REU Site: Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota

This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program.

This is an award for the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus School of Physics and Astronomy. It will enable ten undergraduate physics and astronomy majors to take part in cutting edge research by participating in a ten-week summer program. Each student will work in a research group, supervised by a faculty member, making the transition from classroom instruction to state-of-the-art research, from mastering old knowledge to creating new experiences. The project enhances opportunities for development and education for the involved students, on the one hand, and advances the progress of science, on the other. An additional focus emphasizes diversity, the participation of students from underrepresented groups, and first-generation college students. The majority of participants will come from smaller colleges, where they do not have the opportunity to participate in front-line research during the regular academic year. By encouraging students to participate in scientific research, particularly students from non-Ph.D. granting institutions, the summer REU program addresses a critical national need for skilled employees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

The specific projects will be in astrophysics, high-energy physics, condensed matter, and biophysics. Most of the student projects are anticipated to be in the area of experiment and data analysis. Some projects may focus on theoretical aspects of the areas listed above. In case the in-person participation proves to be problematic due to COVID19, the project leaders have prepared a log of projects that may be executed remotely with on-line interactions between participants and advisors. Most of such projects are in the area of data analysis of astrophysical or LHC-generated data.

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.