Overview

Program

Application deadline: February 17th 2017 (Closed)

 

 

 

The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) with Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) is hosting the Biological and Soft Matter Research Traineeships (B-SMaRT) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site.

Biological and Soft Materials are all around us. Look out your window, and you may see snow or sand piling up. Look at your coffee cup, and you will see coffee rings. Look at your skin, and you will see it elastically wrinkle and deform as your muscles move. Although these examples may seem unimportant because they are everyday occurrences, the mechanical and dynamical properties of these systems is still not understood at fundamental levels. Understanding seemingly mundane systems opens our understanding of fundamental and important questions about how to prevent grain silo deaths, how to clean up oil spills, how to make self-folding robots on the microscale, and how to fight diseases. We endeavor to engage students in the fundamental aspects of physics through these interesting, yet accessible physical problems of the everyday world. Further, due to the accessible nature of these problems, students can be exposed to true research experiences in soft and biological materials and learn techniques of both experiment and theory.

The research and educational activities are supported by the National Science Foundation, Office of Special Programs, Division of Materials Research. In addition to a stipend of $4,000, we provide convenient and comfortable dormitory housing and reimbursement of up to $500 for travel costs.