This award will maintain the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) as a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site. A diverse research program in low-energy nuclear physics is conducted at TUNL by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and Duke University where the laboratory is located. This REU summer program provides undergraduate students with a realistic and active research experience through the completion of a self-contained 10-week project. The students collaborate with faculty, postdoctoral and pre-doctoral research staff from the three major research institutions, and are exposed to the graduate programs at these institutions. Through active research, seminars, lab tours, and discussion groups, the students are exposed to various aspects of nuclear physics research and its impact on other areas of research. The student acceptance process mainly targets students from small colleges and universities across the country who have limited opportunities to be involved in active research programs.
