The REALIZE REU Sites at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) constitute an interdisciplinary research training program to accelerate innovations for US industrial leadership in the future energy economy, ranging from energy generation and harvesting to storage and transmission. This ten-week NSF REU program exposes undergraduate students each summer to cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research that addresses energy challenges that are transforming domestic manufacturing, human-technology interfaces, infrastructure, and transportation. Students will work closely with world-class faculty mentors in UC's and UNCC's state-of-the-art research facilities to address fundamental research challenges in energy generation, manufacturing, infrastructure, and transportation and gain a holistic understanding of the global challenge of mitigating emissions while advancing economies. In this learner-centered program, students will be introduced to convergent research approaches, gaining appreciation for technological maturity, timelines to feasibility, and impacts of emerging alternatives. Leveraging UC's and UNCC's locations near major U.S. manufacturing investments, the integrated cohort activities are designed to raise students' awareness of changes in energy utilization from industrial electrification and manufacturing innovations. Participants will report their findings through podcasts designed to broaden public understanding of the role of scientific research in advancing our relationship with energy.
Energy efficiency, industrial electrification, energy storage, carbon capture, fuel utilization, materials informatics, data-enabled discovery, materials design, materials response under extreme environments for energy systems
To apply for this REU site, an applicant must: (1) Hold U.S. citizenship or permanent residency; (2) Be age 18 or older by the start of the program; (3) Be enrolled as an undergraduate student at the time of the REU participation; (4) Be pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Computer Science, or a related field; (5) Have a mean GPA of 3.0 or higher at their current undergraduate institution.
