The DAAD-RISE program enables outstanding students in the sciences to conduct research at top German universities.
Eight University of Rochester undergraduates were accepted into the Germany-based DAAD-RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) program. Participating students are matched with a top German university or research institution as well as a mentor in order to carry out research while also receiving a stipend and housing assistance.
Three of the Rochester students ultimately declined the internship opportunity this year.
The program, established in 2005, is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and aims to promote student exchange to Germany in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and life sciences, and to motivate undergraduate students to learn more about Germany’s research landscape and study opportunities. Internships were first offered to applicants from the United States and Canada, with the program extended to the United Kingdom in 2009 and Ireland in 2018.
DAAD-RISE is hopeful the research programs can be conducted in person this summer, but as of the end of the spring semester for undergraduates in Arts, Sciences & Engineering, non-essential travel remains restricted into Germany due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students unable to travel to Germany may be able to carry out their projects remotely.
“Rochester students have shown a consistently highly level of interest in this international research opportunity, and we are proud that year over year our undergraduate scientists and engineers compete quite well against their peers from other institutions,” says Belinda Redden, director of the Student Fellowships Office. “For many, this program represents not only a significant professional development opportunity but also a chance for an extended experience abroad.”
The scholarship winners who plan to begin internships this summer are:
Jenna Diamico ’22 (geomechanics)
Jülich Institute of Energy and Climate Research
Project: “Statistical Analysis of Gravity Wave Propogation”
Thien Hung Nguyen ’22 (T5) (chemical engineering)
Jülich Research Center
Project: “Materials Synthesis and Processing Advanced Li Metal Anodes for All-Solid-State Batteries”
Maria Plessia ’22 (mechanical engineering)
Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology at Dresden Institute of Technology
Project: “Fatigue Characterisation by Means of AI Methods of Advanced Composites for Aircraft Application”
Hristijan Stojkovic ’22 (optical engineering)
Humboldt University of Berlin Institute of Physics
Project: “Building an Ultra-Cold Atom Machine as a Ground Test Bed for Space Missions”
Navya Uberoi ’22 (physics and astronomy)
Technical University of Dortmund
“Analysis of IceCube Neutrino Follow-Up Data with the MAGIC Collaboration”
Editor’s note: The headline originally stated that seven students won scholarships. In fact, eight students won, but three declined to participate.
