The Observing the Ocean Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program will be located at Texas A&M University's campus in College Station, TX. The Department of Oceanography will host 10 REU students for a 10-week summer program focusing on using ocean observing to address issues facing the coastal oceans, such as hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, contaminants, nutrients, ocean acidification. Students will have access to the ocean through a 3-day research cruise in which they will complete shipboard field surveys with instrument profiling and water sampling in the Gulf of Mexico onboard the R/V Pelican.
Training will be provided on sensors, data analysis, graphical representation of oceanographic data, data management, and science writing. Most importantly, students will be assigned a faculty mentor with whom they will conduct individual research projects. Students will prepare a project proposal at the start of the program, participate in weekly REU seminars, and demonstrate their communication skills with a final written report and a seminar presentation at the Department of Oceanography's REU Student Research Symposium. The program will also include 1-2 professional development workshops each week and the opportunity to interact with other researchers at TAMU.
Who is Eligible?
To be eligible for this research opportunity you must be:
- a US citizen, US national, or US permanent resident
- enrolled as an undergraduate in a degree program leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree; preference will be given to students with rising junior or sophomore status
- most accepted applicants have a minimum grade point average of 2.75
- Graduating seniors are not eligible to apply for this program
Financial Matters
- REU students will receive a stipend of $600/week for the 10-week program (students are responsible for taxes on this stipend)
- Housing will be provided by the program for REU students at an apartment site adjacent to campus
- A $950 travel allowance is provided for travel to and from College Station
- Research expenses are covered by the program
- At the end-of-summer Student Research Symposium, students' final presentations will be judged and the student winning the "Best Presentation" will be awarded a $2000 travel grant to present their results at a national scientific conference
Funding for this REU site is provided by the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences located in Arlington, VA. (GEO-OCE). The NSF contact for this program is Elizabeth Rom. NSF does not handle REU applications; please contact each REU site directly for application information.
Evaluation
As part of this NSF REU program, we are required to conduct an evaluation of the usefulness of the REU components and how participation in this program impacts students. All REU students will be asked to complete one preliminary survey at the beginning of the summer and one post-summer survey, including an evaluation of program activities. Your voluntary participation in these surveys is requested. After the program concludes, you will be encouraged to keep in touch with your REU cohort, and all prior and future cohorts, using Facebook and LinkedIn. We have a fantastic group of REU alumni who room together at national conferences and provide a scientific network for life.