REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Nanoscale Science and Engineering

纳米技术是发展最快的研究领域之一，并被广泛认为有可能彻底改变能源，医学，环境科学和生物技术等广泛领域。它也是一个整合学科的领域，创造了一个高度创造性的环境，打破了传统的学术孤岛。在西北大学，纳米技术被认为是卓越的支柱之一，这在很大程度上要归功于国际纳米技术研究所（IIN）。西北大学纳米科学与工程本科生研究经验（REU）网站由IIN主办，将为不同的本科生群体提供有意义的，以目标为导向的实验室研究经验，为期9周。科学和技术进步的基础是一支受过良好教育和有积极性的科学工作者队伍。对于本科生来说，研究是批判性思维和技能发展的宝贵经验，而暑期研究经验-不被课堂作业和课外义务分割-对于让本科生接触研究实验室的现实日常运作特别有价值，并允许他们深入参与一个具有挑战性的研究项目。在夏季IIN将举办一个独特的计划，在一个智力刺激的环境，提供化学，生物学，医学，物理学和几个工程学科的研究机会，所有这些都通过他们对纳米科学和纳米技术的关注而联系在一起。该REU计划强调从学术年研究机会和/或资源稀缺的机构招募本科生进行科学研究，以增加所有种族，性别和社会经济群体在STEM劳动力中的代表性。每个学生将由一名教师和一个研究生团队在一个框架内指导，该框架将从指导监督转向独立工作，因为能力允许。学生将解决问题，并有助于开发新的工具，材料和方法，同时探索纳米和原子尺度的系统，现象和设备。该队列将通过每周会议/研讨会，实地考察，社交活动和共享校园住房来加强。该计划将包括一个互动的公开演讲研讨会，一对一的技术写作会议，以及访问和培训国家的最先进的仪器。参与者将在闭幕研讨会上以书面技术报告的形式展示他们的发现。该奖项反映了NSF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。

Nanotechnology is one of the fastest-growing research areas and is widely recognized as having the potential to revolutionize fields as wide-ranging as energy, medicine, environmental science, and biotechnology. It is also an area that integrates disciplines, generating a highly creative environment that breaks down traditional academic silos. At Northwestern University, nanotechnology is recognized as one of the pillars of excellence, due in large part to the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN). This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site for Nanoscale Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, hosted by the IIN, will provide diverse cohorts of undergraduates with meaningful, goal-oriented, laboratory research experiences for a 9-week period over the summer. The foundation of scientific and technological progress is an educated and motivated scientific workforce. Research is a valuable experience in critical thinking and skill development for undergraduates, and summer research experiences - that are not fragmented by classwork and extracurricular obligations - are especially valuable for exposing undergraduates to realistic day-to-day operations of a research lab, and for allowing them to engage deeply in a single challenging research project.During the summer IIN will host a unique program in an intellectually stimulating environment that provides research opportunities in Chemistry, Biology, Medicine, Physics, and several Engineering disciplines, all connected through their focus on nanoscience and nanotechnology. This REU program strongly emphasizes the recruitment of undergraduates from institutions where academic-year research opportunities and/or resources to conduct scientific research are scarce, in order to increase the representation of all ethnicities, genders, and socioeconomic groups in the STEM workforce. Each student will be mentored by a faculty member and a graduate student team within a framework that moves from guided supervision to independent work as abilities allow. The students will problem solve and contribute to the development of new tools, materials, and methods while exploring nanoscale and atomic-scale systems, phenomena, and devices. The cohort will be strengthened by weekly meetings/seminars, field trips, social activities, and shared on-campus housing. The program will include an interactive public speaking workshop, one-on-one technical writing sessions, and access and training on state-of-the-art instrumentation. Participants will present their findings at a Closing Symposium and in a written technical report.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.