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June 22 - July 31, 2009 at the University of Minnesota

Apply Now! Application Deadline February 28, 2009

David Brown at work in the Biological Physics lab.

The Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program is a six-week summer research program that supports the active engagement of K-12 physical sciences teachers by involving them in cutting-edge physics research and helping them translate their research experiences and new knowledge into classroom activities. The goal is to help build ongoing collaborative partnerships between K-12 teachers and the University's research community.

Program participants will work at the University's Twin Cities campus for six weeks in the physics research area of their choice. There are also positions available at the Soudan Underground Laboratory for those living near Tower, Minnesota. All participants receive a stipend for the six-week program that is based upon their academic year salary.

Among the career development program activities are weekly physics seminars offered in conjunction with the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, a session on ethics in scientific research, and a weeklly seminar with the Physics Education research group to discuss issues directly applicable to teaching. An annual highlight is an optional field trip to the Soudan Underground Laboratory in northern Minnesota, the site of two ongoing physics experiments, MINOS and CDMS.

RET offers physics and physical science teachers:

The RET program offers:

• Hands-on experience in physics research techniques
• Information about cutting-edge experiments in physics
• A stipend equal to six weeks of regular teaching salary
• Academic year follow-up

Teachers selected for the program will be matched with faculty and research programs that most closely correspond to their interests. Previous participants have conducted research in:

• Biophysics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• High Energy Particle Physics
• Physics Education
• Space Physics
• Astrophysics and Cosmology

The 2009 program begins on Monday, June 22, 2009 and ends on Friday, July 31, 2009. The application deadline is February 28, 2009. Candidate selection will begin immediately thereafter and continue until all available positions are filled. Please click here to go to the application page. Sponsored jointly by the National Science Foundation and the University of Minnesota (NSF logo).