Research at Rice
Research in SCI/Applied Physics encompasses advanced materials, quantum magnetism, plasmonics and photonics, biophysics and bioengineering ultracold atom physics, condensed matter and chemical physics, complex fluids, liquids, and polymers, and all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The AP Program is divided into research themes, with each theme directed by a lead faculty member, and with its own specialization curriculum. Visit our faculty page to see a detailed list and see virtual lab tours on the APP YouTube channel.
APP students have the opportunity to work with professors across nine departments at Rice and with faculty at four institutions in the Texas Medical Center, including Bioengineering, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Chemistry, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Materials Science & NanoEngineering, Physics, Computational and Applied Mathematics, Earth Science, Statistics, Baylor College of Medicine, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center.
SCI Research Opportunities
The Smalley-Curl Institute hosts a variety of events and opportunities throughout the year, including those listed below.
SCI Transdisciplinary Symposium
Graduate students in the Applied Physics, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, Bioengineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Materials Science and NanoEngineering, and Statistics departments are invited to present a 5 or 12 minute talk on their current research.
SCI Summer Colloquium
The Smalley-Curl Institute Summer Research Colloquium began in 1986 as the RQI Colloquium and has been held in August of each year. The purpose of the SCI Summer Research Colloquium is to provide undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers working at Rice with an opportunity to present their most recent work.
SCI-STAR: Student Training for Advising Research
SCI hosts a collaborative program that provides graduate students with the opportunity to propose, plan, and oversee original research projects. Working with the Doerr Institute for New Leaders (DINL), the goal of this program is to develop graduate students as leaders in science, especially in the context of mentorship and group management.
Research Exchange Opportunities
Graduate student research exchange programs provide a valuable means of initiating new joint research projects and strengthening international collaborations. These opportunities also provide students with an invaluable international experience, whether visiting abroad or hosting and mentoring visiting students. APP hosts graduate student exchange programs with research universities and institutes in two European cities: Toulouse, France and Mainz, Germany. Visit the Scholar Exchange Programs page for more information.