REU Site: Multidisciplinary Polymer Exploration for Undergraduate STEM Researchers

About This Grant

This three-year REU Site: Multidisciplinary Polymer Exploration for Undergraduate STEM Researchers is a multidisciplinary exploration of polymers and their range of applications. Polymers are crucial to current research and industrial innovations. The areas of additive manufacturing to biological engineering to soft robotics and so on require a foundation in polymer science and employ multidisciplinary collaborative efforts. Engaging students earlier in their academic preparation about the scope of polymer research and applications will help inspire and equip the next generation to investigate and contribute solutions to the complex global challenges that society faces. Ten undergraduate students each year will engage in research projects for 10 weeks. Participants will perform hands-on work in research laboratories with direct faculty mentorship and engage in a variety of social and professional development activities that foster a sense of belonging and support students’ career trajectories. This program will target recruiting students from communities and institutions where and for whom research opportunities are difficult to access. The program will culminate in presentations by students and poster presentations to give students opportunities to practice their scientific communication skills and to demonstrate their research to their peers. Fundamental knowledge acquisition, augmented by hands-on research experiences, interactions with experts, and opportunities to practice scientific communication will support REU students as they develop their skills and understanding about multidisciplinary approaches which drive discovery and innovation in polymer-related fields. Other important training and professional development includes educational workshops related to technology-transfer, information literacy and communication, entrepreneurship, research/STEM identity, and leadership, to bolster the impacts of this research experience. Undergraduates will learn about the tools, modern research techniques, problem solving approaches, and the expanse of research-based career opportunities which integrate polymers. REU students will participate in the University of Alabama Strategic Graduate Partnerships Initiative (SGPI) to give them unique opportunities to meet with students from other disciplines and learn about what research looks like and how it is performed. Participants will also have opportunities to present a poster at the relevant national research conference (such as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.