REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Chemistry and Biochemistry

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。加州州立大学洛杉矶分校化学和生物化学系的本科生研究经验（REU）项目在2022-2024年夏季为10名学生提供为期10周的支持，这些学生主要来自洛杉矶盆地地区的当地社区学院，主要来自科学领域代表性不足的群体。学生将在化学和生物化学领域进行广泛的有指导的独立研究项目，同时也参加专业发展活动，包括道德和负责任的研究主题研讨会，以及克服刻板印象威胁和冒名顶替综合症。研究和专业发展活动共同为学生准备和激励他们进入四年制学位课程，并为STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）领域的未来职业做好准备。学生参与者将在广泛的化学和生物化学主题上进行个性化的研究项目，包括探索碳氢化合物混合物中冰点的分子效应；研究抗冻蛋白的作用机制；检测纳米颗粒的结构和形态效应；并利用计算机模拟来理解弱结合分子的振动特性。除了研究之外，学生们还将参加每周一系列的专业发展研讨会和社会活动，旨在为他们未来在化学和生物化学领域的职业生涯做好准备。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 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry supports 10 students, mainly from local community colleges in the Los Angeles basin area and primarily from groups underrepresented in the sciences, for 10 weeks during the summers of 2022-2024. The students will engage in a wide-range of guided independent research projects in the fields of chemistry and biochemistry, while also participating in professional development activities, including workshops on ethics and responsible research topics, and overcoming stereotype threat and imposter syndrome. Together, the research and professional development activities prepare and motivate students to matriculate into four-year degree programs and for future careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. The student participants will conduct individualized research projects across a wide-range of chemistry and biochemistry topics, including exploring the molecular effects on the freezing point in hydrocarbon mixtures; studying the mechanisms of antifreeze proteins; examining structural and morphological effects of nanoparticles; and employing computer simulations to understand the vibrational properties of weakly bound molecules. Along with the research, the students will participate in a weekly series of professional development workshops and social activities aimed at preparing them for future careers in chemistry and biochemistry.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.