REU Site: Sensing and Assembly Based on Non-Covalent Interactions

位于密西西比州哈蒂斯堡的南密西西比大学的本科生研究体验(REU)站点奖，支持在2024-2026年夏季对10名学生进行为期10周的培训。在这个项目中，由化学系和既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)资助，本科生参与者从事化学和生物化学方面的研究项目，重点是非共价相互作用。参与者还参加职业发展和道德培训计划，重点是口头交流、科学写作和为研究生院或工业职业生涯做准备。通过独立的研究项目、研讨会和小组讨论，参与者为攻读STEM(科学、技术、工程和数学)高级学位做好准备。学生进行个人项目，涵盖化学和生物化学的所有领域，共同的主题是利用非共价相互作用。这些项目包括大分子和蛋白质的组装、超灵敏和定量检测、生物活性分子的不对称合成及其在生物化学中的应用。为了增加STEM渠道的多样性，该网站从密西西比州及附近地区的HBCU机构和社区学院招募代表不足的学生。该计划为无法进入正规科研实验室的有才华的本科生提供密集的研究和专业培训，培养他们对未来从事STEM职业生涯的热情。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to The University of Southern Mississippi, located in Hattiesburg, MS, supports the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2024-2026. In this program, funded by the Division of Chemistry and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), undergraduate participants pursue research projects in chemistry and biochemistry, with a focus on non-covalent interactions. Participants also take part in a professional development and ethics training program, with a focus on oral communication, scientific writing, and preparation for graduate school or industrial careers. Through independent research projects, workshops, and panel discussions, the participants are prepared for advanced degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The students undertake individual projects encompassing all fields of chemistry and biochemistry with a common theme of utilizing non-covalent interactions. These projects include assembly of macromolecules and proteins, ultra-sensitive and quantitative detection, and asymmetric synthesis of bioactive molecules and their applications in biochemistry. To increase diversity in the STEM pipeline, this site recruits underrepresented students from HBCU institutions and community colleges in Mississippi and nearby regions. This program provides intensive research and professional training to talented undergraduate students who do not have access to formal scientific research laboratories, fostering their enthusiasm towards pursuing a STEM career in the future.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.