This award by the Division of Chemistry at the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense's (DOD) "Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences" (ASSURE) Program supports a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of North Carolina - Charlotte for the summers of 2012-2014. Nine students will be selected for the REU program each year. Participants will join interdisciplinary research teams which focus on ongoing collaborative projects with faculty members from the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Nanoscale Science. Targeted student participants will range from rising freshmen through rising seniors and include students who belong to undergraduate populations where research opportunities are limited, or who are from underrepresented groups. Activities include a 10-week undergraduate research experience, workshops and seminars, outreach training and activity, and various social/cultural activities. The primary broader impact of the NanoSURE program is the advancement of nanoscale science research opportunities at the undergraduate level and the development of a diverse workforce able to meet the multi-disciplinary challenges of the nanotechnology field. The REU site will provide a mentor-guided research experience to students from underrepresented groups (women and minorities) and students from institutions in which access to research training is limited; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Principally Undergraduate Institutions (PUI), and community colleges. The direct involvement of rising freshmen in the research experience will stimulate this group of students to pursue college degrees in STEM disciplines. The NanoSURE REU site will partner with the Discovery Place Museum in Charlotte, NC to provide training in scientific outreach and an opportunity for REU students to disseminate science to the general public.
