NU Nano Scientist Program

The NU Nano Scientist Program, run by the International Institute for Nanotechnology and the Department of Chemistry, seeks to emphasize the connection between material taught in introductory freshman science courses and topics in modern laboratory research, especially as it pertains to nanoscience and technology, highlight the thought-process and skills needed to perform modern research and expose students to a new way of thinking (“like a scientist”); provide interested undergraduates in their first year of college with meaningful research experiences as a route to potentially engaging in four full years of research; and develop the scientific communication and technical writing skills of undergraduate students.

In the first year, the program components include a Freshman seminar that includes an introduction to modern chemistry and nanotechnology research concepts; a Writing workshop, where students prepare research proposals for submission to internal summer fellowship programs; and ultimately, a spring and summer research experience in an NU nanoscience and technology research laboratory.

As a part of this program, the IIN and the Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering are offering NU Nano Scientist Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships to support promising NU undergraduates who are interested in launching their career in research the summer after their freshman year.

For more information, contact Sarah Petrosko at shpetrosko@northwestern.edu.