Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) are intense, highly focused research experiences that usually occur over 10-12 weeks during summer months. These programs are usually national, with locations all over the country, and provide additional professional development training in addition to full-time research and mentorship in a scientific lab. Participating in a summer REU is a great opportunity to network with peers and faculty across the country, dive deeper into an area of interest, or explore a new topic of interest that you might not have time to commit to during the academic year.
Plan early! Most summer REU deadlines occur between December-February.
Finding summer REUs:
The number of REUs available can be a little overwhelming, but there are a couple great places to start your search:
- The Pathways to Science searchable database.
- A catalog of biomedical research internships offered nationwide for high school, undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and first-year medical students, maintained by the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
- The National Science Foundation list of NSF-sponsored REUs.
Many schools and programs also provide their own lists of REUs:
- The University of Minnesota Office of Undergraduate Research list of summer programs
- The North Star Stem Alliance Undergraduate Research Opportunities page
- The University of Washington summer research list
- The NAAHP list of programs for pre-health students
Looking for additional assistance finding a summer REU or preparing and submitting an application? Check out the CBS Summer REU Information Session PowerPoint.