The REU program is a 10-week program that involves a hands-on research experience for undergraduate students, whereby participants work in the labs of some of UAB’s renown scientists. The Summer 2023 program dates: May 21, 2023 – July 28, 2023.

Approach to Undergraduate Training

CNMB basic philosophy is to have Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) students work on research projects, which are simple to comprehend and have some short-term achievable milestones, but simultaneously contribute to longer-term scientific goals and technological applications. These projects should not only be challenging but engaging to our REU participants so that they are motivated to learn more about the research area as well to seriously consider graduate studies. Our teaming arrangement with faculty and graduate students, giving poster and oral presentations, writing a research-style paper, and attending training seminars in scientific communications and ethics have helped past REU students see the “big picture” of what it takes to develop into a “research scientist” with the critical skills needed for analyzing, interpreting and presenting scientific data. Lastly, most of the research projects have been a strong interdisciplinary flavor, lying at the interfaces of physics, chemistry, materials science, and biomedical engineering

The program will pay $6,000 over the entire work period and will involve 400 hours of remote/on ground research with a UAB faculty mentor. The research represents actual projects that will contribute, in some way, to the work already being conducted in the labs.  Housing provided under certain conditions.

Faculty Mentors

One of the most often asked questions that we get is “how are mentors selected?”  We are proud to say that our REU participants play an active role in selecting their own project/mentor.  On the second day of the program, faculty mentors will make Power Point presentations about their available research projects.  We ask participants to select 3 projects for which they are most interested.  Participants then meet with the top 3 faculty of choice and from there, a mutual decision will be made as to which project you will be assigned.

Eligibility

The program is open only to United States Citizens and permanent residents of the United States that are

• Currently enrolled in a U.S. institute of higher education and who will not be graduating prior to the Spring semester of the program year.  (In other words, applicants must be returning to an undergraduate program after participating in the program).
• Must be available for the entire 10 week period

• • Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoscale Materials
  • Diamond Growth and Characterization
  • High Pressure Materials Research
  • Properties of Microelectronic Materials
  • New Laser Materials
  • Industrial Research Projects
  • Fiber Optic Biosensors
  • Materials for Biomedical Implants
  • Electrospun Polymeric Biomaterials
  • Ultrafast Terahertz Spectroscopy in Materials Research
  • Self Assembly of Materials for Tissue Engineering
  • Laser Tweezers in Biophysical Research
  • Computational Research Projects
  • Optical Imaging and Electrophysiological Study of Excitable Tissues

About University of Alabama at Birmingham

Our REU Program The UAB National Science Foundation – Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) “Regional Initiative to Promote Undergraduate Participation in Experimental and Computational Materials Research” The NSF REU program provides a 10-week, hands-on research experience for undergraduate students. During the 10-week period, participants will work in the labs of some of UAB’s renown scientists. The research represents actual projects that will contribute, in some way, to the work already being conducted in the labs. In the video, REU Program Director, Dr. Yogesh K. Vohra discusses the objective of the REU Program, followed by 2013 REU Robert Reeves (pictured), explaining his research project and how it fit into the overall scheme of existing work being conducted in the lab.

Connections working at University of Alabama at Birmingham