Click here to be taken to the application on the NSF ETAP site.

APPLICATION WINDOW NOW OPEN.

Application window for full consideration closes Friday February 6

Applying for the 2025 NSF-REU Nuclear
Physics and Nuclear Chemistry Program at the Cyclotron Institute

This program will run from Tuesday May 26th through Friday July 31st. Any students that are concerned about this timeline should reach out to reu@comp.tamu.edu with any questions as some accommodations may be able to be made.

Applications for the 2026 REU at the Cyclotron Institute are now open. All applications completed by Friday February 6th will receive full consideration. Any applications completed after that date will still be considered but applications by the 7th may receive higher priority.

The TAMU Cyclotron Institute, in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, is serving as a Research Experience for Undergraduates site during the summer of 2026. This REU site focuses on research in nuclear physics and chemistry. Students will have the opportunity to work closely with internationally renowned scientists at a major university-based nuclear facility. Undergraduates will gain research experience by carrying out specific projects under the direct supervision of Physics and Chemistry faculty at the Cyclotron Institute. Weekly discussions on forefront areas of Nuclear Science will be led by Institute faculty. Students will have the opportunity to share their work via an oral presentation and a poster session at the end of the summer. Students are also encouraged to apply and may receive assistance in attending the Division of Nuclear Physics annual conference in October.

Any students who wish to apply can do so here: Click here to apply. We ask students to submit 2 letters of recommendation. We understand that not everyone will have performed research and so please ask your letter writers to speak on your potential as a researcher if possible. We also ask for an unofficial transcript that shows your semester grades for the fall of 2025 and the courses you are enrolled in for the spring 2026. This helps us match students to appropriate projects.

There are three questions that we ask students to upload their responses to. These responses should not exceed one page but depending on your experience might understandably be brief. Again, this is acceptable and expected for some students.
1) Why are you interested in doing research this summer in nuclear science? What do you hope to gain from your experience and how does it factor into your future career goals?
2) Please describe any technical experience you have that may be beneficial to working in a research environment. This could be coding experience, tabletop physics/chemistry experiments, electronics design and construction, working with vacuum systems, etc. There are many possible things that are reasonable here. (Just a reminder, we have projects designed for students who have very little experience, so not having much, or any, technical background does not eliminate any students. This just helps us pair students with projects suited for their experience.)
3) Please describe your experience overcoming a significant obstacle in the pursuit of your educational and/or research goals. Describe how overcoming that challenge has strengthened your conviction to attain your goals and how you think it has made you more prepared for those goals.

Eligibility Requirements:
-Only US Citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible for participation.
-All students should have completed at least one "advanced" physics or chemistry course (something beyond the introductory/first-year sequence).
-No research experience is necessary and in fact students who have never done research are strongly encouraged to apply as this program is specifically designed with those students in mind.
-While students are not expected to know that they want to work in the nuclear field in the future, all students should at least be interested in this possibility.

If you have any questions about the REU program or the application process please send an email to
reu@comp.tamu.edu.