Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites
Quick Facts
- Agency
- National Science Foundation
- Funding
- $60,000 - $420,000 per site
- Deadline
- Rolling (Rolling / Open)
- Status
- Active
- Eligibility
- Universities and colleges
About This Grant
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites is sponsored by National Science Foundation. Funds university sites for undergraduate research in AI and related fields, supporting curriculum enhancements for hands-on AI-native project experiences. This program should be reviewed carefully against your organization's mission, staffing capacity, timeline, and compliance readiness before you commit resources to a full application. Strong submissions usually translate sponsor priorities into concrete objectives, clear implementation milestones, and measurable public benefit.
For planning purposes, treat rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows as your working submission target unless the sponsor publishes an updated notice. A competitive project plan should include a documented need statement, implementation approach, evaluation framework, risk controls, and a realistic budget narrative. Even when a grant allows broad program design, reviewers still expect credible evidence that the proposed work can be executed within the grant period and with appropriate accountability.
Current published award information indicates $60,000 - $420,000 per site Organizations should verify the final funding range, matching requirements, and allowability rules directly in the official opportunity materials before preparing a budget. Finance and program teams should align early so direct costs, indirect costs, staffing assumptions, procurement timelines, and reporting obligations all remain consistent throughout drafting and post-award administration.
Eligibility guidance for this opportunity is: Universities and colleges If your organization has partnerships, subrecipients, or collaborators, define responsibilities and compliance ownership before submission. Reviewers often look for implementation credibility, so letters of commitment, prior performance evidence, and a clear governance model can materially strengthen the application narrative and reduce concerns about delivery risk.
A practical approach is to begin with a focused readiness review, then build a workback schedule from the sponsor deadline. Confirm required attachments, registration dependencies, and internal approval checkpoints early. This reduces last-minute issues and improves submission quality. For the most accurate requirements, always rely on the official notice and primary source links associated with Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites.
Official Opportunity Details
Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) | NSF - U. S. National Science Foundation An official website of the United States government Official websites use .
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Research Experiences for Undergraduates For Early-Career Researchers Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) How We Make Funding Decisions Request a Change to Your Award Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) NSF Public Access Repository Who to Contact With Questions Facilities and Infrastructure Updates on NSF Priorities Our Directorates & Offices Biological Sciences (BIO) Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) Integrative Activities (OIA) International Science & Engineering (OISE) Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences (SBE) Technology, Innovation & Partnerships (TIP) National Center for Science & Engineering Statistics (NCSES) National Science Board (NSB) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) NSF's implementation of the revised 2 CFR NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website .
These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.
Important information for proposers All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements.
Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.
Updates to NSF Research Security Policies On July 10, 2025, NSF issued an Important Notice providing updates to the agency's research security policies, including a research security training requirement, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program annual certification requirement, prohibition on Confucius institutes and an updated FFDR reporting and submission timeline.
Supports intensive research by undergraduate students in any NSF-funded area of research. REU Sites engage a cohort of students in research projects related to a theme. REU Supplements engage students in research related to a new or ongoing NSF research award.
Supports intensive research by undergraduate students in any NSF-funded area of research. REU Sites engage a cohort of students in research projects related to a theme. REU Supplements engage students in research related to a new or ongoing NSF research award.
The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program.
This solicitation features two mechanisms for supporting student research: REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme.
REU Supplements may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects. REU projects with an international dimension are welcome. Undergraduate student participants in either REU Sites or REU Supplements must be U.
S. citizens, U. S.
nationals, or U. S. permanent residents.
Students do not apply to NSF to participate in REU activities, and NSF does not select students for the opportunities. Investigators who receive REU awards establish their own process for receiving and reviewing applications and selecting students, and students follow the instructions provided by each REU Site or REU Supplement to apply. (In some cases, investigators pre-select students for REU Supplements.)
To identify appropriate REU Sites, students should consult the directory of active REU Sites on the Web at https://www. nsf. gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.
cfm . Updates and announcements New Partnership with the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) NSF REU Site Contacts: https://www. nsf.
gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_contacts.
jsp June 21, 2022 - DBI Virtual Office Hour: Training Programs April 15, 2022 - DMS Virtual Office Hours June 25, 2021 - DMS Virtual Office Hours June 18, 2021 - POSTPONED: DMS Virtual Office Hours January 21, 2021 - DMS Virtual Office Hours Funded as part of this Program Astronomy Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites (AST REU Sites) BIO Research Experience for Undergraduates Sites (BIO REU Sites) Chemistry Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites (CHE REU Sites) CISE Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites (CISE REU Sites) Mathematical Sciences Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites (DMS REU Sites) OCE Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites (OCE REU Sites) Research Experiences for Teachers: Supplement Opportunity (RET) SBE Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites (SBE REU Sites) Additional program resources REU Information for Students REU Information for Faculty Awards made through this program Browse projects funded by this program Map of recent awards made through this program Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) Directorate for Engineering (ENG) Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Office of Integrative Activities (OD/OIA) Office of International Science and Engineering (OD/OISE) This program provides educational opportunities for Undergraduate students.
Third Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter Due by 5pm submitting organization's local time in FY 2024 -- This estimate includes both Sites and Supplements, pending availability of funds. Estimated number of awards Estimated number of awards description This estimate includes approximately 175 new Site awards and 1,150 new Supplement awards each year. There is additional eligibility information.
Please see solicitation for details. Review full program guidelines and learn how to submit a proposal in the latest solicitation. Share on X (formerly known as Twitter) Our Directorates & Offices Budget, Performance & Financial Reporting
Eligibility Requirements
- Universities and colleges
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites?
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Universities and colleges Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
What is the typical funding level for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites?
Current published award information indicates $60,000 - $420,000 per site Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
When is the deadline for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites?
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
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