Click here for this summer's 2009 application
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2009 Summer Program Dates: May 26 - July 31

NEW Application Deadline: March 16th, 2009

Applicant requirements:
- U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents
- College Undergraduates (any class standing)
- Both GW and Non-GW students may apply

NEW! The HHMI program had the last summer session in 2008. The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), funded by the National Science Foundation, will be the only summer program that the Biology Department provides in 2009.

The REU program starts you off with a week-long hands-on introduction to molecular biology techniques. It is followed by a nine-week mentored research internship in laboratories. The research is aimed at fundamental questions in Biology that cut across the disciplines of Anthropology, Biology, Computer Science, Materials Physics and Materials Chemistry. Students will be engaged in interdisciplinary ideas through discussions with participating faculty about their on-going research, scientific career options and ethics. Students will also participate in part of their mentors' current projects and make contributions to the science field.

Since this is a full-time research program, students are expected to spend approximately 40 hours per week in the lab, same as the training workshop during the first week. Actual days and times for performing research will depend on the mentors and project demands.

Considering that we are located within our nation's capitol, students will also have many opportunities to enjoy the rich variety of Washington D.C.’s cultural and scientific venues. Besides workshop and research, tours will be arranged for the students to visit some local science museums and popular sites, for example the Marian Koshland Science Museum and the C&O Canal. Students who aspire to pursue research careers in the life, computational, and physical sciences will be selected for this ten week program

Student Involvement

The REU Program provides classes for undergraduate students at GW to take in the fields of computational molecular biology and bioinformatics, as well as a summer undergraduate research experience. Many students involved in the REU program continue laboratory research through their undergraduate careers, which can lead to their post-undergraduate lives. (More...)

Faculty Involvement

The REU Program focuses on faculty development as well as student development through several initiatives: new faculty hiring and current faculty enrichment through a seminar series and symposia. These initiatives aim to expand cross-disciplinary research activities, coordinate undergraduate instruction between science departments, and increase the involvement of graduate students and post-docs in undergraduate education. (More...)

Curriculum and Laboratory Development

The REU Program has been able to help fund the development of a number of new courses in GW's science curriculum as well as the renovation of a campus laboratory/class room which is now fully equipped for laboratory molecular biology as well as computational analyses and bioinformatics. (More...)

Outreach

The REU Program organizes an outreach program to assist local community college faculty in learning about and participating in emerging areas of molecular and computational biology, and in developing and sharing their expertise with new curricular tools. (More...)

View all faculty members and their research

2009 Student Stipend Amounts:

• Stipends = $4,000
• Additional related costs may be subsidized.
• Housing may be provided if needed.