Below is a listing of summer
undergraduate research opportunities advertised to physics faculty at
this time. This page will be updated as we learn of new opportunities
for undergraduate research. Many of these programs anticipate running in Summer 2021, but may not have made a final decision. Programs in this list may be accepting applications for internship for Summer 2021 and will offer appointments when it is determined safe to do so. Notes are included below about any program specific details learned from the linked websites.
Physics and Physics-Related Opportunities
Databases
- NSF Research Experiences
for Undergraduates (REU)
Students receive stipends and possible travel and housing support for summer research experience at a US or foreign host institution. Students must be citizens or permanent residents of the US.
Advertisements for Programs from Program Hosts
- Acoustical Society of America - A 12-week PAID summer undergraduate research program for students interested in the area of Acoustics. This intensive summer program in acoustics is designed for under-represented minority undergraduates from across the country. This new program will emphasize training, mentoring, research, and preparing students for graduate studies & careers in acoustics. Stipend is $7500. Review of applications will begin March 5, 2021. Accepted students will be notified by March 19, 2021. Applications received after March 5 will be considered if positions are available. Link
- Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics - Applications are now being accepted for Perimeter Institute's Undergraduate Theoretical Physics Summer Program. This fully-funded two-week summer school offers students the opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research while learning research tools and collaboration skills in the multi-disciplinary environment of the world's largest independent theoretical physics research centre. Features of the program include: No program fee, no application fee, all meals, accommodation and transportation provided, and an opportunity to stay at Perimeter for a paid four-month research internship (start and end dates negotiable). Apply online at perimeterinstitute.ca/undergrad. Sign up to receive email alerts about the 2021 program.
- Summer Research at CalTech
- SURF - Students collaborate with a potential mentor to define a 10-week summer research project and receive a stipend.Link
- WAVE - Provides support for undergraduate students, who are underrepresented in STEM and intent on pursuing a Ph.D., to conduct a 10-week summer research project under the mentorship of Caltech faculty. Link
- US Department of Energy / National Institute for Nuclear Energy - Summer Exchange in Europe: Areas of focus include Particle Physics, Astroparticle Physics, Nuclear Physics, Theoretical Physics and Detector Physics. Link
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
- REU - The program offers a wide range of research experiences in physics, chemistry, biological sciences, geochemistry, materials science and magnet science and engineering. Students can be placed at one of the Magnet Lab's 3 sites: The National High Magnetic Field Lab in Tallahassee, FL. The Magnet Lab at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL and the Magnet Lab's pulse facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, NM. Link.
- Fermilab Programs - Multiple research/internship programs.
- Lee Tang Undergraduate Internship - a joint 10-week program between Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab, established by the Illinois Accelerator Institute to attract undergraduate students into the exciting and challenging world of particle accelerator physics and technology. A limited number of highly qualified students will be selected into this program. Successful candidates will attend the Summer Session of the U.S. Particle Accelerator School (USPAS) to be held June 14-25, 2021, in Melville, Long Island, NY, sponsored by Stony Brook University. All interns will take the Fundamentals of Accelerator Physics and Technology with Simulations and Measurements Lab for which 3 units of undergraduate credit is available. For the remainder of the summer, interns will work closely with a mentor and a project at either Argonne National Laboratory or Fermilab. Link
- Summer Internships in Science and Technology - offers undergraduate sophomores and juniors majoring in physics, engineering (mechanical, electrical and computer), materials science, mathematics, and computer science the opportunity to conduct research with Fermilab scientists and engineers. SIST aims to increase the representation of underrepresented groups (Black, Hispanic/Latino, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Alaska Native/American Indian) and women in scientific research and the engineering workforce. The 12-week paid internship consists of a work assignment, an academic lecture series and a final report presented orally to Fermilab staff and submitted to the laboratory in writing. Link
- Department of Energy
- Scholars Program - 10 week opportunity to help
prepare and motivate you to pursue the full range of entry and
mid-level research, technical and professional positions within the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and organizations that support the
DOE mission Link
- Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship - engage in research projects related to DOE’s ongoing research and development programs under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers. Link
- Oak Ridge National Lab - Internship opportunities may be suspended due to COVID-19.
- Artificial Intelligence Summer Institute - For seniors or recent graduates who plan to attend graduate school in the Fall following the summer institute. As part of the summer institute, students will be organized into teams with diverse educational backgrounds and develop their skills to help solve scientific challenges using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science. They will learn from ORNL mentors who have expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning and/or domain sciences such as physics, materials, or biology. Link
- Higher Education Research Experiences for Current Undergraduates - opportunities for participation in research and related technical activities to qualified current undergraduate students. This educational experience offers selected participants the ability to learn from world-class scientists while utilizing the unique resources of ORNL and encourages careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and support fields. Link
- Pathways to Computing Internship - 10-week summer program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides undergraduate students with research projects in computer science, computational science, and mathematics. Students will learn under the direction of ORNL research staff and will participate on projects in diverse domains including computer science, health data science, and climate science. Selected interns will have access to ORNL's leadership-class facilities, including Summit, the world's most powerful supercomputer. Link
- Los Alamos National Lab Undergraduate Student Internship - a year-round internship program that provides domestic and international students with relevant research experience while they are pursuing an undergraduate degree. This internship program is designed to complement the students' education with work experience related to their chosen field of study. There are appointments in both the technical and professional fields. Internships continue to be offered through pandemic in a remote work modality. Link
- Materials Research Laboratory at UC-Santa Barbara
- Future Leaders in Advanced Materials (FLAM) Internship program - brings undergraduate students from around the country to the UC Santa Barbara campus for a 10-week summer research experience. Interns will gain first-hand experience in scientific investigation in a dynamic, collaborative research environment. They will be matched individually with faculty and graduate student lab mentors from the MRL, the College of Engineering, and other UCSB departments. Mentors provide one-on-one training and support for the research project. In addition to research, the interns also participate in weekly group meetings to develop oral presentation skills, attend special seminars and present their results at an end-of-summer poster session. This program ran through pandemic and is anticipated to run Summer 2021. Link
- Cooperative International Science and Engineering Internships - sends US science and engineering undergraduates to international partner institutions for a 10-week summer research experience. Internships are available at research centers in Eindhoven-Netherlands; Dublin-Ireland; Saarbruecken-Germany and Goethenborg-Sweden. Link
- Materials Research Center REU at MIT
- Eight week program for rising junior or senior students working on a wide range of research projects in materials science. Link
- Materials Research Center REU at Columbia University
- PAS3 supports outstanding undergraduates as Summer Research Fellows each year in a nine-week collaborative REU program between Columbia and City College of New York. Topics of research encompass two interdisciplinary research groups studying materials composed of atomically precise low-dimensional building blocks: two-dimensional atomic sheets and zero-dimensional molecular clusters. Link
- REU: Cornell.
- Nanoscale Science & Technology REU Program - ten-week programs receive hands-on nanoscience and technology experience through research, with applications to bio-engineering, chemistry, electronics, materials science, optics, optoelectronics, physics, and the life sciences -- and transportation/civil engineering! Link
- Center for Materials Science REU Program - work directly with faculty on interdisciplinary materials research projects involving chemistry, physics, materials science, and engineering disciplines. Applications open December 1st for 2021! Link
- REU: New York Tech - ten-week program to conduct research with our faculty on hardware and software approaches to securing mobile devices and their networks. Link.
- REU: University of Minnesota. The following programs recruit physics students for a 10-week summer program in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the following fields:
- Elementary Particle Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Cosmology
and Astrophysics, Biophysics, Space Physics, Nuclear Physics.This program ran virtually in Summer 2020. Link
- REU: University of Nebraska. The following programs recruit physics students for a 10-week summer program in Lincoln, Nebraska.
- Emory University Laney Graduate School Summer Opportunity for Academic Research.
- A 10-week program for undergraduates interested in applying to Laney Graduate School for graduate work. Students are eligible if graduating after the December following the summer of the program. Participants are responsible for contacting a mentor in physics to find a suitable project. A remote program ran during Summer 2020. Hope to resume residential program for 2021. Link
- International REU - Yamagata University in Yonezawa, Japan and University of Vermont
- Research projects bridge physical chemistry, chemical engineering, and condensed matter physics.
- Prior knowledge of Japanese is not required.
- Application and further details available at this Link.
Opportunities Outside of Physics
- REU in Warm-water Aquatic Ecology-Program focused on the ecology of southeastern ponds, rivers, reservoirs, and estuaries. Ten undergraduate students will work closely with a team of Auburn University faculty to explore aquatic ecosystems, complete a student-driven research project, participate in a variety of professional development and social activities, develop and lead an outreach project, and share their research findings in a symposium at the conclusion of the program. Participants will work closely with our mentors to develop an interdisciplinary project involving complementary fields, such as community ecology, limnology, evolution, fisheries management, molecular biology, conservation, biogeochemistry, biodiversity, and microbiology. The program was cancelled during 2020 and doesn't look likely for 2021.Program Info