| NSF Org: |
AST Division Of Astronomical Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 10, 2021 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 10, 2021 |
| Award Number: | 2050829 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Juan Madrid
jmadrid@nsf.gov (703)292-7297 AST Division Of Astronomical Sciences MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | November 1, 2021 |
| End Date: | October 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $304,783.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $304,783.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE ATLANTA GA US 30303-2921 (404)413-3570 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
25 Park Place, Suite 605 Atlanta GA US 30303-2918 |
| 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): | SPECIAL PROGRAMS IN ASTRONOMY |
| 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 project will establish a new REU site in astronomy and physics at Georgia State University (GSU) with a theme of exploring the various size scales in nature and their commonalities and differences in terms of fundamental physics, scientific approach, connection to other fields of study, data acquisition and measurement, statistical analysis, computational modeling, characterization of systematic and random uncertainties, presentation of results via talks and posters, and scientific writing. Each student will be given a distinct research project and work closely with their faculty advisor and group to produce presentations for a department summer symposium and a national conference. Groups of 2 ? 4 students will travel with a faculty member to a GSU-affiliated observatory or laboratory (Apache Point Observatory, CHARA, or Brookhaven) for a week to carry out a mini-project related to their research field. Weekly seminars led by the graduate coordinator will focus on professional practices and ethics, reading scientific papers, scientific talks, science writing, and practice for the summer symposium. Weekly lunch meetings will feature brief faculty talks and discussion questions led by graduate students to foster student discussions of their research projects and their connectivity throughout the Universe. Social activities will take advantage of the many cultural and recreational opportunities in Atlanta.
GSU is a large urban research university in the Southeast and an official minority-serving institution for both Blacks and Hispanics. The Department of Physics and Astronomy is looking to build on its success in growing the number of underrepresented B.S. in Physics graduates, its informal program of paid undergraduate researchers over 20 years, and its more formal program in the past 2 years. The recruitment objective is to expand the program nationally to attract a diverse group of students with limited STEM opportunities to provide them with a research experience that is essential for their scientific development, eligibility for graduate school, and employment.
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.
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.
- Intellectual Merit:
We sponsored a 3-year REU program (2022 – 2024) in astronomy and physics at Georgia State University (GSU) with a theme of exploring the size scales in nature and their commonalities and differences in terms of fundamental physics, scientific approach, connection to other fields, data acquisition and measurement, statistical analysis, computational modeling, characterization of uncertainties, presentation of results via talks and posters, and scientific writing. Each student was given a distinct research project in one of the sub-fields above and worked closely with their faculty advisor and group to produce presentations for a department summer symposium and a national conference, as well as a short written paper. Groups of 6 students traveled with a faculty member to Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico to train and become certified observers on the ARC 3.5-meter telescope. Weekly seminars led by the graduate coordinators focueds on professional practices and ethics, reading scientific papers, scientific talks, science writing, and practice for the summer symposium. Weekly lunch meetings featured brief faculty talks and discussion questions to foster student discussions of their research projects and their connectivity throughout the Universe. Social activities took advantage of the many cultural and recreational opportunities in Atlanta, including a trip to the Georgia Aquarium. Students were fully sponsored to travel to national conferences, such as the American Astronomical Society meetings, to present the results of their research. Overall, the 3-year GSU REU program mentored 18 students, and everyone that has graduated has secured a position in a prestigious graduate program or meaningful employment as a scientist.
Broader Impacts:
GSU is a large urban research and minority-serving university in the Southeast. The Department of Physics and Astronomy is building on its success in growing the number of underrepresented B.S., M.S. and Ph.D degrees in astronomy and physics, its program of paid undergraduate research over 25 years, and its highly successful REU site program in the last 3 years. Our objective is to continue to expand our program to provide students with research experiences that are essential for their scientific development, eligibility for graduate school, and meaningful employment.
Last Modified: 02/18/2025
Modified by: Daniel Michael Crenshaw
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