The University of Washington Molecular Engineering Materials Center (UW MEM-C) aims to accelerate the development of future energy conversion, information processing, and sensing technologies through design, discovery, processing, and application of complex electronic and photonic materials. The Summer REU program is focused on providing STEM students with opportunities to gain exposure, experience and insight related to viable and relevant career pathways focused on materials and energy research. The program especially welcomes veterans, military members, underrepresented students, students coming from under-resourced campuses, and students coming from 2-year colleges.
Our Focus: Materials Resilience and Innovation
Undergraduates will find that the research topics are both challenging and relevant to their experience. How can we provide mobile, lightweight, and inexpensive energy sources to our forces and to the communities they work with? How can materials research lead to new electronics that are super miniaturized, low energy consumption, and reliable? How can new kinds of sensors be used to improve safety, efficiency, and effectiveness?
Program Details
If selected, you will be embedded in one of the MEM-C labs for 9 weeks. You will work with a graduate student and faculty to develop a research project, gain training in relevant techniques and instrumentation, collect data, and finally produce a poster and research abstract. Students participate in a weekly seminar on undergraduate research covering research ethics, writing a research abstract, making a scientific poster. Students participate in a weekly Materials Science special interest group in which they read scientific journals or tour other labs.
- Duration: 9 weeks
- Dates: June 22 to August 22, 2025
- Stipend: $6,365
- Travel and Housing: On-campus housing and allowances for food and travel to campus
- Application Opens: 12/15/2024
- Application Deadline: 2/15/2025
Eligibility
The program is designed to open doors for those who would like to explore new career options. A solid math and science high school preparation will be sufficient. Work-based experience will also be factored in. Since UW MEM-C is funded as an NSF MRSEC, the MEM-C REU program is only available to US citizens or permanent residents 18 years of age and older.
