Frequently Asked Questions

We are looking for a diverse group of students who are current sophomores or juniors in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) majors. The ideal candidate will be bilingual in Spanish and English. You must be a current undergraduate student and a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident of the United States. You also must have a valid passport or green card to participate in this program.

The expenses covered by the program include round trip air travel to and from Illinois (for out of state participants) or travel cost reimbursement (for participants living nearby). Round trip air travel to and from Cancun, Mexico, is also included, as well as room and board for the duration of the program.

Participating students will receive a stipend of $600 per week (disbursed bimonthly through direct deposit) for the eight weeks.

There are no prerequisites for this program, but we would like students to have at least one year of background in one or more of the basic sciences – biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics.

While you don't need any special skills to participate in this program, we are looking for exceptional students who are hard workers and are willing to develop and improve their research skills. You should be comfortable working outdoors, have organizational and time management skills, and have good attention to detail.

Students with families are welcome. Families may join the participating student for any part of the program, but their room and board and travel costs will not be covered.

Yes. The ideal applicant is in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) major. This includes geology, environmental science, biology, engineering, and many other majors. Students in non-STEM majors or with undeclared majors are also welcome to apply as long as they have taken at least one year of a basic science (biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics).

During the program weekends are mostly free (with the exception of travel weekends), so participants are permitted to come and go as they please. Note that any extra travel costs incurred for conflicts will not be covered or reimbursed. Conflicts occurring between Monday and Friday are handled on a case-by-case basis and are unlikely to be approved (exceptions have included green card interviews and major scholarship interviews). We may be able to accommodate late arrivals or early departures that are necessary because of semester start or end dates, but these will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please give the letter of recommendation link to the person who will supply the recommendation and have them submit it by March 1, 2022.

One letter of recommendation is required but you are free to submit more than one.

REU Summer 2022

Application Questions Preview

This is a list of abbreviated questions.

Please have your responses to the questions below ready when applying online.

The online application is available Nov 15, 2021 – February 15, 2022.

• First, middle, and last name
• Date of birth
• Preferred email for primary communication
• Phone Number
• Citizenship (Please note this is a federally funded program and we are unable to accept students who are not U.S. Citizens, Nationals, or Permanent Residents.)
• Current mailing address
• Primary hometown
• Please rank order your choice of projects (see the current project descriptions)
• Race
• Ethnicity
• Gender
• Veteran status
• Disability to disclose (disclosure does not impact the evaluation of the application)
• Do you speak Spanish
• Degree of Spanish proficiency
• Do you have a passport valid until September 2022?
• Current college or university
• Type of college or university (2-yr, 4-yr, Technical, Liberal Arts, etc.)
• Degree sought (Associates, Bachelor’s)
• Enrollment status (full-time, part-time)
• Current class standing (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior)
• Expected date of bachelor’s degree
• Are you transferring to a different college or university in Fall 2022, which one
• Is your current institution (or will transfer to) a Hispanic-serving institution
• What is your major
• What is your minor
• What is your GPA
• What is your GPA for the courses in your major
• Are you a Pell Grant recipient
• Are you currently eligible to receive financial aid
• Are you a dependent of your parents or guardians
• How are you financing your education
• What is the highest degree your mother/guardian completed
• What is the highest degree your father/guardian completed
• What are your parent’s/guardian’s occupations
• What are your academic interests
• Do you have any previous undergraduate research experience
• Do you have any specific skills you feel you will bring to the project
• Are you a member of any relevant organizations
• List any honors or relevant awards
• Why are you interested in this REU
• What are your academic and professional goals
• How will your participation help you achieve these goals
• Tell us about a significant experience where you were challenged (work, school or personal life). What were the challenges, how did you face them, overcome them, and what did you take away from the experience.
• Any existing time commitments that would affect your participation (June 20 – Aug 12, 2022)
• How did you hear about this REU
• Have you previously participated in a NSF-funded REU, if yes, which one
• Anything else you want us to know
• Unofficial transcripts in PDF form required.
• Are you now or will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before the start of this REU