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Expanding access to laboratory research projects through the NSF MONET Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) program. Broader Impacts Broadening Participation Undergraduate Research Experiences NSF MONET’s Undergraduate Research Experiences (URE) Program shows what happens when undergraduate research is treated not as a short-term summer placement, but as a sustained broader impacts strategy. Across multiple years, the program has grown from a distributed research opportunity into a structured ecosystem of mentorship, scientific communication training, cohort-building, conference access, and long-term career support. Early evaluations showed that students gained deeper understanding of the scientific process, research methods, and their specific research areas, while mentors observed growing independence, technical confidence, and readiness to contribute to collaborative research. The stories behind the program are especially powerful. Students have used MONET URE experiences to clarify their scientific identities, strengthen graduate school plans, and enter new research communities. Alumni outcomes show as of Summer 2025 that 15 of 17 URE alumni, or 88.2%, remain engaged in STEM through undergraduate study, research roles, graduate programs, government leadership, or industry positions. Individual stories make that impact visible: Len shared that the program helped connect them to graduate opportunities, including admission to multiple programs and a decision to attend Indiana University Bloomington. Others have moved into NIH research, graduate study, industry, and MONET-affiliated labs, showing that the URE experience functions as a launchpad rather than a one-time intervention. The program has also become increasingly responsive to student and mentor feedback. Clearer expectations, the URE Program Handbook, monthly meetings, virtual collaboration, and structured communication supports emerged directly from earlier recommendations for stronger onboarding, cross-program interaction, and professional development. In 2025 and 2026, the Science Literacy Program strengthened this model by helping undergraduates turn research projects into conference-ready titles, abstracts, posters, reports, and presentations, reinforcing that writing is part of research training, not separate from it. Conference access has become another defining impact. MONET’s travel awards helped undergraduates present nationally at ACS Spring 2026 and SACNAS NDiSTEM, investing approximately $7,000 to support seven students and expand access to professional opportunities often unavailable to undergraduates. These experiences gave students first-time national presentation opportunities, strengthened résumés, expanded networks, and helped make their research visible to the broader scientific community. Looking ahead, the 2026+ plans preserve the program’s strongest elements while adapting to real constraints: local recruitment where housing is a barrier, centralized virtual professional development, cohort support when numbers allow, travel awards when possible, and future experiments with community college pathways. Together, these efforts show that managing MONET’s URE Program is not simply administrative coordination. It is the work of building infrastructure for opportunity: listening to student feedback, removing barriers, supporting mentors, helping undergraduates communicate their science, and creating pathways from first research experiences into lasting STEM careers. Previous Next

Broader Impacts NSFMONET increases public scientific literacy through:

Alumni Alumni ⬅️ All Members Haley Beech Alumni Publications Impacts I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title Previous Next University of California Santa Barbara

Alumni Alumni ⬅️ All Members Clara Troyano-Valls Alumni Publications Impacts I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title Previous Next Grid United

Graduate Student Graduate Student ⬅️ All Members Anthony Mack Graduate Student Publications Impacts I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title Previous Next Duke University

Impactful Programs As with our research, we seek to be distinct and distinctive in our broader impact efforts by targeting high-impact activities we couldn’t pull off in our laboratories alone. Click on our areas of activity to toggle them on and off and display highlights of our ongoing efforts: Research Translations Learn More CRIPT Learn More Data Tools Learn More Outreach Partners Learn More Outreach Kits Learn More Art of Polymers Learn More DISCO Moments Learn More Participation Beyond MONET Learn More Training Events Learn More Lab Exchanges Learn More Technique Tutorials Learn More Signature Professional Development Experiences Learn More

Discover MONET’s wide range of undergraduate research projects! Find the perfect project to enhance your academic experience and boost your career prospects. Explore our selection now. Multi-Mentor Research Experiences for Undergraduates NSF MONET's Multi-Mentor Research for Undergraduates program connects students with collaborative research projects across multiple institutions and labs . This distributed model allows undergraduate students to engage in polymer chemistry research regardless of their home institution's resources. The program has achieved remarkable success in broadening participation in polymer chemistry research, with 90% of participants from small research or no-research institutions. Eligibility Enrolled in an accredited Bachelor's Degree Program. Domestic and International students are encouraged to apply. Get Started To participate, identify a Senior Investigator near you whose research interests you and reach out to them via email. Let them know why you're interested in their research and request an interview.

Graduate Student Graduate Student ⬅️ All Members Gianmarco Terrones Graduate Student Publications Visible-Light-Mediated aza Paternò-Büchi Reaction of Acyclic Oximes and Alkenes for the Synthesis of Monocyclic Azetidines Visible Light-Mediated (2+2)-Cycloadditions for the Formation of Macrocyclic Dimers Impacts I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title Previous Next Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

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Graduate Student Graduate Student ⬅️ All Members Alexis Martell Monterroza Graduate Student Publications Impacts I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title Previous Next Northwestern University

Postdoctoral Researcher Postdoctoral Researcher ⬅️ All Members Jorge Leganés Bayón Postdoctoral Researcher Publications Impacts I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title I'm an image title Previous Next University of California San Diego

Meet our team of distinguished researchers and staff driving MONET's mission. THE NSF MONET TEAM Our award-winning team comprises senior investigators from across the country and the globe, as well as traditional subfields of chemistry, working together to advance our molecular understanding of polymer networks. We are united by a commitment to high impact through collaboration, broadening the impact of our research through integrated outreach to industry and the public, and supportive recruitment, advising, and mentoring. SENIOR INVESTIGATORS TRAINEES EXTERNAL ADVISORY BOARD Senior Investigators Stephen Craig Principal Investigator Duke University Steve Craig is an expert in using single molecule force spectroscopy of synthetic polymers to characterize the full extensional behavior of individual polymer strands. Learn More Principal Investigator Luis Campos Senior Investigator Columbia University Luis Campos explores molecular, macromolecular, and nanostructured materials to develop advanced functional systems. Learn More Senior Investigator Jeremiah A. Johnson Senior Investigator Massachusetts Institute of Technology Jeremiah Johnson has created iterative exponential growth (IEG) chemistry that can be implemented in either flow or batch mode to provide access to perfectly monodisperse polymer strands of precise sequence for Center research projects. Learn More Senior Investigator Julia Kalow Senior Investigator Northwestern University Julia Kalow is developing synthetic strategies for translating molecular structure and reactivity into macroscopic properties, including photochemically gated junctions that allow spatiotemporal control of junction dynamics throughout a network. Learn More Senior Investigator Rebekka Klausen Senior Investigator Johns Hopkins University Rebekka Klausen designs and synthesizes novel molecular building blocks to construct exciting nanoscale materials. Learn More Senior Investigator Heather Kulik Senior Investigator Massachusetts Institute of Technology Heather Kulik leverages computational modeling to aid the discovery of new materials and mechanisms. Learn More Senior Investigator Juana Mendenhall Senior Investigator Morehouse College Dr. Mendenhall is currently the Walter E. Massey Professor of Physical Sciences at Morehouse College, President and Founder of TheraViscTM, LLC, and the TEDx licensee for TEDx Morehouse College. Her ground-breaking medical technology shows real potential in healing osteoarthritis. Learn More Senior Investigator Jeffrey S. Moore Senior Investigator University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Jeffrey Moore synthesizes and studies large organic molecules to discover new polymeric materials. Learn More Senior Investigator Alshakim Nelson Senior Investigator University of Washington Alshakim Nelson develops stimuli-responsive materials and bio-hybrid materials that are designed for additive manufacturing processes. Learn More Senior Investigator Bradley D. Olsen Senior Investigator Massachusetts Institute of Technology Brad Olsen has developed and applied multiple state-of-the-art techniques for characterizing the properties of polymer networks in general and dynamic networks in particular. Learn More Senior Investigator Monica Olvera de la Cruz Senior Investigator Northwestern University Monica Olvera de la Cruz develops models to describe the self-assembly of heterogeneous molecules and the segregation and interface adsorption in multicomponent complex fluids. Learn More Senior Investigator Michael Rubinstein Senior Investigator Duke University Michael Rubinstein has developed theories of dynamic and covalent networks, including models of both thermodynamics and dynamics of unentangled and entangled reversible networks and gels. Learn More Senior Investigator Nancy Sottos Senior Investigator University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Nancy Sottos studies the mechanical behavior of various complex, heterogeneous materials through meso, micro, and nanoscale characterizing deformation and failure mechanisms. Learn More Senior Investigator Nicole Steinmetz Senior Investigator University of California, San Diego Nicole Steinmetz is helping MONET push polymer networks across new frontiers through the design, development and testing of materials and biologics derived from conjugated virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from plants. Learn More Senior Investigator External Advisory Board We are fortunate to have an expert and dedicated advisory board that pushes us to be distinct and distinctive in every one of our science and broader impact activities. Cameron Brown Eastman Chemical Co. Thomas Epps III University of Delaware Jeannette Garcia IBM Brett Helms Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Malika Jeffries-El Boston University Eugenia Kumacheva University of Toronto Janice McDonnell Rutgers University Emily Pentzer Texas A&M University Trainees Abe Herzog-Arbeitman Graduate Student Alayna Johnson Alumni Alexis Martell Monterroza Graduate Student Allison Rattay Undergraduate Researcher Ana Paula Kitos Vasconcelos Graduate Student Anna Gray Davis Graduate Student Annika (Alex) Foret Alumni Anthony Mack Graduate Student Brian Richard Carrick Graduate Student Brogan Dietsche Undergraduate Researcher Calvin Shih Graduate Student Chinyere (Connie) Okeke Undergraduate Researcher Christina Hemmingsen Graduate Student Chuting Deng Postdoctoral Researcher Claire Ogilvie Graduate Student Clara Troyano-Valls Alumni Cody Ng Alumni Curt Waltmann Alumni Danyang Chen Alumni Devosmita Sen Graduate Student Dylan Gregson Undergraduate Researcher Edgar Mejia Alumni Elvis McFee Alumni Emily Wearing Alumni Emmanuel Alejandro Garcia Villatoro Graduate Student