Research Experience for Undergraduates Site
Hybrid Design and Fabrication (REU-HDF)
The University of Texas at Arlington

Can I take summer courses/work while participating in the REU?

The REU is a full-time position designed to fully immerse you in a graduate-level research experience. As such, we require all participants to have the REU as their sole summer commitment. The REU offers a $6000 stipend, free housing, and a meal plan to assist with financial obligations.

Check with your institution for other undergraduate research opportunities offered during the school year. UTA Undergraduate Research.

Is US Citizenship a requirement?

Yes, our funding source requires that all REU participants hold US Citizenship or US Permanent Residency status.

I am graduating this Spring. Can I still apply?

REU participants must hold undergraduate status during the summer in which they are applying. You may still apply if you are graduating in the Fall.

Do I have to live on UTA campus?

A very strong element of an REU experience are the many extracurricular activities that you and your REU cohort of 10 students can take part in. We do require that all REU participants live on UTA campus during the summer. The move-in date is Monday, May 30 - Memorial Day. The REU Housing will be at UTA's West Hall.

What are you looking for in an REU applicant?

We are looking for undergraduate researchers that have a "maker spirit" i.e., students that demonstrate that they enjoy to pursue independent projects, pick up new skills outside of their school work, and share their work with others.

The REU is designed to be interdisciplinary. We will be recruiting a balance of skills within your cohort of 10 students so that you can mutually benefit from interacting with others to solve problems that may be outside your personal knowledge base.

As a common base, we would like REU participants to have some background in Computer Science, ideally taking courses in Data Structures or Object-Oriented Programming. We want participants to feel comfortable reading, writing, and debugging code; you will likely need to pick up a new programming language for many of the projects.

No prior research experience is required, but it does help us to see independent projects that demonstrate some of your critical thinking skills.

You should have some interest in pursuing a graduate degree. If your plan is to directly enter and stay in industry, the REU may not be the best road for you. If you are still exploring what pursuing a graduate degree, especially a Ph.D., would entail, you are in the right spot.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive REU experience. We are looking to recruit students from all backgrounds whether this be: gender, ethnicity, discipline, sexual orientation, or students with disabilities. We welcome students from community colleges or primarily undergraduate institutions (i.e., those that don't have graduate programs).