SURF & IREP offer hands-on participation in materials research with projects focusing on “Structure-Property Correlation Across Length Scales in Advanced Materials”

Georgia Institute of Technology - Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A.

May 29 – July 24. 2013  

SURF 2013 is for undergraduate science and engineering students to experience hands-on participation in the multidisciplinary field of materials research. Students will work on a one-to-one basis under the mentorship of faculty from different disciplines at Georgia Tech, in advanced materials for biological, energy, structural, and sensor applications

IREP 2013 is for SURF students to participate in research at an international site.  Students will travel to the international site for a period of six weeks from around June 6 to July 19. They will work on projects with a faculty mentor along with his or her research group at the site.

Click a year to view past Surf Projects

2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013

Program Requirements

The SURF/IREP 2013 Program will run from May 29 to July 24, 2013.  Both SURF and IREP students will arrive on campus on Tuesday, May 28, 2013.  There will be an orientation meeting at 11:00 am on Wednesday, May 29.  Weekly pizza lunch meetings will be held, during which the participating faculty will present an overview of materials related research activities in their group. Presentations will also be made on technical communications and guidelines for grad school preparation. A one-day workshop on professional development focusing on entrepreneurship, ethics, and public policy will also be held. Field trips to different laboratories on the campus of Georgia Tech, as well as to materials companies in the Atlanta and Georgia area will also be arranged.

The program will terminate with each SURF and IREP student making a presentation at a special closing ceremony on July 24, during which certificates acknowledging their participation in the program will be presented.  The students will be required to make an oral or poster presentation and submit a one-page extended abstract paper on the research performed during the course of the program.

Stipend

SURF/IREP Participants:  SURF participants will receive a $4,400 stipend for the eight-week term.  Free on-campus housing (or equivalent allowance) will be provided.  IREP Participants will receive the same stipend. Costs for lodging IREP participants while in Atlanta and at the international site including international transportation will also be covered by the program.

Research Program

Many critical technologies and engineering systems of the future are dependent on advances in materials research. Materials possess structural features, ranging from nanometer to millimeter length scales, that bear direct link(s) to their synthesis and processing route(s). The structural features, in turn, determine the properties of materials relevant to structural, chemical, biological, electrical, optical, and energy applications. A thorough understanding of process-structure-property correlations across various length scales is essential for accurately predicting the performance of materials in all engineering applications. The SURF/IREP Program will include research projects (listed below) focusing on Structure-Property Correlation Across Length Scales for Advanced Materials.