To be eligible for this REU program, you must be (1) at least 18 years old, (2) entering or returning to an undergraduate degree program in Fall 2024, and (3) a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Students who will graduate by June 2024 are not eligible to apply. Students from groups historically excluded and underrepresented in forestry, including Black and Indigenous People of Color, female, LGBTQ+, first-generation college students, and students from low-income households, are particularly encouraged to apply. Preference will also be given to students outside of Mississippi State University, but from Mississippi or other parts of the southeastern United States. No prior research experience is needed but priority will be given to students who have completed at least one course in biology or a related discipline. The program is a 10-week, full-time experience, so applicants should not be simultaneously engaged with other jobs or coursework.
Funding for our REU summer program comes from the National Science Foundation. According to the NSF eligibility criteria: “Undergraduate student participants supported with NSF funds in either REU Supplements or REU Sites must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. An undergraduate student is a student who is enrolled in a degree program (part-time or full-time) leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree. Students who are transferring from one college or university to another and are enrolled at neither institution during the intervening summer may participate. High school graduates who have been accepted at an undergraduate institution but who have not yet started their undergraduate study are also eligible to participate. Students who have received their bachelor's degrees and are no longer enrolled as undergraduates are generally not eligible to participate.”