REU Site: Directed Research for Undergraduates in Math and Statistics

In a world saturated with data, recipients of undergraduate degrees in mathematics and statistics are in high demand by both industry and graduate programs. These graduates possess the tools needed to extract meaningful information from noisy data and to make fundamental contributions to science and society. The overarching goals of the Directed Research for Undergraduates in Mathematics and Statistics (DRUMS) REU program at North Carolina State University (NCSU) are i) to get more undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds interested in graduate degrees in mathematical and statistical sciences and ii) to provide research opportunities that can generate high-quality output.

Each year, DRUMS will recruit a talented and diverse group of 12 students from across the country to engage in an intensive research summer research project under the supervision of NCSU faculty. Project topics will span applications in disease modeling, physiology, extreme weather events, and finance, using and developing mathematical and statistical tools to facilitate the integration of data with models.

The research agenda will be paired with an ambitious professional development plan that includes career guidance, training on communication and research skills, and seminars on maintaining a respectful environment. Students will be encouraged to present their research at national conferences and to publish in peer-reviewed journals. DRUMS aims to produce a diverse cadre of undergraduate researchers with technical and professional skills needed for success in graduate programs and careers in STEM fields.

The Directed Research for Undergraduates in Mathematics and Statistics (DRUMS) REU program at North Carolina State University (NCSU) is a summer research program designed to provide a diverse group of undergraduate students with vital experience with high-quality research and professional development. Pairing mathematics and statistics is natural, as mathematics forms the foundation of statistics and statistics is increasingly being used to refine and analyze mathematical models.

The 12 undergraduates who will participate in DRUMS each summer will be split into teams of 3-4 students, each with a faculty mentor and a graduate student mentor, to engage in a 10-week research program at NCSU. To ensure their work is mature and worthy of publication, DRUMS will be supplemented with online preparation in the spring and an online research module in the fall, facilitated by local mentors.

The program aims to expand participation in STEM by recruiting women, members of underrepresented groups, and students at institutions with limited research opportunities to pursue graduate school in mathematics and statistics. Activities will include a comprehensive training program with technical instruction, research seminars, professional development activities, and information sessions about graduate school possibilities and application procedures.

The program will also draw on the large faculty and graduate student population at NCSU to form a diverse group of graduate student mentors. This vertical integration will provide a supportive environment, train graduate students to be effective mentors, and ultimately provide the undergraduate participants with the skills and motivation to pursue a STEM career or graduate 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.