REU site: engineering research in a liberal arts and entrepreneurship context

Trustees of Union College received a $428,937 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Engineering Education and Centers under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), awarded September 1, 2025, with completion targeted for August 31, 2028. This three-year Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site award provides ten undergraduate students annually with integrated engineering research experiences, professional development, and entrepreneurship training. Participants are recruited from both two- and four-year institutions and conduct research in biomedical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, materials, and mechanical engineering disciplines, including projects focused on turbulent flow analysis, vaccine development, electric grid stability, water quality assessment, and aerogel materials development.

The program delivers comprehensive student development services through faculty-mentored laboratory research, professional development workshops, and entrepreneurship training modeled on NSF's Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. Key program outcomes include building students' experimental, analytical, and communication skills; increasing persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields with particular emphasis on transitioning community college students to four-year degree programs; fostering interest in engineering and STEM careers; and enabling students to contextualize their research within broader societal applications and potential commercialization opportunities. This initiative directly supports NSF's mission to strengthen the nation's competitive STEM workforce and advance engineering participation among undergraduate populations.

Abstract

This three-year program will provide ten undergraduates each year with engineering research experiences, professional development, and training in entrepreneurship. Participants will be recruited from two- and four-year colleges. REU students will develop and improve their experimental, analytical, and communication skills. The associated programming will engage students about planning for graduate school and other career opportunities, while also introducing them to entrepreneurial concepts that will help them place their research in wider contexts. In addition, the project will examine student persistence in stem, specifically encouraging community college students to continue to four-year programs. This project aligns with the mission of the national science foundation to advance national health, prosperity, and welfare by increasing participation in engineering and stem to create a more competitive and skilled workforce. The REU students will have opportunities to engage in research in biomedical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, materials, and mechanical engineering projects. Projects will include work in areas including turbulent flow, vaccine development, electric grid stability, water quality, and aerogel materials. The program experiences and activities will: 1) spark students? Interest in engineering and stem careers; 2) increase students? Persistence in stem and continuation of community college students to bachelor?S degrees; 3) develop students? Experimental, analytical, and communication skills; and 4) enable the students to place their research in wider contexts (e.g., societal impacts, applications, and potential commercialization). Students will work directly with faculty mentors in state-of-the-art laboratories while also engaging in professional development activities including entrepreneurship training modeled on the national science foundation I-corps program. 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.- subawards are not planned for this award.