REU Site: Research Experiences and Mentorship in Urban Systems (REMUS)

美国和世界各地的城市人口正在稳步增长。这种增长对我们的食物、住房、能源和水资源构成了挑战。解决这些问题并制定可持续的解决方案需要一个专注于城市系统的熟练和多样化的跨学科科学家小组。城市系统研究经验和指导（REMUS）本科生研究经验（REU）网站为学生提供了一个参与城市科学研究的独特机会，并为未来的职业和研究生学习获得宝贵的技能。REMUS位于北卡罗来纳州夏洛特市，这是一个蓬勃发展的大都市区，在这里，本科生将与拥有不同背景和培训的北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校的科学家合作。这些团队将探讨与生物多样性、保护、生态系统恢复、环境正义、森林健康、地理信息系统科学技术、气象和小气候、雨水管理和废水监测有关的各种主题。学生还将接受有关进行研究和展示其发现的最佳实践的培训。该计划的使命是培养下一代城市科学家，他们将为解决我们不断变化的星球的挑战做出贡献。REMUS计划是一个创新的REU网站，旨在让学生沉浸在城市系统的研究中。在三年的课程中，每个队列将通过结构化的一对一指导研究项目，包括社会、生态和技术框架，促进我们对城市系统的理解。学生将与来自不同背景的导师合作，在快速发展的大都市区（北卡罗来纳州夏洛特）解决现实世界的研究问题。该计划的核心是优先发展可衡量的学生能力和职业准备的研讨会。这些讲习班将涵盖诸如科学传播、数据管理和分析以及专业网络等基本技能。最终目标是让学生在他们的环境中发现熟悉的，但往往知之甚少的城市系统。通过参加这个项目，学生将获得与职业准备相关的宝贵技能，包括批判性思维，数据分析和有效的写作。在整个项目中，学生将有许多机会通过多个研讨会和会议的互动来提高他们的科学传播能力。学生还将参加两个使用R和GitHub的密集数据研讨会。这些研讨会将使学生掌握有效管理和分析他们收集的数据的技能。为了确保培训的相关性，我们以数据为重点的研讨会将采用来自联邦、州和地方机构的公开数据，使学生能够使用现实世界的数据来解决相关和当代的挑战。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。

The population of urban areas in the United States and around the world is steadily increasing. This growth poses challenges to our food, housing, energy, and water resources. A skilled and diverse group of interdisciplinary scientists that focus on urban systems is needed to address these issues and develop sustainable solutions. The Research Experiences and Mentorship in Urban Systems (REMUS) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site offers a unique opportunity for students to engage in urban science research and gain valuable skills for future careers and graduate studies. REMUS is based in Charlotte, NC, a thriving and growing metropolitan area, where undergraduate students will collaborate with scientists at the University of North Carolina Charlotte who have diverse backgrounds and training. These teams will explore various topics related to biodiversity, conservation, ecosystem restoration, environmental justice, forest health, GIS science and technology, meteorology and microclimates, stormwater management, and wastewater surveillance. Students will also receive training on best practices to conduct research and present their findings. The program’s mission is to prepare the next generation of urban scientists who will contribute to solving the challenges of our changing planet.The REMUS program is an innovative REU site designed to immerse students in the study of urban systems. Over the course of three years, each cohort will contribute to advancing our understanding of urban systems through structured one-on-one mentored research projects that encompass a social, ecological, and technological framework. Students will collaborate with mentors from diverse backgrounds to address real-world research questions within a rapidly growing metropolitan area (Charlotte, NC). Central to the program are workshops that prioritize the development of measurable student competencies and career readiness. These workshops will cover essential skills such as science communication, data management and analysis, and professional networking. The ultimate goal is to engage students in place-based discovery of familiar, yet often poorly understood urban systems within their surroundings. By participating in this program, students will acquire valuable skills relevant to career readiness including critical thinking, data analysis, and effective writing. Throughout the program, students will have numerous opportunities to enhance their science communication abilities through interactions during multiple workshops and conferences. Students will also participate in two intensive data workshops using R and GitHub. These workshops will equip students with the skills to effectively manage and analyze the data they collect. To ensure the relevance of their training, our data-focused workshops will employ publicly available data from federal, state, and local agencies, enabling students to work with real-world data that tackles pertinent and contemporary challenges.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.