NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites Program. The REU program allows for active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. So if you are an undergraduate student interested in gaining meaningful research experience, consider applying for a summer REU opportunity.
In addition to the REU program, students also have the opportunity to gain research experience through the Partnerships for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) Fellowship. SPUR Fellowships are sponsored by SEEDS, a program of the Ecological Society of America, with the goal of broadening participation in ecology. The award supports the undergraduate student in designing and conducting an ecology research project of interest. SEEDS has established partnerships with field stations and mentors to offer exciting summer opportunities that will be tailored to meet student interests, career objectives, and growth as a scientist. For most opportunities, no prior research experience is necessary.
Check out our video featuring members of the LTER community giving advice on how to get involved in undergrad research:
Current REU Opportunities
Below is a list of summer research opportunities associated with the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network.
-
REU at the Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems LTER
REU at the Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems LTER Undergraduates, come gain unique experience this summer working with a BLE scientist on an ecological research project. The 10-week program starts on June 3 and ends August 9, and it comes with a $6000 stipend.
-
REU at the Hubbard Brook LTER
The Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, with funding from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, has openings for students in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program during the summer of 2024. Applications are due March 15, 2024.
-
REU at the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER
The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Program (GCE LTER) is looking for undergraduate interns for summer 2024.
-
REU in Marine Biology and Statistical Ecology at the SBC and VCA LTER
Researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA), University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and the University of Kansas (KU) are seeking 2-4 undergraduate students, especially from underrepresented groups, to join a Coastal-Heartland Marine Biology Summer Research Exchange Program.
-
REU opportunities at the NTL LTER
The NTL LTER REU Program provides high-impact educational opportunities by facilitating immersive, hands-on mentored research experiences in freshwater science.
-
REU at the Virginia Coast Reserve LTER
Spend your summer doing real science as part of a collaboration among world-class researchers studying the last coastal wilderness on the East Coast.
-
REU at the Plum Island Ecosystems LTER
The Marine Biological Laboratory is seeking applicants for two 10-week positions in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
-
REU’s at the Sevilleta LTER
The UNM Sevilleta Field Station is seeking applicants for 10 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU).
-
REU at the Konza Prairie LTER
Now recruiting students for REU positions at the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research site for the 2024 cohort!
-
REU at the Kellogg Biological Station
Kellogg Biological Station LTER seeks REU students for their 2024 cohort, which includes multiple research opportunities.
Examples of REU opportunities at LTER sites (for application details and dates, see links to current opportunities above):
Baltimore Ecosystems Study
During the Baltimore Ecosystems Study summer experience, students will gain knowledge, skills, and appreciation for both ecological scholarship and translational ecology, and develop identities as scholars and translators of ecology.
California Current Ecosystem
REU students at the California Current Ecosystem LTER seek to understand and communicate the effects of long-term climate variability and climate change on the California Current pelagic ecosystem.
Hubbard Brook
At Hubbard Brook, students will work with diverse research teams, and develop and conduct an independent research project.
Harvard Forest
The Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology is an opportunity for students to participate in mentored, paid, independent research focusing on the effects of natural and human disturbances on forest ecosystems, including global climate change, hurricanes, forest harvest, and pest and pathogens.
Sevilleta
The Sevilleta LTER summer program includes an independently led research project, a seminar series, a weekly journal club, an annual symposium, professional development workshops, public speaking, ethics training, field trips, and opportunities to interact with a multitude of scientists conducting research in the area
Northern Gulf of Alaska
Students will participate in oceanographic research related to the Northern Gulf of Alaska LTER site, which includes water column characterization measurements, zooplankton studies, particle dynamics studies, data analysis, and numerical oceanographic modeling.
W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Undergraduate students will have an opportunity to conduct full time research in collaboration with faculty, postdocs, and graduate students on the NSF funded KBS REU Site ‘Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics in Changing World’.
Arctic
Undergraduate students typically conduct a small independent project related to larger studies of lakes, streams, tundra, or land-water interactions. Participants are expected to collect and analyze data and to produce a poster describing their project near the end of the field season.
Plum Island Sound
This position involves participation in a large-scale, multi-disciplinary project examining the effects of sea-level, climate change, and changes in human land use of the marshes, estuaries and watersheds surrounding Plum Island Sound, Massachusetts. Students will work closely with mentors to develop and conduct independent projects within these research areas.
Northeast U.S. Shelf
Students will join a team of scientists studying the food web of the Northeast U.S. Shelf (NES) marine environment as part of Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER).
Virginia Coast Reserve
National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) positions are available with the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research (VCR-LTER) program for summer 2022. VCR-LTER researchers study patterns and mechanisms of ecosystem function, connectivity, and state changes in the coastal barrier system – from mainland marshes to intertidal and subtidal bay habitats and barrier islands. Along with focusing on one of the specific projects, REUs also help collect data for ongoing long-term field projects.
