The REU award for a site at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, will support 9 undergraduate students and 2 teachers each year carrying out research on Functional and Nanostructured Materials. The site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU Program and is part of the NSF funded Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) Program at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez (DMR 0351449). Undergraduates will be recruited throughout Puerto Rico and the U.S., with emphasis in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions. Teachers will be recruited from High Schools throughout Puerto Rico. In addition to carrying out independent research under the direct supervision of the faculty mentors, a series of educational seminars will provide training on responsible conduct and dissemination of research. Finally, participants will be immersed in a unique Hispanic-American historical and cultural environment through weekend social and cultural activities throughout Puerto Rico.
