Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute

Frequently Asked Questions

Amended 12/1/2008

1. When does the NanoExplorers program start and end?

This year (2009) the application deadline for the NanoExplorers program is April 17, and we will inform those who have been accepted into the program by May 1. On June 12, we will have an orientation session, a “meet and greet” of sorts. The program starts on the following Monday, June 15. The program end time varies, but really depends on the student and mentor. In general the NanoExplorers try to finish up what they are working on and the numbers thin out around the time the local area schools come back into session. However, some students continue working after school, or whenever their mentor can work with them. We have had a couple of students come into the program in 10th grade and are juniors at UTD now that never left the program!

2. How much time per week do I have to dedicate to the program?

This is a good question, and the most often one asked. The work you do in our labs will be associated with real, funded programs from agencies such as NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the Department of Defense. When you join the program, you are joining our team and will be working with our scientists to meet deliverables. We simply do not have the resources to assign a mentor to a student who has only a small amount of time to spend in the laboratory. As a general rule of thumb, a minimum of 20 hours per week is a fair estimate. If you cannot spend at least that amount of time in the laboratory, you will not be able to appreciably contribute to the project team, and will therefore have a less than rewarding experience.

3. My family is going on vacation at the beginning of the summer. Is it okay if I start late?

Unfortunately the answer to this question is no. One of the most crucial parts of the program is laboratory training and safety during the first few weeks. We only have the resources and manpower to offer this critical training one time, and students are not allowed to work in the laboratory until they’ve had this training.

4. What time do I have to be there in the morning during the summer?

I leave this up to the student and his/her mentor. Most of the NanoExplorers who want to give up a summer working in a laboratory have other extracurricular activities as well. And being scientists at a university, we have strange schedules as well. The amount of time that you can spend in the lab each week, how many days per week you can be on campus, and what times you can be in the lab are all determining factors in who your mentor will be. You and your mentor will work out an agreeable schedule.

5. Is there a stipend?

At this time, there is no stipend for participating in the program. Chemicals, materials, and supplies for scientific research are incredibly expensive, and the limited available funds are used to support this expense.

6. Who comes to the orientation session, and how do I know when/where it is?

After you are accepted into the program, you will receive a welcome letter from us. It will let you know where to go and the date and time to get there. You can bring your parents if you like! We may put them to work in the lab as well!

7. What happens at the orientation session?

Well, mostly we eat and talk. We had barbeque last year, but I’m thinking about pizza for 2009, but who knows. The orientation session is for the incoming class of NanoExplorers to meet the students, faculty, and staff that they will be working with during the summer. The Director of the NanoTech Institute and founder of this program, Professor Ray Baughman, will say a few words. Once he finally quits talking, a few of our key staff scientists and students will give brief introductions of what we do at our Institute, i.e. what they are working on. This is where you take note of anything that sounds interesting to you.

8. How do I get paired up with a mentor?

This is the tricky part, and where your participation is required. The first two years of the program, I spent a lot of time diligently pairing up students with mentors before I had even met them. I found that about two weeks into the program some (a bunch) of the NanoExplorers were looking over their shoulders looking at what others were doing thinking “man, I wish I was doing that”, while whoever they were watching was probably thinking the same thing. We work on a variety of programs that span pretty much every scientific discipline, from biology to chemistry to physics to engineering. I found that most of our NanoExplorers are at the stage where they already have some interest in one or the other and I want them to be able to find that niche here. So, how do you get paired up with a mentor? You find each other! After we are full of barbeque or pizza and after the mentors have told you a little bit about what they work on, we’ll push the chairs out of the room and have a “mingling” session. At this point, you can talk one-on-one with the mentors about projects, your schedule of availability, etc. Before you leave for the day, you will tell ME who you are working with! It may sound crazy, but it has worked for the past four years, so I’m going for a fifth.

9. Can I enter my work in the laboratory during the program into scholarship competitions and school science fairs?

It depends on your project. If you are planning on submitting your work for a competition, speak with your mentor early on about it. Some information may be limited due to pending patents or publications. In the past, our students have been very successful in science fairs and competitions like Intel and Siemens.