Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

Undergraduates from around the nation are invited to come to Brown University this summer to engage in cutting-edge research in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences.

Welcome to Dynamic Earth in the 21st Century
Undergraduate research on the evolution of Earth’s interior, surface, and climate

We are a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site with the Dept. of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (DEEPS) and the Leadership Alliance at Brown University

  • Valencia conducting research in a lab, measuring fluid into a beaker. What processes drive the history of climate change and what are the likely conditions of Earth’s future climate?
  • How does the structure and strength of Earth’s interior affect its feedbacks with melting ice sheets and rising sea levels?
  • What factors control volcanic eruptions?  How do volcanoes on Earth differ from those on other planets?
  • What are the drivers of air and water quality in urban environments?

Come to Brown University this summer to engage in cutting-edge research on these and other questions!

The 9-week internships provide:

  • Hands-on research experience, with mentoring from Brown faculty in a supportive learning environment;
  • A $5400 stipend;
  • Housing in a Brown dorm and round-trip travel at no cost;
  • Professional development and graduate school/career guidance;
  • Social activities;
  • The opportunity to present your research at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium and the Summer Research Symposium at Brown, and the possibility of presenting your research at a national science meeting such as the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting.

Students from groups historically underrepresented in the sciences are particularly encouraged to apply, including Black, Latinx/Hispanic, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students; women; first-generation college students; students with disabilities; and students who have faced financial barriers.  Our program welcomes students of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and students from diverse life experiences and academic paths, including veterans.

We encourage applications from undergraduates with majors across STEM fields, including geoscience/Earth science, environmental science, physics, chemistry, engineering, math, applied math, biology, and computer science.

In 2025, the program will run from June 2 through August 1.

Research Projects and Mentors

National Science Foundation Funding

Funding for this REU site is provided by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Earth Sciences located in Alexandria, VA. (NSF Award: EAR-2243857.) The NSF contact for this program is Aisha Morris. NSF does not handle REU applications; please contact each REU site directly for application information.

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