Summer Research Programs
Summer is a great opportunity to participate in a research program. Known by various names such as REUs or SROPs, summer research programs typically include the following:
- Close work with faculty and other undergraduate researchers
- Time Bound – usually around 10 weeks
- Defined Research Problem – each program focuses on a research problem or topic area that will be explored for the
- Stipend – amount varies depending on the project and its funding source
- Assistance with housing and travel
Summer research programs require applications with deadlines ranging from December through April. If you are interested in a summer program, we encourage you to explore your options early.
Individual Summer Programs
In addition to the databases above, there are several individual programs that have been shared with OUR. The list below is not inclusive of all summer programs, so we encourage you to search for additional programs that may not be listed here. We have also communicated opportunities in our weekly emails.
- AmGen Scholars Program – multiple locations
- Army Educational Outreach Program – multiple locations
- iSchool Inclusion Institute – University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- NIEHS Scholars Connect Program (NSCP) – National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Raleigh, NC
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST SURF) – Boulder, CO
- CCDC Army Research Laboratory Research Associateship Program (RAP) – U.S. Department of Defense, multiple locations
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Research Programs – multiple locations
- Research Insititute for Scholars of Equity 2.0 (RISE) – NC Central University, Durham, NC
- RTI Research Internships – multiple locations
- Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) – U.S. Department of Energy, multiple locations
- Summer Institute in Biomedical Optics – Harvard-MIT, Cambridge, MA
- VUSE Summer Research Program – Vanderbilt University, School of Engineering – Nashville, TN
If you work for an institution or organization that offers a summer research opportunity and would like to have it listed on this page, please email our office at undergraduate-research@ncsu.edu.
NC State Summer Research
NC State’s summer research programs offer hands-on research experience that:
- Introduce students to all aspects of research (planning experiments, managing time, writing up results, and presenting work)
- Familiarize participants with the ethical issues of research
- Enable students to work on projects that can eventually become their senior thesis
- Support students as they determine if they are truly interested in pursuing a graduate degree that involves research
- Assist students in deciding what field of research they would like to pursue
- Help students meet individuals attending other universities, making contacts that can last a lifetime
- Introduce students to mentors that can make a big difference in their future academic development
- Make students more desirable candidates to graduate school search committees
- Prepare students to be more competitive for national scholarships and fellowships
- Provide students an insider’s view of NC State if interested in graduate work
Summer research participants are housed in the same locations on NC State’s campus, which makes it easy to share experiences and make new friends with common interests and goals. In addition, summer research participants engage in several joint activities such as:
- Welcoming Reception
- Safety Training (campus and basic lab)
- Social events
- Undergraduate Research Summer Symposium
- Seminars
- How to Make Effective Research Poster Presentations
- Diversity in Research
- Financing Graduate Education
- NSF GRFP Panel
- Research Ethics