Undergraduate Program

Students accepted into the REU will receive:

• On-campus housing
• Meal stipend
• A stipend of $7000
• Up to $600 to help pay for travel to and from Rochester

Your experience will include:

• A programming bootcamp to help you learn and/or improve your programming skills in the Python language.
• Performing research with a team of students and faculty on one of the REU projects.
• Professional development activities, including graduate school preparation and career planning.
• Social events and experiences, including opportunities to meet and network with students from other REU programs and members of the University community.

The David T. Kearns Center coordinates summer logistics and activities for all REU programs across the University of Rochester campus, including travel, housing, the REU orientation and the undergraduate research symposium.

Visit our REU summer activities page for more detailed information on programs and events.

Applications for the summer 2027 session will be available in early December. If you would like to be notified when applications are available, please fill out this form.

You are eligible to apply if:

• You are a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year full-time undergraduate student at a college or university.
• You are a U.S. citizen or hold a green card as a permanent resident.
• You will have completed two computer science courses or have equivalent programming experience by the start of the summer program.

We are unable to support international students via this federally-funded NSF REU program. If you are looking for self-funded research opportunities, you can reach out to one of our affiliated faculty members directly to discuss your research interests.

Being a computer science major or having prior research experience are not requirements. We seek to recruit a diverse group of students with varying backgrounds and levels of experience. We encourage applications from students attending non-research institutions and from students from communities underrepresented in computer science.

Before starting the application, you should prepare:

• An unofficial college transcript (a list of your college courses and grades), as a PDF file. Please include the courses you are currently taking.
• Your CV or resume, as a PDF file.
• A personal statement (up to 5000 characters), explaining why you wish to participate in this REU, including how it engages your interests, how the experience would support or help you define your career goals, and special skills and interests you would bring to the program.
• The name and email address of a teacher or supervisor who can recommend you for the REU.

How to Apply:

1. Create an NSF ETAP account and fill out all portions of the registration.
2. Select our REU program and follow the prompts to apply. The personal statement should explain why you wish to participate in this REU, including how it engages your interests, how the experience would support or help you define your career goals, and special skills and interests you would bring to the program.
3. Apply online no later than January 29, 2026.
4. Notification of acceptance will be communicated between March 2 and April 9, 2026.

Apply Today

Projects for summer 2027 have not yet been announced.

Visit our past REU sessions page for more information on previous projects, participants, and presentations.

You can view publications and presentations from past participants here. 

Email gids-reu@ur.rochester.edu for more information.