REU and RET Site in Physics at UTRGV

该奖项支持在得克萨斯州格兰德河谷大学的物理本科生（REU）和教师（RET）的研究经验网站的更新。 该网站每年将支持12名本科生和2名教师从事引力波探测、激光和光学、射电和光学天文学、蓝色能源或材料科学的研究项目。 这些项目可以是理论的，计算的，实验的，观测的和/或面向应用物理。 随着学生研究经验的增长，他们将更接近独立，自力更生的科学家。 该网站将纳入两名高中教师从格兰德河山谷地区谁将开发较小的子项目进行与他们的学生在学年。在这个REU和RET网站的研究项目将集中在现象学，实验和应用物理学的前沿领域的研究在国家的最先进的设施。 在引力波探测中，学生将获得该领域的统一观点，并学习从这一新的天文窗口获得的天体物理信息的潜在财富的科学价值-沿着开发打开它所需的技术专长的挑战。在激光和光学科学中，他们将学习新的通信技术的挑战和前景。无线电和光学天文学主题将使参与者接触到最先进的技术，以观察和收听宇宙的最远距离以及与天体物理学的纠缠。 该计划将有一个密切的指导和指导系统，从教师到位，在整个过程中，通过研讨会，午餐会，座谈会和演示文稿，促进学生和教师的互动和积极参与。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得的支持，通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

This award supports the renewal of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) site in physics at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The site will support twelve undergraduates and two teachers per year in research projects in gravitational wave detection, lasers and optics, radio and optical astronomy, blue energy, or materials science. The projects can be theoretical, computational, experimental, observational and/or oriented towards applied physics. As the students' research experience grows they will come closer to being independent, self-reliant scientists. The site will incorporate two high school teachers from the Rio Grande Valley area who will develop smaller subprojects to be carried on with their students during the school year. The research projects in this REU and RET site will focus on research in frontier areas of phenomenological, experimental and applied physics at state-of-the-art facilities. In gravitational wave detection students will be given a unified view of the field, and learn the scientific value of the potential wealth of astrophysical information to be obtained from this new astronomical window - along with the challenge of developing the technological expertise necessary to open it. In laser and optics science they will learn of challenges and promises for new communication technologies. The Radio and Optical Astronomy topics will expose participants to state-of-the-art techniques to see and listen to the farthest reaches of the universe and the entanglement with astrophysics. The program will have a close mentoring and guidance system from the faculty in place during the entire duration, fostering interaction and active participation by students and teachers through seminars, lunch meetings, colloquia and presentations.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.