REU Site: Sustainable Chemistry for Integrative Synthesis and Measurements (SCISM)

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, AR, supports the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2024-2027. In this program, funded by the Division of Chemistry, students will participate in research projects in chemical and materials synthesis, measurement, and modeling that incorporate the principles of green chemistry. The laboratory research will be supplemented with group learning experiences focused on innovation in industry, catalysis, metrology, simulation, teamwork, and communication. This site will provide unique research training to students that balances scientific discovery with sustainability. The student-focused research projects will span a range of topics centered on sustainable chemistry. These topics will include novel synthesis of earth-abundant materials, development of sustainable methods for energy conversion, study of chemical and physical processes using advanced analytical techniques, and development of high accuracy molecular modeling at scale. Professional development will comprise the cohort weekly group learning and the site visits to the chemical industry and government laboratory in Arkansas. REU students will be recruited from throughout the nation, particularly those from institutions with limited research opportunities. This REU site also has a focus on serving regional students in Arkansas and neighboring states in the south-midwestern region. 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.