Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program

The newly formed Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology offers a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program. The program is designed to provide hands-on experience with the development and productive use of nanotechnology from discovery to production. Located just outside Washington, DC, available research opportunities include:

	Directed Assembly Research to fabricate and study the effects of templating structures on the organization of nanoscale materials and their resultant properties. The facility includes a low-vacuum scanning electron microscope (SEM) for measurement of the assembled structures.			Nanomagnetic Imaging Spin polarized electrons generated in an SEM with polarization analysis (SEMPA) image magnetic structures over a large magnification range. Measurements are sensitive to less than one monolayer of magnetic material.
	Laser-Atom Manipulation Laser control of atomic motion to develop new nanofabrication and nanoscale measurement methods in a fully equipped atom optics laboratory.			Nanomagnet Dynamics Research on the fabrication and magnetization dynamics of magnetic nanostructures. Using microwave spectroscopy techniques, precise information is revealed about the nanoscale material and structural properties.
	Nanophotonics Research to study nanofabricated optical structures that confine light to wavelength-scale dimensions and to investigate light-matter interactions with near-field probing and microphotoluminescence systems.			Nanoscale Transport The electronic and ionic transport properties of thin-film materials and nanoscale objects investigated in a laboratory for device fabrication and photo-electrical probing equipped with probe station, cryostats, and air/ liquid/high-vacuum scanning probe microscopy (SPM).
	Optical MEMS and NEMS Integrated optical micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) with nanoscale elements (NEMS) are being developed for novel imaging, metrology, manipulation, and assembly techniques. Topics of interest include mechanically agile scanning probes, integrated optical sensing and actuation of MEMS, manipulation of MEMS/NEMS with holographic optical tweezers, and high-throughput nearfield imaging using nanofabricated optical reference structures.			Atomic Characterization and Manipulation Research to fabricate and measure the geometric and electronic structure of materials with atomic resolution using an ultra-high vacuum cryogenic/high magnetic field scanning tunneling microscope (STM) system. Tailor-made nanostructures can be fabricated using single atom manipulation along with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).
	Nanoplasmonics The design and nanofabrication of metal-based photonic components and metamaterials that exploit subwavelength confinement of light, for applications in information processing, metrology, and microscopy.			Theory, Modeling, and Simulation of Nanostructures Research directed toward understanding the behavior of nanostructures under study in the experimental research programs in CNST. Includes access to a computational cluster.

For more information about many of these opportunities see the CNST website, the NRC postdoctoral descriptions at NIST, or the NIST publication Guide to NIST.

The Fellowship will include a stipend, and travel and housing allowances. Note that applications for participation in the SURF program are only accepted through participating colleges or universities, and not from individual students.

In addition to the CNST SURF program, there are also SURF programs in the other NIST laboratories (PL, MEL, BFRL, EEEL, ITL, CSTL). Since programs frequently overlap, check out these websites as well. Please indicate your 1st and 2nd choices of the seven programs on your application. Your application will be considered by all seven programs, with a preference to the two programs you indicated.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions is available that may be of assistance in preparing your application package.

The CNST SURF program is supported by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program.

Student Eligibility Criteria

• Intent to pursue a Ph.D. in nanoscale science or technology
• GPA of 3.0/4.0, or better.
• Must be U.S. citizen or permanent resident at a U.S. academic institution.
• Two letters of recommendation into the program by physics, chemistry or engineering professors/department chairs, student transcript, and letter of intent/personal statement.

Plan of Operation

• SURFers work directly with NIST Research Advisors;
• SURFers participate in a weekly seminar program and in extramural activities intended to enrich the fellowship experience
• SURFers give talks related to their NIST research projects;
• SURFers are encouraged to present their research results at national meetings;
• SURFers are encouraged to pursue their Ph.D. degree.

CNST SURF 2008
2008 SURF Program and Activities

Visit the main NIST SURF website for more information or to download the application package.

Contacts:

Online: November 2007
Last Updated: December 2008

Website comments: epgwebmaster@nist.gov