Are you interested in Paid Science and Engineering Summer Research Opportunities at Rice University? If so, this upcoming summer Rice University is offering several REU opportunities for undergraduate students.

The goal of these programs is to provide early-stage students firsthand experience with cutting-edge research in a range of departments, including Biology, Chemistry, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Geology, Physics, and more. These summer research experiences for undergraduates (REUs) are ten-week research-immersion internship programs at Rice University during the 2022 summer that provide research interns full-time financial support and housing on campus for those who require it.  Students need not have prior research experience to be considered for these summer research opportunities, and in fact our mission is to recruit students who are looking for a first-time research experience. 

We are now accepting applications for our Summer 2022 REU programs, five of which are described below. Interested students should visit reu.rice.edu to learn more about each program and begin their application. Priority consideration will be given to students who apply by February 15, 2022.

BioNetworks REU. Hosted by the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering (IBB), students in this REU will gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge research needed to predict and analyze biological functions to understand complex biological phenomena, reprogram cells to perform new tasks, and prevent diseases. This program seeks to recruit students pursuing diverse majors in natural sciences (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Math) and engineering (e.g., Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science).

BioXFEL REU. Hosted by the IBB, students in this program will engage in hands-on research studying the structure, function and dynamics of protein molecules that make use of the new and powerful free electron X-ray laser facilities around the world. A trip to Stanford’s facility will be planned in the fall to present the students’ work at the annual users’ meeting. Majors from biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, or related fields are encouraged to apply.

ENGMED REU. This program seeks to expose students to the excitement of engineering-based medical research conducted by teams of engineers, clinicians, and medical researchers to advance medicine. Students will work within labs that study: i) cellular and molecular engineering; ii) biomaterials and tissue engineering; iii) robotics and therapeutic devices, and; iv) machine learning and bioinformatics. While the program is open to all students, applicants from minority-serving institutions are strongly encouraged to apply.

Planetary Habitability REU. In this program, students will be introduced to complex, interconnected planet-scale systems by studying how the Earth becomes habitable. Research projects will explore the relationships between dynamic planetary processes and life by answering questions of how the Earth influences life and how life, in turn, modulates Earth’s own evolution. This program includes a weeklong field trip to the Western US. Majors from physics, chemistry, geology, environmental science, biology, computer science, or related fields are welcome to apply.

AHA SCRIP REU. Hosted by the IBB, this program seeks to recruit students pursuing diverse majors with an interest in cardiovascular health to solve significant problems of relevance to heart disease and stroke patients. Students pursuing degrees in natural sciences (e.g., Biology, Chemistry), engineering (e.g., Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering), and social sciences (e.g., Psychology, Sociology) are welcome to apply. International students and DACA students are also encouraged to apply.

Additional information about these and other Rice REU programs can be found online at https://reu.rice.edu/research-experiences.