This three-year proposal requests funds to establish a Minority Scholar Program for graduate and undergraduate physics majors Research Assistantship support is requested for three minority Graduate Scholars who will be selected competitively to do doctoral research with a faculty supervisor in one of the Department's many exciting research areas. This will be augmented each year by ongoing special Institute Fellowships which provide full support for three minority students pursuing Ph.D.s in Physics. All six graduate students participating in this Minority Scholar Program will be designated as Graduate Scholars. Many of the Department's undergraduates are introduced to physics research through MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), which is recognized as a national leader in university research programs for undergraduates. This proposal also requests funds to support five Undergraduate Scholars selected competitively from the under-represented minority students. Undergraduate Scholars supported through the Minority Scholar Program will work closely with individual faculty supervisors. Historically, the UROP program has been very effective in involving undergraduates in stimulating, front-line physics research.
