Research Opportunities
1. AERIM Research Experience for Undergraduates Program:
As I see it, research and teaching go hand in hand and I have been particularly interested in involving and mentoring undergraduate students in research. Since 2006, I have directed the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Defense (DoD)-funded Automotive and Energy Research and Industrial Mentorship (AERIM) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in the dept. of Mechanical engineering at Oakland University. The AERIM REU program aims to engage participants in rewarding automotive research experiences that excite and motivate them to pursue careers in scientific and engineering research, and seeks to address the nationwide problem of the under-representation of women and minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Student participants work in teams on automotive and energy-related research projects in mechanical engineering and also take part in other activities such as industrial research lab and facilities tours, meetings with working engineers, conferences and seminars. To date, a total of 104 students – more than half of whom were female -from 70 different universities have taken part in the program since its inception in 2006. Please check the AERIM REU website regularly for updates.
2. NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) opportunities:
REU programs are a great way for undergraduate students to gain a paid, 8-10 week summer research experience. The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds a number of REU sites across the U.S.. These sites cover a wide range of themes and disciplines. Many do not require any prior research experience. Students interested in searching for REU sites, may do so through the NSF REU site. Please note that NSF REU participants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. In addition to the AERIM REU site mentioned above, Oakland University has hosted a number of other REU sites, including the Applied Research Experience in Electrical and Computer Engineering program and the Undergraduate Computer Research in Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace program.
3. Pathways to Science - Resources for Students, Postdocs, Faculty and Teachers:
The Pathways to Science website provides a wealth of information for students, postdocs, faculty and teachers in STEM fields. These include research opportunities, scholarship information, summer internship information in national and NASA labs, graduate school resources, etc.
4. Michigan Space Grant Consortium Funding Opportunities for Students, Faculty and Teachers:
The Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) offers funding opportunities for students, faculty and teachers in STEM fields that reflect NASA strategic interests. These include $3000 undergraduate student fellowships, $5000 graduate student fellowships, faculty seed grants ($5000 with required $5000 match from institution) and funding for educational programs (K-12, public outreach and teacher training). Student applicants must be U.S. citizens. Please visit the MSGC website for more information. I serve as the Oakland University representative on the MSGC board, so please contact me if you have any questions about these funding opportunities.
5. Research Funding Opportunities for Oakland University Students and Faculty:
The Oakland University Research Office website lists several research funding opportunities for students (undergraduate and graduate, including conference travel support). It also lists internal research funding opportunities for OU faculty, including the University Research Committee (URC) Faculty Fellowship program.
6. Research Opportunities for Teachers:
I have been involved with the National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program on Alternative Energy and Automotive Engineeringat Oakland University (PI: Xia Wang; co-PI: Chris Kobus). This program involves middle and high school science and mathematics teachers and pre-service teachers from the metro-Detroit area in multidisciplinary and cutting edge research on alternative energy and automotive engineering for 6 weeks during the summer at Oakland University.