This proposal will fund the REU program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison through the summer of 2014 inclusive. A minimum of nine students will take part in the ten week program each summer. The research topics available are extensive and varied; they include observational programs in stellar, interstellar, and extragalactic projects as well as theoretical work in galactic dynamics, neutrino astrophysics, and the dynamics of the ISM. After the summer program is concluded several of the most promising students will be invited to present their research at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society. During the program the students take part in a weekly seminar series, organized field trips, and take part in activities meant to directly prepare them for graduate school
The very nature of an REU site results in a broader impact, in terms of educational activities. One somewhat unique aspect of this program is that the students are required to take a course in scientific ethics. The students are also encouraged to take part in public outreach activities at UW-Madison. The PIs of this award note that special consideration will be made to include women and underrepresented groups in the program.
