REU-Site: Regional Initiative to Promote Undergraduate Participation in Experimental and Computational Materials Research

非技术描述：阿拉巴马大学伯明翰分校（UAB）将举办本科生研究经验(REU)-实验和计算材料研究网站。该项目计划从代表性不足的群体和研究机会有限的学术机构中招收学生。本项目为具有不同物理、化学、应用数学和工程背景的本科生提供了广泛的跨学科材料研究经验。本科生将在UAB校园进行为期十周的研究，获得材料合成、材料表征、计算机建模和模拟方面的经验。这些科研项目是专门为本科生开发的，由UAB的理工科教师组成的跨学科团队。该项目将继续为所有参与者提供关于材料生长和表征、研究伦理和专业、创新和创业以及研究生院准备的系列讲座和研讨会。我们的REU参与者将在同行评议的期刊上发表他们的研究成果和/或在专业会议上发言，从而广泛传播本科研究项目中创造的新知识。技术描述：reu研究项目分为四个研究集群：(1)极端条件下的材料；(2)能源应用材料；(3)传感器和激光应用材料；(4)植入物、组织工程和药物输送应用的生物材料。本科研究项目有助于对极端条件下材料的相变和降解，新型燃料电池材料，纳米级传感器和中红外激光器材料，3d打印生物材料和刺激响应聚合物的基本理解。一些研究项目还将涉及在材料研究中使用国家x射线同步加速器设施和中子衍射设施。本科生项目具有短期可实现的里程碑，同时有助于长期的科学目标和技术应用。我们的REU参与者与教师和研究生的团队安排，提供海报和口头报告，撰写研究风格的论文，并参加科学传播和伦理方面的培训研讨会，将帮助REU学生看到发展成为具有分析，解释和呈现科学数据所需的关键技能的“研究科学家”所需的“大图景”。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will host a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)-site in experimental and computational materials research. This REU-site project plans to recruit students from underrepresented groups and academic institutions where research opportunities are limited. This project offers a broad range of interdisciplinary materials research experiences to undergraduate students with a diversity of backgrounds in physics, chemistry, applied mathematics, and engineering. The undergraduate students will gain experience in materials synthesis, materials characterization and computer modeling and simulations during their ten-week research stay at UAB campus. The scientific research projects have been specifically developed for undergraduate students by an interdisciplinary team consisting of science and engineering faculty at UAB. This project will continue to provide lecture series and workshops in materials growth and characterization, research ethics and professionalism, innovation and entrepreneurship and preparation for graduate school to all participants. Our REU participants will publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals and/or present at professional meetings leading to a broad dissemination of new knowledge created in the undergraduate research projects. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: REU-research projects are organized in four research clusters: (1) materials under extreme conditions (2) materials for energy applications, (3) materials for sensors and laser applications, and (4) biomaterials for implants, tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. The undergraduate research projects contribute to fundamental understanding of phase transformations and degradation of materials under extreme conditions, novel materials for fuel cells, materials for nanoscale sensors and mid-IR lasers, and 3-D printed biomaterials and stimuli responsive polymers. Some research projects will also involve the use of national x-ray synchrotron facilities and neutron diffraction facilities in materials research. The undergraduate student projects have short-term achievable milestones, while simultaneously contributing to longer-term scientific goals and technological applications. Our teaming arrangement of REU-participants with faculty and graduate students, giving poster and oral presentations, writing a research-style paper, and attending training seminars in scientific communications and ethics will help REU students see the "big picture" of what it takes to develop into a "research scientist" with the critical skills needed for analyzing, interpreting and presenting scientific data.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.