NNIN Research Experience for Undergraduates

The National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) conducts one of the largest and most successful Research Experience for Undergraduates Programs in nanotechnology. 

Students are assigned to a specific research project and will make a meaningful research contribution to their research group. Each project involves hands-on nanotechnology research with state-of-the-art equipment. Each student will be working on an individual research project, with support from faculty, student mentors, and facility staff.

Highlights of our program

• 10 week research program at a state-of-the-art nanotechnology facility.
  
• Each student will be assigned a stand alone, substantive research project, appropriate for a 10 week period. A high percentage of these projects result in publishable research.
• NNIN covers all costs for travel and housing.
  
• $3800 stipend.
• Technical support by experience NNIN staff members.
  
• Interaction with a faculty member and daily interaction with a graduate student mentor.
  
• End of program research convocation. In mid-August, ALL participants travel to a common site (Cornell this summer) at our expense for a three day Research Convocation, sharing their results and networking with their peers from other sites. It is a wonderful opportunity to experience the breadth of nanotechnology through the experiences of your fellow students.
• Published project report in the NNIN REU Research Accomplishments, a 150 page professional publication of the program's research results.
• This is our 12th summer of operation, with over 500 alumni. Through experience, we have developed mechanisms to assure that each student has a successful and educational research experience.
  

Special Opportunity Our program is highly selective; Approximately 1 in 3 applicants will be offered an internship and 70 will actually participate. Over 10 years of experience has shown that these  students are well positioned for follow-on internships and are highly valued by industry, graduate schools, and other intership programs. In light of this fact , we have taken pains to develop our own follow-on program, to give a special opportunity to the most select of our REU participants. Approximately 15 of the very best students to complete the NNIN REU program each year will be selected for a second year advanced research program at a major international laboratory or US national laboratory. This summer, for example, five of last year's REU students will be spending the summer doing research at the National Institute of Materials Science in Tsukuba, Japan and three others will be working at the Forshungzentum Julich in Germany. This is part of an effort to educate Globally Aware Scientists, a necessity in this multinational research environment. Seven others will be working with leading nanotechnologists at Sandia National Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. We expect to continue this exciting follow-on program each year in the future.     Note this opportunity is ONLY available to students who have completed our REU program. Essentially we are using our REU program as a filter to select the very best for these exciting opportunities. We believe this is a unique opportunity which will give a significant career boost to our best performing REU interns. But you have to apply, be accepted, and successfully complete the NNIN REU program to even be considered for this follow-on second summer program.

 

Taking these opportunities and features together, we believe we offer an unparalleled REU opportunity for those interested in nanotechnology. For comments from prior participants, check inside each years' NNIN REU Research Accomplishments, accessible by year via the following links.