REU Site: Practices and Perspecitves at VCU

这项由国家科学基金会化学部(CHE)颁发的奖项支持弗吉尼亚联邦大学(VCU)本科生研究体验(REU)网站的更新。VCU REU计划包括实践和观点部分。该计划为主要来自研究机会有限的非博士学校的学生提供了宝贵的研究经验(实践)。它还从传授所有科学研究共同技能的培训阶段开始，培养学生对科学职业和职业规划的看法。学生们很快就会转移到研究实验室进行他们分配的研究项目。观点部分的发展继续进行，参观了当地的一家制药设施(辉瑞)，在那里，学生们参加了模拟面试和与各种科学家的小组讨论。每个学生的口头和书面交流技能是通过：(1)写一份计划书；(2)修改他们的个人陈述；(3)在中途展示一份研究海报；(4)进行最后的口头陈述和提交最终的书面研究报告来发展的。该项目的智力价值由学生参与者进行基础研究来定义。在这种背景下，他们获得了对职业决策的看法，获得了使他们在申请工作或研究生院时具有优势的特定技术专长，并获得了化学学位或相关技术学科学位的实际应用。这一REU项目的更广泛影响源于它专注于从大学招收学生，这些大学通常没有本科生研究机会。妇女和少数群体参与者是特别针对的对象。该计划提供研究经验，以提高学生对化学的兴趣，并激励他们保持对科学的兴趣。

This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) at the National Science Foundation supports the renewal of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). The VCU REU program encompasses a practices and a perspectives component. The program provides a valuable research experience (practices) for students predominantly from non-PhD-granting schools whose research opportunities are limited. It also develops student perspectives on scientific careers and career planning beginning with a training period that teaches skills common to all scientific research. Students quickly move to research labs to carry out their assigned research project. Development of the perspectives component continues with a visit to a local pharmaceutical facility (Pfizer), where the students participate in mock interviews and a panel discussion with a variety of scientists. Each student's oral and written communication skills are developed by: (1) writing a proposal; (2) revising their personal statement; (3) presenting a research poster at the halfway point; and (4) giving a final oral presentation and submitting a final written research report. The program's intellectual merit is defined by student participants conducting fundamental research. In this context, they gain perspectives on career decisions, specific technical expertise that gives them an advantage on their applications for jobs or graduate school, and the get see real life applications of a degree in chemistry or a related technical discipline. The broader impact of this REU program stems from its focus on recruiting students from universities where undergraduate research opportunities are not generally available. Women and minority participants are targeted specifically. This program provides research experiences to heighten students' interest in chemistry and to motivate them to remain in science.