Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The Ohio State University, Office of Sponsored Programs, received a $425,610 Project Grant award effective April 1, 2026, through the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049). This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site award supports a 10-week summer research training program for 10 undergraduate students annually across the summers of 2026–2028. The program delivers comprehensive research training in experimental and computational spectroscopy, focusing on using laboratory instruments and electromagnetic radiation across multiple wavelengths—from radio frequencies through visible, ultraviolet, and X-ray spectra—to characterize molecules, molecular interactions, and materials. Participants conduct research under faculty mentorship and participate in weekly professional development sessions designed to prepare students for postgraduate STEM careers.

The program specifically targets underserved populations, prioritizing students from institutions lacking advanced research instrumentation in economically disadvantaged Rust Belt and Appalachian regions of Ohio and neighboring states. Beyond core spectroscopy research, the program features weekly workshops in mathematics, coding, artificial intelligence fluency, and machine learning applications to laboratory experiments. Through structured mentoring, networking opportunities, long-term outcome tracking, and program effectiveness assessments, the REU Site prepares participants for careers in emerging fields including biomedical imaging, materials characterization, and quantum information science, addressing critical 21st-century workforce needs in science and technology.