The value of undergraduate research has been increasingly well documented over the last twenty years. For American students, the bulk of that research occurs at domestic institutions through departmental research initiatives or grant-funded programs. Over the last two decades, the National Science Foundation has also an increase in undergraduate research participation at the international level. In this talk, the participants themselves, a cohort of ten NSF Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) students, will give an overview about their participation in undergraduate research in France during the summer of 2017 and personal experiences; two of these students extended their research experience for the duration of the year. Collaborations between NSF LSAMP (US) and international mentors were established. In these collaborations, students endeavored to produce publication quality results. With NSF LSAMP (US) and international co-mentors collaboratively supporting their overall goal to maximize the impact to a published work based on the research. The 2017 iREU cohort began their experience by presenting their past and future research experiences at a pre-departure workshop at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., meeting with US State Department officials, NSF staff, and a Science Magazine editor. The students then participated in twelve weeks or more of intensive research at respected French research centers in Bordeaux, Grenoble, and Toulouse. While abroad the students each presented their work at an international research conference, and drafted weekly reports of their research progress. These and other novel aspects of the program such as writing prompts, an introduction to the nationwide US LSAMP community, and research interviews are the focus of this session. All phases of the research experience will be discussed, in addition to the outcomes and methods of feedback collection.

The student participant perspective: Enhancing undergraduate research through international research experiences

255th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.