This award provides renewed funding for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William and Mary, which has been funded by NSF since 1989. The major objectives of the program are to: 1) provide meaningful research and training opportunities for undergraduates in coastal marine science and 2) increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the ocean sciences. The PI's request support for twelve undergraduate students each year during a 10-week summer research internship for a total of 5 years. The internship program focuses on interdisciplinary coastal marine science, particularly processes operating in the local estuarine and coastal environments. Research areas available for students include marine ecology, biological and chemical oceanography, biogeochemistry, geological and physical oceanography, marine fisheries, and marine policy. Students will receive a stipend, housing and transportation costs to and from VIMS. They participate in a variety of workshops and seminars. They are mentored by VIMS faculty while conducting their independent research project, and are expected to prepare a final paper and give a final oral presentation of their results. A 2010 survey of former students indicates that this program has been highly successful in the past, with 66% of under-represented alumni and 82% of well-represented alumni pursuing careers or higher degrees in science or engineering.
