REU Site Grant in Membrane Thin Film Science

9820477科罗拉多大学教授威廉B。Krantz该提案寻求资金，以继续在科罗拉多大学化学工程系管理了过去六年的NSF-REU现场计划。 这个NSF-REU计划的重点是膜和薄膜科学，这已被确定为一个NSF研讨会报告，三个NRC报告，并由过去的AICHE主席的关键需求。 因此，参加该REU网站计划的学生从事与NSF工业/大学合作研究中心使用薄膜分离（CSTF）相关的研究，PI是该中心的联合创始人和联合主任。 两位共同主任都是获奖的教育工作者，他们在指导本科生研究项目方面拥有丰富的经验。 该网站计划的主要目标是鼓励有前途的学生，特别是妇女，少数民族和身体弱势的学生，继续研究生院，以追求工程研究的职业生涯。 学生被接受到这个程序和预期的影响可以从我们以前的NSF-REU网站程序的统计数据和结果最好的判断。 在过去的六年中，770名学生申请了我们的NSF-REU网站计划。 REU病房为73名学生（9.5%），其中63人（86%）来自科罗拉多大学（CU）以外的学校。 大学和州政府支持10个CU REU学生配对基金;因此，在过去六年中，所有NSF基金都用于支持CU以外学校的REU学生。 我们的REU参与者包括35名妇女（48%）和14名少数民族（19%）。 我们的参与者在过去三年的平均GPA，Nas 3.79/4.00。我们的REU学生共同撰写了12篇已发表的论文（10篇同行评审）和13篇论文。 由共同主任积极的努力导致96%的响应率（26个可能的25个）在学年结束后采取的后续调查学生参与我们的1996年和1997年REU网站程序。 这项调查表明，这些受访者中有16人继续研究生院（2人仍在完成学士学位）。 在我们1998年为期十周的暑期课程结束时进行的评估表明，它激发了所有14名参与者对研究生学习的兴趣。 我们希望将这个非常成功的项目再持续三年。 我们提出的REU网站计划涉及我们的教师在化学工程的81%（16人中的13人）的参与。 它包括以下改进和新功能：（1）将REU学生人数从11人增加到15人;（2）REU学生海报比赛，鼓励学生在随后的技术会议上介绍他们的REU研究;（3）为REU学生提供交通费，以便在技术会议上介绍他们的研究论文;（4）加强妇女和少数民族的招聘计划，利用适当的网站链接（在本建议中确定）;（5）一个研讨会计划，重点是准备学生做研究;（6）一个有意义的社会和文化活动计划，旨在补充研究活动;（7）有效的计划评估表和非常成功的后续调查，以衡量该计划的有效性。 大学和科罗拉多州（通过我们的CSTF中心）支持这一提议，总匹配承诺为126，640美元，占NSF请求资金的44%;这包括70，222美元的真实货币（现金）捐款。

9820477University of Colorado Professor William B. Krantz This proposal seeks funds to continue the NSF-REU Site Program that has been administered for the past six years in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Colorado. The focus of this NSF-REU program is membrane and thin film science, which has been identified as a critical need in an NSF Workshop report, three NRC reports, and by a past AICHE President. As such, the students participating in this REU Site Program work on research associated with the NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Separations Using Thin Films (CSTF) for which the PI is Co-Founder and Co-Director. Both Co-Directors are award winning educators who have extensive experience in mentoring undergraduate research programs. The principal objective of this Site Program is to encourage promising students, in particular women, minority, and physically disadvantaged students, to go on to graduate school in order to pursue careers in engineering research. The students to be accepted into this program and the intended impact can be best judged from the statistics and outcomes of our prior NSF-REU Site Program. During the past six years, 770 students applied to our NSF-REU Site Program. REU wards were made to 73 students (9.5%), 63 of whom (86%) were from schools other than the University of Colorado (CU). University and State supported the 10 CU REU studentsmatching funds; hence, all NSF funds during the past six years have gone to support REU students from schools other than CU. Our REU participants included 35 women (48%) and 14 minorities (19%). The average GPA of our participants during the past three years ,Nas 3.79/4.00. Our REU students have co-authored 12 published papers (10 peer-review) and 13 presented papers. An aggressive effort by the Co-Directors resulted in a 96% response rate (25 out of 26 possible) to a follow-up survey taken at the end of the academic year following the students' participation in our 1996 and 1997 REU Site Programs. This survey indicated that 16 of these respondees went on to graduate school (2 are still completing BS degrees). The evaluation taken at the end of our 1998 ten-week summer program indicated that it excited interest in graduate studies by all 14 participants. We seek to continue this very successful program for three more years. Our proposed REU Site Program involves participation by 81% (13 out of 16) of our faculty in Chemical Engineering. It includes the following enhancements and novel features: (1) expansion from 11 to 15 REU students; (2) an REU Student Posters Competition to encourage students to present their REU research at subsequent technical meetings; (3) provision to pay travel expenses for REU students to present a paper on their research at a technical meeting; (4) an enhanced recruiting program for women and minorities that utilizes links to appropriate web sites (identified in this proposal); (5) a seminar program that focuses on preparing students to do research; (6) a meaningful program of social and cultural activities that is designed to complement the research activities; and (7) an effective program evaluation form and highly successful follow-up survey to gauge the effectiveness of this program. The University and State of Colorado (through our CSTF Center) are supporting this proposal with a total matching commitment of $126,640 amounting to 44% of the funds being requested from NSF; this includes a real-money (cash) contribution of $70,222.