Research Experiences for Undergraduates

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for supporting student research:

REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme.

REU Supplements may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects.

REU projects with an international dimension are welcome.

Undergraduate student participants in either REU Sites or REU Supplements must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals,or U.S. permanent residents.

Students do not apply to NSF to participate in REU activities, and NSF does not select students for the opportunities. Investigators who receive REU awards establish their own process for receiving and reviewing applications and selecting students, and students follow the instructions provided by each REU Site or REU Supplement to apply. (In some cases, investigators pre-select students for REU Supplements.) To identify appropriate REU Sites, students should consult the directory of active REU Sites on the Web at https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm.