Up to 20 travel fellowships are available to partially defray the travel and lodging expenses of young researchers.

Travel Support for Minority Students & Faculty at Minority Serving Institutions

• Open to Fall 2008 undergraduates who are US Citizens or permanent residents.
• Selection will be based on academic standing and faculty recommendations.
• Minority and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• All chemistry, physics and engineering majors are welcome to apply.

June 30 - August 8, 2008, at Cornell Unversity, Ithaca, NY

Team-RET provides middle school, high school and community college math and science teachers with an intense, six-week period of in-depth study at the CCMR laboratories with facility managers, faculty, and graduate students. In the Team-RET program, six select science teachers spend the first five weeks primarily in the CCMR Shared Experimental Facilities. They work together as a team to understand how the equipment in the facility works and to solve research problems set out by the facility manager. The sixth week is dedicated to developing a materials science related lesson plan based on their experience in the facilities. Copies of Team-RET alumni lesson plans can be found on our RET Modules page. In the 9 years since the RET program’s inception at CCMR, 51 teachers have participated.

For more information on the Team-RET program please see our RET FAQ’s page.

To apply for Team-RET, see our How to Apply page.

Research Experience for Teachers II (Independent-RET)

Next Independent-RET Program: June 30 - August 22, 2008

A similar eight-week program, called Independent-RET, was initiated as a result of the Team-RET teachers’ interest in deepening their understanding of materials research. This follow-up program provides each teacher with an opportunity to work directly with a faculty member on an independent research topic. Initially, some teachers are hesitant to step directly into an independent research program, but are usually eager to do so after the team-style program offered in the first year.

At the end of both the Team- and Independent-RET programs, teachers are expected to develop a materials science related lesson plan. These lesson plans, which we refer to as modules, have been as varied as the teacher that have participated and have ranged in topic from geology to biodegradable polymers to balsa wood bridges. The full list of RET developed modules can be found on the RET Modules page.

To apply for Independent-RET, contact the educational outreach office.

The Cornell Science Sampler Series (CSSS) is a collaboration between several of the outreach offices of Cornell’s research centers and departments to provide teacher professional development in the areas of science, engineering, technology and math.

Program Location:

Cornell Weill Medical Center
1300 York Ave.
New York City, NY 10021

Approximately fifteen undergraduate students are selected to participate in the program each year. The interns, all entering their junior or senior year, are chosen on the basis of their academic standing, faculty recommendations, and research interests.

The students begin the summer with a three-day symposium featuring faculty presentations on current research topics and tours of related laboratories. In the course of this symposium, a wide variety of possible projects are outlined for the students. The remainder of the first week is devoted to individual meetings with faculty and the matching of interns with projects. During the summer, the group meets weekly for research discussions and informal seminars led by guest speakers. The interns also participate in the regular meetings of their respective research groups. At the end of the program, the interns present their research in a poster session that is attended by the MIT community.

Students spend ten weeks during the summer working on CMSE research as part of a faculty-led research group, similar to our REU summer internship program. The CCP students participate in all REU meetings and activities. In addition, three separate meetings of these students with the MRSEC director and staff are devoted to addressing their concerns about research, seeing that they are comfortably assimilated into their research groups, and getting feedback on the program. At the conclusion of the summer, the students present posters on their research at a summer programs poster session, attended by the MIT community.

Faculty at these colleges take primary responsibility for the selection of students for this program, who are chosen on the basis of their interest, academic preparation, and faculty recommendation. The RCC students choose their research projects from several presented by the MRSEC director during a preliminary seminar. The students are awarded a stipend for the summer.

The 2008 EYH Conference will take place on Saturday April 26.

Designed specifically for high school chemistry teachers, the CCMR Institute for Chemistry Teachers (CICT) is a unique opportunity for professional development. The Institute currently offers a one-week course CHEM 501: Contemporary Chemistry for Teachers, for graduate credit.

Program Details

• 10 week program
• Open to all undergraduate students who will be sophomores, juniors, or seniors majoring in an engineering or physical science discipline.
• Applicants must have an interest in pursuing a graduate degree in engineering or physical sciences.
• Applicants must be a U. S. Citizen or U.S. Legal Permanent Resident.

Stipend: $4500.
Travel: Some travel reimbursement is available.
Housing: Housing is included.

• Applications are especially encouraged from students at primarily undergraduate institutions, women, students who are members of underrepresented groups, and disabled students.
• Participants are required to work full time and may not have outside jobs or enroll in classes that interfere with normal working hours.

Research Topics (details)