C3 REU

Overview

The C3 Research Experiences for Undergraduates site addresses a critical need for sustainable research infrastructure that successfully trains undergraduate researchers in techniques to characterize and disrupt the illicit economy. The illicit economy, encompassing economic activities that are illegal or operate outside the formal, regulated and legal framework of a given country, is estimated in the billions of dollars in the United States alone. The C3 collaboration (a multisite collaboration that includes South Dakota State University, University of South Dakota and South Dakota Mines) is providing an interdisciplinary approach to combating the cyber, physical and social elements of the illicit economy. The Research Experiences for Undergraduates site provides a 10-week summer research intensive. Undergraduate researchers learn the requisite training, skills and experience they need to successfully pursue graduate studies in security-based topics calibrated toward undermining the illicit economy and advancing scientific fields through (a) carefully designed, multilevel mentored research projects, (b) technical and professional development seminars and (c) a unique STEM communications program. An experienced consortium of faculty mentors with interdisciplinary research expertise are guiding students in their development through multidisciplinary collaborative research projects, including professional development training in collaborative research skills/tools.The illicit economy poses serious economic concerns and impacts a variety of industries. Students will conduct transformative research in the following fields: chemistry, biochemistry, fossil resource track and trace, industrial engineering mathematics, material and metallurgical engineering, behavioral science, machine learning and predictive modeling.