Research Experience for Undergraduates

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is North Carolina’s “coastal university” with an enrollment of over 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students.  Throughout its history, UNCW has been committed to providing students of southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina a combination of exceptional teaching that are often encountered within a small, liberal arts college and research opportunities more commonly found at much larger universities.  Indeed, the core mission of UNCW is to provide “powerful academic experiences [that] stimulate creative inquiry and critical thinking…” while at the same time fostering “diversity and inclusion, affordable access, global perspectives, and enriching the quality of life through scholarly…engagement.” 

This program is a collaboration of UNCW’s Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences, Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, the Center for Marine Science, the Center for the Support of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CSURF), the Watson College of Education, and the DC Virgo K-8 Lab School.

The specific objectives for the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program are to:

• Provide undergraduate students, especially from underrepresented groups and veterans, an opportunity to experience the excitement of research and discovery, and to work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary team. 

• Enable students to develop scientific and research skills, and to hone their oral and written scientific communication skills, all of which are valuable for careers in science.

• Help students to evaluate the impact of their research and how to communicate that importance to a general audience, including  K-8 students in a high-needs public school.

• Guide students through the application process for major national and international fellowships, and to help them begin the process of applying for such awards.

The UNCW Marine Science REU program will run from May 19, 2024 - July 19, 2024.  

This program specifically targets first-year students.  For the purposes of this program, "first-year" is defined as a student who has completed either one or two semesters of post-secondary education at a two- or four-year institution.  We especially encourage and welcome applications from historically underrepresented in the marine sciences, including students who are Black/African American, Chicano/Latino, Indigenous American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Asian/Asian American, mixed-race POC, female, first-generation college students, veterans, and students with disabilities.  

Students will receive a $6,000 stipend and travel and housing support as part of the program. REU students will stay in UNCW's Seahawk Crossing during the program, an apartment-style residence hall with air conditioning, wireless network access, laundry facilities, and a fully equipped kitchen.
REU students will be provided with a meal plan and access to library and campus recreation facilities.

Click here for a complete list of summer 2024 faculty mentors

To apply to the UNCW Marine Science REU program you will need the following:

• A completed application
• An unofficial copy of your transcripts that show your grades from Fall 2023 and the courses you are currently enrolled in.  You will upload this as a pdf to the application (see link above).
• A letter of recommendation from a professor at your current institution.  Letters can be emailed directed to csurf@uncw.edu.  Please ask your letter writer to include your full name and REU in the subject line.

All materials must be received by 5:00 pm, Wednesday, April 10, 2024.  We anticipate making initial offers by April 17.

In addition to working one-on-one with a research mentor throughout the summer, the UNCW Marine Science REU program will incorporate a number of enrichment activities.  These will include:

• Workshops about graduate school, marine science-specific fellowships and scholarships, and the development of general research skills such as delivering oral and poster presentations.

• Seminars by marine science faculty from UNCW and other institutions.

• Research excursions at sea and in the field.

• Working with K-8 students from D. C. Virgo, a local, year-round elementary school.  REU participants will serve as mentors to D. C. Virgo students and will work with participating teachers to help develop instructional materials that will help convey the importance of their marine science research.

• Picnics, cookouts, and trips to the beach and local sites of interest.