REU Site: Intelligent Manufacturing for a Sustainable Energy Future

About This Grant

The three-year REU Site: Intelligent Manufacturing for a Sustainable Energy Future Research Experiences for Undergraduates is hosted by the University of Idaho (Center for Advanced Energy Studies) and partners with the Idaho National Laboratory. A 10-week summer research program for 8 undergraduates each year will engage participants with hands-on research skills, networking with laboratory scientists and interns, utilizing world-class cutting-edge equipment, and developing their STEM identity and literacy. REU participants will have the opportunity to conduct hands-on research, present their research results at the INL internship poster session, and co-publish with their REU mentor. Student participants can look forward to working in an active and engaging collaborative research center to advance research at the intersection of intelligent manufacturing and sustainable energy. The REU experience will help educate the next generation of scientists, engineers, and STEM leaders and provide professional development opportunities for careers in the energy sector. The program is structured to identify new knowledge about the relationship between academic and government institutional research activities impacting the REU experience. REU students will present research results at the Idaho Conference for Undergraduate Research and INL internship poster session. The objectives will enable innovative outcomes in the development of the future intelligent manufacturing and sustainable energy workforce. Specifically, REU students will: expand their knowledge and learning at the intersection of intelligent manufacturing and sustainable energy in support of STEM workforce development; engage in authentic research opportunities to enhance STEM identity and literacy; improve their technical skills while also expanding their professional network in support of future career objectives. Another objective is to increase the awareness of effective mentoring practices among faculty and government laboratory scientists to ensure a positive and lasting impact on REU participants. This Site is supported in part by funds provided to the National Science Foundation by the Semiconductor Research Corporation. 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.