REU Site: American Student Placements in Rehabilitation Engineering

匹兹堡大学本科生研究经验（REU）站点的更新，名为“美国康复工程学生实习（ASPIRE）”，为来自研究机会有限的机构的学生，女性，代表性不足的少数民族，退伍军人和残疾学生提供康复工程研究经验。研究的重点是确定和解决在与行动、通信、感觉（如听觉、触觉、视觉）、认知以及与娱乐、日常生活、健康、就业、独立生活和教育相关的领域实现和维持尽可能高水平的功能和参与的关键问题。这个REU网站更广泛的影响是赋予本科生信心，经验和技能，以在研究生学习中脱颖而出，并在未来的职业生涯中成为工程师或科学家。本网站为学生提供机会，让他们从事对改善社会有直接应用的项目。在他们的学术生涯早期就有这样的经历，不仅提高了他们对作为一名工程师的社会义务的认识，而且还提供了一种“课堂之外的体验”，为工程课程带来了目的和意义。ASPIRE REU网站更新的目标是：1)招收具有高度积极性的本科学生，主修工程、计算机科学或相关领域，如康复科学，他们就读的大学和学院很少有机会在可再生能源领域进行结构化的本科研究。2)让可再生能源领域的本科生了解残疾人面临的关键问题，并应用工程原理来提高他们的功能水平、生活质量和社会参与。3)开展有针对性的招聘工作，以增加申请资格不足的学生人数；特别是退伍军人、残疾学生和妇女。4)增加为RE研究生学习和职业生涯做好准备的本科生数量，并帮助他们实现职业目标。在为期10周的体验中，学生将通过1)接触残疾人面临的现实生活问题，2)直接与用于改善这些问题的辅助设备和系统互动，以及通过广泛的科学文献和产品评论，了解研究过程。3)吸收这些经验和信息，以制定研究问题和/或设计标准，以满足当前和不断发展的残疾人需求；4)与高素质的研究导师一起进行团队项目，这将导致康复工程领域的新治疗或技术创新。康复科学与技术部门（RST）是这个REU网站的领导机构。参与ASPIRE的其他组织包括匹兹堡大学辅助技术中心（CAT）、VA匹兹堡医疗保健系统-人类工程研究实验室（HERL）和物理医学与康复系（PM&amp；R）。

This renewal of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the University of Pittsburgh entitled, "American Student Placements in Rehabilitation Engineering (ASPIRE) offers research experiences in rehabilitation engineering to students from institutions with limited research opportunities, women, underrepresented minorities, veterans and students with disabilities. The research is focused on identifying and addressing problems critical to achieving and maintaining the highest possible level of function and participation in areas related to mobility, communications, sensory (e.g., hearing, tactile, vision), cognition and in areas associated with recreation, daily living, health, employment, independent living, and education. The broader impact of this REU Site is about empowering undergraduate students with the confidence, experience and skills necessary to excel in graduate studies and in their future careers as engineers or scientists. This Site provides opportunities for students to work on projects that have direct application to the betterment of society. Having this experience early in their academic careers not only raises awareness to the social obligations of being an engineering, but also provides a "beyond the classroom experience" that brings purpose and meaning to an engineering curriculum.The objectives of the ASPIRE REU Site renewal are to: 1) Enroll highly-motivated undergraduate students majoring in diversified areas of engineering, computer science or related fields such as rehabilitation science who attend universities and colleges that have few opportunities for structured undergraduate research in RE. 2) Engage undergraduate students in RE to understand critical issues faced by persons with disabilities and apply engineering principles to improve their level of functionality, quality of life and society participation. 3) Employ targeted recruitment efforts in order to increase the numbers of qualified underrepresented students who apply; in particular veterans, students with disabilities and women. 4) Increase the number of undergraduate students who are well-prepared for graduate studies and professional careers in RE, and assist them in pursuing their career goals. During the 10 week experience, students will gain understanding of the research process by 1) exposure to the real life problems that persons with disabilities face, 2) interacting directly with the assistive devices and systems used to ameliorate these problems and by conducting extensive scientific literature and product reviews, 3) assimilating these experiences and information to formulate research questions and/or design criteria to meet the current and evolving needs of persons with disabilities, and 4) working with highly qualified research mentors on a team project that will lead to new therapeutic or technological innovations in rehabilitation engineering.The Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology (RST) is the lead organization in this REU Site. The other organizations involved with ASPIRE are the University of Pittsburgh Center for Assistive Technology (CAT), VA Pittsburgh HealthCare System-Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R)