REU Site: Undergraduate Inquiry at the Forefront of Energy, Environmental, and Biochemical Research

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, located in Minneapolis, MN, supports the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2019-2021. In this program, funded by the Division of Chemistry in the Mathematical and Physical Science Directorate, participants work on addressing some of society's important biochemical, energy, and environmental problems at a major research university using top facilities and instrumentation. The participants' research experiences are supplemented with extensive hands-on training and mentoring. All participants deliver presentations on their summer research, participate in an end-of-summer research symposium, and have an opportunity to present their work at a national chemistry meeting. Professional development is fostered by a visit to a local industrial or government laboratory and by weekly joint luncheons for all fellows with topics on ethics, effective oral and written communication, and career opportunities. To increase the program's impact and sense of community among the participants, undergraduate students are encouraged to volunteer for an outreach program that gives children the opportunity to perform hands-on chemistry experiments at local community libraries. The individual research projects encompass a wide range of chemical research, including multimetallic catalysts for small-molecule activation and functionalization, modeling structure and reactivity in molecular systems, studying protein-protein interactions, and synthesis and self-assembly of renewable resource block polymers. This program's recruitment effort places an emphasis on attracting underrepresented minority and economically disadvantaged students and encouraging participants to consider careers in chemistry-related fields. 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.