Integrated STEM Research Opportunities for Undergraduates Through Radio Astronomy

麻省理工学院干草堆天文台成功开发了一项教育计划，将射电天文学的多学科力量应用于本科生项目和基于发现的环境中的研究。该计划的目标是通过天文观测使科学，技术，工程和数学教育的综合方法成为可能，以帮助吸引和准备研究生科学教育和技术职业的本科生。该项目包括小型射电望远镜（SRT）套件的开发和商业化，为学生个人研究提供直径37米的射电望远镜，培训教师，以及传播教育材料。智力优势：该项目为学生提供远程或现场观察大型射电望远镜的时间和技术支持。此外，它还支持和扩展SRT的使用。更广泛的影响：每年约有35所院校的500多名本科生使用37米望远镜。这种用法适用于在本国院校使用SRT的学生。SRT已分发给全国100多个机构，并已被广泛的国际社会采用，这些社会也认识到它对学生培训的价值。在这个项目中，对CASSI公司（SRT的当前商业来源）和用户社区的技术支持将持续到2007年3月。在此之后，有关SRT组装和其他文档、控制软件和项目材料的信息可以在Haystack网站上获得。此外，在2006年秋季，在可用的望远镜时间内，学生项目将继续使用Haystack 37米望远镜。

MIT Haystack Observatory has successfully developed an educational program that applies the multidisciplinary power of radio astronomy to undergraduate student projects and research in a discovery-based environment. The goal of the program is to enable an integrated approach to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education through astronomical observations in order to help attract and prepare undergraduate students for graduate science education and technical careers. The program has included the development and commercialization of a small radio telescope (SRT) kit, the provision of access to a 37m-diameter radio telescope for individual student research, the training of faculty, and the dissemination of educational materials. Intellectual Merit: The project is making available to students, either remotely or on site, observing time and technical support on a large radio telescope. In addition, it is supporting and extending the use of the SRT.Broader Impact: The undergraduate program has reached over 500 students at about 35 institutions annually who use the 37-m telescope. This usage is in addition to students who use the SRT at their home institutions. The SRT has been distributed to over 100 institutions nationally and has been adopted by a broad international community that has also recognized its value for student training.In this project, technical support to CASSI Corp, the current commercial source for the SRT, and to the user community is being maintained through March 2007. After that time, information about the SRT assembly and other documentation, control software and project materials are available on the Haystack Web site. In addition, access to the Haystack 37-m telescope for student projects is being continued for the Fall 2006 within the available telescope time.