Mentors and Projects needed for SNF/NNIN Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program

SNF Labmembers,
      We’re soliciting projects and mentors for the SNF/NNIN Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program for next summer.  For this program, NSF provides funds for non-Stanford undergraduate students to work during the summer with Stanford graduate students on projects which utilize the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility.  The objective is to give a select group of undergraduates from across the country an experience in graduate-level research.
        In this program the student assists the graduate student for the summer by doing lab work, primarily in SNF, and analyzing results that are useful for the graduate student's Ph.D. research.  The idea is that the undergraduate would have a more-or-less complete project to report on at the end, but at the same time doing something that benefits your own research.  At the end of the summer, the student joins the other NNIN REU students doing work at the other 13 NNIN universities to report on their work and experiences.

        The graduate student mentor should be an SNF labmember (or at least have someone who is a labmember able to help with the student and project), and have at least some part of the research involve SNF.
         Along with doing a project, the student would join your research group for the summer, attending meetings, seminars and any other group activities.  In addition, I lead weekly meetings for the 6 SNF REU students to teach them about nanotechnology, giving technical presentations and writing scientific papers, as well as helping with any logistical issues.  And SNF helps with training the students at the beginning of the program.   The program pays the for the students travel expenses to/from Stanford, housing for the summer, a stipend, and $5,000 for SNF/SNL lab fees.  
        Besides having an undergraduate working with you on your research for the summer, you would also be able to experience the satisfaction of mentoring a young student, probably from a school that doesn’t have the research facilities and opportunities of Stanford.  Hopefully by the end of the program the student will have a much better idea of what graduate research and life is all about.  And whether you plan yourself to go onto either an academic or industrial career, this program  should give you a good experience in mentoring and guiding a younger person.
       If you are interested in being a mentor, talk to your faculty advisor about this, and then contact me with a proposed research topic. (I will be asking for a short proposed project description soon).   For a list of  previous years’ students, mentors, and projects, go to http://snf.stanford.edu/education/undergraduate.htm        (You don’t have to be so specific right now with your  project title - just a general idea of what the project is about and what the student might do.  And don’t make the projects too ambitious.)   We will be funding 6 projects, which we will decide upon in the next few weeks.
        If you are a faculty, and want an SNF REU student in your group, let me know and send me the same type of information about a possible project.
      
Thanks, and I hope to hear from you.
                        -Mike Deal, Sr. Research Scientist and SNF Director of Special Programs.