REU/RET Site: Summer Research Experiences in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technology (ReSET)

Non-Technical Summary

The REU/RET SITE: Summer Research Experiences in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technology (ReSET) jointly hosted by the Materials Science and Engineering Department and the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI2) in the Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland will provide a 10-week REU program for eight undergraduate students and a 6-week RET for two high school STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) teachers. Each summer participant will conduct research related to the development of new technologies for renewable energy production and sustainable energy generation, storage, and use.

To increase the broadening participation impact, the program focuses on chemistry, physics and engineering undergraduate students from community colleges, minority serving institutions, and non-PhD research institutions and science teachers from high schools that serve high poverty and traditionally underserved communities. The program goals are to: (1) provide REU students with the background, skills, and self-confidence to enter careers in energy research and related STEM fields, and (2) provide teachers with research project-based teaching materials to introduce K9-K12 students to clean energy problems and engineering solutions using mathematics and science to increase understanding and interest in the STEM fields.

In addition to the research experiences, participants will have career exploration and professional development opportunities through faculty mentors, lectures and lab tours, as well as team-building activities for an inclusive cohort experience. Technical Summary

The intellectual center of the ReSET program focuses on projects exploring a wide range of excellent lab-based and computational research activities to develop new energy technologies and then translate them into real world advancements. The projects span a broad range of materials and materials limited issues and propose solutions using ceramics, metals, organic materials and more.

Topics include low temperature, low energy consumption ways to fix nitrogen in fertilizer or fuels, rapid nanomanufacturing of materials for energy applications, the fabrication and testing of solid-state batteries, and low environmental impact approaches to make transparent electrodes for devices. Participants will acquire experience in state-of-the-art hands-on scientific methods, data analysis, modeling and simulation, and best practices in laboratory safety protocols.

In addition to conducting individual research projects, participants will develop their writing and presentation skills, attend lectures and participate in discussions on ethics and sustainability in a welcoming, supportive environment. The STEM teachers will develop new teaching materials based on their research to help their students relate science and mathematics to energy problems they want to solve.

The RET was included with the REU to increase the impact of the program through teacher facilitated outreach to economically disadvantaged or underrepresented high school students. Recruiting students from community colleges and schools with limited research opportunities will enhance the impact of the REU.

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.