Upcoming REU Deadline and FAQs

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program for BIO, which is managed by DBI, is currently accepting proposals until August 22, 2018 at 5:00 PM your local time. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends, housing, meals, and travel. Please use the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to guide your submission process.

1. When do I have to submit my proposal?

• Proposals must be submitted by the deadline, which is August 22, 2018, by 5:00 PM your local time.

2. If renewing, what information should I include?

• Report fully on the track record of your site, including cumulative data for all the cycles that your site has been funded.
• When reporting the demographics of your participants, disaggregate the data into the NSF-recognized minority groups. If your program targets another student group, for example, community college students or freshmen; make sure to highlight this effort and the rationale.
• Describe what is innovative about the renewal submission by clearly stating how the new proposal capitalizes on past success, builds on lessons learned, and describes any new initiatives.
• Justify changes in the budget – especially if requesting increased funding.

3. What does a typical budget include?

• Please follow details described in the solicitation.
• Only up to one month of salary is allowed. This can be split between more than one person.
• The program should be cost effective with approximately 90% of direct costs allocated to participants. The solicitation suggests up to $1200/week/student, and most BIO REU programs provide support at $1100/week/student.

4. What is the current student stipend?

• $575 per week in Summer 2019 onwards.

5. Do I need an intellectual theme?

• Yes, this is a solicitation requirement.

6. What constitutes an intellectual theme?

• There should be a common research “umbrella” that provides connections between the student projects. This could be conceptual or technical.

7. What student population participates in the REU?

• The BIO REU is known for its diversity, and as set out in the solicitation, students from underrepresented groups and from colleges and universities with limited opportunities for research should be recruited for participation.
• A typical BIO-funded REU program has at least 50% of students from underrepresented groups.

8. How many letters of collaboration can I have?

• Up to 5 letters of collaboration are allowed. Remember these should not be letters of support or endorsement. Rather they should specify what collaborators commit to do, as outlined in your proposal.