ABSTRACT

The REU site in experimental and theoretical physics at The University of Texas (UT) at Dallas will develop the research, problem-solving, and communication skills of eight REU Fellows. The program seeks to broaden participation and retention in physics and other scientific careers of under-represented groups: under-represented minorities, women, those with limited access to research opportunities, and those from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The Fellows, selected from an inclusive pool of applicants, will be matched to a project from a broad range of physics topics and participate in cutting-edge research. Projects will include ones that benefit health, e.g., cancer imaging research, aim at securing the national defense, e.g., quantum computing research, and increase our understanding of the Universe, e.g., research on gravitational physics. Fellows will gain valuable teamwork skills by collaborating with graduate students and other researchers in their mentor's research group and developing their ability for independent work. Workshops and seminars will help to prepare the Fellows for graduate school and scientific careers. REU Fellows will share their scientific results with the academic community, and when possible, will also be invited to participate in community outreach activities during the summer. Social interactions between the Fellows will be fostered through cohort building activities.

The participation and retention of underrepresented groups in physics and other STEM fields will be achieved by providing meaningful research experiences and training relevant to graduate school and STEM careers. Based on interests and any prior research experience, eight REU Fellows will be matched to an experimental, computational, or theoretical project from areas including biophysics, computational physics, condensed matter physics, cosmology, and gravitational physics. Each Fellow will be fully integrated into their mentor's research group. Early in the program, REU Fellows will attend workshops on topics foundational to research, e.g., computer programming. They will present at weekly joint meetings, summarizing their research progress and goals for the following week. Special workshops such as physics GRE preparation will help equip Fellows for application to graduate school. The Fellows will present their results at a research symposium at the end of the program, and they will also be encouraged to present at conferences after the program concludes. When possible, they will also participate in writing scientific papers based on their research. Assessment will be made with questionnaires completed at the beginning and end of the program and via informal conversations with Fellows and mentors during the program. The program will be modified appropriately based on these findings.

Increasing the retention of under-represented groups will provide much-needed role models for future students. The program will also open up the pool of potential high-tech employees essential for the nation's economic growth and prosperity. The REU Site will enhance the general infrastructure of research and education at UT Dallas and facilitate the future recruitment of graduate students who are more representative of the nation. A more inclusive student body will enrich the campus experience and have a positive long-term impact on outreach to the broader local and national community.

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.

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