The deadline for the KBS REU program has been extended to February 14th!
The NSF funded KBS REU Site “Understanding biological responses to global change in a field station community” gives students an opportunity to conduct full-time research in collaboration with our outstanding faculty, postdocs and graduate students. REU students at KBS will conduct research to understand how organisms and ecosystems respond to global changes, in a time when this knowledge is more essential than ever.
In a close knit community of researchers and other STEM professionals at a beautiful field station on Gull Lake, REU students will benefit from regular interactions with scholars and summer program participants, participation in professional development workshops, and leadership, inclusion, and research ethics trainings. They will also practice communicating their science to a wide variety of audiences and participate in an end-of-summer research symposium.
Mentors come from departments of Integrative Biology, Plant Biology, Fisheries and Wildlife, and Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences. All REU participants will receive a generous stipend, room and board at KBS, funding towards travel costs, and funding for research supplies.
Dates:
This program is 10 weeks long and will run from May 21 – July 29, 2023 (students are expected to arrive on-site by 5 p.m. Sunday, May 21 and depart Saturday, July 29).
Hours:
This is a full-time (40+hrs/week) research experience. Specific hours will be arranged with your research mentor.
COVID Policies:
All program participants will be required to comply with the most current Michigan State University COVID-19 policies.
Financial Support:
· $6000 stipend + room & board at KBS- note that our dining hall will not be open. We provide a weekly grocery stipend and all apartments are equipped with kitchens
· Up to $600 to cover transportation to and from KBS (note MSU can only reimburse drivers up to $500 in mileage)
· Up to $250 for research expenses
Learning Plan and Professional Development:
REUs will work with their mentor to create a custom learning plan and work to develop an independent research project, collaborate to write a research proposal, attend weekly professional development seminars, develop an “elevator speech” about your research, write a research abstract and present a professional research poster at the KBS Summer Undergraduate Symposium, plus write a professional blog post about your research experience.
Our weekly professional development seminars cover topics like science communication, crafting a CV/Resume, and more. We also host grad panels and career panels to help students learn about a variety of STEM career options.
Field Trips and Activities:
Weekends at KBS are all about exploring. Students will take field trips to the Detroit Zoo, museums in Ann Arbor, the Saugatuck Dunes on Lake Michigan, and more! Activities closer to KBS include browsing the Farmer’s Market in Kalamazoo, bowling, birding, and kayaking on Gull Lake. Our resident mentors organize weekly activities that will appeal to a variety of interests.
What are the benefits of an REU at KBS?
-Join a dynamic group of students and faculty for an authentic field research experience
-Learn the process of research: reading literature, formulating questions and hypotheses, designing a study, writing a research proposal, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting your results as a research poster
-Explore if a career in research is a good choice for you
-Build references for your application to graduate school or other professional programs
-Participate in professional development seminars that will prepare you to think broadly about STEM career options
-Make new friends and explore beautiful Southwest Michigan!
https://www.kbs.msu.edu/education/undergraduate-program/research-experiences-for-undergraduates-reu/