While participating in research on-campus at Centre can be a great opportunity to test the waters with research and can also potentially count towards the Experiential Learning component of your General Education Curriculum, there are also all sorts of off-campus research and internship opportunities in STEM. Many of these are quite competitive and so I encourage you to apply more than once. Remember you never know who your competition is in any given application cycle.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU programs)

These are sponsored by the National Science Foundation and most of them (although not all) are housed at universities that have graduate level programs in STEM. REU programs are a great opportunity for you to learn about what graduate school might be like and a great opportunity for graduate schools to recruit future students. REU programs are typically 8 – 10 weeks during the summer and provide a stipend. Some will also provide housing or help cover travel expenses.

Timeline for finding and applying to REU Programs

REU opportunities are typically posted by or before the beginning of January for the upcoming summer. Deadlines for applying are typically in February.

How to find REU Programs

1. Go to the National Science Foundation’s “Search for an REU Site” page found HERE.
2. Click on the discipline that you are most interested in doing research in (example: cyberinfrastructure) or you can use the search bar at the bottom of the page to type in keywords (example: robotics).
3. The search results can be viewed in the browser or downloaded to a spreadsheet for viewing offline.

Within the search results, you should find a list of all of the participating universities that have programs for the upcoming summer. For each program, there will also be a link to the program’s website which will have information about specific projects as well as all application information and 1-2 contact people will be listed. These are often professors in the programs that are hosting the REU and you should email them with any questions that you have before, while, or after applying.

National Lab Research Opportunities

Many of the nation’s national laboratories which are typically run by various science agencies such as the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, National Institute of Health, etc. also have undergraduate research programs. This is a great way for national laboratories to recruit future scientists to help lead the nation’s research programs.

Many, though not all, national lab opportunities are restricted to US citizens. Be sure to check your eligibility for the individual programs before applying.

Some national lab opportunities are still available for up to 2 years after you graduate from Centre College as long as you haven’t yet entered into a graduate level program.

How to find opportunities at national labs

For Department of Energy research labs, you should look at the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) website found HERE. Examples of Department of Energy labs include The National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, CO, Oakridge National Laboratory in Oakridge, TN and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, IL, just to name a few.

• You are eligible for SULI for up to 2 years after you graduate from Centre.
• SULI has research opportunities for Summer as well as Spring and Fall.
• The list of national labs participating in SULI can be found HERE. Each lab is located in a different part of the nation and has unique projects.
• SULI applications for summer are typically due at the beginning of January.

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is a joint initiative between the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense with goals of training up the next generation of scientists. ORISE sponsors research opportunities and internships  at a variety of national laboratories and government offices. To search for ORISE opportunities use the link found HERE. The ORISE internship list is updated throughout the year and these opportunities have a variety of timelines.

The Department of Defense College Acquisition Internship Program is a paid 10-week summer internship program which aims to recruit the future workforce for Department of Defense labs and offices. For more information about the available opportunities and application information use the link found HERE.

• The DoD College Acquisition Internship Program is only open to:
  • US citizens
  • Current sophomore and junior college students
• The application window is September – October of the preceding year.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) sponsors several research and internship programs listed with links below:

• Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Sciences (SIP) is a program which pairs students with researchers either at NIH laboratories or researchers engaged in work funded by the NIH. SIP are usually 10 week, paid summer experiences. General information can be found HERE. SIP has a deadline of March 1st generally. There are also several SIP subprograms:
  • Amgen Scholars Program is a combination leadership and research program with a focus on the relationship between science and society. Only current or rising junior and senior college students are eligible. The Amgen Scholars Program has an application deadline of February 1st. Click HERE for more information.
  • College Summer Opportunities to Advance Research (C-SOAR) aims to encourage a diverse group of students to consider biomedical science careers. C-SOAR involves a full time research internship as well as participation in a variety of career-readiness workshops throughout the summer. C-SOAR has an application deadline in early January. Click HERE for more information.
  • Biomedical Engineering Summer Internship Program (BESIP) is an engineering focused research program that is meant for rising senior students. Click HERE for more information.
  • NIDDK Diversity Summer Research Training Program for Undergraduate Students. This program has an application deadline of February 1st. Click HERE for more information.
• NIH Human Biomolecular Atlas Program has internships for undergraduates at all levels in biology, data science and medicine. Applications are typically due in mid-February. Click HERE for more information about HuBMAP opportunities.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Services (NIEHS) has a Scholars Connect Program for junior and senior college students. This is a full-time, paid opportunity during the summer and a part-time internship during the fall and spring which involves hands-on research on projects regarding human and environmental health. Applications are due in mid-February. Click HERE for more information.

General tips for applying for off-campus research opportunities

Most of these programs are competitive, so start your applications early and ask for advice from the CCPD (Center for Careers and Professional Development) as well as from faculty.

Almost all of these will ask for a personal statement, a resume or CV, your transcript, and letters of recommendation.

When working on your personal statement, it’s important to include why you want to participate in this opportunity, how this opportunity will help you reach your future career goals, and what skills you will bring to this opportunity. Faculty as well as the CCPD are generally happy to help you by reading and commenting on drafts of personal statements; however, be sure to ask early. Here is some advice from Central Washington University’s website on writing a personal statement for an REU program (LINK).

When thinking about who to ask for letters of recommendation, you should consider asking:

• A professor that you have done research with at Centre if you have done research already OR a faculty or staff member who has supervised you at an on-campus job.
• A professor who has taught you in at least one course for your major or the discipline most closely related to the opportunity that you are applying for.
• Your academic advisor. If you have just declared a major, it may be better to ask the academic advisor from your first two years at Centre as they will know you a bit better.

Many of the science and mathematics professors at Centre College work collaboratively with undergraduate students both during the academic year and during the summer on research projects.

How do you find out which professors are researching what?

There are a few ways to find out what different professors are interested in or actively researching.

1. Look up professors one-by-one in the Centre College directory. The easiest way to do this is to use Google or your favorite search engine and type your professors name followed by Centre College (example: “Kristen Fulfer Centre College”). This should find the professors directory entry. The Centre College directory will have the professor’s name, picture, contact information, and some information about their degrees and research interests.
2. For opportunities specifically in math and science, there is a Google Sheet: Click here for link. We attempt to keep this Google Sheet as updated as possible, but remember, professors are humans too. This Google Sheet is organized by program and there is a tab or page for each program that can be found at the bottom of the screen. You will need to login to Google Drive with your Centre email in order to access this document.
3. Ask! Many of your professors love to talk about their research. You can always email or ask a professor directly if they are willing to set up a meeting to chat with you about their research interests.

How do you reach out to a professor to ask about working with them on a project?

Asking a professor to talk about research (especially a professor you haven’t interacted with before) can be intimidating and unfamiliar. Here are two suggestions for how to reach out to a new-to-you professor, go with which ever one feels most comfortable to you:

1. Ask a professor that you know, maybe someone whose class you are currently taking or your academic advisor, to introduce you to the professor that you want to talk with. Professors are human too and will likely understand that initiating a conversation with someone that you don’t know can be tough.
2. Email the professor that you want to talk with directly. I would suggest taking a little bit of time to draft this email so that you make sure to come across professional. Some tips:
   1. Make sure to use an appropriate salutation and title (example: “Good afternoon, Professor Fulfer” reads quite a bit better than “Hey Ms. Fulfer!”). Remember that all professors male and female have the title Professor and you should use this title unless they give you permission to address them differently.
   2. Be sure to introduce yourself. What is your name? What year are you? What classes are you taking that might be related?
   3. Let them know that you are interested in learning more about their research and then ask if they might have time to set up a meeting. It’s a good idea at this point to also give them your schedule, so that they have a starting point for what days/times might work for a meeting.

Again, keep in mind that while reaching out to a professor might be intimidating, most professors are delighted to talk about research with students, I promise!

How can you get academic credit or even a paycheck?

If you work with a professor on a research project during the academic year, you may be able to get academic credit. In fact, this can count as one of your two required Experiential Learning opportunities in the General Education Curriculum. When talking with professors about their research interests, you should ask about the possibility of earning academic credit as each program does this a little bit differently. Some programs have 405 classes which are research seminars. Other programs may have 402 (guided research classes) or some other class that serves as an undergraduate research class. A general rule of thumb is that 3 hours of research per week is equal to 1 credit hour.

If you work with a professor on a research project during the summer, you are eligible for free on-campus housing (usually in Pearl Hall) and often a stipend. Note that professors have to apply for funding to pay students at the beginning of February, so it is important to talk with professors early about summer research.