Research Experience for Undergraduates
Physics REU @ University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The Department of Physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign hosts a 10-week National Science Foundation (NSF)–sponsored summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Offered since 1993, the REU provides undergraduates the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of our world-class researchers.
Students participating in this program will spend the summer, May 30, 2023 – August 4, 2023 (10 weeks), on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus working directly with senior physics faculty on challenging, meaningful projects. The summer experience is aimed at developing students' research literacy skills and exposing them to the wide diversity of physics subfields using experimental, computational, and theoretical approaches:
- Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) Physics
- Biological Physics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- High Energy Physics
- Nuclear Physics
- Physics Education Research
- Quantum Information Science
The NSF-funded REU program can only support citizens or permanent residents (including Green Card holders) of the United States, but the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Physics is excited to host at least one international student each summer.
All students must be enrolled at institutions other than the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Applications are now closed. Please check the schedule below for any questions about application timeline. If you have any questions, please email us.
UIUC students interested in attending an REU program are encouraged to explore options at the national site. UIUC students can also contact Irene Lira-Andsager for more information.
Announcements
Thank you to everyone who sent us an application! We really appreciate your interest in the program.
First round offer letters have now been sent out as of March 4, 2023. Second round offers have been going out on a rolling basis and will continue to be sent until all spots are filled.
What is it like to be an REU student?
Learn more about our program
REU student housing is provided at an on-campus residence hall (about a 10 minute walk from Loomis Lab) and is fully covered by the program. Housing is suite style, with three to four bedrooms surrounding a common living room and kitchen. Occasional meals are provided at the dining hall.
Appropriate accommodations will be made for any students with disabilities.
Student stipend is $6,000 for the 10-week summer program.
Travel to and from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus is also covered.
Social activities are an important part of an REU program. Forming connections with your fellow Physics REU students helps build a strong community. To support these connections the following are some of the examples of social activities you will be participating in:
- Introductory Picnic
- Summer Programs Ice Cream Social
- Coffee chats with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate students and REU alumni
- Volunteering / Outreach Events
- Field Trip to Argonne and Fermi National Labs
Application Information
To receive full consideration for the program, apply online by February 10, 2023, however applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until February 17, 2023, or until all projects are filled. A completed application consists of the following:
- an online application, which requires 2 letters of references (advice on getting strong reference letters),
- a 300 to 500–word Statement of Interest describing your personal goals and how you believe this REU experience could help you achieve those goals,
- and an official or unofficial transcript uploaded to the application.
This website (Pathways to Science) has resources with helpful information on preparing applications to summer research programs.
Eligibility
- Students must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program (recently graduated seniors are not eligible for the program).
- Students must be a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States.
- Note: The NSF-funded REU program can only support citizens or permanent residents (including Green Card holders) of the United States, but the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Physics is excited to host at least one international student each summer.
- Students are best prepared if they have completed their sophomore year by June 2023 with at least 4 semesters of physics and having an average technical (math/physics) grade point average of 3.0/4.0.
- Note: This requirement does not apply to community college students. Interested community college students who have completed one year of studies are very much encouraged to apply to our program.
- Students must be majoring in physics or a related field.
- Applications are not accepted from currently enrolled students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Timeline
- December 1, 2022 — Applications open!
- February 10, 2023 — Priority application deadline, rolling until final deadline*
- February 17, 2023 — All application deadline*
- March 4, 2023 (
February 25, 2023) — Offer letters sent to REU prospective participants - March 17, 2023 — Deadline for REU participant acceptance
- May 27, 2023 — REU participants arrive on UIUC campus
- May 30–June 2, 2023 — REU Research Bootcamp
- August 3–August 4, 2023 — REU final project presentations
*Offers will be made on a rolling basis after the application deadline, until all positions are filled. Awardees will be notified by email of their acceptance into the program and will be given a specific time window to accept or decline the offer.
Research Experience for Undergraduates Contacts
The REU summer site program of the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is supported by the National Science Foundation and Department of Defense, grant PHY-1950744. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Additional funding has been provided by the Department of Physics and by our generous alumni donors.
2023 Research Experience for Undergraduates Brochure Download
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Use these links to download the 2023 Research Experiences for Undergraduates flyer. Use to print a copy or send by email.
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