REU Site: Undergraduate Research Experiences in Estuarine Processes

该奖项为马里兰大学本科生研究经验（REU）项目提供了新的资金。该项目将在五年的时间里，每年夏天为15名学生提供为期12周的积极学习体验，整个项目期间共有75名学生。学生们将被安置在马里兰大学的两个海洋实验室之一，切萨皮克湾实验室或角点实验室，并将与一位科学家导师密切合作，设计、实施和完成一个夏季研究项目。在5.5天的培训之后，REU学生将与他们的科学家导师一起撰写nsf风格的提案，进行仲夏演示，进行实地和实验室研究，分析数据，撰写最终研究论文并在最终研讨会上发表演讲。该计划介绍REU学生应用科学的方法；学习现场和实验室方法；发展对河口过程的理解；对研究问题有深入的了解；学习解释、组织和以书面和口头形式呈现研究项目的结果。学生可以与他们的导师单独工作，也可以作为大型跨学科研究项目的一部分。最近学生的研究课题包括营养生物地球化学，河口建模，沉积学，微量元素化学，土地利用影响，渔业生物能量学建模，捕食者/猎物研究，微生物生态学，遗传学，环境污染和生物毒性。此外，学生活动还包括学习科学传播、研究伦理、研究生院申请流程、网络和海洋科学领域的其他职业。

This award provides renewed funding for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Maryland. The program will provide 15 students with a 12-week active learning experience each summer for five years, for a total of 75 students over the duration of the program. The students will be housed at one of the two Univ. of Maryland marine laboratories, Chesapeake Bay Laboratory or Horn Point Laboratory, and will work closely with a scientist-mentor to design, conduct and complete a summer research project. Following a 5.5-day orientation, REU students work with their scientist-mentor to write an NSF-style proposal, give a mid-summer presentation, conduct field and laboratory studies, analyze data, write a final research paper and present a talk at a final symposium. The program introduces REU students to applying the scientific method; learning field and lab methods; developing an understanding of estuarine processes; achieving an in-depth understanding of a research problem; and learning to interpret, organize and present in written and oral form the results of a research project. Students may work individually with their mentors or as part of a large, interdisciplinary research program. Recent student research topics include nutrient biogeochemistry, estuarine modeling, sedimentology, trace element chemistry, land use impacts, fisheries bioenergetics modeling, predator/prey studies, microbial ecology, genetics, environmental contamination and organism toxicity. In addition, student activities include learning about science communication, research ethics, the graduate school application process, networking and alternative careers in marine science.