REU Site: Nanoscale Science Undergraduate Research Experience (NanoSURE) at UNC Charlotte

University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, Charlotte NC

Investigators

Abstract

Non-Technical Summary: Advances in nanoscale science and engineering are providing the means to design and control matter with sub-microscopic precision and enabling breakthroughs in medicine, electronics, solar energy, and many other high-tech fields. Many of these advances are at the interface between the traditional disciplines of chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering and require special training at the undergraduate level. The NanoSURE REU site at UNC Charlotte will provide an innovative and interdisciplinary nanoscale science research experience for a diverse pool of talented undergraduates. The students will participate in research teams exploring nanoscience solutions to various challenges including drug-delivery, catalysis, manufacturing, and renewable energy. Many of the students will belong to minority groups underrepresented in STEM fields, and many of the students will come from institutions in which access to research training is limited (HBCUs, PUIs, and community colleges). The site will also recruit military veteran students considering STEM careers to participate in the program. The NanoSURE REU site will also partner with a science museum in Charlotte to provide training in scientific outreach and an opportunity for the REU students to disseminate science to the public. Technical Summary: The proposed activities of this REU site are focused on interdisciplinary training in nanoscale science and engineering. Students chosen to participate in the program will be assigned to ongoing interdisciplinary nanoscale science research projects, including for example: (1) Dynamic RNA Nanoparticles and Reconfigurable Nanoassemblies, (2) Multifunctional Silica-Based Nanoparticles to Improve PDT for Cancer, and (3) Enhanced Photocatalysis using Non-metal Plasmonic Nanomaterials. The site will advance the national need for developing a generation of workers prepared for the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary challenges of nanoscale science and engineering fields through the following objectives: (1) actively recruiting a diverse population of undergraduate students to participate in on-going research experiences in nanoscale science and engineering with faculty members committed to undergraduate mentoring; (2) introducing students to a variety of nanoscale science research methods, breakthroughs, and challenges early in their college experience to direct their career paths into nanoscale science related fields of study; (3) engaging students in interdisciplinary research opportunities that encourage communication and cooperation across traditional discipline boundaries; (4) enhancing the student experience by providing workshops, seminars, and social activities that will positively impact their professional development and encourage their participation in graduate studies; and (5) developing scientific communication skills by providing many opportunities to disseminate results to each other in cohort meetings, to the public through a collaboration with a local science museum, and ultimately by submitting a summary paper in a peer-reviewed journal format and participating in an annual undergraduate research symposium. 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.