The Cary REU program requires a full time commitment and will demand your complete attention during the 10 weeks. As an independent research program, students have freedom to set their own work schedule in consultation with their mentors, averaging 35-40 hours per week. Students are encouraged to enjoy week ends and holidays, though certain research projects involving field or lab work may demand occasional work beyond the normal work week.
As a full time commitment, participation in the Cary REU program does not allow for other activities such as a side job or course during the 10 weeks.
See the 2020 Student Handbook.
See the Activities page.
To be eligible for NSF/REU grant support, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
No. To be eligible for NSF/REU grant support you must still be enrolled as an undergraduate during the summer of 2021. This excludes students who will be starting college in the fall of 2021, and those who received their undergraduate degree in spring of 2021. However, second semester seniors who will be completing their undergraduate degree in December 2021 or January 2022 are eligible.
No, the program is a full time commitment from June 7 to August 14, 2021. Program dates are NOT flexible.
The application must be submitted electronically by midnight EST, Friday January 29, 2021.
We are asking for your institution's maximum GPA. Some schools run on a 4.0 scale, some on a 4.3 scale and others use a different scale. We use this to determine where your GPA falls within your institution's scale.
Some schools do not use a GPA scale. If this is the case please indicate this and have your written evaluations or other source of information about your performance available upon request.
We are looking for thoughtful answers to our essay questions. Since most of the students that apply to our program are highly qualified, the essays are a very important aspect in our final decision-making process. Therefore, it is in your best interest to put time, effort, and careful thought into writing these essays. You are encouraged to address specific aspects of the Cary REU program in general, and your preferred research project(s) in particular, in your essays.
You are asked to provide the names and contact information for three references. Please confirm that each reference is willing to serve in this capacity. We will contact the references of selected applicants for letters of reference or responses to a set of questions. You do NOT need to provide letters of recommendation with your application.
It is essential that you indicate which projects you are interested in. You will only be considered for projects that you rank, and the order of preference will be taken into account when considering your application. Many students end up being considered only for their top choice project, so do the best you can to identify the project that most interests you.
The Cary REU Program typically receives several hundred applications. Each application is considered carefully by a review committee with an emphasis on identifying students who can benefit most from participation. The smaller pool of candidates is then reviewed by the mentor teams for projects the applicants ranked at their top choice(s). References are contacted at this stage and top candidates interviewed. The Project Directors make the final decision based on preferences from the mentors.
Students will be contacted by the end of March.
The Cary REU program is grounded in the conviction that diversity in our community of scholars fosters creativity, productivity, inclusion and growth. We welcome participants of all races, religions, sexual orientation, age and ability status to join our community. Students from groups traditionally underrepresented in ecology and first generation college students are particularly encouraged to apply.
Take a look at the 2020 Cary REU Student Handbook, keeping in mind that the 2021 program will be different.
Contact Dr. Alan R. Berkowitz
