The NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program provides immersive, hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate students across all STEM fields. Unlike traditional coursework, REU projects place students directly into active research environments, enabling them to contribute to real scientific inquiry while developing technical expertise, analytical skills, and professional competencies. REU funding supports two primary models: REU Sites, which host cohorts of students each year around a unifying research theme, and REU Supplements, which allow investigators with existing NSF awards to include undergraduate researchers in their projects. 

REU Sites offer structured research experiences that often include mentorship networks, professional-development workshops, research communication training, social cohort activities, fieldwork, and preparation for graduate school. Sites typically emphasize broadening participation in STEM by recruiting students from underrepresented groups, community colleges, institutions with limited research opportunities, Tribal colleges, and rural-serving universities. Many REU Sites are interdisciplinary, spanning fields such as environmental science, materials research, AI and computing, robotics, climate science, molecular biology, cognitive science, mathematics, cybersecurity, oceanography, and engineering. 

REU Supplements integrate undergraduate researchers into ongoing NSF-funded projects, giving them individualized training and hands-on engagement with advanced instrumentation, computational tools, laboratory techniques, or field operations. These supplements expand the educational impact of NSF research awards and strengthen the STEM pipeline by supporting early-stage researchers. 

Eligibility for hosting REU Sites is restricted to U.S. institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and other eligible entities. Undergraduate participants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. Strong proposals articulate a clear research theme, robust mentoring structures, recruitment and retention plans, student-support systems, evaluation strategies, and broader impacts associated with STEM workforce development. 

Effective REU programs emphasize high-quality mentorship, inclusive training environments, authentic research responsibilities, and opportunities for students to present findings at conferences or publish results. The ultimate goal is to inspire undergraduates to pursue advanced STEM education and careers by offering transformative research experiences early in their academic journeys. 

ScienceDocs Can Help 

ScienceDocs assists REU Site and Supplement applicants with cohesive proposal development, mentoring-plan design, recruitment strategies, evaluation frameworks, and strong broader-impact narratives aligned with NSF guidelines. 
Begin at sciencedocs.com/quotes.