REU/RET Site in Nanomaterials

明尼苏达大学（UMN）将举办本科生研究体验（REU）网站，从全国范围内的申请者中挑选10名有才华的本科生，进行为期10周的密集研究体验，包括广泛的培训和职业建设技能的发展。每个参与者在材料研究科学与工程中心（MRSEC）教师的实验室中进行一个独立的研究项目，并在项目结束时提供海报和正式的口头报告。RET部分吸引了六名来自大双城的初中和高中教师进行为期六周的研究体验，另外还有25名教师参加由RET主导的为期三天的研讨会。RET参与者有自己的研究项目，并致力于开发和传播基于标准的、横切的、面向初中和高中课堂的工程实验室活动。REU/RET网站的目标是培训下一代科学和工程专业人员，同时增加传统上代表性不足的群体的参与。MRSEC REU项目扩大了其广泛的四年制大学、部落学院和为印第安人服务的非部落机构、历史上的黑人学院和大学、为西班牙裔服务的机构和社区学院的网络，主要为来自研究机会有限的本科院校的学生和来自双子城的高中教师提供高质量的ms&e研究经验。REU网站从全国范围内的申请者中挑选10名有才华的本科生到UMN校园进行为期10周的密集研究体验，其中包括广泛的培训和职业建设技能的发展。UMN MRSEC REU网站提高了参与者的整体意识和自我期望，同时增加了他们对材料科学与工程（MS&amp；E）的知识和欣赏。这对于来自两年制和四年制大学和少数民族服务机构（MSIs）的本科生尤其重要，他们没有丰富的研究经验，很少或根本没有接触过MS&amp；E。UMN MRSEC由两个跨学科研究小组（irg）组成，解决各种硬到软材料的紧迫问题：IRG-1，材料的离子控制和IRG-2，中尺度网络材料。每个IRG都整合了材料科学和工程的六个基本要素——合成、理论、结构表征、性能评估、加工和应用——这些都是材料研究和开发中有效创新所必需的。MRSEC的教师和学生分布在五个不同的科学和工程部门，确保所有参与者都能获得特别广泛和跨学科的体验。研究顾问代表了一个吸引人的混合初级，高级和中期职业教师；他们都是各自领域公认的领导者，并且在指导本科生研究人员方面有着良好的记录。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

Non-technical summaryThe University of Minnesota (UMN) will host a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site that brings 10 talented undergraduates from a nationwide pool of applicants for an intensive 10-week research experience that includes extensive training and development of career-building skills. Each participant pursues an independent research project within the laboratory of a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) faculty member and delivers a poster and a formal oral presentation at the program’s conclusion. The RET component draws six middle and high school teachers from the greater Twin Cities for a six-week research experience and 25 additional teachers for a three-day RET-led workshop. RET participants have their own research projects and work to develop and disseminate standards-based, crosscutting, engineering laboratory activities for middle and high school classrooms. The goal of the REU/RET site is to train the next generation of science and engineering professionals while increasing participation of traditionally under-represented groups. The MRSEC REU program expands its extensive network of four-year colleges, Tribal Colleges and Native American Serving Nontribal Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Community Colleges to provide high-quality research experiences in MS&E, primarily to students from undergraduate institutions with limited research opportunities, and to high school teachers from the Twin Cities.Technical summaryThe REU Site brings 10 talented undergraduates from a nationwide pool of applicants to the UMN campus for an intensive 10-week research experience that includes extensive training and development of career-building skills. The UMN MRSEC REU Site enhances the overall awareness and self-expectation of the participants, while increasing their knowledge and appreciation of Materials Science and Engineering (MS&E). This is particularly important for undergraduates from two-year and four-year colleges and minority serving institutions (MSIs), who do not have extensive research experience, and who have little or no exposure to MS&E. The UMN MRSEC comprises two Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) addressing pressing problems over a wide range of hard to soft materials: IRG-1, Ionic Control of Materials and IRG-2, Mesoscale Network Materials. Each IRG integrates the six basic elements of materials science and engineering – synthesis, theory, structural characterization, property evaluation, processing, and applications – required for effective innovation in materials research and development. MRSEC faculty and students are based in five different science and engineering departments, assuring a particularly broad and interdisciplinary experience for all participants. The research advisors represent an appealing blend of junior, senior, and mid-career faculty; all are acknowledged leaders in their fields and have proven records of mentoring undergraduate researchers.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.