Number 33, April 2002

Education Highlight

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program

The National Science Foundation makes possible a number of opportunities for undergraduates to join research projects each summer. This allows students to experience first-hand how basic research is carried out, and to contribute consequentially. The principal support by NSF of such activities is through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program. REU "Sites" are established in all fields of science, mathematics, and engineering. Each Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates, who work in the research programs of the host institution. Students are in general accepted from throughout the country. Each student is assigned to a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty, post-docs, and graduate students. In addition, seminars, lunch meetings, and social functions are organized to facilitate interaction between the undergraduates. Students are granted stipends, and in some cases assistance with housing and travel. Students who are in those groups traditionally under-represented in science (women, members of under- represented minorities, and those with disabilities) are particularly urged to apply. Students with special personal needs or requirements, or who can attend a Site only under special conditions, are also encouraged to apply, and to discuss this with Site Directors in advance of the application dates. For more information, visit the REU website.

Global Climate Change and Society (GCCS), one of the projects of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, is an NSF REU Program in Boulder, Colorado. For more information about GCCS, click here.