The LG held the 2018 PI Workshop July 11-13, 2018 in San Antonio, TX. The 2018 REU-PI Workshop focused on (see 2018 agenda):

1. Increasing the sharing of best practices within the Chemistry REU community;
2. Establishing and offering shared tools to simplify running individual REU sites;
3. Advocating for inclusive excellence in current and future REU sites by broadening participation and ensuring access of students with disabilities to REU programs;
4. Facilitating outreach, communication, and feedback between programs, and with past REU participants, by utilizing social media (LinkedIn, Research gate, Facebook and Twitter);
5. Facilitating collaboration across disciplines to broaden the appeal and impact of new and existing interdisciplinary REU sites, and for efficient utilization of NSF resources by different divisions and programs;
6. Expanding diversity within the Chemistry REU community by increasing the number of successful REU sites proposals; and Advocating for policy and management decisions in the interest of the REU community.

Broader Impacts: A total of 53 participants registered online and attended. An assessment instrument for the workshop was developed and distributed to the participants. Assessment data was collected from 48 of the 53 workshop participants via Using Qualtrics Survey. Detailed results are provided as attachment. In summary, the participants evaluated the workshop favorably - from perspective of workshop preparation, content to specific sessions. Majority of questions ranked in 90% of good, very good and excellent ranking. Overall evaluation of the workshop was also favorable with all respondents intending to participate in next workshop. The survey also asked for feedback about value of REU LG initiatives to the PI community. The PI workshop was most valued, closely followed by both by Recruitment aiming at broader participation and ACS symposia for REU students. This was then followed by ACS symposia aimed at REU PI/Co-PIs and REU LG website https://chemnsfreu.com/. Unexpectedly, webinars were ranked the lowest, but still 69% of the participants valued them. The feedback from the PI community suggests that LG's focus on booths, ACS symposia and the PI Workshop were warranted.

LG held the 2015 PI Workshop July 15-17, 2015 in San Antonio, TX. The objectives of the 2015 PI workshop were to (see 2015 agenda):

1. Bring together the Chemistry REU PI community to facilitate the interaction and exchange of ideas in formal and informal settings;
2. Inform and engage Chemistry REU PIs about critical issues, such as broadening participation, participant tracking, and research ethics;
3. Provide a platform to facilitate collaboration between REU and LSAMP sites;
4. FHighlight and share effective REU practices on a variety of relevant topics;
5. Study issues related to working with Community College students; and
6. Develop an action plan related to issues for the LG to address in the coming years.

Broader Impacts: A total of 52 participants registered online and attended. An assessment instrument for the workshop was developed and distributed to the participants. They were collected at the end of the workshop. A total of 26 questions were asked to gain answers with a rank of 1 (Excellent), 2(Very good), 3 (good), 4 (Fair), and 5 (Poor). The sheets were collected and the average score was in the range of 1.1 - 2.1. This outcome means the workshop was well-organized, informative, and generally enjoyable for the participants. Attending PIs gained a great deal of information about other sites. The workshop helped new PIs on “how to develop competitive proposals and manage their own sites” and seasoned PIs on “how to improve their sites.”

LG held the 2012 PI Workshop July 15-17, 2015 in San Antonio, TX. The objectives of the 2012 PI workshop were to (see 2012 agenda):

1. Bring together the Chemistry REU PI community to facilitate interaction and exchange of ideas in formal and informal settings;
2. Inform and engage Chemistry REU PIs about critical issues, such as broadening participation, methods for program evaluation, and research ethics;
3. Highlight and share effective REU practices on a variety of relevant topics;
4. Through breakout sessions, develop an action plan for issues for the LG to address in the coming years; and
5. Celebrate 25 years of successful REU programs at NSF.

Broader Impacts: At the 2012 workshop, 46 (ca. 80%) Chemistry REU SDs and PIs convened and discussed critical programmatic issues, such as broadening participation, methods for program evaluation, and a common application protocol. Other topics were brought forward for group discussion. It was concluded that considerable work is needed in targeted areas to make the REU program a systemic approach, instead of a series of rather isolated REU projects.

The LG held the 2009 PI Workshop July 8-10, 2009 in San Antonio, TX. The objectives of the 2009 PI workshop were to (see 2009 agenda):

1. Bring together the Chemistry REU PI community to facilitate interaction and exchange of ideas in formal and informal settings;
2. Inform and engage Chemistry REU PIs about critical issues, such as broadening participation, methods for program evaluation, and research ethics;
3. Highlight and share effective REU practices on a variety of relevant topics; and
4. Through breakout sessions, develop an action plan for issues for the LG to address in the coming years.;

Broader Impacts: At the 2009 Workshop, a total of 62 individuals attended, including 53 PIs, five invited speakers, seven members of the Leadership Group and the NSF-REU Program Director. Four topics were emphasized at the meeting, with significant outcomes summarized for each: 1) Highly effective strategies for broadening participation and involvement of underrepresented minorities; 2) Evaluation of the REU program as a whole and sharing of most effective practices; 3) Assessment of the REU Leadership Group; and 4) Incorporating ethics into REU programs.