REU Site: Solar Physics at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian

Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This research experience for undergraduate program, at the Center for Astrophysics, will pair eight undergraduate students with researchers in solar physics to work on novel research projects for ten weeks in the summer. The projects will comprise science projects involving data analysis or numerical modeling, as well as engineering projects supporting ongoing instrumentation programs. The program will target students that are undergraduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines with a preference for students that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields as well as those from institutions without strong STEM research opportunities. In addition to the research activities, students will take part in lectures, training sessions, and group activities intended for academic and professional development. Students will present the results from their research project at a professional scientific conference. The research projects will broadly contribute to our scientific understanding of space weather, a societally relevant hazard. The main objectives of this REU site are to a) foster participation by women and traditionally underrepresented groups in scientific research, b) cultivate independence and creativity in talented and promising students, and promote interest in graduate study in physics, astronomy, and engineering, c) demonstrate how academic knowledge acquired in the classroom applies to real-world research problems, d) strengthen practical skills in data analysis, computer programming, theory, numerical modeling, and communication, e) prepare students to make sound choices concerning their near-term and long-term career trajectories, f) provide a high-quality research experience that will produce novel scientific results, g) develop competence and confidence in presenting scientific results in a public forum, and h) increase awareness of solar physics as a field of study. 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.