Application Instructions

Eligibility

  • Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on the 4.0 scale
  • Be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident
  • Have completed Differential Equations and a College Level Physics course.
  • Must be enrolled in a degree-granting program at a U.S. college or university in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science/Engineering and/or other related majors.
  • Students should have completed at least 4 semesters by the start of the program and must have at least one semester of undergraduate study remaining after completing the REU Summer Program.
  • Community College Students from Oklahoma only. Should have completed Calculus II and Physics I by the start of the program. Should have plans to transfer to a four year engineering program.

Instructions

Required Materials:

Application must be submitted using the Online Application Form, including supporting documents. Questions regarding the application process should be directed to wmerchan-merchan@ou.edu. A complete application package will include the submission of the following documents:

  • A complete online application form (click here) or by using the Fillable Word Application

  • A resume (one page long).

  • A Personal Statement using 250 to 500 words.

  • A copy of your Academic Transcript(s), an unofficial copy will suffice for the application process. However, selected participants will be asked to submit an official copy after the selection announcement and before the REU program starts.

Please see “Checklist” for items that need to be submitted for a completed application.

Letters of Recommendation

  • Two Letters of Recommendation. The letters should comment on the applicant’s educational performance, characteristics and qualifications. The recommendation letter should be written by a faculty advisor, professor that you may have had in any STEM class, mentor from a previous research experience, mentor from a previous internship, etc.
  • Request your referees to send Recommendation Letters directly to wmerchan-merchan@ou.edu and copy Dr. Sun at wsun@ou.edu.A recommendation letter should be labeled as: REU-RL_Last Name of applicant_Last Name of referee.pdf.

Student Selection Criteria:

Selection to the REU Program will be based on a number of factors, including but not limited to:

  • Degree Goal and Discipline (i.e., Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering and/or other related field).
  • Commitment to participate and be available for the entire 10 weeks of the REU-Site Program. Failure to complete the REU summer research commitment in any way may result in removal from the program and/or the stipend being rescinded or reduced.
  • Commitment to work/participate 40 hours per week (8:00am to 5:00pm with a break for lunch). This includes conducting independent research with a Research Mentor on the assigned project and full participation in the extracurricular activities for the duration of the 10 weeks of this project (weekly seminars, research and professional development meetings, and other cohort building activities). Exact hours may depend on experiments and seminars, and sometimes students may start early or work late, depending on what is going on in the lab or in the “open field experiments”.
  • Student capabilities/experiences alignment with projects provided by participating Faculty Mentor.
  • Organization and completeness of the REU-Site application packet
  • Relevant qualifications and/or experiences to conduct the project.
  • Has an interest in pursuing/applying to graduate school in a STEM related program after the BS degree.
  • Willingness to live in campus housing during the duration of the summer REU program.
  • Commitment to participate virtually in the REU site if disruptions by the COVID-19 Pandemic occur.
  • Commitment to NOT enroll in any summer session classes (in-person and/or online) and to not work outside of his/her research project and to attend extracurricular activities during the duration of this summer program.
  • Commitment to prepare a group professional progress report presentation, prepare and deliver a final group presentation and final project written report at the end of the REU program.
  • Willingness to participate and complete surveys.