REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Chemistry and Biochemistry

该奖项由2021年美国救援计划法案提供全部或部分资金（公法117-2）。本科生研究经验（REU）计划在加州州立大学，洛杉矶（加州州立大学洛杉矶分校）在化学和生物化学系支持10名学生，主要来自洛杉矶盆地地区的当地社区学院，主要来自科学代表性不足的群体，在2022年至2024年的夏天，为期10周。学生将在化学和生物化学领域从事广泛的指导独立研究项目，同时还参加专业发展活动，包括道德和负责任的研究课题研讨会，克服刻板印象威胁和冒名顶替者综合症。共同的研究和专业发展活动准备和激励学生进入四年制学位课程，并为未来的职业生涯在干（科学，技术，工程和数学）领域。学生参与者将在广泛的化学和生物化学主题中进行个性化的研究项目，包括探索碳氢化合物混合物中凝固点的分子效应;研究抗冻蛋白的机制;检查纳米颗粒的结构和形态效应;并采用计算机模拟来了解弱结合分子的振动特性。沿着研究，学生们将参加每周一次的专业发展研讨会和社会活动，旨在为他们未来的化学和生物化学职业做好准备。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得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来支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry supports 10 students, mainly from local community colleges in the Los Angeles basin area and primarily from groups underrepresented in the sciences, for 10 weeks during the summers of 2022-2024. The students will engage in a wide-range of guided independent research projects in the fields of chemistry and biochemistry, while also participating in professional development activities, including workshops on ethics and responsible research topics, and overcoming stereotype threat and imposter syndrome. Together, the research and professional development activities prepare and motivate students to matriculate into four-year degree programs and for future careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. The student participants will conduct individualized research projects across a wide-range of chemistry and biochemistry topics, including exploring the molecular effects on the freezing point in hydrocarbon mixtures; studying the mechanisms of antifreeze proteins; examining structural and morphological effects of nanoparticles; and employing computer simulations to understand the vibrational properties of weakly bound molecules. Along with the research, the students will participate in a weekly series of professional development workshops and social activities aimed at preparing them for future careers in chemistry and biochemistry.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.