The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Materials Research awarded a $479,565 Project Grant to the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) to establish an Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site focused on materials and devices for sustainable technology applications. The REU program aims to increase retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minorities and women in STEM fields, and encourage them to pursue graduate degrees in science and engineering.
The REU participants will engage in interdisciplinary research on materials that could be used in low-power electronics, health sciences, and other sustainable technology applications. The research will investigate fundamental material properties relevant to energy-efficient electronic/optoelectronic devices, bioelectronics, and renewable energy storage/utilization. The program also provides professional development activities such as safety training, research ethics education, impostor syndrome workshops, and graduate school preparation. The REU Site is supported under the NSF's Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program and will be administered by UCSC's Materials Science and Engineering Initiative, culminating in a research symposium.