USF CMS REU

Eligibility and How to Apply

Erica Dasi from the College of Engineering shows a lab-made bio-sand filter from Dr. Ergas’ environmental engineering lab.

REU participants must be undergraduate students and US citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. Must not have earned B.S. prior to December 2020. We prefer undergraduates from partner Minority-Serving Institutes (MSIs), but encourage applications from members of groups under-represented in science and engineering.

Procedure

Application will be open from November 15 to February 1. To apply, you are required to submit an online application. In addition to requesting basic information, it will also prompt you to upload the following documents, so be ready to upload these before you begin:

  • A one-page personal statement of career objectives.
  • A one-page CV or resume.
  • A copy of your college transcripts.
  • Two letters of recommendation from two college professors (in math, science, or engineering)
    • Please have recommenders email letters of recommendation to aarellan@mail.usf.edu with subject as follows: (participant’s last lame) LOR CMS REU 2020.
    • Please have recommenders mail a PDF file with the document name as follows: participant’s last name_CMSREU20 (i.e., LastName_CMSREU20).
    • The online system will email them. aarellan@mail.usf.edu
    • Please warn your recommenders about this and the deadline!

Evaluation

In evaluating applications, we consider the following criteria:

  • Academic achievement, 3.0 STEM GPA or higher.
  • Previous research. Experience carrying out scientific research is not a prerequisite for admission to the program. However, prior experience may be a considerable asset for some of the REU research projects offered each summer.
  • Career objectives. We seek participants who will make good use of the opportunity provided by the REU program. A primary goal of the National Science Foundation REU program is to help students make informed choices concerning scientific careers, such as pursuing a graduate degree, or selection between possible sub-fields of study.
  • Letters of recommendation. These provide valuable information about applicants’ accomplishments and potential for independent scientific research.

Application Status

  • The application process for the USF CMS REU Summer 2020 program will open on November 1, 2019.