REU SITE: IDEA Incubator for Porous Materials: Integrating Discovery, Engineering and Art

This three year renewal REU Site entitled "IEDA Incubator for Porous Materials: Integrating Discovery, Engineering and Art (IDEA) Incubator" is hosted by the University of Kansas. The primary goal is to engage ten undergraduate students each year in a variety of experiences, both in and out of the laboratory over the course of the ten week Summer semester, aiming to nurture innovative thinking, communication, and teamwork. These skills are essential to train the future workforce that will help the U.S. compete in the worldwide economy. The topic will help attract students with varying backgrounds to pursue and prepare for careers in science and engineering, and graduate education. Each summer, ten undergraduates will grow as independent researchers and thinkers. Participants will be involved in team-based learning projects focused on porous materials, which have a variety of applications in both chemical and biomedical fields. Training activities will be provided to help students develop a robust understanding of innovation and concepts of time and scale, which are critical for scientific knowledge and discovery. This three year renewal REU Site entitled "IEDA Incubator for Porous Materials: Integrating Discovery, Engineering and Art (IDEA) Incubator" is hosted by the University of Kansas. The primary goal is to engage undergraduate students in a variety of experiences, both in and out of the laboratory over the course of the Summer semester, aiming to nurture innovative thinking, communication, and teamwork. These skills are essential to train the future workforce that will help the U.S. compete in the worldwide economy. During the 10-week summer program, this REU Site will engage ten undergraduate students in research on topics related to porous materials that varies from fundamental to applied. For example, participants will gain fundamental knowledge on how to synthesize absorbents for chemical separations, catalysts to convert renewable feedstocks into valuable chemicals, print 3D passive samples for remediation and tune the surface of heterogeneous catalysts. In addition, students will gain hands-on-experience with state-of-the art analytical tools for characterizing porous materials. REU students will be mentored by experienced faculty and trained graduate students. Furthermore, synergistic benefits will arise from partnering with KU Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site and faculty team’s outreach efforts, leading to broader impacts for high school-level students. 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.