Undergraduate

OVERVIEW

This Weather, Climate, and Society (WCS) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) will be hosted by the University of South Florida (USF). We have an exciting interdisciplinary program that will focus on pairing each participant in a team with other WCS REU students and research mentors in the physical and social sciences. Other UG college levels can apply, but priority will be given to rising sophomores. The teams will conduct research on a topic ranging from social and physical factors which affect hurricane evacuation decision-making, to socioeconomic impacts of air quality and climate, to vulnerability and resilience through the lens of the Coupled Human and Natural System (CHANS) framework to conduct a Community Impact Assessment (CIA) on a designated coastal locale to identify and analyze population and environmental variables relevant to hazard vulnerability.
 
In addition to an intensive 9-week mentored research experience, the program provides experiential learning, professional development workshops, trainings in social and physical research techniques, and interdisciplinary perspectives on social and physical aspects and impacts of severe weather and climate related disasters. 
 
Students are paid a stipend along with free housing, a food stipend, travel allowance to/from Tampa, FL, and travel allowance to present their research at a national conference.

This program takes place from May 29th to July 28th, 2023.

Requirements

You must be fully available during this time and not enrolled in other classes or have a job if you were to accept placement on the REU. 
Students interested in the program are required to submit the following:

An application.
One academic reference letter (preferably from college, but high school is also ok).
Unofficial college transcript(s).
To be eligible for the program students must be enrolled in a 2- or 4-year college degree program, be a rising sophomore (preferably), and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its possessions.  Applications from minorities are particularly encouraged. The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity institution. 

Apply Now

⇒Apply today for the NSF Weather, Climate, and Society REU program for Summer 2023!

All applications and related materials, including the reference letter, for the 2023 REU are due by  February 1, 2023 for full consideration. 
For more information, please contact Jennifer Collins, Ph.D.

When: 9 weeks over Summer 2023 (likely May 29 to July 28, but TBD)
Where: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Application Deadline: March 1, 2023

Students are paid a $600/week stipend along with free housing, food stipend, travel allowance to/from Tampa, FL, and a travel allowance to present their research at a national conference.

REU participants must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.

For the Summer of 2023 the University of South Florida has received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to host eight undergraduate students who will be starting their junior or senior year in Fall 2023 to work on an interdisciplinary Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program focusing on Urban Water Sustainability (UWS). The students accepted into the program will be paired in a team and work with research mentors on specific topics that address environmental concerns related to UWS. 

The REU consists of five components, 1-4 occurring during the nine-week summer REU and the fifth in the following fall or spring:

1. mentored research project;
2. research and professional development related workshops;
3. a short course on water sustainability;
4. experiential learning field trips, and
5. all REU UGs presenting their findings at one regional or national conference in Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 depending on conference.

⇒Apply today for the NSF Urban Water Sustainability REU program for Summer 2023!

There will be four research projects as part of this REU:

Project 1: Improving technology for reducing nutrient pollution from surface waters | Faculty mentor: Dr. Mahmood Nachabe

Project 2: Effects of Denitrification on Arsenic Mobilization During Conditions Simulating Aquifer Storage and Recovery | Faculty mentor: Dr. Erica Dasi

Project 3: Water purification properties of a constructed wetland | Faculty Mentors: Drs. Kamal Alsharif and Philip van Beynen

Project 4: Human impacts on water quality of urban springs | Faculty mentors: Drs. Chris Meindl and Philip van Beynen

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Philip van Beynen.