REU Site: Summer REU Program in Marine Science at the University of Delaware

The University of Delaware's College of Earth, Ocean and Environment in Lewes, DE will host a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the coastal campus in Lewes, DE. The program will bring ten undergraduates to the Lewes campus each summer, and interns will conduct semi-independent research projects during the 10-week program. The goal of the UD REU program is to promote the recruitment and retention of students into STEM fields in general, and the geosciences in particular.

The program will welcome undergraduate students to an engaging research experience. They will be trained in the fundamentals of scientific research while they pursue research projects on a wide variety of topics in geological, physical, chemical and biological oceanography, under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students in the program will contribute to new understandings and findings about the ocean, the organisms within it, and other related topics that will advance knowledge of this critically important system.

The UD REU program will provide students with direct access to faculty research mentors, the extensive research facilities on the Lewes campus, and the local coastal environment. The College of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences includes the Departments of Geological Sciences and Geography and the School of Marine Science and Policy, offering students the opportunity for interdisciplinary research topics.

Faculty mentors' expertise spans the range of marine science, and professional development activities will introduce students to skills required for successful careers. Weekly seminars by invited speakers and UD faculty will provide interns with a broad overview of marine sciences. Professional development workshops include career paths in the sciences, science communication, and data analysis.

Interns will participate in several field trips including a day trip aboard the R/V Daiber, which introduces them to a variety of research and oceanographic techniques, and a field trip to an aquaculture facility in Cape May, NJ. Students will be encouraged to continue their research after the program, either by being a co-author on a scientific publication, pursuing a senior thesis or attending a scientific conference.

The program will support the extensive technical training for undergraduates, preparing these students to enter the workforce or to pursue additional graduate training. The program also includes a partnership with the Delaware Technical Community College. Most of the funding provided supports expenses for the thirty undergraduates, including student stipends, housing and transportation to and from their home to participate in the program.

This REU program contributes to the national goals of training the next generation of scientists and developing the nation's scientifically-trained workforce.

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.