REU Site: Collaborative International Automotive and Autonomous Systems Engineering in Germany and the USA

该项目是弗吉尼亚理工大学(VT)和达姆施塔特理工学院(TUD)一个成功的本科生国际研究经验(REU)网站的延续。这个REU项目的统一主题是汽车和自动驾驶系统工程。这一主题为学习研究提供了一个有吸引力的极好的领域，因为它对日常生活很重要，而且它经常涉及许多领域的广泛集成，包括机械工程、机电一体化、计算机科学和协作工程。该项目将利用VT和TUD之间强大的、持续的合作伙伴关系，包括联合研究、团队教学课程、BSME高年级海外项目和双MSME学位项目，为REU学生提供第一手经验，展示工程专业的全球化和协作工程的重要性。该计划还将为美国行业和政府机构提供具有国际竞争力、参与全球事务、熟悉和经验丰富的海外运营的未来雇员；并为开发预测模型提供数据，使单个学生与最有效的全球暴露模式最佳匹配，从而造福于未来的国际REU计划。在这个为期10周的暑期计划中，来自研究和国际机会有限或没有研究和国际机会的机构的不同和有才华的本科生队列将有机会在VT或TUD实践全球工程研究。该计划还将加强和拓宽跨大西洋教师和学生合作的接口，因为指导研究团队与参与跨大西洋联合研究项目的REU学生合作。除了他们的研究之外，为了促进跨大西洋的队列体验，学生们还参加了每周一次的研讨会系列，重点是最佳研究实践、伦理、文化差异和全球化。在暑期结束时，学生们将在两个REU地点之间通过现场双向视频在一个会议上展示他们的工作。重点将是鼓励REU学生和他们的母校顾问回国后，增加(1)他们研究活动产生的出版物的合著性，(2)他们对研究生学习的追求。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This program is a continuation of a successful international Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at Virginia Tech (VT) and Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (TUD) Germany. The unifying theme for this REU program is automotive and autonomous systems engineering. This topic provides an attractive and excellent area for learning about research because of its importance to everyday life and it often involves the broad integration of many fields, including mechanical engineering, mechatronics, computer science, and collaborative engineering. This program will leverage a strong, ongoing partnership between VT and TUD that includes joint research, team-teaching courses, BSME senior-year abroad programs, and dual-MSME degree programs, to provide the REU students with firsthand experience demonstrating the globalization of the engineering profession and the importance of collaborative engineering. The program will also provide US industry and government agencies with future employees that are internationally competitive, globally engaged, and comfortable with and experienced at operating overseas; and contribute data towards the development of a predictive model that best matches an individual student with the most effective mode of global exposure, for the benefit of future international REU programs.During this 10-week summer program diverse and talented cohorts of undergraduates, from institutions with limited or no research and international opportunities will be provided with the opportunity to practice global engineering research at either VT or TUD. This program will also enhance and broaden the interface of the transatlantic faculty and student collaborations as the mentoring research teams collaborate with their REU students engaged in joint transatlantic research projects. In addition to their research, and to facilitate a transatlantic cohort experience, the students participate in a weekly seminar series focusing on best research practices, ethics, cultural differences, and globalization. At the end of the summer, the students will present their work at a conference via live two-way video between the two REU locations. An emphasis will be placed on engaging the REU students and their home institution advisors, upon their return home, to increase (1) their co-authorship of publications resulting from their research activities, and (2) their pursuit of graduate studies.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.