麻豆蜜桃AV

Eligibility and How to Apply

REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must be undergraduate students and US citizens, US nationals, or legal permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. Applicants must not have earned B.S. or B.A. prior to December 2025. Applications from members of groups under-represented in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are encouraged to apply. The 麻豆蜜桃AV is an equal opportunity institution. 

Prospective participants must be fully available during this time (May 19-July 25, 2025) and not enrolled in other classes or have a job or internship to accept placement on the REU.

PROCEDURE

Application will be open from December 6, 2024 to February 3, 2025. Acceptance letters will be sent between February 28 and March 20. To apply, you are required to submit an online ETAP application. Questions on ETAP application have standard verbiage from NSF and previous experience is not necessary. 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: 

1. A one-page CV or resume.
   • The CV/resume file must be named as follows: participant鈥檚 last name_ resume (i.e., Arellano_ resume).
2. A copy of your college or high school unofficial transcripts.
   • The transcript file must be named as follows: participant鈥檚 last name_ transcripts (i.e., Arellano_ transcripts).

Your application will be rejected if the files do not adhere to the specified naming scheme.

We are seeking participants who are great team players with life skills. The essays will be heavily weighted in the participant selection. We will be looking for specific examples from your life experience. You will be prompted to submit the following of brief statements or short essays:

• Why are you interested in the research opportunity this program offers? Be as specific as possible about the Making Waves REU program and the research projects you chose. Also, briefly explain how and why you feel the Making Waves REU program will benefit you and have an impact on your future professional life. Please answer in 400 words or less.
• In reflecting on your own identities and lived experiences what have you learned that will help you to contribute to an inclusive and supportive environment in the Making Waves REU program and beyond?  Another way to look at this is that everyone has something to teach and learn; what have you learned from someone different from you? Please provide specific examples. (200 words or less) 
• Research can be a challenging process that often does not go the way we expect it to, and requires perseverance, determination, collaboration, and ability to ask for help. Tell us how you have faced adversity or failure as you have pursued your education, career, or life. How did you persevere and what did you learn from the experience? (300 words or less).
• Research involves the following skills (among others):
  • problem solving (e.g. including critical thinking, thinking creatively, adapting to change) 
  • collaboration (e.g. strong communication, working in a group) - learning from feedback 
  • self-motivation (e.g. taking initiative, pursuing a passion, working independently)
  • Please discuss examples of how your previous experiences (research, work, academic, extra-curricular, service, community, personal, family) have provided you with at least 2 of these skills that makes you a good candidate for the Making Waves REU program.

You will have to submit information for one reference who will write a letter of recommendation (professor or teacher preferably in Science Technology Engineering Arts and Marine Science). 

• The letter will need to be signed and on official letterhead from your institution.
• The PDF file must be named as follows: participant鈥檚 last name_LOR (i.e., Arellano_LOR).
  • Your application will be rejected if the files do not adhere to the specified naming scheme.
• Letter of recommendation must be received no later than February 3, 2025.
  • Letter of recommendation submission instructions are in ETAP.

You will be prompted to rank six projects. Dr. Pamela Hallock Muller is hosting only one student. We cannot always match a student with a project preference, but we try.

Please review the projects here. 

If you have any questions, please contact aarellan@usf.edu (Email subject 鈥淢WREU 2025鈥�).

EVALUATION

In evaluating applications, we heavily evaluated applicants鈥� brief statements (short essays listed above) and we will consider the following criteria:

• Interest in Research Opportunity: We will assess the applicant鈥檚 specific interest in the Making Waves REU program and the chosen research projects. We will look for clarity and relevance in their explanations.
• Program Benefits and Professional Impact: We will evaluate how well the applicant understands the potential benefits of the program for their academic and professional future. We will analyze the explanations on how participation in the program is expected to benefit applicant鈥檚 professional future and impact their career path.
• Personal Experiences and Community Building: Applicants will be evaluated on their potential to contribute to a supportive environment in the Making Waves REU program, their ability to reflect on personal identities and lived experiences, and how these insights might enhance their contribution to their community. Applicants should give specific examples of how they've interacted with and learned from people different from themselves. Applicants should explain how these experiences have shaped their approach to teamwork, learning, and collaboration.
• Response to Challenges: Applicants will be evaluated on how they have demonstrated perseverance and determination in the during challenges. We will look for examples of how they sought help or collaborated with others to overcome challenges.
• Important Skills: We will consider applicant鈥檚 ability to engage in critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability to change through specific examples they provide from past experiences, such as research projects, academic challenges, or personal obstacles. We'll also consider applicant鈥檚 ability in working within a team and their communication skills. We will evaluate examples where they have actively learned from feedback in group settings, whether in academic, work, family or community projects. Lastly, we will consider their self-drive, where they've taken the lead on projects or followed their passions independently.
• Letter of recommendation: These provide valuable information about applicants鈥� accomplishments and potential for independent scientific research.

APPLY NOW

• The application process for Making Waves REU Summer 2024 program will open December 6, 2024 and close on February 3, 2025 at 11:59 pm. .
• Questions on ETAP application have standard verbiage from NSF and previous experience is not necessary. Selection will heavily rely on essay questions above or at the end of the ETAP application.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered by the selection committee.