Previous Welcome to the UT NSF-REU 2017 Program

Why Participate?The Program | Where Are They Now? | Requirements | Application 

 

Why participate in the REU Program?

Our program provides each student with an exciting opportunity to do cutting-edge research.  Possible areas of research include astronomy/astrophysics, atomic physics, biological/Health/Medical physics, condensed matter physics, materials science, and plasma physics.   Students may work on computational, experimental or theoretical problems.
Our students work directly with faculty members on their research problem.  The faculty member provides background information about the area in which the student is working as well as detailed guidance about how to work on the student’s individual problem.  This regular contact with the faculty is very valuable.  Unlike other programs in which REU students rarely see the faculty and only work with a postdoctoral research associate or a graduate student, our program places a high value on the personal interactions of the REU students with the faculty.  The link below will direct you to thumbnail sketches of the research interests of our faculty.  Faculty Research Profiles
The opportunity to work on the research frontier while still an undergraduate student is unique.  The work is challenging, but the rewards are tremendous.  You will be working on your own project in the field of your choice.  You will be the first person to work on this problem and your results will be of interest to the entire scientific community.
There can be no greater thrill for a scientist than to discover something new.  Our students have this opportunity and many have contributed new and fundamental knowledge to the world of science.  Many of our students publish their findings in the refereed literature.  Many of them also present their research at a professional meeting.  The students have the opportunity to discuss their research with the scientists working in their area.  They also learn many new things at such meetings.  It is an exciting experience to learn that one can participate in the highest level discussions about their chosen area.
Another benefit of such interactions is that the student gets to meet the "big shots" of their chosen scientific area.  Making contacts with these people is exciting and invigorating!  Such contacts are also very useful, particularly when one is trying to decide which graduate school to attend.
Undergraduate research is a very useful experience since it teaches you how to ask the right questions.  This is an enormously important skill and, like riding a bicycle, can only be learned by doing.  The regular classroom courses which every student takes provide an excellent education to understand the framework of scientific knowledge.  However, these courses teach you how to generate the right answer, they don't teach you how to ask the right question.  

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The program

   $4,250 stipend for 10 weeks on campus
   On-campus housing provided
   Travel expenses to and from the University of Toledo provided
   Schedule: 29 May 2017 - 4 August 2017 (different schedules possible if necessary)

Deadline: 3 March 2017 for full consideration. However, applications will be considered up until 25 April 2017, depending on the availability of funds and openings.

Our students are fully engaged in research at the "frontier of knowledge".  On the basis of their stated interests, students are managed to faculty members working in those areas.  At the beginning of the program, there is usually a period of time in which the student learns the background information relevant to her research.  This usually consists of reading books and research articles as well as discussions with the faculty mentor.  Once the student has become familiar with the basics in the field, the student studies the details of her problem.  Usually, this means mastering the techniques to be used in working on the problem.  These techniques depend on the nature of the work.  A student working on a computational problem would learn the relevant computational techniques.  A student working on an experimental problem would learn the details of performing the experiments.  A student working on a theoretical problem would study the details of the theory.
Our program is not just all work.  Students are housed in suites in one of our newer dormitories.  A sense of camaraderie is encouraged by housing the students close together.  There are a number of social activities in the Metropolitan Toledo area available to the students.  One high point of the summer is always the trip to Cedar Park, a nearby amusement park which specializes in roller coasters.  Students have a great time studying conservation of energy! The Toledo Museum of Art has a world renowned collection, surprising considering the size of Toledo.  The Toledo Zoo has a number of interesting exhibits, including the world's only hippoquarium.  There is also an active night life in the city as well as many coffee houses.
The exact projects available each summer changes as the interests of the faculty and students evolve.  In order to get an idea of the kinds of projects which are available, click on the links below to direct you to the Abstracts of Summers 2001 through 2009 research projects:    (Note that these files are pdf files.)

Summer 2001 projects       Summer 2002 projects       Summer 2003 projects       Summer 2004 projects
Summer 2005 projects       Summer 2006 projects       Summer 2007 projects       Summer 2008 projects
Summer 2009 projects       Summer 2010 projects       Summer 2011 projects       Summer 2012 projects 

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Where are our former students?

Our former student participants have had a very successful rate of admission to the premier graduate and professional schools in the nation.  Click on the link below to see this list:

        Graduate and professional schools

What are the requirements for our program?

    Be a student interested in physics or astronomy.

    Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

    Be an undergraduate student in an accredited program at a college or university.  In other words to be eligible, you must not have received a Bachelor's degree prior to the summer session.

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How to apply?

    Fill out our online application form.

    Have an official transcript sent from your home institution.

    Have two letters of recommendation sent to our program.

Please have your letters of recommendation and official transcripts sent to:

                  Adjunct Prof. Richard Irving, UT/REU Program Director
                  Department of Physics & Astronomy, Mail Stop 111
                  2801 West Bancroft Street
                  University of Toledo
                   Toledo, OH  43606 

 

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