REU Site: Solar and Space Physics with the Boulder Solar Alliance

The Boulder Solar Alliance (BSA) REU site program introduces students to authentic research in solar and space physics in an interdisciplinary environment. The REU site begins with a one-week immersive summer school, or “Boot Camp,” where students learn the fundamentals of solar and space physics and essential programming skills. After Boot Camp, the students work on authentic research projects with individual mentors drawn from the scientists at the consortium institutes across Boulder, Colorado. Throughout the summer, weekly professional development sessions facilitate students learning key career and research skills while also having the opportunity to network with peers and other professionals. The 10-week program culminates in a symposium where each student communicates their results through an oral presentation, as well as a poster or manuscript of their findings. The primary goals of this program are 1) Introduce students to authentic research in solar and space physics, particularly those with limited access to research opportunities at their home institutions, 2) Provide access and training on valuable professional skills in the sciences— including written summaries, oral presentations, independent research, software development, and proposal writing and 3) Provide a rich, supportive environment where long-term professional relationships can develop, including relationships between participants and their mentors, between the participants within the cohort, and between the current participants and former BSA REU alumni. 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.