及以后研究的现实方面，如实验的设计和运行，数据的获取和分析，计算机代码的开发和测试，适当的数学/分析技术的学习，理论思想的制定，以及为出版物和演讲准备结果。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 award is funded in whole (or in part) under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). The award supports a new Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site in physics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech). The site will support nine undergraduate students per year for ten weeks of summer research in various projects in neutrino physics. The Center for Neutrino Physics faculty will mentor the students directly, with special emphasis on the students professional development. The program will contribute to enhancing the students' knowledge, skills, and communication capabilities in the various aspects of neutrino physics, thereby contributing to the training of skilled graduates in science essential for a fast-paced and rapidly growing technological world.There will be various projects available in a broad spectrum of research areas with a direct focus on neutrino physics, including electron/neutrino scattering experiments, the search for sterile neutrinos, phenomenology studies, long baseline optimization for DUNE and the study of the neutrino spectrum from nuclear reactors and supernovae neutrino experiments and theory. REU students will have the opportunity to pursue independent and productive activities, guided by an established team of faculty members. In addition to experiencing the excitement of front-line research, the students will develop the essential skills of a successful scientist, such as critical self evaluation and self-assessment. The program will provide them with the realistic aspects of research at graduate schools and beyond, such as the design and running of experiments, the acquisition and analysis of data, the development and testing of computer codes, the learning of appropriate mathematical/analytic techniques, the formulation of theoretical ideas, as well as the preparation of results for publications and presentations.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.