Research Experience for Teachers (RET)
Program Description

2009 Program Dates
June 29 - August 8
Application deadline- February 15

• 6-Week Summer Program
• Obtain Continuing Education Credits
• Develop Research Derived, Standards Based Curricula
• Develop a UMN Research Connection
• Participate in Cutting Edge Inquiry-Based Science in University Laboritories

The RET program is part of our long-range strategy for reaching out to multiple sectors of the educational community. The UMN MRSEC RET program brings high school teachers into a mix of highly motivated, multicultural undergraduates. The RET is a six-week program that, combined with the UMN MRSEC summer undergraduate programs provides an ideal intellectual setting for quality research, high achievement and teaching, and an inspirational environment and unique experience for high school teachers.

RET participants will be active members of our faculty's research groups, conducting research in one of four areas: Engineered Multiblock Polymers, Organic Optoelectronic Interfaces, Magnetic Heterostructures, and Nanoparticle-based Materials IRGs, or one of the various MRSEC Seed groups. Each RET participant will work in a team under the direction of a specific principal investigator (PI), with post doctoral/graduate students from the PI's group and, where appropriate, with a REU student. They will also participate in activities in the IT Characterization Facility (CharFac). Throughout the Summer and into the subsequent academic year, teachers will work with the Teacher Research Coordinator (TRC), who will coordinate the activities of the teachers during the summer and oversee the completion of a standards based curriculum element.

The RET participants will be included in the workshops and courses available during the summer program.
The workshop and course topics include:

• Laboratory safety and hazardous waste training
• Keeping a labratory notebook
• Attendance at technical courses, such as scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction where they learn the theory and basic techniques.
• Work collaboratively with other MRSEC summer participants

For more information, contact Phil Engen.

To apply, please complete the online application below: