Utilizing Plastic Waste in Applications for Removing Dissolved Debris
The Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program UPWARDD: Utilizing Plastic Waste in Applications for Removing Dissolved Debris is housed in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Alabama and is supported by awards from the National Science Foundation (2029387 and 2132133).
This program provides opportunities for hands-on environmental research within state-of-the-art laboratories at The University of Alabama, under the direction of faculty in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry, and Biological Sciences. Participants are sought for the following three opportunities:
During the program, participants will:
Each participant must:
The scheduled activities are designed to engage students in engineering research and further increase interest and understanding of the wide-ranging field of polymers and plastics upcycling. The program will foster technical development and research skills, afford sufficient time to complete research assignments, and provide social and educational activities away from UA’s campus. Throughout each week, participants will spend most of their time in the research lab, under the supervision of their matched faculty mentor and their research team.
Friday Lunches: During the lunch period, the participants will meet as group with their research mentors to present their research in an informal setting.
Local Excursions: Local excursions will include a local river clean-up and a trip to the Tuscaloosa recycling facility.
Participant Symposium: Each participant will each give a presentation on their summer research the final Friday of the program at an all-day symposium. Additionally, the students will present their 3D printed object. These objects will be judged by the faculty and graduate student mentors and a winner will be announced and given a small prize. Feedback will be provided to participants on their presentation performance.
REM Grantee Meeting: All college students and high school teachers who have shown a substantial effort on their project will be encouraged to present a poster/presentation at the REM Grantee Meeting in Washington, DC in late January or early February 2024. A travel stipend will be available to assist with travel costs.
Please fill out the following form to apply for the program.