NSF/REU Grant Submission
Information
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
What is an REU grant?
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. The REU program seeks to expand student participation in all kinds of research – whether disciplinary, interdisciplinary, or educational in focus – encompassing efforts by individual investigators, groups, centers, national facilities, and others.
Link: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&from=fund
Who can apply for an
REU grant?
In general, anyone eligible to apply for an NSF grant (or who has a recent, active grant) may apply for the REU supplement to include undergraduates.
Who is eligible for an
REU grant?
Undergraduate REU student participants must be citizens or
permanent residents of the
How can I learn more
about applying for an REU?
The REU Program Announcement, which can be found under Program Guidelines on the REU Program Overview page provides guidance on how to apply for an REU Supplement. The REU Program Announcement, which can be found under Program Guidelines on the REU Program Overview page provides guidance on how to apply for an REU Supplement or for an REU Site.
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&from=fund
http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/faculty.jsp
Is there anything
else I should know?
A request for an REU Supplement may be included within a proposal for a new or renewal NSF grant or cooperative agreement or as a supplement to an ongoing NSF-funded project. An REU Supplement request is handled by the NSF program officer for the underlying research grant. A list of Program officers may be found at:
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&org=NSF
What about the
paperwork involved?
It’s very minimal; typically involving the addition of one sentence (in your project summary), one paragraph (in your project description), and one or two pages (the supplement that answers four basic questions). Following the links below will take you to the examples of each we’ve provided for you.
If you wish to write
a REU supplement for an existing NSF grant skip the
next section.
Guidelines and
examples about writing a REU supplement for a new NSF
grant
Three steps:
1)
The addition of one sentence to your project
summary that briefly enumerates the type of undergraduates, experiences, and
outcomes associated with your request.
For example: This REU grant will provide funds for up to six bright, motivated
junior scholars from underrepresented minorities to experience and be trained
in the research process from its development, implementation, and data
collection through the analysis, writing, and presentation of the findings at a
professional conference.
2) The addition of one paragraph in your project description that briefly encapsulates how your desired undergraduate cohort will be selected, involved, mentored, and benefit from the experience.
For example: A small group of interested, upper division undergraduates will be
screened and selected on the basis of academic standing and performance, major,
relevant skill sets, graduate school plans, and collaborative capabilities.
Each will receive training and supervision in the ethical, methodological,
theoretical, and practical aspects of team research from both PIs and research
assistants. Undergraduates will participate in each and every aspect of the
research project; including ethical considerations and IRB training,
experimental design, lab procedures, coding, statistical analysis, scientific
writing, group seminars, and professional conferences. Students completing
these components will qualify for an Honors certificate; have a thorough
knowledge of the research process; and possess contacts and networks in an
intended career or academic area where they have gained relevant and
transferable skills and experience.
3) Last, a one or two page supplement that answers four basic questions in more detail; including 1) a brief project description section; 2) an explanation of the proposed undergraduate’s involvement; 3) the PI’s experience in involving undergraduates in research; and 4) the process and criteria for selecting students.) This final section also corresponds to the lone, additional requirement for an existing NSF grant, and may be found at: [Link to Page 3 here]
Naturally, the language and specifics would vary according to the research area or discipline, basic templates could be created and amended for campus-wide use, and a variety of successfully awarded REU grants may be located by typing in “REU” at: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
Guidelines and an
example of writing your REU supplement for an existing NSF grant …
The supplemental form is quite short (a page or so total); consisting of four parts: 1) a brief project description section (easily adapted from that portion of the NSF grant); and responses to three additional questions, 2) an explanation of the proposed undergraduate’s involvement; 3) the PI’s experience in involving undergraduates in research; and 4) the process and criteria for selecting students. Although the language and specifics would vary according to the research area or discipline, basic templates could be created and amended for campus-wide use, and a variety of successfully awarded REU grants may be located by typing in “REU” at: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
The example provided just below has been adapted from a recently awarded REU supplement in the social sciences…
Example: REU SUPPLEMENT TO EXISTING NSF AWARD (SES-XXXXXX)
Project (this
section lends itself to adaptation from original grant, with one addition)
The current NSF study [project grant dates here] entitled [project name here] is a [duration/time period] study that investigates [brief theoretical background provided here]. Over this [time period], [number] participants will be involved in this study…
[Brief methods section provided for each year of study.]
[addition: justification provided here for undergraduate help each year.]
Prospective Student’s
Involvement in Project
The complexity and range of this project provides a good opportunity for undergraduates to receive training not only in [discipline/area] theory and methodology, but also in the technical aspects of a research project. We would like to include a REU component to extend a valuable research opportunity and hands-on training to [number] promising students. The prospective undergraduates will be involved in all phases of the research project. [Daily/weekly/monthly meetings] will be the forum where instruction occurs as to how [discipline/area] theory can be tested in the current project. Students will also be instructed on [specific methodological issues and/or designs here; for example: lab and safety procedures, subject/participant protections, distinctions between independent and dependent variables, operationalization, controls and manipulation checks, debriefing, and so forth.]
Technically, the undergraduates will: [initial list of data collection tasks to be performed here.] Following that phase of the research, undergraduates will [next list of tasks, such as coding, cleaning data, and so forth]. Finally, each student will have the opportunity to participate in various outlets for findings [such as write their own paper, collaborate in writing, receive co-authorship, attend or present at a professional conference, etc.] Exposure to these theoretical, methodological, and technical experiences will enrich each student’s undergraduate experience and enrich their understanding of [discipline/area] research. They will learn the process of developing, implementing, analyzing, and writing about [discipline/area] research in a meticulous, systematic, critical, and ethical fashion. Students will learn important and transferable skill sets for import into their own career goals.
Experience of PI in
Involving Undergraduates in Research
I/we have had [amount/type of] involvement in the training of undergraduates at the [name of school]. My/our work with undergraduates has taken the form of [list here]; and was recognized by [committees, awards, etc.]. The goal at the [name of school/research laboratory] is to make the research experience “come alive” for undergraduates. Classroom and textbook learning gets translated into “hands on” learning and practical research experiences in the real world [and/or satisfies an Honors requirement, involves a civic engagement component, etc.]
Process and Criteria
for Selecting Students
[Number] students will be/have been [selected, pre-selected, etc.] as a student pool for this project. The selection process will consist/consisted of [list here including announcement to whom, where and when; target student population; applications, interviews, etc.] Students were rated on several dimensions: [including such considerations as academic standing, GPA, academic/work schedules and loads, future plans, social, communication, and computer/software skills, membership in an underrepresented group, and so forth.]
Preferred undergraduates will be/have been selected on the basis of [criteria listed here, such as bright, career-motivated, articulate, socially adept at dealing with diverse populations, a team player in the study, lab experience, minority/disability status, bilingual, computer savvy, etc.] The top [number desired] students across those dimensions, plus a small group of second-tier replacement candidates has been/will be chosen. Brief biographical sketches of each is/will be provided. [All/most/some] undergraduates are [attributes here, such as from underrepresented groups, good academic standing, seeking to continue their education through graduate work in a relevant field, etc.]
For more ideas about
language and successful examples of other recently awarded REU supplemental
grants (perhaps in your own discipline or area of research):
http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/ and
search “REU”.