What’s Happening Today!

Welcome to a daily drop from That Black Chemist!

The Bioresources and Agricultural Chemistry Experience (BACE) REU is now open for Summer 2026 applications. This 10-week program places undergraduates at the University of Arkansas to conduct research in biochemistry, food science, and agricultural chemistry. Participants receive hands-on lab training, professional development workshops, and mentorship while contributing to projects ranging from bioactive compounds in foods to sustainable crop technologies.

Meanwhile, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have unveiled a breakthrough in steelmaking. By using high-energy X-rays to watch steel cool and solidify in real time, the team identified how microscopic defects form in the metal’s crystal structure. These insights could help the industry reduce waste, improve durability, and accelerate the transition to greener, more efficient steel production methods.

Upcoming Opportunities

🏺 Research Ceramics from Culture to Cutting-Edge Engineering

The NSF-funded Black Hills Applied Ceramic Engineering (BACE) REU offers a 10-week summer research experience at South Dakota Mines. Students will explore ceramics from multiple perspectives through projects spanning ceramic armor, 3D printing, mineral processing, protective coatings, and the archaeology of Lakota tribal objects. The program features Indigenous guest speakers, field studies in the Badlands, and training in geology, materials science, and professional communication.

📅 Program Details

• Application Deadline: Early 2026 (check program site)

• Program Dates: Summer 2026, 10 weeks

• Location: South Dakota Mines + field sites in the Black Hills/Badlands

• Stipend & Benefits: $7,000 stipend + $3,850 housing allowance

• Register Here: [Website]

✅ Eligibility

• Open to undergraduates from diverse backgrounds

• Interest in ceramics, geology, cultural heritage, or materials engineering

⚠️ Bonus Opportunities You Should Know

• 🧪 NSF REU Summer Research Programs: List of funded undergrad research programs. (Search here)

• 🎓 Zintellect: List of scholarships, research fellowships, and internship opportunities funded by the U.S. government or private sector. (Search here)

• 💰 NASA OSTEM Internships: List of NASA Internships for high school and undergraduate STEM students. (More info)

• 🪖 Department of Defense (DoD) SMART Scholarship: $30,000-$46,000 scholarship awarded to top STEM students. (Link)

🌍 International Opportunities

• 🧲 Pathways to Science: List of upcoming internships, scholarships, and research programs hosted by any country [open to international students]. (Search here)

• 🔬 Amgen Scholars Program: Prestigious summer research program for undergraduate students in the U.S., Europe, or Asia. (More info)

• ⚛️ European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN): Search for any upcoming internships related to chemistry, physics, engineering, or data science! (Link here)

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Scientist’s Scroll

🏭 NIST Advances Next-Gen Steelmaking

NIST researcher Andrew Iams is leading efforts to modernize and decarbonize U.S. ironmaking. Traditional blast furnaces rely on coal-derived coke, a process largely unchanged for millennia. NIST is instead exploring direct reduction methods that use hydrogen or reformed natural gas—approaches that could cut emissions and strengthen domestic supply chains.

The challenge lies in adapting these methods to lower-grade U.S. iron ores, which contain more impurities. Using tools that probe materials at the atomic scale, researchers are studying how impurities affect reactions and how to still produce high-quality steel.

By combining precise measurement science with industrial collaboration, NIST aims to boost U.S. steel competitiveness, reduce reliance on imports, and bring new opportunities to manufacturing towns nationwide.

🔗 Read the full article here —>

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Tip of the Day

📊 Present with Purpose: Sharing Data at Group Meetings

Group meetings aren’t just about showing results—they’re about communicating your science clearly and sparking useful feedback:

• Lead with the Story: Frame your data around the research question, not every detail you’ve collected.

• Highlight Key Figures: Use simple, uncluttered visuals that make your main point obvious at a glance.

• Context is Crucial: Explain what the audience should notice and why it matters, rather than assuming they’ll infer it.

• Anticipate Questions: Think about potential critiques or gaps and prepare short clarifications.

• Practice Timing: Keep it concise—leaving time for discussion is just as valuable as showing results.

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Today’s Theme: What’s Happening Wednesday

This Week in Science: Watching Electrons in Motion

🔦 SLAC Tracks a Single Electron Driving a Chemical Reaction

For the first time, researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have imaged the motion of a single valence electron as it guided a chemical reaction in real time. Using ultrafast X-ray pulses from the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the team followed how an electron in ammonia drove the breaking of a hydrogen bond within just 500 femtoseconds.

This breakthrough, published in Physical Review Letters, combines high-powered X-ray scattering with advanced simulations, providing a direct view of electron rearrangements long thought impossible to capture. The results could help chemists better understand — and even control—reaction pathways, paving the way for designing new materials, pharmaceuticals, and clean energy technologies.

🔗 Read the full article here —>

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