REU Site: Physics Research in the Nation's Capital

Catholic University Of America, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports a new Research Experiences for Undergraduates site at the Catholic University of America (CUA). The site will provide internship opportunities for eight undergraduate students to carry out independent physics research in the Nation's Capital. The goal is to reach out to and engage students in research who would otherwise not have the opportunity for research experiences, as well as to educate students about the path to becoming a researcher including graduate school and careers in academia and beyond. The CUA REU research projects include several nuclear and particle physics experiments, data analyses, and detector construction projects that are carried out on campus and benefit from CUA's strong expertise in materials. The interface between basic research in nuclear and particle physics and applied science is a particularly rich and exciting area for attracting undergraduate students into the field. CUA has a unique position because of its proximity to and collaborations with flagship national laboratories. The REU program will build on CUA's demonstrated experience of the mutually beneficial involvement of undergraduate students in cutting edge research projects, including some that have led to the successful construction of detectors. 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.