NSF Award
0754115
With this three-year Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site award, the new Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) will join the very successful Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at NIST. Six students will spend eleven weeks in CNST, engaged in research and working one-on-one with CNST scientists on projects that combine the quest for fundamental knowledge with direct applications of nanotechnology to problems of national importance. Student research projects are in the areas of nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, nanomagnetism, nanoscale lithography, and the development of nanoscale characterization tools. The REU participants will work closely with world class scientists, have access to state-of-the-art equipment, and experience the research-rich environment of a national laboratory. The students will be encouraged to present their research at professional conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals. <br/><br/>The CNST REU program will be seamlessly embedded in the larger NIST-wide REU program "SURFing the NIST Laboratories" which includes more than 100 undergraduate students working in other NIST laboratories. This REU program nurtures a cohesive atmosphere through shared housing arrangements, a weekly seminar series, regularly scheduled social gatherings, and an internet chat room that results in intense student networking. The SURF program is available to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents and encourages the participation of women, minorities, and students with disabilities.<br/><br/>This REU Site is supported by the Division of Materials Research in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate.
