Portland State REU receives renewed funding from NSF!

For those students who took a gamble on applying to our program while we were waiting to hear on the status of our renewal proposal, rest assured--we have received NSF funding! This is the fourth renewal we have received, which will allow us to operate the program through 2015. We are proud to have continuously improved our program each year since it started in 2001. Thank you to all of the past participants who contributed to our success by completing our survey. Your responses are invaluable for demonstrating the lasting impact of our REU program.

Applications for Summer 2013 Now Open

The online application for the 2013 Summer REU at Portland State is now open. However, applicants should be aware that we will not have confirmed funding until at least March. We will not make any firm offers until funding has been settled. This REU has been a successful and productive site for twelve years. We believe we have a strong chance of having our NSF funding renewed for a for another three-year period.

Funded Research Opportunity Deadline Looms

Already volunteering in a lab? Would you like to get paid for you time?

The Undergraduate Research and Mentoring Program (URMP) at Portland State is operated by the Maseeh College of Engineering and funded by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). This program is an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students to receive funding for participation in research. The ideal candidate would be female, under-represented minority, or a first-generation college student (though all students may apply). The candidate must be a current PSU student who will maintain undergraduate status through at least the end of spring term 2013, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have a mentor who is willing to provide lab space and guidance. This opportunity is open to students who are majoring in semiconductor-related fields such as Chemistry, Physics, or ECE. A full list of majors along with more information and directions for applying can be found at the URMP website.

Put this on your to-do list right now, the application deadline is December 18th!

This is a stellar opportunity for students who are planning on going on to graduate school and eventually work in the semi-conductor industry. The SRC Education Alliance tracks participant's progress throughout their education, potentially providing additional funding and opportunities for specialized training.

Participation in the URMP, which runs during the academic year, does not preclude you from applying for and participating in the REU summer program.

New Academic-Year Program

Thanks to a no-cost extension, we are able to offer limited research positions during the academic year. The application is available on our website: http://www.reu.pdx.edu/Pages/apply.php. The positions are limited to engineering fields and pay $10/hour with a 10 to 15 hour per week commitment. It helps if you already have a research project/mentor in mind when applying (include in your cover letter or short essay). For more information contact Amy Jackson at reuga_at_pdx.edu.

AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY

The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program at Portland State University (PSU) works with motivated and talented undergraduates who want to pursue PhDs.  It introduces juniors and seniors who are first-generation and low-income, and/or members of under-represented groups to academic research and to effective strategies for getting into and graduating from PhD programs. This mission aligns very well with our REU goals.

I encourage all REU alumni who attend Portland State to apply for The McNair Scholars Program. The deadline is November 2nd to start in the program this coming winter term (2013). Dr. Jiao and faculty mentors are a good resource for the required letters of recommendation as well as assistance with the required essay.

The McNair Scholars Program has academic-year activities and a full-time summer research internship. Scholars take academic and skills-building seminars and workshops during the year, and each scholar works closely with a faculty mentor on original research in the summer.  Scholars present their research findings at the McNair Summer Symposium and at other conferences, and are encouraged to publish their papers in the McNair Journal and other scholarly publications.

The Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program was established in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Education and named in honor of Challenger Space Shuttle astronaut Dr. Ronald E. McNair. The program, which is in its tenth year on campus, is funded by a $1,155,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education and institutional cost-share funds.

The McNair Scholars Program's student-centered approach relies heavily on faculty and university commitment. Activities and opportunities provided by the program focus on building a positive academic community for the scholars while they are undergraduates at PSU.
More information as well as application instructions can be found at the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program Website. 

2012 Program Selection Complete

All ten of our REU intern positions have filled for this summer. Thank you to all applicants. We look forward to meeting all of our participants in June.

Student Participants for 2012: Selection Nearly Complete

I have been getting a lot of email inquiries about application status in the last week or so. All candidates on the short-list for selection have been contacted and offers have been made and responded to for eight out of ten of the positions. Some of you have been notified of your alternate status--that status remains open until I have all ten slots filled. If you have not already been interviewed, you will not be offered a position with your REU this year.

 There were many factors that had to be considered beyond just the strength of the application. Some mentors listed on the site had changes in plans and will be unable to host a student in their lab this year, so new mentors had to be identified. Some disciplines were more competitive than others due to the sheer number of applicants in particular fields. Some mentors were looking for particular skills. I encourage all of you who will still be undergraduates next year to apply again in December.

Best wishes to everyone who applied; we had many, many qualified applicants this year and it was difficult to narrow the field . It was a pleasure reading all of the application packets and letters of recommendation--I wish I had more spots to fill than just the ten.

I expect to announce the names of all participants by the end of Spring Break.