REU Site: Elevating Culturally Relevant Chemistry

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site award to Montana State University, located in Bozeman, MT, supports the training of 10 students for 10 weeks each summer between 2025-2027. This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program of the Division of Chemistry. In this program, participants pursue independent research projects in collaboration with a unique faculty member within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, with a focus on a wide range of fundamental topics from catalysis to chemical biology and materials science. Participants also take part in a series of workshops devoted to topics of sustainability in the chemical sciences with an emphasis on cultural sustainability. This REU site will provide research opportunities for Indigenous students, students from regional Tribal Colleges, and students from other institutions with limited research activity and resources in the Northwest, Rocky Mountain, and Great Plains regions. Every summer, 10 participants will each undertake a novel, independent research project, chosen by collaboration with a faculty member of their choice. These projects span fundamental topics that inform the characterization of novel extremophile organisms from Yellowstone National Park, important catalytic transformations such as ammonia oxidation, nitrogen fixation, and C–H bond activation, and renewable energy technology applications such as high-energy-density gas storage, beyond lithium batteries, and solid oxide fuel cells, among others. While these topics are interconnected in many ways, the thematic focus of this site is unified in its emphasis of culturally-relevant approaches to research and mentorship. Approaches to teaching and research that center the knowledge of Indigenous communities alongside other academic traditions will be emphasized. Building effective science communication skills will help Indigenous and other REU students engage in dialogue with members of the public, including their home communities. 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.