The NHERI REU Summer Program provides research opportunities at the eleven NHERI multi-hazard engineering and interdisciplinary research sites during a 10-week summer research program. The NHERI REU program is dedicated to helping undergraduate college students experience multi-hazard engineering as well as reconnaissance, cyber infrastructure, data management, simulation, and social science research. Hands-on, research-based projects introduce participants to a network of engineers, scientists, and students who work toward mitigating the effects of natural hazards and understanding the impact of natural hazards on society.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are enrolled undergraduate students may apply for this summer program.
During the ten-week summer research program, selected participants will work with a faculty mentor to conduct research. Additionally, participants will receive networking opportunities with other faculty and graduate students, guidance with graduate school and career goals, and support completing a summer research paper.
In addition to working on the research project during the week, the following is a schedule of events during a sample week from the 2018 program.
Graduate school and professional development workshop
DELIVERABLE: Final research paper section due
Research group meetings
NHERI Networking event
Weekly mentor evaluations and student timesheets due
Facility outing / mentoring outreach
The application is open to U.S. Citizen and Permanent Resident students who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program. Because the projects vary in scope, we are looking for a variety of majors including civil engineering, computer science, architecture, and social science, to name a few. If you are interested in solving engineering issues dealing with natural hazards or understanding natural hazards' impact on society, this undergraduate research program is for you!
Under-represented minority, women, and veteran undergraduate students are encouraged to apply to the NHERI REU program.
Selected REU participants will receive:
With the wide range of travel and gathering restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic placed on each host institution within the NHERI network, for the safety of everyone involved, the planned REU program for summer 2020 was postponed until summer 2021.
The third annual NHERI REU program took place during the summer of 2019. Thirty-one undergraduate students were placed within the ten NHERI sites.
After working hands-on with graduate students and faculty within NHERI experimental facilities for ten weeks, students met at The University of Texas at Austin (home to both the DesignSafe Cyberinfrastructure team and the UTA Mobile Shaker experimental facility) to present their research posters and research projects.
The second annual NHERI REU program took place during the summer of 2018. Twenty-seven undergraduate students were placed within the ten NHERI sites.
After working hands-on with graduate students and faculty within NHERI experimental facilities for ten weeks, students met at Oregon State University to present their research posters and research projects.
The first annual NHERI REU program took place during the summer of 2017. Seventeen undergraduate students were placed within sixteen projects spread throughout nine NHERI sites.
After working hands-on with graduate students and faculty within NHERI experimental facilities for ten weeks, students met at Florida International University to present their experience to all the participants in the REU program. Students also produced research posters and research papers about their projects.
Each of the Experimental Facilities within NHERI plus the RAPID Reconnaissance Center, the Simulation Center, and Cyberinfrastructure teams are participating in the Summer 2021 REU program.
If you know a group of students who may be interested in participating in the 2021 REU program, please share this page or the REU Flyer with them.
The summer research program accommodates eleven universities that have different academic schedules. For this reason, two 10-week program blocks have been created. Please select the program date(s) that your schedule permits. If you are available for both blocks, please select both. Otherwise, only select the block for which you are available.
Block 1: June 2 - August 10, 2021
Block 2: June 14 - August 20, 2021
Applications for the 2021 NHERI REU Summer Program will close February 17, 2021 at 11:59pm Central Standard Time. Letters of recommendation are also due at that time. Notification of decisions will be sent by the end of March 2021 to the email address provided in the application.
Apply Now!Each student applying needs two letters of recommendation submitted via the Recommendation Form by the application deadline of February 17, 2021. Each student who applies is responsible for informing their recommenders of the letter submission form and asking them to complete it by the deadline.
Submit LetterIf you have any questions about the application process, please reach out with an email to reu-request@designsafe-ci.org. We will be happy to answer your questions.