REU Site: Summer Research Program at PARADIM

Non-Technical Summary:

The Platform for the Accelerated Realization, Analysis, and Discovery of Interface Materials (PARADIM) REU site offers a 10-week summer program at one of the platform sites: Cornell University facilities for thin film growth, theory and simulation or electron microscopy and the Johns Hopkins University facility for bulk crystal growth. The program provides a diverse group of undergraduate students a research opportunity in one of two state-of-the-art facilities for materials innovation and discovery.

Participants will be offered access to one of two (Cornell and Johns Hopkins University) National Materials Innovation Platform (MIP). This program also includes professional development and skills-based instructional workshops. Workshops include topics on presenting a professional paper, science communication, ethics in research and collaboration and literature research skills.

Simultaneous to the REU program, PARADIM offers two professional summer schools for the MIP user community. The REU students are encouraged to participate in these schools to learn from leading experts in materials research and participate in a professional community experience to further enhance the connection to the broader materials research network of users.

PARADIM is advancing a broader goal of increasing diversity in the sciences, being a springboard for STEM career paths, and fostering a community of materials researchers. The overarching goal of this program is promoting progress of science to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare to secure the national defense.

Technical Summary:

PARADIM will select 14 REU interns annually. Participants in the REU program have the opportunity to work at one of two sites, depending on their research interests. Interns may choose from eight general projects in areas in thin film growth (MBE and ARPES), electron microscopy, and theory & simulation—hosted by Cornell—or bulk crystal growth—hosted by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Each intern will work on an individually designed research project. Each research project will progress under the guidance of an experienced and highly vetted graduate students, postdoctoral scholars or faculty mentor. The REU projects are supported by a series of professional development activities, including workshops on science communications skills, scientific poster creation, formal presentation skills, and ethics in research, and a series of ‘Hot Materials’ talks from top researchers.

All REU projects are designed to have a positive impact on the Platform either by enhancing Platform capabilities or by advancing Platform research. At the conclusion of the program, the REU interns present a formal presentation on their research, create a research poster, and write a formal paper describing their research. PARADIM operates under the proposition that supplying students with an authentic research experience that is supported by professional development which is embedded in a well-established community of research practitioners, will encourage career paths in STEM-related fields.

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.