About the NSF REU INM Site at BU Photonics Center

2023 REU Program Dates: June 5 – August 11.
Applications accepted through March 15, 2023.

Purpose

This REU Site is focused on engineering and nanotechnology. Interested undergraduate students from 2- and 4-year institutions are encouraged to apply for this opportunity to participate in authentic cutting-edge research projects at Boston University.

Faculty and graduate student mentors from multiple disciplines work with students to develop skills needed to excel in academic and industry research environments. Research projects are interdisciplinary and may involve Biomedical, Mechanical, Electrical & Computer, and Materials Science Engineering; Physics, Chemistry, and Biology; and Photonics and Optics. Applicants should be in their Freshmen, Sophomore, or Junior years studying science or engineering.

Highlights

Students will gain authentic research experience in Boston University faculty laboratories. Each student will be placed in a lab for the summer, to work on a defined project with guidance and mentoring from faculty and graduate students.

All participants will be introduced to photolithography and the BU Photonics Center’s state of the art cleanroom facilities. Participants will attend lunch and learn seminars, professional development workshops, and laboratory group meetings, with presentation opportunities during the summer including a final research poster session.

BU’s REU Site in Integrated Nanomanufacturing is focused on:

Materials synthesis and characterization for nanotechnology applications
Nanofabrication techniques that combine optical and electronic structures
Integration of nanosystems that generate, sense, and manipulate, often with biomedical applications.

REU students will participate in mentored discovery, engineering of new devices, and fabrication at the nanoscale level to explore optical and integrated nano-scale systems, while developing critical skills, awareness and confidence necessary to advance in academics and research in the future.

NOTE: Student participants in NSF-funded REU programs must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.

REU INM Program Director: Professor Xin Zhang

Program Features:

• $6,000 stipend
• Free on-campus housing
• Travel reimbursement up to $800 per participant

Additional REU opportunities are available in areas of faculty strength, such as soft robotics and neuroscience, and through these REU programs:

NSF Engineering Research Center in Cellular Metamaterials (CELL-MET) REU at BU, FIU, and UM, with focus on cardiac tissue engineering
Photonics Undergraduate Research Summer Experience (PURSuE) positions for rising seniors interested in photonics and optics who plan to apply for graduate study at Boston University
NEW THIS YEAR: Materials Science REU opportunities for students interested in materials science and engineering