Paid Research Experiences for Undergraduates: REU and Similar Programs

What REU Means

REU stands for Research Experiences for Undergraduates, a National Science Foundation funding mechanism that supports undergraduate research across every field NSF funds, from biology and chemistry to computer science, engineering, and the social sciences. NSF funds two versions: REU Sites, standalone programs built around a research theme that host multiple students each summer, and REU Supplements, add-on funding attached to a professor's existing NSF grant that lets them bring on one or two undergraduates.

Who Can Apply

Federal rules require that REU Site and REU Supplement participants be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or U.S. permanent residents, according to NSF. Beyond that, each site sets its own academic requirements, commonly a minimum GPA and specific coursework in the relevant field, since sites want students ready to contribute quickly during a short summer term.

How to Apply

You do not apply to NSF directly. Each REU Site runs its own application process and reviews its own applicants, so you apply site by site, the same way you would apply to individual internships. NSF maintains a searchable directory of active REU Sites where you filter by subject area and location.

Most sites open applications in the fall and winter for the following summer, with many deadlines falling between January and March. Build your list of target sites early, since some close applications months before the program starts.

Which Majors Commonly Apply

REU sites exist across every field NSF funds, so the pool is wider than the physical sciences alone. Common applicant majors include biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics, engineering, psychology, and economics, since NSF funds research in the social and behavioral sciences alongside the natural sciences. Read each site's description closely, since a site listed under one department sometimes welcomes applicants from a related major with the right coursework.

What You Get

REU sites pay participants a stipend for the summer and typically help with housing and travel to the site, with the exact amount and structure set by each individual program rather than a single NSF-wide rate. Ask each program directly for its stipend amount, housing arrangement, and whether travel costs are reimbursed, since this varies widely between sites.

Similar Paid Research Programs

• DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI), placing students in Department of Energy national laboratories for a semester or summer.

• Amgen Scholars Program, a paid summer research fellowship at partner research universities for students in the biological and biomedical sciences.

• NIH-funded summer research programs run through individual medical schools and research institutes, aimed at students interested in biomedical research.

• NASA internships through individual field centers, open to students in STEM fields tied to aerospace and earth science.

• Institution-specific summer research programs, run by individual universities for their own students or open nationally, often listed on the same research office pages that post REU information.

Why It Is Worth Doing

A paid summer research position gives you full-time research experience without a part-time job competing for your hours, a letter of recommendation from a faculty mentor outside your home school, and, in many cases, a co-authorship or acknowledgment on a paper or poster. Graduate programs weigh sustained research experience heavily in admissions, and a funded summer program is one of the clearest ways to build that record before you apply.

How to Build a Strong Application

• Apply to multiple sites rather than one, since REU sites are competitive and typically accept a small cohort each summer.

• Ask a current professor or research mentor for a recommendation letter early, before deadlines hit.

• Write a personal statement that explains a specific research interest and why that site's work fits it, not a general statement about liking science.

• List any prior research, lab coursework, or independent projects, even small ones, since sites want evidence you work independently.

REU vs. Research on Your Own Campus

An REU takes you to a different university for the summer, which builds a network beyond your home school and looks different on a graduate application than research done entirely at your own institution. Research on your home campus continues year round, builds a longer relationship with one mentor, and does not need summer housing or travel. Many students do both across their undergraduate years: campus research during the semester, an REU or similar paid program over the summer.

Timing Your Search Around the Academic Year

Start browsing the NSF REU directory in your fall semester for the following summer. Programs aimed at first and second-year students exist alongside programs that expect junior-level coursework, so read each site's eligibility notes closely instead of assuming REU means the same entry requirements everywhere. A rejection from one site is common given the small cohort sizes, so plan your semester schedule with a backup option, such as a campus research position, in case summer plans fall through.