REU Site: Sensor Science and Engineering

这个为期三年的续签REU项目每年将为10名本科生提供缅因大学传感器科学与工程方面的深入研究经验。学生将进行研究，以提高他们在工程、化学、物理和/或生物学方面的知识。入选学生的分配将使30名参与者中至少有15名（50%）来自本科生研究机会有限的机构，至少有12名学生将来自女性、少数民族和残疾学生的学生申请池。至少30名本科生（通过研究经费资助）将参加现场活动，总共至少60名现场参与者。所有参与者每年夏天都将在现场工作10周，与缅因大学的15名顶尖研究人员一起工作，并受益于专业的传感器科学和工程研究设施，如表面科学与技术实验室和缅因下一代无线通信中心。REU参与者将与教师研究导师、研究生、博士后、技术人员、访问科学家以及初高中教师进行互动。这样的互动将帮助学生培养较强的沟通技巧，并在越来越多的专业环境中需要跨学科的工作。除了他们的研究经验，REU的参与者还将完成INT 398本科生研究参与和ECE 465传感器介绍，在类似于国家或国际会议的背景下进行演讲，并分享他们在初中或高中的研究成果。传感器的设计和使用为展示科学/工程内容和方法的跨学科性质提供了理想的环境。通过提高对数学、化学、生物、物理和工程的理解来解决问题的能力是拟议REU站点的核心。除了作为研究团队的一员获得实践经验外，REU的参与者还将熟悉跨学科知识的整合，以创造性地解决问题和有效地沟通。在他们的研究经历结束时，REU参与者将以会议形式展示他们的研究，并提交书面报告或合著论文，以便在同行评审的期刊和/或专题讨论会上发表。REU的学生还将参加两个补充课程，INT 398本科生研究参与和ECE 465传感器介绍。每个学生每门课程将获得三个学分（暑期共六个学分）。这两门课程都已经开发并成功实施，这是NSF先前资助的结果。更广泛的影响本科生参与者将利用新知识来解决影响社会的现实研究问题。这个REU网站将专门招收妇女和少数民族，并为非博士学位授予机构的学生提供研究经验。15名高级人员中有两名是女性，她们有着非常出色的研究记录，特别有资格指导女学生。缅因大学90%以上的本科生来自缅因州；许多人是家里第一个上大学的人，他们来自地理上偏远的地区，那里的研究经历机会有限。这个REU网站将通过将来自不同学科的教师和学生聚集在传感器科学和工程的知识保护伞下，加强研究和教育的基础设施。拟议的活动还将确保多用户设施成为大量科学和工程学生的研究和指导场所。研究成果将通过校园演讲和更广泛地通过专业期刊和专题讨论会传播，以增进对科学和技术的了解。根据他们在校园研究经历中与前RET和GK-12参与者的互动，REU参与者将与初高中学生和教师分享他们的研究经验。最后，社会将受益于本科生，因为他们的研究经验，选择继续在研究生院在技术和科学上具有挑战性的职业，如国土安全，食品安全，交通，通信和医学等领域取得进步。

Intellectual MeritThis three year renewal REU site program will provide 10 undergraduate students per year with in-depth research experiences in sensor science and engineering at the University of Maine. Students will conduct research advancing their knowledge of engineering, chemistry, physics, and/or biology. The students selected will be distributed so that at least 15 of 30 participants (50%) will come from institutions with limited research opportunities for undergraduates and at least 12 students will come from the student applicant pool of women, minorities and students with disabilities. At least 30 additional undergraduates (funded through research grants) will participate in site activities, for a total of at least 60 site participants. All participants will be on site for ten weeks each summer, working with 15 of University of Maine's top researchers, and benefiting from specialized sensor science and engineering research facilities such as the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology and Maine Center for Next Generation Wireless Communications. REU participants will interact with faculty research mentors, graduate students, post-docs, technicians, visiting scientists, and middle and high school teachers. Such interaction will help the students develop strong communication skills and work across disciplines as required in a growing number of professional environments. In addition to their research experience, REU participants will complete INT 398 Undergraduate Research Participation and ECE 465 Introduction to Sensors, make a presentation within a context similar to a national or international conference, and share results from their research at a middle or high school.Sensor design and use provides an ideal context for demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of scientific/engineering content and methodology. The ability to solve problems using an improved understanding of mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering is central to the proposed REU site. In addition to gaining hands-on experience as part of a research team, the REU participants in the proposed site will become familiar with the integration of knowledge for creative problem solving and effective communication across disciplines.At the end of their research experience, REU participants will present their research in conference format and submit a written report or co-author paper(s) for publication in peer-reviewed journals and/or symposia. REU students will also participate in two complementary courses, INT 398 Undergraduate Research Participation and ECE 465 Introduction to Sensors. Each student will receive three credits for each course (total of six credits for the summer). Both courses have already been developed and successfully implemented as a result of prior NSF funding.Broader ImpactsThe undergraduate participants will utilize new knowledge to solve real-life research problems that impact society. This REU site will specifically recruit women and minorities and provide research experiences for students at non-PhD granting institutions. Two of the 15 senior personnel are women with very strong research track records who are especially well qualified to mentor female students. More than 90% of U of Maine undergraduates are from Maine; many are the first from their family to attend college and come from geographically isolated areas where opportunities for research experiences are limited. This REU site will enhance the infrastructure for research and education by bringing together faculty and students from diverse disciplines under the intellectual umbrella of sensor science and engineering. The proposed activities will also ensure that multi-user facilities are sites of research and mentoring for significant numbers of science and engineering students. Research results will be disseminated through campus presentations and more broadly through professional journals and symposia enhancing scientific and technological understanding. Based on their interaction with former RET and GK-12 participants during their on-campus research experiences, REU participants will share their research experiences with middle and high school students and teachers. Finally, society will benefit as undergraduates, as a result of their research experiences, choose to continue in graduate school to excel in technologically and scientifically challenging careers that advance such areas as homeland security, food safety, transportation, communications, and medicine.