| NSF Org: |
CHE Division Of Chemistry |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | February 23, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | February 23, 2018 |
| Award Number: | 1757016 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Tomislav Pintauer
tompinta@nsf.gov (703)292-7168 CHE Division Of Chemistry MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2018 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2023 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $280,056.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $280,056.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
261 FOREST DR STE 3000 STATESBORO GA US 30458-6724 (912)478-5465 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
GA US 30458-6724 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN CHEM, XC-Crosscutting Activities Pro |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
This REU Site award to Georgia Southern University (GSU), located in Statesboro, GA, will support the training of 8 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2018-2020. It is supported by the Divisions of Chemistry and Materials Research of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate. Hosted by the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at GSU, this program focuses on collaborative and multidisciplinary research projects that span the fields of analytical, materials, organic, biochemical, and computational chemistry. Participants work directly with faculty mentors on their respective research projects, gain the knowledge and tools for progression in STEM, build a community of professionals with peers and faculty, and grow in their perspective on the role of STEM in society. In addition to ten weeks of intensive research, students take part in educational, social, and professional development activities that support their sustained growth as scientists, including training in scientific communication and workshops on career preparation, leadership, and ethics.
Research projects entail the design and characterization of magnetic materials; catalyst development; quantum chemical analyses for the detection of extrasolar planets; synthesis and investigation of novel organic sensors and molecular switches; development of analytical and biochemical techniques for toxicological assessment of common cosmetic ingredients; and novel approaches to cancer therapy. Research experiences are complemented by professional development activities that foster students' ability to effectively convey science to a variety of audiences, and provide the exposure, knowledge and tools to successfully navigate different stages of a STEM career. This includes hands-on training with instrumentation and resources commonly used by STEM professionals. Emphasis is placed on recruiting students from institutions with limited research opportunities, particularly women, minorities, and students from rural and underserved areas of the southeastern United States.
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.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
CollaborativE Multidisciplinary Investigations Through Undergraduate Research Experiences (CEMITURE) is a 10-week summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program that was initially funded by NSF-CHE 1359229, 2014-2018, and renewed with NSF-CHE 1757016, 2018-2023. Across both grants CEMITURE has engaged 51 scholars.
The focus of this outcome report is the most recent grant (# 1757016) which funded 8 scholars each summer in 2019, 2021 and 2022, a total of 24 student-researchers. The program was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic and the final grant year, a no-cost extension, covered conference attendance for 2022 scholars who presented at national and regional venues in the fall and spring following the CEMITURE experience.
The CEMITURE home department is the Georgia Southern (GS) University Biochemistry, Chemistry and Physics Department (formerly the GS Chemistry and Biochemistry Department).
INTELLECTUAL MERIT
CEMITURE scholars engaged in intensive research and professional development experiences to bolster their preparation and competitiveness for long-term careers in STEM.
In research, participants worked directly with their GS faculty-mentors and side-by-side with their research group members. They developed and/or fine-tuned skills in analytical techniques, small molecule and materials synthesis, studies with cell and other types of biological samples, chemical education investigations, and more. Importantly, in the end-of-program evaluations participants (self-assessment) and mentors gave the scholars strong ratings for ability to work independently, think critically and creatively, and master relevant techniques.
Multidisciplinary research projects, (co-)led by GS faculty, spanned Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Engineering, Geology, Environmental Science, and Chemical Education. Specific foci included drug development, the design of biocomposites for bone replacement, wastewater remediation, catalyst development, material design for crashworthiness application, chemosensing, understanding the bio-effects of nanomaterials, and evaluating student learning in introductory chemistry courses. Thus far, under the direction of their CEMITURE faculty mentors, scholars have produced 6 peer-reviewed publications and 25 conference poster presentations, and have earned 5 awards for their conference presentations and abstracts. Conferences included the national/regional meetings for the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS), the American Chemical Society (ACS), and the Southeastern Regional Meeting for the American Chemical Society (SERMACS).
The professional development element of the program targeted technical skills development, career preparation, and enhancing a sense of belonging in the program and in STEM. Notably, the lead team for the professional development programming was recognized with the inaugural GS College of Science and Mathematics Award for Excellence in Collaboration in 2022.
To run various sessions, the professional development team liaised with GS faculty- and staff-experts from units such as the offices of Research Integrity, Title IX, Inclusive Excellence (IE), Interdisciplinary STEM and Career Services, the Counseling Center, and the GS Libraries. Professional development activities included panel discussions with professionals and Masters and PhD candidates, interpersonal and professional interactions, resilience and constructively responding to research/professional setbacks, scientific communication (written and oral), navigating the scientific literature, hands-on training with instrumentation and commonly used software, ethics and data management, and tours of a graduate program or chemical plant. Picnics/social outings were also embedded into professional development schedules to reinforce a sense of community with fellow student-researchers and the faculty. In 2021 (all) and 2022 (one) participants engaged in outreach events for elementary and middle school students, and each of the three summers ended with a joint poster symposium with the GS Biology REU.
Due to COVID-19 related safety concerns, tours/outings were not included in 2021.
BROADER IMPACT
Among the 24 scholars 79% were from 2-/4-year primarily undergraduate institutions (PUI); 71% were first- and second-year students at the time of acceptance to the program; 75% were from rural and urban cluster areas; more than 50% are underrepresented genders including women; and 38% are underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities (URM). Since participating in CEMITURE, 17 out of the 24 scholars have completed their Bachelors degrees and 7 are continuing undergraduate students. At this time, 82% of those who have completed Bachelors degrees remained in STEM (14 out of 17), 11 earned places in PhD programs and 3 secured STEM jobs. Post-CEMITURE achievements also include two Barry Goldwater Scholars, an ACS Scholar, a McNair Scholar appointment at the home institution of the scholar, and a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Scholars Connect Program (NSCP) Fellow.
Many of the professional development initiatives were run in collaboration with other GS summer research programs. As such, scholars had networks that extended beyond the CEMITURE program. Collaborators included GS McNair Scholars program (2018-2022), a GS Biology REU (2019-2022), and the GS Chemistry and Biochemistry NSF International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) initiative (2021-2022).
Faculty-mentors supported (and continue to support) scholars in their post-CEMITURE endeavors through long-term mentorship and by serving as references for professional opportunities.
Last Modified: 11/16/2023
Modified by: Karelle Aiken
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