INSET

Internships in Nanosystems Science, Engineering and Technology

The Internships in Nanosystems Science, Engineering and Technology (INSET) program brings science and engineering community college undergraduates to the UC Santa Barbara campus for a summer research experience. Interns gain first-hand experience in scientific investigation in a dynamic, collaborative research environment. They are matched individually with UCSB faculty and graduate student lab mentors who provide training and support. Interns attend weekly meetings, special seminars, and have the opportunity to develop their presentation skills throughout the summer.

INSET 2012 Program Dates: June 18th - August 10th, 2012

Read the 2011 intern blog! http://ucsbresearch.wordpress.com/

CSEP

Student Eligibility:

This program is open to undergraduate students who meet all of the following requirements:

1.       Currently enrolled at a community college in California

2.       Over 18 years of age by start of program and not enrolled in high school at the time of application

3.       A US citizen or permanent resident

4.       Majoring or intends to major in science, engineering, social science or mathematics

5.       Has satisfied the following course/unit requirements: (1 semester unit = 1.5 quarter units)

·         Completed or currently enrolled in a minimum of 4 semester units of Calculus

·         Completed a minimum of 12 semester units in science and/or engineering courses for internships with California NanoSystems Institute

·         Completed a minimum of 12 semester units in science, engineering, and/or social sciences for internships with Center for Nanotechnology in Society

Please note: Students who have alreay completed a bachelors degree in a science, engineering, mathematics or technical field are NOT eligible to apply.

The Program:

The INSET program is hosted by the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) , a collaborative effort established by the State of California, situated on the campuses of UC Santa Barbara and UC Los Angeles, which targets the scientific and technological possibilities of working at the molecular scale.

It is an integrative venture that calls upon expertise from a very broad scope of disciplines, including biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, materials science, computation, and media arts. The research at CNSI begins with nanostructure building blocks and determines new ways of seamlessly integrating those building blocks into new materials, devices and systems. By ‘mixing and matching’ components having different electronic, magnetic, optical, and structural properties, our ultimate goal is to create ‘designer materials’ and designer systems that will have capabilities far exceeding those found in nature.

This year marks the fifth year that CNSI will be working collaboratively with the Center for Nanotechnology in Society (CNS), a National Science and Engineering Center to study the societal implications of nanotechnology. With this collaboration there will be two to four social science research projects associated with the INSET program this summer which will allow students to explore the societal impacts of Nanotechnology. Please see the CNS website for more information. http://www.cns.ucsb.edu/

Over the course of the INSET program, the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) Education Programs have partnered with CNSI to sponsor two INSET interns each year in materials research projects. For more information on other MRL programs please visit the following Web site: http://www.mrl.ucsb.edu/mrl/outreach/educational/index.html

The INSET program is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) http://www.nsf.gov/