Prospective Students

The Penn State Department of Chemistry Summer Undergraduate Research Program hosts undergraduate students with support from both the National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry and the 3M Foundation. 

These summer positions are open to undergraduate students who are majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering etc. and have an interest in research in chemistry.  The NSF REU program is specifically focused on energy related research.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Program gives visiting undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in frontier research at a major research facility. 

Students will work closely with a Penn State faculty member, together with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the research group. By participating, students will experience the challenge and excitement of a career in research (and perhaps the occasional frustrations too). In addition students will be able to acquire valuable skills, participate in seminars and join in a variety of extra-curricular activities.

Direct research experience is one of the most effective ways to prepare undergraduates for careers in mathematics, science and engineering. The National Science Foundation and 3M Foundation provide support for summer undergraduate research programs to attract talented students into research careers and to help meet the nation's need for mathematicians, scientists and engineers for the future.

An important goal of the summer undergraduate research program is to provide an opportunity to do research to students who would not normally have the chance to do so. This especially includes women, members of minority and the disabled, groups who are currently significantly underrepresented in the materials science community and whose talents will be an important contribution to the nation's scientific resources for the future.

Penn State is one of the largest land-grant universities, with approximately 40,000 undergraduates and graduate students at the University Park campus. The Chemistry Department at Penn State University was recently ranked among the top 10 departments in the 2010 NRC rankings. The chemistry department is a major research facility with 37 faculty and nearly 250 graduate students.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the staff at (814) 865-8859 in advance of your participation or visit.