REU Site: Astrophysics and Condensed Matter Physics at Villanova University

该奖项支持维拉诺瓦大学(VU)一个新的本科生研究体验(REU)网站，该网站由维拉诺瓦大学物理系与天文学和行星科学系合作领导。该网站每年将邀请六名本科生参与基于发现的研究、专业培训和社区建设活动。作为专业培训的一部分，学生们将前往NASA戈达德太空飞行中心，与其他科学家互动，探索天体物理学的各种职业道路。他们将在弗吉尼亚大学主办的区域研讨会上展示他们的研究成果，作为一项最重要的活动。项目完成后，参与者的指导将继续，学生将得到支持，在国家或地区会议上展示他们的工作。这个REU项目专注于天体物理学的研究，有针对性地提供凝聚态物理方面的机会。参与者将通过观察、实验、批判性思维和数据分析获得解决现实世界科学问题的能力-为他们在科学或其他技术领域的职业生涯做好准备。他们将有机会在会议上展示他们的工作(包括支持在下一学年的专业会议上发表)，并通过同行评议的论文与他们的导师分享作者。学生将接受在STEM成功就业所需的各种领域的专业培训和经验，包括：研究道德；计算机编程；根据其特定研究主题所需的硬件和软件操作；最后介绍他们的结果和专业互动。导师将接受宝贵的年度辅导技能培训，并建立和发展与目标招聘机构的互惠网络。当地社区将从“区域物理与天文学研究研讨会”中受益，该研讨会聚集了来自当地的暑期研究学生，分享他们的研究成果，练习他们的沟通技巧，并扩大他们的网络。该网站由数学和物理科学总监内的物理部和材料研究部支持。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award supports a new Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) site at Villanova University (VU), led by a collaboration between the VU Department of Physics and the Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science. The site will engage six undergraduate students per year in discovery-based research, professional training, and community building activities. As a part of the professional training, students will travel to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to interact with other scientists and explore various career paths in astrophysics. They will present their research at a regional symposium hosted at VU as a capstone activity. Participant mentoring will continue after the completion of the program and students will receive support to present their work at a national or regional meeting.This REU program is focused on research in astrophysics with targeted opportunities in condensed matter physics. Participants will gain competence addressing real-world scientific problems through observation, experimentation, critical thinking, and data analysis - preparing them for a career in science or other technical fields. They will have opportunities to present their work at conferences (including support for presentations at professional meetings during the following academic year) and through peer-reviewed papers in which they would share authorship with their mentors. Students will receive professional training and experience in a variety of areas needed for successful careers in STEM, including: research ethics; computer programming; hardware and software operations as required by their specific research topic; and finally the presentation of their results and professional interactions. Mentors will receive valuable annual training in mentoring skills and establish and grow a mutually beneficial network with institutions targeted for recruitment. The local community will benefit from the “Regional Physics & Astronomy Research Symposium” gathering summer research students from the local area to share their research, practice their communication skills, and expand their network. This site is supported by the Division of Physics and the Division of Materials Research within the Mathematics and Physical Sciences Directorate.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.