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Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
REU includes two separate competitions.
- REU-Sites awards provide funds for focused group instruction and are an excellent potential source of support for archaeology field schools. The Sites portion of REU is administered at a central rather than Program level and inquiries should be directed to Jolene Jesse.
- REU-Supplements permit Principal Investigators to add undergraduates to active NSF awards. Although the grantee’s own research may benefit from additional personnel, the initiative’s main goal is to provide a meaningful learning experience which will increase students’ scientific competence and encourage them to pursue careers in science. Requests should be submitted through the NSF Fastlane supplement option to the Archaeology Program. Annual submission deadlines are December 1 and July 1. Recommendations are normally made within several weeks and applicants may contact the Program Director to determine the outcome. Success rates are high.
In the Archaeology Program requests are limited to $4,000 per student and a maximum of $8,000 per Principal Investigator may be provided. The student should be named and in a 1-2 page supplement request the Principal Investigator should describe the student’s individual qualifications and the potential benefit to them. A learning/research plan should also be included.
Applicants should remember that an REU request, as well as other NSF awards, should serve to supplement rather than replace other sources of funding. In a REU context, for example, it seems clear that support for airfare, field per diem, and specialized equipment and analyses, fall beyond the scope of what an institution or student should normally provide in the course of an undergraduate education. In recent years the number of requests for student academic year stipends has increased and an effective statement should make a clear case for special NSF supplemental funding by demonstrating how the student's research is special and different from normal academic activities.
Please consult the REU Competition Announcement
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